BARKS from the Guild January 2016

Issue No. 16 / January 2016

from the Guild

A Force-Free Publication from the Pet Professional Guild: By the Members for the Members

www.petprofessionalguild.com

TRAININGCats In Class

BARKS

TM

INTERVIEWLeslie McDevitt

BEHAVIORAbnormal Repetitive

Behaviors

AVIANCommon Behavior

Problems

FELINECaring for the

Aging Cat

CANINEThe Language

of Barking

PPG SummitThe Future

Is Now

C

an Stoc

k Ph

oto Inc./v

italytitov Consent Testing: Yes or No? Empowering Dogs to Make Choices

Every great partnershipstarts with a handshake.

We oer professional discounts, wholesale rates, custom branded items, and more.

www.sitstay.com

BARKS from the Guild/January 2016

The dust has barely settled after the phenomenal success thatwas the PPG Summit 2015 in November but the Summitplanning committee is already back at the drawing board workingdiligently on this years event. Thanks to everyone who partici-pated in making PPGs inaugural convention such a hit. We willbe introducing a number of changes this year based on memberfeedback and aim to make Summit 2016 just as good, if not bet-ter (see pages 12-20 for report and more details).

In the meantime, another new year is upon us and we havean intriguing cover story to kick off 2016. How many times havewe all seen a dog forced into a situation he is not comfortablewith, sometimes with terrible consequences? Understanding ca-nine body language is crucial to knowing what dogs are sayingbut there is still much work to be done in terms of education.Learning how to interpret whether a dog is saying yes or no andthen respecting that decision is an excellent starting point. By en-suring consent and preference testing play an active role in pro-fessional interactions with clients, trainers and behaviorconsultants can help improve an animals quality of life, make be-havior modification more effective, improve training plans andcreate better communication all round. Read all about how toempower dogs to make choices in this way on pages 26-31.

As always, PPG members have submitted some stellar articleswhich we are proud to feature in this issue. In our canine sectionwe cover training a rescue dog to become a service dog, usingcats in dog training classes, barking dogs, biting dogs and deafdogs, while our feline section looks into life with a senior cat andalso wonders how domesticated cats really are. Elsewhere, ouravian section examines common behavior problems found in petbirds and, in a new behavior section, we investigate abnormalrepetitive behaviors exhibited by animals in managed care. Botharticles offer some handy options for addressing specific issues.

In our business section we investigate how professional train-ers and behavior consultants can better engage their clients towork towards improved compliance and outcome. Meanwhile,our comment section returns and wonders why aversive trainingmethods are still being used on dogs (and other animals for thatmatter) when progressive zoos are using scientifically sound,force-free techniques on potentially dangerous animals such ascheetahs and jaguars. Its a good question to which perhaps thereis really no good answer.

We also feature another insightful interview this month, thistime with renowned trainer Leslie McDevitt. McDevitt comesback to the essential issues of compassion and empathy and askshow anyone can be a really good trainer if they cannot put them-selves in the animals position. It is another good question and amessage the force-free movement continues to work tirelesslytowards sharing amongst pet owners and the animal trainingcommunity at large.

Enjoy the read and please get in touch to let us know whatyou think or if you would like to contribute.

Susan Nilson

From the Editor

Published by the Pet Professional Guild9122 Kenton Road, Wesley Chapel, FL 33545

Tel: 41 Dog-Train (413-648-7246) PetProfessionalGuild.com

petprofessionalguild.com/BARKSfromtheGuildfacebook.com/BARKSfromtheGuild

Editor-in-ChiefSusan Nilson

[email protected]

Images Can Stock Photo: canstockphoto.com

(unless otherwise credited; uncredited images belong to PPG)

The Guild Steering CommitteeKelly Fahey, Rebekah King, Debra Millikan, Susan Nilson, Angelica Steinker, Niki Tudge

BARKS from the GuildPublished bi-monthly, 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.

SubmissionsBARKS encourages the submission of original written materials. Please contact the Editor-in-Chief for contributor guidelines prior to

sending manuscripts or see: PetProfessionalGuild.com/Forcefreeindustrypublication

Please submit all contributions via our submission form at: PetProfessionalGuild.com/BFTGcontent

Letters to the EditorTo comment on an authors work, or to let PPG know what topics youwould like to see more of, contact the Editor-in-Chief via email putting

BARKS in the subject line of your email. BARKS reserves the right to editfor length, grammar and clarity.

Subscriptions and DistributionPlease contact Rebekah King at [email protected]

for all subscription and distribution-related enquiries.

AdvertisingPlease contact Niki Tudge at [email protected] to obtaina copy of rates, ad specifications, format requirements and deadlines.

Advertising information is also available at:PetProfessionalGuild.com/AdvertisinginBARKS

PPG does not endorse or guarantee any products, services or vendorsmentioned in BARKS, nor can it be responsible for problems with vendorsor their products and services. PPG reserves the right to reject, at its

discretion, any advertising.

The Pet Professional Guild is a membership business league representing pet industry professionals who are committed to

force-free training and pet care philosophies, practices and methods. Pet Professional Guild members understand force-free to mean:

No Shock, No Pain, No Choke, No Prong, No Fear, No Physical Force, NoPhysical Molding and No Compulsion-Based Methods.

BARKSfrom the Guild

3

60

3 6

4

C O N T E N T S

26

12

52

Can Stock Photo Inc./fouroaks

34

5 NEWSPPGBI, PPGA, companion dog assessment program, new PPG vendors and more

9 ADVOCACYSpotlight on PPGBIs force-free photo campaign

12 PPG SUMMITSusan Nilson reports on PPG president Niki Tudges opening address, Dr. Karen Overalls keynote presentation, the final day panel discussion at Summit 2015, and whats new for Summit 2016

21 EDUCATIONUpcoming PPG webinars and workshops plus a report by Emily Conde on the October 2015 Pet Care Certification workshop

26 THEVALUE OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONAngelica Steinker examines the role of consent and preferencetesting in canine behavior consulting

32 A REAL CONNECTIONAnnie Phenix speaks to renowned dog trainer, Leslie McDevitt

34 FROM SHELTER DOGTO SERVICE DOGL. A. Bykowsky and Chere McCoy tell the tale of Stella, a rescue Chihuahua training as an assistance dog for her owners PTSD

36 CATS IN CLASSYvette Van Veen explores the possibilities of using cats in a dog training class

38 A DEEPER UNDERSTANDINGMary Jean Alsina examines the reasons behind the proliferation of dog bites in the US

41 DOG SPEAK - THE LANGUAGE OF BARKINGDiane Garrod examines canine communication and presents tips on how to manage and prevent over-barking

44 WORKINGWITH A DEAF DOGTerrie Hayward presents the case of Jax, the 70 pound rescue crossbreed, who also happened to be deaf

47 FELINE BEHAVIOR UNMASKEDJane Ehrlich responds to commonly asked questions about cats

48 CARING FOR THE SENIOR CATJane Ehrlich discusses some common signs of aging in older cats

50 HOW DOMESTICATED ARE CATS? Patience Fisher wonders whether asking how domesticated cats really are is even the right question

52 SOLVING COMMON BEHAVIOR ISSUESVicki Ronchette highlights some of the common behavior problems found in pet birds

55 THE FREEDOM OF CHOICELara Joseph looks into some of the abnormal repetitive behaviors exhibited by animals in managed care

58 DOGS DONTWRITE CHECKSMary Jean Alsina explains how trainers and behavior consultants can better connect with their clients

60 PROGRESSIVE ZOOS ANDTHEAVOIDANCE OF AVERSIVESINTRAININGLinda Michaels wonders why aversive methods are still used in dog training when large and potentially dangerous animals can betrained using positive reinforcement

62 PROFILE: A PROCESS OF SELF-REINFORCEMENTFeaturing Angelica Steinker of Courteous Canine, Inc. DogSmith of Tampa

C

an Stock

Pho

to In

c./v

italytitov


38

41

48

55

Can Stock Photo Inc./cynoclub

Can Stock Photo Inc./Colecanstock

Can Stock Photo Inc./Irinavk

Photo courtesy: Becky Ascione

N E W S

5

PPG Focuses on April Launch for New Member Licensed Product


PPG is set to launch the new Pet Dog Ambassador Program(PDA) for members worldwide in April 2016. Announced atthe PPG Summit in Tampa last November and by means of amember webinar in December, the program aims to provide anassessment process that tests real life dogs' and guardians' skills,both in a class situation and in the real world via a progressiveassessment.

This is a very exciting project and has been designed to helppeople drive business to their practices while providing real lifeskills to pet dogs and their owners at three different levels, saidDeb Millikan of PPG Australia, and a key player in the develop-ment of the program.

More details on the program, as well as how professionalsand dog guardians can apply, to follow shortly.

PPG Announces New Member Vendor Partner: Blue-9 Pet ProductsBlue-9 Pet Products, www.blue-9.com, an-other proud sponsor of PPG's 2015Summit, is now offering all members $20 offeach KLIMB product.

Whether you call them platforms, placesor pedestals, a small, elevated surface pro-vides an easy way to train animals of allkinds. The KLIMB dog training platform isdeliberately crafted to be just large enoughfor the animal to comfortably occupy the space.

