About the class;

We are really excited to invite the Animal Training Academy membership to join Dr. Joe Layng and Dr. Susan Friedman in a live discussion about the science and practice of behavior change from a constructional perspective.

As disseminators of behaviour-change science both Susan and Joe will consider similarities and differences in their approaches and some of the most important and challenging concepts they encounter in their work.

The event will aim to support your critical thinking as you connect the dots between our behaviorist philosophy and thoughtful application of behavior analysis (to our work with people and the learners in their care).

Via the chat function you will also be able to interact with the presenters and other attendees to share your thoughts and ask your questions!

• CLICK HERE to listen to episode 100 of the ATA podcast show with Dr. Susan Friedman
• We have 2 podcast episodes coming out in December with Dr. Joe Layng! Although we have already pre-released them inside the ATA membership area (accessible NOW within your members only FB group).
• Episode one with Dr. Joe Layng can be listened to HERE
• Episode two with Dr. Joe Layng can be listened to HERE

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About the class;

Over the last 2 months the AWESOME ATA happiness engineer/member David Thatcher has been doing a Stella job [as always] of running the ATA book club within our members only FaceBook group. You can see links for all of the posts related to this – within the book club section on the ATA website here.​

And we are now THRILLED to have Kim join us live to answer all your questions about here book, her LEGS [Learning, Environment, Genetics & Self] model and meeting our K9 learner partners needs. Woo Hoo…

About Kim Brophy;

Kim Brophey, CDBC, CPDT-KA, FDM, is an applied ethologist and owner of The Dog Door Behavior Center in Asheville, NC. Kim’s commitment to Family Dog Mediation® has been recognized internationally, awarded the APDT Outstanding Trainer of the Year in 2009 and the Best Dog Trainer of WNC seven years in a row. She is a member of the International Society for Applied Ethology and the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and a certified member and past board member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.

Kim Brophey’s Dog L.E.G.S.® model of comprehensive canine science has been endorsed by prominent canine scientists such as Raymond Coppinger and embraced by reputable dog trainers worldwide. From her applied ethology content in Michael Shikashio’s Aggression in Dogs Master Course to her highly anticipated, market-disrupting Applied Ethology & Family Dog Mediation® Course, Kim’s work is a celebrated contribution to the field.

Her groundbreaking book, MEET YOUR DOG, TED talk, and Beyond The Operant (BTO) collaborative have made profound waves and become favorites among both dog professionals and the public. Kim continues to build bridges and invite others to contribute to a new conversation about dogs- one that challenges us to redefine how we perceive, talk about, and treat our canine companions as a society.

• CLICK HERE to listen to a previous podcast with Kim Brophy.

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About the class;

If you’re experiencing burnout, teetering on its edge, or have ever gotten a taste or even a whiff, you’ll want to join me for this one. I’ve asked Veronica Boutelle of dogbiz to share her best tips for creating balance between running our businesses and enjoying our lives (as business owners, dog lovers, and just people with families and hobbies and interests). If your hair feels like it’s on fire, you can’t get off the hamster wheel, or you’re juggling too much, come hang out with us. If you’ve got a to-do list that has no chance of getting done you’re going to want to be there. If you haven’t had a vacation in years and you don’t take regular days off every week don’t miss this. Really, it’s a game changer. Veronica is going to do some teaching and then we’re going to pick her brain, so bring your questions!

About Veronica Boutelle;

Veronica is the founder of dogbiz, through which she has been helping +R dog trainers learn to run successful businesses since 2003. She is the author of multiple books, including How to Run a Dog Business: Putting Your Career Where Your Heart Is and Minding Your Dog Business: A Practical Guide to Business Success for Dog Professionals. She also writes regular business columns and articles for key dog training industry journals, including those of the US, New Zealand, and Australian APDTs, as well as the PPG. Veronica is a sought-after speaker at conferences and dog training schools across the US and internationally, including her two favourite places to visit and work, New Zealand and Australia.

As former Director of Behavior & Training at the San Francisco SPCA, and as a dog training business owner before that, Veronica understands what it means to be a dog trainer first hand—the daily worries about everything from client compliance to financial security, the unique challenges of a “flexible” schedule that requires evenings and weekends, and the struggle to balance clients and training with the minutiae of running a business—and to balance all of that with a rich non-work life. Her background as a trainer, her business expertise, and her work as an educator put Veronica in a unique position to help professional dog trainers learn to become as skilled in business as they are as trainers—and that means more dogs’ lives touched by positive training.

CLICK HERE to listen to an ATA Podcast Episode with Veronica Boutelle

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About the class;

Following on from a web-class earlier this year about duration – with the amazing Mary Hunter – was lots of discussion in the ATA members only FB group. Some of the discussions centered around distinctions in approach to teaching duration!

See here >>> https://www.facebook.com/groups/ATAengage/posts/1082906772195864

In the above awesome discussion – Jan Østergaard was mentioned (by Sarah Owings) as of the best teachers of duration that she had ever seen. Consequently I was thrilled when Jan said he would jump on a live class with us to discuss his personal approach more! Woo Hoo!

This class will be a mixed bag of fun! We are going to share some videos from Jan’s training, have a discussion/Q&A session on duration training and even have an ATA member (the fantastic Kristin Due Holmegaard) join us live to work on some duration behaviours with her beautiful dog Felix!

About Jan Østergaard;

Jan Østergaard likes to describe himself as a dog loving man – doing things the outlaw ways! He loves everything to do with canine learners and his learning odyssey has seen him learn from the amazing Morten Egtvedt, Cecilie Køste and Catja Pedersen.

Jan took the Canis clicker training certification in 2011 – which helped him develop his training style; focusing heavily on clicker training, voluntary behaviour, back chaining and shaping. As a person who is continually seeking out development opportunities Jan also travelled to Norway in 2015 and completed a more advanced instructor certification with Canis. Since that time Jan has instructed internationally and also with clients in his home country – Denmark.

CLICK HERE to listen to an ATA Podcast Episode with Jan

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About the class;

In this offering Kristina will cover;

• The stress response
• ‘Good’, Tolerable’ & ‘Toxic’ stress
• The impact of stress on health and behaviour
• Stress during development
• Building stress resilience
• Live discussion & Q&A

About Dr. Kristina Spaulding ;

Dr. Kristina Spaulding has been in the dog training and behavior profession for over 20 years. She has a PhD in biopsychology—the study of the biological basis of behavior—and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. She also has a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She is particularly interested in stress, neurobiology, cognition, emotion, and wellbeing and how to apply these concepts to the prevention and early intervention of behavior problems in dogs. In addition to working with behavior clients, Dr. Spaulding teaches a variety of online courses and webinars on the science of behavior through her website, www.smartdogtrainingandbehavior.com. She also regularly presents on canine behavior science at conferences and other events.

In 2019, Dr. Spaulding received the Association of Professional Dog Trainer’s (APDT’s) Member of the Year Award. She currently serves on the IAABC Foundation Board and the Fear Free Advisory group.

• CLICK HERE to listen to an ATA Podcast Episode with Dr. Kristina Spaulding

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About the class;

Following on from a web-class earlier this year about duration – with the amazing Mary Hunter – was lots of discussion in the ATA members only FB group. Some of the discussions centered around distinctions in approach to teaching duration!

See here >>> https://www.facebook.com/groups/ATAengage/posts/1082906772195864

In the above awesome discussion – Jan Østergaard was mentioned (by Sarah Owings) as of the best teachers of duration that she had ever seen. Consequently I was thrilled when Jan said he would jump on a live class with us to discuss his personal approach more! Woo Hoo!

This class will be a mixed bag of fun! We are going to share some videos from Jan’s training, have a discussion/Q&A session on duration training and even have an ATA member (the fantastic Kristin Due Holmegaard) join us live to work on some duration behaviours with her beautiful dog Felix!

About Jan Østergaard;

Jan Østergaard likes to describe himself as a dog loving man – doing things the outlaw ways! He loves everything to do with canine learners and his learning odyssey has seen him learn from the amazing Morten Egtvedt, Cecilie Køste and Catja Pedersen.

Jan took the Canis clicker training certification in 2011 – which helped him develop his training style; focusing heavily on clicker training, voluntary behaviour, back chaining and shaping. As a person who is continually seeking out development opportunities Jan also travelled to Norway in 2015 and completed a more advanced instructor certification with Canis. Since that time Jan has instructed internationally and also with clients in his home country – Denmark.

CLICK HERE to listen to an ATA Podcast Episode with Jan

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About the class;

This is going to be AWESOME

About Autumn Sorrells;

Like many young folks who love animals, Autumn set her sights on a career where she could spend her days interacting with the fascinating creatures of our planet. Vet medicine and agricultural production seemed to be the only career opportunities available at the time so she started a path towards vet school. However, once she had the chance to work in a vet school prior to applying, she recognized that her passion for progressive animal welfare refinement was beyond what the school was able to satisfy.

