About this episode
In this episode, we discuss how to best support deaf dogs bothin a kennel environment and how they move into their new homes. They explorehow communication through visual and tactile cues can replace verbal signals,helping dogs feel secure and understood. The conversation highlights theimportance of building a trusting relationship, creating consistency betweencaregivers, and offering gentle, structured support during transition. Carolinegives us some amazing practical tips as well as helping us possibly challengeour perceptions!
About Caroline Lewis
Caroline is the founder of Help at Hand Dog Behaviour, andDeaf Not Difficult. A Full Member of the Pet Dog Trainers of Europe,International Companion Animal Network and the Dog Welfare Alliance. Allmeaning she is passionate about ethical force free methods, whilst ensuringstandards are high for the welfare of dogs.
She has always been around dogs, rescuing her first dog whenshe was 12 years old. Her two dogs – Molly, a Labrador Retriever and Morris arescue, who is deaf are her inspirations to be the best she can be.
Always wanting to fully understand dogs, and work in a forcefree way, led her to train with Sheila Harper and then Turid Rugaas to ensureshe works at the deepest level possible. Her quest for the most up to datemethods, fully backed with scientific research, means she only learns fromlikeminded people, including many elements of cpd with Dr Amber Batson.
Whilst Caroline works with all dogs of all ages, she isknown for the work she does in and around rescue centres advising onrehabilitation, behaviour, rehoming and always ensuring dogs are understoodincluding those displaying complex behaviours. Combined with a huge passion fordeaf dogs, running courses in the UK and internationally to remove themisconceptions, and show how amazing they are.
Ep. 48 Gamification for Grooming with Victoria Shepherd
In this episode we discuss Victoria journey to becoming a holistic grooming professional. A big passion for Victoria is gamification for grooming and she takes us through some of these games, and easy techniques to support grooming both in and out of the shelter!
About Victoria Shepherd
Originally from Salt, Staffordshire, Victoria returned to the UK in September 2020 after living in the US for nearly 30 years. She has had many careers over the years, including executive assistant, investor relations consultant, voice and on-camera talent for the official US Tourism website, as well as script-writer, video editor and video/podcast producer. It turns out that Happy Henry's! is what she was meant to be doing all along! Happy Henry's! started out as a passion project to get through COVID but has grown into way more than Victoria could have hoped for. Victoria is a Taking the Grrr Out of Grooming Dogs Approved Professional, a member of the Holistic Grooming Academy, a games-based trainer, and currently a DoGenius Canine Behaviour Level 4 student. She hopes to never stop learning and finding ways to help more dogs who struggle with navigating the world, both inside and outside of the grooming salon.
Links!
Victoria is kindly opening spaces on her holistic grooming course to shelters for free!
https://happy-henrys.co.uk/sign-up-today
Contact Victoria on Victoria@happy-henrys.co.uk to arrange for the free course
This episode explores practical strategies for improving the daily lives of shelter animals through kennel enrichment. The discussion emphasizes how enrichment is not just about keeping animals entertained but about reducing stress, promoting natural Behaviours, and improving overall well-being—ultimately making them more adoptable.
Key points include:
· Why enrichment matters: A kennel environment can be stressful and monotonous for animals. Enrichment provides mental stimulation, comfort, and opportunities for animals to express species-appropriate Behaviours.
· Types of enrichment: From food puzzles, scent games, and chew toys, to music, visual barriers, and soft bedding, shelters can use simple, low-cost tools to make kennels more engaging. Rotating enrichment items is highlighted as a way to keep things fresh.
· Role of staff and volunteers: Everyone in the shelter can contribute. Staff can integrate enrichment into daily routines (like feeding and cleaning), while volunteers can help create toys, run playgroups, or provide one-on-one interaction.
· Building a culture of enrichment: Success comes when enrichment becomes part of the shelter’s standard of care. Training staff and volunteers, sharing ideas, and celebrating creative solutions encourages consistency and innovation.
· Impact on outcomes: Animals with better enrichment show reduced stress Behaviours, increased sociability, and improved adoptability, which benefits both the animals and the shelter as a whole.
