Podcasts about ccpdt

The term “free spirit” is frequently used to describe all different kinds of people--hippies, artists, slightly crazy geniuses. Really, almost anyone who lives life a little off the beaten path. But what does that phrase actually mean? Just what, exactly, makes one a “free spirit?” And if you're not one, can you become one? If so, how? Today on the show, I talked to dog trainer Carol Sumbry about this very topic. Join us as we discuss her (rather circuitous) path into the world of animals, feeding your soul, and finding moments of gold in your everyday life. https://colleenpelar.com/117

As we bring Season 1 to a close, Elise and I reflect on my idea to start a podcast, and then chat with our guest Heather Blakeman, CPDT-KA. Heather received her Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed accreditation from the independent certification council, CCPDT, in 2017, is a Fear Free Certified Professional, a Professional Member of the APDT, and is a Certified AKC CGC Evaluator.

In this episode we cover best practices for dog dog interactions taking into consideration best way to set up the engagement from the dogs point of view. The best we can do is try to set up the first “meeting date” so its a success starting with smell first.  I'll walk you through how to prepare for a meet up and steps during the meet up.  While we cannot control how the dogs will feel about each other we can work on some positive associations before they even meet! If you enjoy this episode please share with others and if you have a question or topic of interest please let me know by email vivian@bostonk9concierge.com.  Until the next time please enjoy your dog. Training Resources:Looking for a professional who relies on teaching you and your pet companion using  techniques free of fear, force and intimidation? See the list below but don't stop there. After you've located a professional close to you, have a conversation, ask questions and get references. FearFreePets.comKaren Pryor Academywww.CCPDT.org www.IAABC.org Canine Body Language References Dog Language: An Encyclopedia of Canine Behavior , Roger AbrantesDoggie Language, Lilly ChinOthers to followAcoustic morning leaves TunePocket This podcast is suitable for people living with dogs, not living with dogs or planning to soon. It is ideal for anyone working with dogs or interested in learning about humane best practices. Pet dog guardians, shelters, rescue staff/volunteer fosters, adopters, veterinary professionals, animal trainers, behaviorists, research scientists and anyone interested in learning about dogs, human dog relations, and evidence based behavior interventions. All content provided on this podcast is for educational information purposes only. The podcast host makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information. The host is not liable for any errors or omissions in the information. The host will not be liable for any losses, injuries or damages from the display or use of information. All information provided is not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any conditions. There is no guarantee of human or non human behavior change. If a sudden behavior or behavior persists, please first contact a qualified veterinarian, or board certified behaviorist .

Kathy's book: https://amzn.to/3Ot1nXH Kikopup on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-qnqaajTk6bfs3UZuue6IQ Find a qualified professional near you: CCPDT: https://www.ccpdt.org/dog-owners/certified-dog-trainer-directory/ IAABC: https://iaabc.org/certs/members

In this episode of ER VET, Dr. Justine Lee, DACVECC, DABT interviews Executive Director, Bradley Phifer, of Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) about all things dog training. Why is it so important that your dog be appropriately trained by a dog trainer, and what do you need to know before finding a puppy or dog training class? What are the roles between veterinary professionals and dog trainers? Tune in to learn the top mistakes dog owners make when it comes to training their dog! SHOW NOTES: All You Need to Know about Dog Training: Exploring the Relationship between Veterinarians and Dog Training with Bradley Phifer of CCPDT!

Stephane Bennett, Houston's original and most sought after puppy expert and owner of Believe In Dog Training, joins the show to tell a bit of her story, give us a sense of the right and wrong ways to train a puppy, and offer up her opinions on this week's Neighbor Tweets! SUBSCRIBE to the show anywhere you get your podcasts! Also, be sure to drop us a line and show your love with Podinbox! Links below.    NDK's Podinbox   NDK's Official Website   NDK's YouTube Channel   Believe In Dog Training   Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers   #neighborsdontknock #candgcommunications #believeindogtraining #stephaniebennett #CCPDT    MUSIC credits: Funky (Sting) by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/

https://www.facebook.com/lemonshopevt https://fearfuldogs.com/animal-trainers-retreat/ CEUs available from CCPDT and IAABC. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/debbie-jacobs/support

You don't need to be a groomer to go to a grooming conference. You don't need to be a ttainer to go to a training conference. There are some really great educational opportunities out there.   Links from the show CCPDT.org for lists of classes for trainers AggressiveDog.com conference online and in person Sept 30- Oct 2 PetProClassic.com Sept 30- Oct 2 in person GroomExpo.com Sept 15- 18 in person NewEnglandGrooms.com Oct 6- 9 in person Pawsitiveed.com for online classes and summits WholePetNH.com for a wide variety of classes(including my Master Groomer Behavior Specialist diploma program)   Find the podcast on your favorite host or check it out on the web site CreatingGreatGroomingDogs.com to listen or watch there!