You can access the checkout code required for this discountin the member area of the PPG website, www.petprofessionalguild.com/PPGMemberArea. Many attendeesbought these products at the Summit and are very happy with them.

Be sure to register for the webinar being presented byMichele Pouliot of Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) on platformtraining for dogs on Friday, January 15, 2016 from 4 - 5:30 p.m.

(EST), www.petprofessionalguild.com/event-2018561. Pouliot is recognized internationally for her innovation and

creative development in guide dog training and service to blindclients. GDB actively assists other guide dog schools around theworld in their efforts to adopt positive training methods.

Since 2006, Pouliot has directly assisted more than 30 guidedog schools (internationally and in the USA) in changing theirprograms to encompass positive reinforcement and clicker train-ing methods.

The Pet Dog Ambassador program will belaunched worldwide in April

Photo: Janet Coelho, Adelaide Pet Photos

BREAKING NEWS:PPG president Niki Tudge has announced that PPG Summit 2016 will takeplace on November 8-11 in Tampa, Florida. We have some amazing speakers lined up,

massive names in the industry, said Tudge. For more details see page 20.

PPG Announces New Member Vendor Partner: SitStaySitStay, a proud sponsor of PPG Summit 2015 inTampa, Florida last November, is now offeringmembers a 15 percent discount on all productspurchased from their website, www.sitstay.com.

SitStay generously sponsored the Splash Din-ner at the Summit and were on hand for the threedays to talk to members about their products.

SitStay has been selling quality pet productssince 1995 and their training supplies mirrorPPGs guiding principles, www.petprofessional-guild.com/PPGs-Guiding-Principles. SitStay offersprofessional discounts, wholesale rates, custom branded itemsand much more.

For more details, see the member area of the PPG website,www.petprofessionalguild.com/PPGMemberArea.

6 BARKS from the Guild/January 2016

N E W S

The Pet Professional Guild British Isles (PPGBI) was launchedin April 2015. How quickly time passes! The year saw asteady increase in membership numbers of both pet profession-als and the pet owning public.

Many new members have cited the fact that PPGBIs guidingprinciples, www.ppgbi.com/PPGs-Guiding-Principles, were oneof the main reasons they applied to join the organization. As alocal chapter of PPG, PPGBI is setting the same standards forhumane, effective, science-based, reward-based, force-free train-ing. Many other members have cited the amazing resources thatare made available to both pet enthusiasts and professionals,such as educational handouts, articles, videos and webinars; ad-vocacy videos and handouts; information about everything fromtraining to pet first aid and canine communication; the Guildarchives, www.petprofessionalguild.com/Guild-Archives; accessto BARKS from the Guild, www.petprofessionalguild.com/BARKSfromtheGuild the list goes on. Professional membersare also listed in PPGBIs directory, which means they can bemore easily located.

In September 2015, special counsel members Prof. Paul Mc-Greevy, veterinarian and ethologist, Debbie Matthews, of VetsGet Scanning and Craig MacLellan, CEO and founder of Veteranswith Dogs, were joined by renowned clicker gundog trainer,Helen Phillips. Phillips teaches a variety of clicker training andgundog courses around the world as well as at her own training

center in the UK.Meanwhile, PPGBIs steering committee has been very busy

behind the scenes working on its goals for 2016. It looks likebeing another great year during which we look forward to wel-coming many new members.

If you are already a member of PPG but would like to trans-fer to your local chapter, please visit PPGBIs website,www.ppgbi.com.

- Louise Stapleton-Frappell CTDI PCT-AMembership Manager, PPG British Isles

Update from PPG British Isles

- Steph McColl PCT-APresident - PPG Australia

PPG Australia(PPGA) has hada busy time overthe past couple ofmonths.

First, we werevery excited andproud to announcefour appointmentsto PPGAs specialcounsel:

Prof. Paul McGreevy, an RCVS recognized specialist inveterinary behavioral medicine, and sub dean of animal welfare atthe University of Sydney. Prof. McGreevys research interests in-clude, amongst others, animal welfare science, and learning the-ory as applied to animal training and behavior modification. Dr. Katrina Ward, an Australian veterinarian and presi-dent of the Australian Veterinary Behaviour Interest Group. Dr.Wards passion is about helping to keep pets and their people to-gether harmoniously and kindly, and to ensure the welfare of allspecies is respected. Dr. Gabrielle Carter, an Australian veterinarian with amasters degree in veterinary behaviour from Purdue Universityin Indiana, USA, and qualified as a diplomate of the American Col-lege of Veterinary Behavioristsone of only two specialists inAustralia with this qualification.

Dr. Kersti Seksel, a registered veterinary specialist in an-imal behaviour, a fellow of the Australian College of Veterinaryscientists in animal behaviour, a diplomate of the American Col-lege of Veterinary Behaviorists and a diplomate of the EuropeanCollege of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine. She is anadjunct senior lecturer at Charles Sturt University and honoraryassociate at University of Sydney. She currently sits on the boardof the Delta Society and is chair of the NSW Animal Welfare Ad-visory Council.

PPGA has also begun rolling out its full member benefits pro-gram, with the undertaking of vendor partnerships with BlackDog Wear and Foobler. More partnerships are in the pipeline,both for full members and other member levels.

All of us at PPGA are immensely proud that our own DebraMillikan has been appointed to the board of PPG. Our heartfeltcongratulations to her, and to PPG, who obviously recognize thebest when they see it.

Our big news to start the new year is that PPG Australia haspartnered with the Dog Lovers Show Melbourne to present theAsk A Trainer stand for the three days of the show in 2016.We have some exciting plans under way to get the PPG nameand brand out to the southern part of Australia and to providearound 20,000 Australian dog owners and lovers with a hands-onexperience of positive reinforcement training. This will be huge!

Update from PPG Australia


N E W S

7

Kelly Fahey has joined the PPG steering committee as of De-cember 2015. Fahey is a Level 2, Pat Miller certified trainerand a Dog*tec certified dog walker and pet sitter. She owns andoperates The DogSmith of Hunterdon in New Jersey, www.TheDogSmithOfHunterdon.com. She believes that training a dogdoes not have to be stressful and should be fun for both ownersand their dogs. She strives to help people teach their dogs to bewell-mannered family members, thereby keeping dogs in theirhomes and out of shelters.

In her youth, Faheys love of animals was manifested throughher active membership in local 4-H Clubs, where she raised awide variety of farm and domestic animals.

People would come up to me while I was out with my dogsand comment about how well behaved they were, and say howthey wished they could get their dog to do insert a behaviorhere, and ask for advice, said Fahey. It just seemed like it a nat-ural progression for me to help the human-dog relationship.

I am honored to have been invited to be part of PPGs steer-ing committee, Fahey continued. Of course I only use force-free training and pet care methods and am committed toadvocating that people build a relationship with their dog basedon trust and not pain, fear or intimidation. I look forward to pro-viding insight and guidance to help PPG further the cause offorce-free training and animal care and am confident that a uni-fied team will have a substantial impact of the pet care industry.

Fahey Joins PPG Steering Committee

Kelly Fahey (above left) with her dogs Brynn (center) and Cooper

Cat Committee Updates Webinar SchedulePPGs Cat Committee has announced an updated list of webi-nars focusing on all things feline. The program kicks off onWednesday, January 20, 2016 at 4 p.m. (EST) with Feline Destruc-tive Scratching and How To Solve It. For more details see page 8.

PPG is set to launch an indepth dog training program in thevery near future featuring trick team titles and a DogNosticswebinar program (to be shared through PPG). The focus will beon increasing training skills and knowledge while placing a bigemphasis on fun and teamwork. More information to follow soon.

Two Exciting New Products Coming Soon!


N E W S

PPG Workshops and Webinars

Live Webinars"Get a Cue": Creating Stimulus Control with

Discrimination with Yvette Van VeenSunday, January 10, 2016 - 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (EST)Learn about Platform Training for Dogs

with Michele PouliotFriday, January 15, 2016 - 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (EST)

Learn All The Ways "Lunch & Learn" Sessions Can Help Grow Your Business! with Niki TudgeFriday, January 22, 2016 - 2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (EST)

Purebreds are Like Unicorns: Understanding the BreedAncestry of Shelter Dogs and the Influence of

Breed Labels with Lisa GunterThursday, January 28, 2016 - 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (EST)

Building Empathy - How to Teach Children to InteractSafely with Dogs with by Janis Bradley

Friday, January 29, 2016 - 1p.m. - 2:30 p.m. (EST)An Introduction to Dog Bite Safety Education For

Children; The "Be a Tree" Program with Gabrielle DunneTuesday, February 2, 2016 - 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. (EST)

Details of all upcoming webinars can be found at:www.petprofessionalguild.com/GuildScheduledEvents

A recording is made available within 48 hours of all PPG webinars.

