About Our Dog Behavior Consultant & Our Approach
Meet Kristen Board
Kristen has been passionate about helping animals since she was a kid.
She began volunteering at her animal shelter with her mom at the young age of 13, helping to exercise and socialize shelter dogs and cats. That was only the beginning!
​
​
​
Kristen graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Canine Science from Bergin University of Canine Studies in 2016, and then continued on to earn a Certificate in Training in Counseling (CTC) from Jean Donaldson's Academy for Dog Trainers in 2019. In 2021, Kristen became a Certified Behavior Consultant (CBCC-KA) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. Also in 2021, she earned her Master's Degree in Humane Education.
​
Kristen has worked professionally with dogs since 2015. She trained service dogs for Veterans with disabilities at Paws for Purple Hearts for several years and later worked as the Behavior Coordinator at San Diego Humane Society, where she trained dogs and cats who were experiencing behavior issues in the shelter.
​
Once relocating to Indianapolis, Kristen started Perked Ears and began offering private training consults, group classes. She also worked with patients at Veterinary Behavior of Indiana as a Behavior Modification Trainer from 2021-2023.
​
Certifications/Degrees:
BS in Canine Studies (2016)
Certification in Training and Counseling (2019)
Aggression in Dogs Master Course (2021)
Certified Behavior Consultant/ CBCC-KA (2021)
Certified Separation Anxiety Pro Trainer (2021)
Master's Degree in Humane Education (2021)
Fear Free Certified Animal Trainer (2022)
Licensed Family Paws Educator (2023)
Professional Canine Behavior Consultant Accreditation /PCBC-A (2024)
Canine Arthritis Management Level 1 Advocate (2024)
Unlocking Resilience Course by Science Matters Academy (2024)
Fun Scent Games Instructor-- Level 1 (2025)
​
​
Kristen and her two dogs, Hewie and Susan
About Our Training Methods
What do we mean by force-free
and science-based?
To put it simply, it means that we care about the mental and physical welfare of you and your dog when we work with you. We use methods that have been proven by science and that are driven by the use of rewards and motivators.
We do not use methods that inflict fear or pain on animals. We do not promote the use of training equipment such as prong collars, shock collars, choke chains, or punishments such as hitting or choking animals. These methods are not only outdated and inhumane, but can cause serious physical and emotional harm to your dog and create more behavior issues.
If you have used these methods in the past, and would like to take a different and more humane approach, reach out for a consult! We are not here to judge, but we are here to educate!
Kristen doing a training session with her dog Susan