Theory & Practice - my experience so far

Both practical experience and theoretical knowledge are needed to insure a good quality of service. I will never stop learning as science and new discoveries are ever evolving.

Degree and certificates:
In 2017 I obtained a postgraduate degree in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare, which, offered 2 years of free access to the published research database Science Direct, lectures from many international professionals (behaviourists and vet behaviourists) and practical experience in handling and training of companion animals (dogs and cats). This was offered by a cooperation of The University College of Odisee in Belgium,  the Autonomus University of Barcelona in Spain en Davalon in the Netherlands. To view the brochure and see the content of this degree, click here.

I am a certified welfare consultant in the Netherlands who is a member of the Dutch dog behaviourist organization called NVGH.

I give many lectures in the Netherlands and Belgium on welfare and behavior. I am also a guest teacher, advisor and creator of educational content (specialized in welfare needs and emotions).

Other followed courses, seminars, workshops and lectures up till now:

• Biome, Brain and Behavior: An exploration of the gut microbiome-behavior relationship. Dr Kathy Murphy (followed this webinar in 2024, January)

• Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians Conference 2023(Tamsin Durston, Professor Daniel Mills, Dr. Matt Gurney, Dr. Heather Bacon, Dr. Emma Brown and Tom Rowland, Loni Loftus)
• The Aggression in Dogs Conference 2023(Michael Shikashio, Sindhoor Pangal, Dr. Tim Lewis, Irith Bloom, Sean Will, Maasa Nishimuta, Dr. Kristina Spaulding, Sue Sternberg, Dr. Wailani Sung, Dr. Christine Calder, Sarah Stremming, Saharai Salazar)
• Evolution of BAT 3.0 - Grisha Stewart Academy July 2023
• Seminar Dog Behaviour June 2023 (2 dagen georganiseerd door NVGH. Maartje Horvers, Niki Tudge, Malena DeMartini, Dr. Amy Pike, Dr Maja Guldborg)
• Is counter conditioning just tolerance training? May 2023 (lecture Kathy Murphy)
• Resilience in Dogs - What is it, why is it important and how do we build it? July 2022
  (Neuroscientist Dr. Kathy Murphy, Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist Dr. E'Lise Christensen, and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant Bobbie Bhambree)
• The Brain and Behaviour through life stages: Puppyhood, Adolescense, Adulthood, Senior (Kathy Murphy), 4 lectures april & may 2022
• The Aggression in Dogs Conference 2021 (Michael Shikashio, Chirag Patel, Grisha Stewart, Chris Pachel, Kathy Sdao, Trish McMillan, Emily Strong, Denise Fenzi, Victoria Cussen, Joann Rechtine, Allie bender, Melanie Cerone, Debbie Torraca)
• Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians Conference 2021 (Rachel Casey, Jon Bowen, Helen Zulch, Sarah Heath, Daniel Mills)
• Do It Yourself Seperation Anxiety Program 2020 (Dr. Moira Hechenleitner DVM, CSAT (Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer), an expert on this field)
• The Aggression in Dogs Conference 2020 (Dr. Kathy Murphy, Leslie McDevitt, Kim Brophey, Jim Crosby, Trish McMillan, Denise Fenzi, Laura Donaldson, Dr. Amy Pike, Michael Shikashio, Katenna Jones)
• The International Dog Behaviour Conference 2020 Online (Victoria Stilwell, Sarah Fisher, Sarah Heath, Zazie Todd, Clive Wynne, Holly Root-Gutteridge, J. Nicole Smith)
• Aggression in Dogs - A Master Course for Trainers and Behavior Consultants (2019, Mike Shikashio CDBD, Dr. Chris Pachel DVM, DACVB, CABC, Jessica Dolce CCFE and Kim Brophey CDBC)
• 30 Days of Canine Science (30 days of theory and practice taught by the amazing team of the School of Canine Science, Jo Rosie Haffenden, Dean Nicholas, Nando Brown), 2019
• 2 day seminar Chirag Patel - Puppy training | Socialization | Separation | Husbandry | Preventing problem behaviours (2019)
• Artis Academy special: Frans de Waal - about emotions in animals and what they tell us about ourselves (2019)
• Webinar - Fear and What To do (2018, School of Canine Science, Nando Brown)
• Kynocongres 2018 - Fear and cognition in dogs. (2018, Kynotrain)
• Friendly With Dogs Congres 2018 (in Belgium)
• 2 day seminar: The Great Indian Joint Families of Free-Ranging Dogs, Anindita Bhadra (2018)

• 'Working together with vets'  (2018, NVGH, a Dutch association of dog behaviorists)
• Seminar Veterinary Behavioral Medicine, Daniel Mills. (2017).
• Kynocongres 2016 - Pathological behavior in dogs (2016)
• 2 day workshop - Carreer As A Dog Trainer (2015 via The Institute of Modern Dog Trainers, Nando Brown)
• Seminar - How Trainable Are Dogs?' (Nando Brown on Animal Event in Holland 2015)
• Lecture 'Fear' and 'Fear of Fireworks' (2014 Monique Bladder, Dutch dog behaviorist)
• Webinar - Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0 (2014 Grisha Stewart)
• Workshop Stress reduction (2014 Monique Bladder, Dutch dog behaviorist)
• Lecture 'Dominance? It's time for change!' (2014 Monique Bladder, Dutch Dog behaviorist)
• 3 certificates/diplomas on dog ethology, dog training (instructor course) and solving problem behaviors with dogs were obtained in 2012 and 2013 through an organization in the Netherlands called 'Curcuscentrum Dierverzorging'. I learned a lot of valuable things and enjoyed my time there, but I was also given explanations for behavior which left me in doubt. Once I found out their explanations were outdated, I decided to move on and look for a more up to date and evidence-based education.

Practical experience

• I've been working as a welfare & behaviour consultant since I obtained my postgraduate degree in september 2017.
  I do home visits, sharing knowledge (both theory and practice/demos), an analysis/explanation regarding welfare concerns and I offer families practical sessions with my main goal always being: improving the welfare of all who are involved (dogs AND family members)
• I work free lance as a Project Manager of Education, creating and writing content for a dog academy, cat academy and rabbit academy in the Netherlands, been doing this since 2020
• I am a guest teacher and lecturer on animal welfare & behaviour, since 2019
• I was already offering families one on one training sessions with their puppies since obtaining a dog trainer instructor diploma in 2012
• In 2014 I enrolled in the first B.A.T. course that was offered in the Netherlands by CBATI, with my emotionally explosive dog, Sheriff (Greek rescue)
• I loved B.A.T. and voluntarily assisted during courses given to clients by CBATI. I recorded the sessions for clients and made promotional videos for the instructors in 2015 and 2016.
• Since august 2015 I am a volunteer at the rescue foundation that own my dog (a Greek rescue) and I respond to families who have adopted a dog and run intro problems (usually I can help best by referring them to reliable dog professionals living nearby). I still do this.

Some pics of clients that I've worked with (dogs of all kinds of breeds, sizes, shapes and background):