Free Member Webinar
With Joan Orr
CEUs: KPA 1.5, IAABC 1.5 PPAB 1.5, CCPDT 1.5
Join Joan Orr for this 90 minute webinar. Joan will talk about how to teach kids to be safe around dogs. This talk will cover the key information that kids need and how to get the points across in an fun and efficient way without causing fear.
Joan will introduce the Be a Tree Dog Bite Prevention Program. This is a fun and popular program that focuses on reading dog body language and on positive messages for kids with respect to behavior around dogs. You will learn how you can use the Be a Tree program to promote your business while educating in your community.
Pet Professional Guild Members have access to discounted programs with Doggone Safe. Check the membership benefit page to learn more.
Presenter Information
Joan Orr is a member of The Pet Professional Guild Special Council. Joan is a scientist and internationally recognized clicker trainer. She was a member of the Karen Pryor Clicker training Clicker Expo Faculty (2003-2011) and content creator and advisor to the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior.
Presented by Niki Tudge
There are many ways to improve your personal effectiveness. Whether you are in a management position or not this presentation will encourage you to reappraise your outlook, challenge your assumptions and consider if even the things you do well could be improved by developing a better self awareness and a strategic approach to your own self development.
Niki specializes in small business growth, business management & people coaching and training programs. Niki has business degrees from Oxford University in England and is a Six Sigma Certified Black Belt. Niki is a credentialed people trainer, project manager and certified facilitator. You can learn more about Niki Tudge by clicking here
Niki's current business roles are Founder DogNostics Career College, Founder & President DogSmith Services Inc and President of The Pet Professional Guild
CPDT 1 CEU
IAABC 1 CEU
KPA 1 CEU
With Jennifer Shryock
PPAB 1, CCPDT 1, KPA 1, IAABC 1
This webinar is intended to offer detailed insight to some of the most frequent challenges that lead to dog bites in homes with newly crawling babies & toddlers. It is intended to enhance dog professionals skills when encountering dog and baby related situations. We will use photos and video along with discussion for our educational tools
Learning Objectives
1. Attendees will be able to identify a "grumble zone" and "growl zone" in homes.
2. Participants will be able to list 3 common challenges for dogs and toddler dynamics
3. Attendees will be able to predict potential challenges due to proximity awareness
Jennifer Shryock is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), owner of Family Paws™ LLC in Cary, NC and holds a degree in Special Education. A recognized expert on child-dog interactions and safety, Jennifer has written and spoken extensively about these topics. Her two programs, Dogs & Storks® and the Dog & Baby Connection™ have been featured in national media from The Wall Street Journal to TV and radio.
This workshop covers the basics of lost dog behavior and discusses proven strategies for recovering lost dogs and skittish, hard-to-catch dogs. If you own a dog or have clients who own a dog, this vital information can help you know exactly what to do within the first hours after a dog has become lost.
About The Presenter
Kat Albrecht is a police detective-turned-pet detective and the founder of Missing Pet Partnership. Since 1997, Kat has worked search dogs trained to find lost pets. She pioneered the cross application of law enforcement investigative techniques and technologies to solve lost pet investigations and is widely known as the leading authority on K9 pet detective training. Through her business K9 Pet Trackers, Kat recently launched the first-ever pet detective academy where she trains humans and search dogs to find lost pets. Kat has appeared on Animal Planet and articles about her work have appeared in People, Reader’s Digest, Woman’s World, and Parade. She is the author of two books: The Lost Pet Chronicles and Dog Detectives. Kat lives in Federal Way, Washington with her husband, her two dogs, and her “target” cat Cheeto.
Free Recorded Member Webinar
CEU: CCPDT 1 CEU, IAABC 1 CEU, KPA 1 CEU
This workshop covers the basics of lost cat behavior and discusses proven strategies for recovering outside access cats that have vanished as well as indoor-only cats that have escaped outside.
If you own a cat or have clients who own a cat, this vital information can help you know exactly what to do within the first hours of a cat vanishing.
