Work History Details
​Vivian Zottola, MSc, CBCC | 617.721.8025

A Trusted Professional Recommended By Veterinarians 
​Back Bay Veterinary Clinic, Boston Veterinary Clinic, Porter Square Veterinarian, Small Door Vets, VCA Wakefield Animal Hospital, 

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Hello!

This page is dedicated to provide you more details!  My name is Vivian Zottola, and I am an Applied Anthrozoologist, force free advanced animal trainer and animal advocate specializing in the prevention and resolution of behavior challenges between humans and their companion animals. What does that all mean? Well,….let’s just say I love dogs (and their people) and have dedicated my life to improving our understanding and relationship with them.  Since 2009 I’ve worked with hundreds of families with dogs and dogs of all ages and breeds to successfully improve behavior problems. People and professionals including other trainers and veterinary clinics call me with questions and for consultations, for puppy advice, adolescent training and rehabilitation for more complex behaviors. In circumstances when dogs have difficulty learning due to severe abuse and trauma (cPTSD), fear, anxiety or stress I collaborate with other professionals including Veterinarians, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists and Veterinary Behaviorists to help improve the dogs learning potential.
"What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." - Jane Goodall
  • MY BUSINESS: I have been operating as a self employed business women since 2009.  My business model has changed over the years from walking and sitting services to adding training, group training and then exclusive in home and in clinic teaching.  I work with clients and their pets in their home and online. In Home is always preferred however not always possible that said I have successfully educated,  consulted and trained people and their dogs here in the States from states in the middle America and the east and west coast as well as other countries including South America -Argentina, Costa Rica and Italy, France and the U.K in Europe.  My educational services range from having a conversational consultation to teaching body mechanics training. People hire me to help them with improving challenging puppy behaviors for example bladder control, jumping up when greeting and chewing behaviors to more complex behavior modification training for all life stages and breeds of dogs.  Over the years I’ve developed a comprehensive 90 day training program called “Click Therapy for Dogs (and the people who love them)” which is designed to help people understand challenging emotional needs and resolve unwanted behaviors. I’ve used the same training framework to help people with their feline friends. To learn more about  service offerings and pricing you can visit my website www.BostonK9Concierge.com.
    • Practical Hands On Experience: From a practical perspective, I have had the honor of training, teaching and coaching thousands of wonderful people and their companion animals over the years. Additionally I have worked hands on for over twenty years with various animals from rescue/shelter dogs; free ranging and homed Dogs, cats, and behavior modification with wild animals including Coyote, Fox, Wolf and Bison at WolfPark Lafayette, Indiana, a non profit organization dedicated to behavioral research, education and conservation.

