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The most powerful way to truly understand resilience—so you can transform the lives of dogs and their people.

Unlocking Resilience is a deep-dive program for animal pros who are ready to master the science of stress and resilience and turn it into practical tools for real-world cases.

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The most powerful way to truly understand resilience—so you can transform the lives of dogs and their people.

Unlocking Resilience is a deep-dive program for animal pros who are ready to master the science of stress and resilience and turn it into practical tools for real-world cases.

Claim my spot

It's all in one place.

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An integrated science framework for stress, emotion, learning, and resilience

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Practical ways to translate complex research into confident, ethical practice

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A shift from fixing behavior to building long-term coping and adaptability

Take a deep dive into the following topics:

  • Welfare and well-being – what do animals need to thrive?
  • The biology of behavior – evolution, neurobiology, genetics
  • The physiology of stress
  • The impacts of stress
  • Emotion
  • Emotion
  • Cognition
  • Why some animals are more affected by stress than others
  • Preventing and mitigating stress
  • Building resilience and stress coping
  • Emotional/mental health in animals
Kristina is an outstanding and passionate educator, who inspires her students to join her in helping more dogs live emotionally sound lives.
B. Hartney
B. Hartney
this is one of the more important courses that training professionals should be taking right now. Understanding the content in this course is one of the first steps that a professional can take towards prioritizing wellness in their behavior cases and helping dog guardians truly understand how to help their dogs.
Mary Thompson
Mary Thompson
I would definitely recommend it to any trainer who is looking to expand their horizons and learn about cutting edge science that is happening today in the dog world. I will definitely give your a fresh perspective and invaluable knowledge to create more meaningful connections between humans and dogs.
Ana Saldana
Ana Saldana
I'd tell them to be prepared to have their minds blown in a good way!! And also to ensure that they have enough time to be able to dedicate to the course in order to get the most out of it. This is above and beyond the average 'trainer' course - it's in an elite class all it's own when it comes to really understanding the science of behavior.
Rose Brown
Rose Brown
That is a great course that requires dedication. But in the end, it changes the way you view a lot of things and that will help a lot in changing the way we work with dogs and humans.
Vanessa T.
Vanessa T.
It's a must for everyone working in any capacity in animal welfare. As professionals, it's our role to bridge the gap between current knowledge and helping our clients understand, empathize, and have realistic expectations of their companion pets. Resiliency is a foundation for understanding how to help companion pets be successful in their homes. This course equipped me with the knowledge needed to identify ways to develop resiliency in companion pets.
Anon
Anon
I would tell them that the course is helping me to think in terms I hadn’t done so before. Resilience now plays a significant part of my thinking when working with fearful and anxious dogs.
Si Wooler CTC
Si Wooler CTC
The course is packed with great content. Dr. Spaulding asks though provoking questions and genuinely cares about each person's learning experience. There is quite a bit of material to digest so be prepared to live a little in overwhelm but know that there are some really great assignments that help you digest the material and hold on to the key takeaways for you.
Tara HouserKPA-CTP, CPDT-KA, CSAT
Tara Houser
This course is fascinating and may challenge some common assumptions about socialization, canine learning abilities, and the effects of stress.
Ahmed MonibCPDT-KA
Ahmed Monib
This course is unlike any course I've ever taken. This isn't a pre-canned recording and quiz, this is a rigorous exercise of knowledge and discussion of theories. It's like when you first lift weights after a long time of not working out - you might feel a little pain, but you're growing. It's good pain lol!
Anon
Anon
As they say - you don't know what you don't know. After taking this class, I feel it has given me a deeper understanding of stress, resilience and learning in animals. We explore the biological effects of stress and how to deal with these effects in our training practices. In discussion, we uncover resilience and how it effects the entire animal. This course will change the way you see stress and resilience and how to effectively deal with this issue with real clients.
Debbie Thomas
Debbie Thomas
I strongly recommend the course. The combination of the theoretical and the practical aspects of stress, emotions, resilience and animals engaging in the pursuit of a life worth living provides a powerful framework for working with clients.
Neil Wood, PhD.
Neil Wood, PhD.
Phenomenal course with science deep dives - tough but approachable. Challenging but in the best way. You almost feel lost after this course is done, my Wednesdays feel emptier. It's also wild how much you benefit from other professionals also taking the course. I had no idea that would be a side effect - just listening to people who came from other areas of the field that I never touch! We think and respond differently, but our core passion is the same.
Jenny Rossi, FDM.
Jenny Rossi, FDM.
I would highly recommend it. The course is challenging yet supportive. I really appreciated that the content was up-to-date on the latest science. We had a great group of students in the course, which made it even more dynamic! I thoroughly enjoyed the group work/discussions. This course has changed the way I work, for the better of course!
Amy TerceiraCTC, CSAP-BC
Amy Terceira
100% YES! It is a course that deep dives into what we as dog trainers deal with every day - Emotions , Feelings. and How to deal with Stress. Stress is everywhere, helping dogs deal with stress in a more effective way is invaluable to trainers/behaviorists. When people tell me that I am a great trainer, I tell them that is because I stand on the shoulders of giants in in the animal community, like Dr. Spaulding. This course has definitely raised my knowledge to a much higher level. I work with a lot of fearful dogs and this course has increased my confidence in helping my clients. -
Debbie Thomas CPDT-KA IAABC-ADT SA-Pro
Debbie Thomas
The course is a wonderfully deep dive into the complexities of stress—how it affects our dogs, its impact on training sessions, and most importantly, how to manage and harness it to build resilience in our companions. The course goes far beyond the basics, offering a comprehensive look at the theories behind stress and training. Learning about the physiological and psychological aspects of canine stress, paired with practical strategies for building resilience, has shifted my approach to training. Dr. Spaulding is knowledgeable and passionate, which makes the complex material accessible and engaging. Plus, the community of learners that the course attracts adds an extra layer of support and shared experience, which I found invaluable.In short, for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of canine behavior, improve their training skills, and foster a more resilient and confident dog, I would highly recommend Unlocking Resiliency. It's one of those courses that can genuinely make a difference in how we interact with our dogs and improve their quality of life. -
Diana SimonsenIAABC-ADT, CPDT-KA
Diana Simonsen