Learning Objectives:
Kat Albrecht is a police detective-turned-pet detective and the founder of Missing Pet Partnership.
Since 1997, Kat has worked search dogs trained to find lost pets. She pioneered the cross application of law enforcement investigative techniques and technologies to solve lost pet investigations and is widely known as the leading authority on K9 pet detective training.
Through her business K9 Pet Trackers, Kat recently launched the first-ever pet detective academy where she trains humans and search dogs to find lost pets.
Kat has appeared on Animal Planet and articles about her work have appeared in People, Reader’s Digest, Woman’s World, and Parade. She is the author of two books: The Lost Pet Chronicles and Dog Detectives. Kat lives in Federal Way, Washington with her husband, her two dogs, and her “target” cat Cheeto.
presented by Helen Nicholls
Fireworks and thunderstorm season is rapidly approaching and for new puppy owners it can come as a surprise when their furry family member suddenly gets scared during a storm. Other puppy owners are unaware that sound phobias can develop and take their puppies with them to loud and noisy celebrations, only to discover their puppy is frightened and not able to cope. In this informational webinar Helen will cover what pet professionals can recommend to pet parents of dogs that are showing signs of stress during storms or fireworks. Helen will also give great tips on how to prevent sound phobias from developing or becoming worse.
Helen Nicholls, CPDT-KSA, CDBC.
This is a great program if you work with clients, peers or have associates. We all experience anger and those who can manage it are better able to practice non-violent communication and engage and educate others.
Join Niki Tudge for this 90 minute webinar on Anger Management.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” We would like to add a third item to his list: anger. Anger can be an incredibly damaging force, costing people their jobs, personal relationships, and even their lives when it gets out of hand. However, since everyone experiences anger, it is important to have constructive approaches to manage it effectively.
This workshop will help teach participants how to identify their anger triggers and what to do when their angry.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
Qualifications
CEUs: CCPDT 1.5, IAABC 1.5, KPA 1.5, PPAB 1.5
Join Jennifer for this webinar and learn about the CARE protocol for analyzing and modifying reactive dog behavior. As prework for this webinar please visit the website and review the protocol. Click here
Jennifer will present a simple overview of the 12 steps that comprise the CARE Protocol, touching upon each sub-topic in succession. This will include everything from diagnosis of the type of dog reactivity, how to eliminate common mistakes, the importance of DRIs, and generalizing context, through enrichment for positive brain chemistry.
Jen Titus is a lifelong animal lover, and has owned and trained dogs for many years. A former teacher, she is a skilled behaviorist and adept at communicating with both human and ca
nine clients. Jen is a caring, fun-loving and positive per
son. Jen holds a Masters Degree in education. She continues to further her education in dog training at the elite and internationally renowned Accademy For Dog Trainers. Additionally, Jen keeps current with the latest training and behavioral knowledge through extensive reading, watching videos, and attending webinars, classes and live seminars.
A look at the history of social learning and how to apply it to help dogs engage in new behaviors.
Join Jan Casey for this intriguing webinar on Social Learning. Webinar participants will gain information regarding the history of social learning, what conditions will optimize social learning for dogs, and training scenarios where social learning may be an effective tool for helping dogs engage in new behaviors.
Jan Casey holds a Master of Science, Curriculum and Instruction, Concentration in Mathematics. Jan has numerous qualification in the pet industry including a Diploma in Canine Behavior Science and Technology through CASI. Jan is a CGC Eevaluator and the Senior Behavior Consultant and Trainer at Courteous Canine, The DogSmith of Tampa.
IAABC 1 CEU. CPDT 1 CEU, KPA 1 CEU
This webinar starts with looking at how to get the shelter or rescue group on board and how to implement rescue programs. There will be lots of included handouts provided as tools for you to use. e.g. shelter staff training sheets, behavior logs & behavior plan sheet.
