Hi, I'm Tiamat.
I'm an Assyrian-Californian Anthrozoologist, currently based in England. My work helps cultivate meaningful impact for animal work and interspecies collaboration.
Currently,
I'm a PhD candidate in Anthrozoology (the interdisciplinary study of relations and interactions between humans and other species) at the University of Exeter. My research aims to define humane emotional labour in relationships between guide dogs and their instructors during their shared work-lives.
Interested in staying updated on what I get up to?
I work as
a research consultant in an EU-programme which is part of an Erasmus+ grant from the Federal Ministry for Education in Germany and funded by the European Union. Its aim is to develop assistance dog training as an accredited profession in Europe, develop trainer/instructor processes for the current CEN (European Committee for Standardization) standard, as well as create a curriculum for assistance dog trainers/instructors.
In the past,
I obtained my MA in Anthrozoology at the University of Exeter with a strong distinction and a "Dean's Commendation for Exceptional Performance" award.
Before that, I worked as a self-employed, full-time guide dog instructor in Frankfurt for six years. I am also a certified dog trainer and behaviour consultant by the IHK (the German Chamber of Commerce, so to speak).
I also love horses
and was a working student twice for the world-famous, 5-star Parelli (one of many "forms" of natural horsemanship) instructor David Lichman. This came after years of working with horses and taming mustangs in Northern California. In 2014, I travelled to Tasmania, Australia, to start a few young horses under saddle. While still in California, together with my dog and horse, I performed in front of 3,000 people at a Parelli event in Reno - receiving a personal invitation to intern with Pat Parelli.