  • VOLUNTEER WORK: ​Presently: I’ve been actively volunteering for the past six years with the non profit organization Center for Canine Behavior Studies, Inc. A 501 (c) (3) (dogstudies.org) whose mission is to study human pet dog relations and educate the public on solutions that may reduce owner surrender.  In general I provide the Center for Canine Behavior Studies team with information drawn from my private practice, experience and knowledge as a canine behavior and training specialist. My specific tasks fluctuates depending on the project at hand ranging from providing unique insight during weekly discussions, designing human canine related studies, researching scientific papers, writing papers to be published in scientific journals, to analyzing and interpreting dog behavior videos. Presently we are working on an educational initiative called Be BiteSmart which focuses on reducing dog bites to children.  The educational material and AR apps will be FREE to the public across socioeconomic lines. We are very excited to be helping keep dogs and children safe. For more on Be BiteSmart and to learn more about our program see Be BiteSmart at our main website Center for Canine Behavior Studies here www.dogstudies.org 
    • Past volunteer positions: My past volunteer time (any free time I had left over after working and taking care of family) was dedicated to helping professionals and the public learn stress signals in dogs and how to safely manage and protect their emotionality. This effort was performed at veterinary clinics including Boston Veterinary Clinic, local rescues and shelters including MSPCA and Animal Rescue League located in the Boston area. I also dedicated my time as a Lead Trainer and Board Member at the AKC Club, New England Training Club and Pets for Vets an organization that supports veterans with PTSD.
    • PUBLISHED RESEARCH STUDIES: I’m in a unique position and acknowledge my blessings every day. I feel exceptionally lucky to have one foot firmly planted in the field working with amazing people and the other foot firmly planted in academia working at the Center for Canine Behavior Studies researching dog behavior. Perspective and experience matters! It makes the difference between coming up with a solution timely and making mistakes that cause so much heart ache. Being on in the trenches and working in person with clients and their dogs (or online with them personally) helps me figure out realistic solutions that work for people. Being aware and sensitive to various backgrounds and socioeconomic situations also makes the difference in finding what works for people and their dogs. It’s always different, the resolutions are never the same or easy to figure out but it’s important and rewarding work for me personally. My private work and experience influences my academic work and vis versa. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to co-author four academic papers two of which I was lead researcher. The experience and knowledge I gained was and is worth all the hard work. All of the peer reviewed papers are published in scientific journals including Journal of Veterinary Behavior and Animals. Papers were written in collaboration with team members including world renown Veterinary Behaviorist and author Dr. Nicholas Dodman, DACVB and Tufts Cummings School, and statistician Ian Dinwoodie.  More information about Center for Canine Behavior Studies, CCBS and studies found in this webinar under Resources.  
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  • Canine Behavior & Training Education: I have earned two Masters of Science degrees over the years. One in Applied Anthrozoology and earlier in my career when I worked in management consulting a Masters of Science in Communication Management. Because dog training is not a regulated profession I have worked my best to learn from the most ethical and humane teachers, credentialing bodies and institutions. Below is a list of my degrees and certifications.
    • Applied Anthrozoology In its simplest description, it is the study of human animal relations. The Masters of Science program I completed at Canisius University in Buffalo NY “focused on an examination of science based knowledge about fellow living beings, cultural differences. We studied relationships between people and companion animals, interactions with attitudes toward wildlife, the roles of zoos and sanctuaries, policies and laws that permit instrumental and industrialized uses of non human animals, and many related environmental and conservation issues.” I was taught to think critically by researching supporting literature on various topics. I was also encouraged to use my heart and not be afraid of speaking truth for fear of retribution by others. The program was a wonderful complement to my practical training as in addition to promoting critical thinking skills it was also anchored in natural science, social science philosophical considerations, and ethical and humane education insights.
    • Certified Behavior Consultant Canine: My training centers around applied behavior analysis of canine behavior. My specialized certifications are through the Counsel of Certified Professional Dog Trainers (www.CCPDT.org). These certifications may be applied for after successfully completing the foundations skills and knowledge (CPDT-KA) Certified Professional Dog Trainer Certification. Both certifications require hundreds of hours of rigorous practical and formal education and testing. These are updated every three years. I hold Certifications as Certified Behavior Consultant Canine and Certified Professional Dog Trainer.
    • Fear Free Pets Certified.  Unfortunately the dog training profession and most all pet care professions with the exception of veterinary care is not a licensed profession. There are gains being made by credentialed organizations to improve and contract their members to ethical humane training guidelines however there is no guarantee. The CPDT, IAABC, APDT have come together to publish a position statement on humane training and the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has followed suit.  You may see the position statement at AVSAB.org.   Again, even when an individual is certified there is no guarantee of kind care. In fact only through the advent of FearFreePets did veterinary clinical practitioners and staff learn to engage with non verbal animals as individuals and about low level stress signals so to help their vet visits be more enjoyable for the non human animal.  I have always sought to educate non verbal friends using teaching methods and equipment free of fear and intimidation. All credentialing training bodies including CCPDT, Karen Pryory, Jean Donaldson, Victoria Stillwell etc have their own version of ethical code to use LIMA (least intrusive minimally aversive methods) and techniques. This Fear Free Pets seal of certification lets others know I practice patience, understanding and kindness with people and their pets allowing the learner to make mistakes without repercussion. Life is already tough enough and it’s always better when the individual learns on their own time with gentle guidance. 
    • Family Paws Parent Education: I successfully completed Jennifer Shryock’s three (3) month coursework to become a licensed Family Paws Parent Education Presenter back in 2013. Ten years ( 2023 ) later I retook the course again to remain current with my training community of friends.
    • Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT):  I have earned a CSAT certification which stands for Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer from Malena DiMartini Price who spent years working with individuals distressed to be alone. The course requirement included three months of further perfecting shaping training techniques and observational skills.
    • Living and Learning with Animals (LLA) :  Over the years I completed twice a certificate of excellence for Living and Learning with Animals with Dr. Susan Friedman. This comprehensive three month course focuses on Functional and Applied Behavior Analysis applied to non human animals.
    • Veterinary Case-Based Approach to Applied Clinical Behavioral Medicine: I have completed twice this in person workshop led by Veterinary Behaviorist, Scientist, professor and author Dr. Karen Overall PhD, DACVB. This comprehensive 40 week hour course designed for veterinary behaviorists focuses on applying clinical diagnosis and behavior medicine to resolve real life in person case work with clients and dogs exhibiting behavior challenges from fear and anxiety to aggression. 
On the human side of the relationship: I've studied the psychology of human animal relationships while attending my graduate studies at Canisus University and taken related certifications including Dr. Rick Hanson's professional course, Professional Course in Positive Neuroplasticity.