The big take away here is enrichment doesn’t need to be complex—what matters most is consistency, creativity, and a team-wide commitment to improving the lives of animals in care.
About Mik Moeller
Mik is a professional certified dog trainer. He worked at the San Francisco SPCA as the canine Behaviour specialist for 18 years. He has his CPDT-KA and his CBCC –KA certifications. He is a recognized expert in shy/fearful dogs, reactive dogs meaning those dogs who bark and lunge on leash and canine enrichment.
Mik graduated from the renowned San Francisco SPCA Dog Training Academy in 1999 and awarded special certification for dog-dog aggression in 2002 by Jean Donaldson. Mik frequently writes articles and lectures both nationally and internationally on leash reactivity, canine body language, dog play, canine enrichment and scent games, dog park etiquette and how to work with shy/fearful dogs. He also developed and taught the Reactive Rover dog training classes.
His teaching motto is you can teach an old dog new tricks and he brings a sense of humor to his classes to help the two legged students learn to understand their dogs Behaviour and provide tools to help them get the Behaviour they want in a positive, force-free, fun environment.
Links
AHS Behaviour- https://www.azhumane.org/pet-Behavior-tips/
Moeller Dogs- https://www.facebook.com/p/Moellerdog-100054231800397/
Contact- mikmoe1961@gmail.com
About this episode
Join us as we delve into Dr. Erica Feuerbacher’s groundbreaking work in applied animal behavior. In this episode, we explore how what we often consider simple—like petting—can deeply influence a shelter dog’s emotional well-being and adaptability. From reinforcement theory to practical applications in rescue environments, we'll explore how science supports more thoughtful, humane interactions with dogs in shelters—and ultimately improves their welfare and outcomes. we also discuss Eric's over research into pair housing dogs, separation related issues and more!
About Erica
I am an Associate Professor of Applied Animal Welfare and Behavior in the School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. I teach students about learning, behavior, and welfare of animals, especially focusing on dogs and horses. My lab’s research focuses on what maintains the human-dog relationship, how animals learn, and how best we can train them.
I earned my Ph.D. in Psychology (Behavior Analysis) at the University of Florida, in the Canine Cognition & Behavior Lab, under the tutelage of Dr. Clive Wynne. My dissertation focused on dogs' preferences for types of human interaction, the special relationship between owners and their dogs, and what human interactions function as reinforcers for dog behavior.
I earned my Masters in Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas under the guidance of Jesus Rosales-Ruiz and his lab the Organization for Reinforcement Contingencies with Animals. My thesis investigated concept formation in domestic dogs in the natural environment.
I am a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Certified Professional Dog Trainer, and have worked as an animal behaviorist at the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA in San Mateo, CA.
In this episode, we sit down with renowned trainer Grisha Stewart to explore how Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT)can be applied to support shelter dogs. We dive into the foundations of BAT and how it helps dogs build resilience, reduce reactivity, and make better choices in challenging environments.
Together, we unpack practical tools such as set-ups that create safe learning opportunities, lead handling skills that support calm communication, and the importance of recognizing a dog’s threshold to prevent overwhelm. Grisha also explains how to spot and nurture glimmers—the subtle signs of curiosity and comfort that guide progress.
Whether you’re a shelter worker, volunteer, or dog lover, this conversation offers valuable insights into using BAT to improve the welfare and adoptability of dogs in care.
About Grisha Stewart
Grisha Stewart is a kinship tender, visionary author, international keynote speaker, dog trainer, community grief ritualist, and song leader based in Oregon, USA, devoted to nourishing belonging and care for all beings. She is the Grisha behind the Grisha Stewart Academy (surprise) and a founder of the Stellar Village community network.
Grisha is of European ancestry, specifically Scotland, England, France, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, according to family lore and DNA tests. In her 20+ years as a professional dog trainer, she is best known for her Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) technique for dog socialization and reactivity/aggression rehabilitation (more on that below).
In 2001, Grisha founded Ahimsa Dog Training, which grew to be Seattle's largest and most popular dog training company. "Ahimsa" is a Buddhist doctrine of nonviolence to all living beings, which reflects Grisha's focus on more collaborative methods to promote the well-being of dogs and their humans.