She then opted to study animal welfare and behavior as a grad student at Purdue University. Following school, she spent 17 years leading a behavior and husbandry program in a medical research facility, where she could apply her understanding of asking animals questions about their environments. After experiencing compassion fatigue, she went on to work with learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder and obtained a certification as an Autism Specialist. Here she was able to make sense of her years in animal training with the foundations of behavior analysis. Now Autumn is directing the animal care program at Elon Musk’s neuro tech company, Neuralink. Her goal is to transform animal medical research into a space that more resembles our human experience in voluntary participation of research studies.

• CLICK HERE to listen to ATA Podcast Episode; Animal welfare in medical research; Part 1 with Autumn Sorrells
• CLICK HERE to listen to ATA Podcast Episode; Animal welfare in medical research; Part 2 with Autumn Sorrells

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About the class;

During the months of July.August we have been reading the fantastic book “Canine enrichment – for the real world” in the ATA book club run by the fantastic ATA Happiness engineer ‘ ‘David Thatcher ” … We are thus super excited to conclude this awesome book by having the honour of getting it’s authors Emily Strong and Allie Bender to join us live for a ‘Book club’ Q&A to help answer all of your questions!

Please see a list of the books chapters below to appreciate some of the topics we might cover include (although the conversation definitely need not be limited to these topics):

• Enrichment then and now
• The elements of enrichment
• Agency
• Physical exercise
• Safety & security
• Instinctual behaviours
• Foraging
• Social interactions
• Mental stimulation
• Calming enrichment
• Independence
• Providing the right enrichment
• The human element
• Work smarter, not harder
• Practical enrichment for special needs dogs
• Practical enrichment in shelters and rescues
• Putting it all together

About Emily Strong and Allie Bender;

• CLICK HERE to find Emily Strong’s Bio and listen to a previous Podcast episode.
• CLICK HERE to find Allie Bender’s Bio and listen to a previous Podcast episode.

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About the class;

This will be a slide and video presentation where Emily & Tony Harvey will share about Guide Dogs UK STEP program. (See video below)

Some of the topics covered will be:

• Self control
• Food manners
• Locating objectives
• Co-op care
• Narrow gaps (concept)
• And more

About Tony and Emily Harvey;

• CLICK HERE to find Tony Harvey’s Bio and listen to a previous Podcast episode.
• CLICK HERE to find Emily Harvey’s Bio and listen to a previous Podcast episode.

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About the class;

Booked solid, and want to figure out how to streamline your marketing? WANT to be booked solid, and struggling to find and convert new clients?

In this online presentation Melissa will discuss how to take your understanding of training plans and use those same principles to create a marketing plan for your business.

Whether you’re new to teaching or you’ve been in the game for a while, we’ll cover how marketing can help you work with awesome clients and help you make a good living doing it. We’ll also talk about ways to be more efficient with your marketing, so you can check it off your to-do list and get back to other things.

About Melissa Breau;

Melissa Breau is the owner of Click and Repeat, a marketing agency focused on helping dog trainers improve their presence online with awesome websites, custom logos, and marketing advice. She is also one of the co-founders of Dog Trainer’s Umbrella, which is dedicated to debunking the myth that dog trainers have to choose between doing what they love and making a good living by helping dog trainers build thriving businesses. (Yes, dog trainers CAN make 6-figures).

Melissa has over 10 years experience in marketing doing everything from running a 6-figure marketing budget and leading a full team to playing solo marketer for a small start up… to now, running her own business. That means no matter where you are in your journey, she can help you apply marketing best practices to bring in new clients… the good kind.

Melissa is also the resident marketing geek at the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy where she teaches classes on marketing and website building, hosts their weekly podcast, and runs the webinar and workshop programs. She currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her English Cocker, Levi, and her tuxedo kitty, Piper! You can find her posting occasionally on Instagram, and more regularly on Facebook in the variety of groups she helps run.

• CLICK HERE to listen to an ATA Podcast Episode with Melissa

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About the class:

Recently the inaugural “How Research works” course was offered from Susan Friedman’s behaviour works! The class was run by the amazing Dr. Christy Alligood (listen to a past ATA podcast HERE) and is described as a practical course for becoming a competent and critical consumer of behaviour research for Animal Professionals. 

And I am absolutely thrilled because here @ ATA we are now super lucky to have an opportunity to talk about this topic in our next live event. Our special panel will discuss how to help build your skill-set & knowledge as well as build on current conversations about this topic within the ATA community areas. We are super fortunate to have numerous voices in the panel – instructors, academics and everyday practical appliers of science to multiple species.  

.Your panelists are:

1. Dr. Susan Friedman – Founder Behaviour Works.
2. Dr. Christy Alligood – Instructor of “How Research works” & Lecturer – University of Florida Department of Psychology.
3. Tim Van Loan – Behavioral Husbandry Manager – ABQ BioPark & ‘How research works’ graduate student.
4. Rick Hester – Curator of Behaviour Husbandry – Cheyenne Mountain Zoo & ‘How research works’ Teachers assistant.
5. Eva Bertillson – Co Founder Carpe Momentum. Masters degree in behaviour analysis and practical experience with a diverse range of species.
6. Ryan Cartlidge – Animal Training Academy – Founder/Connector/Facilitator.

• CLICK HERE to listen to a Podcast with Dr. Susan Friedman.
• CLICK HERE to listen to a Podcast with Dr. Christy Alligood.
• CLICK HERE to listen to a Podcast with Tim Van Loan.
• CLICK HERE to listen to a Podcast with Rick Hester.
• CLICK HERE to listen to a Podcast with Eva Bertillson.

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About the class;

This will be a slide presentation with LIVE dog demonstrations for discussion

OVERVIEW: Sometimes invasive, uncomfortable procedures are necessary for best care. Our animals don’t know it’s for their own good — and we often avoid them even as knowledgeable humans! Let’s walk through training for voluntary eye drops in two species, human and canine, and see how good foundation training can make all the difference.

About Laura VanArendonk Baugh;

Laura VanArendonk Baugh is an animal trainer with many interests and an ongoing fascination with behavior.

She is a speaker at behavior conferences, faculty for the Karen Pryor Academy, and a trainer and coach for her clients. She has trained or competed in a variety of dog sports in the past, from obedience to protection sports, and presently she is most focused on teaching others and writing books to make training more accessible.

She is the author of Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out for reactive dogs, Social, Civil, and Savvy on best practices for socialization, and she’s written a children’s book about training mythical creatures, Dragons, Unicorns, Chimeras, and Clickers.

• CLICK HERE to listen to a previous Podcast Episode with Laura – Advocating for Positive Reinforcement

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About Trish McMillian;

Trish McMillan holds a Master of Science degree in animal behavior, and is a certified professional dog trainer, certified dog behavior consultant and associate certified cat behavior consultant.  She has been involved in the animal rescue and sheltering world since the mid-1990’s, starting out as a volunteer and working her way up to director of animal behavior. She worked for the ASPCA for nearly eight years; first as Director of Animal Behavior at their NYC shelter, then as a behaviourist on their field team, helping assess and rehabilitate dogs from cruelty cases, dogfighting and hoarding situations, then she joined the Shelter Research and Development team.

• CLICK HERE to listen to a previous Podcast Episode with Trish – Improving shelters in 2020 & beyond…
• CLICK HERE to listen to a previous Podcast Episode with Trish and Michael Shikashio – Nobody makes good decisions whilst being strangled.

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In this, special ATA live panel discussion – Ryan Cartlidge will be joined by five others (see below) to talk about everything; R+ Parenting! Learn about your five panelists below ⬇️

• Emelie Johnson Vegh – Co-Founder of Carpe Momentum & KPCT (Clicker Expo) Faculty member.
  • Listen to a past podcast episode with Emelie here >>> http://bit.ly/PodcastEmelie
  • Watch a past Web-class – Animals in control – with Emelie Johnson Vegh, Eva Bertilsson & Peggy Hogan here >>> http://bit.ly/2Ds8BWM

• Catja Pederson – Canis Hundeskole
  • Listen to a past podcast episode with Catja here >>> http://bit.ly/CatjaPodcas

• Sean Pogson – R+ parenting; subject matter expert 
  • Listen to a past podcast episode with Sean here >>> http://bit.ly/Seanpodcast

• Theresa Mckeon -Co-founder – TAG teach international
  • Listen to a past podcast episode with Theresa here >>> http://bit.ly/theresapodcast 
  • Watch a past web-class on TAG Teach with Theresa here >>> http://bit.ly/Theresaweb-class

• Josefin Linderström – ATA Happiness Engineer
  • Watch a previous ATA web-class featuring Josefin here >>> https://animaltrainingacademy.com/getting-started-behavior/conversations/

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Over April & May – I’ve (Ryan Cartlidge) had the absolute pleasure of reading through Terries’ book. This has been via a book club facilitated by ATA member (& happiness engineer) David Thatcher. During this time David has been posting updates about the book, sharing his thoughts & inviting conversation in the ATA members-only Facebook group. You can see all of those posts here (link only works from a computer) >>> https://bit.ly/Book_Club_ATA

In Terries’ words (about the book):

“A good friend of mine was doing a lot of rescue work. She was always asking for ideas for good references and I’d share some of my favorites. Then she said, “hey, you should write a book” so I can share your info—so I did!

