About Dr Kristina Spaulding
Dr. Spaulding has a PhD in Biopsychology and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist through the Animal Behavior Society. As a graduate student, she acquired extensive experience in teaching the science of behavior and received an award for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student. Prior to receiving her PhD, Dr. Spaulding earned her B.S. in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. In college, she volunteered and then worked at the local humane society. During her time at the animal shelter, she and a coworker established a training program for shelter dogs. She also served as an assistant trainer at Dog’s Best Friend which was owned at that time by Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Dr. Patricia McConnell. In 2001, Dr. Spaulding moved upstate New York and opened Smart Dog Training and Behavior LLC, where she continues to conduct private lessons for basic training and a wide variety of behavior problems.
In addition to working with clients, Dr. Spaulding regularly offers educational opportunities on the science of animal behavior at training and behavior conferences and online. She has a particular interest in increasing the flow of information between academia and those in the field to improve the quality of both research and applied work. She is a long-standing member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainer’s (APDT) Education Committee and in 2019, Dr. Spaulding received the APDT’s Member of the Year Award. She is also a member of the Fear Free Advisory Group and an authorized Speaker for Fear Free which advocates for minimizing fear, anxiety and stress for pets around the country. She chairs two task forces for Meeting of the Minds, a coalition of top dog professionals across the country charged with improving quality of life for our dogs. She also regularly conducts staff training on dog behavior for local veterinary clinics and animal shelters.
