Consultations, Up Close & Personal!
A Seminar with Pia Silvani, CPDT, CABC

• Not scheduled at this time.

Complex problems, interesting people and high-risk cases describe the average private consultation. It takes nerves of steel, great interviewing skills, cunning detective work, strategic advice and a huge training toolbox to be a competent behavior consultant. This is dog training and behavior modification at its elite level with high stakes and pressure to produce solutions on the spot!

Pia Silvani does over 300 consultations a year and is one of the countries finest behavior counselors. As a member of the exclusive International Disciplinary Forum for Applied Animal Behaviorists, Pia has earned the respect of the certified and veterinary animal behavior community for her deep understanding of canine and human behavior and ability to apply it with training to produce results for her clients.

If you are looking for new ideas to deal with behavior problems, or are starting out and want to become better at extrapolating information from clients, or your aspiration is to become a behavior consultant this day will be filled with useful insights and information. Observe Pia conduct three unscripted real life, private consultations up close and personal dealing with a variety of problems such as anxiety, fear or aggression. After the session, find out what Pia was seeing, thinking and strategizing when giving her advice in our debriefing sessions.

Behavior Cases Needed:  
Interesting, problematic and challenging cases will be needed for this workshop. If you have or know of a local case that you would like to be considered for one of the live consultations, please e-mail Dana Crevling at Crevling@dogsofcourse.com. The owner and dog must be able to attend the consultation and understand that their case will be observed for educational purposes. Highly dangerous dogs will not be accepted for safety reasons.

6.5 CEU's for CPDT's approved

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Group discounts available for more than 3 participants from the same organization. Contact Dana Crevling to find out more.  Registration ends 5 days prior to the event.

Click on the location links at the top of this page or below to get specific information, including tuition, for the location of your choice.

You may pay for tuition by:

• Personal or Bank Check

• Paypal - using your account or opening a new account

• Visa, MasterCard or Discover - through our secure payment information page or by contacting the office by phone or fax and providing your credit card information

Complete payment information will come up on the screen after you complete registration. General Payment Information

If the seminar does not meet the minimum and must be cancelled, currently registered participants will be refunded the full amount without penalty. Please familiarize yourself with the Registration/ Refund Policy and the Waiver before signing up.

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Pia Silvani, CPDT, CABC

Pia’s love of teaching began over 25 years ago as a private trainer, dance instructor, track, field and swimming coach for the Special Olympics and Regional Clinician for an international aerobics corporation where she trained new instructors in the field.  After 13 years of para-legal/office management work, she decided to make her part-time teaching career a full-time dream.  She combined her love of teaching people with her other fondness: dogs.

Pia is Director of Training and Behavior at St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, Madison, New Jersey.  She has developed various courses focusing on positive, reward-based techniques, which are extremely effective in the enhancement of the bond and relationship of the dog and her human companion.  The result of her efforts is an astounding 90+ classes per week, which includes 8 levels of pet training classes, specialty courses designed for dogs with extreme behavioral problems and much more.  She has written eight training manuals, which are being used around the country as a resource guide for other trainers.

Pia also developed a behavior department and conducts private consultations specializing in aggressive and anxiety-related problems for dogs and cats. Her systematic approach is particularly effective and has produced outstanding results for dogs at risk. By blending technology, structure, and manageable reporting and follow-up with customized protocols designed for busy lifestyles and individual family dynamics, Pia creates client "buy in". Many of her cases are with families facing issues between the canine and the children. Some are long term and can last up to a year.

Pia writes behavior articles for the shelter’s newsletter and library; has been written up many times in national, state and local newspapers and made numerous guest appearances on television and radio.  She has spoken at conferences and forums internationally (from Belgium to Japan) and routinely consults with various shelters to assist them in improving and expanding their programs.  She recently completed a ‘virtual reality’ training DVD and her newly published book “Raising Puppies and Kids Together: A Parent’s Guide” was recently nominated for a Franklin Roosevelt Award by being voted into the top 3 for parenting books for 2005.

Other accomplishments:

• Member of the American Humane Association Task Force for Humane Dog Training

• Business Practice chairperson of the Delta Guidelines for Humane Dog Training, published in 2001. 

• Past V.P. of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and charter member

• Restructured the training curriculum for over 500 PETsMART stores in North America and part of the educational team who educated the trainers

• Staff instructor with Dogs of Course Instructor Training Courses since 2000 (www.dogsofcourse.com) and telecourse instructor for Animal Behavior Associates (www.animalbehaviorassociates.com)

• Board Advisor to the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters

• Subject Matter Expert and past V.P. of the National Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers

Pia shares her home with best friend and husband, Marty, as well as their 7-year-old Belgian Tervuren, Lance and his 2-year-old daughter, Guinn.  Pia enjoys competing in obedience, Rally-O, agility and plays around with freestyle. 

Pia is an upbeat, gifted teacher.

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This is a non-working seminar. Please leave your dogs home if possible, as they will have to be crated or stay in the car so they do not interrupt the live consultations. If you need to bring your dog, well-behaved, quiet, friendly dogs are allowed to attend on leash. You are completely responsible for making sure your dog does not create distractions or disrupt the seminar. Aggressive or disruptive dogs will be asked to leave.

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