I wanted folks to understand that it doesn’t take a large amount of time, but rather we want to make the best of the time we have. Small sessions as frequently as possible add up. So even if you only spend a total of about ten minutes per day working on specific behaviors with your dog, you’ll certainly make great progress since patience and consistency are the keys!”

Therefore – I’m pumped to share this exclusive invitation to join Terrie & I, talk about this important subject, build upon our skillsets and learn new ways to help set our clients up for success! We will answer any/all of your questions and additionally have a special sharing of what Terrie has learned since the book’s original publication 3 years ago!

This is going to be such a valuable offering no matter where you on your animal training journey and no matter what species you work with! We will be excited to see you there! #celebrateapproximations

• CLICK HERE to find “Your 10 minute a day dog…” book on Amazon by Terrie Hayward.
• CLICK HERE to listen to a Podcast episode about PAW, Positive Animal Wellness with Terrie Hayward.

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About this class;

Recently in the ATA member-only Facebook group, a question was asked about how long it takes to train a nail trim with a Dremel / Grinder / Electric file! The awesome Sean Will replied: 

“It took me about 15 minutes using Constructional Affection. Chuu was pretty bad, too. The groomer refused to work on his nails because he got so unruly”

Other members including myself were excited & curious to learn about Sean’s approach! Especially after his very well-received offering within ATA on constructional affection late last year! See here >>> https://atamember.com/courses/constructional-affection/video/

Being the generous soul he is Sean kindly agreed to put together a short presentation on this for us & that led to this offering! In Sean’s words:

In this class, we will review Chuu’s nail grinding program. We will discuss components of constructional programs, the Affection Loop, and the task analysis involved to get from our starting point to the goal. A presentation with video will start the talk and we will end with any questions and discussion points the audience may have.

About Sean Will;

Sean studied under Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and earned a master’s degree in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas. While studying at UNT, he spearheaded the development of Constructional Affection under the instruction of Dr. Rosales-Ruiz and developed constructional shelter programs to increase efficiency in local animal shelters. Sean has over 15 years of experience as a professional trainer and has provided consulting for individuals and organizations that oversee the care of animals. Currently, Sean is in Florida Tech’s doctoral program researching problem-solving and animal training.
​
In 2020, Sean and Maasa founded the Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training (CAAWT). CAAWT is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of animals and the people who care for them by providing educational content on animal behavior, care, and ways to solve behavioral problems. Sean and Maasa have a monthly podcast and host an annual conference by the same name.

CLICK HERE to listen to a previous Web-class about Constructional Affection with Sean Will.
CLICK HERE to listen to a Podcast episode about Constructional Affection with Sean Will.

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Sarah Owings Bio

Sarah Owings is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. She specializes in the practical application of behavioral principles to help transform the lives of fearful, shut down, and over-the-top dogs. As the owner of Bridges Dog Training, an international speaker, and regular contributor to online training forums, she is known for her innovative approaches to tough behavior problems and her compassionate and insightful teaching. She has written for Clean Run Magazine on topics such as stimulus control, release cues, and toy-related cues, and serves as faculty at ClickerExpo, an instructor for Karen Pryor Academy, and an advisor to the Glendale Humane Society in Los Angeles. She is also an avid nose work competitor, currently competing at the Elite level with her dog, Tucker. She recently moved from Los Angeles to San Rafael, CA with her two dogs, two geriatric rabbits, and her husband Fred.

About the class:

The amazing Sarah Owings joined us earlier this year to talk about celebrating approximations (what this means and how it can help you with your training), share about her training rubric (see link below) and put it all into action with Ryan doing some live training with Fibi-dog & working on the start of an open mouth behaviour. Sarah Owings and live attendees then provided live feedback to Ryan using Sarah’s Rubric (some suggesting this was the best ATA web-class experience EVER).

In this class we are going to flip the Roles and Sarah will be offering a live demonstration sharing how she uses her own Rubric when training her dog Tucker! We will intentionally also be talking about ‘Paralysis of Analysis, trainer frustration and more!

Get ready – because this is going to be AWESOME!

• CLICK HERE to watch part one of Celebrate Approximations.
• CLICK HERE to watch Sarah Owings Training Rubric (use this to plan & review your own training).

NOTE: Original credit to the term “Celebrate approximations” goes to the amazing – one and only – Susan Friedman

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Mary Hunter Bio

Mary Hunter earned an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas.

She runs her own animal training business, working mainly with horses and dogs and also serves as president of The Art and Science of Animal Training, a Texas-based non-profit that provides educational programs for professional animal trainers. In addition, Mary teaches classes in the behavior analysis department at the University of North Texas as an adjunct instructor.

Mary’s research interests include studying the process of shaping and developing better methods for teaching both people and animals. She and Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz have recently published their first book, PORTL: Your Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab.

CLICK HERE to listen to the first PORTL web-class.

About the class:

In this class, Mary will share a little bit in general about building duration and then talk about using behaviour chains to build duration using a PORTL example. After this there will be a live Demo with ATA member Gabriella Boijsen & her wife/training partner followed by an animal training example.

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Terry Ryan’s Bio

Terry has been coaching people to train their dogs since 1966. She trained her own dogs for various performance events and was an AKC obedience trial judge for many years. She built and operated a large training complex in Washington State. Legacy Canine Behavior & Training, Inc. promotes humane and effective dog training techniques for a variety of pet, working dog, and competitive applications. Terry maintains a busy national and international workshop schedule. Most frequently teaching instructor’s courses, chicken training workshops, and training games events. Terry is a faculty member of the Karen Pryor Academy, teaching several classes a year in the USA and overseas and she is on the staff of Clicker Expo.

CLICK HERE to listen to a Podcast with Terry Ryan

About the class:

This class will be a slide presentation, videos, live discussion and Q&A session. Terry is putting this together bespoke for us at Animal Training Academy and we’re still finalising the exact details but here is a possibly flow of the things we might talk about;

• Why chicken training? (history)
• The exciting new virtual option!
• Issues with BYOC (bring your own chicken)
• Pre camp – selection and conditioning a hen for a “table ready” partner
• Chicken needs to be emotionally ready to learn
• Classical conditioning table ready exercises for the hens
• Mechanical skill drills for the trainers[exercises you will be able to practice with Terry live in the class]
• Making training equipment in a stay-at-home-got-no-money world
• Operant conditioning
• Shaping a target stick peck
• Moving behaviours (tunnel, beam)
• Chaining
• Discrimination among colour discs.
• And more…

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Dr Jesús Rosales-Ruiz bio

Dr. Rosales-Ruiz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 1995 under the direction of Dr. Donald M. Baer. During his graduate training he also worked closely with Dr. Ogden R. Lindsley. Dr. Rosales-Ruiz’s areas of interest include antecedent control of behavior, generalization, behavioural cusps, fluency-based teaching, treatment of autism, teaching of academic behavior, animal training, rule-governed behavior and contingency-shaped behavior. He has served on several editorial boards, including the Journal of Precision Teaching, the European Journal of Behavior Analysis, and the International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy. Dr. Rosales-Ruiz is a fellow of the Eastern Psychological Association and a trustee of the Cambridge Centre for Behavioural Studies.

About the class…

Dr. Rosales-Ruiz had so much fun hanging out with us when he joined us for the first LIVE Q&A in October last year – he wanted to come back for ‘Round 2’ (Woo Hoo). In ‘Round 1’ we talked about a range of subjects (see list below) & this second opportunity to connect with Dr. Rosales-Ruiz presents us with an amazing opportunity to continue to learn from this amazing contributor to our wider animal training community!

