Podcasts about pet professional guild

Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Frania Shelley-Grielen about introducing cats, inter-cat aggression, and other topics related to multi-cat households.Frania Shelley-Grielen is a professional animal behaviorist, dog trainer, and educator who holds a Masters Degrees in Animal Behavior from Hunter College and a Masters Degree in Urban Planning from New York University, complimenting her insight into behavior with an in-depth understanding of the built environment. She is a licensed Pet Care Technician Instructor, a registered therapy dog handler, a certified Doggone safe Bite Safety Instructor, and a professional member of the Pet Professional Guild and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Frania specializes in behavior modification work and training with cats, dogs, and birds and humane management for urban wildlife.Frania is the author of Cats and Dogs: Living With and Looking at Companion Animals From Their Point of View. She founded AnimalBehaviorist.us in 2009 to share her work on how welfare-based, science-focused strategies and solutions from the canine and feline point of view are more effective and make everyone happier, including the humans. Frania also taught the ASPCA's Fundamentals of Dog Care course for the Houlton Institute where she is on the zoology faculty. She has worked on research projects at the Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History, and the ASPCA in NYC. Frania presents and consults in the metropolitan New York area, nationally and internationally. She lives in New York City with her family and cats and dogs.

Join Niki Tudge as she chats and chuckles with Frania Shelley-Grielen about her book, Behavior Matters for Cats and Dogs, winner of the Dog Writers of America's "Best Behavior Book 2024" and the Dogwise "Best Book of 2024.”Niki and Frania discussed both the cat and dog sections of the book and snippets from the chapters on aggression, dog bite prevention, and some of the individual cat and dog skills.Frania Shelley-Grielen is a professional animal behaviorist, dog trainer, and educator who holds a Masters Degrees in Animal Behavior from Hunter College and a Masters Degree in Urban Planning from New York University, complimenting her insight into behavior with an in-depth understanding of the built environment. She is a licensed Pet Care Technician Instructor, a registered therapy dog handler, a certified Doggone safe Bite Safety Instructor, and a professional member of the Pet Professional Guild and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Frania specializes in behavior modification work and training with cats, dogs, and birds and humane management for urban wildlife.Frania is the author of Cats and Dogs: Living With and Looking at Companion Animals From Their Point of View. She founded AnimalBehaviorist.us in 2009 to share her work on how welfare-based, science-focused strategies and solutions from the canine and feline point of view are more effective and make everyone happier, including the humans. Frania also taught the ASPCA's Fundamentals of Dog Care course for the Houlton Institute where she is on the zoology faculty. She has worked on research projects at the Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History, and the ASPCA in NYC. Frania presents and consults in the metropolitan New York area, nationally and internationally. She lives in New York City with her family and cats and dogs.

Join Niki Tudge and Judy Luther as they chat and chuckle with Frania Shelley-Grielen about behavior matters for cats and dogs.Frania Shelley-Grielen is a professional animal behaviorist, dog trainer, and educator who holds a Masters Degrees in Animal Behavior from Hunter College and a Masters Degree in Urban Planning from New York University, complimenting her insight into behavior with an in-depth understanding of the built environment. She is a licensed Pet Care Technician Instructor, a registered therapy dog handler, a certified Doggone safe Bite Safety Instructor, and a professional member of the Pet Professional Guild and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Frania specializes in behavior modification work and training with cats, dogs, and birds and humane management for urban wildlife.Frania is the author of Cats and Dogs: Living With and Looking at Companion Animals From Their Point of View. She founded AnimalBehaviorist.us in 2009 to share her work on how welfare-based, science-focused strategies and solutions from the canine and feline point of view are more effective and make everyone happier, including the humans. Frania also taught the ASPCA's Fundamentals of Dog Care course for the Houlton Institute where she is on the zoology faculty. She has worked on research projects at the Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History, and the ASPCA in NYC. Frania presents and consults in the metropolitan New York area, nationally and internationally. She lives in New York City with her family and cats and dogs.

Change can be good, especially when it comes to understanding cats better! Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Beth Adelman about shifting people's perspectives about cat behavior. Beth Adelman, MS, is a Cat Behavior Consultant in Brooklyn, New York. Beth is currrently on the executive committee of the Pet Professional Guild's Feline Division, and was a founding member of the Cat Division of the IAABC. She is the former editor in chief of Cats magazine and DogWorld and former cat columnist for the New York Post. She currently is a regular speaker and resident cat behaviorist at Meow Parlour, New York's first cat café. Beth has worked as a writer and a speaker for the Every Cat Foundation and received their Media Appreciation Award in 2011. She has also been a speaker for Cat Camp, the Pet Professional Guild, Catsbury Park, the Cat Writers Association, IAABC, Kutztown University, Pet Sitters International, the Garden State Cat Club and the Cat Fanciers Association, and she has been a guest on many radio shows. She has edited more than 100 books about companion animals, many of them award winners.

President of the Pet Professional Guild in Australia and is also a dog trainer with over 13 years' experience Sarah Campbell joined Lisa Pellegrino on Nightlife. 

Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Tabitha Kucera, RVT, VTS (Behavior), about cooperative care for cats—an important topic since significantly fewer cats than dogs see a veterinarian every year, and cooperative care can make vet visits less stressful and more comprehensive for cats! Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, VTS (Behavior), Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. She is the owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a Fear Free certified speaker and coach, a Fear Free Practice Certification Consultant, host of the Tails from a Vet Tech podcast, and serves on the Pet Professional Guild's Feline Division. Tabitha has helped to develop training and behavior programs for various veterinary hospitals and shelters, and she works as a consultant for many shelters and private veterinary practices.

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of separation anxiety in dogs (and even touch on cats) with renowned expert Malena DeMartini-Price, author of the books "Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs" and "Separation Anxiety in Dogs – Next-Generation Treatment Protocols and Practices." Malena shares her incredible journey to becoming a leading authority in this field, provides valuable insights on separation anxiety and its common symptoms, and dispels some prevalent myths surrounding this issue. We also explore how animal professionals, including trainers and veterinary staff, can make a significant difference. Malena sheds light on her invaluable book and online resources, and to wrap it up, she shares heartwarming success stories from her favorite cases.Malena DeMartini-Price is renowned in the dog training world for her expertise in dog separation anxiety issues. She is the author of the books Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs and Separation Anxiety in Dogs – Next-Generation Treatment Protocols and Practices.She has also contributed articles on separation anxiety to multiple publications such as the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) Chronicle of the Dog, Pet Professional Guild's (PPG) Barks From the Guild, and various national magazines such as The Bark. She lectures on SA at professional dog training workshops and conferences around the world, including everything from large professional conferences to small venues.She also has been interviewed widely on this topic and multiple videos and podcasts have been produced. Malena is an honors graduate of the esteemed  Academy for Dog Trainers, where she studied under Jean Donaldson, and is a member of the APDT, the Pet Professionals Guild, and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.Resources:https://malenademartini.com/https://malenademartini.com/for-trainers/books-and-workshops/ Mission: POSSIBLE course https://malenademartini.com/possible*The discount code for Tails from a Vet Tech listeners is Tabitha for anyone who is interested in receiving $100 off the lifetime access purchase (The regular cost of the course is $199)Support the show via social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TailsFromRVT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TailsFromAVetTechPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tailsfromavettech

Got a furry friend who loves to sing their heart out a little too often? Fret not, as we bring to your doorstep Brandy Burket, owner of Pets Enrichment and Training Solutions, armed with the secrets to soothing your dog's vocal chords in an upbeat and fun way. This conversation isn't just about stopping the barking, Brandi explains why some of the more punitive correction tools, like shock collars, may not be the best fit for your furry bff.Brandi explains the magic of timing when rewarding your dog, and basking in the power of positive reinforcement. She explains we aren't just training the dog here, we're also guiding the people around them. A dog well-trained is a community well-taught. We dive into the need to interpret your dog's body language, to understand what their barks are trying to convey, and the importance of teaching dogs how rewarding 'quiet' can be.In a world where barking often means different things, Brandi explains the importance of understanding different types of barking and how to address them effectively. And it's not just about curbing the noise, it's about enriching your dog's life with mental and physical stimuli. Brandi  touches  on the fantastic online videos by trainer Zach George and recommends Pet Professional Guild for locating a positive reinforcement trainer near you.  So, sit down, tune in, and embark on this knowledge-packed journey with us as we strive to make every dog's life the best it can be!www.petsenrichment.comwww.facebook.com/petsenrichmentInstagram: pets_enrichmentTo find a positive reinforcement trainer: www.petprofessionalguild.comTraining videos: Zak George https://www.youtube.com/@zakgeorgeHave you ever thought about capturing professional portraits of your furry family member? If so, we're here for you? Urban Dog Studio, Tampa Bay's premiere pet photography studio, specializes in stunning portrait sessions in the studio, on location, and even in the water! Whether you're in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Clearwater, Bradenton, Sarasota, or any of the beach communities, Urban Dog Studio is here for you. Contact Urban Dog Studio today, and let them work their magic to bring out the best in you and your pets.

Join Laura Cassiday and Joanna Wachowiak-Finlaison as they chat and chuckle with Alejandra López Irala of Rasca y Pica in Buenos Aires, Argentina, about how to make your cat behavior consulting business stand out. Alejandra is a Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, CCBC. She is the owner of Rasca y Pica, whose goal is to help everyone learn about cats and highlight their welfare.  Her life focuses on the domestic feline so she can help people better understand and relate to their pets, leading to a stronger bond and a more rewarding relationship between animal and human.  She loves teaching others through writing, behavior consulting on all things cat related, including feline behavior. She is an active member of Pet Professional Guild, Member of International Companion Animal Network, and Fear Free. Ale is passionate about continuing education and has completed university level veterinary extension courses, AVEPA, Karen Pryor Academy, NAC, Maddie's Fund. She has a degree in Management as well as being a Veterinary Assistant for over 8 years and has worked many times at the University of Florida at Operation Catnip. She has worked in organizations, rescues, and with pet owners throughout Argentina and part of the USA. She is currently completing her degree in Environmental Management. Ale never spends a day without a cat, and is still surprised every time she sees one. She loves to use all her time and resources to take classes, attend workshops and all kinds of topics related to animal welfare in Argentina and other countries. After 10 years of hard work, training and research, she is proud to have co-created the First Feline Festival exclusively in Spanish.