This show would have never been possible without all the learning I've been fortunate to do with so many incredible trainers over the years. I'm definitely standing on the shoulders of giants, and one such giant in our community is Sarah Kalnajs of Blue Dog Training.Sarah and I chat about a number of interesting topics during this episode, including building trust and rapport with our clients, and why that is important, as well as some interesting cases we've experienced over the years, and we also discuss a tragic case that recently occurred with a petsitter in Texas that you may have seen in the media. So I hope you are able to gain some nice takeaways from this episode with the always insightful Sarah Kalnajs. For additional resources on helping dogs with aggression, visit:https://aggressivedog.comIf you want to take your knowledge and skills for helping dogs with aggression to the next level, check out the Aggression in Dogs Master Course and get a FREE preview here:https://aggressivedog.thinkific.com/courses/aggression-in-dogsDon't miss out on the third annual Aggression in Dogs Conference  9/30-10/2/22:https://aggressivedog.com/conference/Woof Cultr swag!https://woofcultr.com/collections/the-aggression-in-dogs-conferenceAbout Sarah:Sarah has been working with dogs professionally for over twenty years and is the owner of Blue Dog Training and Behavior in Madison, Wisconsin. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the CCPDT and a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through the IAABC.Sarah is on the board of the Companion Animal Sciences Institute, is recognized in the state of Wisconsin as an expert witness in dog training and behavior, and has run a dog rescue organization for over twenty years.Sarah graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, studied comparative cognition between dogs and dolphins through the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was a member of the Lab's humpback whale research team.A popular public speaker since the release of her Language of Dogs and Am I Safe video series (available on DVD and streaming), Sarah has given more than a hundred seminars across the U.S. and internationally to dog training organizations, veterinary schools, dog breed clubs, and rescue/shelter groups.Sarah and her husband Andrew, an engineer, work together with their six dogs to create training tools for professional trainers and dog owners. The most well-known of these tools is the Dog Safe Hands-Free Leash System.https://www.bluedogtraining.comSupport the show

Megan Arey, AAS, CPDT-KA, CGC Evaluator Owner & Trainer talks today about the Lima Hierarchy!  Have you ever heard of it before?  Well, most people haven't.  According to the CCPDT website, “LIMA describes a trainer or behavior consultant who uses the least intrusive, minimally aversive strategy out of a set of humane and effective tactics likely to succeed in achieving a training or behavior change objective. LIMA adherence also requires consultants to be adequately educated and skilled in order to ensure that the least intrusive and aversive procedure is used.” So come join Megan today as she teaches you her approach to training and deep dives into each level of the pyramid to give you real-life examples and how to help your dog achieve the desired behavior by giving them alternative skills to respond appropriately in all situations. We discuss topics such as: What is the Lima Hierarchy? Are you positive? How does changing your approach benefit your dogs' behavior? Where to start on the pyramid and why it's important What do nutrition, wellness, and medical issues have to do with training? The next tier…how the environment can affect behavior and what we can do to manage it My favorite! Positive Reinforcement Training! Help with differential reinforcement The difference between negative reinforcement and negative punishment Positive punishment and why it should not be used Why the pyramid is helpful in preventing learned helplessness Resources and Links: Visit our Inspire K-9's website & see the most up-to-date class schedules. Join our Inspire K-9's Facebook group today!  We'd love to have you! Learn more about the Lima Hierarchy here! Miss Behavior Training: Visit their website here.  

In this episode, Jim Crosby (BS, MS, CBCC-KA) discusses his work in veterinary forensics, how dogs can become "weaponized", what can be learned from dog bites, how he works with dogs in severe bite cases (including dogs who have killed humans), and what trainers should be teaching families with children.This interview was recorded on January 3, 2022.Jim Crosby's bio:Retired Lieutenant James W. Crosby BS, MS, CBCC-KA (Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville, FL, USA) is an internationally recognized authority and court accepted expert on canine attacks and aggression. Jim's specialty is investigating dog bite related fatalities, especially evidentiary and behavioral factors involved in these deaths. Jim's direct investigation of over 40 fatalities and post attack evaluation of over 50 subject dogs has been essential in numerous successful prosecutions. He assists and trains prosecutors and agencies facing these cases and was most recently on-scene for a homicide investigation in Central Georgia. Jim assisted, on-site, the Australian Federal Police on a fatality case in Canberra, Australia.Jim earned his Master's Degree in Veterinary Forensics from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida and is completing his PhD studies there.Jim has extensive canine behavioral training and expertise which includes having been a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) and is a Certified Behavior Consultant-Canine (CBCC), both under the auspices of the Council for Certification of Professional Dog Trainers. Jim currently serves on the Board of Directors for the CCPDT.Jim works extensively in the field of public Animal Control and sheltering. Jim served as Division Manager for Bay County (FL) Animal Control, and Management Consultant (acting chief) of Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services. Jim served on the Board of Directors of the Florida Animal Control Association and has worked with many Animal Control Associations across the US and internationally. Jim assisted the Department of Animal Services for the Australian Capital Territory, leading a National Study on Dangerous Dog policy and procedure for the Australian Capital Territory Government. Jim assists in dogfighting investigations and was the expert on the Polk County, GA case wherein Devicio Rowland was sentenced to fifty years for dogfighting, the longest sentence for that crime in US history. Jim serves as an expert consultant regarding the use of deadly force by police officers against companion animals. Links:The Forensics of Aggression: Working With and Evaluating Canine Aggressionhttps://iaabcfoundation.org/courses/forensics-of-aggression/Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

In this episode, we discuss the process of certifying professional dog trainers, as the CCPDT sees it, the advantages of certification, where the CCPDT stands on regulation in the training industry, and why and what they are doing about it. For full show notes, visit: www.hannahbranigan.dog/podcast/138 This podcast is supported by Patreon: www.patreon.com/DFTT

Bradley Phifer, Executive Director of the CCPDT, joins me today to discuss this important anniversary. We go into why it is important and what it means for the industry. We also discuss why the CCPDT is unique and how a diverse range of dog trainers all over the country have pursued this certification. Bradley is a dog trainer and behavior consultant who has helped countless dog owners improve their relationship with their dogs. With 17 years of experience, he has successfully trained dogs of all breed types and temperaments. In addition to his experience, Bradley is certified as a trainer by the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), the leading credentialing organization for the dog training profession, where he serves as their Executive Director. He is also a member of the Ibizan Hound Club of the United States, the Affenpinscher Club of America, and the Basenji Club of America. About the Host: Ines McNeil the founder of The Modern Dog Trainer blog, The Crossover Trainer blog, and her own local dog training business, All Positive Dog Training in New York. She is a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA) and also has a background in digital marketing strategy and business consulting. She is able to mix her expertise in each field to provide the most relevant and actionable tips for dog trainers and their businesses. She has been studying and working with dogs for over 10 years and enjoys helping people regain tranquility in their lives with modern dog training techniques. Now, she helps modern dog trainers establish successful businesses so that they in-turn can help more dog owners and dogs live happy, enriched lives together. The Modern Dog Trainer Podcast provides the best dog training business tips for modern dog trainers. Learn alongside the industry's leading professionals as we discuss relevant dog training news, dog behavior theories, business practices, and more! Visit our website for articles, courses, and FREE templates and downloads for your training business: TheModernDogTrainer.net