CLICK HERE to listen to the replay of our ‘Round 1’ Q&A discussion with Dr. Rosales-Ruiz

Round one topics ⬇️

• Non-linear analysis
• Constructional aggression treatment
• Constructional affection
• The above in relation to LIMA?
• Choice & contra freeloading
• Errorless learning
• Animal Emotions
• And more…

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Sarah Owings Bio

Sarah Owings is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. She specializes in the practical application of behavioral principles to help transform the lives of fearful, shut down, and over-the-top dogs. As the owner of Bridges Dog Training, an international speaker, and regular contributor to online training forums, she is known for her innovative approaches to tough behavior problems and her compassionate and insightful teaching. She has written for Clean Run Magazine on topics such as stimulus control, release cues, and toy-related cues, and serves as faculty at ClickerExpo, an instructor for Karen Pryor Academy, and an advisor to the Glendale Humane Society in Los Angeles. She is also an avid nose work competitor, currently competing at the Elite level with her dog, Tucker. She recently moved from Los Angeles to San Rafael, CA with her two dogs, two geriatric rabbits, and her husband Fred.

About the class:

“Baby steps get you there faster” – Steve White!

#celebrateapproximations is likely the biggest hashtag I use! And these two words (celebrate approximations) are echoed in so many threads and conversations within the ATA content & our community!

Last year – I was even lucky enough to present at the PPG ‘geek week’ event about what these two words mean & why they are so important to me! A MASSIVE part of that presentation was giving credit to and – the sharing of concepts/ideas – that I learned from Sarah Owings! Consequently, I reached out to Sarah earlier this year and asked if together she wanted to create a piece of content with me talking about our experiences, how we implement/live the concept of celebrating approximations (I.e operationalize these words) and how you can as well!

And for this live event we want to invite you all into the conversation – to come and share your stories/ideas, ask your questions and learn together … So that together we can continue to approximate our way to success!

NOTE: Original credit to the term “Celebrate approximations” goes to the amazing – one and only – Susan Friedman

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About the class:

In this live Q&A session with Dr. Amy Cook we will talk about what an “active management system” is and what skills your should emphasize. The intention will be to go beyond baby gates, window blocking and such and talk about active management as a mindset! Dr. Cook will take any questions you might have & we are super excited to see where the conversation takes us!

Amy Cook Bio

Dr. Cook is an International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, a longstanding professional member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), and was one of the first trainers nationally to become a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through independent evaluation. Dr. Cook received her Ph.D. in Psychology from UC Berkeley, with her research focusing on the dog-human relationship and its effect on the problem solving strategies dogs employ. Dr. Cook is the founder and creator of the Play Way and a popular instructor for the online school, The Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. She has been training dogs for nearly 30 years, and has specialized in the rehabilitation of shy and fearful dogs for over 20 years.

• CLICK HERE to listen to a previous ATA podcast episode with Dr. Cook
• CLICK HERE for Dr. Cook’s Management class on Fenzi Dog Sports Academy

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About the class:

This class will specifically be about working with clients whom might have disabilities! And we are SO thrilled to have Veronica share her knowledge with us on this one! She is going to pack a lot into this live session including touching on the following…

• The kinds of disabilities you might encounter working with client
• What aspects of our clients life’s disabilities can impact
• Debunking some myths surrounding people with disabilities
• How to accommodate individuals with disabilities into group training classes
• Helpful technology
• Husbandry tools & strategies
• Training tools & strategies
• Loose leash training
• And more…

Veronica Sanchez Bio

Veronica Sanchez M.Ed, CABC, CPDT-KA is the founder of the Cooperative Paws Service Dog Coach™, an educational certification program for professional trainers in service dog training. Veronica also offers a variety of online courses and often speaks and writes on service dogs for professional associations. She is the author of the book, Service Dog Coaching: A Guide for Pet Dog Trainers.

Veronica has a Masters degree in Education and a Bachelors in Psychology from George Mason University. She also has a Certificate in Brain Research in Education from the University of Washington. She has supported owner-trainers training service dogs for mobility, hearing, mental health, neurological problems and dual guide-mobility work. Veronica’s interest in service dogs is both personal and professional. She has a disability herself, a neurological condition called generalized dystonia, and she has trained her own dogs to assist as service dogs.

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About the class:

The effectiveness of reinforcers is essential to training. So, how do we assess how effective a reinforcer is? We’ll explore:D

1. Different ways we assess reinforcers, such as preference tests and progressive ratio schedules;
2. Reinforcers that have been established in scientific research for dogs and how we might use them, and
3. Factors that can influence the efficacy of a given reinforcer, such as magnitude and delay.

Dr. Erica Feuerbacher Bio

Dr.  Feuerbacher is an Assistant Professor in Animal & Poultry Sciences at Virginia Tech and director of the Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare Lab, where she works with dogs and horses. She also coordinates the online Master’s program in Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare at Virginia Tech. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Florida in the UF Canine Cognition and Behavior Lab and her Master’s in Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas in the Organization for Reinforcement Contingencies with Animals. She is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviourist, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. Her research and publications focus on understanding domestic animal behavior and learning from a behavior analytic perspective, using applied behavior analysis to solve behavioural issues in dogs and horses, and identifying interventions that improve shelter dog welfare. She is passionate about humane, effective animal training, and working with owners, trainers, and shelter staff to improve our interactions with animals.

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About the class:

We are so pumped to have recent ATA podcast guest – The amazing Sonya Bevan from Dog Charming (Western Australia) – join us for the last ATA live web-class of 2020! Sonya has been creating and sharing dog training videos for nearly a decade with close to 150 publicly available offerings on her popular YouTube channel >>> https://www.youtube.com/user/Zurison/videos

And for our 2020 Christmas special – Sonya has picked 10 of her all time favourites to share & help provide opportunities to discuss fundamental ingredients of effective & ethical animal training practices! Here’s what we’ll cover (list may vary slightly on the actual day) ⬇️

1. Measuring for a muzzle
   1. Tolerating vs enjoying (being an active participant)
   2. The journey is more important – than simply the end product.
2. Wearing a cone of shame and trying to get it off
   1. Using a previously well-learnt behaviour “wait” to prevent “panic”
3. Teaching to use a sling prior to amputation
   1. Teaching to resist pressure rather than yield to it
   2. To reduce the stress of introducing a new object at a time that is already stressful, for rehab, toileting, mobility and prevent injury
4. Casting Prosthetic Preparation
   1. The myriad of things to prepare for and creative ways or preparing.
   2. Example of adding saw (novel stimulus not prepared for yet) – history of novel stimuli may have contributed to the resilience.
5. Using Prosthetic
   1. Antecedent arrangement: decking for acoustic feedback for both of us
   2. Decking also provides indication of intensity re sound.
6. Walking “back” without prosthetic and with prosthetic
   1. Moral of the story “there’s always a reason”, especially if a dog doesn’t attend to cues. This is an obvious example, they aren’t always so obvious.
7. Eating as an operant behaviour (1 or 2 videos)
8. Bring collar
   1. Training as a gateway to communication. To gain access to reinforcement without the SD/cue? The Jeopardy of training!
9. Teaching steps/ramp
   1. Before amputation
   2. Antecedent arrangement to prevent alternative behaviours
   3. Rationale for using steps vs ramp (going against the flow for the individual)
10. Injection
    1. Adding second person
    2. Training for more than you will need

About Sonya Bevan

Sonya Bevan is an avid dog lover with a Bachelor of Science degree in physiotherapy. This combination lead to seeking science based information on how to teach dogs and she completed a Diploma of Canine Behaviour Science and Technology (with distinction) through the Companion Animals Science Institute.  Sonya works as a behaviour consultant in her business, Dog Charming. She has been a university facilitator for vet students in animal behaviour for the past 5 years.

She believes that dog and animal training is both a science and an art. When based on solid principles of applied behaviour analysis, teaching also allows creativity when applied to each unique learner. And fun. Training should be fun!

CLICK HERE to listen to part 1 of our podcast episode with Sonya Bevan

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About Nicolette Canzoneri:

Nicolette’s academic and professional careers have included all things behavior, beginning with animal behavior early on and morphing into her current endeavours with human behavior. Her background in both human and non-human behavior converged for her master’s degree, which focused on the incorporation of behavioural science in education programming at zoos and aquariums. Nicolette’s graduate studies honed her expertise in learning and science communication in non-formal/free-choice education settings and helped to refine her skill sets in behavior change.

Nicolette is an experienced behavior analyst who is passionate, and compassionate, about motivating change in the environmental arena. Her strengths include innovative science communication, social science research, training animals of all species (humans included!), and creative problem solving. Nicolette currently works at Action Research as the Conservation Behavior Coordinator and manages a variety of environmental projects that incorporate community-based social marketing (CBSM) to increase their effectiveness.

