About Your Coach
Jo-Rosie Haffenden is a dog trainer, behaviour specialist, educator and founder of The Institute of Applied Canine Science and The JRH Academy.
With a background in psychology, postgraduate study in animal behaviour, and more than a decade working professionally with dogs, trainers and behaviour cases, Jo-Rosie has become known for combining science-led education with practical, real-world application.
An accredited expert witness, Jo-Rosie has lectured internationally to professionals and has been invited to speak in Parliament regarding canine behaviour, welfare and the dog training industry.
Alongside her educational work, Jo-Rosie has also appeared across five prime-time television shows including productions for ITV, Channel 4, Sky and Channel 5, as well as multiple national news and media appearances discussing dog behaviour, welfare and modern training practices. She has also published 3 books and done upwards of 100 podcasts over the last decade.
Alongside education and behaviour work, she is also an avid dog sport enthusiast, having competed in both obedience and protection sports. Her life revolves around dogs both professionally and personally. She shares her home with four dogs, a Bengal cat, and her family including her son and her partner’s two children.
Jo-Rosie does not describe herself as “positive” or “balanced”. She believes the dog training industry has become overly dependent on labels, camps and ideology, often without sufficient data to justify the certainty behind them.
Her courses do not rely on controversial tools such as e-collars or prong collars, particularly as many students live and work in countries where such tools are banned. However, these tools, their use, their risks and the surrounding ethical discussions are explored openly and honestly within educational contexts.
Her approach is rooted in the belief that trainers should be informed rather than indoctrinated.
She does not exclude or judge trainers based on methodology, background or belief system. Instead, she encourages trainers to think critically, understand behaviour deeply, and make ethical decisions based on their own values, morals and professional responsibilities.
Through lectures, workshops, consultations and online education, Jo-Rosie teaches trainers how to bridge the gap between behavioural science and the realities of living and working with dogs every day.
Her philosophy is simple:
Good dog training should be ethical, effective, evidence-informed and achievable in the real world.
The Institute of Applied Canine Science
The Institute of Applied Canine Science is an educational establishment built by dog trainers, for dog trainers.
Born from the foundations of The Academy, it became increasingly clear that the industry needed more. Covid changed pet ownership. The rise of AI, social media and influencer culture changed owner expectations. Trainers are now expected to deliver faster, cleaner and more impressive results than ever before.
That is possible - and it does not have to come at the expense of ethics or welfare.
It comes from understanding why behaviour happens, when intervention is appropriate, and how to train the dog in front of you. It comes from applied knowledge, practical skill and the confidence that develops when trainers are properly educated.
After more than a decade working directly with trainers, behaviour cases and owners, Jo-Rosie founded The Institute of Applied Canine Science to help raise standards across the profession.
The Institute exists to deliver current, science-led and experience-proven education to dog trainers across the world. Through lectures, practical workshops, case studies, written resources, audio learning, video education, consultations and community discussion, trainers are given the tools to think critically, work ethically and achieve meaningful results.
Certification through the Institute is designed to represent more than attendance. It is intended to become a respected benchmark of competence, confidence and applied understanding within the industry.
Education should not be limited by geography, learning style or background. Whether through distance learning, live events, one-to-one consultations, group mentoring or translated captions and accessible media, the goal remains the same: to make high-quality canine education available to trainers everywhere.
This is a new wave of dog training.
A profession built on evidence, application and results. A profession led by trainers who work hands-on with dogs and clients every day. Trainers who continue learning. Trainers who value welfare and outcomes equally. Trainers who understand that real expertise is not found in camps, labels or online performance - but in the quality of the work itself.
The Institute of Applied Canine Science exists for the trainers who live and breathe this profession.
The decent dog trainers. Welcome to the Institute.