Links
Grishas Birthday Sale- https://school.grishastewart.com/pages/birthdaysale/?ref=352ff9
Shelter Scholarship at GSA- https://school.grishastewart.com/bundles/rescue?ref=352ff9
Grisha Reading BAT 2.0 with download book- https://school.grishastewart.com/courses/abc-bat?ref=352ff9
BAT 3.0- https://school.grishastewart.com/courses/evolution?ref=352ff9
Lead skills with Grisha and Mike Shikashio- https://school.grishastewart.com/courses/ropes?ref=352ff9
How to Human- https://school.grishastewart.com/courses/human?ref=352ff9
In this episode I’m joined by Kat Creagh an animal welfare scientist who reviews policies and procedures for a large uk animal welfare charity. In this discussion we tackle some of the complicated questions around capacity to care and how we can best support the behavioural health of animals we are helping! There is no perfect solution to this problem and one of the discussions that continually kept appear is the importance of having discussions as individual organisations about our aims, hopes and ability. This episode will pose some questions to help start the conversation around this difficult but hugely important topic
City dogs conference September!
I think we can all agree that the shelter constitutes a difficult environment for behaviour modification! In September I'm going to spend a whole day discussing how we can maximise success in shelter and rescue but also take our learning and apply it to dogs outside of the shelter to improve behavioural health for all.
Ill be discussing emotional assessments, problem solving tools and how we best support the dogs in our care to get long lasting, welfare boosting behavioural change to boost rehoming and prevent relinquishment
Join Me, @ZazieTodd and @MalenaDeMartini for Three amazing days of workshops.
Join us online, or in person in Toronto Canada from Friday the 26th to the 28th of September.
In August the dogs in the city conference is also 20% off using the following code CITYDOGS link in captions!
In this episode Tom and Andrew Hales explore what it means to approach emotional experiences with Compassion Acceptance Knowledge and Empathy. Focusing on how we can take care of ourselves and those around us Andy explores the CAKE model and how it can impact the work we do in shelter and rescue, before moving on to discuss resilience, support and most importantly looking after ourselves to ensure we can turn up everyday and be the person we need to be, with no negative affect on ourselves!
About Andrew Hale
Andrew Hale BSc, ISCP.Dip.Canine.Prac is a Certified Canine Behaviourist. He is the behaviour consultant for Pet Remedy, and proud to be an expert advisor for Canine Arthritis Management and a Kids Around Dogs Trainer. He also works to support many dog welfare and rescue organisation. With a background in Human Psychology, Andrew is passionate about exploring the emotional experience that lies behind behaviour, both in dogs and the humans around them. Andrew has played a leading role in the UK Dog training and behaviour community, having been the chair of the Association of INTODogs, and was the driving force behind the UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter. In 2020, Andrew started Dog Centred Care (https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogcc) which focusses on supporting a dog led, emotionally centred, approach to providing the best care and support for dogs and their caregivers. On this platform, he has been hosting on-line conversations with some of the world’s leading scientists, researchers, trauma experts, dog professionals and veterinarians. These conversations are credited with helping transform the perceptions and language around dog training and behaviour.
Ep. 42 How do we Choose the Doggy in the Window, Decision Making of Adopters with Lawrence Minnis. In this episode we discuss Lawrence’s research looking at decision making of adopters. This important topic matches perfectly to behaviour as our end goal is getting dogs successfully rehomed. Join us as we look at reasons adopters select dogs, how we can support adopters and tips for reviewing and improving your own adoptions practices as an organisation and individuals
About Lawrence
Lawrence is a 2nd year PhD student in the Animal Behavior & Cognition Lab, under Dr. Doris Bitler-Davis. Born and raised in Southeast Washington, D.C., he attended North Carolina A&T State University for a degree in business management. He commissioned in the Army in 2004, as an Military Intelligence officer. He was stationed in Germany and deployed to Iraq, but a neurological illness during deployment ended his active duty career. During his 18-month rehabilitation, he participated in the inaugural session of the Dog Tags training program with the Washington Humane Society in DC, which covered dog training techniques, behavioral assessments, and animal care & management. During his time within the program, he developed strong interests in animal behavior and animal social dynamics related to leadership.
