BARKS from the Guild March 2020

BARKS from the Guild Issue 41 / March 2020

BARKSfromtheGuild.com

RESCUE Shelter Dog to Service Dog TRAINING E-Fence Fallout FELINE Reading Cats’ Minds CASE STUDY From Friends to Enemies INTERVIEW Dr. Gregory Berns Talks Canine Olfaction TRAINING Communication for Optimal Success BEHAVIOR Learning from Learning Exotics

© Can Stock Photo/adogslifephoto

Training and Behavior Professionals: to Love the Business Side of Your Business

f r o m t h e e d i t o r

BARKS from the Guild Published by the Pet Professional Guild 9122 Kenton Road, Wesley Chapel, Florida 33545, USA Tel: +1-844-462-6473 petprofessionalguild.com barksfromtheguild.com facebook.com/BARKSfromtheGuild Editor-in-Chief Susan Nilson barkseditor@petprofessionalguild.com Images © Can Stock Photo: canstockphoto.com (unless otherwise credited; uncredited images belong to Pet Professional Guild) Pet Professional Guild Steering Committee Daniel Antolec, Kelly Fahey, Paula Garber, Don Hanson, Kelly Lee, Judy Luther, Debra Millikan, Susan Nilson, Mary Richards, Louise StapletonFrappell, Niki Tudge BARKS from the Guild Published 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.

Submissions BARKS encourages the submission of original written materials.

Please contact the Editor-in-Chief for contributor guidelines prior to sending manuscripts or see: barksfromtheguild.com/article-and-content-submission-policy-procedures Please submit all contributions via our submission form at: petprofessionalguild.com/bftgcontent Letters to the Editor To comment on an author’s work, or to let PPG know what topics you would 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 edit for length, grammar and clarity.

Subscriptions and Distribution BARKS is a digital publication. Print copies are available by subscription.

Register at barksfromtheguild.com/subscribe. Please contact Rebekah King at membership@petprofessionalguild.com for all subscription and distribution-related enquiries.

Advertising Please contact Kelly Fahey at kelly@petprofessionalguild.com to obtain a copy of rates, ad specifications, format requirements and deadlines.

Advertising information is also available at petprofessionalguild.com/s Pet Professional Guild does not endorse or guarantee any products, services or vendors mentioned in BARKS, nor can it be responsible for problems with vendors or their products and services. Pet Professional Guild reserves the right to reject, at its discretion, any advertising.

To be in any way affiliated with the Pet Professional Guild, all members must adhere to a strict code of conduct. Pet Professional Guild members understand force-free to mean that no pain, force or fear and no shock, choke or prong are ever employed to train or care for a pet. © All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the Pet Professional Guild, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please email: barkseditor@petprofessionalguild.com.

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e’ve been pretty busy behind the scenes at BARKS in the last few months getting the new subscription platform ready (see news story on p.6 and ad on p.7). Starting with this issue, March 2020, readers will be required to subscribe to continue reading the digital edition of BARKS. Don’t panic, it’s still free! We just want to be able to increase the features and benefits for BARKS readers and also prepare for, drum roll, an annual subscription to the print edition, which is one of our most commonly re­ ceived requests. So watch this space as we continue to build out the plat­ form and, once you have subscribed, be sure to check out the Members’ Area on the website for sneak previews of upcoming issues, as well as ac­ cess to all the back issues from 2019 and 2020, as they are added. You can subscribe at barksfromtheguild.com/subscribe and then access the Mem­ bers’ Area at barksfromtheguild.com/members. We look forward to see­ ing you there!

Now, while many of us choose to work with animals because we, well, love animals, perhaps not so many of us consider, when we are getting our education in the field, that we may also end up running our own training, pet care, or animal behavior consulting businesses. And this may be something that not everyone feels well­equipped to do, or even enjoys doing, especially when starting out. We investigate this more in our Cover Story, which aims to help pet professionals not only love the business side of their chosen profession a little bit more, but also provide them with some tools to help them be a little more proficient. As such, author Morag Heirs provides a host of handy tips on how to efficiently run your business, manage your time effectively while providing a quality service to your clients, and, essentially, avoid the compassion fatigue and burnout which are all too prevalent in those who work in the caring professions.

Also in this issue we were lucky enough to be able to have a quick chat with Dr. Gregory Berns at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where we quizzed him on one of his recent studies that measured, via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), reward­related learning of visual, olfactory, and verbal stimuli. It may come as no surprise that the dogs in the study showed a preference for olfactory stimuli, followed by visual, with verbal coming in last, “suggesting that verbal [cues] may be the least efficient way to train dogs.” (Prichard, Chhibber, Athanassiades, Spivak, & Berns, 2018). It’s fascinating stuff and you can read more about the study and Dr. Berns’ interpretation of it on pp.38­40.

