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Ever since the Inquisitive Canine was founded in 2005, Joan Mayer’s life has gone to the dogs – and she couldn’t be happier!
As a Certified Pet Trainer, Joan enjoys great satisfaction from seeing her students succeed. While she loves teaching her clients how to train and manage their dogs, her greatest joy comes from knowing that she has empowered them with a valuable education that will help enhance their relationship with their dogs for life!
As a dog owner herself, Joan infuses her canine coaching with realistic expectations. She understands the challenges both humans and dogs face in everyday life and offers practical guidance and solutions for making any situation work.
As a canine counselor, Joan draws from her experience as a nurse, where she used her intelligence, empathy, perseverance, and patience to diagnose and care for patients. The same innate drive to help and educate people is also apparent in her overall approach to dog training and her success with clients.
Today, the Inquisitive Canine combines her excellent canine and people skills to provide both dogs and their owners with a rewarding experience. For Joan, the reward is being able to share what she loves doing most:
Teaching you to teach your dog.
Joan is not just a ‘trainer,’ she looks at the whole picture when working with you and your dog. She focuses on the things that matter to each individual owner and dog. Besides the normal sit, stay, come, Ferris and I learned all about how to play nicely with others, the importance of doggy social time, and how nice it is to go to dog class when your trainer has such positive energy and keeps learning fun. It doesn’t hurt that she also makes wonderful ‘human treats’ for class too. Thanks to Joan, Ferris is a favorite at the local Starbucks, and all the other dogs on our block come over our house to see ‘if Ferris can come out and play.’ Thanks Joan!
–Lisa and Ferris Wheel (the cutest terrier in the world), Newbury Park, CA
Joan is a life-long dog lover who has always been interested in canine behavior. And after working as a Registered Nurse, she went back to school to build on her background in the sciences and learn at-length about dog behavior and coaching.
At the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Academy for Dog Trainers (known as the “Harvard for Dog Trainers”), Joan received a comprehensive and leading-edge education in dog training and behavior counseling. She also graduated from the Peaceable Paws Training Program in Hagerstown, Maryland, where she completed an advanced curriculum focused on training the family dog.
In addition to training at the Inquisitive Canine, Joan currently teaches a variety of community education classes for dogs and humans at Ventura College.
Joan’s passion and dedication to her calling is apparent in her enthusiasm for both teaching and learning. Joan continuously builds on her extensive knowledge and training by reading up on developments in her field and attending seminars to refine her skills.
She’s completed Bob Bailey’s Workshop in Sequim, Washington, a series of intensive multi-level seminars that focuses on applied behavior analysis. During the course, she completed specialized animal training that focused on shaping behavior in domestic chickens—a challenging exercise designed to really hone a trainer’s operant conditioning skills.
When not busy training dogs (or continuing her dog-training education), Joan enjoys spending time with her wonderful husband and her own dog, Poncho – who is a fabulous friend and companion. Joan also loves long-distance running, traveling to do races, and spending time in the kitchen baking Blue-Ribbon creations!
Education, Training and Professional Associations
The San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers
- Certificate in Training and Counseling
- Behavior and Training Internship
- Fear and Aggression Certificate
- Dog-Dog Aggression Certificate
- Public Class Teaching Certificate
- Puppy Training Certificate
Special Topics in Advanced Counseling
- Stranger Aggression and Social Fear
- Curriculum Design and Classroom Management
- Dog-Dog Aggression
Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT)
- Certified Pet Dog Trainer
Peaceable Paws Intern Academy (Hagerstown, Maryland)
- Level I Dog Training and Behavior
- Level II Canine Behavior Modification
Additional Training and Credentials
- Bob Bailey’s Workshop (Sequim, Washington) – a series of intensive seminars in applied operant conditioning, also known as applied behavior analysis.
- Completed coursework with animal trainer Ken Ramirez at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois
- Recent participant in Karen Pryor’s Clicker Expo.
- Graduate of the Registered Nursing program of Ventura College in Ventura, California and a graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine’s Primary Care Associate Program.
Professional Affiliations
- Professional Member: Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT)
- Affiliate Member: International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC)
- American Kennel Club “Canine Good Citizen” Evaluator
