Parvene Farhoody
and her rescue dog Cassidy.
Dr. Parvene Farhoody started training animals in 1974 and started her own training and behavior business in 1992. Today, she owns and operates Behavior Matters,® Inc., a behavior consulting, training, and education service in New York City that specializes in teaching people to better understand learning principles and how these principles are applied to teaching any species—human and nonhuman.
She earned her doctorate in learning processes and behavior analysis from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and her Master’s degree in psychology, with a concentration in animal behavior and wildlife conservation, from Hunter College in New York City.
She has conducted research on the behavioral effects of neutering dogs, acquisition and demonstration of dogs’ appeasement gestures (“guilt” behavior), and maximally effective and minimally restrictive behavioral interventions to reduce interdog aggression. She continues to research behavioral interventions that can improve the lives of human and nonhuman animals using the most gentle and humane procedures possible.
Dr. Farhoody works with, consults on, and designs training for many species, including cats, birds, horses, and exotics; however, the majority of her work remains with people and dogs in the areas of working dogs and companions. Whichever nonhuman species may be involved in training, her job is always to teach human caregivers how to work with the animals in their care. The goal is always to “do no harm” and to create healthy and humane relationships.
In addition to consulting with professional trainers and the public, Parvene has been featured on local and national television, including NBC News and The Learning Channel, and has worked with NickelodeonJr., both in front of and behind the camera, to create information spots about raising dogs with children.
From 1992 to 1996, she worked extensively with children from Kindergarten through 5th grade in public and private schools throughout Baltimore, Maryland, designing and implementing teaching systems that facilitated maximal learning with minimal stress. The curricula were designed to motivate students to learn using the same scientific principles she applies to all training.
Dr. Farhoody shares her passion for the experimental analysis of behavior and its application through her research, writings, and training of several species. She also gives lectures, seminars, and workshops with the goal of teaching trainers to be more effective, efficient, and humane by improving the understanding of learning principles and their precise application.