The Grisha Stewart Academy is a nurturing, innovative, global online educational community that inspires sustainable behavior change.

We aim to help our students feel empowered, prepared, and curious for more, resulting in happy dogs, happy families, and a legacy of empathy, kindness, and collaboration in the canine education field.


We are unique because we care and are always learning, just like you. 

Whether you’re an animal professional or are here to help your own dog, if you care about kindness, you have a home here.

Dog Trainer, Author, Singer-Songwriter

Grisha Stewart MA, CPDT-KA, KPACTP

I'm a collaborative dog trainer, author, international presenter, singer-songwriter, and keynote speaker of European ancestry (best guess based on DNA and some genealogy is Scotland, "England & Northwestern Europe," Wales, "Germanic Europe," Ireland, and Norway). I've been helping people and dogs professionally since 2003. My passion projects are community building, songwriting, and woodturning.

I'm fascinated by animal behavior (including humans), somatic awareness, spirituality, psychology. My work is directed at wholehearted living for all beings. For over 20 years, I've been coaching people to help dogs with a history of aggression, frustration, or fear as well as puppies. My other favorite species is humans.

My Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT 2.0 book and BAT 3.0) is used worldwide to help dogs gain confidence and social skills. Well over 200,000 people have learned about BAT so far.

As an outgoing introvert, I refresh my batteries by singing, expressing grief in community, and savoring life with my husband (Tom), Labrador (Joey), cat (Garbanzo aka "Adventure Kitty" and "Baby Panther"), and Little Brown Dog (Zuki). I identify as a queer (pansexual), neurodivergent, middle age, white, raised in poverty and now of middle class, and US citizen. My pronouns are she/her. I am still working on finding ways to live in reciprocity with Siuslaw people, upon whose ancestral lands I reside.

Staff

CBATI Program Administrator

Claire Goyer, BA (Hons.), CBATI-KSA

A dog trainer and Certified BAT Instructor Knowledge and Skills Assessed (CBATI-KSA) in her own right, Claire is also a fantabulous, organized admin that keeps this online space running smoothly. She also designed the online CBATI certification program for dog professionals working with reactivity using Grisha's Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT).

One of Grisha's first UK CBATIs, Claire has been conducting BAT sessions for over 10 years and brings with her a wealth of experience and observation skills which are second to none.

Semi Retired, Claire now keeps her BAT skills sharp by helping friends and family lay the groundwork so that current working BAT pros can start from a solid foundation. When she's not doing that, she can be found traveling between the UK and Spain with her husband Adam, Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen Oliver and Barbado da Terceira Juno. Oh and she crochets. A lot! :D

Artist, Gardener, Grandmother, Butterfly Council member

Dani ❤️

I was born in 1947 in the USA. Three years after World War ll ended. The America I grew up in (from my perspective as a white female) was giddy with new possibilities and the lack of war. We hid our grief & PTSD, valiantly tried to stuff the women who had been operating the country during the War back into high heels and kitchen aprons, and effectively lost track off whatever cross racial, gender, nationality, and religion community we had achieved in times of crisis.

It worked with variable success up until the 60’s when folks including my generation, the Boomers, started to seriously question things and rock the boat a bit...

The US (and from what I can see of it, the World) is a much different place today. Issues are now coming to light that were not even considered thinkable, let alone public conversation. I look upon the present day with awe and sincere appreciation. I do feel the human race is gaining! It may not always seem like it, but to my over three quarters of a Century mind we are making fantastic progress! Not that we don’t still have far to go, but progress none the less. Step by step (sometimes painfully) we are learning to play well together and work through the myriad vicious “isms”.

Throughout my life, music has been one of my great salvations. Singing with my children and singing within a group is a wonderful and healing part of my life. I am grateful to be able to help in some small way to make singing and all we are working toward here at Stellar Village readily available. Myself, I hope to be able to reach people my age. We sometimes lose track of how important community is.

For the last 36 years of my life, I have been fortunate enough to be living my dream life with my best friend / husband. Now, through Stellar Village—and technology we would have considered magic as youngsters—I can communicate with so many lovely people from diverse backgrounds all over the world, all from a cabin on a mountain, off the grid! Thank you for this opportunity to get to know all of you! :)

Applied Animal Behaviorist, Registered Vet Nurse

Katey Aldred MSc, FdSc, RVN, APDT (01204), CAB, CBATI-KSA

Katey has worked in the animal industry since 2001. She holds a Master’s Degree in Animal Behavior and Training and is listed as a Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) with The Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC) and is a full member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC).

Katey is a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) with the Royal Veterinary College and was one of the first UK BAT students and is a Certified Behavior Adjustment Training Instructor Knowledge Assessed (CBATI-KSA). Katey also sits on the Assessment Board for the CBATI Certification Program. She is the owner of Pooch Paws based at St.Olaves, Norfolk established since 2005. She is the main trainer delivering weekly puppy and dog training classes. Katey also works privately with clients for training and behaviour as well as teaching workshops. Katey has a passion for gundogs utilising clicker training to teach the sport. A background in the veterinary industry has also resulted in a passion for husbandry training and low-stress handling.

Graphic + UX Designer, Marketing

Paloma Suter

Paloma, dyed-in-the-wool graphic designer, a marketing virtuoso, and team strategist. She's built her marketing chops over two decades working in sports, education technology, hospitality and several other industries. Over the years, she's sought inspiration from the jungles of Colombia, the urban Texas' concrete expanses, and remote corners of the mountain west. Her explorer's soul goes beyond just travel and permeates her thinking: Paloma loves the challenge of creating new brand positioning, voice, and visuals. Today, the sweeping vistas of northern Montana.

Senior Training and Behavior Advisor

Tom Candy BSc (Hons.), MSc, CCAB, CSBS, CBATI-KA

Tom Candy is a Senior Training and Behaviour Advisor for one of the largest dog rehoming organisations in the United Kingdom and is also a behaviour and welfare Trustee for Hope Rescue Wales. His duties include assessment, management and behaviour modification.

A passion for animal welfare and training led Tom to undertake a BSc (Hons) in bio-veterinary science, and an MSc in clinical animal behaviour from the University of Lincoln, UK.

Having started volunteering in rescue at the age of 15, Tom has been involved in a variety of aspects of rescue, including fundraising, home checks, transporting, and general day-to-day activities.

An international speaker, Tom is Clinical Animal Behaviourist with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council, and a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, a Certified Shelter behaviour specialist with the IAABC, a Certified Behavior Adjustment Training Instructor - Knowledge Assessed (CBATI-KA), and a full member of the APBC. He is the host of Simplifying Shelter Behaviour Podcast available on Spotify.

CBATI-KA, Mindfulness Coach, Forest Therapy Practitioner

Yvette Potter CBATI-KA

Yvette started her journey into dog training in 2011 with her first dog Cory and balanced working her day job and starting her own dog training business, The Urban K9 Gibraltar, which included everything from puppy training to behavior consults and socialization walks in the countryside.

Since retiring in 2021 from her everyday job she embarked on traveling in the Motorhome with her husband and three dogs and certifying as a CBATI-KA and a Mindfulness Coach and Forest Therapy Practitioner. Yvette loves studying and adding more tools to her ever expanding tool box to help dogs and their humans.

Ready to get going?

Click below to take a look at all of the courses on this site.

Note: Diamond members get all of the courses for one super-low monthly fee and don't need to register for individual classes. It's an excellent value.

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