His diverse interests include leadership studies, human perception of canine behavior, human-canine interaction benefits and attachment levels, and neuroimaging study. His current research efforts are intended to benefit the humane animal adoption community. He is currently developing theory on the animal adoption decision-making process and planning a research study that will several humane adoption centers in the DC Metro area.
Links https://psychology.gmu.edu/people/lminnis the research group- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556634178861
Ep.41 the Look at That Game for Reactivity in Shelter with Kim Palermo
In this episode I’m joined by Kim Palermo to took about the look at that game. There are many reasons why our dogs bark and lunge at stimuli in the environment, and there are also many methods and philosophies that are meant to “fix” this behavior. But what if you could go beyond fixing? What if you could actually have a conversation with your dog about the environment and their triggers? And help them change from being a reactor to a reporter? Control Unleashed, founded by Leslie McDevitt, is best known for the Look At That Game (LAT). Because of its popularity, at times this game has been misinterpreted and improperly taught in ways that either prevent it from working or actually build more arousal. Certified Control Unleashed Instructor Kim Palermo discusses a step-by-step process to build a LAT skill that is fluent, calming, and effective in the shelter environment.
About Kim Palermo
BlueDog founder and trainer Kim Palermo (she/her) has been training dogs personally for 25 years and professionally for over 10 years. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Certified Control Unleashed Instructor, a Level 1 TAGteacher, and an AKC Canine Good Citizen & S.T.A.R. Puppy evaluator. She has a bachelor’s degree in Zoology from the University of New Hampshire with a minor in Animal Behavior and Psychology.
Kim has only ever wanted to work with animals. She grew up surrounded by many pets of all different shapes and sizes, raised litters of puppies, competed in horse shows and dog shows, and has been working in the pet industry since she could get a job. In 2008, she followed her dream and started BlueDog as a solo dog walker. Very soon she became so busy that she began hiring employees to help her, and in 2011 she pursued her lifelong passion for training dogs by opening BlueDog’s very first training facility in Andover. Since then, Kim continues to grow and improve her business and expand her knowledge endlessly. Kim is a Certified Control Unleashed Instructor and specializes in dogs that have big feelings about the world around them. She is the CU Teaching Assistant for a worldwide dog training school, Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, has taught CU in dog sports workshops, and presented in the Control Unleashed Conference. Her passion is helping other trainers pursue their dreams. She is a mentor for the Control Unleashed certification process, a CATCH Canine Trainers Academy mentor, and has mentored a number of local trainers directly through BlueDog who have gone on to have successful careers in their field. Kim actively trains for and competes in Rally-Obedience and Obedience, also trains for Nose Work, Agility, and Herding with her two sports dogs, Jane her Collie and Walt her Miniature Poodle, and occasionally competes in a few other sports like FastCat and Barn Hunt. She owns three other dogs: two Collies named Reese and Lincoln and a Golden Retriever named Fern, as well as a clicker trained cat named Fig. She is the vice president of the Collie Club of New Hampshire, working towards building more opportunities for performance sports for Collies. During her free time she likes to escape to the woods to hike, is a beekeeper, raises a flock of chickens, ducks, turkeys, and guinea hens, and dreams of the day when she has a farm.
Links Kim’s current classes https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/people/786-people/faculty/43971-kim-palermo Leslie’s episode. https://open.spotify.com/show/1Ea6VTImAPcnlXilJYunij
In this episode I’m joined by Sarah Ellis and Vicky Halls from International Cat Care. During the show we discuss ICCs approach to Cat Friendly Care, how we can improve welfare, rehoming and support for the Cats in our shelters and rescues. Shelters and rescues can be stressful places for all animals, but Cats in particularly can often struggle in silence. Learn from two of the leaders in the cat welfare and behaviour space how we can identify Cats who are struggling and what steps we can take to improve overall welfare both in care and beyond.