Tabitha Davies is the owner of the Coachella Valley Dog Club and the Director of The Coachella Valley Dog Club Shelter to Service Dog Program. Tabitha is also a Volunteer Behavior Specialist for Advancing the Interests of Animals and The No Kill Coachella Valley Coalition for the Riverside County Department of Animal Services. Alongside her responsibilities as the Program Director at The Pet Rescue Center in Coachella, California Tabitha is also a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, an advocate for Veterinary Nutrition and a Therapy Pets Unlimited Evaluator.
with Mariah Hinds
CEUs: IAABC 1, CCPDT 1, PPAB 1, KPA 1
This webinar outlines the steps to teaching a dog to stay no matter what the distractions, distance, time, environment or combination of these factors. Stays start with the dog making tiny 2 or 3 second choices and they can grow to staying while guests enter the house, staying while you stand 40 feet away for 5 minutes and to staying in a chair or on a mat for 60 minutes while you teach a class or give a presentation.
Stay is also very useful for pet owners. It can be utilized to prevent and address a lot of issues from pet dog owners. Bolting out doors, begging, counter surfing and jumping up on people can all be eliminated by teaching the dog to stay reliably instead of the undesired behavior. Stays are a great way to incorporate training into your regular routine.
Webinar Objectives
Mariah Hinds is a CPDT through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. Mariah has experience stretching more than twelve years. Mariah has handled every problem a canine can dish out, from dogs that fight, to rehabilitating severely abused dogs, to training winning performance dogs. Mariah makes it her responsibility to stay current with the newest science on dog behavior and training. Mariah owns and operates a business on Orlando, FL.
Presented by Patience Fisher
CEU: PPAB 1, PPG 1, IAABC 1, KPA 1
This cursory course on the house cat will touch on all things a cat owner should know in order to prevent unwanted behaviors in their house cat. A brief overview of ethology, domestication, socialization, and communication will lay the foundation for how to set up your house and interact with your cat.
The unique needs of a house cat will be detailed including placement and use of the litter box and scratching posts/pads, play time, feeding, vertical space, privacy, consistency, establishing a good relationship, and desensitizing the cat to carriers, claw trimming, and pills. The importance of observing behavior to catch medical problems will be explained, as well as the importance of not letting bad habits continue without seeking professional help.
Patience Fisher owns Walk, Play, Learn!, a Pittsburgh-based pet service. Started in 2012 as a pet sitting and dog walking service, she is now offering cat behavior consultations. Patience volunteered at shelters for four years, helping with cat adoptions and specializing in fostering cats with behavioral problems.
Patience holds a BS Biology from Lehigh University. She is a Certified Veterinary Assistant through AAHA/Cedar Valley College. Recently she received a Diploma of Feline Science Behavior Science and Technology from the Companion Animal Science Institute.
Patience is also a freelance editor, specializing in life science manuscripts, especially those concerning animals. Prior to that she was an environmental analyst for 14 years, preparing environmental documents for certification of highway and public utility projects.
presented by Melissa McCue-McGrath
CEUs
PPAB 1, IAABC 1, CPDT 1, KPA 1
presented by Paula Garber
CEU: PPAB 1, CPDT 1, IAABC 1, KPA 1
This presentation will teach you the ins and outs of organizing a Kittengarten. You will learn why kitten socialization is so important (and needed), and the goals and objectives of a Kittengarten. The presentation will discuss how to develop the basic structure and curriculum, find a location, boost kitten participation and human attendance, and practice the skills you will need to conduct a Kittengarten.
The presentation will also share ideas for identifying individuals, groups, and organizations that can help you (and that you can help in return). Plus, you will learn how organizing a Kittengarten can drive business for you and others who are involved. Many resources will be provided to help you organize a fun, unique Kittengarten in your community.
Paula holds a master’s degree in education and is a Certified Animal Training and Enrichment Professional and Certified Feline Training and Behavior Specialist. She is also certified in Low-Stress Handling (Silver, 2015) and Pet CPR & First Aid, and she is pursuing a diploma in Feline Behavior Science and Technology from the Companion Animal Sciences Institute.
