
Dr. Moira Hechenleitner
Veterinarian (DVM) | Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) | Founding board member of the Chilean Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT Chile)
We are thrilled to present Dr. Moira Hechenleitner as an In-Person Speaker at the Dog People Evolution Conference 2025.
Dr. Moira Hechenleitner is a highly respected veterinary professional and expert in separation anxiety. She has transformed the lives of dogs and their families. Through her work, she has shown that human behavior—the way we approach training, caregiving, and problem-solving—plays a critical role in helping our dogs overcome their challenges. As the dog world evolves, Dr. Hechenleitner’s work stands as a powerful example of how we can create a more cooperative, respectful, and emotionally aware environment—both for the dogs we care for and for the humans we work alongside.
More About Moira
Moira currently resides in Noank, Connecticut and helps dogs and their families from all over the worldovercome separation anxiety through www.separationanxietydog.com. Her path to becoming a leading expert in separation anxiety began when she graduated from the prestigious Mayor University College of Veterinary Medicine in Santiago, Chile, in 2007. Her early veterinary training provided a solid foundation for her understanding of animal behavior and well-being, and her postgraduate degree in Animal-Assisted Therapy further deepened her commitment to improving the lives of both animals and their human caregivers.
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With over 17 years of experience, Moira has made significant contributions to the field of dog behavior. As a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT), she specializes in helping dogs and their families navigate the challenges of separation anxiety. Through her work, she has helped countless pet guardians understand the root causes of anxiety in their dogs and provided them with effective, compassionate solutions to manage and overcome this issue.
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Pioneering Education and Advocacy
As a founding board member of the Chilean Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT Chile), she has been an influential figure in shaping the professional standards of dog training in Chile. Her leadership and advocacy have had a lasting impact on the development of ethical, science-based training practices, particularly in the area of separation anxiety.
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Beyond her work with individual clients, Moira is passionate about educating both pet guardians and dog professionals. She has taught numerous courses, delivered seminars, and presented at international conferences on separation anxiety, speaking fluently in both English and Spanish to reach a global audience. Her ability to connect with diverse audiences and offer practical, science-backed solutions to behavior challenges makes her a highly sought-after speaker in the dog behavior community.
Empowering Change Through Emotional Awareness
Her work challenges us to reconsider how our actions and emotions affect our dogs. She empowers pet guardians and trainers to recognize the subtle ways in which we may inadvertently reinforce anxious behaviors, and she provides them with the tools to create positive, lasting change in their relationships with their dogs. In doing so, Moira is a perfect example of how we can create a more cooperative, respectful, and emotionally aware environment—both for the dogs we care for and for the humans we work alongside.​
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