Behaviour consulting for herding breeds
Go beyond
"your dog needs a job."
Herding dogs are built for complex work. When those instincts meet modern life, problems often follow. Border Collies, Australian Cattle Dogs, shepherds, and other working breeds are often labelled reactive, anxious, obsessive, or "too intense." In many cases, the issue is not the dog.
Areas of expertise
The behaviours Emily specializes in
Reactivity
Dogs who bark, lunge, or explode on leash. Many herding dogs notice movement and change very quickly — making the world feel overwhelming.
Learn moreCompulsive Behaviours
Spinning, shadow chasing, light fixation, tail chasing. Often dismissed as "needing a job" — this condition requires careful assessment.
Learn moreSound Sensitivity
From fireworks to phone notifications. Emily wrote the book on this — literally. Understanding Your Sound-Sensitive Dog.
Learn moreAnxiety
Herding breed sensitivity can look like intensity when it's actually chronic stress. Emily helps identify what's really going on — and what to do.
Learn moreReady to understand your dog?
Work with Emily through virtual group classes, webinars, and behaviour support — available across North America.
See how to work with Emily
Meet Emily
Author and Educator
Emily Priestley is the best selling author of Urban Sheepdog, Reactivity in Herding Breed Dogs, and Understanding Your Sound-Sensitive Dog.
Emily also teaches and mentors professional dog trainers, helping them develop stronger training skills, work through complex behaviour cases, and support their clients more effectively.
SCIENCE-BASED BEHAVIOUR EXPERTISE
Emily completed her professional education through the Academy for Dog Trainers (CTC) and is a certified dog behaviour consultant through the IAABC (CDBC). She is also a certified cat behaviour consultant (CCBC) and holds the IAABC certification in shelter dog behaviour (CSB-D).
She also holds additional certifications in areas including separation anxiety and pet loss and grief support.
EXTENSIVE HANDS ON EXPERIENCE
Before starting her consultancy, Emily spent more than a decade working within the BC SPCA shelter system, handling over 2,000 dogs and overseeing large cruelty and hoarding intakes in her location.
During her career, dogs with complex behavioural needs from across the province were transferred to her location to give them the best chance of rehabilitation and successful adoption.