Paula owns and operates LIFELINE Cat Behavior Solutions and is currently a co-Vice Chair for the Pet Professional Guild’s Cat Committee and a supporting member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. A consummate cat advocate, Paula proudly serves on the Cat Protection Council of Westchester in her community. She resides in Ossining, New York, with her husband and five rescued cats.
LIMA guidelines currently rank negative punishment and negative reinforcement at equivalent levels of invasiveness. This webinar will explore whether this is ethically defensible when applied to the presenting problems faced by dog trainers. The webinar will also suggest contexts where antecedent arrangements are contra-indicated from a welfare perspective.
Jean is the founder and principle instructor of The Academy for Dog Trainers. The Academy has trained and certified over 600 trainers in evidence-based dog behavior, training and private behavior counseling since 1999. She is a four-time winner of The Dog Writers' Association of America's Maxwell Award, and her books include The Culture Clash, Mine! A Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs, Fight! A Guide to Dog-Dog Aggression, Dogs Are From Neptune, Oh Behave! Dogs From Pavlov to Premack to Pinker, and Train Like a Pro. Born in Montreal, Canada, Jean founded the Montreal Flyball Association, and Renaissance Dog Training, the first positive reinforcement-based school and counseling service in the province. Her own dogs and dogs she has trained have earned numerous titles and wins in various dog sports including OTCh (Obedience Trial Champion), UD (Utility Dog), TDX (Tracking Dog Excellent), FDCh (Flyball Champion), CGC (Canine Good Citizen) and HIT (High In Trial). While a student, she worked as an adoption counselor at the Montreal SPCA and later served on its Board of Directors. Before founding The Academy, Jean did exclusively referral aggression cases for six years. She lives in Oakland with her dog, Brian, adopted in 2015.
with Sheila Blanchette
CEUs: PPAB 1.5, IAABC 1.5
This webinar is all about bird training and behavior. Sheila will talk in this webinar about positive reinforcement, target training and the general topic of bird behavior and training. One of the topics covered will be bird body language and to wrap up Sheila will discuss how you can step into the world of bird training.
Sheila S Blanchette is an IAABC Certified Parrot Behavior Consultant. She is also the owner of the mobile behavior consultant company, Heart of Feathers Education.
Sheila has been volunteering at the MSPCA-Nevins Farm (Methuen, MA), for many years assisting potential adopters on topics such as enrichment, education and understanding more about having a pet bird.
Sheila has featured on WBZ TV (NBC) promoting bird adoption in her area. Sheila’s main goal is to help owners keep birds in their homes as a permanent option.
Sheila believes "Behavior may have history but history should not define a bird." Sheila is the proud guardian of 2 lorikeets one of whom is adopted, an adopted lovebird, and a cockatiel which came along with her husband and his pug
Presented by Lennea Bower
CEUs: PPAB 1, CCPDT 1, IAABC 1
We all have a vision of our multi-species home as a peaceable kingdom, but how do we make that dream a reality? First impressions do matter, and the initial "introduction" of dogs and cats can make a huge difference in establishing successful dog-cat households. This webinar will review strategies for successfully integrating new dog to a household with a resident cat and vice versa. This process starts prior to the animals' first meeting and may continue for days, weeks, or months before stabilizing.
In addition, it will cover pain points and possible solutions for building a successful relationship that can endure the test of time. For professionals, it will also review important areas to discuss with your clients. These include helping your client set realistic expectations for process, expectations and timeline. We will also touch on factors, such as physical home set up, family composition, and lifestyle that can also affect this process. In addition, we will address issues related to the animals' past experience and personalities that may help or hinder the integration process, as well as the importance of meeting the basic needs of all household members throughout the integration process.
Lennea “Linny” Bower, MA, CPDT-KA grew up in a multi-species household that included both dogs and cats. She began volunteering in animal shelters in 2004 and has worked and volunteered in shelters in metro-DC, Massachusetts, and Costa Rica. She became interested in force-free training while working in animal shelters. She began teaching group classes at a local shelter in 2010, and founded her business, Next Best Pet, in 2013. She currently teaches group classes at the Animal Resource Foundation in Chester, MD, and offers private training in Maryland's Prince George's and Queen Anne's counties.