This course includes:

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16+ hours of live lecture (it will also be recorded)

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16 hours of live discussion and applied activities with Dr. Spaulding  (full students only)

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 Homework assignments (full students only)

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16+ hours of live lecture (it will also be recorded)

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Access to the Science Matters Facebook group

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Certificate of Completion and logo for your marketing materials (for full students, upon succesful course completion)

Want to know more? Check out a partial copy of the course syllabus here.

Course schedule (details Schedule - UR Spring 2026)

Registration opens December 17, 2025.

The next course will begin on February 4th, 2026*.

Lectures – Wednesdays at 6:30 pm ET^ (also recorded) 

Discussion – Wednesdays at 7:30 pm ET^ (full students only, live attendance required) 

*There is no class on April 22nd. The last class day will be May 27th.

^Note that there is a time zone change in the US in March which may change the course time for international students. To convert to your time zone click here.

Claim my spot
We believe everyone should have access to quality education. Therefore, we have a limited amount of funds available for students who truly cannot afford to pay full price for this course. If you’d like more information on scholarships, please e-mail sciencerocks@sciencemattersllc.com.

Course details

How long we’ll hang out

16 weeks

What we’ll do
  • Weekly live sessions
  • Lecture, discussion, interactive application activities & short in-class assignments
  • Additional assignments to cement your knowledge & gain your CEUs


Course access for 18 months as an auditor. If you would like to retake the course as a full student within 18 months, you just need to pay the difference between the full student and auditor price. The course is updated every six months.