It's surprisingly common for newly-adopted dogs to get lost, and for any dog to go missing at some point in their lives, even if only for a moment. How can we stop dogs from getting lost? We chat with Maria Karunungan of Fetch the Leash in Burlington, Vermont, about the steps dog guardians can take to prevent their dog from getting lost.From the best treats to use when teaching dogs to come when called, the prevention strategies all dog guardians should use, to special steps to take when your dog is new to you, this episode is packed with tips. Kristi shares the heart-stopping story of when one of her dogs went missing, long before she became a dog trainer. And we also ask Maria for tips for dog trainers on how to work with clients, based on her background in multicultural education. At the end, we chat about the books we're reading.The books we chat about:A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le GuinZoo by Ogden NashBook Lovers by Emily HenryThe books are available from all good bookstores and Companion Animal Psychology's Amazon store .About Maria Karunungan:Maria is the owner of Fetch the Leash in Burlington, Vermont. She is an honors graduate of the Academy for Dog Trainers, a PCBC-A from the Pet Professional Guild and she is a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer. Maria also has a Ph.D. in educational research from Emory University, and an undergraduate degree in music from Yale University. Maria's experience also includes working with a wide range of shelter animals at various shelters in Northern California.Fetch the Leash website: https://www.fetchtheleash.biz/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fetchtheleashInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fetch_the_leash/

Resource Guarding in DogsWe talk with Lisa about what resource guarding is and the body language that you should look for to spot it. People often have an emotional response to resource guarding—it can be a shock if your dog growls at you—and we talk about why you shouldn't punish the growl and how to deal with those completely normal feelings. We discuss how to fix resource guarding issues and why aversive methods are not the answer. Kristi and Zazie both share stories about their own dogs' resource guarding behaviour, and we also talk about how to prevent it in the first place.Finally, we talk about the books we are reading right now. Lisa Skavienski is the owner of Dog Educated in Rochester, NY, where she specializes in classes, workshops, and private consultation for dog owners. She is deeply invested in animal welfare, participating at the local community level, as well as holding a seat on the Pet Professional Guild's Shelter and Rescue Committee. Lisa studied with behavior expert Jean Donaldson at the highly acclaimed Academy for Dog Trainers. She is also a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer and Fear free certified.Facebook Instagram   The books:Zazie Todd's Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and her upcoming book Shiver. An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong was the Animal Book Club's choice for February and March.The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times (Global Icons Series) by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams with Gail Hudson.The Roller Derby Blueprint by Scott Meyer.Still I Cannot Save You by Kelly S. Thompson.Read highlights of the chat here. 

Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low-Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, VTS (Behavior), CCBC, and KPA-CTP.  She is the owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training in Cleveland, Ohio. Her teaching credentials include lecturing on the regional and national levels and lecturing at multiple veterinary technology programs. . She enjoys helping people better understand and relate to their animal companions which leads to a stronger bond and a more gratifying relationship between animal and human. She is a Fear Free certified speaker and coach, a Fear Free Practice Certification Consultant, serves on the board of Pet Professional Guild's cat committee, and the host of the podcast, Tails from a Vet Tech.  Tabitha has helped to develop training and behavior programs for various veterinary hospitals and shelters and works as a consultant for many shelters and private veterinary practices.

Join Niki Tudge, Judy Luther and Kelly Fahey as they chat and chuckle with Hansa Bergwall of PocketSuite, a corporate partner of the Pet Professional Guild. Learn all about PocketSuite's features, benefits and tools to help your animal training business succeed!

Debby Lucken is a fully qualified dog trainer with the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers and dog behaviourist with the International School of Canine Psychology. She is a member of the Pet Professional Network, ICAN International Companion Animal Network, INTODogs, the Pet Professional Guild, the Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS), the Dog Training College and The Dog Welfare Alliance.Debby has over 8 years' experience working with dogs, and she particularly enjoys assisting kids to train and raise their dogs to be great family companions. Some of her clients have also gone and become great therapy dogs in schools and nursing homes.Debby is the founder of Kids Around Dogs (KAD), which is an association of professionals who specialise in working with families and schools to help children and dogs to live in harmony together.Moreover, Debby has designed a successful protocol to overcome the fear of dogs in kids, which all KAD Approved Professionals are qualified to use.Debby's work with KAD has been awarded the SBS Theo Paphitis Award in May 2022.Debby is based in Poole, Dorset, with her husband Gary, their daughter Molly, their 2 doggies Wilco the Pug and Winnie the Golden Retriever and Mario the cat.Dorset is where Debby runs her dog training and behavioural business under the name of Pocodogs, however she delivers lessons and webinars globally (she is also bilingual, speaking English and Italian, which allows her to help more professionals and dog's handlers around the world).Kids Around Dogs is on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, TikTok and Twitterwww.kidsarounddogs.co.uk Find us on Facebook at The Chihuahua Podcast! Find Hayley at HaloPups! Find Kate at Carry on Canine! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thechihuahuapodcast/message

Debby Lucken is a fully qualified dog trainer and dog behaviourist. She is a member of many associations, such as the Pet Professional Network, ICAN International Companion Animal Network, the Pet Professional Guild, INTODogs and more.Debby is the founder of Kids Around Dogs (KAD), which is an association of force-free dog professionals who specialise in working with families and schools to help kids and dogs live happily and in harmony with each other.Moreover, Debby has designed a successful protocol to overcome the fear of dogs in kids, which all of the KAD Approved Professionals are qualified to use.Debby is based in Poole, Dorset, with her husband Gary, their daughter Molly, their 2 doggies Wilco the Pug and Winnie the Golden Retriever and Mario the cat.Dorset is where Debby runs her dog training and behavioural sessions under the name of Pocodogs. Debby Lucken is a fully qualified dog trainer and dog behaviourist. She is a member of many associations, such as the Pet Professional Network, ICAN International Companion Animal Network, the Pet Professional Guild, INTODogs and more.Debby is the founder of Kids Around Dogs (KAD), which is an association of force-free dog professionals who specialise in working with families and schools to help kids and dogs live happily and in harmony with each other.Moreover, Debby has designed a successful protocol to overcome the fear of dogs in kids, which all of the KAD Approved Professionals are qualified to use.Debby is based in Poole, Dorset, with her husband Gary, their daughter Molly, their 2 doggies Wilco the Pug and Winnie the Golden Retriever and Mario the cat.Dorset is where Debby runs her dog training and behavioural sessions under the name of Pocodogs.Websitewww.kidsarounddogs.co.ukSocial Media Informationwww.facebook.com/groups/KADkidsarounddogswww.instagram.com/kadkidsarounddogs/Resources MentionedLouise HayThe Alchemist - Paulo CoelhoShow SponsorNational Association for Primary Education (NAPE) are planning a Primary Education Summit in March 2023. For more information please visit www.educationonfire.com/summit

Listen to Judy Luther and Niki Tudge chat through this month's PPG Member News. We talk about PPG Events, Webinars, Meetups, News & More! You can read the full newsletter here Other PPG Publications BARKS from the Guild presents a collection of valuable business and technical articles as well as reviews and news stories pertinent to our industry. BARKS is the official publication of the Pet Professional Guild and is designed for animal training and pet professionals. Read BARKS Pets and Their People presents a collection of articles as well as reviews pertinent to pet care. P&TP is a publication of the Pet Professional Guild and is designed for pet owners Read Pets & Their People

Did you know that children under 10 are in the age group for the highest risk of a dog bite? In this episode of Fresh Bites for The Bitey End of the Dog, I chat with Debby Lucken who is the founder of Kids Around Dogs (KAD). We explore why children are more likely to be bitten, discuss risk assessment in dog to child directed aggression cases, and take a deep dive into the many ways we can promote safe and healthy relationships between dogs and children. For additional resources on helping dogs with aggression, visit:https://aggressivedog.comHere is the special link to The Aggression in Dogs Master Course and Expert Webinar Bundle. Offer expires on 11/1/22.https://aggressivedog.thinkific.com/bundles/the-aggression-in-dogs-master-course-and-expert-webinar-bundleAbout Debby: Debby Lucken is a fully qualified dog trainer with the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers and dog behaviourist with the International School of Canine Psychology. She is a member of the Pet Professional Network, ICAN International Companion Animal Network, the Pet Professional Guild, the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants, the Dog Training College and The Dog Welfare Alliance.Debby has over 7 years' experience working with dogs, and she specialises in helping families with kids to train and raise their dogs to be great family companions. Some of her clients have also gone and become great therapy dogs in schools and nursing homes.Debby is the founder of Kids Around Dogs (KAD), which is an association of force-free dog professionals who specialise in helping families with children and dogs to live in harmony together.Moreover, Debby has designed a successful protocol to overcome the fear of dogs in kids, which all of the KAD Approved Professionals are qualified to use.Debby is based in Poole, Dorset, with her husband Gary, their daughter Molly, their 2 doggies Wilco the Pug and Winnie the Golden Retriever and Mario the cat.Dorset is where Debby runs her dog training and behavioural sessions under the name of Pocodogs, however she delivers lessons and webinars globally (she is also bilingual, speaking English and Italian, which allows her to help more professionals and dog's handlers around the world).Kids Around Dogs is on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Twitter & TikTokwww.kidsarounddogs.co.ukSupport the show

Terrie Hayward Bio Terrie Hayward has an M.Ed. and is a Faculty Member of the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA), a KPA Certified Training Partner (CTP), and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through the Council of Professional Dog Trainers. Additionally, she is also certified in Canine Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) and is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). She is a member of the Pet Professional Guild, and has written articles on training for BARKS magazine, Pet Business, and Grooming Business magazine and is the author of three books: A Deaf Dog Joins the Family," co-author, “Grooming Without Stress: Safer, Quicker, Happier,” and “Your 10 Minute a Day Dog.” Terrie works with families and their animal companions, presents workshops, travels, and consults focusing on positive reinforcement interactions and modifying behavior through applications in behavior analysis.

