Erin Jones PhD, MSc, CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, CDBC, CANZ-ABC/ATI

 I'm a dog behaviour consultant, researcher, and educator working at the intersection of applied animal behaviour and critical animal studies. I've spent the better part of my career asking uncomfortable questions about how we relate to dogs, and whether we can do it better. 

Originally from Canada, my path into dog behaviour began under the mentorship of Jessica Benoit at Companion Veterinary Clinic in Alberta, where I earned my first qualification as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) designation.  My work quickly shifted toward dogs needing extra behavioural support: those presenting aggressive or avoidant behaviours, and the nuanced, often layered factors driving them. And  with it, my thinking shifted too. The more I worked with dogs in crisis, the more I became interested in the ethical dimensions of the relationship itself.

That curiosity drove me to complete a Master's degree in Anthrozoology at Canisius University, a PhD at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand — where I remain based as an affiliate of the New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies — and a Postgraduate Diploma in Animal Welfare. My doctoral research examined the ethical dimensions of the dog-human relationship, interrogating the expectations and social normative frameworks we impose on dogs and the consequences of those impositions.

Out of that research came my first book, Constructing Canine Consent: Conceptualising and Adopting a Consent-Focused Relationship with Dogs (CRC Press, 2024), which brings together years of research and applied practice to make the case for a genuinely (canine-indexed) consent-centred approach to living and working with dogs. My forthcoming book, Beyond Behaviour: The Ethics of Dog-Centred Training, builds on that foundation and is slated for publication in 2026.

Alongside my research and writing, I'm deeply involved in professional education. As Director of the IAABC Foundation Journal, I oversee the content and direction of one of the field's key peer-informed publications. I also develop and teach flagship courses through the IAABC Foundation and through Small Paws, reaching dog trainers, behaviour consultants, and animal professionals across the field. I hold certifications and accreditations through the IAABC (both Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Accredited Dog Trainer) and Companion Animals New Zealand, and have taught at Dalhousie University and the University of Canterbury.

I'm an international speaker and regularly present at animal behaviour and veterinary conferences, academic institutions, and professional development events. My speaking work centres on the ethics of dog training, an agency-focused framework in the human-animal relationship, and the science underpinning behaviour — with the goal of moving the field toward more thoughtful, dog-centred practice.

I founded the Merit Dog Project to bring that same ethos to my independent consultation and writing work, including contributions to K9 of Mine, Journey Dog Training, and PetMD, among others.

My approach has never wavered: ethical, science-based, and always with the dog's experience at the centre.

My Certifications, Accreditations & Degrees:

• PhD in Animal Studies
• MSc in Anthrozoology
• PgDip. in Animal Welfare
• BSc. (honours) in Psychology and Anthropology
• Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (IAABC)
• Accredited Dog Trainer (IAABC)
• Accredited Animal Behaviour Consultant (CANZ)
• Accredited Animal Training Instructor (CANZ)
• Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CCPDT)