Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training

How can we teach our dogs to have mutually enjoyable leisure walks? How can we apply Constructional Approach to achieve our goals on a walk? These are big questions we have been asking ourselves since 2020. In this episode, we will update you on the leash-walking procedure that has been successful with our dog, Chuu, and the dogs of the CAAWT Members. We will walk you through the procedure while navigating five critical features of the Constructional Approach and our journey of refining and applying the procedure. The Constructional Leash Walking procedure is intended to give the dogs what they are after, minimize contact with extinction, and be an easy procedure to apply during the walk. We also discuss the importance of assessment to determine if this is the right procedure. We hope you enjoy it!Below is the link we mentioned during the episode:⭐️Join CAAWT Membership and Attend FREE Membership Conference!Hang out and geek out on the Constructional Approach and its applications and implications of working with animals and humans with amazing speakers.Learn more and register: https://www.caawt.com/caawt-membership

We are back to podcasting!! In this episode, we share our recent work with one of the shelter dogs - Barry!Barry, a 9-month-old, 100-pound puppy, was jumping and mouthing all over us to an extreme level. And he needed help to learn how to interact with people to obtain what he wanted, which was attention and interaction from people. You will hear how we applied Interaction Guidelines to effectively teach him how to ask for and receive affection from us. We hope you enjoy listening to Barry's shelter story as much as we enjoyed talking about it

In this episode, we share Sammy's journey of finding his forever home. Sammy was a dog that loved people. However, he was engaging in behaviors that prevented him from getting adopted. He would excessively jump inside his enclosure and when interacting with people. But all he wanted was affection from people. So, we used Constructional Affection to teach him how to ask for and receive affection from people and engage in desirable behaviors when greeting new people! On 5/22, a sweet family welcomed him to their family. We hope you enjoy this episode!Below is the link we mentioned during the episode:

In this episode, we explore the application of Constructional Affection to other species, such as equines, tortoises, birds, etc! To get us started, Sean and Maasa are discussing the conjugate reinforcement schedule and several questions to consider: When is it ideal to use Constructional Affection? How can we program our affection as a reinforcer? How can we set up the environment to ask the animal whether affection is working as a reinforcer? What are the desirable behaviors we want to shape through affection with equines that leads to mutually enjoyable relationships? We also share Interaction Guidelines with equines and safety protocols! We hope this episode can bring some conversation as to the development and application of Constructional Affection with other species.Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:

We have been going to our local animal shelter and working with their dogs for a while now! So, we wanted to share stories of three dogs that we got to work with: Ryder, Carmel, and Shelby. You will hear how the Constructional Approach helped them learn desirable behaviors to ask for and receive our interaction and affection, which is critical for finding their forever homes!Watch the first session with Carmel*We will soon be publishing Carmal's follow-up video and Ryder's video on CAAWT YouTube Channel!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:❤️Constructional Affection group class. A 4-week group class starting on 4/16! Learn more and register:https://www.caawt.com/constructional-affection

In part 2 of our interview with Dr. Susan Friedman, we have a thought-provoking discussion about the contributions, similarities, and differences the Constructional Approach has with other approaches to training and other behavior analytic approaches. Please enjoy as we explore this approach from its philosophic implication to its influence on real-world procedures!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:

Happy New Year, everyone! We are kicking off our first episode of 2022 with an interview with Dr. Susan Friedman! In this first part of two episodes, Dr. Friedman describes her passion for behavior analysis, the contingencies that motivate people to continue learning and growing in this field, and the importance of adopting this animal training philosophy. Please enjoy this amazing interview with one of the pioneers of applications of Applied Behavior Analysis! Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:

2021 is almost ending, and 2022 is at the corner! We are sure that you are starting to set goals and things you want to do in 2022! In this episode, we reflected on the goals we set for 2021, what we did to achieve our goals, and we also talked about our goals for 2022! We are looking forward to continuing learning and exploring the Constructional Approach and meeting our goals together in 2022! Thank you for listening to the CAAWT podcast for two years!  We wish you happy holidays and hope you all have an amazing new year with your lovely animal companions!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:

The Constructional Questionnaire (Goldiamond, 1974) is a powerful tool that can help guide our consulting and help achieve our client's meaningful goals that will sustain themselves easily in our absence. In this episode, Stuart Hoffman shares his learning journey of understanding the Constructional Approach, his first experience using the questionnaire, and its impact on the dog and their family. We hope you enjoy this wonderful interview!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:

Join us for another fun and inspiring conversation with Chase Owens! Chase and Sean talked about how we can be constructional and practical for helping shelter dogs get adopted and stay adopted. Their conversation highlights the importance of how we choose a specific procedure and set our training goals. In the case of helping shelter dogs, the dogs need to learn desirable human-animal interactions that will help the dogs get adopted and stay adopted. Chase describes how Constructional Affection is an ideal procedure to help achieve this goal. Please enjoy!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:

Join us for a fun and inspiring conversation with Chase Owens. Chase and Sean talked about their experience developing the procedure of Constructional Affection with the dogs they worked with in animal shelters! They shared many stories and discussed how the idea of using affection came about and how they systematized the use of affection to teach the dogs easier-to-do, less costly, and "desirable" behaviors in an errorless manner. By teaching those "desirable" behaviors, the dogs can get adopted, stay adopted, and help create mutually enjoyable relationships with their new family. You will not hear their behind-the-stage stories anywhere but here!! We recommend listening to this episode with the Interaction Guidelines Poster!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:

In part 2 of our interview with Barbara Heidenreich, she discusses challenges, and their solutions, to applying the Constructional Aggression Treatment with various exotic animals in zoological settings. Through sharing some amazing stories, she explains the importance of why our training procedures need to be functional. Please enjoy this wonderful episode!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:If you are interested in learning more about Barbara's work, you can go to her website at https://animaltrainingfundamentals.com/Maasa123/Monthly. You can become a member of her virtual learning program and learn about her work using Constructional Approach in many different zoos!To register for a newly launched group class "Introduction to the Science of Behavior (Part 1)," please visit this link: https://www.caawt.com/introduction-to-science-of-behavior-1To register for the video-on-demand CAAWT conference, please visit the link below.  If you are currently working at an animal shelter, animal hospital, zoo, or student/professor, we offer 50% off the video-on-demand registration. Register from here: https://www.caawt.com/2021conference**We will open the registration link (above) until September 30th at 11:59 pm. And, once you purchase it, you will have unlimited access to the presentation videos until October 31st at 11:59 pm.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

In this episode of part 1 of 2, Barbara Heidenreich shares her journey of becoming an animal training consultant, her introduction to the Constructional Approach, and the benefits of this approach in helping animals and the staff in a zoological setting. She also shared creative applications of the Constructional Aggression Treatment with exotic species! We hope you enjoy this amazing interview!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:If you are interested in learning more about Barbara's work, you can click the link below. There, you can become a member of her virtual learning program and learn about her work applying the Constructional Approach in many different zoos!Join today from here: https://animaltrainingfundamentals.com/Maasa123/MonthlyIf you want to register for video-on-demand to access four presentations given at the 2nd Annual CAAWT Conference, please visit the page below. If you are currently working at an animal shelter, animal hospital, zoo, or student/professor, we offer 50% off the video-on-demand registration. Register from here: https://www.caawt.com/2021conference**We will open the registration link (above) until September 30th at 11:59 pm. And, once you purchase it, you will have unlimited access to the presentation videos until October 31st at 11:59 pm.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

"It is not contingency, but it is contingencies. It is plural!"  - Dr. Israel GoldiamondThis episode will start with what we mean by "contingency" and introduce two sets of analysis: linear and nonlinear analyses. We will go beyond looking at a single contingency and begin discussing how multiple contingencies are interacting to influence behavior. When we look at behavior nonlinearly, we can make sense of why our animal companions do a specific behavior instead of other behaviors, understand their desires, and use this information to design our program that will open up their degrees of freedom. Please enjoy!Below are the links we mentioned during the episode:To learn more and register for the conference, please visit here: https://www.caawt.com/2021conference To pre-order an upcoming book "Nonlinear Contingency Analysis: Going Beyond Cognition and Behavior in Clinical Practice" by Dr. T.V. Joe Layng and his colleagues, please visit here: https://www.routledge.com/Nonlinear-Contingency-Analysis-Going-Beyond-Cognition-and-Behavior-in-Clinical/Layng-Andronis-III-Abdel-Jalil/p/book/9780367689506To learn more about CAAWT Online Group Class, please visit here: https://www.caawt.com/constructional-affection-group-class Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

It has been seven months since we shared our life with Chuu. Since then, we have accomplished quite a bit, so we want to share our progress with Chuu, mainly focusing on the separation anxiety problem discussed in episodes 7 and 10. In this episode, we talk about the application of Affection Loop to solve separation anxiety. You will hear how we can start our journey from removing our hands from Chuu when being pet for one second to leaving Chuu home alone for 6 hours. We hope this information is helpful and assist those of you who have similar challenges with your animal companions. We are looking forward to welcoming you at the 2nd Annual CAAWT Conference this July!To register for the 2nd Annual CAAWT Conference or to learn more about the conference, please visit this link: https://www.caawt.com/2021conferenceYou can support the show and receive exclusive contents at: https://www.patreon.com/CAAWTSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

