Behavior Teams

Niki Tudge

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Niki Tudge, MBA, PCBC-A, CABC, CDBC, is the founder and president of the Pet Professional Guild, DogNostics Education and The DogSmith. She has substantial leadership experience in business management and administration, particularly in the nonprofit sector, which encompasses her role as the president of Doggone Safe, a nonprofit educational organization. She has published numerous articles, which have been featured in publications such as the New York Times. She has also authored five books. Her most recent book, Pet Training and Behavior Consulting: A Model for Raising the bar to Protect Professionals, Pets and Their People, which she co-authored, was published in 2019.

Niki holds a dog training and dog behavior credential from the Pet Professional Accreditation Board, has successfully completed two diplomas (animal behavior technician and canine behavior science and technology) with James O’Heare at the Companion Animal Sciences Institute, and is a certified dog trainer and dog behavior consultant through the Association of Animal Behavior Professionals.

Before following her passion into small business and nonprofit management, she enjoyed a distinguished career in the hospitality industry, holding executive positions all over the world. Her real passion in her corporate role was the identification and development of female talent in the workplace. She enjoyed managing and coaching her team through both their personal and professional development, and loved watching the process of female empowerment and growth at a high level of management.

In recent years, Niki has invested time in moving her love of running from a hobby to a professional business. Her professional credentials include International Sports Science Association (ISSA) certified fitness trainer, ISSA certified transformation specialist, nutritional coach and ISSA elite trainer. She is also a certified chi walking and running coach, and has successfully complete the MAF Foundations’ certificate course.

Along with her business degrees from Oxford Brookes University in the UK, Niki holds a Six Sigma Black Belt certification, specializing in data analysis and process improvement and is an International Training Board (HCITB) certified people trainer at levels TS1, TS2 and TS3, and a certified facilitator and project manager. In addition, she was recognized for her outstanding contribution to the business community and honored with a Fortune 500 Company Leadership Award for her accomplishments.

Judy Luther

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Judy Luther is based in the St. Louis metro and Branson, Missouri, area and has provided training and behavior consulting services for a variety of species, both domestic and exotic, for over 27 years. She is a board-certified pet dog trainer through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers, a certified nose work instructor, a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy, a certified canine massage therapist, a Canine Good Citizen evaluator, an AKC Puppy S.T.A.R. evaluator, an APDT C.L.A.S.S. instructor and evaluator, and works with the American Humane Educators Association. She is also the creator of Trust Centered Training™, which utilizes the latest scientific research, and runs her own training business, Dog Star Training, LLC, where she teaches a wide range of dog-related classes in addition to providing private training and consulting.

In addition, Judy sits on the Advisory Board for St. Louis County Animal Control and has volunteered for the Missouri Puppies for Patrol program. She also consults and provides educational support for several service dog and therapy dog programs, and she founded the Missouri Disc Dog Club.

She also works with schools to educate children about how to prevent dog bites and how to be kind to their pets, and volunteers as a behavior consultant to rescue groups and shelters throughout Missouri and Illinois. She is also a speaker, evaluator, volunteer, legal advisor, and contributing writer to a variety of publications, and provides animal talent for print advertising, film, motion pictures, and stage entertainment.

Dr. Christine Calder

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Dr. Calder has lived and practiced veterinary medicine in both New Jersey and Maine for many years. In addition to general practice, Dr. Calder spent time as part of the behavior service at San Francisco SPCA and in Community Practice as part of several veterinary school teaching hospitals. As a general practitioner, she always had an interest in animal behavior and in 2016, she finished a residency with the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists becoming a Diplomate with the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (DACVB) in 2017. In addition to her own behavior referral practice, Dr. Calder is the Chief Behavior Officer for Cattle Dog Publishing and a Vets at VIN Consultant. She has a special interest in education and the preparation for veterinary students to help them be “Day One” ready for practice.