This episode with chat with Debby, the wonderful person behind the organisation Kids Around Dogs. Debby Lucken is a fully qualified dog trainer with the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers and dog behaviourist with the International School of Canine Psychology. She is a member of the Pet Professional Network, ICAN International Companion Animal Network, the Pet Professional Guild, the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants, the Dog Training College and The Dog Welfare Alliance. Debby has over 7 years' experience working with dogs, and she specialises in helping families with kids to train and raise their dogs to be great family companions. Some of her clients have also gone and become great therapy dogs in schools and nursing homes. Debby is the founder of Kids Around Dogs (KAD), which is an association of professionals who specialise in helping families with children and dogs to live in harmony together. Moreover, Debby has designed a successful protocol to overcome the fear of dogs in kids, which all of the KAD Approved Trainers are qualified to use. Debby is based in Poole, Dorset, with her husband Gary, their daughter Molly and their 2 doggies Wilco the pug and Winnie the Golden Retriever. Dorset is where Debby runs her dog training and behavioural sessions under the name of Pocodogs, however she delivers lessons and webinars globally (she is also bilingual, speaking English and Italian, which allows her to help more professionals and dog's handlers around the world). A reminder of the website: www.kidsarounddogs.co.uk email address: kidsarounddogs@gmail.com KAD are on FB, Insta, Twitter, Youtube and Tiktok (on the website there are the links to all the social media)

The truth is, not all adoption stories have a happy ending. Many dogs are sent back to the shelter because of behaviour challenges. It's estimated that 1 in 5 dogs end up back in shelters every year. And we all know that behind every statistic is a heartbreaking story. This is the problem Emma Jane-Lee is working tirelessly to help solve. Emma is a teacher, writer, assessment consultant and canine behaviourist based in France. In this episode I chat with her about what drives people to adopt a dog and why you shouldn't judge a dog's behaviour when it's in the shelter. Emma offers behavioural support to people who have adopted dogs from her and other local shelters. Sometimes her work involves dogs who owners want to keep instead of surrender their dog but they have run out of options. She specialises in working with dogs who have a history of aggression and bites. Emma is a member of the Pet Professional Guild and is a certified shelter dog behaviour consultant by the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants. She's written a book to help dog trainers. It's available on Amazon as a digital download and also a paperback. Client-Centred Dog Training is aimed at helping dog trainers get the most out of their human clients. Links we love

Join Niki Tudge as she Chats and Chuckles with Emily Tronetti, Tracey Lee Davis, Michael Shikashio, Rain Jordan, & Nancy Tucker about their planned sessions for Geek Week 2021. Listen as they explore their topics and what registrants can expect to learn from each of their sessions. ABOUT GEEK WEEK: Geek Week is the Pet Professional Guild's virtual educational summit taking place this year on November 13-17. Features include: More than 90 events with live Q&A sessions, Educational content streaming 24 hours a day over 5 days, Academic, Behavior and Consulting tracks, 70+ top notch, internationally renowned speakers, 28 academics, 29 behavior experts and 13 consulting specialists, Special rates for Animal Shelters and Rescues, Exhibitor sessions – Meet live and face-to-face, Meet the authors – Get the details on what's between the covers, Payment plans – Pay over 4 months, CEUs, and a Virtual “Geeked-Up” Cocktail Party - Get fancy, network, and win prizes! All this delivered on an easy-to-use, innovative platform giving you one-click access to your events. For more information and tickets, visit: www.GeekWeek.Rocks

Deciding what career to pursue after finishing highschool might be one of the most challenging, and in some cases defining decisions in early adulthood. The norm is going to College and pursue a career in the corporate world or becoming a professional in medicine, law, or engineering. For entrepreneurial souls, that is not always the best path. However, even after 10 or 15 years in a corporation, with school debts, a mortgage, and maybe kids, leaving the 9 to 5 universe to chase our dreams will be challenging but not impossible. Joining me is Erika Gonzalez, Founder of From Dusk Till Dog, Podcast Host, Certified Dog Trainer, and Behaviour Consultant. She has a BS in Science in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication from West Virginia University and had some experience in the corporate world working as Content Coordinator and Acquisitions Editor. While working full time, Erika graduated with honors in CATCH Canine Trainers Academy, also becoming Mentor Trainer of the Institution. She is a Certified Canine Enrichment Technician, a Fear Free Certified Training Professional, and Licensed Pet Dog Ambassador Instructor and Assessor of The Pet Professional Guild. In this episode, we had a fantastic conversation about Erika's passion, training dogs. She spoke about leaving her corporate job to pursue her passion, why she made it, and the lessons she took from it. Erika explained what makes her different from the rest of the dog trainers, kindly sharing a few pro-tips on how to teach our dogs properly. We talked about how the pandemic affected Erika's business, the advantages of positive reinforcement to train our dogs, the issues caused by the dog training industry being unregulated, and much more. Some Questions I Ask:I believe it's essential for people to know the certifications you have. Could you talk a bit about that? (7:22)How you're different than other trainers who don't use a science-based approach? (13:49)How has COVID impacted your business? (30:53)You touched on Patreon; I don't know much about it. Could you share a bit of it? (35:13)If you were to share with someone how to get into your industry or just get into something they're passionate about, what steps could they take? (47:57)In This Episode, You Will Learn:Going from the best dog mom to the best dog trainer (4:27)What is the importance of being a certified dog trainer (8:14)Nurturing, guiding, and rewarding training bring best results in the long term (17:41)Dogs' brain capacity is more significant than most people think (21:03)Making appointments with ourselves to give us permission to rest (46:53)Resources:From Dusk Till Dog WebsiteFrom Dusk Till Dog TikTokFrom Dusk Till Dog InstagramFrom Dusk Till Dog FacebookFrom Dusk Till Dog PatreonFrom Dusk Till Dog YouTubeFrom Dusk Till Dog TwitterFrom Dusk Till Dog PinterestThe Dog Training Audio Experience PodcastConnect with Erika:LinkedInLet's Connect!LinkedInInstagram TwitterMPC Builders - WebsiteMPC Builders - Facebook See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today on the Biohack your Pet Podcast we have Malena DeMartini! Malena DeMartini-Price is renowned in the dog training world for her expertise in dog separation anxiety issues. She is the author of the book Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs and has contributed articles on separation anxiety to multiple publications such as the Association of Professional Dog Trainers' (APDT) Chronicle of the Dog, Pet Professional Guild's (PPG) Barks From the Guild, and various national magazines such as The Bark. She lectures on SA at professional dog training workshops and conferences around the world, including everything from large professional conferences to small venues. She also has been interviewed widely on this topic and multiple videos and podcasts have been produced. Malena is an honors graduate of the esteemed  Academy for Dog Trainers, where she studied under Jean Donaldson, and is a member of the APDT, the Pet Professionals Guild, and the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.   We hope you like this content and if you do, please follow us on Facebook or YouTube, check out the website, subscribe and leave a review! 

Tired of wrestling with patients to get an IV catheter in? Really tired of trying to get a fearful cat into an aquarium to gas it down? Well, our next guest has some great tips to do better! Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, CCBC, and KPA-CTP. She is the owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training in Cleveland, Ohio. https://www.chirrupsandchatter.com/ She enjoys helping people better understand and relate to their animal companions which leads to a stronger bond and a more gratifying relationship between animal and human. She loves educating others through writing, behavior consulting, and lecturing on all things cats and dogs, including feline and canine behavior, working with fearful animals, fear free handling, and more. She is a Fear Free certified speaker, a trainer-mentor for Cat Pawsitive Pro, serves as the co-chair of Pet Professional Guild’s Cat Committee, is the vice president of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, President elect for the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians, and she serves on the board of The Together Initiative for Ohio’s Community Cats

Join Niki Tudge while she Chats and Chuckles with Julie Brewer from the UK. We chatted about lots of things regarding positive reinforcement training and the way to best engage and educate clients being central. Julie Brewer has a Masters Degree in Clinical Animal Behaviour from University of Lincoln with Professor Daniel Mills. Julie has several other qualifications, Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour and Training from COAPE, Diploma in Photography and Digital Imaging, Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing RCVS, Registered Veterinary Nurse. Julie is a member of The Pet Professional Guild, COAPE, Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, Pet Professional Network and the British Veterinary Nursing Association In 2018 whilst still working as a full-time veterinary nurse, doing permanent weekend and night duties, running puppy training classes and seeing behaviour cases, she started her Masters degree, took on another puppy from Spain called Dodo and opened her business with her business partner Dawn, also a qualified veterinary nurse. Little Tykes Dog Hub in Grimsby offers Day Care, Training and Behaviour was born. In 2020 Julie gained a Merit in her degree, despite never believing that she was capable, and is still growing the business in the face of Covid having to change to online provisions. Julie will happily say “if I can do it then anyone can”.

