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• Lining up the How, What and Why of Training. Presented by Alexandra Kurland

  • Start
    Monday, December 10, 2018
  •  
    1:30 PM (EST)
  • End
    Sunday, December 17, 2023
  •  
    3:00 PM (EST)
  • Location
    Recorded Webinar
  • Registered
    6 registrants

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  CEUs: PPAB 1.5, IAABC 1.5, CCPDT 1.5
  

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  “How" refers to the teaching method you select.  “What" refers to the behavior you are going to teach.  “Why" refers to the function of the behavior.  You need to consider all three.  Positive reinforcement training is wonderfully powerful.  That’s part of its appeal.  But you need to be careful how you use it. It’s easy to think you are looking out for an animal’s best interest because you are training with clicks and treats.  But what are you asking your animal to do and why?   

  “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”  This presentation helps to line those three elements up so they satisfy the trainer's needs as well as the animal's welfare.  It looks beyond the layer of methods to explore why we are drawn to certain training choices.

  As pet owners and animal trainers, we live in a world that divides.  There are people who make similar training choices to ours and then there are “the others”.  Seeing how “others” treat animals can be hard.  We want to defend animals, to protect them, to teach others “better ways”, but the more we push against what “others” are doing, the greater the divide becomes.

  This presentation is intended to help us understand better how these different training belief systems emerge.  Alexandra will be introducing you to the work of the cognitive linguist, George Lakoff. Through an understanding of primary metaphors and cognitive frames, we gain tools for understanding one another. Instead of creating a deeper divide, we gain better ways to communicate with one another.  In the process we become better trainers.

  George Lakoff is not an animal trainer, but his work certainly relates directly to training. Alexandra will be introducing you to his work and making the direct connections to horse training but the presentation will also be invaluable for all pet professionals!
  

  Learning Objectives:

  • The three layers every training system has
  • Identifying core belief systems 
  • Primary metaphors defined
  • Source and target domains and the connection to training
  • Treats - why do some reject them, others use them?
  • The strict father versus the nurturing parent model of training
  • Words matter - respect versus respect - same word, different meaning.  Why?
  • Why do people attack your training choices - and what can you do about it?
  • Frames - defined and connected to training
  • What frame are you in? How does that influence your training choices?
  • Why focusing on what you WANT matters so much
  • Command versus cue-based training
  • The hierarchy of behaviour change procedures - revisited
  • Convincing others without creating conflict - biconceptuals and frames
  • How, what, and why matter - lining up your training methods with your core values
  • Homework - techniques for maintaining the training frame that best serves you and your learners

  
  

  About The Presenter

  
  

  
  

  Alexandra Kurland is a graduate of Cornell University where she specialized in animal behavior. She began teaching horse training in the early 1980's. Her area of particular interest is the development of a horse's balance: physical and emotional. Helping horses stay sound and happy throughout a long lifetime is the goal. The result are beautiful horses that feel like heaven to ride.
  
  In 1998 Alexandra launched the rapidly growing field of clicker training for horses with the publication of her  book, "Clicker Training for Your Horse".
  
  Alexandra's work helps you apply clicker training to any equine need or sport - including developing a gentle and companionable riding horse, halter training foals, training advanced performance horses, and retraining difficult to manage horses. Her own riding interests align most closely with classical dressage.
  
  Alexandra travels widely, giving clicker training seminars and presenting at conferences in the US, Canada, the UK and Europe. 

  In addition to "Clicker Training for your Horse", she has written "The Click That Teaches: A Step–By–Step Guide in Pictures" and "The Click That Teaches: Riding with the Clicker". She has also produced The Click That Teaches DVD lesson series, and The Clicker Center On-line Training Course.  She maintains a very active blog, theclickercenterblog.com.  She has published a book: "JOYFULL Horses" in her blog and most recently "The Goat Diaries".  Her current project is Equiosity, a weekly podcast which she produces with Dominique Day, one of the co-founders of Cavalia.