About Dr. Sarah Ellis Sarah’s interests span the behaviour and welfare of the domestic cat. She has a BSc in Zoology and Psychology from the University of Bristol (UK), a Post-Graduate Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling from the University of Southampton (UK) and a PhD from Queen’s University Belfast (UK) which focussed on improving the welfare of cats housed in homing centres. Sarah spent eight years at the University of Lincoln (UK) as a post-doctoral research scientist working on numerous projects involving animal welfare assessment and furthering our understanding of cat behaviour and the cat-human relationship. Since 2015, Sarah has divided her time between her role at charity ‘International Cat Care’ as Head of Cat Wellbeing and Behaviour and working an an independent feline welfare educator, writer and consultant. About Vicky Halls
I have been working closely with cats since 1988 and specifically as a Cat Behaviour Counsellor from 1994 to 2019, treating behaviour problems in cats both in the UK and abroad. I am also an international bestselling author of 7 cat behaviour books for the cat-owning public and co-author of a number of veterinary textbooks.
I am a Registered Veterinary Nurse and member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors. I am also a Registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council. I also have a diploma in person-centred counselling and am a Registered Member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists.
Links https://icatcare.org/cat-advice/unowned-cats https://icatcare.org/courses/cat-friendly-homing-foundations Sarah’s paper on barriers to play: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159124003277
Ep. 39 Research to Support Welfare with Dr. Lisa Gunter
In this episode we dive into some of the amazing research of Dr Lisa Gunter and her Colleagues. Dr Gunters contributions to the field have a massive positive impact on dogs in shelter and rescue, from improving perception and rehomability to reducing stress there’s some great practical implementations of research to take away from this episode.
About Dr. Lisa Gunter
Lisa Gunter, PhD, MA, CBCC-KA is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech in the School of Animal Sciences and directs the Companion Animal Research & Education (CARE) Lab. Lisa’s research explores the behavior and welfare of companion animals, specifically our interactions with them, as it relates to animal sheltering, behavioral issues, and training.
Prior to joining Virginia Tech, she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Coastal Carolina University and the Maddie’s Fund Research Fellow at Arizona State University and managed the ASU/VT Maddie’s Nationwide Fostering Study. Lisa earned her PhD and MA degrees in the behavioral neuroscience and comparative psychology program at Arizona State University in the Canine Science Collaboratory.
Over her academic career, she has investigated owner-support programs that provide temporary care for pets; weeklong fostering, temporary stays, & short-term outings for shelter dogs; canine housing, social interaction, and barking interventions in the animal shelter; behavioral indicators of canine welfare; relinquishment and post-adoption interventions; and the genetic breed heritage and breed labeling of shelter dogs.
Before beginning her graduate studies, she worked for nearly a decade with pets in animal shelters and with dogs and their owners. She was a behavior consultant and trainer in San Francisco, teaching group classes and consulting with owners experiencing issues of fear, anxiety, and aggression with their dogs. Her interest in canine behavior began in 2002 as an animal shelter volunteer, training dogs in basic skills and assisting in shelter dog playgroups. That interest grew into a professional career where she managed the behavior programs of several shelters throughout the West.
Her academic and professional experiences led Lisa to co-found Wagfield Academy, an online dog training and behavior resource for owners (which was acquired by the Humane Society of the United States Pets for Life program), and the Institute for Shelter Dogs with Dr. Erica Feuerbacher, where they combine the latest in shelter research with the current best practices in workshops for staff and volunteers. Seven years ago, she founded and annually organizes the Canine Science Symposium in San Francisco, which disseminates the latest applied canine science to practitioners from across the country.
Links
Lisa’s Website https://www.lisamgunter.com
Lisa’s Research https://www.lisamgunter.com/research
Virginia Techs Program https://sas.vt.edu/academics/graduate-program.html
Canine Science Symposium https://www.caninesciencesymposium.com
Ep. 38 Supporting Rehoming to Homes with Children with Michelle Stern.