In our everyday life, we collect data on the things that are important to us, such as health, finances, or education. This practice also applies to our animal training to solve problems. Rather than relying on our gut feeling, we can take data and assess the situation to help us understand what is going on and decide what to do next. In this episode, we share our stories and discuss easy methods of conducting assessments and collecting data. Please enjoy!Below is the links we mentioned during the episode:We opened the registration for the 2nd Annual CAAWT Conference, so please come to our website at https://www.caawt.com/2021conferenceTo join us at the CAAWT basic group class for Constructional Affection, please visit at https://fb.me/e/527G8oPduLastly, you can purchase the webinar lecture Video on Demand at https://cheerful-maker-6964.ck.page/products/caawt-webinar-lectures-on-demandSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

Join us with Carol Novello from Mutual Rescue. During this interview, Carol shares her work of raising awareness of how rescuing animals can help people and animals, partnering with animal shelters and communities, and the relationship between human services and animal welfare. Please enjoy!Below are the links we mentioned in the episode:Mutual Rescue: https://mutualrescue.orgEnjoy the Mutual Rescue Film "Eric and Peety": https://youtu.be/Rm0qYRWQpZICAAWT Webinar Lectures Video on Demand (Available until the end of April!): https://cheerful-maker-6964.ck.page/products/caawt-webinar-lectures-on-demandCAAWT Website: https://www.caawt.comCAAWT Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CAAWTSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

Join us in this episode as we introduce you to Morgan Katz! Morgan is the Director of Behavior Services for multiple animal shelters in the Boston area, and one of the presenters at our upcoming webinar at the end of March. In our interview, Morgan shares where her passion for helping animals comes from, her journey learning about various techniques used in animal training, and how her history shapes the way she helps the animals and their new families in her shelters. Please enjoy this interview and visit our website http://www.caawt.com/webinar for more information on Morgan and our upcoming webinar: Anything is Pawsible - Constructional Solutions to In-home and Shelter Needs.Here are the links that we mentioned in the episode:CAAWT website: https://www.caawt.comCAAWT Podcast Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/CAAWTGoFundMe page (Bailey Interviews): https://www.gofundme.com/f/converting-the-interviews-of-our-great-giantsCAAWT YouTube Channel (where you can find and enjoy the Bailey Interviews): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvGpU8MbP7_6vafXFExQkAwSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

Happy New Year from CAAWT Podcast! Here is the first episode of 2021! In this episode, we reflected on the big topics we covered in 2020 and passionately talked about our vision for 2021. We share our vision of exploring animal welfare issues from the perspective of the constructional approach in a much larger and broader context, collaborating with experts from different fields, and exchanging information to improve animal welfare. We will further engage with our audience this year through webinars, an annual conference, group classes, and community forums!Here are the links that we mentioned in the episode:CAAWT website: https://www.caawt.comCAAWT Podcast Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/CAAWTGoFundMe page (Bailey Interviews): https://www.gofundme.com/f/converting-the-interviews-of-our-great-giantsCAAWT YouTube Channel (where you can find and enjoy the Bailey Interviews): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvGpU8MbP7_6vafXFExQkAwSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

Join us as we explore a critical concept in Constructional Affection - Conjugate Reinforcement. Our discussion focuses on what conjugate reinforcement is, how and why we use this delivery of reinforcement during Interaction Guidelines. Please enjoy this episode and visit our Patreon page for bonus material that takes a deeper dive into the research behind Conjugate Reinforcement. Thank you so much for listening to our show for a whole year! We will see you in 2021! Happy Holidays!Here are the link that we mentioned in the episode:CAAWT Podcast Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/CAAWTGoFUndMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/converting-the-interviews-of-our-great-giantsCAAWT YouTube Channel (where you can learn and enjoy interviews of great giants by Marian and Bob Bailey): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvGpU8MbP7_6vafXFExQkAwSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

Join us as we talk about a Constructional Approach to Leash Walking. We will highlight the importance of identifying a current relevant repertoire to shape desirable behavior on leash and avoid extinction during training. This episode will help point us in a direction to build towards our goal while still leaving our companion's tails wagging. The outcomes of having good leash walking behavior will touch other aspects of our lives together and undoubtedly increase the number of beautiful memories we can share with our fuzzy friends. Here are the links that we mentioned during the podcast:Our newly launched website: https://www.caawt.comGoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/converting-the-interviews-of-our-great-giants?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheetCAAWT Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/CAAWTSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

