Maria is a Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant and Accredited Trainer (IAABC, CANZ), Fear Free Certified Professional, and author of the book ‘Dogs in Action – Working Dogs and their Stories’. With over 15 years of experience, she has trained and rehabilitated dogs worldwide, from pet puppies to feral and high-risk cases, using force-free, science-based methods.

Maria was engaged as the dog trainer for the UK production of ‘Annie the Musical’ which was on tour in New Zealand and ‘Legally Blonde - The Musical’. She’s collaborated with Department of Conservation, PD Insurance, and Southern Cross Pet Insurance on national education and safety campaigns. In 2025 Maria has devoted time to sharing her knowledge via free educational talks to the public and the vet industry.

Jess is an accredited veterinary behaviourist and the Founder and Director of Kiwi Vet Behaviour, a team of qualified vets and  trainers who provide compassionate and science-based services including veterinary behaviour consultations, training packages, educational workshops, and classes for dogs of all ages. Jess recently (January 2023) opened the first veterinary behaviour clinic in Auckland, NZ, a facility where companion animals and their guardians can come together with professionals in a safe environment.

Adele is a Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant with the IAABC as well as an accredited Animal Behaviour Consultant with CANZ. Her journey into animal behaviour began during her BSc Psychology studies at the University of Canterbury, where she explored additional disciplines such as Biochemistry and Animal Behaviour. She continues to expand her expertise through programmes like Canine Psychology & Behaviour (Ad. Dip.) with the ISCP and specialised training from the Grisha Stewart Academy.
Since 2016, Adele has been actively involved with Christchurch Bull Breed Rescue, initially as a volunteer and now as a duty manager. She provides 1:1 training and support for dogs, volunteers, foster teams, and adoptees, while also engaging in community dog education for children.
Adele has fostered and re-homed numerous litters of puppies and over 30 adult dogs, specialising in complex behavioural cases. Her current fosters are true long termers - Sunshine & Heath. Adele emphasises ongoing education and hands-on experience for a holistic approach to training and behaviour modification, focusing on the wellbeing of every learner.
With Sit Happens since 2018, Adele specialises in behaviour modification for complex cases and core life skills development. She collaborates closely with local veterinarians and other professionals to ensure comprehensive care, including referrals for virtual consults.
Adele’s commitment extends to teaching puppy foundation courses and facilitating socialisation sessions for shy puppies, building solid foundations and helping prevent behavioural challenges. She also leads group sessions to support ongoing training and development for her longer term clients.

Lisa is a Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant (CDBC) with the IAABC, an Accredited Animal Behaviour Consultant with CANZ, and currently serves as Vice President for the APDTNZ. She founded Sit Happens Dog Training in 2016 and later launched Kiwi Canine, an online store offering curated dog products.
With a background in B.Sc. Information Management and M.Sc. International Management, Lisa switched her passion to dogs which led her to international training, conferences with renowned speakers, and diverse experience in canine businesses. After running puppy classes, socialisation and 1:1 training for almost a decade, Lisa now focuses her attention more on providing an alternative to existing pet stores, with having a completely non-aversive range of very select products with a great focus on enrichment.
Since 2015, Lisa has volunteered with rescue organisations in Christchurch, helping to enable staff and volunteers to help the dogs in their care on a behavioural level as well. And while not fostering dogs, she usually always has a foster kitten on top of her two rescue dogs Hank and Mouse and her two rescue cats Snoop and Smooch

Brit is a a comparative and evolutionary psychologist who conducts research on the properties of animal facial signals and their implications for the evolution of sociality, gestural communication, and human language. She is also an applied psychologist conducting research on human-animal interactions to develop training tools and materials that help zookeepers, veterinarians, pet owners, and others provide the best possible care for their animals.

She works closely with numerous zoos, conservation centers, sanctuaries, shelters, and rescues to conduct non-invasive research through behavioral observation.

Holly Molinaro received her B.S. in Biology with a minor in Psychology from Stetson University, where she studied the behavior of pygmy rattlesnakes. After working for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, she graduated with her M.S. in Biology from Sonoma State University. There, she studied social behavior of hamadryas baboons at Oakland Zoo. She received her PhD from Arizona State University where she studied dog emotions and human perception of dog emotions. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post and even Good Morning America. Currently, she is an animal welfare consultant, assisting industry partners on better understanding animal behavior. 

Debbie is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and has been certified as a Registered Behavior Technician by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board. She is the creator of fearfuldogs.com and author of A Guide To Living With And Training A Fearful Dog.

Her online course The Essentials of Applied Behavior Analysis for Serious Animal Trainers is available here. She lives in Vermont in the U.S. and routinely offers workshops and seminars at Lemon’s Hope, a domestic farm animal sanctuary. Besides offering in person training for dogs she also offers online consultations for owners, other caregivers, and animal welfare advocates.