Lennea has a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Spanish Studies and a master’s degree in Psychology, all from American University. She earned her CPDT-KA certification in 2014. She has previously presented on topics including multi-species households and adopting a new dog. She has also worked with animal shelter staff and volunteers behavior and training topics.
CEUs: PPAB 1.5, CCPDT 1.5, IAABC 1.5
“Our job is to teach people to train their dogs.” It sounds so logical. After all, it’s the clients who live with the dogs, and they need to know what to do when the trainer leaves. But the logic of this notion ignores critical realities: Most dog owners don’t want to become amateur trainers—they want to hire someone to fix a problem for them. And most dog owners don’t have the mechanical skills, the time, or the drive to follow through with the process of learning and applying dog training exercises to achieve their goals. (Is it really reasonable to expect we can teach clients to train their dogs and solve behavior problems in a handful of one-hour sessions?) Given these limitations, the logic of teaching owners to train their own dogs crumbles.
The coaching approach lies at the heart of the many frustrations and limitations trainers face—unfinished cases, poor compliance and income, and twinges of doubt that all contribute to feelings of burnout and lack of efficacy. In this web seminar Veronica Boutelle of dog*tec explores the limitations of coaching and presents win-win-win R+ alternatives for trainers, dog owners, and the dogs themselves.
Veronica is the founder of dog*tec, the dog pro industry’s leading business consultancy, through which she has been helping dog trainers help dogs since 2003. She is the author of How to Run a Dog Business: Putting Your Career Where Your Heart Is and the co-author of Minding Your Dog Business: A Practical Guide to Business Success for Dog Professionals, and writes on business topics for many dog training industry journals. Veronica is a sought-after speaker at conferences and dog training schools across the country and internationally. She has recently spoken to positive reinforcement trainers at conferences and seminars in countries as diverse as Chile, Australia, Spain, New Zealand, and the UK.
As former Director of Behavior & Training at the San Francisco SPCA, and as a dog training business owner before that, Veronica understands what it means to be a dog trainer first hand—the daily worries about everything from client compliance to financial security, the unique challenges of a “flexible” schedule that requires evenings and weekends, and the struggle to balance clients and training with the minutiae of running a business—and to balance all of that with a rich non-work life. Her background as a trainer, her business expertise, and her work as an educator put Veronica in a unique position to help professional dog trainers learn to become as skilled in business as they are as trainers—and that means more dogs’ lives touched by positive training.
Presented by Amy Martin
CEUs: PPAB 1, CCPDT 1.5, IAABC 1.5, KPA 1.5
Are you puzzled about puzzle feeders for cats? Most cat guardians are. Even the few who have limited knowledge as to what a puzzle feeder is they are still unaware as to why their cuddly couch cat desperately needs daily mental and physical enrichment. This results in a severe lack of species-appropriate enrichment for companion cats.
A lack of mental and physical stimulation is linked to a myriad of medical and behavioral issues in cats. But this can be reversed! When properly utilized, foraging enrichment can enhance the lives of both cats and their guardians. This webinar will discuss how to successfully and safely enrich the lives of our feline family members, no matter their age.
Amy has studied animal welfare, applied behavior analysis, animal husbandry, animal enrichment, and ethology for nearly 20 years. Throughout this time her work has focused on teaching others how to implement force-free (choice-based) training, while enhancing the human-animal bond.
Amy worked at one of the Association of Zoo’s and Aquarium’s (AZA) top ranking, accredited zoos for a decade. Just a few of the many hats she wore while at Audubon Nature Institute were: Visitor Programming Animal Coordinator, ZOOmobile’s Educational Outreach Coordinator, Animal Enrichment Coordinator, Lead Animal Trainer for the Education Department, and the Institutional Representative for various critically endangered Species Survival Plans (SSP).