WELL JINGLE US LIKE A JAPANESE AKITA! Things are starting to smell Festive around Barks HQ! And what better way to spread some pre holiday goodness than with a brand spanking new episode!? This week we dive head first into the often talked about and much misunderstood world of Seperation Anxiety with the awesome Malena DeMartini-Price. If smashing myths and blowing minds is what you're after settle down you're in for a treat. Also expect the usual banter-tastic shenanigans from Nat and Steve, look out for a new jingle and basically have some fun... WOOF! Malena Facts Malena DeMartini-Price is renowned in the dog training world for her expertise in dog separation anxiety issues. She is the author of the book Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs and has contributed articles on separation anxiety to multiple publications such as the Association of Professional Dog Trainers’ (APDT) Chronicle of the Dog, Pet Professional Guild’s (PPG) Barks From the Guild, and various national magazines such as The Bark. She lectures on SA at professional dog training workshops and conferences around the world, including everything from large professional conferences to small venues. She also has been interviewed widely on this topic and multiple videos and podcasts have been produced. Malena is an honors graduate of the esteemed Academy for Dog Trainers, where she studied under Jean Donaldson, and is a member of the APDT, the Pet Professionals Guild, and the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants. Links Link to Malena's main website https://malenademartini.com Link to the Separation Anxiety Certification Program informationhttps://malenademartini.com/for-trainers/separation-anxiety-training-certificate-program/ Link to Malena's amazing online self-paced course for dog owners called Mission:POSSIBLEhttps://malenademartini.com/for-owners/separation-anxiety-in-dogs-mission-possible-online-course/ Link to Malena's bloghttps://malenademartini.com/blog/ Link to Steve & Corrins Goodall Dog Training Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/goodalldogs/ Link to Nat's Training & Behaviour Facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/Natdogs/ Link to Drax's Galactic Adventure Facebook page (Nat's rescued Irish Wolfhound)https://www.facebook.com/Draxthewolfhound/ Link to Steve & Sallys Childrens book 'Jack & Billy Puppy Tales'https://www.facebook.com/JackandBillyPuppyTales/ Link to Grant Sharkey's Spotify page (Grant's amazing song 'Grow' features each week as our outro tune. https://open.spotify.com/artist/13PaCwwgVR77TbJH6XAVHQ?si=EOQGmWdCRCiXdECNmJvNAQn

In this episode Deb chats with longtime friend Aislynn Ross about preparing her fur babies for the newborn baby!Aislynn is the owner of Ace of Paws Dog Training based in New Jersey http://www.aceofpawstraining.com/Aislynn has always had a deep love and understanding for animals of all kinds ever since she was a little girl. However, her true intrigue for understanding canine cognition began with the adoption of her first rescue dog Apollo. Apollo was about a year and a half old, and Aislynn quickly found out for the first time what it was like to have a fearful, insecure dog. Apollo was such a sweet, loyal, loving boy to her as his owner. However within a few months of owning him, Apollo started growling and lunging at their guests coming through the front door. Aislynn soon realized this was a severe issue, and needed to be managed as soon as possible. Aislynn felt completely helpless. Every trainer seemed to be thousands of dollars, and she didn't know where to turn. This is the beginning of what sparked her interest in learning as much as she possibly could about dogs, their behavior, and the way they perceive the world around them. At the time Victoria Stilwell's “It's Me Or The Dog” was a popular show on Animal Planet and she began to obsessively watch, and to study her own dog, Apollo's, behaviors. Aislynn began to understand the importance of positive based training vs punitive training, especially when it comes to fearful, insecure dogs. Apollo had many people that loved and helped care for him, but sadly his aggressive behaviors became too severe. Unfortunately, Apollo's story did not end as a happy one. Although heartbroken, Aislynn took that experience and made it her mission to help as many people and pets as possible in Apollo's honor.After a few years Aislynn decided to take the plunge into the veterinary field and learned everything she possibly could to truly make a difference in this world. In 2011 Aislynn began as a receptionist (client service coordinator) at Banfield Pet Hospital in Marlton, NJ and worked as hard as she could to advance her career. Within four months she was promoted to Veterinary Technician (Pet Nurse), and was taught to excel as an exam room technician, phlebotomist, radiology technician, laboratory technician, among many other duties that were required of her. Six months later she was trained in surgical anesthetic monitoring (spays, neuters, dental cleanings) at Banfield Pet Hospital. In August 2012, Aislynn was hired as a veterinary technician at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital, and rapidly learned how fast paced an emergency animal hospital could be. It was at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital she learned true quality care should always be a priority. She learned about emergency care, pet CPR, extensive surgical monitoring, in patient care, & how to truly help clients through some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Most importantly, for her passion of animal behavior, she learned about proper restraint with pets in small confined spaces, and how to really be able to read body language efficiently in high pressure situations. In 2013 Aislynn began Penn Foster Career School's Dog Obedience Trainer program. Then in June 2014 she decided to take a risk and start up her own company for the first time ever, thus Ace Of Paws was born. July 2014 Aislynn decided to focus 100% of her time to Ace Of Paws, which unfortunately meant leaving the job she loved very much at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital. Luckily, the owners and staff at Mount Laurel are kind, compassionate, supportive people, and still to this day Aislynn has a great working relationship with them. In October 2014 Aislynn completed her first program in the dog trainer field and was now a Certified Dog Obedience Trainer/Instructor through Penn Foster Career School. Although Penn Foster's program taught her about the use of all dog training tools and methods, Aislynn decided it was her duty to educate dog owners about the large benefits of earning their dogs trust, and the importance of having a positive based training experience together.. ​Aislynn has always believed in kindness, and treating others the way you would like to be treated. So she thought "Why would I run my business any differently?" For many years, Aislynn was told by many people that she would not get anywhere by training dogs solely positive based. Luckily deep down she knew there had to be a better way then “forcing a dog into submission” or pretending to be their “alpha”. Aislynn's goal from the beginning has been to build an entire team of like-minded individuals who truly value the bond between canine & human, and to genuinely help as many dogs and families as she can. Our mission is to educate owners, rescues, and the animal world about the importance, benefit, and the necessity of doing positive based training with their beloved companion. Aislynn is a proud member of The Pet Professional Guild, The Association For Force-Free Professionals, is a volunteer for Don't Bully Us Rescue, and is currently enrolled in CATCH Canine Trainer Academy's Master Class. Once her program is completed Aislynn will become a CATCH Certified Behavior Consultant, and will be able to take on more challenging cases as a whole. As of present day, Aislynn is a proud mommy to her new beautiful rescue girl Twixie (from Don't Bully Us Rescue). Unfortunately in December 2018 Coorise girl lost her battle with Canine Lymphoma & in November 2019 Evie girl passed away due to liver cancer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sat down with Don Hanson from Green Acres Kennel Shop in Bangor, Maine. Don is an incredible resource in the training community, and a joy to talk to. We deep dive on the reason he's so passionate about positive reinforcement training, and his commitment to moving the needle toward a world without shock collars and other aversive training methods and tools. We always enjoy getting to spend time with Don, and we hope you will too!Links:Green Acres Kennel Shop - https://www.greenacreskennel.com/ Pet Professional Guild - https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/ Shock Free Coalition - https://www.shockfree.org/

Join Niki Tudge as she Chats and Chuckles with Debra Millikan, a PPG Board Member and Steering Committee Team Member. Niki and Deb spent an hour talking about the Pet Professional Accreditation Board and the development of the three PPAB credentialing levels. Learn how these credentials evolved, what they involve and how you can become an ethical credentialed force-free professional. The Accreditation Board sets a very high standard for competency and each credentialing level tests knowledge, basic training skills, conditioning a positive emotional response, running classes and for the Behavior Consultant case management is assessed through case studies. You can learn more about PPAB here https://www.credentialingboard.com In the back half of the chat we discussed the Pet Dog Ambassador Program and how important it is in promoting positive reinforcement-based pet training across our communities. The Pet Dog Ambassador program is a pet manners training program for dogs of all ages. Through the 5 step credentialing program pets learn the much-needed real life skills in a fun and supportive environment. The PDA program also attracts professionals who become licensed to not only teach the curriculum but also assess the pet dog skills. Learn about PDA here and how you can get involved. https://www.petdogambassador.com/ Debra Millikan PCBC-A AABP-CABT CAP2 Debra Millikan has over 40 years' experience in dog training that has seen her involved in conformation, obedience judging, pet manners classes and puppy pre-school. Currently, she serves on the board of the Pet Professional Guild, Doggone Safe, the Companion Animal Sciences Institute and the Association of Animal Behavior Professionals. She also trains aspiring instructors at Canine Behavioural School in Adelaide, South Australia.

Niki Tudge chats to Dr. Zazie Todd about her new book, Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy. Dr. Todd is well-known among pet professionals for her blog Companion Animal Psychology, but she is also a featured blogger on Psychology Today. Zazie Todd Ph.D. (psychology, University of Nottingham, England) MFA (creative writing, University of British Columbia, Canada) graduated with honors from Jean Donaldson's Academy for Dog Trainers and has a Certificate of Feline Behaviour with Distinction from International Cat Care. She is a shelter affiliate member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, a multispecies professional member of the Pet Professional Guild, a volunteer at the BC SPCA, and an affiliate member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.

Have you ever thought about using a shock collar with your dog, or do you currently use one? Do you know someone that does? Please, listen to this podcast to learn about the dangerous fallout that can occur when using electric shock to train or contain your dog. In this episode of The Woof Meow Show from April 18th, 2020, Don Hanson talks with Dan Antolec, Co-Chair of the Shock-Free Coalition and the owner of Happy Buddha Dog Training in Brooklyn, Wisconsin. Don and Dan are both credentialed professional dog trainers and dog behavior consultants committed to pet care that is free of pain, force, and fear. They serve on the Pet Professional Guild Steering Committee and co-chair the Shock-Free Coalition. In this podcast, we discuss Antolec’s article E-Fence Fallout, which appeared in the March 2020 issue of BARKS from the Guild, the official publication of the Pet Professional Guild. The subject of the article is a dog named Charlee. Charlee’s guardians sought Dan’s advice after installing an Electronic Shock Containment System, also called a non-visible fence, which severely and negatively affected Charlee’s behavior and quality of life. Topics we discuss include the lack of knowledge of the “professional” installer who sold the system and the franchise’s failure to disclose potential side-effects of using a shock collar. We will reveal how the system failed to keep Charlee in her yard as advertised and made her afraid to come back into her yard and safety. Dan will describe how a malfunction by the shock collar caused Charlee to be shocked while simply relaxing calming in her own home. Lastly, we discuss how the shock and the benign sound that reveals a shock is imminent, caused Charlee to become afraid.  The painful shock soon became associated with a wide variety of sounds heard in Charlee’s environment regularly. Soon she was always anticipating another painful shock and living in constant fear. We also discuss some of the many peer-reviewed scientific articles that warn of the use of electric shock for the purpose of training, behavior change, or containment. Charlee’s story is painful, but it is a story that Charlee’s guardians and Dan wanted people to hear so that we can end the use of these abusive and dangerous tools. If you would like to join us at the Shock-Free Coalition and help us stop the use of shock collars, please take the pledge, as an individual or business, and at no cost to you at, https://www.shockfree.org/Pledge. You can go a step further and order some Shock-Free merchandise at the coalition online store at – https://pet-professional-guild.myshopify.com/collections/all?page=3 If you wish to report that your pet has been exposed to a Shock-Collar by a Pet Professional without your explicit knowledge and approval, you may do so at https://www.shockfree.org/Shock-Collar-Use

Dr. Karen Becker interviews Niki Tudge, founder of the Pet Professional Guild, regarding the importance of force-free dog training to foster a healthy and positive environment for your pet.

