ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Growing up in Cleveland, Dr. Grey Stafford started his zoological career as a marine mammal trainer at place once called SeaWorld of Ohio. Over the next several years, he learned to train and present dolphins, killer whales, sea lions, walrus, and otters to thousands of spectators under the direction of well-known trainers that included Ted Turner and Thad Lacinak.

Grey with one of his charges at Dolphin Quest

Hoping to one day bridge the gap between the behavioral and biological sciences, Grey later completed his doctoral research in reproductive and environmental physiology at Kent State University studying New World primates. It was during this time that he began offering training seminars and workshops on the use of positive reinforcement in cities across the U.S.

In 1996, Grey was invited to speak at the annual conference of the Association of Pet Dog trainers (APDT) held in Phoenix, Ariz., on the subject of proactive aggression management using positive reinforcement. A year later, Grey was again invited to speak to the APDT in Memphis, Tenn.

After earning his doctoral degree, he found himself back on stage training, presenting, and caring for a whole new world of terrestrial and avian species, first as Curator of Education at Wildlife World Zoo and later as Director of Animal Management for Dolphin Quest.

Talk-show host Jay Leno feeds one of Grey's favorites.

Today, having returned to the Wildlife World Zoo as Director of Conservation, Grey appears on television at least twice a week promoting wild animals and positive reinforcement training.

He has made contributions to nationally broadcast shows including: The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Larry King Live, Martha Stewart, Rosie O'Donnell, Good Morning America and Extra. He also posts a regular pet-training column on Belo Corporation's www.MySweetConnection.com.

Grey serves on the editorial advisory board for the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA), and is a professional member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and the Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA). He has presented papers at conferences for all three of these professional organizations and has served as an editor for the behavioral glossary posted on IMATA.org.

Working with so many different species, you never know what might be taking up residence with Grey, his wife Karen, their dog, "Venti," and "Tortellini" the tortoise.