The Use and Application of Training Mechanics to HelpDevelop Impulse Control with Jolein van Weperen

Saturday, March 12, 2016 - 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. (EST)Does Canine Hypothyroidism Really Affect

Behavior? with Lisa RadostaThursday, September 1, 2016 - 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. (EDT)

Cat WebinarsFeline Destructive Scratching with Francine MillerWednesday, January 20, 2016 - 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. (EST)Introducing Cats to Cats: Bringing Home a Shelter

Cat with Patience FisherThursday, February 18, 2016 - 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. (EST)

Force-Free Nail Trims and Medicating with Janna LightMarch 2016 (date/time TBC)

Organizing a Kittengarten with Paula GarberApril 2016 (date/time TBC)

Aggression Cat to Human with Jane EhrlichMay 2016 (date/time TBC)

Environmental Enrichment with Francine Miller and Jane Ehrlich

June 2016 (date/time TBC)Low Stress Cat Handling (for Vets, Shelter Staff

and Owners) with Paula GarberJuly 2016 (date/time TBC)

Introductions: Dogs to Resident Cats/Cats to Resident Dogs with Leanna Bower

August 2016 (date/time TBC)Kongs for Cats with Amy Martin

September 2016 (date/time TBC)

If you havent already tuned in, make a note to listen to the PPGRadio Show, www.petprofessionalguild.com/PPG-Broadcast, onthe first Sunday of every month at 12 noon (EST). There is an in-credible line-up of guests and the show is always educational andfun. Here is the current line-up (subject to change):

PPG World Service Radio Show Schedule

Sunday, January 3, 2016 - 12 Noon (EST) Teresa McKeon: TAGteachDiana Nichols Pappert: Do Animals Think?; how genetics andthe environment influence behaviorYvette Van Veen: Decoy dogsRegister at:www.attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5664984442108947457

Sunday, February 7, 2016 - 12 noon (EST)Helen Phillips: Clicker training gundogsNiki Tudge: Engaging, educating and empowering human clientsEileen Anderson: Canine cognitive dysfunctionRegister at:www.attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5019930657185988866

C

an Stock

Pho

to/d

amed

eeso

You can submit a question for any of the guests here:www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/m37XVZeJ2cL3p0e7lD

Sunday, March 6, 2016 - 12 noon (EST)Dr. Michelle Duda: Stop barking up the wrong tree: how to im-plement best practices for coachingAmy Martin: Compassionate training for clients Gabrielle Dunne: Doggone Safe/Be a TreeRegister at:www.attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2953224829703577090

WorkshopsA Force-Free Pet Care Certification Workshop (Tampa, FL) with Niki Tudge, Angelica Steinker,

Rebekah King and Melody MichaelThursday, May 19, 2016 - 9 a.m. (EDT) -Sunday, May 22, 2016 - 5:30 p.m. (EDT)

The Gift of a Gray Muzzle: Active Care for Senior Dogs(Tampa, FL) with Kathy Sdao and Lori Stevens

Saturday, September 24, 2016 - 9:30 a.m. (EDT) -Sunday, September 25, 2016 - 4:30 p.m. (EDT)

Details of all upcoming workshops can be found at: www.petprofessionalguild.com/Workshops.


A D V O C A C Y

9

PPGBI Launches Online Force-Free CampaignLouise Stapleton-Frappell explains the #PPGBIForceFree initiative and shares some

of the photos that have been submitted so far

October 2015 saw the start of Pet Professional Guild British Isles(PPGBI) force-free hashtag campaign. PPGBI asked everyone to postphotos of their dogs with the hashtag #PPGBIForceFree, www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=%23PPGBIForceFree and help spread the word regard-ing the power of force-free training. Many gorgeous pictures have alreadybeen shared on Facebook, all helping to bring about a greater awareness ofscience-based, reward-based, force-free training, as well as promoting mem-bership of PPGBI. If you would like to join the campaign simply share aphoto on your own timeline on Facebook, making sure you include #PPGBI-ForceFree in the post title. All the photos that are shared can be viewed byclicking on the hashtag.The following three pages feature a selection of someof the wonderful #PPGBIForceFree photos already submitted.

Geoffery(right) kicks

off the campaign (poster by

PPGBIsteering

committee member,Denise

O'Moore)

TM

A D V O C A C Y


To join the campaign simply share a photo on your Facebook timeline, making sure you include #PPGBIForceFree in the post title

TM

A D V O C A C Y

11

#PPGSummit 2015: Advocating for Change


S U M M I T

12

By all accounts the inaugural PPG educational Summit onNovember 11-13, 2015 was both a resounding success anda lot of fun, with presenters, sponsors, vendors, volunteersand 300 plus attendees from all over the world all playing theirpart in making it such an enjoyable, memorable event.In her opening address, www.youtube.com/watch?v

=VjJ9xWaEtL4, PPG president Niki Tudge reflected on the some-times rocky - but never boring - journey it has been over the lastfour years to get PPG to where it is today. PPG now has mem-bers in 27 plus countries and multiple committees across theglobe working on new projects.The profession of animal training, behavior and pet care is a

tripod of art, science and relationships, and each is as importantas the other, said Tudge. We have a serious responsibility andobligation to advocate for those who cannot advocate for them-selves. We do not have to convince everyone that our way isright. We must simply engage and motivate them to try. The re-sults of force-free training stand up, and are supported by sci-ence; they work best for everyone. As professionals we have said no to shock, choke, prong, fear

and pain, which challenges us to search for better, more effective,humane ways to apply our craft. Our goal must be to engage, ed-ucate and empower other pet professionals, pet owners and any-one that steps into our individual spheres of influence. Throughour actions and high standards of conduct and performance wecan influence how our industry evolves. We all want to bringabout change and we have a big job ahead of us. It is not a sprintbut a marathon and it is important that we promote what we

love and what we inspire to teach, rather than bash and draw at-tention to what we hate.

PPGs goals for 2016 are focused on continuing support ofits members in their education, business development and themutual force-free mission. Tudge encouraged anyone who wantsto help shape the industry, or indeed PPG, to jump onto a com-mittee to help make an impact. She then introduced keynotespeaker, certified applied veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Karen Over-all, as a strong advocate for humane techniques and a valued PPGpartner from the outset. Both Tudge and Dr. Overall were visibly

Susan Nilson showcases highlights from PPG president Niki Tudges opening address and

keynote speaker Dr. Karen Overalls presentation at PPGs 2015 Summit in Tampa, Florida

From Leashes to Neurons: Humane Behavioral Care for Dogs Part I: The Brain in Evolution and Everyday Life

s Dogs are not wolves and have not been wolves for a long time.s Much learning in dogs involves systems we dont always consider - olfaction and non-verbal and tactile signaling. s Essential to our understanding of behavior is an understanding of reactivity. s Dogs are not domesticated wolves, and our relationship with them may be one of co-evolution. s Dogs differ from both chimps and hand reared wolves in their ability to act on signals from humans (Hare et al.). s Can dogs do observational learning? Yes, and there are data to prove it. sWe need to take advantage of observational learning, and be cautious about what is inadvertently taught. sWhat information is contained in vocal signals? Should we just be telling the dogs to shut up? sWe should reconsider how we interact with dogs and what their signals mean.sWe should be cognizant of how dogs process sensory information. s By understanding regions in the brain associated with learning we can appreciate how we may prevent doing damage. s Considering temperament, a moderate to high heritability of traits is implied but is this true? s Simple genetic associations for most behaviors or behavioral conditions are rare. s Familial patterns and those shared across breeds can inform early intervention in behavioral conditions. s Dogs and dog breeds provide superb data for understanding complex behavior. s Dogs work for information, which is their most important currency, especially in uncertain situations.

- Dr. Karen Overall, PPG Summit, Tampa, Florida 2015

Photo courtesy: Becky Ascione

Dr. Karen Overall (left)and PPG president NikiTudge at the opening ofthe 2015 PPG Summit

S U M M I T

BARKS from the Guild/January 2016 13

moved by their passion to make the world a safer, more enjoy-able place for pets, and the impact of holding the first ever pro-fessional convention devoted solely to force-free, humane,scientifically sound training methods.Dr. Overalls presentation was nothing short of outstanding.

Educational, informative and entertaining, Overall spoke fluently andpassionately about her work and generously shared some of theups and downs of being an advocate for improving the lives of pets,both in homes and in rescue, during her four-hour keynote address.Humans do not bother to try to learn the language of other

From Leashes to Neurons: Humane Behavioral Care for Dogs Part II:

The Neurobiology of Reactivity and StresssAt what age or developmental stage is arousal and reactivityimportant? Parental/grandparental; prenatal; infantile sensitiveperiods; juvenile social maturation periods; adult; old age.s During arousal and reactivity chronic cortisol elevation ap-pears to act as a translational gene regulator. s Cortisol elevation appears to interfere with the acquisitionand consolidation of task learning in regions of the hippocampus. s Chronic glucocorticoid exposure affects the structural devel-opment of the hippocampus. s Pre-natal and chronic ongoing stress in rats leads to shrink-age of the hippocampus and subsequent memory impairmentand facilitation of fear conditioning in the amygdala, especiallyauditory fear conditioning (consider noise phobic dogs).sThe amygdala is a concept or a destination as opposed to athing. Everything is connected in the brain.sThere are four problems with communication that may affectdogs who worry and have anxiety disorders: anxious dogs can-not read the signals others are giving, cannot use or process theinformation received, cannot make decisions based on the in-formation they get, or communicate any decision in a helpfulway. s In canine anxiety disorders, if we can slow down the rate ofreacting and keep the patient below the threshold where shejust does the same thing over and over again even though thatstrategy is not working, the patient should begin to respond ina way where she can learn which behaviors make her and oth-ers more comfortable. The patient can be happier we justhave to not give up.sTo treat a behavior problem, first we have to teach dogs tobe less reactive.s Can we teach thoughtfulness and impulse control? It de-pends on the genetic and epigenetic response surfaces. s Can we teach dogs to be calmer, more thoughtful and lessreactive? Yes, we can teach relaxation. s Dogs work for information, which is their most importantcurrency, especially in uncertain situations.