What we will cover:

• The science of behavior applied to humans
  • Same principles, different application
  • Why is it important?
    • Conservation behavior change & zoos and aquariums
    • Prior research on application of behavioral science to program development
• How do we do that?
  • What is CBSM?
    • 5-step framework for applying behavioral science to practice
  • Overlaps between ABA & CBSM
  • 3 Traps zoo/aquarium professionals fall into when designing programs
    • Too many
    • Too broad
    • Too big
  • What to do instead
  • How CBSM applies and why it is important, post-COVID
• Resources & support

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About the class…

Throughout 2020 there have been numerous conversations & offerings about the LRS (least reinforcing scenario) shared within the Animal Training Academy; members only community areas. Consequently, an idea was put forth by Susan Friedman, Debbie Marrin & Tim Sullivan to come together and discuss this topic more! Ken Ramirez then got invited along & in his normal super generous ways was more than happy to be involved! Thus this event was formed!

We are super excited that Ken has also kindly agreed to bring his presentation on this topic to ATA! The presentation will share; Ken’s way of looking at this tool & cover the following areas:

• Definition
• Practical application
  • It’s proper use
  • Challenges
  • Why it works
• Assumptions as we examine the LRS
• Analysis of the LRS (Using ABC’s)
• Unique aspects of LRS
• LRS recent discoveries
• Video examples
• And more…

And if that isn’t awesome enough (in & of itself) the presentation will then be followed by a live Panel discussion with Ken, Susan, Tim, Debbie & myself! ​WOO HOO!

About your panelists: 

• Ken Ramirez – Executive Vice-President and Chief Training Officer of Karen Pryor Clicker Training >>> http://bit.ly/ATA_Ken_Ramirez
• Susan Friedman –  Pioneer of the application of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to captive and companion animals >>> http://bit.ly/ATA_Susan_Friedman
• Tim Sullivan ​- Curator of Behavioural Husbandry; Brooklyn Zoo, Chicago >>> http://bit.ly/ATA_Tim_Sullivan
• Debbie Marrin – Director of Training and Behavioral Husbandry; San Francisco Zoo, California >>> https://bit.ly/ATA_Debbie_Marrin

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Dr Afiya Fredericks Bio

Dr. Fredericks is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at University of the District of Columbia & the past director of Professional Learning, Implementation & Research at Mindset Works. She was introduced to the growth mindset at the onset of her graduate school career where she studied the growth mindset throughout her Masters and Doctoral studies.

Afiya has delivered talks and workshops for educators, leaders and businesses. & via her work @ Mindset works, she was able to create a classroom environment and culture that embodies the growth mindset beliefs.

Dr. Fredericks truly believes that a growth mindset is more than just a concept that we want our students and colleagues to embody, but a lifestyle that we should all strive to commit to. A St. Croix, USVI native, Afiya enjoys traveling home and taking in the magnificent views.

• CLICK HERE to find all of the discussions from the book club
• CLICK HERE to listen to podcast episode one with Dr Fredericks
• CLICK HERE to listen to podcast episode two with Dr, Fredericks 

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Lori Stevens Bio

Malena DeMartini Bio

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.

Today, her practice is split between overseeing a team of the top SA trainers in the world and continuing to educate trainers, veterinarians, and dog owners to better treat SA, in order to help the most number of dogs and humans possible overcome this agonising issue. In addition to writing and lecturing, Malena runs a certification program for accomplished dog professionals looking to hone their SA skills and also has produced an online self-paced course for dog owners.

CLICK HERE to listen to a previous podcast episode with Malena DeMartini

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Ken Ramirez is the Executive Vice-President and Chief Training Officer of Karen Pryor Clicker Training where he oversees the vision, development, and implementation of training education programs for the organization, including ClickerExpo, Karen Pryor Academy, and The Ranch. This allows Ken to help bring positive reinforcement training to all corners of the animal training world.

Previously, Ken served as the Executive Vice-President of animal care and animal training at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, where he developed and supervised animal care and animal health programs, staff training and development as well as public presentation programs for a collection of more than 32,000 animals. He worked at Shedd Aquarium for over 25 years.

A 40+ year veteran of animal care and training, Ramirez is a biologist and animal behaviorist who served nine years at Marineworld of Texas.  He also was a trainer and coordinator at Ocean Safari in South Padre Island, Texas, as well as acting as a consultant to many zoo and aquarium programs throughout the world.  He began his training career working with guide dogs for the visually impaired and has maintained a close affiliation to pet training throughout his career.  He hosted two successful seasons of the pet training television series Talk to the Animals that compared pet training to the important work done with training and caring for animals in zoological facilities.  He also works closely with several search and rescue dog organizations, service dog groups, as well as with bomb and narcotic dogs.

Since 2005, Ken has brought his experience as a trainer of many cognitive projects with marine mammals and primates to the dog arena.  Most notable has been his work with modifier cues, adduction, matching to sample, mimicry, and counting. The latter two projects: teaching dogs to mimic or imitate other dogs; and to learn the concept of counting are in the process of being prepared for scientific publication.  Both of these projects have documented cognitive abilities in dogs that have not been previously well reported or understood.

Ken has also pioneered groundbreaking conservation training projects with chimpanzees, polar bears, elephants, butterflies, and other animals. Conservation training applies behavior science in the field with free-ranging animals and uses remote training to facilitate learning to assist wildlife biologists in a wide range of projects.

Ramirez has been active in several professional organizations, including the International Marine Animal Trainer’s Association (IMATA), of which he is a past president.  Ken has been actively involved in the creation of a certification process for animal trainers in zoological settings.

Ramirez has written for numerous scientific publications and authored countless popular articles.  He authored the book ANIMAL TRAINING: Successful Animal Management through Positive Reinforcement, published in 1999 and Better Together: The Collected Wisdom of Modern Dog Trainers, published in 2017.  Ken taught a graduate course on animal training at Western Illinois University for 20 years and currently offers several online courses through the Karen Pryor Academy. In 2017 Ken moved to Washington state where he created a series of immersive hands-on training courses at The Ranch, the Karen Pryor National Training Center.

CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast episode with Ken

• CLICK HERE for Ken Ramirez’s website
• CLICK HERE for the Karen Pryor Clicker Training website
• CLICK HERE to learn more about – The Ranch
• CLICK HERE for Ken’s letters

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Ken Ramirez is the Executive Vice-President and Chief Training Officer of Karen Pryor Clicker Training where he oversees the vision, development, and implementation of training education programs for the organization, including ClickerExpo, Karen Pryor Academy, and The Ranch. This allows Ken to help bring positive reinforcement training to all corners of the animal training world.

Previously, Ken served as the Executive Vice-President of animal care and animal training at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, where he developed and supervised animal care and animal health programs, staff training and development as well as public presentation programs for a collection of more than 32,000 animals. He worked at Shedd Aquarium for over 25 years.

A 40+ year veteran of animal care and training, Ramirez is a biologist and animal behaviorist who served nine years at Marineworld of Texas.  He also was a trainer and coordinator at Ocean Safari in South Padre Island, Texas, as well as acting as a consultant to many zoo and aquarium programs throughout the world.  He began his training career working with guide dogs for the visually impaired and has maintained a close affiliation to pet training throughout his career.  He hosted two successful seasons of the pet training television series Talk to the Animals that compared pet training to the important work done with training and caring for animals in zoological facilities.  He also works closely with several search and rescue dog organizations, service dog groups, as well as with bomb and narcotic dogs.

Since 2005, Ken has brought his experience as a trainer of many cognitive projects with marine mammals and primates to the dog arena.  Most notable has been his work with modifier cues, adduction, matching to sample, mimicry, and counting. The latter two projects: teaching dogs to mimic or imitate other dogs; and to learn the concept of counting are in the process of being prepared for scientific publication.  Both of these projects have documented cognitive abilities in dogs that have not been previously well reported or understood.

Ken has also pioneered groundbreaking conservation training projects with chimpanzees, polar bears, elephants, butterflies, and other animals. Conservation training applies behavior science in the field with free-ranging animals and uses remote training to facilitate learning to assist wildlife biologists in a wide range of projects.

Ramirez has been active in several professional organizations, including the International Marine Animal Trainer’s Association (IMATA), of which he is a past president.  Ken has been actively involved in the creation of a certification process for animal trainers in zoological settings.

Ramirez has written for numerous scientific publications and authored countless popular articles.  He authored the book ANIMAL TRAINING: Successful Animal Management through Positive Reinforcement, published in 1999 and Better Together: The Collected Wisdom of Modern Dog Trainers, published in 2017.  Ken taught a graduate course on animal training at Western Illinois University for 20 years and currently offers several online courses through the Karen Pryor Academy. In 2017 Ken moved to Washington state where he created a series of immersive hands-on training courses at The Ranch, the Karen Pryor National Training Center.

CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast episode with Ken

• CLICK HERE for Ken Ramirez’s website
• CLICK HERE for the Karen Pryor Clicker Training website
• CLICK HERE to learn more about – The Ranch
• CLICK HERE for Ken’s letters

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About the class:

In this web-class, Dr. Hanley will review a few important environmental and biological determinants of disordered and healthy sleep. He will then outline a non-pharmacological comprehensive approach for resolving common sleep problems, such as delayed sleep onset, phase shifts, and night awakenings. The live web-class will end with a question and answer period aimed at improving one’s sleep.

Pre-class learning opportunity (1 page PDF handout) >>> ACCESS HERE

CLICK HERE to listen to a previous ATA podcast episode with Greg (& see his bio)

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What we will cover in this classWhat is PORTL?

• What are some of the benefits of playing PORTL?
  • Intro to PORTL – video clip
  • What do you need to play PORTL?
  • Outline of curriculum of PORTL exercises –> lots of uses for PORTL!
    PORTL: The very basics
• PORTL reinforcement system
  • The importance of the reinforcement system
  • How to practice in PORTL – video clip
  • Connections to animal training
• The connection between component behaviors and excellent shaping
  • A building blocks approach to shaping –> What does this mean?
  • Six foundational lessons for shaping behaviors in PORTL
  • Capturing actions – video clip
  • Transferring actions – video clip
  • Capturing & transferring actions – connections to animal training
• Writing shaping plans
  • The PORTL shaping plan worksheet
  • Video example 1
  • Video example 2

• CLICK HERE to listen to a previous ATA podcast episode with Mary (& see her bio)
• CLICK HERE for the PORTL section on the Behaviour Explorer website
  • Website contains some basic info about PORTL, links to video clips, instructions for building a PORTL kit, downloadable copies of the data sheets used while playing PORTL, and more. It also contains links to most of the video clips that were shared in this presentation.

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(OVERVIEW); You’ll have the chance to interact with Steve Martin, Chris Jenkins & Arianna Bailey live via the web–class chat function & ask your own personal questions. You can also interact LIVE with other ATA members as the conversation develops.

Steve Martin & the NEI (Natural Encounters Inc.) Team, are global pioneers in the application of Positive Reinforcement Animal Training to both exotic and companion animals. They offer a scientifically sound teaching technology and ethical standard that can improve the lives of all learners, and we could not be talking to a more qualified team about it.

• Steve Martin is President/CEO of Natural Encounters, Inc. (NEI), a company of over 50 professional animal trainers who teach animal training strategies and produce educational animal programs at zoological facilities around the world >>> https://bit.ly/ATA_Steve_Martin
• Chris Jenkins has worked for Natural Encounters (NEI) since 2005, and is currently the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) >>> https://bit.ly/ATA_Chris_Jenkins
• Arianna Bailey has worked at NEI since 2009 and is currently a show manager (as well as being a general board member of IAATE – International Association of Avian Trainers & Educators) >>> http://bit.ly/Arianna-Bailey 

• CLICK HERE for the Natural Encounters website
• CLICK HERE for the Natural Encounters FaceBook page
• CLICK HERE for Natural Encounters on Instagram

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About the class;

In this class Leslie will be sharing with us stories about how she has used fitness training to improve the quality of life of animals she has worked with. Her stories will surround work she has done with​ Gorillas, Red Pandas, Goats, Possums & Arctic Foxes! The specific areas being covered include;

• Mobility as a measure of quality of life
• Loops matter everywhere
• Fitness as enrichment
• Fitness as a component of conservation
• And more… ​

CLICK HERE to listen to a ATA podcast episode on Crucial Conversations

The idea for this class came about after connecting with so many ATA premium members in one on one calls over the last 2 months! All up I have done roughly 60 of these calls (with more still to come). One thing I soon realised was that the scheduled 20 minute timeframe per call wasn’t enough – so most of us ended up chatting for over an hour! In total that means — time-wise – I have spent 4-5 days straight talking to the AMAZING ATA membership.

There were numerous topics of interest that I found were repeated in these calls. One of these concerned how we can improve our skills at processing both our emotions & thoughts when we see others using aversives. Consequently, I felt like I might have something to contribute here – based on my experience practically applying the tools from crucial conversations over the last decade.

Then through a number of polls (we ran in our ATA members only FaceBook group), it was chosen that the class would focus specifically on;

Conversation skills to help engage with someone who doesn’t necessarily know they’re using (what we might label as) aversives. **

AND working through some examples in real time (i.e.live) in the class! … After some careful thought & consideration though, it was decided that using real examples would be unethical – as the people involved would not be present and/or would not know we’re talking about them in this forum. Consequently, instead I will be joined by two ATA members who will each bring a hypothetical situation (but one you can relate to) to the class for us to discuss & unpack.

The two AMAZING members who will be joining me are 1) Josefine Linderstrom (from Sweden) & 2) Cristian San (from London, UK). And to make it as authentic as possible I (Ryan Cartlidge – the host) won’t know what the actual examples are until we’re live in the class on the day! I.e I will find out what they are at exactly the same time you do!

We look forward to seeing you live with us!

** Aversive = Something our animals given a choice would avoid/move away from.

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CLICK HERE to listen to a ATA podcast episode with Dr. Fernandez

Ferster and Skinner’s (1957) Schedules of Reinforcement was a landmark book, introducing the scientific community to the different schedules and their effects on behavior. Since that time, the various schedules of reinforcement have been used in thousands of basic and applied research studies to examine issues as widely diverse as work performance, drug use, and legislative bill passing. While the importance of these consequential schedules on all behavior is unmistakable, how they relate to our day-to-day lives is not always clear.

This webinar focuses on some of the core principles involved in schedules of reinforcement, namely what they are and what are their effects on behavior. Throughout the webinar, we will detail (1) the history of these schedules, from Skinner to modern-day animal training procedures, (2) some of the past confusion of such schedules, including “variable” vs. intermittent reinforcement, and (3) how can we understand and apply schedules of reinforcement in the most effective manner. The goal will be to provide a general, empirical framework for schedules of reinforcement so that any person, trainer and scientist alike, can readily identify them and how they relate to all aspects of behavior.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how we operationally define a schedule of reinforcement.
2. Identify the four basic types of schedules, as well as the difference between continuous, intermittent, and “variable” reinforcement.
3. Recognize applied instances of schedules of reinforcement, including how different schedules might be effective for our applied animal behavior purposes.

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Bryan Shelton Bio

Bryan Shelton, a highly regarded consultant and trainer, has been applying behavioural science for over 10 years, dedicating his time to performance improvement within organizational settings. Bryan helps organizations develop meaningful and actionable strategic objectives that successfully align employee performance with the company’s desired goals. Using his extensive background in behavior analysis, and the application of behavior-based solutions, Bryan helps clients create improvement across a variety of business metrics including company safety, growth, profitability, customer service, vision alignment, leadership development, and culture change.

Bryan earned his B.S. in Psychology with an emphasis in Performance Management from Florida State University and his M.S. in Behavior Analysis with an emphasis in Organizational Behavior Management from the University of North Texas. He has presented at various organizational and association conferences and has authored articles, blogs and book chapters. Bryan resides in Longmont CO.

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Colleen Pelar Bio

Colleen has always been fascinated by dogs and people. When she was a dog trainer, her favourite part of the job wasn’t teaching the dog, but improving the relationship between them and their humans. Colleen appreciates that both us and them are social species, hard-wired to connect, and she loves offering simple, practical tips for building those connections. That’s why, over more than 25 years of dog training, Colleen spoke at many veterinary and training conferences and wrote three books to help parents and children have successful relationships with their dogs. But she also sat in far too many living rooms having difficult conversations with parents about their dogs’ aggression. Eventually she was empty and had nothing left to give. She had lost the joy that had highlighted her work.

While trying to regain that spark, Colleen began studying the science of resilience. She learned effective strategies for combatting burnout and compassion fatigue. That knowledge has led her in a new direction: sharing these insights to help pet professionals manage their stress and find more joy so they can continue making a difference without burning themselves out.

Learning objectives of this class;

• Develop flexible and accurate thinking about the current situation
• Understand the benefits of negative emotions and identify action steps accordingly
• Understand the benefits of positive emotions and learn how to shift your emotional state to take advantage of them
• Learn quick-fix strategies that will help you feel more grounded, focused, and clear
• Explore longer-term tools that promote significant shifts in your physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being

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Pamela Clark Bio

Pamela Clark is a certified parrot behavior consultant, through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. She has a uniquely successful approach to helping clients. Using most positive, least intrusive behavior change strategies, coupled with a compassionate nature, excellent communication skills, and a first-rate knowledge of what parrots need for both good physical and psychological health which help her lead caregivers into a successful resolution of behavior problems.