Jen Burns is a certified professional dog trainer, certified behavior consultant, certified canine good citizen evaluator, CATCH mentor trainer, and a member of the Pet Professional Guild, Member of the APDT, and on the board of directors for the certification council of professional dog trainers. And On the show this week, we're talking about dog-family dynamics, and how to best prepare to welcome a furry new family member to your home. You can find Jen at her WEBSITE, on INSTAGRAM, and FACEBOOK.     Talk About It: Each week we challenge you to set a time with your spouse to have a conversation that matters. Here's your conversation starter question: What does / would having a dog add to your family?    Additional Resources:  Break out of the Roommate Zone, with the 7 Secrets of Legendary Marriages, our FREE resource!  Subscribe rate, and review the show on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts!  (Try asking Alexa to "play the Legendary Marriage Podcast") If you haven't already, please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts

Pam Dennison, CDBC, CWRI is a member of the DWAA (Dog Writers Association of America) and is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the IAABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants), member of The Pet Professional Guild, Truly Dog Friendly and former member of NADOI and Association of Professional Dog Trainers. She has written for many local, national and international magazines on a myriad of topics. Many of her books and articles have won and been nominated over the years for special awards by the DWAA. Pam started her own business, Positive Dogs, in 1996. Since then she has helped thousands of dogs and handlers build their relationships and solve problems, by teaching basic obedience through competition and working with a myriad of behavioral problems. Pam teaches puppy K, basic obedience through the Canine Good Citizen test, competition obedience, Rally-O and holds regular classes and seminars for aggressive dogs. Pam is the author three books (currently in print): You Can Train Your Dog: Mastering the Art & Science of Modern Dog Training , Shadow Publishing WINNER of a Maxwell Award for Best Training Book! Bringing Light to Shadow; A Dog Training Diary, Dogwise Publishing How to Right a Dog Gone Wrong, The Roadmap for Rehabilitating Aggressive Dogs, Shadow Publishing

Pam Dennison, CDBC, CWRI is a member of the DWAA (Dog Writers Association of America) and is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the IAABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants), member of The Pet Professional Guild, Truly Dog Friendly and former member of NADOI and Association of Professional Dog Trainers.She has written for many local, national and international magazines on a myriad of topics. Many of her books and articles have won and been nominated over the years for special awards by the DWAA.Pam started her own business, Positive Dogs, in 1996. Since then she has helped thousands of dogs and handlers build their relationships and solve problems, by teaching basic obedience through competition and working with a myriad of behavioral problems. Pam teaches puppy K, basic obedience through the Canine Good Citizen test, competition obedience, Rally-O and holds regular classes and seminars for aggressive dogs.Pam is the author three books (currently in print):You Can Train Your Dog: Mastering the Art & Science of Modern Dog Training , Shadow Publishing WINNER of a Maxwell Award for Best Training Book!Bringing Light to Shadow; A Dog Training Diary, Dogwise PublishingHow to Right a Dog Gone Wrong, The Roadmap for Rehabilitating Aggressive Dogs, Shadow Publishing

CLICK HERE for the podcast outline Niki Tudge Bio Niki was born and raised in England but now lives in Florida. Her background is in the corporate world and managing hotels which have seen her travel the world & work in places such as Nigeria and South Africa. Whilst working in these roles Niki always […] The post Niki Tudge – Founder & President The DogSmith, The Pet Professional Guild, DogNostics Career Center & President Doggone safe. appeared first on Animal Training Academy.