From Leashes to Neurons: Humane Behavioral Care for Dogs Part III:

Assessing Behavior - What Do Tests Tell Us?sThere are good methodologies to assess behavior but theprinciples driving them are seldom applied in clinical situations,in choosing pets, in sheltering or rescue situations, or in work-ing dog situations. sTo adequately assess risk and the correlated effects of biting,we need accurate, detailed information on breed, damage andcontext. s Misidentification of breeds is rampant huge amounts of re-sources been spent on the political, and not the biological issue. s Bite scales tell only about damage caused and may say noth-ing about the dog. s Bite damage is affected by a dogs size, build, the movementof the dog and the human, plus the behaviors and the emo-tional state of both.sAll dogs can bite, always be careful when interacting with adog, even a family dog (Cornelissen & Hopster). sWe cannot test dogs as if they are all part of the same popu-lation they could be normal, reactive, reactive with extensivetreatment, or reactive just starting treatment. All are differentand so the tests should be different.sTests carried out in a shelter are not predictive of how a dogwill behave out of the shelter.sTests for aggression will produce many false positives yet thisis a matter of life or death in shelters.sThe test for killing things is not worth the paper it is writtenon. At least flip a coin and make it fair if you are looking for areason to kill animals.s Consider using standardized screens to assess all animals andto examine patterns in your population. sThe development and use of these kinds of tests, combinedwith a relinquishment history could help meet an animalsneeds.s By knowing the lifestyle issues an animal has experienced and preferred sheltering can become less stressful. s Adoptability is a function of a dogs behavior and theirhumans needs, expectations, social and physical environments.sAny animal in rescue/shelter has baggage and special needs;some of these are created by the shelter. sThe vast majority of shelter/rescue animals can recover fromnegative experiences and blossom with time.


Dr. Karen Overall:The more

humanely dogsare treated, the better

Dr. Karen Overall:Kindness can be

scientifically informed


S U M M I T

14

animals because it is too hard, said Dr. Overall at the outset.We just expect dogs to learn our language instead. Fast mappingis the first stage of human language acquisition and involves mak-ing groups of things. Dogs do label things, although maybe notthe same as we do, and they can do observational learning. Con-text matters. Human and dog cognition seems similar, and hu-mans and dogs have virtually identical social systems. Dogscognition appears similar to humans (consider co-evolution) andthey can learn by watching both other dogs and humans.Kindness can be scientifically informed, Overall continued.

Birth, life and death are painful and kindness brings some relieffrom all of that. I think to try to make the world less distressingis the best that we can hope for. Dogs will have more and moreof an important role in keeping us safe so the more humanelythey are treated and the conditions they live in, the better.Any animal in a shelter or rescue should be sheltered. They

have baggage and special needs, and some of these are created bythe shelter. The vast majority of these animals can recover andblossom with time. By knowing who they are we can meet theirneeds and understand and address their risks. Creativity is re-quired. This approach requires the will to do it and that we relyon research and data collection. Its not simple, but it canbe done.When Overall closed her presentation, she deservedly re-

ceived a standing ovation. Her drive, knowledge, compassion andcommitment were an inspiration and allow us to hope that, asforce-free pet professionals, we can continue to make a differ-

From Leashes to Neurons: Humane Behavioral Care for Dogs Part IV: No Fear Redefining Humane Behavioral Care

s Study: 18 of 135 dogs (13.3%) of the dogs in one vet practice had be dragged or carried in (Dring et al.). s Study: Fewer than half of the dogs entered the vet practice calmly (Dring et al.). s Study: Dogs < 2 years who see vets often are more fearful than older dogs who see vets less (Dring et al., Hernander).sThe studies suggest that repeated exposure to veterinary practices may enhance fear at or up to certain ages. s Study: Dogs in waiting rooms that were not chaotic and had sufficient time to calm were less stressed than those who weremoved quickly from the waiting room to the exam room (Hernander). sWeighing dogs on the scale is much more stressful than sitting in the waiting room (Dring et al.). s On the exam table, of 135 dogs, 106 (78.5%) were fearful (Dring et al., Hernander). sWhen changing behaviors, remember that humane handling involves learned trust. sThe concept of humane tools does not include shock collars, e-stimulation, prong collars and metal choke collars.


ence to the lives of the animals that come into our care, and tothe future of animal training as a whole. n

For further highlights of Dr.Overalls keynote address, see boxes on pages 12-14

Dr. Karen Overall:The test for killing

things is notworth the paper

its written on

Dr. Karen Overall:Making the worldless distressing isthe best we can

hope for

Dr. Karen Overall:Human and dog cognition seems similar and our social systems are virtually identical -consider co-evolution

Service dog intraining Oakley

welcomes attendees tothe TampaConvention

Center for theopening address

Photo courtesy: Amber O

liver

S U M M I T


#PPGSummit 2015: The Future Is NowAt the close of PPGs 2015 Summit, we invited six of the presenters to engage in a brief

panel discussion on what the future holds for the field of professional animal

training and behavior. Susan Nilson reports

Attimes, with all the cruelty and destruction in the world,it can seem disheartening for pet professionals who aretrying to make a stand for animals, to be their voice andensure they get the best care possible and are never subjectedto pain and suffering along the way. While there is still great re-sistance from many quarters regarding the power of training viapositive reinforcement - scientific study notwithstanding - aseveryone in attendance at the PPG Summit already knows, theresults speak for themselves.As Ken McCort said in his presentation, The Skill of Manage-

ment and Training when Dogs Are Displaying Undesired Behavior,using positive punishment when dealing with an undesirable be-havior means you are reacting to what the dog has already done,which is not a good training approach.An aversive device excites a part of the nervous system that

you do not want to excite, said McCort. A good trainer negoti-ates with an animal, i.e. will you do this for this?Bearing this in mind, we asked McCort, along with fellow pre-

senters Pat Miller, Janis Bradley, Angelica Steinker, Lara Joseph andChirag Patel (with PPG president Niki Tudge moderating) whatthey believe the future holds for the rapidly growing area of ani-mal behavior and training. Here is what they had to say:

Q: How do you see the pet industry developing from here?

Janis Bradley: I really do think that a huge proportion of thefuture of dog training is in recognizing and understanding andtaking advantage of the science of relationships. It wasnt thatlong ago in my life with dogs that I thought that was hocuspocus, namby pamby stuff yet now we have got the solutions. Itsreally real. The really great thing is that very gradually our clientsactually know what were talking aboutwhen they talk about their relationshipswith their dogs. I am a crossover trainerso I have seen a big sea change in how weadvise people on their relationships withtheir dogs and I think there is a big new[change] coming.

Ken McCort: I do think this is one of thegreatest collections of experts - not justpeople [in the panel] but people in the au-dience - and dog trainers that Ive seen fora long long time. Im really happy to seethat, for a first summit, it turned out theway it did. The science is absolutely necessary.

The more I know the more I understand whats going on with ananimal, or think I understand. We can never know it all but thescience is getting better. Im so pleased with the industry andwhats going on, especially with the science. Im really excitedabout a lot of the products that are coming out that we can useto help our animals and help our clients animals. I think thats avery promising future. The big thing Id like to see in the future isthe different people who work in training animals, especially inthe exotic animal world, networking with others. [The latter]could use our help sometimes and we could learn a lot fromthem. Some are just starting out and need more education, andthere are others from whose wisdom we can all benefit.

Pat Miller: This has been the best dog training conference ever.It is so cool to have been in the industry for long enough to seethe change.

Chirag Patel: For me, the future of dog training is the scienceaspect of it. Science goes beyond learning theory and I hope thatwell look at training as part of the care package for an animal,rather than thinking, I just want to do training. I think there willbe lots of change in that respect.

Angelica Steinker: I see so many possibilities. I challengeeveryone to be creative and to share their creativity. Let peopleknow if you come up with a great idea. Put it in BARKS from theGuild, put it on the PPG Facebook page and share what youknow. All of those great ideas can create something completelyawesome.

Lara Joseph: This is the best seminar I have ever attended. Icome from the exotic animal world and Iam bringing awareness of PPG and the fu-ture of PPG to my clientele. Theres a bigneed for it in the wildlife rehabilitationcommunity. A field that is huge on aversives and

punishment is pigs so I am pushing PPG inthat area and trying to educate how posi-tive reinforcement and applied behavioranalysis do affect behavior.

Q: How do you foresee bringing theforce-free movement to the horse in-dustry? There is still so much punish-ment with horses and it can be aculture of cruelty.