In the first part we'll talk about conferences and webinars. In the second part we'll talk about some training and behavior podcasts and thinking about grooming as a dog sport CCPDT  lists courses approved for ceu's for their CPDT and CBCC trainers. IAABC conference May APDT conference Sept Raising canine- webinars Fenzi dog sports- classes Dogwise- books and videos http://www.dogwise.com?aff=216 TawzerDog- webinars and conferences Some of my favorite dog training and behavior podcasts- Animal Training Academy Drinking From The Toilet Sexier Than a Squirel Fenzi Dog Sports The Bitey End Of The Dog --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/creatinggreatgroomingdogs/message

In this episode, we sat down with Richard Gonzalez (certified dog trainer) to discuss why it can be SO difficult for our dogs to understand behaviors in new environments. Plus, we break down specific things you can do to help your dog better understand and grasp behaviors no matter the distractions or environment! Introduction of Richard Richard Gonzalez, has been learning dog behavior since 2010 when he was introduced to a service dog organization in San Diego California while on active duty as a Marine. He was undergoing medical recovery due to combat-related wounds and injuries. During this time is when he discovered his love for learning animal behavior and learning theory. It has been a huge part of his recovery from wounds and reintegration back into society from being in the military. Richard recently graduated the Applied animal behavior program at the University of Washington (UW-AAB) is a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy(KPA-CTP), is a Certified professional dog trainer through the CCPDT,(CPDT-KA) and is also an AKC good citizen evaluator (AKC-CGC). He was a lead dog trainer at Petco and went through their certification program and puppy start right instructor through the Karen Pryor academy He tries to attend 1 annual conference a year, and he likes to stay up to date with continuing education in the dog training field. Some fun facts about Richard are: -He’s been to over 30 different countries and states -He’s trained horses, fish, cats, goats, chickens and dogs -His first service dog licked Former First lady Michelle Obama’s leg -He served in the Us Marine corps for 12 years and was retired due to his wounds sustained from combat. -He resides in the Pacific Northwest with my 3 malinois. -His oldest Malinois was born on the day he was wounded and his middle Malinois was born on the day he went into that battle Connect with Richard Website (coming soon): https://thedomesticateddog.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedomesticateddog/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedomesticateddog/ Please review and subscribe!! Thanks for listening

Visit us at shapedbydog.com   Today’s episode comes from a suggestion by one of our listeners, and it’s on the topic of becoming a professional dog trainer. More specifically, the path that led me to dog training as a career.   In the episode you'll hear:   • What I wanted to be when I grew up. • Why it’s not just training dogs. • The things I had to learn. • My evolution to dog training. • Why to take care about where you learn. • How much your passion should matter. • The importance of the science of behaviour. • About not being afraid to say “I don’t know”. • My thoughts on why immersion is important. • Why I love cows and how working with other animals helps my career. • Why my love of dog sports like obedience, sheep herding, flyball and agility helps me understand the brain of dogs. • How excellence is a mastery of the fundamentals.   Resources:   • Blog Post: Dogs are Amazing and Will Do Everything You Want If You Have Cheese! - https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2012/03/dogs-are-amazing-and-will-do-everything-you-want-if-you-have-cheese/ • * Recallers - https://recallers.com/ • Blog Post: How To Embrace Videoing Your Dog Training -https://susangarrettdogagility.com/2019/03/embrace-videoing/ • The Academy for Dog Trainers (Jean Donaldson)-https://www.academyfordogtrainers.com/   *Recallers is CEU approved with CCPDT and IAABC

This episode is the season finale for The Bitey End of the Dog, and I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for listening, sharing the podcast, and for your wonderful feedback! It has been an incredible experience for me to chat with such amazing and enlightening guests. With that being said, stay tuned for Season 2 where I will be bringing on some more fascinating experts from around the world to talk about all things aggression. Season 2 will be launching early 2021.In this episode, I chat with my good friend and colleague, Trish McMillan about some very necessary, and sobering topics that need to be discussed in the dog training, rescue, and shelter world, and I hope this podcast can allow for some self-reflection  within our industry. And this episode is sponsored by AggressiveDog.com, where you can find a variety of educational offerings with a focus on helping dogs with aggression, including the Aggression in Dogs Master Course, the most comprehensive course available anywhere in the world on helping dogs with aggression, and The Aggression in Dogs Conference, a three day virtual event happening from Oct. 2-4, 2020 with ten amazing speakers, all experts in their field.  You can find out more about the conference by going to thelooseleashacademy.com. September 28th, 2020 is the last day to register for the conference.Trish McMillan MSc, CDBC, CCBC, CPDT-KAhttps://trishmcmillan.comTrish McMillan is a certified professional dog trainer (through CCPDT),  certified dog behavior consultant and associate certified cat behavior consultant (through IAABC) who holds a Master's degree in Animal Behavior from the University of Exeter in England.  She specializes in training and behavior modification work using positive reinforcement with dogs, cats, and horses. During her seven years with the ASPCA, Trish gained a wide variety of experience in the field of animal behavior.  For three years she was the director of the animal behavior department at the ASPCA's New York City shelter, helping staff, volunteers, and adopters work with animals and make great matches.  Trish has also helped assess and rehabilitate animals from cruelty, hoarding, and dogfighting cases, as well as pets rescued from natural disasters. In addition to writing for the ASPCA's Virtual Pet Behaviorist and other publications, she helped create and present several very popular webinars on dog and cat behavior and handling for the ASPCA Pro website. Trish also co-chairs the Shelter Behavior division of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and runs an online shelter behavior mentorship through IAABC twice a year.Show Notes Links:The Perils of Placing Marginal DogsASPCA Position Statement