Summary: Dr. Jennifer Summerfield is a veterinarian and Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), with a focus on treating behavior problems including aggression to humans or other animals, separation anxiety, and compulsive behavior disorders. She also teaches group classes and private lessons in basic obedience for pet dogs, and coaches students getting started in dog sports such as agility and competitive obedience.   Jennifer is proud to be a member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) and the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). She is a passionate advocate for positive, science-based methods of training and behavior modification, and loves helping pet owners learn to communicate more clearly with their dogs. Links mentioned: Behavior Medication: First-line Therapy or Last Resort? Dr. Jen's Blog Dog Talk with Dr. Jen (Podcast) Train your dog now! by Dr. Jennifer Summerfield (book) Next Episode:  To be released 8/10/2018, featuring Nancy Tucker, talking about how to stop your dog from going crazy at the door. 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 Dr. Jennifer Summerfield. Dr. Jen is a veterinarian and Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA), with a focus on treating behavior problems including aggression to humans or other animals, separation anxiety, and compulsive behavior disorders. She also teaches group classes and private lessons in basic obedience for pet dogs, and coaches students getting started in dog sports such as agility and competitive obedience.   Jennifer is proud to be a member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) and the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT). She is a passionate advocate for positive, science-based methods of training and behavior modification, and loves helping pet owners learn to communicate more clearly with their dogs. Hi Jen, welcome to the podcast! Jennifer Summerfield: Hey Melissa. I am excited to be here. Melissa Breau: To start us out, can you share a little bit about your own dogs, who they are, and anything you’re working on with them? Jennifer Summerfield: Definitely. I have three dogs at the moment. They are all Shelties. The oldest one is Remy. He just turned 10 years old this year, so double digits now. He’s my old man. We were really excited this past summer because he just finished his PACH, which so far is our highest pinnacle of achievement in agility, and it only took us ten years to get there, so, you know, better late than never! So that’s been really exciting for him. And I finally just got the courage worked up to enter him in AKC Premier in the next trial that we’re entered in, in August. It’s a bit of a new adventure for us because we’ve never tried that before, but I figure what the heck. My middle dog, Gatsby, is 4-and-a-half years old, he’ll be 5 this November, and he is working on his agility titles as well. He currently is in, I want to say, Master Jumpers and Excellent Standard. His agility career has been a little bit slower than Remy’s. He’s had some stress-related weave pole issues that we’re working through, and he also had some really significant dog-reactivity issues when he was younger, so we spent a lot of time when he was about a year and a half to 2 years old or so just working through that to get him to the point where he could even go to agility trials successfully without having a meltdown. So for him, just the fact that he has any titles at all and can occasionally successfully trial is a pretty great accomplishment. But I have him entered in a couple of trials this fall as well, so hopefully we’ll keep building on that. And then my youngest dog, Clint, he is 4 years old now, and his history was a little bit different. He came to me as an adult, almost a year old, because I really wanted a dog to show in conformation. When I got Gatsby as a puppy, he was supposed to be my conformation dog. That’s what we were hoping for, but … I don’t know how much you know about Shelties and conformation, but the height thing is a killer. It looked like he was going to be in size on the charts and everything, and then when he got to be about 6 months old, he was over. So I got Clint a little bit later at a year old from his breeder, and he was already a finished champion at that point, so he knew what to do, which was perfect because I was a total beginner. So I had a really good time showing him for about a year after I got him. We finished his Grand Championship together, so that was really cool. And now we’re branching out and he’s starting to learn some agility and some other things as well. So that’s my guys in a nutshell. Melissa Breau: I’ve got a bit of a chicken-or-egg question for you here. Did dog training come first, or did becoming a vet come first? How did you get into all this stuff? Jennifer Summerfield: Funnily enough, I’ve been interested in dog training and dog behavior from as early as I can remember, even before we had a dog. When I was a kid, I was really crazy about dogs, and I was fascinated by dog training. I had books and books and books, just shelves of books on training dogs, obedience training, and also a bunch of random stuff, like, I had books on Schutzhund training, and books on herding training, and books on service dog training, and just everything I could get my hands on. One of the really formative experiences of my childhood was that my aunt took me to an obedience trial that was at that time … I don’t remember what the name of the kennel club is, but our local kennel club in Charleston — I live in West Virginia — used to have their show at the Civic Center every year, and they would have an obedience trial as part of that. And so my aunt took me one year. I must have been 8 or 9, something like that, and I just remember being absolutely riveted by watching the dogs in the obedience trial, which I guess is maybe a funny thing in retrospect for an 8- or 9-year-old to be riveted by, but I was. I remember watching that and thinking it was absolutely the most amazing thing I had ever seen, and I wanted to do it more than anything, hence all the books and all of that stuff. I wrote to the AKC when I was a kid to ask for a copy of the obedience regulations, because I had read that that was how you could get them. This was back before everything was online, you know, this would have been the early ’90s. So I wrote to the AKC and I remember being super-excited when they sent the manila envelope back that had the obedience regulations in it. I read them and I was just super-fascinated and I knew that was what I wanted to do. We got my first dog when I was about 16, and he was a Sheltie named Duncan, so I did a lot of training with him. We were never very successful in the obedience ring, which was completely my fault, not his. But I’ve just always been really fascinated by the idea of being able to communicate with another species that way, being able to have that kind of relationship with a dog where they understand what you want them to do and there’s all this back and forth communication going on to do these really complicated, fancy things. So when it came time to start thinking about what I actually wanted to do with my life, around junior high school, high school, getting ready to go to college, I always knew that I wanted to do something related to dog training or dog behavior, and I thought about several different ways of going about that. I considered the idea of just being a professional dog trainer straight out, but I was a little bit nervous about that because I wasn’t quite sure if it was easy to make a living doing that, or how one got established, and I was a little bit concerned. It didn’t feel very stable to me, but who knows, but I wanted something that felt like there was more of an established career path for it, I guess. Of course I thought about veterinary medicine, because that’s one of the most obvious things that everybody thinks about when they want to work with animals. And I did actually give some thought in college to going to graduate school and getting a Ph.D., and then possibly becoming an applied animal behaviorist that way, but there were two reasons I opted not to go that route, and one was that I discovered in college that research is really not my thing, and I knew that unfortunately that was going to be a big part of life getting a Ph.D., so that was kind of a strike against it. So what I ultimately decided to do instead was go to veterinary school, and what I liked about that idea was that I felt like I would always have something to fall back on, regardless. I knew that I could do behavior, hopefully relatively easily, I could get into doing that with a veterinary degree, but I could also just be a general practice veterinarian too, if need be, and actually I really like that aspect of my job right now. So that’s how I ended up in vet school, but it really was always kind of a back door way to get into the world of behavior. Melissa Breau: That’s awesome. It’s fantastic that that appealed to you at such a young age. I think that a lot of people who listen to this podcast can probably relate to that. Jennifer Summerfield: I think this was probably the audience that would relate to it. It’s only in retrospect that I realize what a strange little child I probably was. Melissa Breau: Hey, you’re not alone out there. Dr. Jennifer Summerfield: That’s right! Melissa Breau: So how did you become interested in it from such a young age? Were you always a positive trainer? Is that how you started out, or did you cross over at some point? How did that happen? Jennifer Summerfield: I do consider myself to be a crossover trainer, and I think a lot of that has to do with the kind of information that was out there at the time that I first started getting interested in these things and I was first collecting all my books and reading everything. This was the ’90s, for the most part, so positive training I know was starting to become a thing around that time, but it wasn’t, as I recall, super mainstream, at least not where I was, and in the things that I was reading and the classes that I was going to. Most of the books I had, of course, probably like a lot of people at that time, were pretty correction-based, and they talked about how you needed to be in charge, and you needed to make sure that your dog knew who was boss, and that you had to be really careful about using cookies in training because then your dog gets dependent on them, and of course you don’t want your dog to just be working for cookies, you want them to be working for you, and I thought all that made a lot of sense at the time. When I was first working with Duncan, I had this book that was about competitive obedience training, specifically, and I remember working through this book and just working religiously on doing everything it said. I remember teaching him to heel, and the way that the book said that you taught your dog to heel was you put a choke collar on them and you walked around in circles in the yard, and every time they got in front of your leg, you gave a leash correction and you jerked them back and you just did that until they figured it out. That’s how Duncan learned to heel, and obviously if I had it to go back and do it over again, I would do it differently. But he was a good dog, and he learned, and it worked reasonably well. Like I said, we never got to the point of having any great successes in the obedience ring, for probably a lot of other reasons besides that, but that’s kind of how I got started. As I got older and I started reading more things, one thing that I remember that was a big turning point for me was reading Jean Donaldson’s book The Culture Clash. I know that probably a lot of your listeners are familiar with that book, because I know it’s kind of a classic in the world of behavior, but it’s very much about how most of the things our dogs do that bother us are just dog things. They’re just doing things that dogs do, and those things happen to bother us, and that’s reasonable sometimes and we can teach them not to do those things. But that was such a revolutionary thing for me to think, like, You mean it’s not all about that my dog is trying to be in charge and he needs to know that this stuff’s not allowed. She just made so much sense. At that time I had never heard anybody put it that way before, and I want to say that was really the first time that the idea of positive training was presented to me in a way that made a lot of sense. As I got older, of course, and started to learn more about the scientific side of things — you know I’m a huge science nerd, as probably most people are who go to the trouble of getting a veterinary degree — and so as I learned more about the scientific side of things, then I was sold, because obviously the scientific consensus is unanimous that clearly there’s a way to do things that works a lot better than using correction-based techniques, and that there’s lots of really valid scientific reasons to use positive reinforcement training. So I would say by the time I started vet school, I was pretty solidly in that camp. The other thing that probably cemented it for me was seeing the difference in how quickly Duncan learned things, for one thing, once I switched. He learned to heel the old-fashioned way, but he learned to do his dumbbell retrieve with a clicker, and he loved his dumbbell retrieve. He would find his dumbbell, if I forgot to put it away after a training session, he would find it and bring it to me and sit, and he just had an enthusiasm for it that he never, ever had for the things we learned when I was still teaching the old way. And then, when I got my dog Remy, who was the second dog I had, the first dog after Duncan, who by that point I was pretty solidly in the positive reinforcement camp, and he learned to heel with a clicker. Looking at the difference between the two of them, both in terms of how technically good their heeling was, but also just looking at their attitude differences and how much they wanted to do it, I knew, I think, after I had done a little bit of work with Remy and seen that kind of difference, that I would never train another dog with corrections again. Melissa Breau: Sometimes the proof really is in the pudding. Once you’ve seen it, you can’t go back. Jennifer Summerfield: Yeah, and I guess that’s a pretty common experience, I think. I feel like I hear a variation of that from a lot of crossover trainers, that it’s a combination of understanding the science, but also when you see it, you see the difference in your own dog or in a client’s dog and you say, “Why on Earth did I ever used to do it a different way?” Melissa Breau: Absolutely. I’d imagine that being a vet and a dog trainer, you’ve got a lot of knowledge there. How does one body of knowledge inform the other, and how have they both influenced your career? Jennifer Summerfield: I’m really glad, looking back, that I did make the choice to go to vet school, because I think that’s a good skill set to have. Obviously I like being a vet. I am in general practice. Even though I spend a fair amount of my time seeing behavior cases, I do general practice stuff too, which I really enjoy. But that skill set is definitely useful for seeing behavior cases because there are a lot of behavior issues dogs have, and training issues, that have a physical component to them, and it’s very handy to have that knowledge base to fall back on, so that if somebody comes in and they say, “My dog’s having house training issues all of a sudden again, and he’s always been house trained, but now I don’t know what’s going on,” to be able to say, “Well, you know, your dog might have a urinary tract infection,” or “Your dog might have Cushing’s disease,” or “Your dog might have diabetes.” These are things that sometimes people think they have a training problem or behavior problem when actually they have a medical problem. So it’s definitely useful to have that knowledge base to be able to say, “Well, actually, maybe we should look at this.” Both being a veterinarian and being a dog trainer are fields that I think people feel like they have to do with dogs, or they have to do with animals, I guess, more broadly, being a veterinarian. And that’s true, but what sometimes I think people don’t realize, if you’re not in one of these two professions, is how much they have to do with people, because all of the animals come with a person, and it would be rare, being either a dog trainer or a veterinarian, that you’re dealing much directly with the animal. Your job in both of those fields is to coach the owner on what they need to be doing and figuring out what works for them, and engaging in some problem-solving with them and figuring out what they’re able to do with their lifestyle, whether it’s training their dog not to jump on people or whether it’s managing a chronic disease like diabetes. So I think that in a lot of ways that skill set, the people skills part of things, is something that has gotten to be strengthened and developed by doing both of those things. So I think all in all it worked out for the best. Melissa Breau: The last guest we had on — you’ll be right after Sue — the last guest we had before that was Deb Jones, and we were talking all about that piece of it, just the idea that if you’re a dog trainer, you’re training people, you’re not training dogs. It’s such a big difference. Jennifer Summerfield: Yeah. We do Career Day periodically for a lot of the elementary schools, but also junior highs and high schools in the area, because everybody wants a veterinarian to come for Career Day. And it’s amazing, of course, the common thing that you hear from people sometimes is, “Oh, I want to go into veterinary medicine because I really like animals but I don’t like people.” I say, “Well, then, I don’t know if this is the career for you, because it’s very, very, very, very people-centric. It’s all about people, so you really need to like dealing with people and enjoy that aspect of it too.” Melissa Breau: To shift gears a little bit, I know you’ve got a webinar coming up for FDSA on behavior medications, so I wanted to talk a little bit about that stuff too. At what point should someone start thinking about meds versus training for a behavior problem? Jennifer Summerfield: What I always harp on about this, and I actually have a blog post that I wrote a while back on this topic specifically, is that I really wish we could get more into the habit of thinking about behavior medication as a first-line treatment option for behavior issues. I see so many cases where I think people want to save that as a last resort, like, “Well, we’re going to try everything else first,” and “We’ve been working on this for a year and a half, and nothing’s helped, and maybe it’s time to consider meds.” I totally get where they’re coming from with that. I know that there are a lot of reasons people are nervous about medication. But it makes me sad in a lot of ways because I see so many dogs that I think, My goodness, their quality of life could be so much improved with medication, or The training plan that they’re working on could go so much smoother, and be so much less stressful for both the owner and the dog, if they were willing to consider medication earlier in the process. So for me, when I see behavior cases, certainly not every single one do we go straight to medication, but I would say that, gosh, probably a good 70 or 80 percent of them we talk about medication on that first visit, because usually if there are things that are legitimate behavior issues rather than training problems — which I can touch on here in a second, too, if you want — but if it’s a behavior issue that is enough of a problem that the owner is willing to schedule an appointment for it and pay for the consultation and sit down with me for three hours and talk about it, chances are that it’s something that could benefit from medication of some kind. I see so many dogs that do better on meds, and there’s very few downsides to them, so in general not anything to be scared of, and not anything that you have to feel like you have to avoid until nothing else has helped. I think of it more as it’s just like if your dog had an infection. You wouldn’t say, “Well, I really want to try everything we can possibly do until we put him on antibiotics.” Or if he had diabetes, “I really don’t want to use insulin. I just really, really don’t want to use it.” I think we just think of behavior medication differently, which is too bad in a lot of ways, and I would love to see the mainstream thinking about behavior medication move more towards the same way that we use medication for anything else. Melissa Breau: You said you could touch on the behavior stuff in a second. I’d love to have you elaborate. What did you mean? Jennifer Summerfield: As far as determining whether you have a behavior problem versus a training problem, which I do think can be a little bit of a muddy line sometimes for owners, the way that I usually try to break that down for people is that if you have a training problem, this is usually your dog is normal. Your dog is doing normal dog things that happen to be annoying to you or to other people, which is fine. And that’s legitimate, that’s still definitely something that we want to address, so I’m not saying that as like, “See, this isn’t a problem.” It’s totally a problem if your dog is flattening old ladies when it tries to say hi, or something like that. That’s a problem, but it’s a training problem. If your dog is friendly but otherwise normal, it’s not something that we would treat with medication, because this is just something that we need to teach your dog a different behavior to do in that situation. Whereas things that we think of more as behavior issues are things that have some kind of emotional component to them, so things that have an anxiety component, that’s probably the most common. The vast majority of behavior issues that we see do have an underlying anxiety component. But it’s that, or it’s a compulsive behavior issue, or it’s something that’s not normal, a genuinely abnormal behavior that the dog is doing. That’s when at that point that we think they’re more of a candidate for medication. Melissa Breau: That makes sense. It’s kind of, “Is this a normal behavior or is this …” Jennifer Summerfield: Exactly, exactly. I can’t remember who it was, but I know one year I was at a conference and I was listening to a talk on behavior medication, and I remember the way that the speaker put it, which I really liked, was one of the ways they look at whether it’s a true behavior problem that needs medication or not is, Is it something that’s bothering the dog, or is it just bothering you? Which was a great way to word it. Melissa Breau: Yeah, I like that. I’d love to include a link to the blog post that you mentioned that you wrote a while ago in the show notes. Would you be willing to shoot me over a link to that when you get a chance after we’re done? Dr. Jennifer Summerfield: Absolutely, yeah, I could definitely shoot that over to you. Melissa Breau: Awesome. To get back to the behavior meds thing, what are