Panelist and presenter,Chirag Patel, meetsZoey, owned by summitattendee, Alyssa Buller(not pictured)


S U M M I T

16

Ken McCort: It is a process. When youre going to change an in-dustry and change the way people think, the first thing is thatpeople say you are crazy and that it will never work. Then theyanalyze and try to find fault, and then they try it out and say theyknew it would work all along. You have to stay out there andkeep pushing. There is no way Id be touching a wolf, fox or coy-ote using the methods I learned back in the 60s and early 70sbecause if I did, Id either be dead or they wouldnt come nearme. Dogs and horses are about the only animals that you canpunish who will forgive you for it so they seem to take the bruntof it and thats a shame. Just because you can do it doesnt makeit right. By the same token I think that in some of those indus-tries, depending on where you are, some of them are changingslowly. Theres clicker training for horses and there are moreworkshops on that so its getting there. Its just a slow process.You guys that work with horses get out there and show whatyou can do and thats how you do it. Its all by example. We haveto show people how [reward-based training] works.

Pat Miller: Most people dont know this but before there was aWhole Dog Journal there was a Whole Horse Journal and I wrote alot of training articles [for it], but it died from lack of supportand lack of readership because the horse world wasnt reallyready for it. It may be time to revisit the idea of a Whole HorseJournal. Beezie Madden on the US equestrian team uses clickertraining on her showjumpers so its out there. Its coming but itsslow. There is huge pushback in the horse world about using treats

for training because what do you do if you this 1,000 pound ani-mal mugs you for treats. Its so easy with a horse though. When Ifirst started clicker training I tried it on my horse first. When Iwas charging the clicker I waited for her to look away from mebefore I clicked and now, 20 years later, I have a horse who con-sistently and deliberately doesnt mug me in order to get a clickand treat. How easy is that? So its coming but certainly thehorse world is pretty resistant to it so its going to take sometime. And, by the way, horse whispering is no more positive orforce-free than dog whispering is.

Q: What do you tell a client who tells you they have beenusing punitive methods?

Janis Bradley: My standard pitch is the same thing that I dowith anyone when I expect to get some resistance. Rather thanbe confrontational Ill affirm what they said, which just meansthat anyone who tells you that you cannot motivate an animalwith pain and fear is just silly, of course you can. Any reasonableorganism will do things to avoid scary consequences but a) isthat the relationship you want with your dog and b) is that whyyou want him to do things for you. And often I dont have to goany further than that. Theyll mull it over just a little bit and saythey want to do it more because he likes them and they want todo something pleasant. Most people dont hire you as a behaviorconsultant because they hate their dogs.

Angelica Steinker: I immediately begin training them so what Ido is ignore the unwanted behavior (i.e. what they just said) and

ask them what they do to havefun with their dog. That way Imnot positioning myself like Imon this side and youre on thatside, but were both on the sideof fun.

Chirag Patel: For me, I like toinspire change through empow-erment because you wontchange their behavior by sayingpunishment is bad. We have totry to set clients up for successand then, when they see suc-cess with their dogs, they willwant to use reinforcement-based techniques rather thanpunishment with their dogs.

Ken McCort: Confronting theclient or arguing is not whyyoure there. I always keep inthe back of my mind that, iftheyve called me, they alreadyknow it didnt work. I also tryto keep in mind that its thesame relationship problem yousee in human divorce I lovemy spouse but hate their be-havior. A lot of the times I willagree with them that yes, this isnot what you want from youranimal, and while Im doing thatIm getting a good behaviorfrom that animal right in frontof me. Im letting them see thebehavior change without mesaying a word to the animal andusually after a few minutes ofthat theyll say, well,, what areyou doing there, and thats myguide. I tell them that we dothis with a lot of other speciesbesides dogs and thats usuallythe hook for me against theseguys that still want to hang on,saying [aversive training] is fastand quick. I say that it is but itsgot a lot of baggage and is noteasy to do although they thinkit is. The problem is they dontsee the baggage.

Lara Joseph: Usually I askthem what side effects they areseeing and dont say a word,and then I show them the alter-

PPG Summit panelists(from top to bottom):Pat Miller, Lara Joseph,Ken McCort, AngelicaSteinker, Janis Bradley

S U M M I T

native of how they can approach it without seeing those side ef-fects. I give them what they think is a magic tool, a target stick,and show them the contingencies of using it. This is the first toolI use to start teaching them the power behind positive reinforce-ment. They all grow to love the target stick.

Janis Bradley: I have seldom had to actually have that conversa-tion with clients and I attribute that to one technique I use,which is to narrate the events that are happening in front of mefrom the dogs perspective. I do this as a conversation with thedog so I have this ongoing monolog with what I see as the dogsperceptions. That often helps people get into a more supportiveframe of mind. I also think the power of play is enormously im-portant in supporting the relationship between the human andthe dog, to figure out how to facilitate play between the ownersand the dog. Play is a very powerful thing.

Pat Miller: I think its critically important that none of us eversays that old fashioned methods, positive punishment, or how-ever you want to phrase it, do not work because as soon as wesay that we completely destroy our credibility. They wouldnt beperpetuated if they didnt work. People use them because theywork so its really important that we dont come in and say theydont. On the positive side, the vast majority of people that callme for training classes now ask what training methods we useand that never used to happen 20 years ago.

Q: What is the best advice you have for someone new start-ing out in the industry or something you had wished you hadknown when you started out?

Janis Bradley: If you board and train always have a screeningquestion for separation anxiety!

Ken McCort: The big thing is to keep educating yourself. Studythe things that excite you, you dont have to be an expert oneverything. Just focus on what you want to do.

Chirag Patel: I would say for young trainers or new trainers,and one of the things that I benefitted from, is to experience asmany different people, trainers and classes as possible. Some-times we get stuck with one person because we become com-fortable with them, but the more classes we can see, the moretrainers we can go and speak to or work with will make us moreopen minded about training.

Lara Joseph: Based on my experience, if I could do it all overagain, I would say understand the laws of behavior and how theyapply to absolutely everything.

Pat Miller: I would say get your hands on as many differentdogs as you can and the best way to do that is to volunteer at ashelter.

Niki Tudge: Stay in your area of competency and dont try andrush into doing things you really are not competent to do be-cause thats a really bad reflection on us and our industry. Behonest about where you are, what you are good at and staywithin that. If necessary refer out to other people and/or see aveterinary behaviorist. It is not good for our industry if we aredoing things we are not good at. n

(Clockwise fromtop left): PPG spe-cial counsel mem-ber Dr. LynnHoneckman (left)was the first personto check in (withPPG president NikiTudge); TreasureHunt winners, theBirthday Queens;Melanie Friedman(left) and HeatherLuedecke (withThaki), winners ofthe hairnet skittlesand treat tossingcontest; membersof the organizingcommittee at thesplash dinner (leftto right): RebekahKing, Debra Mil-likan, Niki Tudge,Louise Stapleton-Frappell, Susan Nil-son and KellyFahey; volunteercoordinator SamWike (left) withNiki Tudge; PPGsteering committeemember DianeGarrod (left) makesa special presenta-tion to Niki Tudge

#PPGSummit 2015: In Pictures

For more Summit 2015 pictures, see pages 18-19

#PPGSummit 2015: In Pictures

www.ForceFreeSummit.com #PPGSummit

The Pet First Aid Certification Program is a three-partrecorded educational webinar that will teach you all the nec-essary skills you will need to manage a pet emergency. The pro-gram includes three webinars hosted by Bethany Jordan, certifiedveterinarian technician, CPDT-KA. Each webinar lasts one hour.

When you register for this program you will receive:

sThe links to all three recorded webinars.s Links to the 10 supplemental skill videos.s Information about the online test and video certification program.

Upon completion you will receive:

sYour pet first aid notebook.sA certificate of competency.

First AidThe Pet First Aid program covers topics from heatstroke tosnake bites, CPR and wound management, as well as how tosafely transport a pet to the care of a veterinary professional.

It should be remembered that first aid is literally that: aid ormanagement that is rendered as soon as a problem is identifiedat the scene of an accident or injury, and as a bridge betweenthose first to respond to a problem until the time when profes-sional care is provided.

Many people confuse first aid with specific treatment for anillness or injury. This often results in proper care never being re-ceived or care being delayed to such an extent as to compoundthe problem.

CertificationTo receive your PPG Pet First Aid Certification you will have tocomplete and pass an open-book online certification test com-prised of 50 questions.

You will also be required to provide four short 30 secondvideos to demonstrate hands on competency. Full details are ex-plained in the presentation.

Learning Objectivess Understand your role in pet first aid.sWhat first aid is and what it is not.s How to effectively and safely be a pet first aid responder.s Learn how to manage the most common pet emergencies untilthe pet is transferred to a veterinarian.

Program Contentss First aid assessment and management.sAnimal handling during an emergency.s Initial assessment stages CPR and bleeding.s Shock management.

Common Emergencies Covereds Heatstrokes Lacerationss ZoonosessWound cares Hot spotss Broken toenailss Bandagings Burnss Corneal abrasionss Prolapsed eyess Fracturess Luxationss Hypoglycemias Diabetess Chokings GastrointestinalsToxicitiess Insect bites and stingss DehydrationsVomiting and diarrheas Seizuress Feline fatty liver diseases Dog breed medication sensitivitys CPR and triagesThe pet first aid kit

Pet First Aid Certification ProgramA Three-Part Recorded Webinar

with Bethany JordanTuesday, January 01, 2016, 1:00 p.m. (EST) - Saturday, December 31, 2016, 2:30 p.m.