In this episode I chat with Jim Crosby about all things dog bites, the forensics of dog attacks and dog bite fatalities, police encounters with dogs, and I get a truly fascinating look into the world of severe dog aggression incidents.  I do want to give a content warning that Jim and I will be discussing severe dog attacks and fatalities that some listeners may be sensitive to. Listener discretion is advised.AggressiveDog.com Educational OfferingsThe Aggression in Dogs ConferenceJames W. Crosby M.S., CBCC-KA, is a retired Police Lieutenant (Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville, FL) and has professionally trained dogs, taught individual and group obedience classes, and addressed canine behavior problems since 1999. Jim first obtained his CPDT in 2008 and became a CBCC-KA in 2016.Holding a Master of Science degree in Veterinary Forensic Medicine, Jim is recognized in and out of Court as an expert in the US and Canada on dangerous dogs, canine aggression, fatal dog attacks, and related issues. He has personally investigated over 30 fatal dog attacks on humans and has, post-attack, physically and behaviorally evaluated over 50 dogs that have killed humans. Cases have included attacks in the US, the UK and Australia. Jim served as Chair of the Review Committee addressing Dangerous Dog procedures and processes for the Government of the Australian Capital Territory in 2017/2018. Jim is the Director-Canine Encounter Training for the National Law Enforcement Center on Animal Abuse, and is the designer of the Law Enforcement Dog Encounter Training course supported by the National Sheriff's Association and others. Jim is an Associate Member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, a Charter Member of the International Veterinary Forensic Science Association, a Supporting Member of IAABC, and is honored to serve on the Board of Directors of the CCPDT.A certified Animal Control Officer in Florida, he served as Animal Control Division Manager of Bay County Animal Control from 2008 to 2010 and has been Division Management Consultant to Jacksonville (FL) Animal Care and Protective Services since 2016.Jim teaches safe handling, evaluation and rehabilitation of Dangerous Dogs and the Investigation of Fatal and Serious Dog Attacks to police, animal control agencies, and others across the US, Canada, Italy, the UK, Poland and Australia. Jim authored two chapters in the textbook “Dog Bites: A Multidisciplinary Approach”, published by 5M Publishing in 2017. He contributed to “Humane Animal Control: Effective Enforcement, Shelter Management, Local Government Support and Community Engagement” published by Best Friends Animal Society. Jim is currently finishing up his PhD through the College of Veterinary Medicine and Graduate School at the University of Florida.

Welcome to the 12th episode of The Dog Real Talk! My name is Agnieszka Janarek and I am your host! My guest today is Nancy Tucker - amazing trainer I have had a pleasure to learn from! If you can’t wrap your head around how to approach classical conditioning, desensitization in training - this episode is definitely for you! "Nancy is a certified trainer with the CCPDT, and a certified behaviour consultant with the IAABC. She teaches seminars, webinars, and workshops on dog training, dog behaviour, and the business end of training throughout Canada, the US, and Europe. She is also an instructor for Fenzi Dog Sports Academy and a regular article contributor to the Whole Dog Journal. She shares her home in Quebec, Canada with her husband Tom and their Border Terrier, Bennigan." Make sure you visit Nancy's website: https://nancytucker.com/ WE would love to hear your feedback about this episode! Let us know in comments, emails, regular mails (yes they still work ;) ), Facebook messages or any other way you want!

Trish McMillian joins Nikki, Regina, and Bernice to discuss the controversial, sometimes divisive, and always emotional topic of behavioral euthanasia.  Because this is such a heavy topic, we'll forgo a lengthy description here and let the podcast speak for itself.   "Trish McMillian is a certified professional dog trainer (through CCPDT),  certified dog behavior consultant and associate certified cat behavior consultant (through IAABC) who holds a Master's degree in Animal Behavior from the University of Exeter in England.  She specializes in training and behavior modification work using positive reinforcement with dogs, cats, and horses." (You can read more about her here.) If you have had to euthanize a dog for behavior reasons and are interested in joining the group Trish mentions, you can find Losing Lulu here.

Summary: Trish McMillan is a certified professional dog trainer (through CCPDT),  certified dog behavior consultant and associate certified cat behavior consultant (through IAABC) who holds a Master’s degree in Animal Behavior from the University of Exeter in England.  She specializes in training and behavior modification work using positive reinforcement with dogs, cats, and horses. Trish has an extensive background in the shelter world - she spent seven years with the ASPCA, three years as the director of the animal behavior department at the ASPCA’s New York City shelter, and has helped assess and rehabilitate animals from cruelty, hoarding, and dogfighting cases, and more. She also co-chairs the Shelter Behavior division of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants and runs an online shelter behavior mentorship through them twice a year. Next Episode: 1/11/2019

Nancy is a certified trainer with the CCPDT, and a certified behavior consultant with the IAABC. She teaches seminars, webinars, and workshops on dog training, dog behavior, and the business end of training throughout Canada, the US, and Europe. She has presented at conferences for the Pet Professional Guild (USA), the IAABC (UK), DogEvent (France), and will be presenting at the WOOF! 2019 conference in February here in the UK. She is also an instructor for Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, where she teaches online courses focusing on various topics including treating separation anxiety and learning to use desensitization and counter-conditioning to help fearful dogs. Nancy’s professional background in public relations, communications, and customer service management has inspired her to share her business experience with dog trainers to increase their bottom line and to take the stress out of communicating with difficult clients. Nancy has written numerous articles on dog behaviour and is a regular contributor to the Whole Dog Journal. She shares her home in Quebec, Canada with her husband Tom and their Border Terrier, Bennigan.

