About Us

 

theodore-art

Looking for an experienced, certified behavior professional in the Asheville area to help you with your pet’s behavior or training problems?

Trish McMillan is a certified professional dog trainer (through CCPDT),  certified dog behavior consultant and associate certified cat behavior consultant (through IAABC) who holds a Master’s degree in Animal Behavior from the University of Exeter in England.  She specializes in training and behavior modification work using positive reinforcement with dogs, cats, and horses.

During her seven years with the ASPCA, Trish gained a wide variety of experience in the field of animal behavior.  For three years she was the director of the animal behavior department at the ASPCA’s New York City shelter, helping staff, volunteers, and adopters work with animals and make great matches.  Trish has also helped assess and rehabilitate animals from cruelty, hoarding, and dogfighting casesas well as pets rescued from natural disasters. In addition to writing for the ASPCA’s Virtual Pet Behaviorist and other publications, she helped create and present several very popular webinars on dog and cat behavior and handling for the ASPCA Pro website. Trish also co-chairs the Shelter Behavior division of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and runs an online shelter behavior mentorship through IAABC twice a year.

13469_440725620279_4573638_n

Prior to her work with the ASPCA, Trish managed dog daycares, volunteered in animal shelters, taught obedience classes, and worked with board-and-train dogs in her home.  She has also trained and shown horses in various disciplines, and has been incorporating clicker training in her equine work for many years now. Trish has also worked with cats with behavior problems, and enjoys helping our feline friends have more enriched lives through clicker training as well. (Yes, cats can be trained!)

Trish presents and consults nationally and internationally on canine, feline and equine behavior as well as on sheltering topics. To see if she is presenting near you, check out www.loehranialbehavior.com/seminars 

Pibble Hill is Trish’s little farm in Mars Hill, North Carolina. She currently shares her life with three amazing dogs, two smart cats, two naughty goats, and two beautiful horses.

“Whether you are having behavioral issues with your animal(s) or you just need help with training them, Trish is quite simply the best person to call. Trish’s unique combination of knowledge, experience and genuine love for animals make her a truly gifted behaviorist and trainer. She has helped our family (on more than one occasion) solve some very difficult problems with our dogs, restoring harmony and order to our home. ” – Michelle Keil

 

kindi the clicker trained cat

“I wish I had called you years ago to help with Tobie’s “aggression” to strangers at the door. That’s not because an old dog can’t learn new tricks; Tobie will be 10 in March and he learned much from you just few months ago. Had I called you sooner,  he would have lived without this anxiety for so much longer. I mention this to others when they comment on how much Tobie has changed. I recommend your services often but Tobie’s behavior is really what speaks volumes.”
~Marie Louise Murphy

Joey the clicker trained horse