Working dog cognition, applied in the field
Consulting and lectures in animal cognition, and trainer certification for organizations and professionals in the service dog field.
National-scale management experience, an academic research background, and hands-on field practice.
Comparative neuro-cognitive psychologist
What I do
Lectures
Professional and academic lectures on dog cognition, animal behavioral evolution and the service dog field, for conferences, canine training schools, academic institutions and organizations.
Consulting
Professional guidance for training centers and organizations - building work and training processes while meeting umbrella body and Ministry of Welfare requirements.
Trainer training
A dedicated course certifying service dog trainers, designed for experienced working dog trainers.
Service dog training
Personal training in full partnership with the handler, specializing in complex disabilities and post-traumatic stress (PTSD).
Content for a lecture, a conference or an academic setting
My lectures combine academic knowledge with management and practical field experience, adapted for professional, academic or organizational audiences. Available in English and Hebrew.
Arrange a lecture- Choosing a dog for the job: science or art?
- Dog cognition
- Canine knowledge: from research to the field
- Animal Consciousness
- The service dog field in Israel
- Ethics in working with animals
- Building professional organizations in the canine field
- The service dog: therapeutic and functional aspects
- What you don't know won't hurt you: the communication gap between dog professionals and canine researchers
- Evolution of the dog
Professional guidance for organizations and training centers
Management experience at national scale, alongside first-hand familiarity with the regulatory requirements of the umbrella bodies and the Ministry of Welfare - value for any body that wants to work in the service dog field to a professional and compliant standard.
Book a consultation- Establishing a service dog training operation
- Building a new training center
- Building work processes and training teams
- Meeting Ministry of Welfare requirements
- Certification with the Service Dog Trainers' Organization
- Ongoing management guidance
Trainer certification for service dog training
A theoretical and practical course for working dog trainers with a background in, and a connection to, the disability or therapeutic field. During the course you gain practical tools and experience in training service dogs and working with handlers in practice, while training your own demonstration dog.
The course is recognized for certification with the Service Dog Trainers' Organization.
Outstanding graduates may continue with personal mentoring, as required of new centers in the association.
Service dog training
Alongside the consulting and the lectures, I continue to personally train service dogs in full partnership with the handler, specializing in training for complex disabilities, comorbidity and post-traumatic stress (PTSD).
Check suitability on WhatsApp →
From the field to management, and from management back to the field
Dana Vilker is a consultant, lecturer and instructor in the service dog field in Israel. She is a comparative neuro-cognitive psychologist with extensive research experience in the cognition of a range of animals, and is currently a doctoral candidate in working dog cognition at the University of Haifa.
Her service dog training and instruction center is fully recognized by Israel's Ministry of Welfare, and certified at "Instructor" grade with the Service Dog Trainers' Organization - the umbrella body for certifying and auditing assistance dog training and instruction centers in Israel. Over the years she has trained, mentored and supervised trainers and apprentices.
Having helped establish the umbrella body, she served as its operations manager for several years, leading processes at the level of the profession as a whole - in coordination and management with the Ministry of Welfare and other government bodies, training centers, and service dog handlers.
Dana Vilker lectures, instructs and consults for training centers, dog training organizations and others in the field, placing particular emphasis on connecting field practice with an academic and research background - working dog cognition and behavioral evolution - as the basis for all professional work in the field.
In the dog training work itself, Dana specializes in service dogs for complex disabilities, including comorbidity and post-traumatic stress (PTSD).
Frequently asked questions about service dogs, the course and consulting
Who is Dana Vilker?
Dana Vilker is a consultant, lecturer and service dog trainer in Israel, and a doctoral candidate in working dog cognition and comparative neuro-cognitive psychology at the University of Haifa. Her service dog training and instruction center operates with full recognition from Israel's Ministry of Welfare and is certified at Instructor grade with the Service Dog Trainers' Organization. Dana helped establish the umbrella body and served as its operations manager for several years, working in coordination with the Ministry of Welfare, government bodies, training centers and service dog handlers.
