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The Genetics of Aggression
Learning the Ropes! All Things Leash Handling With Grisha Stewart AND Michael Shikashio!
In punishment-based dog training, the leash is used not just as a restraint, but as a way to inflict pain or startle, and many lessons about dog training include how to handle the leash to get the most force in a precise way. With the rise of positive reinforcement training, the leash was no longer needed to ‘teach’ the dog and lessons on leash handling fell by the wayside. And yet dogs were still walked on leash. Not having guidance on leash handling opened up positive reinforcement trainers to a wide range of unfortunate mistakes, including unintentional pressure, restricted freedom, safety hazards like rope burns and loose dogs, or regressing to leash pops in frustration.
While each of us uses more skills beyond the ones we developed ourselves, Mike is known for his defensive handling techniques and Grisha is known for her BAT leash skills – how to use a long line to create a sense of freedom while still maintaining safety and control. We thought it would be helpful to join up to share our tools in the same webinar, so you can learn when to use which, and why. We are both continually learning, so we also thought it would be a fabulous opportunity to teach each other how we work. Both of us will give an overview of the leash handling skills we teach, and also guide the other through a practical skill. Follow along as you add new skills to your leash handling toolbox!
Toward a New Understanding of C.A.T. with Kellie Snider
Early behavior analysts broke behavior down into a treacherous matrix of four judgements plus extinction. They taught us that negatives and positives, punishers and reinforcers all fit into tidy categories of wholesome goodness and hellacious badness. When the Constructional Aggression Treatment was first presented as Kellie Snider’s MS thesis research in 2006 it was met with both excitement and concern. It was exciting because nearly anything that might improve our ability to help dogs with aggression is exciting. It was concerning because of that dastardly term, negative reinforcement, which is hurriedly herded into the hellacious badness category. Also, the research procedure back then was clunky, and some dogs went over threshold. We found out what we needed to know, but our audience worried. The good news you should know is that many dogs were helped in the course of the research and more than 60 species have been helped since. In this presentation Kellie performs a brief postmortem on the early dissemination of CAT and of the essential relationship between function and construction, even going so far as to explain how CAT should not be distilled down into a negative reinforcement trope. She will discuss the addition of the term “alert” to supplement “threshold”, and will answer questions at the end of the talk. She hopes that you’ll leave this presentation feeling very cozy in the wholesome goodness category, or, perhaps even better, with a whole lot more questions.
Play Way! for Aggression Cases with Dr. Amy Cook
Can you make your dog laugh? Can you interact in play socially without your dog going over the top, or just leaving you for better things? Social play is fun and therapeutic, but doesn’t always come naturally to us! Come learn with Amy how to connect to your dog by playing like a dog! And for dogs for whom life is an over threshold event, therapeutic play is even more important. We all need better tools to help our dogs lighten up, shake off the tension, and learn they’re safe in the world. Play can also help you more accurately assess threshold, help you get emotional change in dogs, and build your own sensitivity to the subtle changes that happen before real discomfort sets in. In this webinar you’ll learn the art of conversation, how to collaboratively negotiate play, to give your dog an equal voice, and to have fun together without going over the top!
This powerfully effective technique is used to help socially shy dogs master the intricacies of feeling comfortable interacting with and being around people. This is a dog-centric technique that is force-free, and one that does not use negative reinforcement. Instead, respect for the dog’s boundaries, arousal and abilities are combined with nuanced observation and engagement of SEEKING to help build the dog’s skills. Using thin slices, Treat-Retreat helps the dog develop skills in comfortable ways that are readily generalized.
Our Dog Bit Our Toddler! HELP! Part Two with Jennifer Shryock and Helen St. Pierre
Dealing with aggression cases that involve children or expectant families can be hard to navigate at times, for even the most savvy dog professionals. In this presentation, we will discuss specific case examples on helping families that have dogs with prior bite histories welcome home baby safely, and families with dogs that had no bite history suddenly dealing with the difficult situation of a child that has been bitten. Learning the right questions to ask, the delicate approaches needed and how to help families juggle time management will all be covered!
We all hate getting this call. A child has been bitten. Now what!?! Jennifer Shryock, B.A., CDBC will share 5 important factors she considers with every bite victim family as she supports the family moving forward.
If your professional role includes counseling pet owners through consideration of available intervention options for behavioral problems, it is inevitable that you will experience a situation in which the option of euthanasia is on the table for one reason or another. This is a complicated subject and it is important that the behavior consultant has a solid grasp on the factors that influence this conversation and its outcome across various circumstances.
Specific discussion topics will include: a discussion of risk assessment and safety, navigating the role of the pet in that specific household, quality of life and welfare considerations, the impact of guilt on caregiver decision making, as well as specific conversation strategies and client support resources.
Aggression cases can seem daunting with so much on the line. How do you know what to prioritize? How do you know which path to take? How do you meet a dog’s needs when they have to be so heavily managed to keep everyone safe?
For us, the answer lies in enrichment. Enrichment – meeting all of an animal’s needs – creates a clear path forward and breaks down a sometimes seemingly impossible case into manageable, doable chunks for you and your client. Join us as we discuss what enrichment is and showcase how to implement it in a systematic way using one of our complex case studies.
Aggression cases often pose unique challenges for behavior consultants due to their gravity and the emotional impact of dog bites on clients. Effective client counseling skills are critical to facilitating behavioral change in aggression cases. Consultants must establish strong, positive helping alliances with their clients while maintaining professional boundaries.
This webinar is designed to assist behavior consultants in understanding the emotional issues unique to dog bite cases, provide tools for enhancing basic counseling skills, and identify ways to set and maintain professional boundaries.
When dogs and cats are not getting along in the home, everyone suffers – especially the cat. Unfortunately, despite the best of intentions, such cases are often not truly addressed, or, are even handled incorrectly.
This webinar will provide behavior consultants with helpful information, strategies, and effective game plans that can help improve the lives of everyone involved.
Aggression and other negative canine behaviors are often assumed to be “behavioral.” In reality, many behaviors may be pain related. Failure to address the pain will continue to lead to additional negative behaviors.
This webinar will assist the trainer/owner in identifying pain, its ramifications on a dog’s movement and behavior, and how to address them.
Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD) numbers in rescue, shelters and sanctuaries are increasing. Euthanasia is often the end result, with the most common reason given, as aggression. With a better understanding of the characteristics and needs of these breeds, we can reduce this dire trend.
As animal handlers, trainers, carers and clinicians we can learn to work safely and successfully with these breeds and offer better education for their owners or prospective owners.
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Looking to learn more about helping dogs with aggression? We have a variety of resources available for FREE on everything from understanding dog aggression to emergency handling!
This webinar will teach you how to streamline your current processes and behavior modification plans.
Using a systematic approach and focusing on the most crucial components of working an aggression case will benefit you and your clients by saving time, effort, and resources.
This webinar discusses the precursors for aggressive behavior and the typical…and not so typical situations that precipitate a dog bite.
Setting realistic goals for clients in aggression cases is crucial for success and avoiding burnout.
This webinar will demonstrate how to use an objective approach by evaluating eighteen key factors to set realistic expectations for clients.
This webinar includes a variety of leash handling techniques including leash locks, leash grips, leash mechanics, leash harnesses, leash muzzles, and emergency leash techniques, as well as a number of equipment setups that can be incorporated into your work in aggression cases to maximize safety.
A comprehensive course providing evidence-based science about all of the essential nutrient needs of the domestic dog offered by the amazing Linda Case M.S. Perfect for dog care professionals and trainers!
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