Coaching & Mentoring
For Pet Professionals

Are you a pet professional looking for mentoring, or advice on a case, or even advice about your own animal companion? Viviane has knowledge, years of experience and a compassionate approach that everyone deserves. She will highlight the strengths you already have, and help you utilize them most effectively. She can expertly guide you through any number of challenges you may face.

What clients and other professionals are
saying about Viviane’s coaching and mentoring:

  • "She has played and continues to play a critical role in my development as a trainer and a behavior consultant."

    When I was just starting out to learn to be a dog trainer 10 years ago, Viviane was my first mentor. I still reach out to her when I want to bounce an idea off her or get an opinion from someone who is thoughtful about a range of things, this includes my own personal cases as well as special projects like podcasts, website content and webinar creation.

    What I still value most about Viviane are her exceptional listening skills, attention to detail, and how adjustable she is. She has played and continues to play a critical role in my development as a trainer and a behavior consultant.

    Whether you are looking for guidance in training and behavior plans, are seeking to expand your knowledge and skill set as a professional, need help figuring out next steps for your career or business, are seeking help on how to navigate difficult conversations with clients or need someone to hold you accountable for your goals, and more. Viviane can help!

    Anthony DeMarinis, DeMarinis Training and Behavior, Glen Head, NY

  • “Even dog trainers need the help of a dog behavior professional from time to time."

    “Even dog trainers need the help of a dog behavior professional from time to time. I worked with Viviane virtually for help with my dog. She helped me clarify the basic issue I was struggling with, and together we came up with the solution that had been eluding me. She was compassionate and kind and completely honest with me.  She really listened to everything I said, asked me more questions, and took the time to give me answers to everything. She made sure I had all that I needed by the end of our consultation.  

    10/10 I recommend Viviane and PumpkinPups!”

    - Crystal Gerovac Affinity Dog Behavior and Training, Buffalo, NY

  • "I really appreciate her perspective and coaching!"

    "I am so grateful to Viviane for taking the time to help me brainstorm ideas for what’s next for me as a behavior professional. She took time to understand the road I’ve been on up until now and helped me come up with some things to explore. Sometimes it’s hard to find new resources and perspectives when one is in the same bubble all the time and Viviane was able to give me resources I hadn’t known about that I think are going to be really helpful. I really appreciated her perspective and coaching!"

    With Gratitude,

    -Katie Heathcoate, White Bear Lake, MN

  • "Viviane is a kind, compassionate mentor who is very generous in sharing her wisdom--"

    “Viviane has been mentoring me for 7 months now, but it feels like years of learning already even if we're worlds apart. I live in the Philippines and all our interactions are virtual. We meet weekly via Zoom and she sends me all kinds of resources to study. Because of her guidance, I was able to start taking in clients of my own and help them manage their dogs using force-free, positive reinforcement methods. 

    Viviane also made it possible for me to get my certification from Kim Brophey's LEGS Applied Ethology Family Dog Mediation, which opened a new world of understanding of dog behavior. Viviane is a kind, compassionate mentor who is very generous in sharing her wisdom, training tricks, and insights on an array of behavior issues. She also loves connecting you with people she knows you can learn from, including trainers from PumpkinPups. I can say that my progress wouldn't be this fast and significant if it weren't for Viviane and her mentoring skills. Really grateful for the relationship we have!”

    -Cheryl Salvador, The Dog Tango, Manila, Philippines

  • "-- I hope that people will find this same support so that we can all keep changing the world of dog training--"

    “I am so grateful to have Viviane in my life! It’s unique and remarkable to have such a skilled and knowledgeable trainer to go to when I feel stuck on certain cases. Viv’s help goes way beyond that though; she offers emotional support and insights into my own triggers that are affecting my approach. I also go to her when I need help in shifting my dynamic with my own dog. It’s a profound gift and I hope that people will find this same support so that we can all keep changing the world of dog training without wearing ourselves out. Please go talk with Viv!”

