Parvene Farhoody, CPDT, CABC, CDBC
Behavior Matters, Inc.

Parvene Farhoody has been training dogs for 30 years. What began as a hobby became her life's work when she started her own training and behavior business almost 15 years ago. Today, Ms. Farhoody owns and operates Behavior Matters, Inc., an animal behavior consulting and training service in New York City.

Parvene holds a BFA from New York University. She is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer (CPDT) through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, as well as a Certified Animal Behavior Consultant (CABC) and a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.

Ms. Farhoody is a past President of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), which is the only independent certifying body for professional dog trainers. The CCPDT Board is working to standardize the profession by establishing criteria for dog trainer education. Part of her duties with the Board includes writing and reviewing the annual examination.

Ms. Farhoody dedicates time to shelter and rescue work and is certified through The Community Animal Shelter Association (CASA) in several areas. Certified as a Training Wheels™ outreach program director, Ms. Farhoody goes into the neighborhood communities providing free food, equipment, and access to medical assistance and training. As a Certified Assess-A-Pet™ evaluator, Ms. Farhoody conducts behavioral assessments of rescue and shelter dogs. And as a Certified Train-to-Adopt™ educator, Ms. Farhoody instructs shelter staff and volunteers in the training of shelter dogs and on how to improve the quality of life for the animals in their care.

In addition to consulting with shelters, volunteer groups, professional trainers, and the public, Parvene has been featured on local and national television - including a recent segment for The Learning Channel program, A Baby Story, discussing and demonstrating how to prepare the dog and family for the arrival of a new baby. She also works with NickelodeonJr. creating information spots about raising dogs with children.

From 1992 to 1996, Parvene also worked extensively with children from Kindergarten through 5th grade in public and private schools throughout Baltimore, Maryland. She designed and implemented teaching systems that were grounded in the principles of positive reinforcement. The curriculums were designed to motivate students to learn-the same principles she applies to all training.

Ms. Farhoody consults on cases working with several species including cats, birds, and horses; however, the majority of her work remains with dogs.

Ms. Farhoody resides in New York City with her husband Mitch Gyson, a visual artist, and their dog Cassidy, a rescued three-legged mix breed.