Through these programs Amy was fortunate to work closely (train/manage/breed) a wide variety of exotic and critically endangered species. Some of these species were Felis and Panthera, corvids, psittacines, raptors, venomous species, primates, hoof stock, elephants, crocodilians, Komodo dragons, Giant tortoises, the world’s first African wildcat clones, and dozens of other SSP animals. Amy has received multiple certifications from AZA's Professional Development Certificate Program. Some of her professional published works include An Analysis of the Post-release Success of Captive-bred Louisiana Pine Snakes and Target Training and Voluntary Blood Drawing of the Aldabra Tortoise.
Amy Martin is the owner, founder, and chief operator of Conscious Companion™. Some of her former and current advisory roles for companion animals include: The board of advisers for Family Paws Parent Education, advisory board member of Cape Fear Parrot Sanctuary, licensed presenter of the Dogs & Storks® and the Dogs & Toddlers™ programs, Doggone Safe, the Pet Professional Guild's Cat Committee, and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC).
Amy has taken a break from animal behavior consulting to focus her efforts on writing a few books and to serve the Marine Corps; she and her husband are serving as the 1st Marine Raider Support Battalion U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command Team on the West Coast.
You can learn more about Amy at ConsciousCompanion.com.
CEUs PPAB 1
How often do you attend a workshop or event where you make a considerable investment in your personal and professional development? This webinar will show you how you can ensure you get a return on your investment by simply "eating the frog" on your return. This webinar covers topics from how you can best learn and how getting hands on as soon as you get home is the best way to close your learning cycle, to how to overcome procrastination and stay motivated while you implement key ideas you have learned about from structured to-do lists and goals.
Niki Tudge – AABP – PDT. AABP-PDBC. PCBC-A. DIP -ABT & DIP-CBST
Niki is the President and Founder of DogNostics eLearning, The DogSmith®, The Pet Professional Guild and Doggone Safe. Niki is a passionate educator and in her prior life held many roles where she was responsible for the education and growth of hundreds of senior management professionals across many disciplines. Niki is a certified people trainer, holding credentials from the International Training Board at three levels. Niki is also a certified facilitator through the Acuity Institute and holds numerous other qualifications in pet training and behavior. Niki has a business degree and an MBA through Oxford Brooks University in England
Presented by Melissa Hagood and Marie Macher
CEUs: PPAB 1, IAABC 1
When you are away from your pets, don’t you love to get a picture or video that illustrates to you how they are faring and allows you to see their furry (or finned or feathered!) faces you miss so much!? Guess what, your clients do too. Personalize your service offerings by taking and sending great quality pictures of your client’s pets. This presentation will provide tips on capturing fun and informative photos, using a cell phone, which can be text or emailed to pet parents when their pets are in your care at their home, your home, or in a daycare setting.
We will discuss basic photography tips on lighting, framing, perspective, catching action, etc. as well as creative aspects like telling a story with your photos and apps to help make photos fun. We will also discuss making the photography process fun, force free, and low stress for the pets and how to capture their personality in the photos for their parents.
Melissa Hagood is accredited as a Professional Canine Trainer through the Pet Professional Accreditation Board. She is a Pet Professional Guild (PPG) member and Pet First Aid Certified through PPG. She is an independent contractor of Courteous Canine, Inc. DogSmith of Tampa in Florida, where she specializes in private behavior consultations, instructs the group classes My Dog Has Issues (MDI) for reactive dogs and Fun Lure Coursing, and provides in home pet care services. She is an AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and she and her dog Charley are a registered team with Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program. Melissa parents Charley and Delilah, who are both adopted mixed breed dogs that just LOVE posing for all the photos Melissa takes of them constantly with her phone!
