For as long as Yvette can remember, she wanted to train animals. As a kid in school, the guidance counsellors weren’t sure which direction to send her, as animal behaviour wasn’t — and still isn’t — a common career path. Her life took a more conventional shape until a rescue dog from the London Humane Society made its way into her heart, and her love of training dogs was rekindled.
Today, she is an internationally-recognized expert on dog behaviour. Her columns have been featured for nearly 20 years in newspapers, such as The Londoner and Toronto Star, and on radio stations like the CBC.
Yvette has presented the hands-on application of training mechanics to animal cognition researchers at Western University, and also frequently contributes to the curriculum of various industry certification tests — tests that other trainers take.
Seeing clients reach that “ah-ha” moment with their pets is one of the most rewarding parts of her career, and she invites new clients to come experience it for themselves too.