CEUs: PPG 3/CCPDT 3/IAABC 3 More information and online registration:

www.petprofessionalguild.com/First-Aid-Event

Know what to doin a pet-relatedemergency with

this online certification

course

Can Stock Photo/Colecanstock


E D U C A T I O N

21

E D U C A T I O N

The PPG archive currently holds over 500 articles. All cat-egories are represented, including behavior, training, busi-ness, PPG news, book reviews, product reviews, memberprofiles and comments. If you want to search on a particularspecies, categories currently covered are canine, feline,piscine, porcine, avian, equine, murine and leporine.

Within each category, every article has been assigned abroad range of keywords, so you can research just aboutanything, e.g. counterconditioning, enrich-ment, empathy, cat litter box problems, thecanine brain, dog harnesses, barrier frustra-tion, vocal parrots, stationing pigs, puppymills or clicker training, to namejust a few. If you are looking fora specific author, then you canfind articles that way too. Everyentry has a direct link to theoriginal source.

Professional pet care requires knowledge,skills, individual competency and a highlevel of responsibility, and this four-dayworkshop has been designed to provideattendees with just that. The work-shop will cover all the necessary skillsthey will need to become a CertifiedPet Care Technician (CPCT) andmore.

Key Topics Covereds How Pets Learn - in-cludes a detailed overviewof operant and respondentconditioning with hands-onexamples and video analy-sis.s Canine Behavior and So-cial Communication - learn-ing the language of dogs and understanding the canine socialbehavior and communication systems; learning about affiliative andagonistic communication and passive and active appeasement be-haviors; understanding dog bite inhibition and bite thresholds.s Canine and Feline Anatomy and Physiology - a study of dog andcat anatomy and important components of their physiology.s Canine and Feline Health and Handling - includes common ca-nine and feline health issues, vaccination protocols and importantdaily and emergency handling skills.s Pet First Aid and Emergency Protocols - a very detailed mod-ule that covers in depth the many potential emergency situationsyou may, through first aid, need to manage prior to a pet in yourcare being attended to by a veterinarian.s Pet Care Tools, Equipment, Toys and Supplies - learning how toidentify appropriate equipment and use it safely, as well as morepractical applications, e.g. desensitization protocols.s Consent and Preference Testing - Anyone can talk to dogs andyou will learn to read canine body language to effectively com-municate with them. Using consent and preference testing youcan create an effective non-verbal communication system whichempowers dogs to say yes or no to simple questions. Usingthese methods you can positively engage with the pets you arecaring for in a fun and interactive manner. s Pet Care Policies and Protocols Learn about pet care servicestandards, operating protocols and procedures to support a highquality and ethical pet care business. s Bonus Module: Bump Start Your Business This module covers

the key and critical skills required for growth with an overviewof how to create a simple but effective marketing plan.

Certification ProcessWorking Registrants: To achieve your CPCT designation you willneed to successfully complete all the hands-on components of

the program over the four days, culminating with afinal open book multiple choice test

on day four. Auditors: You will be required tocomplete the hands-on compo-nents of the workshop, submitvideo evidence within 30 days ofthe workshop, and success-fully pass the open book on-line multiple choice test.

Force-Free Pet Care Certification WorkshopA Four-Day Workshop in Tampa, Florida

with Niki Tudge, Angelica Steinker, Rebekah King and Melody McMichaelThursday, May 19, 2016 9 a.m. (EDT) - Sunday, May 22, 2016 5:30 p.m. (EDT)

Working and Auditor Spots Available

CEUs: PPAB 12/CCPDT/IAABC More information and online registration:

www.petprofessionalguild.com/event-2078962

Looking for Something? Check PPGs Online Archive First!

www.petprofessionalguild.com /Guild-Archives

C

an Stock

Pho

to/d

amedeeso

Can Stock Photo/gurinaleksandr


Become a Certified PetCare Technician in this

four-day workshop

* See report from the October 2015 Pet Care Certification Workshop on pages 24-25


E D U C A T I O N

23

The Gift of a Gray Muzzle: Active Care for Senior Dogs

A Two-Day Workshop in Tampa, Florida

with Kathy Sdao and Lori StevensSaturday, September 24, 2016 9:30 a.m. (EDT) - Sunday, September 25, 2016 4:30 p.m. (EDT)

Working and Auditor Spots Available

CEUs: PPAB 12/CCPDT 12 More information and online registration:

www.petprofessionalguild.com/event-2076133

Kathy Sdao, associate certified applied animal behaviorist,and Lori Stevens, CPDT-KA, SAMP and senior TellingtonTTouch training practitioner, share a deep love for seniordogs and have combined their decades of animal care andtraining expertise to teach this heartfelt and practical work-shop. Their goal is to empower you to joyfully and actively en-gage with and support your aging dog. They will share severalmethods to keep your dogs mind and body agile and strongand will also discuss many ideas for making everyday life easierfor your senior dog. The result is a dog who is more compe-tent and confident in the face of physical and cognitive chal-lenges, and who has additional opportunities for staying healthyand active.

Who Should Attend?s People who live with aging dogs, including both senior and"peri-senior" dogs.s Professionals who have an interest in helping their clients withaging dogs.sAnyone interested in dogs and how to support them duringthe aging process.

Workshop Agendas Defining and observing seniorhood.s Kindle the spark of life.s Everyday life with seniors.s Maximize emotional resilience.sTouching and wrapping.s Expect changes in compliance.s Movement and conditioning.s Keep them eating.s Let us play.sThoughts on lifes final transition.s Discussion/Q & A.

What You Will Learns Effects of aging and what you can expect.sVarious healthcare options that complement mainstream vet-erinary care.sTTouch bodywork and wrapping techniques, including leg andbody wraps.s Strategies for minimizing age-related anxiety and maximizingemotional resilience.s Methods for modifying cues to accommodate sensory limitations.s Movement and conditioning exercises that benefit aging dogs.s Games to keep mind and body active.s Help for senior dogs who have difficulty standing up or climb-ing stairs.sTips for dealing with loss of appetite.s Considerations regarding end-of-life decisions.

PPG World Service is the official international e-radio web-castingarm of PPG, showcasing global news and views on force-free pet care.Join hosts Niki Tudge and Louise Stapleton-Frappell and their special

guests at 12 noon EST on the first Sunday of every month!

C

an Stock

Pho

to/d

amed

eeso

www.petprofessionalguild.com/PPG-Broadcast

Bringing the best of

the pet industry to chat,

chuckle and share!

PPG World Service Radio Show

Can Stoc

k Photo/Hannamariah

The workshop will covermaking life easier forsenior pet dogs

E D U C A T I O N


Hands-On Skill BuildingEmily Conde reports on PPGs October Pet Care Certification workshop

PPG held a three-day Pet Care Certification Program last Oc-tober, designed to offer pet enthusiasts and professionals theopportunity to enhance the quality of care provided to familypets (see page 22 for details of the next event). Led by industry ex-perts at PPG headquarters in Wesley Chapel, Florida, the work-shop covered topics such as: what it means to care for pets; howpets learn; canine behavior and social communication; canine andfeline anatomy and physiology; health and handling; and tools ofthe pet care trade. In addition, attendees also had the opportu-nity to advance their skill set by earning a Certified Pet CareTechnician designation (DN-CPCT) through DogNostics careerprogram.

Business coach and PPG president Niki Tudge started theworkshop by outlining what it takes to be professionally compe-tent in the pet care industry. She also highlighted the crucialcomponents involved in establishing a credible reputation, fromthe importance of ones professional appearance to institutingnon negotiable standards of care and operational protocol. Thiscomprehensive overview provided students the essential know-how needed to build and support an ethical and successful petcare business. The pet care tool kit was just the beginning.

Switching gears, Tudge then provided an overview of the sci-ence behind respondent and operant conditioning. By under-standing how animals learn, care givers are empowered topromote a pets mental, physical and emotional well-being. Stu-dents also reviewed and practiced the techniques involved in lur-ing, shaping, targeting and capturing behavior. Knowing how toexecute these force-free training tools enables the technician tomaneuver pets in their care without coercion or fear.

Because it is imperative to have two-way communicationwith any dog in ones care, Angelica Steinker, owner of TampasCourteous Canine, explained the significance of knowing how todecode a dogs body language. Steinker stressed the importanceof being an educated observer. By being able to analyze a dogsbody language from head to tail, a potentially tense situation forboth human and pet can be avoided. For example, if a pet caretechnician is able to identify that a dog is offering distance in-creasing behaviors, she has been alerted to the fact that dogscurrent environment needs to change or be managed differently.

In addition to the study of canine body language, Steinker dis-cussed communication systems such as the ways dogs deal withsituational conflict, from appeasement to flight or aggression.She explained that, just like humans, dogs can be conflicted intheir motivation to interact with humans and other dogs. Thisconflict can show itself in many situations including greeting ritu-als and play when a canine is trying to determine whether to ap-proach or avoid a stimulus. Participants were able to engage inthe art of positively interacting with a classroom of pets, fromeliciting the emotional contagion of joy to practicing consenttesting, and selecting toy preference.

While all elements of the workshop were valuable, thehands-on tutorial for first aid procedures allowed participants topractice emergency scenarios. DogNostics faculty member Re-bekah King provided a basic overview of canine and felineanatomy and physiology, as well as how to handle common

Angelica Steinkerdiscusses toys, play

drive (inset) andpreference testing

Chris Lauerlearns to checkfor capillary refill

Josie prepares tobe bandaged


E D U C A T I O N

25

health dilemmas pet care providers encounter, such as heatstroke or ingestion of foreign objects. As a step towards becom-ing a DN-CPCT, King led students through the stages of emer-gency assessment, from making initial observations to the stepsfor checking vital signs and, lastly, administering CPR. Along withprofessional groomer and certified pet care technician, MelodyMcMichael, the instructors covered a wide range of topics, in-cluding grooming techniques and tools; vaccination protocols andcommon parasites; zoonotic diseases and effective contagioncontrol; proper handling procedures to use at the vet or in a cri-sis; and emergency muzzling and wound dressing procedures. Theessential contents of a first aid kit were also outlined and ex-plained.

The workshop finished where it started. For business-owningparticipants, Tudge offered a bonus module where she shared herbusiness acumen. In what she named the balanced scorecard,Tudge defined the elements of a successful business to includefour key components: stakeholders, product and service pack-ages, financials, and brand marketing and sales. While she ex-plained that many pet professionals go into business becausethey love working with animals, she warned that those who ig-nore the fundamentals of business will not keep their doorsopen for long. She also stressed the importance of not only hav-ing indicators that show when business strategies are working,but also having an effective means for measuring the level of suc-cess achieved.

In addition to the hours spent on hands-on professional skillbuilding over the three days, the newly Certified Pet Care Techni-cians all listened intently to Tudges strategies for boosting busi-ness, making it clear they were eager to position themselves asbusiness leaders in the pet care community. n

Emily Conde DN-CPCT is the owner of The DogSmith ofGreater Orlando, www.dogsmith.com/greater-orlando. After14 years as a high school English teacher, she decided toopen her own pet care and dog training business as a resultof her experiences volunteering at a local animal shelter. Sheis currently continuing her studies to become a canine be-havior consultant.

SUPPORT SYSTEMS TO HELP ON YOUR PATHWAY TO ACCREDITATION

If you are an applicant in the system and on the road toaccreditation, PPAB is here to help you be successful!

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TOOLS AT YOUR DISPOSAL:

s A Process Road Map with Check Boxes: www.credentialingboard.com/Accreditation-gatekeepers

s The Examination Study Guide:www.credentialingboard.com/Study-Guide

s The Case Study Template:www.credentialingboard.com/Case-Study-Information

s The Video Review Form:www.credentialingboard.com/page-18095

s The Facebook Applicant Support Group - To join, email:[email protected] ABA Dictionary:

www.credentialingboard.com/Dictionary

Charlie enjoys taking a break

Practicingbandaging

Rocket andCharlie havesome downtime

Zephyr is all ears

situation. If consistently applied, consent testing creates a part-nership with the dog, which is critically important, especially fordogs with behavior issues.

Consent testing is not something that should be taken per-sonally and any feelings of rejection on the part of the owner ortrainer have no place. After all, all yes results eventually lead tono and any no results may eventually lead to a yes. When a dogsneeds are met, it is called satiation. For example, a dog that is fullwill say no to food. This is not something to be taken personally,it is just information.

Benefits of Consent TestingConsent testing is empowering because it allows a dog to com-municate choice. If the communication gained is consistently


Consent testing is an informal experiment which allows adog to offer consent regarding a specific situation. Via herbody language the dog communicates a yes or no re-sponse. This information is used to:

Improve the quality of life of the dog. Improve a training plan. Make behavior modification more effective. Generally improve communication. The yes or no is determined by assessing the dogs body lan-

guage and observing for distance increasing or distance decreas-ing behaviors. Distance increasing behaviors are considered ano and distance decreasing behaviors are considered a yes.Conflicted behaviors are also a no. Consent tests are singlechoice tests as a dog can respond with a yes or no in any given

The Value of Non-Verbal Communication

After giving the cuereach, the trainerreaches. Mo respondswith no by notmoving toward thehand or moving away.

C O V E R S T O R Y

26

After giving the cue reach, the trainerreaches. Mo responds with yes by moving into the hand and making contact. Consent could also be given bythe dog using her paw to pull the handcloser, or she could communicate a noby pushing the hand away using her paw.

Angelica Steinker examines the role of consent and preference testing in canine behavior

consulting and how testing can help customize a dogs home life by minimizing stress and

maximizing behavior training improvements

C O V E R S T O R Y

honored it will increase ones reinforcement history with thedog. Reinforcement history is science-talk for bond. Your bondwill deepen because the dog gets a vote about what is happening.By checking in with the dog regarding her preferences you arepositively reinforcing clear communication. This empowers thedog which is, in turn, associated with you. That process increasesyour bond.

Consent testing creates a cycle which becomes self-reinforc-ing, and the process ultimately becomes fun for both you andyour dog. By definition, consent testing improves communicationbut it also vastly improves behavior modification and training re-sults. The trainer gets much clearer information about what willbe effective and what will not.

A huge benefit to consent testing is that a dog has the chanceto communicate proactively. This means she can tell you beforesomething happens if she is okay with it or not. This is in starkcontrast to most training advice, which focuses on manipulatingwhat happens after something unwanted has happened. This is apoor approach because it includes the unwanted behavior in theprocess. It can also lead to tragic results. For example, many dogsdo not survive after they have bitten a human and most homesdo not have the skills to handle a dog that has bitten.

Consent tests offer us information before a problem ever oc-curs. This is empowering to trainers, enabling them to make aneducated decision about what situations a dog can be exposedto.

In the traditional model of how we interact with dogs, weoften expose them to an event with no idea if it will be unpleas-ant or pleasant for them. Then, when the dog growls, lungesand/or bites, hurt feelings, and possibly injuries, ensue. This ap-proach is a failure for all parties.

Conducting a Consent TestThink of a consent test as asking a dog a question, to which thedog can respond yes or no. If the dog says yes, she willmove toward the person, dog or item you are asking about. Ifshe says no, she will move away.

A simple example is petting. Pet the dog and then withdrawyour hand. Observe what the dog does. If she moves toward youand leans in, puts her head under your hand, or nuzzles you, thatis a yes. If she moves away, that is a no. This information is aboutthe dog and understanding what it is that she prefers in certainsituations, settings and her life in general. If a dog says no to pet-ting, you can associate petting with meals and food to help herlearn to enjoy it. Many rescue dogs or dogs that have an abusehistory need to learn to enjoy physical touch.

As trainers, it is critical for us to see the big picture. By re-specting the body language communication that our dogs offer,we make that body language more likely to occur. Being listenedto reinforces a dog who is displaying body language that is con-gruent with her emotional state. The alternative can range fromminimally to extremely dangerous. Some dogs are punished forindicating no, and usually these dogs will go quiet or silent intheir body language. This can create a dangerous dog, a dog thatgoes straight to biting, giving minimal warning signals or noneat all.

Human Language BoardIf your dog understands consent testing, you can use yourself asa language board.

A language board is a board that lists images, shapes orwords that are associated with food, water, activities and items.The animal that is communicating points at the image or symbolin order to ask for what is associated with that image or symbol.Primates use fingers to point, dogs use noses or paws. Dog lan-guage boards contain images for water, food, treat, walks, etc.

In a language board for dogs some of the images can be usedfor the dog to communicate what she wants, while some imagesrepresent trained behaviors. However, using yourself as a lan-guage board is much simpler than training your dog to use one.All it means is that you consistently name activities that you en-gage in with the dog and then ask her if she wants to do that atthe moment, e.g. do you want to go for a car ride? If the dogmoves closer: yes, if the dog moves away: no.

Preference TestingA preference test is another form of non-verbal communicationthat you can use to talk to dogs. In a preference test you pro-vide access to two or more variables and then take note of whatthe dog appears to prefer.

It may seem tempting to set up a preference test betweentwo owners to see whom the dog prefers, but I suggest avoidingthis to prevent hurt feelings. Most dogs will go to the personthat they have the most reinforcement history with, and this issomething that can be changed. Play some more games and starthand feeding and the dog that just said she preferred your room-mate is now all over you.

What can you use preference testing for? It is limited only by


C O V E R S T O R Y

your imagination. You can preference test food, toys, location ofbedding, location of walks and types of play.

Have fun doing preference experiments because regardless ifthis is a new dog or one you have known for years, there is al-ways more to learn.

Cues as Consent TestAn interesting concept is to view every cue you give a dog as aconsent test. For example, you ask a dog to sit in a highly dis-tracting environment but she does not do it. You can view this asvaluable information. Scan the area and see if the dog is lookingat something. This can provide valuable clues as to what she mayfind distracting or stress provoking. The no in this situation isvaluable because of the data that it yields.

Cues are ideally viewed as requests, a request can be com-plied with or not. I teach my dogs a cue for going to say hi topeople or other dogs. However, the deal my dogs and I make isthat, if I say, go say hi, and they do not want to, then they donot have to. I will honor their decision.

My dogs have clear preferences about which dogs they wouldlike to socialize with so the request of go say hi also applies to

other dogs.My dogs arealways em-powered todecline ameeting an-other dog.Ideally alldogs wouldbe enabledto communi-cate whichdogs theywant to sayhi to.