In this episode, we give you all an update on our life with Chuu and discuss how we have addressed the new challenges he has thrown our way. Often, overcoming behavioral challenges can seem like an overwhelming task. Even knowing where to begin can be a challenge unto itself. Join us as we discuss overcoming Chuu's biting and jumping on us and his destructive behavior when left alone by taking small steps and shaping towards a goal. Please check our training videos and bonus content at https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

For the first time, the public will have the opportunity to hear the newly revised procedure for the Constructional Aggression Treatment or CAT!!In this episode, Dr. Rosales-Ruiz describes some of the criticisms that Constructional Aggression Treatment received, and how it improved the procedure. These significant updates on the procedure ensure that animals experience as little stress or aversion as possible. Through CAT, we can teach alternative behaviors to deal with stressful situations the animals have found themselves in and improve the animal's quality of life.Please join us at https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT, where you can get exclusive benefits and access the CAAWT community where we share and connect with people and their best friends!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

We begin our two-episode journey of exploring Constructional Aggression Treatment with Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz. Constructional Aggression Treatment, also known as CAT, applies the Constructional Approach to the treatment of fearful and aggressive behaviors. Dr. Rosales-Ruiz is the creator of CAT, and is going to share with us his journey of bringing the Constructional Approach to help improve the lives of animals showing fearful and aggressive behaviors with enlightening stories. Please enjoy! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

We rescued a new puppy from our local city animal shelter! He is an 8-month-old puppy, and his name is “Chuu,” which means “kiss” in Japanese. During the past week of us welcoming him into our family gave us so many things to share with you. So, this episode is all about that! In this episode, we will walk you through our 7-day journey of welcoming Chuu into our family. We begin the story with how we immediately fell in love with Chuu when we first met him, and how we welcomed Chuu into our family. We discuss how we live our lives with Chuu to help teach him how to be calm in the house and with our beloved dog, Peepers. Furthermore, we talk about how we helped Peepers and Chuu to build a mutually enjoyable relationship. In the previous episodes 5 and 6, we talk about Constructional Affection. The content of this episode is an example of how we can apply Interaction Guidelines and Affection Loop to build desirable behaviors and interaction in various situations in our house routine. After 2 or 3 days of our day-to-day interaction with Chuu, he learned to be calmer in the house and the relationship between Peepers and Chuu has blossomed into a wonderful big brother/little brother relationship.Click the link below to enjoy listening the Animal Training Academy podcast that Ryan Cartlidge interviewed Sean:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-124-constructional-affection-with-sean-will/id1071740850?i=1000485537322Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

It’s no secret that dogs love our attention. For us, it almost seems like loving animals is part of who we are. However, sometimes dogs will find funny or problematic ways to get our attention. Some dogs are calm and other dogs can get really excited, they may jump on you or bark. As mentioned in our previous episode, those dogs who approach you and jump or bark at you are telling you that they want your attention and affection! For the dogs that are like this example, Constructional Affection is an effective way to teach desirable behaviors!In this episode, Sean, a founder of Constructional Affection, explains to us the procedure of Constructional Affection in a step-by-step fashion with many wonderful examples and stories.Constructional Affection is the use of our affection to teach our animals how to calmly ask for and receive affection. Sean will first explain what affection means, and explain the two-step process of Constructional Affection. The purpose of Interaction Guidelines is to teach animals how to calmly ask for and receive affection. The purpose of Affection Loop is to extend the calm behaviors that the animal learned in the Interaction Guidelines to various situations that are important for both the animals and their caretakers.Below are the websites that we mentioned in the episode:Kellie Snider’s website: https://kelliesnider.com/You can check Kellie's blog about her experience in our CAAWT Online Conference: https://kelliesnider.com/2020/06/12/japan/Constructional Affection website:English version: http://constructionalaffection.com/Japanese version: http://constructionalaffection.com/caJP.htmlSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

Hello everyone! Welcome back to our podcast!In today’s episode, we will share a new approach to training and living with our animals that has been featured for many years in Clicker Expo and The Art and Science of Animal Training Conference. This approach has changed the lives of countless animal companions and their families, and animals in zoos and shelters. Sean, a founder of Constructional Affection, will be sharing stories of milestones in the journey that he and his colleague had when discovering the power of affection as a reinforcer and developing the procedure of using affection to train behaviors.Sean will talk about Constructional Affection being more than just a training, but a way of living with our animal companions to improve our relationships with them. He will talk about the behaviors that we will train with affection and how we deliver affection when these desirable behaviors occur.We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as this sets the foundation for what will come next!Here is the website of Constructional Affection:English version: http://constructionalaffection.com/Japanese version: http://constructionalaffection.com/caJP.htmlSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

