Ask a Dog Trainer

Jean Donaldson is the founder and principal instructor of the Academy for Dog Trainers, which has trained and certified more than 700 trainers in evidence-based dog behavior, training, and private behavior counseling since 1999. Ms. Donaldson is a four-time winner of the Dog Writers Association of America’s Maxwell Medallion. Her books include The Culture Clash; Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs; Fight! A Practical Guide to the Treatment of Dog-Dog Aggression; Dogs Are from Neptune; Oh Behave! Dogs from Pavlov to Premack to Pinker; and Train Your Dog like a Pro. Born in Montreal, Canada, Ms. Donaldson founded the Montreal Flyball Association and Renaissance Dog Training, the first positive reinforcement-based school and counseling service in the province. Her own dogs and dogs she has trained have earned numerous titles and wins in various competitive dog sports. While a student, Ms. Donaldson worked as an adoption counselor at the Montreal SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and later served on its board of directors. Before founding the Academy for Dog Trainers, Jean dealt exclusively with aggression cases for six years. She lives in Oakland, California, with her dog, Brian, adopted in 2015.