Suzanne Hetts, Ph.D., CAAB
Dr. Suzanne Hetts has worked with pet owners and pet professionals for over 25 years. Suzanne has helped thousands of pet owners improve their pets’ behavior and relationships. She is often called upon to consult with animal professionals, veterinarians, dog trainers, humane societies and personal injury attorneys to help them understand and work with animal issues.
Dr. Hetts and her husband, Dr. Dan Estep, are co-owners of Animal Behavior Associates, Inc., a behavior consulting firm in Littleton, Colorado. Their firm provides behavior education products and services to pet parents and pet professionals throughout North America and other countries.
Suzanne co-founded the pet loss education program at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at CSU (now part of the Argus Center) and created all the initial materials for the Behavior Help-Line at the Denver Dumb Friends League, as well as administered that program from 1991-1994.
Dr. Hetts is a popular, award winning international speaker and author of one of American Animal Hospital Association’s best selling titles "Pet Behavior Protocols: What to say, what to do, when to refer", and co-author of the award winning books "Raising A Behaviorally Healthy Puppy" and "Help! I’m Barking and I Can’t Be Quiet."
Suzanne has lectured on 5 continents to both pet owners and pet professionals and also consults with major corporations in the pet industry. Suzanne is a past columnist for Dog Watch , the newsletter from Cornell Univeristy, and a contributor to Animal Wellness magazine and her articles have appeared in both popular dog magazines and professional journals. Dr. Hetts’ publications and videos are used in nationwide training programs for animal caretakers and pet owners.
Dr. Hetts has a Ph.D. in zoology, with a specialization in animal behavior from Colorado State University. Suzanne is an affiliate member of AVMA, CVMA and AVSAB. She is certified by the Animal Behavior Society as an applied animal behaviorist and has served on many boards and committees for the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, The Delta Society and the Animal Behavior Society. She and Dan share their lives with rescued elderly Dalmatian Ashley, and diva-dog Coral, a field-bred Irish setter.