She has lived with birds for 50 years. Her background of experience includes 16 years of work as an avian veterinary technician, the breeding of African Greys, training free-flight and other behaviours, and many years of informal hands-on rehabilitation of surrendered parrots with behavior problems. Organizations in the United States, Australia and Canada have hosted her for seminars and workshops. Her contributions to parrot-related magazines have been translated into several foreign languages and her popular blog can be found at www.blogpamelaclarkonline.com

• CLICK HERE for Pamela Clark’s website
• CLICK HERE to find Pamela on FaceBook

What we will cover in the class;

How we can use the LIMA hierarchy to address the following considerations when working with Feather destructive behavior, screaming and biting (in parrots);

• Wellness
• Social
• Physical
• Environmental/antecedent changes
• Teaching alternative behaviours.

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Peggy Hogan Bio

Like many people, Peggy loves animals and has a passion for training. She currently owns 5 minis, 2 full sized horses, and 3 parrots. Learning from clicker trainers of other species, Peggy investigated ways to add more shaping, capturing, luring, and targeting to her program and she experienced how horses would learn complex behaviors freely if given the choice.

Peggy currently teaches, gives clinics, offers online courses and generously shares knowledge of Clicker Training. Peggy has also been a speaker at Clicker Expo every year since 2013 and is thrilled to be presenting at Clicker Expo in 2019. Her goal is to learn how to better share this amazing technology with people in the horse community.

What we will cover in the class

• Common concerns expressed to beginner clicker trainers and how these can be addressed.
• How to safely add food to the mix (including when hand feeding)
• Using liberty training to your advantage
• Movement behaviors – what they are & how to train them
• Auto behaviours – what they are & how to train them
• Working with multiple horses
• Getting creative with your shaping
• Cue sessions vs shaping sessions
• The importance of cues – what cues are & when to add them

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Mark Kingston Jones Bio

Mark Kingston Jones has been involved in the animal welfare field since 2004. He is the Co-Founder of ‘Team Building with BITE’, and Workshop Coordinator and Level 1 Instructor for international charity ‘The Shape of Enrichment’. In addition to running 35 of his own Student Environmental Enrichment Courses, in the UK, he has been an Instructor on 25 SHAPE workshops and 4 others, in the UK, USA, Indonesia, South Africa, Romania, Russia, Lithuania, Uganda, Vietnam, Singapore, Armenia, India and Croatia.

After completing his BSc in Psychology from the University of Stirling, he began his career at Blair Drummond Safari Park, Scotland. He then moved to Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks, Kent, where previous to becoming self-employed in 2014, he worked as ‘Head of Education and Research’. In addition to organizing talks, workshops and conferences he has organized over 150 team building events, as well as working with keepers to design and implement enrichment ideas.

Mark is the SHAPE-UK & Ireland Events Co-Coordinator, an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent, an Enrichment Advisor for the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) Animal Behaviour and Training Working Group, an American Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Enrichment Instructor, and Trustee for Lakeview Monkey Sanctuary. He has been an author/co-author on 13 publications and presented 60 talks and workshops at conferences, both nationally and internationally.

What we will cover in the class

• Introduction to enrichment
• SHAPE’s 5 categories of enrichment
• What is ‘Goal orientated’ enrichment
• Enrichment planning
• Individually tailored enrichment
• Enrichment Safety
• How to evaluate enrichment success

• CLICK HERE to listen to a previous ATA podcast episode with Mark
• CLICK HERE for the team building with BITE web-site
• CLICK HERE for the SHAPE of enrichment website

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Lori Stevens Bio

Lori Stevens is a CPDT-KA Certified professional dog trainer, CPBC Certified Parrot Behaviour consultant IAABC, CCFT Certified Canine Fitness trainer, SAMP Certified Small Animal Massage Practitioner & senior Tellington TTouch® Training practitioner. She continually studies the interactions among animal behavior, movement, learning, fitness, and health. She uses intimidation-free, scientific, and innovative methods, in an educational environment, to improve the behavior, performance, health, and fitness of animals. Lori gives workshops, presents at conferences (including at Clicker Expo USA in 2019), teaches online courses, and gives webinars.

Lori gets joy from teaching others how to help their dogs thrive–whether for competition or daily life. Periodically, Lori also coaches for courses taught by Ken Ramirez at “The Ranch”.

She enjoys cooking, paddling (SUP), and hiking, as well as training and playing with Cassie, her Australian Shepherd.

Lori is the creator of the Balance Harness® and lives in Seattle, WA.

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Josephine Atkins-Darcy Bio

Josephine Atkins-Darcy (Jo for short) grew up on a mixed farm in Northern Tasmania (Australia) with her two sisters. Tame dairy cows, pet pigs & sheep, farm dogs and ponies were all part of their lives

Leaving home to study Fine Art at the University of Tasmania in 1987, Jo took her pony with her, and found her first real “pet dog”, Weymouth, a bedraggled Terrier on a Print Making camp at Uni. Once graduating from Uni she volunteered at the RSPCA and was given a job managing the cattery. Jo then moved to Hobart in her early 20’s and worked (and gained a qualification) as a Veterinary Nurse, a Dog Groom and then a scholarship to study Dog Training through the Delta Society, Australia.

The past 12 years has seen Jo develop the concepts of modern positive based dog training methods in relation to her horses and the other animals on their farm.

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Bex Tasker Bio

Bex is a lifelong behaviour and training nerd, with a special interest in positive reinforcement training for horses and their humans. She is dedicated to promoting principles of compassion, clarity and consent within horse-human partnerships.

Almost twenty years of positive reinforcement training and the excitement of being able to “talk to the animals” has not dimmed. She is known for clicker training any animal that crosses her path, including pigs, rabbits, dogs, fish, cows, sheep, cats and her own child.

Her first animal jobs in her 20’s were with Guide Dogs and Customs detector dogs, but more recently via her business Positively Together she has focused primarily on horses.

Bex travels around New Zealand teaching clinics on R+ for horses as well as delivering online courses to horse trainers around the world.  She has a new but thriving youth programme for teenagers focused on personal development via ethical horsemanship, and has recently delivered a string of workshops for businesses on how to inspire behaviour change in their staff and clients using positive reinforcement principles.

CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast episode with Bex Tasker

What we will cover in this class;

• What do we need to create an effective and enjoyable learning environment for our human learners
• How to apply our knowledge of animal training to the human animal – our clients, students, colleagues, staff, children, etc
• Breaking down barriers preventing progress by our human learners
• Tips for getting better engagement and ensuring learners feel safe
• Practical tools for communicating complex skills clearly (including TAG-teach, and more!)​

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Jennifer Shryock Bio

Jennifer Shryock is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), owner of Family Paws™ LLC in Cary, NC and holds a degree in Special Education. Jennifer is also former VP of Doggone Safe a non-profit dedicated to dog bite prevention and victim support.

Jennifer also has proudly served on the board member of the International Childbirth Education Association. A recognized expert on dog and baby/toddler interactions and safety, Jennifer has written and spoken extensively about these topics. Her two programs, Dogs & Storks® and Dogs & Toddlers™ have been featured in national media such as The Wall Street Journal, Martha Stewart LIVING along with many TV and radio appearances.In 2000 The Shryock family adopted their first German Shepherd Rescue dog.  Subsequently Jennifer became involved with the rescue organization as a counselor and trainer finding herself supporting families with babies or young children who, overwhelmed by the challenges of their situation, were often on the verge of surrendering an otherwise beloved dog.

As a Mother, dog behavior consultant and teacher… Jennifer recognized a need for support and education for these families and began building resources for new and expecting families through her own business Family Paws. A consistent need for this specialized service led to the creation of the highly endorsed international program Dogs & Storks® for expecting and adopting families and then years later Dogs & Toddlers™, for families with babies 3 months of age and up. All of these passions and ideas have led to the creation of Family Paws™ Parent Education now offering programs all of the United States, Canada and beyond! Jennifer has mentored and supported hundreds of dog trainers all over the world and continues to support families in her community and beyond.

Jennifer lives in Cary, North Carolina, with her husband, 4 children, 2 dogs, and 4 cats.

CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast episode with Jennifer

What we will cover in this class;

• Differences in communication
• Dog Aware skills
• Expectations of dog/child
• Proximity matters
• Inclusion & gradual bond building
• And more …

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Patrica McConnell Bio

Patricia is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviourist Emeritus (CAAB) who has made a lifelong commitment to improving the relationship between people and animals. She is known worldwide as an expert on canine and feline behavior and dog training, and for her engaging and knowledgeable dog training books, DVDs and seminars. Patricia has seen clients for serious behavioural problems since 1988, and taught “The Biology and Philosophy of Human/Animal Relationships” at the University of Wisconsin for 25 years.