This week we look at what we can do before, during and after rehoming, to support a dog moving from shelter or rescue into a home with children. Wether existing children or a growing family join myself and Michelle as we discuss green and red flags for the dog and the homes. How to best prepare a dog and how we can support the transition with the aim of a happy life for all of the family
About Michelle Stern
Michelle Stern cares about supporting parents, supporting kids, and helping dogs feel safe emotionally and physically; these three passions position her perfectly to work with families who are integrating their dogs into homes with children. This episode will support any listener who is, or plans to, integrate their dogs and children together in a way that is healthy and balanced.
Michelle Stern is a certified professional dog trainer, dog behavior consultant, certified family dog mediator, mom, and former classroom teacher. Her podcast is the Pooch Parenting Podcast, and you can learn more at PoochParenting.net.
Links and resources
Free Workshop for Shelters and Dog Rescues: Successful Dog Placements in Families with Kids: https://poochparenting.net/workshop-for-rescues-placement-with-kids/
New Adoption Dog Handbook for Families with Kids: https://poochparenting.net/adoption-dog-handbook-for-families/
Reward charts
https://fb.watch/zzswT-tYAT/?
In this episode I’m joined by Dr Findy Wills, a vet behaviourist with a passion for shelter and rescue dogs. Findy joins the pod to talk about differing attachment styles and how we can support these in shelter and rescue, and gives us some insights into her PHD studies that are currently underway,
About Findy
Dr Findy started as a small animal veterinarian in Newcastle NSW after graduating from the University of Sydney with first class honours. She has since been servicing the area for the past 15 years. In 2017, Dr Findy furthered her studies in animal behaviour with the University of Edinburgh, UK and graduated with a Masters degree in Clinical Animal Behaviour.
Let's Talk Paws Veterinary Behaviour Services was established with the goal of supporting human-animal relationships by providing owners with an understanding of behaviour from an animals' perspective and options for additional pharmaceutical support.
Apart from seeing private patients, Dr Findy has extensive experience in shelter rehabilitation work and regularly provides her consultancy and post adoption services to RSPCA NSW and Greyhounds as Pets NSW.
This continued interest in post adoption support has motivated her to undertake a PhD candidature with the Psychology Department at the University of Sydney, researching the role and application of attachment styles in the rehoming of shelter dogs.
You can find out more about Findy Here
https://www.letstalkpaws.com.au/about-dr-findy.html
In this episode I’m joined by Jess Feliciano to look at how using food in training maybe more complicated than it seems! Off the back of her amazing presentation at Micheal Shikashios’ aggression in dogs conference, we discuss four main ways that’s treats might be the enemy! As well as the great friend we know they can be.
We look at
backward conditioning and poison cue
Oops moments
false sense of security
Reinforcement of undesirable behaviour
And how these four categories can affect our use of treats in shelter and rescue to maximise success.
About Jess
Jess started out her career by volunteering at a local, crowded shelter in NJ in 2004. She was immediately drawn to the aggressive and fearful dogs – the ones who sat in their cages because no one wanted to touch them. She wondered why the dogs acted that way and how she could change their behavior to make them more adoptable. From there, a passion grew.
Jess has continued to work as both a staff member and a volunteer at a number of different shelters and rescue groups in NJ and FL. In addition, she's worked in the veterinary field as a nurse since 2006. The combination of these two careers has allowed her to gain experience working with THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of dogs of various breeds and personalities.
Her private training career started in 2006 where she continued her passion for working with aggressive and fearful dogs, particularly ones who were at risk of being euthanized. Although she loves all dogs (and all animals in fact, as she's vegan!) she holds a special place for nationally blacklisted breeds such as Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Wolf Hybrids, Pit Bulls, Akitas, Dobermans, Chow Chows, etc. These misunderstood dogs are the ones who need an advocate the most!
Links
Michael shikashio vip- https://aggressivedog.thinkific.com/bundles/the-aggression-in-dogs-ultimate-access-membership
Jess insta - https://www.instagram.com/rotndogtraining/
Jess website- https://rotndogrehab.wixsite.com/rotndogtraining
in this episode Carm Aufderheide Joins me to talk about how we can become conflict Olympians. Working in shelter and rescue can often lead to difficult, emotionally charged situations. Being able to handle these to the best of our abilities can really aid welfare by gaining a better understanding of struggles, pressure and behaviour from the owners point of view.