CEUs

CCPDT – 21 for full students, 16 for auditors; IAABC  – 25 for full students, 16 for auditors

Your tuition

$1260* for full students; payment plan available, 6 monthly payments of $210

$780 for auditors; payment plan, 6 monthly payments of $130

*Discounts available for Research Bites members.

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Get the full picture and completely change your approach to training and behavior modification. You'll be glad you did!

FREE informational sessions:

  • Ask Me Anything sessions: All done for the Spring, check back for the Fall
  • Ask questions about the course – content, set up, coursework or any other questions you have!
  • Ask questions about stress, resiliency, emotion
  • 30 minutes – drop in sessions. Come for the whole thing or only part of the session. There will be a short presentation about the course and the content at the start of each session.
  • No registration necessary
 

Zoom info for informational sessions:

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 872 7685 1383
Passcode: 749523

Frequently Asked Questions

Auditors will have one hour of lecture each week, in addition to periodic readings which may be up to an additional hour per week.

Full students need to attend the lecture or watch the recording and attend the weekly discussion. In addition, there are weekly forum discussions and periodic readings and assignments. Previous students report spending 3 – 5 hours on the course each week (including lecture and discussion).

You have two options. First, you can register now as an auditor. That will give you access to the live and recorded lectures. Then, if you choose to enroll as a full student within 18 months of the start of the class, you can register for a full student spot without paying the auditor price. In other words, if the full student spot is $1260 and you paid $780 for the auditor spot, then you only need to pay the difference of $480 to enroll as a full student. Again, this option is only available if you enroll within 18 months of the start of your course.

Your second option is to sign up for our Unlocking Resilience mailing list so you can be notified the next time the course opens.

Currently, the course is offered twice a year. The spring session typically starts in February and is offered on Wednesday evenings (ET) and the fall session typically starts in August and runs on Mondays (lecture) and Wednesdays (discussions) at 12 pm ET. Lectures are live and recorded, discussions are live only.

We want the learning experience to be accessible, enjoyable, and beneficial to everyone. Dr. Spaulding is always happy to speak with students to help clarify the material. In addition, you have the opportunity to ask questions during the lectures – and full students have ample opportunity to in discussion to ask questions. Full students also have access to the community where they can ask questions and share their thoughts. This is an excellent opportunity to further your learning by discussing course material with other professionals. Dr. Spaulding monitors the community as well and will jump in as needed to answer questions and clear up any confusion.

Finally, several students have opted to take the course first as an auditor, and then as a full student. This question [link to question before this one regarding not being ready to commit as a full student] has more information on how to take the course as a full student after auditing.

Yes! This class is absolutely 100% applicable to other populations of dogs. I have had students who work with a wide variety of populations including shelter dogs, guide dogs, pet dogs, and performance dogs and all have found many ways in which this material applies to those populations.

If you work with another species, this course can be helpful as well! This is particularly true for mammals, as the information on stress, emotion, and resilience is widely generalizable across mammals. It will also generalize, to a lesser degree, to non-mammals. I’ve had students who work with parrots, horses, reptiles, and cats. Be aware that the focus of the course is on dogs, but much of the science can still be applied to other species.

Students have access to course materials for 18 months. During this time, you will have free auditor access to future course sessions and are welcome to attend the live lectures.

If you’d like to attend the live discussions, you will need to register as a full student – you will need to pay the difference between the full student cost and the auditing cost. For example, if the full student cost is $1260 and the auditor cost is $780, then the cost to attend the discussions is $480. This discount is only available in the 18 months following the start of your course. After that time, you will need to pay full price if you’d like to retake the course.  Please e-mail sciencerocks@sciencemattersllc.com to obtain a discount code.

Yes! There are two options for Unlocking Resilience graduates to continue learning: 1) The UR graduate membership and 2) Science in Action. The membership meets twice a month on Thursdays at 3 pm ET and Science in Action is a more intensive 6 week course that is run 3 times a year. In Science in Action we focus on new research related to resilience. Both options focus on applying the science to animal training and behavior.