Canine Related Learning Projects:
  • Over 700 cases while offering training and Behavior Modification Training Services ,  2011-present
  • Coauthor Studies with Dr. Nicholas Dodman, DVSAB Center for Canine Behavior Studies, Inc. 501 (3) (c) research associate, 2017-present
  • Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Pilot project team member working with protective services, 2018-2019
  • New England Dog Training Club (NEDTC.org)  AKC affiliate club established 1956, board member 2015-2018
  • AKC Canine Good Citizen Steps Program Trainer, NEDTC.org 2011-2017
  • Pets for Vets; supported this non profit in a volunteer capacity to evaluate dogs and match with veterans 2015-2016
  • Boston Veterinary Clinic,  affiliate Canine Behavior Consultant 2013-2019
  • Animal Behavior College Authorized Mentor Teacher, 2017-2019 
  • ​Founder/Owner Aromatherapy Engineer for K9Aromatherapy.com 2013-Present
  • Founder/Owner Boston K9 Concierge LLC, Pet Services 2010-Present
  • MSPCA Safe Walk Volunteer Walker and basic manners trainer 2010-2012
  • Pets on the Couch Seminar  with Dr. Nicholas Dodman, CT October 2016 
  • Wolfpark Advanced Trainers Workshop with Ken McCort,  Lafayette IN Summer 2016 
    • ​Wolfpark.org is dedicated to animal behavior research.  Attended the first successful hands on training workshop which allowed participants for the first time in its history unprotected access to train five species including grey fox, red fox, wolf, coyote and bison. 
  • ​Dognition Emotion and Dog Cognition Course, Dr. Brian Hare Duke University 2015
  • Dog-Dog Group Dynamics Seminar (hosted), Sue Sternberg, 2014
  • Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) Instructor Workshop, Grisha Stewart, 2013
  • Sociability vs Aggression, Sue Sternberg, 2013
  • Dognition Trainer Program, Dognition Evaluator 2013
  • Family Paws Licensed Presenter 2013-2017
  • Kids & Dogs Pitfalls and Potentials (hosted), Colleen Pilar/Jen Shryock 2013
  • Instructors Training Course Sue Sternberg & Pia Silvani 2013
  • History, Ethology and Behavioral Biology of Dogs, Ray Coppinger & Kathryn Lord, 2012
  • Understanding and Preventing Canine Aggression, AAVSB 2012 
  • Dr Ian Dunbar Behavior & Aggression Workshop, 2012

Certifications: 
Professional Memberships: