Vanesa is a full-time behavior consultant and trainer with Instinct Portland who helps clients with behavior issues such as fear, anxiety & reactivity, as well as life skills, manners, and puppy development. She holds her Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) certification her Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) certification through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). Vanesa has had a lifelong interest in animal behavior and communicating with dogs, and has been working worldwide in the assistance dog industry for over 15 years. Originally from Barcelona, Spain and fluent in both English and Spanish, Vanesa has studied and worked with some of the top assistance dog training organizations and pet dog industry professionals throughout Europe and the Americas, including working as a trainer for the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Barcelona. Vanesa is an international consultant and teacher of both assistance dogs and animal-assisted interventions for universities and dog training organizations, and serves on the Educational Committee and Standards Subcommittee of Assistance Dogs International. Vanesa is also the creator of a children’s dog bite prevention program and has presented this valuable information to many eager parents and children in their homes and classrooms. In her time off, Vanesa loves bike touring, paddleboarding, hiking, and snowshoeing with her husband and her dog Maui, or curling up indoors with a great book.