Summary: Nancy Tucker is a certified pet dog trainer and behavior consultant in Sherbrooke, Quebec. She regularly teaches seminars, webinars, and workshops on dog training, dog behavior, and the business end of training to dog owners, trainers, and veterinary staff in Canada, the U.S., and in Europe. She specializes in common behavior issues that affect the family dog, including more complex issues like aggression and anxiety. Nancy has written numerous articles on dog behavior and is a regular contributor to the Whole Dog Journal. At FDSA, she's offering a great class on separation anxiety and a new class on desensitization and counterconditioning for the April Session. Links Nancy's Website Next Episode:  To be released 3/30/2018, featuring Nancy Tucker to talk about desensitization and counter conditioning. TRANSCRIPTION: Melissa Breau: This is Melissa Breau and you're listening to the Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast brought to you by the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, an online school dedicated to providing high-quality instruction for competitive dog sports using only the most current and progressive training methods. Today we'll be talking to Nancy Tucker. Nancy is a certified pet dog trainer and behavior consultant in Sherbrooke, Quebec. She regularly teaches seminars, webinars, and workshops on dog training, dog behavior, and the business end of training to dog owners, trainers, and veterinary staff in Canada, the U.S., and in Europe. She specializes in common behavior issues that affect the family dog, including more complex issues like aggression and anxiety. Nancy has written numerous articles on dog behavior and is a regular contributor to the Whole Dog Journal. At FDSA, she's offering a great class on separation anxiety and a new class on desensitization and counterconditioning for the April Session. Hi Nancy, welcome to the podcast! Nancy Tucker: Hi Melissa, hi everyone, I'm very happy to be here. Melissa Breau: I'm excited to have you here. To get us started out, can you just share a little information about the dog you share your life with and what you're working on with him? Nancy Tucker: Sure. I have a Border Terrier named Bennigan. He's not quite 9 months old yet, but he's creeping up on 9 months, so right now we're working on helping him navigate canine adolescence. That means we're teaching him the basics, with an emphasis on things like impulse control, and good, solid recalls, and trying to remain calm. Melissa Breau: With two classes on the calendar, I want to make sure we get to talk about both of them, but I wanted to start with the shiny new one. You named it “Feelings Change.” What inspired that name? Nancy Tucker: Well, it was catchy, because we're talking about feelings and we're talking about changing feelings. In training, we focus a lot on shaping behavior, and when we're dealing with behavior issues that are rooted in fear, we need to address the emotions that are driving that behavior. Lucky for us, there's a way to zero in on those emotions and help our dogs change how they feel about something, and that's huge. Melissa Breau: I know the core is desensitization and counterconditioning; I mentioned that during the intro. I think anyone who's been in the dog world for a while has probably heard those words thrown about, or at least seen the abbreviations, usually ds/cc, but can you explain what they actually mean? Nancy Tucker: In a nutshell, when we're talking about desensitization, we're describing a process that involves exposing our dog to something they fear, and that's done in a very measured and systematic way. We would start exposing them in a way that is completely non-threatening to them. It doesn't induce any fear at all, and we gradually work our way up from there. That's desensitization. Counterconditioning involves pairing the scary thing with something that elicits a positive emotional response in the dog, so now we're working with building an association. When that's done correctly, we can actually change the dog's emotional response in such a way that he's no longer fearful of the thing that he used to be afraid of. Typically we're aiming for a neutral response, that he's just not afraid of that thing anymore, but if we're lucky, we might even go as far as to create a positive emotional response, which means that he actually now feels good about the trigger that used to scare him. So we're talking about two separate and distinct methods here, desensitization and counterconditioning, but together they complement each other and they're very effective in treating fearful responses. Melissa Breau: Listeners of the podcast have definitely heard us talk before about the idea of creating a positive conditioned emotional response, or a CER. How is that concept, that idea of creating a positive CER, different from what you're talking about with desensitization and counterconditioning? Nancy Tucker: CERs — I'm giggling because now every time I hear the term CER, all I can think about is “ball feelings,” as they're known at Fenzi, thanks to … for those who don't know, that was coined on Hannah Branigan's podcast on CERs. When we're talking about CERs, we're dealing with creating a positive response to something that was previously neutral to the dog. So we're starting from scratch, basically, with a clean slate. When we're talking about desensitization and counterconditioning, we're not starting from scratch. The dog has already formed an association with something, and it's not a good one. To give a visual here, if creating a positive CER is like building a brand new house on a vacant lot, with only brand-new materials, desensitization and counterconditioning is like remodeling an old house. You first need to tear down some things, and you're never quite sure what you're going to find when you start knocking down walls. Anybody who's remodeled a house, I think, can probably relate to that. So maybe you discover you can rebuild a whole new fabulous design on a really solid foundation, or maybe you'll need to make some adjustments and compromises along the way, and build something wonderful but not quite a brand new design. Does that make sense? Melissa Breau: Absolutely. I love that analogy. That's fantastic — the idea of building from scratch versus remodeling. And for listeners who aren't Hannah fans, Hannah's podcast is “Drinking From The Toilet,” and I will try and find the specific episode that Nancy's talking about to include a link to it in the show notes. To get back to our conversation, the general concept sounds simple enough — the idea that we want to build this positive association — but I know a lot of people really struggle to do this stuff well. What are some of the common pitfalls that lead folks to struggle and to be unsuccessful? Nancy Tucker: The reason that I want to teach this course in the first place is because of these common pitfalls. The course focuses on the skills and mechanics that we need to have in order to be successful at desensitization and counterconditioning. There are natural laws at play here that we just can't get around. Things need to happen in a very specific way in order to work. We can't cut corners, and we can't speed up the process, and honestly, that's something that we're all guilty of when we're training our dogs. We can be really impatient, and we try