some signs that medications might really have a positive influence on a behavioral problem? Is there something about a problem that you go, “Oh, that, definitely. We can work on that with medication”? Jennifer Summerfield: Yeah, I would say a little bit of what we touched on a minute ago, in that anything that we think has a significant anxiety component to it, which is a lot of things. That encompasses things like separation anxiety, or thunderstorm phobia, or dogs that are generally anxious and constantly on edge and have trouble settling. Anytime we get the sense that, “Hey, this dog seems to be abnormally fearful or worried about things that are pretty normal in life that a ‘normal’ dog shouldn’t be fearful or worried about,” then that’s a pretty good indicator that medication would probably be helpful. The other big thing that makes me think, We should consider meds here is if the people have already been doing some work as far as training or behavior modification that’s appropriate, something that’s like, “OK, that sounds like a pretty good plan,” and they’re just having a really hard time making any headway, that, to me, is a strong indication that we could probably help that process along quite a bit with medication. The problem with a lot of dogs, especially if we’re working on something like, say, leash reactivity, for example, where we know how important it is from a behavior mod standpoint, how important it is to keep the dog below threshold while we’re working with it, for some dogs that are just so sensitive, that’s incredibly difficult because it doesn’t take anything at all to send them over threshold, and it can be really hard to find that little window of opportunity to even start working on training in a way that’s going to be successful. So in a dog like that, for example, medication can be really helpful to just bring things down enough that the dog is able to think, that you’re able to get that little toehold of space where the dog is able to see the trigger and not react so that you actually have some room to do your training. Melissa Breau: If somebody is considering this, they’re looking at medication or they’re thinking it might be good for their dog, what are some resources that they can use, or that they can turn to, to learn more about some of the options out there and the meds, or even just behavior modification training specifically? Jennifer Summerfield: That is such a great question. I think in terms of learning about behavior modification in general, there is some great stuff out there. There are tons of obviously really knowledgeable people in the field who have blogs and podcasts that are easy that anybody can access for free. You can find some great webinars through, of course, FDSA, but also through organizations like the Pet Professional Guild or the Association of Professional Dog Trainers or the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. There are online courses you can do. I really think that for a lot of dog owners, they might even consider, if they’re into this kind of thing, attending a conference like ClickerExpo or the APDT National Conference, or something like that, if it’s nearby. I find that a lot of dog owners sometimes don’t think about that, or don’t realize that they can go to things like that, but anybody’s totally welcome at those conferences. I know the last couple of years when I’ve been at ClickerExpo, certainly the majority of people there, I would say, are professionals in the field of one kind or another, but there’s always a good smattering of people who are just dog owners who want to learn more about this stuff, and I think that’s really cool. So lots of opportunities to learn more about behavior science and behavior modification. On the behavior meds side of things, I actually wracked my brain trying to come up with some good resources that are available for dog owners for that, and there just really are not a lot, which is one of the reasons that I’m excited to do this webinar, because I do think there’s a lack of good information that is easily accessible for people about behavior meds, other than the very basic stuff, like, “Hey, behavior meds are a thing, you might consider it for your dog.” But beyond that, it is difficult to find much information. Melissa Breau: Now, I know you specialize in behavior. If somebody goes to their average veterinarian, is that person going to have enough of an understanding to start that conversation, or should they really be seeking out somebody who specializes? What’s the guideline there? Jennifer Summerfield: The answer is that it really does depend quite a bit on your veterinarian and whether that’s something that they have an interest in or not. That’s true in general of general practitioners about really anything, so I don’t mean that at all to sound like, “Well, if your vet doesn’t know this stuff, they’re lousy.” Believe me, if you are a general practitioner, you cannot know everything about everything. All of us have areas that we know a lot about and then areas that we know very little about. I know anytime somebody comes to my clinic and they have questions about orthopedic issues, or their dog has a broken leg that it needs pinned or something like that, I send that out the door so fast because I know nothing. That’s not my area and I’ll be the first to say so, and there are some general practitioners who are fantastic at it. So behavior, to me, is a lot like that. There are some GP’s who are going to be great at it and really know their stuff and going to be really well-versed in all the medication options, and then there are others that that’s just not an area that they deal with much, they may not know a lot. But one option that is available that I think a lot of pet owners don’t always realize is an option is that if you don’t have a veterinary behaviorist nearby, or a veterinarian who is good with behavior and sees behavior cases, and your vet says, “I’d really like to help you, I just don’t know that much about this stuff,” many veterinary behaviorists will do a remote consultation with your vet, which can be super-helpful. They can’t do it directly with you, and that has to do with the legalities of the Practice Act and things that we legally cannot make recommendations directly for an animal if we haven’t met them in person. But what they can do is they can talk to your veterinarian, and your veterinarian can give them the whole write-up and details of the case, and they can say, “Oh, OK, I understand. Here is what I would consider as far as a behavior modification plan. Here is what I would consider as far as medication for this dog.” And then your vet can take that information, and they’re the ones who are actually in charge of doing the prescribing and overseeing the case directly, but they can keep in contact with the specialist about the case and make changes as needed and all that kind of stuff. I think that is a really underutilized service that sometimes people don’t realize is out there, but it is. So if your vet’s not super-well-versed in this stuff, but they’d like to help you and you’re willing to do something like that, talk to them about it, because they may not realize it’s an option either. But I think that can be a really good happy medium sometimes if you don’t have somebody in your area who you can work with in person. Melissa Breau: I think that’s an awesome thing to have you mention on something like this, because like you said, maybe people don’t know that it’s an option out there. I certainly wouldn’t know. Jennifer Summerfield: Yeah, definitely. I know I am going to talk a little bit about that in the webinar as well, so I’ll have more details on how that can work and on how people can specifically seek that out, if it’s something they’re interested in. Melissa Breau: Obviously, during the webinar, you’re not going to be able to give dog-specific advice. Like you said, you have to see the dog, hands on the animal in order to do that. But I would love to give people just a little more of an idea on what you plan to cover, especially since I know we’re doing two webinars back-to -back in the same evening. Can you talk a little bit about what you want to cover? Jennifer Summerfield: Yes, I’m super-excited, and I guess this is kind of unprecedented for FDSA to do the double-header. Melissa Breau: It’s our very first one. Jennifer Summerfield: It’s going to be great. It’s going to be a behavior pharmacology extravaganza, and I could not be more excited. The first webinar is going to be an introduction, basically, so meant for people who want some basic information about behavior meds. It’s going to talk about things like how do you know if your dog might benefit from medication, because I know that’s probably a question that a lot of people will have who are watching the webinar. I’m assuming a significant portion of people will be watching because they have a specific dog in mind that has some issues. So we’re definitely going to talk about how to decide that for your own dog, is it something that might be helpful. We’re going to go over all the different classes of drugs that we use for behavior cases, because there are actually quite a few different options now. It just to just be Prozac and Clomicalm, but there’s a lot of other options out now, which is really cool. We’re going to talk about what our goals are when we use behavior meds, so how that works with a training plan and what kinds of things to expect that way. We are going to spend some time also talking about natural supplements and calming aids and things that can help either by themselves or as an adjunct to medication. In the second webinar, that one is going to go into more detail as far as things like how do we actually choose for real specific cases what medication to use, because there are a lot of options. So we’re going to go into factors that we look at to help us decide what medication we think is going to be best for this particular dog. We’re going to talk about combinations, because for a lot of cases we do actually use more than one medication together, so we’re going to talk about how that works and how you decide whether you want to go down that road, and if you do, what things can go together, what things can’t. We’re going to have several case studies to go over, and examples to use for discussion, which I’m really excited about, because I think that’s where sometimes you get the most information is seeing how it applies to some actual cases rather than kind of getting everything in the abstract. And we will be talking in that second webinar, because we know that the FDSA audience obviously is a lot of performance dog people, we are going to talk specifically about considerations for performance dogs, so things like how do behavior meds impact learning and memory, are there any ethical questions that we need to consider when we’re thinking about medicating dogs who are actively showing and competing, that kind of stuff. So I think that will be a really interesting discussion too. Melissa Breau: That sounds so interesting. I’m actually really excited to dig into it. Jennifer Summerfield: Me too. I’m so excited! Melissa Breau: In addition to the webinars and your work as a trainer and a vet — you’re a pretty busy lady — you also blog, and you’ve recently started podcasting. I wanted to point listeners to those resources a little bit. Can you share a little bit on what you write about and talk about, maybe some of the recent topics you’ve covered, and where they can find that stuff? Jennifer Summerfield: Sure, definitely. My blog is Dr. Jen’s Dog Blog, so you can search for that and it will come right up. I’ve been doing it since, gosh, I think July of 2016, maybe, so I’ve got quite a few posts on there. I think the most recent one I did was on accidental behavior chains that sometimes we teach without realizing to our dogs, which was interesting. I know some of the posts I have had in the past on that blog that people have found really helpful have been on things like I have a post on behavior euthanasia, which actually a lot of people have written to me about and said was helpful for them. I have a post on fear periods and single event learning, which I think a lot of people have found pretty interesting. And then I have some posts on specific topics like leash reactivity and odor-directed aggression and things like that. So if anybody’s curious about those topics, a lot of times I do try to include case examples when I write about those too. Melissa Breau: Lots of sticky issues. Jennifer Summerfield: I know, I know. They are sticky issues, but actually those are some of my favorite things to write about because I think that sometimes there’s a lack of honest conversation about some of those things, and I think it’s sometimes useful to just say, “Well, here is something I deal with every day in my job, and here’s some thoughts, here’s my perspective on it.” And I know that I do get a lot of e-mails from people about those sticky topics that they found them helpful, which is really nice to hear. The podcast is pretty recent. I just started that here earlier this year and it’s been super-fun so far. I only have a few episodes of it out so far, but of course I’m actively doing that and the blog, so there will be more coming. The most recent one I did was on teaching reliable recalls to your dog. That’s a topic I get a lot of questions about and a topic that we troubleshoot a lot in our Basic Manners classes. And I’ve had some past episodes, I know I did one on car ride anxiety, and then I’ve got some basic topics like puppy socialization and housetraining and that kind of stuff. I guess I should probably mention here I do have a book out as well, if it’s something that people are interested in. The book is called Train Your Dog Now, and it is basically a reference guide, like a handbook to pretty much anything that might come up, behavior- or training-related, with a dog. So it has sections on teaching basic obedience cues and tricks, but it also talks about how to teach your dog to cooperate for grooming and handling — nail trims and teeth brushing and ear cleaning and that kind of stuff — and then there is a whole section on behavior issues. So it does talk about leash reactivity, it does talk about odor-directed aggression, it talks about aggression to visitors, and there is … it’s a brief section, but there is a section in the book also about behavior medication and supplements. So for people that like to have a hard copy of something they can look at in their home, that might be a good option to consider. Melissa Breau: To round things out, since it’s your first time on, there are three questions I try to ask every guest their first time on the podcast, and I’d love to do those. So first off, what’s the dog-related accomplishment that you’re proudest of? Jennifer Summerfield: I would have to say, and there are so many, that’s always a question that’s hard to narrow down, but honestly, if I had to pick one, I would probably say getting my dog Remy’s CD would be my biggest accomplishment. From the time that I went to that obedience trial when I was a kid, and I watched the dogs and I just wanted to do that so bad, and with Duncan we muddled along and we did a little bit, we dabbled very briefly in competitive obedience and it didn’t go super-well, but I learned a lot from that, obviously. And then with Remy I did things a little differently, and it still took us a long time to get his CD finished, but the day that we finished it was just like … I went back to the crate and I cried. It was such a big deal for us. And I know obviously, for a lot of your listeners, they have much, much higher accomplishments in the obedience ring, but for us, that was huge. Sort of the second part of that, I guess, obviously finishing the title itself was such a big thing for me because it was something that we worked so hard on. But one of the things that kind of was the cherry on top about that trial was I remember when we were packing our stuff up and getting ready to go back to the car, there was a woman that came up to me. I didn’t know her, but I guess she had been standing around, watching the obedience ring, and she came up to me afterwards and she congratulated me on finishing my title. I said, “Thanks,’ and she said, “I just wanted to tell you how much fun I had watching you and your dog because he looked so happy,” and that was huge. I probably still feel the greatest about that of everything that we’ve done in our competition career or anywhere. So that was a great feeling. Melissa Breau: That’s amazing, and I just want to encourage everybody who’s listening, hey, listen, people remember when you say that kind of stuff about them and their dog. It’s worth it. Jennifer Summerfield: I don’t remember very much about that lady now except that that was what she told us, but she made my whole year, my whole decade. So thank you, whoever that lady was, if you’re listening. Melissa Breau: And if you see somebody have a really awesome run and you feel something like that, absolutely step up afterwards and let them know how awesome it was. Jennifer Summerfield: For sure. It makes a big difference. Melissa Breau: It’s such an amazing thing to hear. That’s just awesome. Jennifer Summerfield: Thank you. Melissa Breau: So my second question here is, what’s the best piece of training advice you’ve ever heard? Jennifer Summerfield: What I would have to say — and this is not technically dog training advice, I guess I’ll preface it that way, but I think it can apply to dog training, and I think about it in regards to dog training a lot. It’s actually a quote from Maya Angelou. It gets paraphrased a lot, but the actual quote is, she said, “I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” That has always struck me as being such a great way to look at life, a lot of things about life in general, but specifically about dog training, because I think for probably a lot of us who are crossover trainers, I think it’s probably a pretty widespread thing to have some degree of regret or guilt, maybe, about how we did things with our first dog, or how we taught some things that we wish if we could go back and do it differently. I love that quote because it’s so true that there’s no reason to feel guilty or to feel ashamed about doing the best that you knew how to do at the time, and that’s all any of us can do. But when new information comes along and you realize that there’s a different way to do things, that you just adjust your behavior and you do it differently. So I’ve always found that really helpful in terms of thinking about myself and my own choices, but I also think it’s so helpful to keep perspective when I’m thinking about clients and the people that I work with in my job as well, because I think it’s so easy for those of us who do this professionally, and we know all the science and we do this day in and day out, it’s so easy to get a client and to feel like, “Oh, can you believe this person’s been using a shock collar on their aggressive dog,” or “This person’s been alpha-rolling their dog,” and these things that are things that obviously are probably not the ideal way to handle whatever behavior issue they’re having. But I think it’s so helpful to remember that people are just doing the best they can. That’s so powerful, that people are just doing the best they can with what they know, and that’s all any of us can do. We all were there at one point, too, and that thinking about it from that perspective, that our job is to say, “Hey, you know, I totally understand where you’re coming from, and I understand why that seems like it makes sense, but let’s look at some other ways to address this that hopefully are going to be a little bit more effective and don’t have some of the side effects that those methods have.” I think about that frequently, both in terms of my own life and also working with clients, just to try and keep that perspective that it’s important to give people the benefit of the doubt that we’re working with, too, and remember that everybody is just doing the best they can with what they know. Melissa Breau: For our last question, who is somebody else in the dog world that you look up to? Jennifer Summerfield: All three of your questions are very hard because there are so many choices. I have two for this one, if that’s OK. For the first one, as far as being a really well-known public figure in our field that I have always looked up to, I would have to say Dr. Sophia Yin for that. For veterinarians especially, she was such a pioneer of changing the way that we deal with dogs in the clinic, and of course she did a lot of behavior stuff besides the low-stress handling as well. But I think she was such a tremendous role model for all veterinarians in the way that she dealt with animals and the way that she dealt with people, and so I look up to her tremendously, and I think she did great things for the field. The other person that I would have to mention, she’s not overly famous, I don’t think, but she is a great clinical applied animal behaviorist that I worked with when I was in veterinary school, and her name is Traci Shreyer. I worked pretty closely with her through the four years that I was there, because she was very involved in the puppy class program at that school, which I worked with quite a bit, and then she was involved in teaching some of our classes, and things on behavior as well, and working with us, the behavior club setups and some things with her, and so I dealt pretty closely with her the whole four years. What I loved about her and really took away from that experience is she was great with dogs and animals in general, she was fabulous, but she was also so, so great with people, with clients, and she was always reminding us … I think, again, for many of us in this field, being empathetic towards the dogs is easy, that’s kind of what drew us in in the first place, but I think it’s so, so important to remember that we have to have empathy for our human learners too, that what we’re asking them to do is hard, and that they deserve just as much consideration and kindness and respect as our dog patients do. She was probably the single best example of that that I have ever seen. She was fantastic, and that is a lesson that I definitely took away from working with her. So I would say she’s the other person that I still really look up to in the field. Melissa Breau: That’s awesome, and that’s such a great compliment to have given somebody you learned from, to say that they are so empathetic and so good with people. Jennifer Summerfield: Yes, it’s a hard skill, such a hard skill, but it’s so important. Melissa Breau: Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for coming on the podcast Jen. Jennifer Summerfield: No problem. I’ve had a great time! Melissa Breau: And thanks to our listeners for tuning in! We’ll be back next week with Nancy Tucker, to talk about getting better door behaviors. Don’t miss it. 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 and transcription written by CLK Transcription Services. Thanks again for tuning in -- and happy training!