    -Alison Buehler, Dharma Dog NYC, Brooklyn, NY

  • "I highly recommend talking to Viviane if you are feeling like you need support as a new or experienced dog trainer or behavior consultant."

    "I am fairly new to the field and speaking with Viviane has helped me a great deal!  She helped me think through specific difficult cases but also helped me gain perspective on the field more broadly.  She provided me with resources, further reading, and specific techniques to look into.  I highly recommend talking to Viviane if you are feeling like you need support as a new or experienced dog trainer or behavior consultant."

    -Jackie Mobley, Happy Trails Dog Solutions LLC, NC

  • "You can’t go wrong with Viviane as your mentor!” 

    “Viviane’s mentorship has been so valuable to me in more ways than I can count! First off, it’s really helpful to speak with someone in the industry that has so much experience helping clients, and can help you decide on the services you should offer as you start your new business or expand an existing business. Because of all her credentials and experience, she is such a valuable resource to discuss difficult cases with. Sometimes you just need a listening ear to confirm the ideas you had on how to go about solving a particularly difficult case, or need new suggestions if you don’t yet have the experience of working with a variety of cases yet. She’s phenomenal at pointing you to continuing education resources as well that are exactly what you need for any area of dog training you feel you need to grow. She also takes the time to go over your website and marketing material and gives such helpful feedback to perfect it so you can be confident and proud to share it with the world! We all need support and guidance and Viviane is so knowledgeable and kind in her approach to helping others. You can’t go wrong with Viviane as your mentor!” 

    -Sarah Rodriguez, The Home Schooled Hound, CA

COACHING, COUNSELING & MENTORING

We are in this profession because we love training dogs and other animals, and sometimes we get stuck and need a sounding board when:

  • A case doesn’t progress in the ways we expect it to.

  • New information is provided in the case or conditions change for the client and the case is suddenly more complicated and you are scratching your head.

  • You are wondering whether you should refer the case out.

  • And sometimes we need help when we hit roadblocks when working with our own dogs.

When I was a new trainer in 2005, I was fortunate to have a mentor who would pick-up the phone and let me pick her brain.  Not only did she listen and offer her thoughts she also made me feel smart about all the things that I was getting right.  Every time I got off the phone I felt both validated in what I had done so far and empowered to move ahead with my case.

I have been paying forward that kindness, empathy and expertise ever since. No matter where you are, the technology we now have available for virtual sessions makes barriers like distance and time zones obsolete. I am now able to reach more people to share what I have learned in my years as a professional working with companion animals and their people.

ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE MOVING A CASE FORWARD? FEELING STUCK?

SOMETIMES IT’S THE HUMANS THAT ARE THROWING UP ROADBLOCKS, NOT THE DOG.

WHAT VIVIANE CAN DO FOR YOU

Through the lens of Family Dog Mediation, looking at the Learning, Environment, Genetics (of the dog), and Self (individual dog and humans) Viviane will:

  • Mentor you on continuing education and new approaches.

  • Collaborate with you in analyzing stumbling blocks in client relationships or other work related challenges.

  • Review your cases, and provide referrals to other professionals if needed.

  • Recommend tools for gathering information from clients to get important facts and descriptions of behavior before your first session.

  • Discuss and review follow-up report writing.

  • Discuss and review client retention strategies.

  • Suggest or provide resources on various subjects to share with clients to back up your expertise especially when the client is having a hard time taking your words at face value.

  • Help with networking and communications with other professionals.

  • Review website content to make sure it reflects who you are and engages the audience you want to engage.

DIRECT SERVICES TO YOUR CLIENT*

A consultation with your client to:

  • Give a second opinion to support your recommendations.

  • Determine if there might be factors that haven’t come to light yet.

  • Counseling on all subjects concerning the death of a beloved pet and human feelings on that topic including handling the grief and remorse that can follow this event.

    (*Different fee structure applies.)

READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?

SCHEDULE A FREE 20 - 30 MINUTE PHONE CALL TO DETERMINE WHETHER WE ARE A GOOD MATCH FOR EACH OTHER.

Rates:
Flexible, based on your individual situation.