to skip a few steps to reach our goal just a little bit faster. Sometimes we're lucky and our dog figures things out on his own, so hurrying up ends up being very reinforcing for us because it worked, so we do it over and over, again and again. But, when we're treating fears, that's just something we can't do, and understanding the process better and practicing our own mechanical skills is the best thing that we can do to finally be able to help our dogs overcome their fear. And it's actually a very rewarding process. Melissa Breau: Can you share a little more about the class? How you approach teaching this to your human learners to help them go through that process with their canine partners? Nancy Tucker: At the start of the class we'll all be on the same page, so we'll all be practicing the same set of skills, regardless of everyone's individual training experience. And you don't need training experience to do this class. It's quite an eye-opener. Once you start to really break down your own mechanical skills — and naturally this is a Fenzi class, so everything is done in the spirit of positivity and support, and there's no judgment — so there will be nitpicking, for sure, there'll be a lot of analyzing mechanics, but it's not about judgment. It's about helping to perfect these skills. So a lot of nitpicking, but in a very good way. The students' skills will grow from this experience, and they'll be able to transfer these skills to their other training projects as well. So at first we'll be making sure everyone fully understands the process and practices their mechanical skills, and then we'll tackle some actual issues. Students will be able to work on changing their dogs' fearful response to something. Melissa Breau: I know the other class you're teaching in April is on separation anxiety. How is separation anxiety different from what we're talking about here – from general desensitization and counterconditioning – and how does that lead to how you treat it? Nancy Tucker: Treating separation anxiety definitely involves desensitization, and a lot of it, in fact. It's the meat of the program. Desensitization is the meat of any program to treat separation anxiety. We very slowly and very gradually expose the dog to the thing that he fears the most, which is being alone or being separated from a particular family member. We make sure the dog only experiences being alone for however amount of time he can handle without experiencing fear or distress. That can be a very time-consuming process, so again, this is one of those things that we can't rush and we can't cut corners. But along with some environmental management, desensitization is really the most effective way to treat separation anxiety. Melissa Breau: I think a lot of the time when people talk about separation anxiety, they are actually talking about a few different things. It's not necessarily one of those terms that has a hard and fast definition in common use. Do you mind sharing what separation anxiety is — your definition — and what some of the symptoms are of true separation anxiety? Nancy Tucker: We tend to use separation anxiety as an umbrella term for what are essentially a few different issues, so most of the time, we're using it incorrectly. But it's so widespread as a label for a common problem that it's easier to use it. I know that's not correct, it's not scientifically correct, but sometimes when everyone misuses a term the same way, it's just as effective to use the term, if that makes any sense. In truth, what most people are dealing with when they say that their dog has separation anxiety is a dog who fears being alone. That is more common than actual separation anxiety. He fears isolation and he panics when he's left alone. True separation anxiety is when a dog experiences distress if he's apart from a particular person or persons. A dog who suffers from fear of isolation will be fine as long as someone, anyone, is with him. A dog who suffers from separation anxiety will experience distress even if someone else is there with him, if that makes sense. Some of the telltale signs that a dog is experiencing distress during your absence, if you're listening to this and you suspect that your dog may be suffering from this, some of these signs — and what I'm about to mention is in no particular order of importance here, and the dog might display one or several of these behaviors, and at different intensities … and before I go into describing what these symptoms might be, I want to point out, too, that the level of intensity of a symptom does not correlate to the level of severeness of the fear. If a dog overtly displays symptoms, it doesn't mean that he is more fearful than the dog who cowers in the corner and does not move all day. That dog could be equally as in distress. Anyway, some of the signs are vocalization, barking, whining. Actually, that's how quite a few people learn that there is a problem is when their neighbor complains about barking during their absence. That's often the first clue. They don't know until somebody complains about it. So vocalization is one. Excessive drooling is another. You might come home and find a puddle of drool that some people might mistake for pee, but it's actually drool. There can be that much of it on the floor, or the dog's bed is soaking wet. Anorexia is a very common one as well. The dog won't touch his food or a treat toy. Sometimes I discover a problem when a client has called me for another issue. When I'm doing my history intake, I ask them how often the dog eats, or when is he fed, and they say, “We feed him in the morning before we go to work, but he doesn't touch that. He's not hungry in the morning. He doesn't eat until we get home.” And I find out that when they get home, the dog devours his food. That's a sign to me, if the dog hasn't touched his food all day from the moment that they leave, that there may be an issue there, that he might not appreciate being alone and there could be a problem there. So anorexia. Obvious signs that the dog has scratched or chewed an area, especially near an exit, near the door that the owner uses to leave the house. Peeing and defecating, usually a lot of it during their absence, even just a short absence. And self-mutilation, signs of excessive licking or chewing at the paws. If you're not sure what your dog might be doing when you're not home, set up a camera and video him, or watch a live feed. There's lots of apps now that we can use to keep an eye on our dogs. Some dogs might pace while you're getting ready to leave. They're pacing and then they continue for another five minutes after you're gone, but then they settle down quickly and they go to sleep without a problem. Or, on the other hand, some dogs might appear perfectly chill for a few minutes after you leave, and then they begin to panic. So you can't know unless you record it or watch a live feed. Melissa Breau: Right. And technology is our friend, for sure. Nancy Tucker: For sure. Melissa Breau: Do we know what actually causes separation anxiety? It seems like some dogs struggle with it and others are never fazed at all. Is there a reason? Nancy Tucker: That's a really, really good question, and I'll start by talking about what doesn't cause separation anxiety. Owners. Owners' behavior does not cause their dog to develop separation anxiety. If you have a dog who