Terrie Hayward is a professional dog behavior expert, Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT), Karen Pryor Academy Faculty Member, and author specializing in canine separation anxiety and science-based behavior change.

Since beginning her professional animal-training career, Terrie has helped dogs and their families navigate challenging behavior using positive reinforcement, behavior analysis, and practical, individualized training strategies. Her particular area of expertise is dog separation anxiety—helping dogs become more comfortable, confident, and relaxed when separated from their people.

Terrie is a Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Faculty Member who teaches professional dog trainers, and she is a KPA Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP). She is also a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT), Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA), and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC). Her education includes a Master’s degree in Education (M.Ed.).

Her professional work has made her a recognized educator in canine separation anxiety, positive reinforcement training, veterinarian and grooming collaborative husbandry and handling, deaf-dog training, and behavior modification. She teaches other animal professionals, presents continuing-education programs, and has authored and co-authored books on dog training and behavior.

Separation anxiety is not simply a dog being stubborn, bored, or poorly trained. For dogs experiencing separation-related distress, being left alone can trigger significant fear, anxiety, or stress. Effective behavior change therefore requires more than teaching obedience cues or exercising a dog before an absence.

Terrie’s separation-anxiety work focuses on understanding what happens before, during, and after a dog’s absences and developing a gradual behavior-change plan appropriate for that individual dog.

Her approach considers the dog’s observable behavior and body language, the situations that trigger distress, the dog’s current ability to cope with separation, and the training criteria needed to build successful alone-time experiences.

This may include carefully planned desensitization, gradual increases in duration and distance, relaxation and confidence-building exercises, reinforcement-based training, environmental management, and close observation of the dog’s responses throughout the process.

The objective is not simply to make a dog stop barking, destroying things, or having accidents. The goal is to help the dog develop a greater ability to remain calm and comfortable when alone.

Successful separation-anxiety behavior change requires thoughtful progression. The dog needs opportunities to experience being alone without repeatedly reaching a level of distress that overwhelms the dog and impedes the training process.

Terrie’s educational work emphasizes several important components:

• Recognizing early signs of separation-related distress before behavior escalates.
• Understanding the dog’s individual starting point rather than applying an arbitrary training duration.
• Using gradual desensitization so that absences can increase systematically.
• Observing body language and behavior to determine whether the dog is coping successfully.
• Building relaxation and confidence as part of the overall behavior-change process.
• Using reinforcement effectively to develop desirable behaviors and positive associations.
• Managing the environment and daily routine so the dog has the best opportunity to succeed.
• Adjusting the plan based on the dog’s response rather than blindly following a predetermined schedule.

When a dog is experiencing significant separation anxiety or a major behavioral issue, choosing a professional with specialized education and experience matters. Separation anxiety can be complex, and an inappropriate approach can make an already difficult situation harder for both the dog and the family.

Terrie’s professional credentials include:

• M.Ed. — Master’s degree in Education
• KPA Faculty Member — Karen Pryor Academy
• KPA-CTP — Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner
• CSAT — Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer
• CPDT-KA — Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed
• CDBC —  Certified Dog Behavior Consultant
• PPG — Pet Professional Guild professional member

Terrie’s expertise extends beyond individual behavior cases. She teaches professional dog trainers through Karen Pryor Academy and has presented continuing-education programs for animal professionals on subjects including separation anxiety, deaf-dog communication, husbandry, handling, and positive reinforcement.

Her professional education includes advanced study in animal training, behavior analysis, cognition, emotion, low-stress handling, husbandry, and contemporary animal-training methods.

This combination of hands-on experience, professional credentials, continuing education, and teaching experience allows Terrie to translate complex behavior concepts into practical strategies for both professionals and pet parents.

Terrie has taught dedicated educational programs focused specifically on canine separation anxiety. Her professional instruction has covered myths surrounding separation anxiety, behavior-change protocols, remote consultation, client support, body-language observation, relaxation, confidence building, and gradual progression through alone-time training.

She has also taught professional continuing-education material on separation anxiety through organizations serving dog-training professionals. Her work has been recognized within the professional dog-training community as specialized education in canine separation-related distress.

Her experience includes working with difficult cases in which dogs initially had extremely limited tolerance for separation. In one case described by Karen Pryor Academy, Terrie worked with a family whose two dogs could initially tolerate no separation and ultimately reached calm absences of several hours.

Deaf Dog Training

Terrie has specialized experience working with deaf dogs and teaching pet parents how to communicate effectively using visual, tactile, and non-auditory cues. Her professional education in this area includes continuing-education instruction for dog trainers.

Positive Reinforcement Dog Training

Terrie’s broader training philosophy emphasizes positive reinforcement, clear communication, behavior analysis, and practical skill building. She works to understand what behavior is communicating and what underlying medical, environmental, or learning factors may influence the situation in order to create a comprehensive approach to successful training.

Behavior Modification

Complex behavior problems often require individualized assessment and systematic behavior change. Terrie’s professional work combines practical training skills with principles from behavior analysis to help dogs develop appropriate novel incompatible or alternative behavioral responses.

Terrie has written and co-written books designed to make effective dog training practical for everyday dog lovers.

• Your Ten Minute a Day Dog — short, practical daily training exercises.
• A Deaf Dog Joins the Family — training, education, and communication for families living with deaf dogs.
• Grooming Without Stress — co-authored guidance focused on positive husbandry and handling.