Who is the service dog trainer certification course for?
Dana Vilker's service dog trainer certification course is designed for experienced working dog trainers who have sensitivity to, and a connection with, people with disabilities or the therapeutic field. It is a theoretical and practical course, and is not suitable for beginners in dog training, or for trainers who have not worked with working dogs.
What does the service dog trainer course include?
Dana Vilker's trainer course combines theoretical study with practical work. Participants receive practical tools, personal guidance, and the knowledge and experience required toward certification with the Service Dog Trainers' Organization, and gain experience training service dogs and working with handlers in practice, while training their own demonstration dog throughout the course.
What certificate do graduates receive, and is it recognized?
Graduates receive a Service Dog Trainer certificate recognized by the Service Dog Trainers' Organization - the leading umbrella body for certifying and auditing assistance dog training and instruction centers in Israel - for certification purposes within the association. Outstanding graduates may continue with personal mentoring, as required of new centers in the association.
What certification does Dana Vilker's training center hold?
Dana Vilker's service dog training and instruction center operates with full recognition from Israel's Ministry of Welfare, and is certified at Instructor grade with the Service Dog Trainers' Organization - Israel's leading umbrella body for certifying and auditing assistance dog training and instruction centers. Instructor grade is the grade that permits the training and instruction of service dog trainers.
What does Dana Vilker's service dog training specialize in?
Dana Vilker trains service dogs personally, in full partnership with the handler throughout the process. The specialization is in service dogs for complex disabilities, for comorbidity, and for post-traumatic stress (PTSD).
What subjects does Dana Vilker lecture on?
Dana Vilker lectures on a range of subjects relating to the evolution and behaviour of animals in general, and dogs in particular. The lectures are adapted for conferences, academic institutions, canine training schools and organizations, and are delivered in English or Hebrew. In addition to the subjects listed on the site, lectures with tailored content can be arranged.
What consulting services are available to organizations and training centers?
Dana Vilker's consulting for organizations and training centers covers establishing a service dog training operation, building a new training center, building work processes and training teams, meeting Ministry of Welfare requirements, certification with the Service Dog Trainers' Organization, and ongoing management guidance. The consulting draws on management experience at national scale and on first-hand familiarity with the regulatory requirements of the umbrella bodies and the Ministry of Welfare.
Which areas are the services available in?
The consulting, lectures and trainer certification course are available throughout Israel, to organizations, academic institutions, training centers and private clients. Services are provided in Hebrew and in English.
Service dog training itself takes place in the Haifa area.
How do I get in touch with Dana Vilker?
You can reach Dana Vilker on WhatsApp at +972-52-276-6224, by email at dana.b.vilker@gmail.com, or through the Instagram page @dana.vilker
Get in touch to arrange a lecture, for a consultation for an organization or training center, for details on the next cohort of the trainer certification course, or to check suitability for personal service dog training.
What people say
"Working with Dana was not just a training process, but a shared journey in which she led my dog and me to realize our maximum potential as a team. Over that year, I had the privilege of working with a trainer who understands that a service dog is far more than 'training commands' - it is a critical emotional and functional bond."
"I want to start by saying that without Dana, I probably would not be able to write this letter today. Since I began the process with Dana and my assistance dog came to me, everything has turned around completely. My dog and Dana are the reason I can leave the house today, the reason I completed twelve years of schooling and sat my matriculation exams, the reason that after 7 October I was able to come out of the feelings of that period and finish secondary school, the reason I have social connections, and the reason I had the strength to fight and succeed in enlisting for regular service in the IDF."
"Throughout the entire training and support process, Dana showed great professionalism, patience and availability, and the ability to adapt the dog's training to my personal needs. She sees not only the dog, but also the person alongside it, and puts a great deal of thought into matching the team so that it can reach independence and optimal functioning."
Testimonials are published with the writers' permission, and translated from the Hebrew originals. Every process is individual, and results vary from person to person and from team to team.