  Her web sites are:
  theclickercenter.com,
  theclickercenterblog.com,
  theclickercentercourse.com and
  equiosity.com

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• To Click or Not to Click - The "How to Train" Question. Presented by Frania Shelley-Grielen

  • Start
    Monday, February 24, 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM (EST)
  • End
    Friday, February 24, 2023
  •  
    2:00 PM (EST)
  • Location
    Recorded Webinar
  • Registered
    6 registrants

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  CEUs: PPAB 1, CCPDT 1, KPA 1

  “Learning is a relatively permanent change in behavior potentiality that occurs as a result of reinforced practice” – G.A. Kimble

  All animals, human and non human, learn in a number of different ways – through trial and error, insight, socially or by association, nonetheless dog trainers typically train with only one approach. Conventional training relies on instrumental and associative learning to accomplish its goals; trainers work with classical and operant conditioning to utilize rewards or punishment to reinforce or dissuade behaviors. How conditioning is applied however, varies greatly in method and technique. Positive trainers encounter a veritable schism of to click or not to click, how to treat, when to treat, how often, to be silent or to be verbal, to use emotion or be neutral, to use one word or two, where to put a name if at all, to use body language or be still, to use eye contact or not and so on. All of which can be a not so positive divide in the world of positive dog training.

  Our individual approaches to dog training are highly influenced by what everyone else is doing or cultural norms, personal intuition and experience. And while that may be why we train the way we do, what does science have to say about the how to best train a dog question?

  Focusing on the most effective and humane ways to train dogs- without force – this webinar takes a look at some of the latest research on the use of social learning as training methodology and offers insights into the comparisons of the effectiveness of verbal markers, acoustic markers or none when paired with positive reinforcement.

  Learning Objectives

  • Take a closer look at how learning theory posits a number of different ways all animals learn. How well suited are these to how we train dogs?

  • Review the latest research on social learning for dog training.

  • Know what the studies find as the most effective cues, markers and reinforcers in associative learning techniques used in training.

  •  Answer the “to click or not to click” question

  About The Presenter

  
  

  Frania Shelley-Grielen is a professional animal behaviorist, dog trainer and educator who holds a Masters Degrees in Animal Behavior from Hunter College and a Masters Degree in Urban Planning from New York University, Complimenting her insight into behavior with an in-depth understanding of the built environment. She is a licensed Pet Care Technician Instructor, a registered therapy dog handler, a certified Doggone Safe Bite Safety Instructor, and a professional member of the Pet Professional Guild and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Frania specializes in behavior modification work and training with cats, dogs and birds and humane management for urban wildlife.

  Frania is the author of Cats and Dogs; Living with and Looking at Companion Animals from their Point of View. She founded AnimalBehaviorist.us in 2009, to share her work on how welfare based, science focused strategies and solutions from the canine and feline point of view are more effective and make everyone happier, including the humans. Frania also taught the ASPCA’s Fundamentals of Dog Care course for the Houlton Institute where she is on the zoology faculty. She has worked on research projects at the Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History and the ASPCA in NYC. Frania presents and consults in the metropolitan New York area, nationally and internationally. She lives in New York City with her family and cats and dogs.

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• How to Build A Puppy: Early Development 0-63 Days. Presented by Suzanne Clothier

  • Start
    Friday, July 24, 2020
  •  
    2:00 PM (EDT)
  • End
    Monday, July 24, 2023
  •  
    3:30 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Recorded Webinar
  • Registered
    7 registrants

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  CEUs: PPAB 1.5, IAABC 1.5, KPA 1.5
  

  
  

  Registered for the live event, get busy and cannot make it?

  Don't worry, you will automatically receive a recording!

  The period from 8 to 16 weeks is often considered “early puppyhood.” In fact, the majority of the foundation for a dog’s life is set in the first 63 days. Fuller & Scott noted that the transformation from neonate to 9 weeks old was so profound and complex that it was even more amazing that the changes from tadpole to frog.

  This webinar focuses on the needs of developing pup, and using appropriate stimulation to build resilience, confidence and normal behavior. Puppies who lack the necessary input can – and often do – develop behavior issues that will not be “fixed” through socialization and training.

