About Kim
Kim Brophey is internationally recognized for bringing applied ethology into the conversation about dogs and inviting both professionals and families to rethink what they think they know.
Her work centers on a simple but powerful idea: our relationships with dogs must evolve. By grounding modern dog care in practical, science-based understanding, Kim challenges long-standing assumptions about behavior, training, and welfare.
With an academic background in applied ethology and more than two decades of hands-on work with families, Kim bridges the gap between science and real life. She examines how human environments shape canine behavior—an area that has been largely overlooked in companion animals—and offers a broader, more accurate lens for understanding dogs.
This integrated approach has earned Kim international recognition and fueled her advocacy for meaningful change in the dog training and pet care industries.She is the creator of the L.E.G.S.® Model of Integrated Canine Science, author of Meet Your Dog, and founder of Family Dog Mediation®. Her work also includes The Dog Key®, a TEDx talk, and an education platform serving both professionals and families worldwide.
Kim Brophey, CDBC, CPDT-KA, FDM, is an applied ethologist and accomplished behavior consultant and trainer who has been working with dogs and their families for over 25 years. Kim’s commitment to Family Dog Mediation® has been recognized internationally, awarded the APDT Outstanding Trainer of the Year in 2009 and the Best Dog Trainer of WNC eight years in a row.
She is a member of the International Society for Applied Ethology and the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and a certified member and past board member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants as well as the Asheville Humane Society. Kim Brophey’s L.E.G.S.® model of integrated canine science has been endorsed by prominent canine scientists such as Raymond Coppinger, and embraced by reputable academics and dog trainers worldwide. Her market-disrupting L.E.G.S.® Applied Ethology Family Dog Mediation® Course is the flagship of a rapidly growing worldwide initiative that is leading the charge in setting a new direction for the pet industry and culture- a welfare-first understanding of and approach to mediating problems with pet dog behavior.
From the Family Dog Mediation Education Center ® to the L.E.G.S. in Motion Conference, and her Dog Key® Canine Genetic Heritage Testing Software to the thousands of active FDM student community members collaborating in a functional professional ecosystem, Kim’s work is a meaningful contribution to the advancement of the pet dog industry.
Her groundbreaking, awarded, sold-out first edition book – MEET YOUR DOG, TED talk, multiple book/article mentions and endorsements, The Dog’s Truth documentary, Total Welfare Model™/ethogram/welfare assessment mobile app, numerous public speaking venues and keynote features at institutions & conferences around the world, and countless radio and podcast features have made profound waves throughout the dog behavior world as well as the general public.
Kim continues to endeavor to build bridges between academia and the pet industry, and to invite others to contribute to a new conversation about dogs – one that challenges us to redefine how we perceive, talk about, provide for, and live with our canine companions as a society.
The Problem with Treating a Dog Like a Pet | Kim Brophey | TEDxUNCAsheville
Book mentions, contributions, and endorsements
Dogs Demystified – Marc Bekoff
Who’s a Good Dog? – Jessica Pierce
Old Dog, New Dog – Kathy Callahan and Helen St. Pierre
The Dial Method – Justine Schuurmans
Tender Paws – Wendy Lyons Sunshine
Positive Training for Aggressive and Reactive Dogs – Annie Phenix
Everyone Needs a Time Out – Shaun Davis, Charlene A. Derby, & Kelsey Weber
Fifty Places to Travel With Your Dog Before You Die – Chris Santella and DC Helmuth
Sniff to Soothe – Will Bangura
Total Welfare Tour (2025/26)
The Good Life of a Good Dog – A Total Welfare Model for the Future of the Pet Dog Industry presented at:
LEGS in Motion Conference 2025 – Concord, NH
International Association of Canine Professionals Conference 2025 – Savannah, GA (keynote)
Aggression in Dogs Conference 2025 – Charlotte, NC (keynote)
Association for Professional Dog Trainers Australia 2025 – virtual
Association for Professional Dog Trainers International 2025 – Richmond, VA
Humane World for Animals Humane Pet Expo 2026 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania