Animal Training Academy

Colleen Pelar Bio

Colleen has always been fascinated by dogs and people. When she was a dog trainer, her favourite part of the job wasn’t teaching the dog, but improving the relationship between them and their humans. Colleen appreciates that both us and them are social species, hard-wired to connect, and she loves offering simple, practical tips for building those connections. That’s why, over more than 25 years of dog training, Colleen spoke at many veterinary and training conferences and wrote three books to help parents and children have successful relationships with their dogs. But she also sat in far too many living rooms having difficult conversations with parents about their dogs’ aggression. Eventually she was empty and had nothing left to give. She had lost the joy that had highlighted her work.

While trying to regain that spark, Colleen began studying the science of resilience. She learned effective strategies for combatting burnout and compassion fatigue. That knowledge has led her in a new direction: sharing these insights to help pet professionals manage their stress and find more joy so they can continue making a difference without burning themselves out.