Dr. Spaulding has a PhD in biopsychology – the study of the biological basis of behavior – and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist through the Animal Behavior Society. In addition to her academic background, she has been in the dog training and behavior profession for 18 years. She currently conducts private lessons for basic training and a wide variety of behavior problems in dogs.

Dr. Spaulding regularly conducts staff trainings on dog behavior for local veterinary clinics and other dog-related businesses. She also teaches online classes on Learning Theory for other trainers and behaviorists through the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). She gave two talks as an invited speaker at the 2017 APDT conference in Richmond, VA. In addition, Dr. Spaulding is a member of the APDT the Education Committee. As a member of this group, she advises the APDT on their education plan, including their annual conference, online courses, and publications as well as resources and guidelines for trainers and behaviorists. She also recently accepted a position on the Fear Free Advisory Group for Fear Free which is advocating for eliminating fear, anxiety and stress for pets at vet clinics around the country.

Before opening Smart Dog, Dr. Spaulding earned her B.S. in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. In college, she volunteered for a year at the local humane society. She was then hired by the same shelter. During her time at the animal shelter, she and a coworker established a training program for shelter dogs and their volunteer walkers to make the dogs more adoptable. 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 2000, Dr. Spaulding moved to Minnesota where she worked as a dog trainer at a local dog training school before moving to her permanent home in upstate New York.