A highly-sought after speaker on dog behavior and training, McConnell has presented seminars all over the United States, and in Canada, Germany, Australia, Sweden, Belgium, Scotland and New Zealand. She is the author of the much-acclaimed books The Other End of the Leash (which is now published in 13 languages), For the Love of A Dog: Understanding Emotions in You and Your Best Friend and her memoir, about trauma in people and dogs, The Education of Will.

Patricia and her husband Jim have two dogs, one confident cat and a very spoiled flock of sheep on a small farm in Southwestern Wisconsin. Her Border Collie, Maggie, along with Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Tootsie, keep her outside and active, and the love for her beloved Border Collie Willie will never die.

CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast with Patricia

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Dr. Susan Friedman Bio

Dr. Susan Friedman is a retired psychology professor at Utah State University who has pioneered the application of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to captive and companion animals. ABA, with its roots in human learning, offers a scientifically sound teaching technology and ethical standard that can improve the lives of all learners. Students from 32 different countries have participated in Susan’s online courses, Living and Learning with Animals for Professionals. She has written chapters on learning and behavior for 3 veterinary texts and is a frequent contributor to popular magazines. Her articles appear around the world in 14 languages. Susan has presented seminars nationally and internationally for a wide variety of professional organizations such as the Association of Avian Veterinarians, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, Moorpark College Exotic Animal Training and Management program, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. She has been nominated for the Media Award given by the International Association of Behavior Analysis for her efforts to disseminate to caregivers, veterinarians, animal trainers, and zookeepers the essential tools they need to empower and enrich the lives of the animals in their care. To help meet this goal, she welcomes downloading and disseminating everything on her www.behaviorworks.org website and welcomes people to visit her Facebook/behaviorworks page.

• CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast episode with Susan & Ryan Cartlidge to learn more about them and their work.
• CLICK HERE to watch the previous web-class/LIVE Q&A with Susan and Ryan Cartlidge from August 2017.
• CLICK HERE to watch the previous web-class/LIVE Q&A with Susan and Ryan Cartlidge from August 2018

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Laura advises me that she could passion talk about puppies all day & that I will have to be firm and tell her to stop! lol (as if we are going to tell one of our guests to stop passion talking though right? hehehe)

Here are some of the topics Laura covered in this cover;

• How we can best assist our clients when new puppies arrive home
• Operationalise ‘socialisation’, ‘enrichment’ and ‘training’ for new puppy parents/average pet dog owners
• Have a look at common puppy ‘problems’
• How to help clients understand normal puppy behaviour
• A discussion about focusing on what we DO want versus what we DON’T want
• An overview of puppy class programs
  • What to teach
  • How to create valuable resources
  • Working together with other professionals
  • Client expectations
  • Red flag behaviours
  • And more…

CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast episode with Laura Ryder (and find links to some of the resources mentioned in the class)

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Dr Robert Hewings is the author of ‘Scent and Scent-ability’ and head of learning and development for the UK College of Scent Detection, and a highly experienced Canine Trainer. He retired from the Metropolitan Police after 30 years’ exemplary service, 25 of which was as a Police Dog Handler.  The final nine years as a full-time trainer with the Metropolitan Police Dog Training Establishment. He has enhanced this experience with a BSc (Canine Training and Behaviour) MA (Professional Practice Police Dog Training) and a Doctor of Professional Practice (D/Prof) Canine Scent Detection. Rob has instructed all police canine-search disciplines including explosive search and narcotics, supporting this with an amazing academic journey that has without doubt enhanced his relationship with the dogs he trains.

Combining his scent detection experience Rob is currently training scent detection within the ‘Assistance Dog Community’ where, working in partnership with the PTSD Charity Bravehound is researching and training dogs to recognise the scent of a nightmare, and gently wake the sufferer.

Finally, Rob truly understands the importance of a positive training schedule with the dogs he trains and the people he coaches. He wishes to share his love and experience of search training with you and your dog. Witnessing the enjoyment, enthusiasm and excitement the dogs get from being engaged in the natural process of ‘nose-work’ has been his guilty pleasure for the last 25 years & as Rob says… long may this continue!!

Topics covered in this class with include;

• Adult Learning Theories
• How Humanism and Behaviourism are great partners
• Your ‘peoples’ learning environment
• People are choice based learners
• Feedback, and why it’s essential?
• And more…

• CLICK HERE for the UK College of Scent Dog Website
• CLICK HERE to listen to a ATA podcast episode with Dr. Hewings

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Do you want your animals to be happy/healthy and want to achieve your training goals? Then this web-class if for you!

Data is key to evidence-based decision making. Throughout this web-class, you will learn about…

• How to objectively measure training progress.
• Assessing and monitoring animal welfare/well-being.
• Using data to help communicate your training and welfare successes to co-workers, management, and other colleagues.
• Different methods of analysing behaviour.
• Tools for tracking and monitoring behaviour.
• The benefits of becoming evidence-based with all your applied animal behavior endeavours.

CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast episode with Dr. Eduardo Fernandez

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This ATA members only web-class is a LIVE “Mini-Panel discussion” full of innovative thinking, ideas and positive reinforcement based training methods. Here are some of the topics we covered in the class

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Do you create Animal Training related content and/or run an Animal Training business?

If so – chances are that you need to create content to market yourself as a professional trainer?

This web-class was created because – separation Anxiety subject matter expert & ATA premium member – Malena De Martini reached out to ask me some questions about how I create animal training content to help promote ATA. (listen to a past podcast with Malena & myself here >>> bit.ly/ATA_Malena).

And we decided that instead of keeping the conversation between the two of us, we would open it up to all ATA premium members!

Consequently Malena became ATA’s first ever special guest host & I (ATA founder Ryan Cartlidge) was the ‘special guest.”

This is a master class on content creation strategies for Animal Trainers!

Here is a list of some of the things we touched on in the class;

• How and why ATA the ATA podcast show got started
• Tips for preparing your content production, creation and release (Ryan’s strategies)
• Managing content creation in your busy life/schedule and staying sane at the same time
• Dealing with overwhelming your audience
• What content type & subject is right for you?
• How to monetise your content & how much to spend on production (content marketing)
• Pros and cons of podcasts as a form of content distribution and marketing strategy for your business
• How you can get set up on various podcasting/content creation platforms and what apps to use (From Ryan’s experiences)
• How the current ATA podcast & content strategies fulfil ATA’s goals and where it might all go next!
• And more … (thank you to everyone that has already contributed their ideas and questions).

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Agnieszka described herself as a passionate, knowledgeable behavior nerd, advocate of choice in animal training, nose work addict and obedience and concept training geek.

She is the founder of the Polish Nose work Association. Owner of three, rescued mixed breeds with whom she takes part in various canine sports and heavy absorber of international educational opportunities traveling to courses and seminars in the USA, UK, Netherlands & Germany and then bringing this all back to her community in Poland. Agnieszka describes her priorities as combining learning science, practice, dog-handler, relationship, precision and fun.

CLICK HERE for a podcast episode with Agnieszka

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Lindsay Wood Brown is a board-certified Associate Applied Animal Behaviourist (ACAAB) with a master’s degree in Animal Behavior.  She specializes in finding solutions for behavioural challenges and consults for animal shelters on the design and implementation of behavior programs, effective behavior modification methods, and the development of robust operational strategies to achieve behavioral health for animals within the shelter environment.

Lindsay teaches seminars and workshops around the country and serves as a faculty member for Karen Pryor Academy and Clicker Expo.  She offers coaching and 1:1 mentorship opportunity for behavior consultants.

Lindsay has a long history of leadership and building high functioning teams within animal shelters.  She served as the Director of Operations for Lynchburg Humane Society (LHS), an open-admission animal shelter located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.  Her role at Lynchburg Humane included the oversight of all shelter operations, with a strong focus on behavior and behavior modification to increase the number of animal lives saved and successfully rehomed.

Lindsay served for 8 years as the Director of Animal Training and Behavior for the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in Boulder, Colorado.  She developed Boulder Humane’s Training and Behavior Department, including their comprehensive behavior modification program, which focuses on rehabilitating dogs with specific behavior conditions, including resource-guarding, fearful behavior, body-handling sensitivities, separation anxiety, and dog-dog aggression.  Lindsay also developed the Humane Society of Boulder Valley’s curricula for a wide array of positive reinforcement, clicker training classes for community members.

CLICK HERE for a podcast episode with Lindsay

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