panics when left alone, it is not your fault. It's not because of something that you did. It's amazing how many people feel, or are told, that it's because of something that they did. It is not because you've spoiled him. In fact, if you have a puppy, helping him feel secure by responding to his needs will go farther towards building a confident adult dog than if you try to use tough love by letting him cry it out at night. Don't be afraid to shower your puppy with attention and to provide that sense of security. You do need to teach your young dog that being alone is nothing to be afraid of, but you can do that systematically. Back to causes. For starters, dogs who suffer from this problem, they tend to already be predisposed to having anxiety issues. Just like people, some of us might be more genetically predisposed to experience mental health issues, and this is true for dogs as well. It is worth mentioning that there is correlation between a few things in separation anxiety, but it can't be said for sure that these things actually cause it. For example, dogs who are surrendered to a shelter might display some isolation distress once they're adopted into a new home. Actually, that's pretty common. But it's possible that these dogs had this issue in their previous homes, and maybe that's the reason that some of them were surrendered in the first place. It's not always easy to tell. So it's not always accurate to say that a dog develops a fear of isolation because he was surrendered to a shelter or abandoned somewhere. Another possible correlation is dogs who are sick as very, very young puppies might develop separation anxiety as adults. And again, there's correlation there, but nothing to say that this is a cause. What I see most commonly is after a major change in a dog's life, like a move or a major disruption, a divorce, or a huge disruption in a dog's routine or schedule, that can lead to this type of problem. But again, in most cases we're talking about a dog who is already predisposed to experiencing anxiety. So it's not ultimately because you moved into a new house that you caused your dog to develop this problem. Rather, the move may have triggered an anxiety disorder that was already there but hadn't yet manifested into a behavior issue, if that makes sense. Melissa Breau: Absolutely. It's really interesting. I hadn't realized there were those specific things that were correlated with the issue. That's news to me, so it's interesting. I know you're not a vet, but I know that on the syllabus or in the description you mention that you do touch on meds in the class. I was curious if you'd talk about that a little bit. How do you determine if a student should talk to their vet about their options? Nancy Tucker: I really respect my limitations as a trainer and a behavior consultant, and I avoid talking about meds, except to say that everyone should do their own research and find out what's available to you to help your dog deal with an anxiety issue, and there are quite a few options out there. So if your dog is at risk of hurting himself — self-mutilation, or a dog who is scratching or throwing himself through glass, which I experienced that myself, a dog who is simply overwhelmed with fear or anxiety in general — I strongly urge you to look into medication to help him out. I will say this much: medication can be a huge help. It can create a sense of calm in a dog so that he's able to learn the new behaviors that you want to teach him. It puts him in a better state of mind to learn and for behavior modification to take place. A lot of the antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds out there, they will allow for learning to take place, so in other words, they aren't simply a sedative that can affect short-term memory. So that would be an important thing to discuss with the vet. If you're looking for medication to help your dog deal with anxiety or immense fear, you want to use a medication that will allow him to learn. The whole point of using medication to treat separation anxiety is to be able to work through a desensitization program so that the dog can eventually be comfortable alone at home. Melissa Breau: Right. You mention in the class description that, when done right, Gold videos in this class may be sort of … boring, I think is the word you used. Why is that? Nancy Tucker: This is true. This is very true. There isn't a whole lot of action going on when you're teaching a dog to remain calm. Videos are good, and I can still help guide students by watching what's happening in a video. I can dissect the dog's behavior and body language, and I can make recommendations based on the layout of the home, because we talk a lot about finding that home alone space, and sometimes it's good to have a second set of eyes to look at the layout and see what might work, or even based on the student's own movements. So video is good. I might see something in the environment that the student has missed. Sometimes you're just so familiar with something that even when it's right in front of you, you don't see it. But the bottom line is that we are literally aiming for the dog to look bored and chillaxed. So Gold students don't have to post video, actually, but that's OK, because we tend to do a lot of problem-solving and creative planning and troubleshooting on the forums through discussions. During this class the discussion boards are really important. If you want to follow a case, follow the discussion, because even without a video there is a lot of back and forth and a lot of troubleshooting going on. The Gold-level students are still getting a personal coach as they work through this, and because every single case is completely different, all students get to follow and learn from each individual scenario, which is great. In the last couple of sessions we had a lot of trainers join, so I think they benefitted from seeing the different types of cases. Melissa Breau: There's certainly nothing to sneeze at there about taking a Gold spot just because videos don't play a big role. In an area like this, where there's so often those feelings of, “Oh my god, am I doing it wrong?” or “Oh my god, my dog's panicking,” having somebody to hold your hand and say, “No, actually, it's OK, let's take a step back, let's do it this way,” that can be a huge, huge help. Nancy Tucker: Absolutely. It's great to have a second set of eyes with a problem like this, for sure. Melissa Breau: I wanted to ask about common misconceptions or places where students often go wrong when it comes to working on this kind of thing — separation anxiety, that is. Can you share any tips or suggestions? Nancy Tucker: I think that we tend to circle back to the most common problem of all when treating a behavior issue that's based on an emotion like fear, and I mentioned it earlier: we move too fast. We try to rush things. Sometimes I get the feeling that the students somehow feel bad that they don't have more to show, that they feel they need to push it along in order to look like they're progressing. But that's OK, because I know that behavior change takes time, and I am far more giddy about seeing a student take their time and really progress at the dog's speed, whatever that may be for that dog. When I see that, I know that the student is on the right track and they'll get there eventually. So again, the common