Hello everyone! Welcome back to our podcast!For this episode, we are going to talk about “relationships,” an important topic that ties directly to our animal companion’s quality of life. First, we will talk about the critical components of good relationships with our animal companions. Ideally, they need to approach us and seek for our affection, and the interaction must be mutually enjoyable for both parties. The next question is how we can make this wonderful relationship with our animal companions. We will discuss a constructional approach to building good relationships. Doing so in a way that focuses on what we want to see our animal companions doing, rather than what we want to see them stop doing. Lastly, we will share how having a good relationship with our animal companions can assist and benefit our training with them.We will share many stories to illustrate each components of a good relationships with the animal companions we have fortunate to work and learn from. Please enjoy it with your animal companions!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

Hello everyone! Welcome back to our podcast! For this episode, we will continue our interview with Dr. Joe Layng, where he describes critical questions that we can ask ourselves or our clients to figure out how we can build desirable relationships with our animal companions. We hope you enjoy it!First, we will identify our goal, or where we want to go. We will describe our goal in terms of what behaviors we want to build or see more of, rather than the absence of problem behaviors. To arrive at our goal, here are some questions that can direct us:If we are successful, what would the outcome be for you?If I was a fly on a wall and watching, what would I see them doing?How do you want your interaction to be with your animal companions?What is the total relationship with your animal companion look like?After we identify our goal, our next step is to identify behaviors that our animal companions are already doing that are relevant for our desired goal. This is how we know where we are now. Here are some questions to reveal current relevant repertoire:What is going well now?What behaviors of your animal companions do you like now?Now, we can start building shaping program. During the shaping program, we will look for those behaviors that move us closer to our desired goal and use critical consequences to reinforce those behaviors. Dr. Layng will explain what those critical consequences will be.In this episode, we will have our beloved dog, Peepers, as our model to help you see how using these steps can help build a wonderful relationship!Resource:Below is the link to Constructional Affection website.English version: http://constructionalaffection.com/Japanese version: http://constructionalaffection.com/caJP.htmlSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

Hello everyone! Welcome back to our podcast! For the next two episodes, we will welcome our special guest, Dr. T.V. Joe Layng, to explain the foundations of the Constructional Approach. Dr. Joe Layng studied with the founder of the Constructional Approach, Dr. Israel Goldiamond, for many years at the University of Chicago. In this episode, he describes the origin and development of the Constructional Approach, how he got involved with the works, and the defining characteristics of the Constructional Approach.This approach provides a new perspective in dealing with the situations that you find problematic and troublesome. Rather than looking to eliminate or get rid of the problems, we build desirable behaviors by asking “what needs to be established the absence of which is a problem?” and we assume that all behaviors make sense, although it looks “irrational” or “maladaptive.” This approach is useful and can be applied to many aspects of our lives, including relationships with other people or animals, achieving meaningful goals, and creating training programs. We hope you enjoy the interview!Below is the link to the Google drive where we included the articles that Dr. Joe Layng has mentioned during the interview:https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/180jdDrXEN43i43_1nUdfnz4YaR_aCOm1Here is the breakdown of the articles mentioned in the interview: 2:42 - Goldiamond, I. (1974). Toward a Constructional Approach to Social Problem: Ethical and Constructional Issues Raised by Applied Behavior Analysis 5:26 - Dyrud, J. (1971). Treatment of Anxiety States 6:15 - Goldiamond, I., & Dyrud, J. (1968). Some Applications and Implications of Behavioral Analysis of Psychotherapy12:34 - Merley, S. & Laying, T. (1976). In-patient Psychiatry and Programed Instruction: Application and Research in Constructional TheoryFor those of you who are interested in Dr. Israel Goldiamond and his works, we highly recommend checking the article below, which is also included in the Google drive. Layng, T. V. J. (2009). The Search for an Effective Clinical Behavior Analysis: The Nonlinear Thinking of Israel GoldiamondSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)

Welcome to the first episode of the Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training podcast! Join the hosts, Maasa and Sean, as we introduce ourselves and the Constructional Approach while sharing a story from volunteering at a local animal shelter. Please enjoy!Below are the organizations we mentioned in this episode:Organization for Reinforcement Contingencies with Animals (ORCA): https://orca.unt.eduThe Art and Science of Animal Training: https://www.artandscienceofanimaltraining.orgSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/CAAWT)