In this episode, we sit down with Adina Silberstein who is the founder, President and CEO of award-winning, Philadelphia-based professional pet sitting, dog walking and force-free, holistic wellness company, Queenie’s Pets®, one of the largest pet care companies in the city. She is a business and leadership coach and a Certified Canine Massage Therapist. Adina is committed to making the lives of pets and their humans better by supporting her clients & communities in learning and practicing holistic, fear-free, force-free and pain-free care for all companion animals. Adina is an active member of many professional associations, including Pet Sitters International, National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, the Pet Professional Guild and more. Adina sits on the Philadelphia Animal Advisory Committee, a team of 10 pet professionals from across the animal disciplines that advises Philadelphia City Council and the city’s Mayor on all matters of the laws governing animals and their management - from companion animals, to the equine police units to wildlife and oversight of the main city shelter. Adina is a writer for national & local pet-related blogs, including Dogster.com, Catster.com & thephillydog.com. A graduate of American University as well as the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. In this episode you’ll learn: - How to take really good care of your employees - How to take your mobile service business to the next level by creating systems and processes that prioritize efficiency, boundaries and profitability - The pros and cons of opening up a brick-and-mortar shop for your mobile service business - The importance of continuous business education in order to be a solid leader - The benefits of working with a business coach like Adina - How to get involved in your community to grow your business and give back