  Drawn from Suzanne Clothier’s Enriched Puppy Protocol, a program that has been used to help raise more than 10,000 guide and service dog puppies as well as her 10 generations of German Shepherds, this webinar includes:

  ·      Development stages

  ·      Sensitive vs Critical periods

  ·      Sensory development

  ·      Fear period

  ·      Physical, mental and social changes

  Sadly, not all puppies receive the ideal upbringing. Recognizing how a poor start can create lifelong deficits, we can also help offset and fill in the gaps to help each puppy become their best.

  This webinar is for trainers interested in knowing how to build a healthy, happy puppy, for those who work with litters through rescues and shelters, and anyone who wants to understand more completely how 63 days set the foundation for life.

  
  

  About The Presenter

  

  Suzanne Clothier

  
  

  Suzanne Clothier has been working with animals professionally since 1977. Currently based in St. Johnsville, New York, she is well respected internationally for her holistic Relationship Centered Training™ approach to dogs and the people that love them. Her background includes training, instruction, behavior modification, kennel management, temperament assessment, physical assessment and conditioning, early puppy development, class curriculum development, obedience, agility, Search and Rescue, conformation, breeding and more. Since 1991, she has taught workshops and seminars on a broad range of topics throughout the United States and internationally for a wide variety of groups from training clubs to international conferences in 11 countries.

  An award-winning author of multiple books and DVDs, her book, Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs (2002) has received wide spread praise from every corner of the dog world, including twice being included in the Wall Street Journal's list of Top 5 Dog Books. She has served on the American Humane Association’s Task Force for Humane Training, the AKC Agility Advisory board, and is currently a consultant for Frankie & Andy’s Place, a senior dog sanctuary in Georgia. She has also developed multiple assessment tools - CARAT™, an assessment tool, RAT™ (Relationship Assessment Tool), as well as puppy and adult dog tests. These tools have been used by guide and service dog organizations, therapy dog groups, AAIA organizations, shelters and rescue groups, and trainers. In her work as a consultant to guide dog schools, her Enriched Puppy Protocol™ served as the structure for the updating of their puppy raising programs. Since 2007, more than 10,000 puppies have been raised in programs built around The Enriched Puppy Protocol™. Meanwhile, with fellow trainer Cindy Knowlton, she developed CCC: Connection, Cooperation & Control™, a puzzle-based program that builds joyful relationships between handlers and dogs. Her newest program, FAT - Functional Assessment Tracking™, helps caretakers assess a dog’s well-being day-to-day as reflected in physiological, cognitive and social aspects.

  
  

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• To Spay or Not to Spay – That is the Question. Presented by Dr. Jessica Hekman, DVM, PhD

  • Start
    Friday, August 07, 2020
  •  
    1:00 PM (EDT)
  • End
    Monday, August 07, 2023
  •  
    2:00 PM (EDT)
  • Location
    Recorded Webinar
  • Registered
    10 registrants

  Register

  
  

  CEUs: PPAB 1, CCPDT 1, IAABC 1, KPA 1

  
  

  Veterinarians used to routinely recommend that your dog be neutered (spayed or castrated) at 6 months of age.  That recommendation has been questioned in the past decade as information about the possible health consequences of early age neuter (or neuter at any age) comes to light.

  Jessica Hekman, DVM, PhD, will discuss what we know about the relationship of spay/neuter timing and changes in the risk of development of cancer and/or of orthopedic injuries such as cranial cruciate ligament disease (CCL tear).  She will also talk about how spay/neuter can affect behavior, for better or worse.  She will specifically discuss some recent studies and will detail problems designing effective studies to ask these questions. She will also cover alternative approaches to the traditional spay/neuter surgery. If you are wondering when, or if, you should neuter your dog, make your decision based on facts, not emotions.

  Learning Objectives:

  • Interpret recent findings about spay/neuter outcomes in light of what those studies can actually tell us
  • Make reasoned decisions about the risk of cancer/orthopedic disease and early spay/neuter
  • List alternatives to traditional spay/neuter and compare their pros and cons to traditional spay/neuter
  • RELAX about this decision!
    