Carm discusses how we can create safe environments for people, Understand our own emotions and those of others and how we can support ourselves as well as owners.
About Carm
I’m Carmaleta Aufderheide, but I mostly go by Carm. Before working with dogs, I had a rich NICU nursing career and raised a family. I then returned to graduate school to earn my master’s degree in conflict and dispute resolution (CRES). During my time in CRES, I conducted research investigating the impacts of the human-animal bond with vulnerable populations that sealed my future as a professional dog trainer.
After completing CRES, I graduated from the Karen Pryor Professional Dog Training Academy (KPA-CTP), and soon after earned my Certified Professional Dog Training credentials (CPDT-KA).
Since 2016, I’ve helped improve communication and repair strained relationships for hundreds of people and their dogs. After 6 years of helping clients and their dogs reach their training goals ranging from obedience, therapy prep, canine good citizen prep, and fear reactivity...it was separation anxiety cases that continually held my attention. The difficulty of these cases was unparalleled with poor resolution.
Traditional training often fell short and I wanted more for my clients, so I invested in more education and earned my Certified Separation Anxiety Training credentials under the mentorship of Malena DeMartini, a world leader on separation anxiety.
Ep. 34 Smelly Toys are Best with Skylar Howard.
In this episode Skylar joins me to discuss her recent paper looking at if scent improves dog’s interactions with toys. Improving the use of toys is a great way to improve enrichment but also in terms of where to focus resources and funds! Skylar investigated this topic as part of her master’s degree and breaks down the paper and results for us to see the practical impact the study can have!
About Skylar Howard
Skylar is the dog behaviour coordinator at the Lewis and Clark humane society, where she is able to successfully utilise the knowledge gained on her MS Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare master’s Degree which she studied with Dr. Lisa gunter and Dr Erica Feuerbacher at Virginia Tech.
Links
LCHS-https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=lewis%20and%20clark%20humane%20society
The paper- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159124002314?dgcid=author
In this episode were joined by Devan Amundsen to discuss successful ways of introducing our shelter and rescue dogs to adopters dogs. Introductions can be tricky, often with a lot of pressure attached due to the potential loss of a good home, accidental fights or unsuccessful re-homes .Devan does an amazing job of exploring the multifaceted aspects of this topic and provides great tips for making doggy dating a success.
About Devan
https://www.animalwelfareunited.com/about_1/about-devan
Ep. 32 cross collaboration and community programs with Beverly McKee In this episode we look at how cross collaboration and community programs can help support animals, guardians and community’s to improve welfare and behaviour. Beverly joins us to talk about different types of community programs, how they were set up and what impact they have had in the city of Toronto. About Beverly McKee Beverley is the Program Manager, Public Training Services and Care Support at Toronto Humane Society. She is a Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. She is also a Fear Free Certified Animal Trainer Professional, a Fear Free Shelter Graduate, a Living and Learning With Animals Graduate under Dr. Susan Friedman, and serves as Secretary, Board of Directors for the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. Beverley and her Toronto Humane Society adopted Australian Cattle Dog Luke train and compete regularly in Sporting Scent Detection and Rally Obedience and have achieved numerous sporting dog titles. Links https://www.torontohumanesociety.com https://fearfreepets.com/about/what-is-fear-free/ Woodgreen uk community programs- https://woodgreen.org.uk/help-and-support/
Ep. 31 Prognosis Setting for Behaviour and Welfare in Shelters with Dr. Wailani Sung In this episode join me and Dr.Sung as we discuss how we can set prognosis for our behaviour and welfare cases to support decision making and planning in shelter and rescue animals. Dr Sung did an amazing job of navigating this difficult conversation, providing several tips and suggestions around identifying prognosis, tracking progress, and working together to achieve best outcomes for each individual in our care. About Dr. Sung Dr. Wailani Sung has a passion for helping owners prevent or effectively manage behavior problems in companion animals, enabling them to maintain a high quality of life. Dr. Sung obtained her Master’s degree and Doctorate in Psychology, with a special interest in animal behavior