problem is just moving too fast. Melissa Breau: If students are trying to decide whether either of these classes is appropriate for their dog, I wanted to ask if you have any advice. How can they decide if their dog is a good candidate? Nancy Tucker: Now might be a good time for me to mention that the desensitization and counterconditioning class is not for those dogs who might display aggression towards the thing that they fear. For example, if a dog might bite a visitor entering his home because he's afraid of strangers, this class is not the place for that kind of issue. That's because I would much rather deal with aggression in person. Other than that, what I'd like to see are students working on minor issues throughout the term, throughout the session. I'll bet almost everyone can name at least one or two things their dog is afraid of. Students might think that their dog doesn't like something because he avoids it, but really their dog might be afraid of that thing, and this class would be a perfect opportunity to work on that. They'll get to practice their training mechanics on a minor issue, like a dog avoiding the vacuum cleaner, for example, or getting brushed, or getting their nails clipped. Then they'll be in a better position to handle a bigger issue later on, like aggressive behaviors that are fear-based, for example. Another important point about the desensitization and counterconditioning class is that whatever trigger the students choose, they need to make sure that they have complete control over their dog's access to that trigger while they work on it. In other words, if you plan to help your dog overcome his fear of the sound of kids playing and screaming on the street, you need to make sure you can control when and how your dog hears that sound. You can see how that can be really, really difficult. We can't control when the kids are going to be out playing, but we can maybe try to control the dog's access to that, to manage the environment or something creatively so that he's not exposed to that. That's just an example. The point that I'm trying to make is that we need to have complete control over that stimulus in order to work through the program, because the only way that desensitization and counterconditioning will work is if we're able to exercise that kind of control over the stimulus. As for the Home Alone class, you don't actually need to have a dog with a separation anxiety issue to take the class. Like I mentioned before, over the last couple of sessions we had lots of trainers take the class who wanted to learn more about helping their clients. It's also a good match for people with puppies who want to teach their dog to be alone in a structured way. In fact, a lot of the lecture videos are of my own dog, Bennigan, when he was just a puppy learning to be home alone. Melissa Breau: I did want to dive in a little deeper there , if you don't mind, and ask if there are any examples that come to mind of students with problems that would be a particularly good fit for the desensitization and counterconditioning class. Are there particular problems that you're hoping to get, or that you think might be particularly well suited for that kind of class? Nancy Tucker: Like I said, the two main criteria are that is not an aggression issue in that there is no danger that the dog will bite, so a dog who is extremely … I don't like to use the term “reactive” because it doesn't really describe what's happening, but a dog who might behave aggressively or lunge and bark at the sight of another dog — this is not a good class for that. I believe that Amy Cook has a good class for that. This is not a good class for that because I personally don't want to be dealing with aggression, except maybe resource guarding. If a dog is displaying object guarding and does not have a bite history, that is something that we might be able to handle, but again, I would rather speak with a student first and have them communicate with me to see exactly what's happening, because that might not be fear-based, and when we're talking about desensitization and counterconditioning, I think that what we're aiming for here is to help a dog overcome a fear. So no outright aggression, and to have control over the stimulus. That is the one thing that is an absolute must. So to answer your question, no, there is no specific thing that's carte blanche, and if students are unsure, they can just communicate with me and we can figure it out together. Melissa Breau: Excellent. I know that your class descriptions mentioned something about CEUs. Do you mind sharing with listeners — and I'm sure there are some ears that just perked up there who may be trainers trying to get those Continuing Education credits — what the deal is there? Nancy Tucker: Both classes are approved for 21 CEUs for training for those who are certified with a CCPDT. I specified “for training,” because with the CCPDT — the Certification Council For Professional Dog Trainers — there are training credits and there are behavior credits. These are 21 training CEUs for each class. Students can register at any level, whether it's Gold, Silver, or Bronze, and throughout the term they'll need to collect some code words that will be peppered throughout the lectures and the Gold discussion forums. So they have to follow and pay close attention to the course as it progresses, the lectures and discussion forums. And hey, 21 CEUs is almost two-thirds of a full recertification, so that's not a bad deal. If you take both classes, you get 42 CEUs right there. Melissa Breau: That's awesome. That's really a fantastic opportunity for those people who are out there trying to get those. Thanks so much for coming back on the podcast, Nancy! It's great to chat. Nancy Tucker: Thanks for having me, Melissa. Always a pleasure. Melissa Breau: Absolutely. And thank you to all of our wonderful listeners for tuning in! We'll be back next week with Julie Daniels to discuss confidence-building through shaping. If you haven't already, subscribe to our podcast in iTunes or the podcast app of your choice to have our next episode automatically downloaded to your phone as soon as it becomes available. Credits: Today's show is brought to you by the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. Special thanks to Denise Fenzi for supporting this podcast. Music provided royalty-free by BenSound.com; the track featured here is called “Buddy.” Audio editing provided by Chris Lang.  

Ines and Kat talk to CCPDT President, Brad Phifer about how to successfully submit a CPDT application, controversial new CEU requirements, and why the CCPDT doesn't outright prohibit shock collars from their certificant's list of acceptable tools.

Still in the middle of our move so shownotes will be late, but here is the latest K9Cast, #35! Websites mentioned during this cast: CCPDT.org APDT.org

Help for a dog-aggressive dog plus training tips for, and more information about, the gentle leader collar. All in today's K9Cast! -Direct download -K9Cast podcast player -Enhanced Feed Subscribe -Standard Feed Subscribe Shownotes (OPML): 00:00 Intro -00:33 K9Cast #26 01:26 Gentle Leader collar training tips -Gentle Leader -08:05 K9Cast #16 10:22 Dog-Dog aggression -19:55 CCPDT.org 24:22 Outro -New Pictures -24:40 Sandy's Blog -Send in your pictures -Send in your questions and comments -Send in your stories