  About The Presenter

  
  

  Dr. Jessica Hekman, DVM, PhD
  

  
  

  Jessica is a veterinary researcher who is fascinated by dog behavior. After eleven years working as a computer programmer, she decided to go back to school to research the causes of behavior problems in dogs. She received her veterinary degree in 2012 from the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in Massachusetts, where she also received a Master's degree for her work on stress behaviors in hospitalized dogs. After graduation, she completed a year-long internship specializing in shelter medicine at the University of Florida Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program. She received her PhD in genetics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, studying a group of foxes (often known as the "Siberian silver foxes") which have been bred over many generations to be friendly to humans. She is currently working at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard as a postdoctoral associate, studying the genetics of behavior in pet dogs through the Darwin's Ark project and the Working Dogs Project. Her ultimate goal is to find genetic causes of fearfulness in dogs, to work with behaviorally challenged shelter dogs, and to help people better understand the science behind dog behavior. She also frequently teaches online classes and webinars about canine genetics and behavior. Jessica lives in Raymond, NH with her husband and three dogs. You can follow her on Twitter @dogzombieblog or on Facebook at facebook.com/dogzombieblog.

  
  

  
  

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• Sufferin’ Succotash! Why is My Cat Aggressive? Presented by Dr. Lynn Honeckman

  • Start
    Thursday, September 17, 2020
  •  
    (EDT)
  • End
    Sunday, September 17, 2023
  •  
    (EDT)
  • Location
    Recorded Webinar
  • Registered
    22 registrants

  Register

  
  

  CEUs: PPAB 1.5

  Cats who hiss, scratch, or bite are often vilified in popular cartoons, videos, and social media memes. From Grumpy Cat to Cinderella’s Lucifer, at times cats have been greatly misunderstood. It is important to help families gain empathy toward aggressive behavior, an issue that is often misinterpreted.
  

  Bringing feline friends into our homes means learning new ways to communicate, and, especially, understanding that cats are not small dogs. Learning to differentiate the causes of aggressive behavior in cats can lead toward more accurate diagnoses and treatment plans that are specific to the behavioral needs of the patient, and can help to rebuild relationships between cats and the families who love them.This session will be a case-based discussion of the variety of causes of feline aggression in a household. The discussion will cover the different types of aggressive behaviors that are seen with cats, focusing on inter-cat household aggression as well as human-directed aggression. Cases will be explored and studies from a veterinary viewpoint will be included. It is essential to conduct a complete medical and behavioral evaluation for all cats before diagnosing the cause of aggression. A review of feline socialization and methods of introducing cats into household will also be discussed, in addition to how life stages can influence the type of aggression that is seen.The session will include the development of an effective treatment plan including all aspects of management, behavior modification, and the possibility of medication. Discussion will include the different classes of medication that can be considered in these cases, including the potential benefits and adverse effects that may be seen.

  
  

  Learning Objectives:

  • Gain understanding of feline communication.
  • Learn to recognize and identify signs of stress in cats.
  • Learn to identify the different types of feline aggression.
  • Understand what medical differentials must be ruled-out before a behavior diagnosis can be made.
  • Understand how to work together with veterinary behaviorists to develop the most effective treatment plan.

  
  

  About The Presenter

  
  

  Dr Lynn Honeckman graduated from Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1993, and has practiced in small animal medicine and exotics over the past 23 years In Illinois, New York, and Florida. She had experience in wildlife rehabilitation in the Chicago area as well as shelter medicine at New York's North Shore Animal League, before moving to Orlando, Florida in 1999.

  In 2010, Dr Honeckman opened Veterinary Behavior Solutions, to focus on behavior cases throughout the greater Orlando area. Dr Honeckman is on the special council of the Pet Professional Guild and has helped create the Central Florida Force-Free Behavior and Trainers Network, where she works very closely with other professionals in the community to help reduce and treat fear, anxiety, and aggression in the companion pet. Dr Honeckman is the committee chairperson for AVSAB position statements, and is on the advisory board for Dr Marty Becker's Fear-Fear(™) Initiative as well as a certified fear-free professional. Dr Honeckman has recently started a non-conforming residency in veterinary behavior with Dr Karen Overall.

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