from The University of Georgia. Upon completion of these graduate programs, she obtained a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, then board certification in veterinary behavioral medicine. Dr. Sung currently provides behavioral consultations at the Behavior Specialty Service located at Joybound People and Pets located in Walnut Creek, California. She does not consider any patient or problem hopeless, and her treatment protocols are based on scientific information about animal behavior, psychopharmacology, and learning theory. Dr. Sung also contributes to the management and treatment of the behavioral needs of the shelter pets at Joybound People and Pets. Dr. Sung frequently lectures on managing common behavioral issues and consults with veterinary practices to design programs and train staff in best practices for making vet visits less stressful and developing treatment protocols for patients with behavioral issues. Dr. Sung also provide consultations to shelter and rescue organizations. Dr. Sung is a co-author of the book, “From Fearful to Fear Free," in which she collaborated with America’s veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker, veterinary colleague Dr. Lisa Radosta, and renowned trainer, Mikkel Becker. Dr. Sung also co-authored a chapter in “Decoding your Cat” coming out July 2020. Dr. Sung has been a contributor to the magazines, Healthy Pet and Happy Paws, and the websites, PetCoach and PetMD. Dr. Sung has written chapters for the following veterinary textbooks: Behavior of Exotic Pets, Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult Clinical Companion: Canine and Feline Behavior, 2nd Edition and Blackwell’s Five-Minute Veterinary Consult: Canine and Feline: 7th edition. Dr. Sung is also an advisory member of Fear Free Pets. She is a Fear Free certified speaker. Dr. Sung was interviewed on the documentary, Cat Tales by NOVA. Links Joybound- https://joybound.org Bay Area vet behaviour- https://bayareavetbehavior.com/about/ FAS scores -https://fearfreepets.com/fas-spectrum/ Camp Maddie Inc Dr sung- https://forum.maddiesfund.org/campmaddiebehavior
Ep 30. Holistic Approach to Reactivity with Dante Camacho
About this episode
Dante joins me on the podcast to discuss his holistic program for dogs who show reactivity type behaviours, including lundging barking and growling. When we consider the difficulties in working with dogs who show reactive behaviours, particularly in the difficult shelter or rescue environment, we know it can be a big challenge. In this episode we discuss how we can set our dogs and care givers up for success, where we use a range of exercises and adjustments both in the presence of and away from the triggers to help move towards improvement in behavioural health. Dante lets us in to the key elements of his program and the reasons he found these important and useful when working with reactive dogs.
About Dante
Dante Camacho is a professional dog trainer, international presenter and has been involved in dog training since 1998, this quickly became a passion and took him to a never-ending adventure (including leaving college to become a full time dog trainer) of constant learning. He was one of the first to introduce the use of clicker training in Brazil, "I was fascinated by the tool and all that I was able to accomplish with my dogs very early in my career", and went on to work with dog owners privately for the first years of his dog training career.
In 2000 he fell in love with dog sports and started teaching his own dogs in agility and freestyle. In agility he became a reference in positive training in Brazil, teaching seminars, being cited in magazines, websites and numerous TV appearances. he ended up representing Brazil in 4 FCI Agility World Championships as well as 2 European Open and 2 America’s & Caribbean.
In freestyle (Dog Dancing) he performed initially in Brazil, first in dog shows but soon in TV shows and fairs, he became a member of the Superdogs Team (Canada) and performed his Dancing routines in shows throughout the country and also in the USA. Dante is an invited teacher at Rio Preto University where he teaches dog behaviour and training for the post graduate degree course on "Animal Behaviour and Well being". He's an online instructor with several online courses (all in Portuguese so far, sorry....) available on his platform with over a thousand students, ranging from professional dog trainers to committed dog owners. He's also developing his own certification course for dog trainers in his country.
Links
Dante has a holistic reactivity course on the Grisha Stewart academy, this course includes recorded live coaching which is beneficial to watch and learn from. https://school.grishastewart.com/bundles/holistic-reactivity-1-and-2?ref=352ff9
Dante’s awesome instagram https://www.instagram.com/dantedogworks/?hl=enf