Marie Macher received her BSN in Nursing and BA in Sociology from Purdue University in 2011. She is a Pet Professional Guild (PPG) member and Pet First Aid Certified through PPG. She has her Advanced Pet Care Technician Certificate and Fun Scent Games Level 1 Instructor Certification from DogNostics Career College. She works at Courteous Canine, Inc. DogSmith of Tampa in Florida as a Canine Camp Counselor and Instructor of AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy classes and Basic Manners classes. Marie loves to watch the day care dogs and boarding dogs play. She has a special interest in Barn Hunt, Dog Dock Jumping and Trick training! She parents Henry and Harper, Shih-Tzu/Poodle mixes, who love to participated in agility, fun scent games, and trick training!
presented by Gina Phairas
CEUs: PPAB 1.25, CCPDT 1.25, IAABC 1.25
It’s rare these days to meet anyone who doesn’t say they’re busy, or behind, or that they wish there were more hours in the day. In fact, most small business owners feel perpetually behind and, unfortunately, it’s often the more important tasks, such as marketing, that fall by the wayside. It’s also common to see poor time management play a role in trainer burnout, as trainers put their own needs aside to work on the business, struggling to maintain a sustainable balance between work and home.
If you need a few more hours in your day, if you feel like your business is running you instead of the other way around, it’s time for a time management makeover. You can have two days off a week and a shorter to-do list, and still make a living—oh, and spend more time with your own dogs, too. Join Gina Phairas of dog*tec to learn simple strategies, practices, and policies to increase your productivity, step off the treadmill, and get back in control.
Gina Phairas helps trainers succeed across the country as a business consultant and leading force behind dog*tec, the dog pro industry’s top business consultancy. Gina brings her marketing and communications background and degree to her work with dog professionals, as well as her extensive training resume. Gina is a former San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers instructor, teaching and working alongside Academy founder Jean Donaldson to arm professional dog trainers with a comprehensive knowledge of positive reinforcement training techniques, and the mechanical and thinking skills needed to use them to greatest effect. As the SF/SPCA’s Rehabilitation Coordinator she developed and oversaw staff training and behavior rehabilitation protocols to improve the adoptability of shelter dogs with behavioral issues.
Gina’s own businesses have included Tails & Tots, a dog training business focused on the needs of expecting parents and families with dogs, and ShelterWorks, a non-profit dedicated to improved adoption rates and decreased return rates through education and consulting work around staff and volunteer retention and training, adoption protocols, and assessment, enrichment, and training of shelter dogs. A tireless advocate for positive training and in particular for positive trainers, Gina speaks regularly on business topics at conferences and seminars across the country and via web seminars, teaches at positive dog training schools, and works one-on-one with trainers on building business skills.
Presented by Beth Adelman
While positive reinforcement is always my first choice in working with cats, many times very frightened/under-socialized cats will not accept food, play, a happy tone of voice, petting, or any interaction at all with humans. If nothing you offer the cat is rewarding in that moment, how do you gain the cat’s trust? I have found a behavior modification protocol using negative reinforcement to be very effective in these situations.
I am using the term “negative reinforcement” in the strict sense of removing something to increase the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated. I do not use aversives in this behavior modification protocol. My goal is always to move the cat as quickly as possible to a state where he or she is able to accept positive reinforcement.
About the Presenter
Presented by Sheila Blanchette
To celebrate the importance of care for companion birds, the goal of this webinar is to understand the importance of:
Sheila S Blanchette is an IAABC Certified Parrot Behavior Consultant. She is the owner of the mobile behavior consultant company, Heart of Feathers Education in the MA/NH Area (USA). Sheila’s main goal is to assist people with companion birds with behavior issues vs surrendering the bird. She is also a member of IAABC Shelter Division, Pet Professional Guild and American Federation of Aviculture.
Sheila has been volunteering at the MSPCA-Nevins Farm (Methuen, MA), for many years assisting potential adopters on topics such as enrichment, education and understanding more about having a companion bird. In 2017, she will be teaching Target Training Bird classes at the rescue for anyone with a companion bird. She believes "Behavior may have history but history should not define a bird." Sheila is the proud guardian of 2 lorikeets, an adopted lovebird, and a cockatiel and a pug.