You cantake cues asa consenttest to aneven higherlevel by giv-ing every-thing a name.For example,dogs that aresensitiveabout beingtouched ornear movingpeople can

hugely benefit from having each human movement labeled with acue prior to the movement occurring. Eye contact, reach, touch,pick up, human stand up, human sitting on couch, human walking,can all be named, thus giving the dog a heads up of what is aboutto happen and allowing her time to give consent (see pictures ofMo on page 26).

Forcing with Food It is a common misconception that training with food is alwayspositive, but it is possible to force with food by offering it in away that the dog is no longer feeling safe. This can be determinedby evaluating the dogs body language (see picture of Power, left).

One can also observe that a dog is feeling forced when shehesitates to take the food lure or moves to another area consid-ered safer after consuming the food. For example, a trainerplaces food on the ground to encourage a dog to approach. Thedog darts forward to eat the food and then moves three feetaway from the trainer to an area that she considers safe. Ide-ally, the trainer will shift to the area of reinforcement the dog hasselected to be effective.

Pay attention to the details of what the dogs body does. Adesensitization and counterconditioning protocol for examplecan fail if a dog does not feel safe, but using a poor skill set doesnot mean DS/CC does not work. Even if one dog compensatesfor poor training, do not assume all dogs will. As trainers, it is ourtask to train and coach to the highest skill level, not to take riskyshort cuts.

Forced ChoiceAnother concept to avoid is forced choice. This is similar to forc-ing with food but makes use of over-controlling the environmentto the point where the dog is disempowered. For example, a dogthat strongly dislikes her crate is only fed in her crate, forcingher to make a choice: tolerate your crate or starve. But thereare creative alternatives, such as taking the crate apart or gradu-ally shaping the dog. Another example is dogs that are not givenaccess to any toys unless they are playing with their trainer. Sci-entifically this is called a closed economy and it is a form offorce. Otto Fad, manager of the elephants at Busch Gardens inTampa, Florida, says that one of the first things he implementedwhen taking over this position was to give the elephants free ac-cess to food at all times. If one of Fads elephants comes over toa trainer to work it is not because she is hungry, it is because sheis freely choosing to play and/or train.

Open economy is, obviously, the opposite of a closed econ-omy and while this does not mean we need to free feed ourdogs, it is a good idea to be aware of and avoid over-restrictingaccess to food, toys or any other desired stimuli. A forced choiceis no choice.

Types of Preference TestsPreference tests can be used to assess:

Taste Touch level of pressure, type of touch, duration of touch Bedding Toys


There are clues that indicate Power (above) is being forced to comply usingfood. Despite the food being placed on the bed he is not reaching for it oreating it (first clue), his ear is moved back (second clue), and he was tongueflicking (third clue, not pictured). In this case the social pressure of myreaching up over Powers head and actually touching him is so overwhelming that he does not reach for the food. As soon as I moved my hand away he grabbed the treat (fourth clue).

29

C O V E R S T O R Y


Space Training Location of food Location of bedding Length of walks Location of walks Types of activities Type of play With whom to interact Preference tests can be single choice such as, do you like

your bed here? Or they can be concurrent choice such as, doyou like this bed over here or this other bed in the other room?Something interesting researchers found is that when a prefer-ence test is between two things the results are consistently reli-able, but when you test preference between three or morethings the results are not necessarily consistent. This is fascinat-ing and may be because animals enjoy variety or because theymay like different things about different items. Researchers alsofound that when more than five things were presented at thesame time results became less reliable, so it seems best if prefer-ence tests are kept to four items or less (Raffa, et al.).

Consent Tests and FearConflicted body language, which indicates behaviors consistentwith both yes and no, must be considered a no. Using conflictedbody language as an indication of yes is risky and can completelyundermine a behavior modification and training plan. Most im-portantly, in such instances trainers are working with both be-havior and emotions. If the emotional state is not ideal, trainersare chaining that into the outcome and, as canine behavior con-sultants, we owe it to our canine clients to improve their emo-tional states.

Consent Tests and Training SessionsA dog to needs to be empowered to disengage and leave anytraining session. This does not mean we do not use leashes forsafety but it does mean we avoid forcing participation. Dogschoosing to train with us is a compliment and an indication thatwe are keeping training fun and interesting. If the dog does disen-gage the trainer needs to consider:

The length of session Environmental stressors Toy choice Food choice Overall fun factor, etc.

Pattern TrainingPattern training refers to a respondent conditioning process bywhich the dog is patterned to perform a specific behavior. Sci-entists have found that when an animal has already learned achoice it can be hard for them to go against that choice evenwhen it appears to be clear that conditions have changed. It isthus important to be aware that training can interfere with con-sent and preference testing (Grandin, et al.).

Can a well-trained dog still choose? This is an important ethi-

cal question. If youhave done a goodjob training a dog tojump into the backof a car, does the dogjumping in reallymean consent to acar ride? Do notconfuse patterntraining with consent.

Preference Testing SystemsThe first preferencetest systems weredesigned by H.J.M.Blom who was thefirst person to cre-ate a simple Y-shaped structurethat would allow ananimal to chooseone area over an-other. Researcherspainstakingly con-trolled for otherfactors like temper-ature, elevation andso on to ensure thatboth parts of the structure were exactly the same. They thenmeasured duration to determine preference. If all things are ex-actly the same but the animal spends more time in the area thathas the softer bedding, then it is safe to assume that the softerbedding is preferred (Blom, et al.).

There is an actual study on dog preference by researchersErica Feuerbacher and Clive Wynne using a concurrent choicepreference test to evaluate if dogs preferred petting or vocalpraise. The results were overwhelming. The dogs voted for pet-ting, so the researchers titled the study, Shut up and pet me!

There is also something called free choice profiling. This typeof scientific process is intriguing because it allows observers tomake use of an experimental methodology that gives observerscomplete freedom in choosing their own descriptive terms. Theresearchers then analyze the descriptive terms via a scientificprocess to standardize the descriptive terms. Results show thatthe observers terms have strong internal validity, meaning thatobservation of behavior used to assess an animals emotionalstate is likely to be accurate (F. Wemelsfelder, et al.).

Touch Preference TestUsing both of your hands you can touch two different body partson a dog. Observe the dogs body language to see which locationshe prefers. Distance decreasing behaviors such as leaning in areindications that that location is preferred (see picture of Mo,above right).

I am using my left hand to massage Mos chestarea (above) and I am using my right hand to

massage the rump area. While I am doing this Ican feel Mo push into my right hand. Notice theslight up curvature in his spine and the weight

shift toward his back end which is causing him tolean into my right hand, and he was intermittently

mouthing my left hand at the same time (not pictured). This clearly indicates a preference for

the right handed rump massage.

C O V E R S T O R Y


You can use preference testing for physical touch for a vari-ety of variables, some ideas include:

Light pressure versus deep pressure. Duration of length of time of touch. Technique of touch stroking versus scratching. Moving with the grain of the hair or against. Moving your hand in a predictable pattern versus vary-

ing patterns.

Food Preference TestFood preference tests are straightforward. Using two types of afood at a time you can present both simultaneously, then visuallyand tactically monitor the dogs behavior. Which piece of food issnatched versus more politely taken? The snatched food is whatthe dog considers more highly valued (see picture of Power, aboveleft).

If you notice that the preference test is not consistent, forexample, when the dog picks food A one time and food B thenext time, the preference being communicated may be variety ornovelty. Observe the dog for eye popping behavior. Food that isconsidered more desirable often causes dogs to open their eyesmore widely so look for this clue (see picture of Turbo, above right).

Toy Preference TestAs with the food preference testing, you can gauge preference byhow hard the dog bites and holds onto the toy. The intensity ofthe grab and the duration of the holding on to the toy are all im-portant clues. How quickly the dog grabs the toy after it is firstpresented can also be an important clue. Using the front feetwhile mouthing the toy to pull it closer can be another strong in-dication of preference.

Location or Bedding Preference TestConducting a location preference test is again straightforward.Simply place the same type of bedding in two locations and seewhich one the dog prefers. Common patterns are for dogs towant to stay cool or seek warmth. Try a location under the airconditioning vent and another location in the sun to see whichbed your dog is more likely to pick. Some dogs are cool seekingto the point where they prefer to lay on tile rather than on softbedding. Another fun preference test is to experiment with dif-ferent types of dog beds (see photos of Turbo and Bella on page 31).

All dogs, and especially those with issues, require excellentself-care to minimize stress and maximize behavior training im-provements. Use preference testing to help ideally customize adogs home life.

Preference Testing for Dog Sport ActivitiesIf you play backyard games with your dog you can set up yourarea for different games and then allow the dog to choose whichactivity she wants to engage in by moving toward that area. Youcan set up a small obstacle course and boxes for a food search-ing game and let your dog choose which activity she wants toengage in at that time.

Preference Testing During WalksDuring walks you can let your dog choose which path to take, tomove to shaded areas or stay in the sun, and which type of sub-strate to walk on. You can also consent test time of day or typeof weather for walks.

Not a Consent or Preference TestMany dogs with issues will bark and lunge at other dogs, people

Power prefers the foodin the right hand overthe food in the lefthand

Turbo will almost crosshis eyes if he is handeda high value food treat.Look for the individualclues that let you knowwhat your dog prefers.

References Raffa, K. F., Havill, N.

Documents

BARKS from the Guild January 2016