Suzanne Clothier has worked with animals professionally since 1977, with a background includes obedience, agility, puppy testing, breeding, Search and Rescue, conformation, instructing, kennel management and AAT.

Her Relationship Centered Training™ approach blends science and heart to create humane, effective and practical solutions for dogs and the people who work with them, whether professional working dogs or couch warming companions.

A “trainer’s trainer”, Suzanne has long been in demand as a speaker at conferences around the world. She has taught on a broad variety of topics throughout the US and internationally for groups as varied as Wolf Park, FEMA (Northeast Region Disaster Dog Teams), Alaskan Dog Musher Association, Assistance Dogs International NA, Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and University of MN’s SPEAK! conference. She is a popular speaker at online conferences such as Geek Week! and the Lemonade Conferences.

An innovative trainer always seeking better ways to understand, assess and improve what we do with and for dogs, Suzanne has published a variety of books, DVDs, online courses and training tools. Her ground breaking book, Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs (Warner, 2002) was twice voted a Top 5 book by the Wall Street Journal, and is considered a classic in the field.

Her tools and materials have been put to use for every day pet owners, by trainers, breeders, veterinarians, in guide & service dog organizations, in animal assisted therapy, and by academics and in research. She serves as a consultant to guide and service dog organizations around the world, with her RCT materials, innovative assessment tools and Enriched Puppy Protocol being incorporated into their programs.

Her suite of assessment tools provide a powerful framework for trainers and organizations:

• RAT™ (Relationship Assessment Tool) – handler/dog dynamics, rapid assessment plus ability to track and compare
• CARAT™ (Clothier Animal Response Assessment Tool) – temperament assessment on 6 categories, 21 dimensions
• FAT™ (Functional Assessment Tool, release in 2022) – global of functionality/welfare assessment across physiological, social and cognitive dimensions

A long time breeder of German Shepherds, 11 generations of her dogs have been successful in multiple dog sports, SAR, therapy work, and as guide dog breeding stock. Her Enriched Puppy Protocol (EPP) reflects her deep understanding of how to provide age-appropriate challenges to create puppies that are connected, confident, coordinate and capable. EPP has been put to use in multiple guide & service dog organizations and with private breeders to maximize the critical early puppyhood development.

She lives on a working farm in upstate New York with husband John Rice, and their considerable animal family.