Still on dogs, we feature the compelling tale of Charlee, the labradoo­ dle whose guardians unwittingly installed an invisible fence to try to keep her safe, and the ensuing fallout that lasted for many years afterwards (spoiler alert: the story has a happy ending). Appropriately, this all ties in with the Shock­Free Coalition’s drive to Sign the Shock­Free Pledge which will run for the duration of April and May. If you have not yet signed the Pledge, please consider doing so at shockfree.org/Pledge. There are some great prizes on offer if you recruit others to sign up, so please do help us make it a kinder world for pets as we work to eliminate shock collars and their ilk from the training toolbox. You can read all about it courtesy of Shock­Free Coalition chairman, Don Hanson, on pp.12­13.

In other training articles, Suzanne Clothier (who will be presenting at PPG Summit 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona in September) talks communication — not just with dogs but with their guardians too — and explains how to ensure all communication is effective to achieve optimal results for both dogs and their guardians. We also address that old chestnut, bribery vs. reinforcement, continue our discussion on canine stress, and set out some important guidelines for how to select a rescue dog to be trained as a service dog.

In other species, we have a wealth of cat content, including how to better understand the cats we share our lives with and how to address human­directed play aggression. In our Behavior section, Lara Joseph shares her recent experience training a pair of ring­tailed lemurs and ex­ plains why working with other species is so invaluable in helping to hone training mechanics. And for the equestrians, we ask why horse guardians may be reluctant to initially take onboard the recommendations made by training and behavior professionals, and what can be done to help them adapt to a new perspective. Rounding out the issue with more great busi­ ness advice and our latest member profile, we hope you enjoy the read.

And don’t forget to subscribe!

n Susan Nilso

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

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contents 6 12 14 16 18 24

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32 35

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N EWS PPG Summit 2020, new BARKS subscription platform, Project Trade, webinars, events, and more

B UILDING

A

SHOCK -F REE WORLD

FOR

P ETS

Don Hanson introduces the 61-Day Shock-Free Pledge Drive

S IGN U P

FOR THE

V IRTUAL S UMMIT !

PPG and PPGBI are to join forces and host an international online, educational event in April

PPG 2020 E DUCATIONAL S UMMIT

Presenter lineup and quick links for everything you need to know about PPG’s sixth annual summit in Phoenix, Arizona

L EARNING

TO

L OVE

THE

B USINESS S IDE

OF

Y OUR B USINESS

Morag Heirs offers advice on helping pet professionals enjoy running the business side of their work

M ESSAGE R ECEIVED !

Suzanne Clothier discusses how to ensure that communication is effective for both handlers and dogs to achieve optimal success during training sessions

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E-F ENCE FALLOUT

Daniel Antolec presents the case of labradoodle Charlee and the fallout that occurred after her unwitting guardians installed an electronic containment system in their yard

I DENTIFYING P OSITIVE R EINFORCERS

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28

FOR THE I NDIVIDUAL

Anna Bradley explains why using food as a positive reinforcer in training is not bribery

S TRESS : T RIGGERS

AND

C ONSEQUENCES

Diane Garrod discusses the importance of triggers and the environment and the importance of helping dogs through a stress reduction protocol

T ELL U S W HAT Y OU R EALLY T HINK

Susan Nilson and Angelica Steinker speak to Dr. Gregory Berns about the significance of olfactory and visual stimuli in a dog’s universe and what dogs may really be thinking

F ROM S HELTER D OG

TO

S ERVICE D OG

Dr. Maria Karunungan sets out some guidelines to help with the selection of rescue dogs to set them up for success in training to be service dogs

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R EADING C ATS ’ M INDS

Andrea Carne explains how to interpret how cats are feeling by paying close attention to changes in behavior

Q UICK C AT B EHAVIOR T IP : H UMAN -D IRECTED P LAY A GGRESSION

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The PPG Cat Committee discusses the need for guardians to provide an outlet for their cat’s predatory behavior via interactive play

B ASEMENT B UGABOO : T HE C URIOUS C ASE B LAZE

OF

C LEO

AND

45

Paula Garber presents the case of two best friends, one of whom started attacking the other following a “fight” with a neighborhood cat through the window

L ESSONS

FROM

E XOTICS

Lara Joseph details how two ring-tailed lemurs landed at her training center for the winter and how working with them has helped fine-tune her training skills

A C HANGE

OF

Kathie Gregory explains why clients may not always initially be onboard with the recommendations made by trainers

A SK

THE

53

P ERSPECTIVE

E XPERTS : F INDING L ONGEVITY

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Veronica Boutelle of PPG corporate partner dogbiz provides suggestions on how pet professionals can streamline their businesses when feeling overwhelmed

G OING

ON

A IR

Kelly McFarlane sets out some brief guidelines for speaking to the media in a professional capacity

P ROFILE : TAKING R ESPONSIBILITY

Featuring Julie Humiston of Puppy Love Dog Training in Medina, Minnesota

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

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n e w s PPG Launches New Subscription Platform for BARKS

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PG has announced a new subscription platform for its offi­ cial bimonthly trade publication, BARKS from the Guild (barksfromtheguild.com). Effective immediately, all BARKS read­ ers, including PPG members, will be required to subscribe in order to gain uninterrupted, free access to the digital edition of the magazine. In addition, due to popular demand, PPG is offer­ ing an option to subscribe to the print edition of the magazine on an annual basis.

BARKS is a comprehensive educational tool for pet profes­ sionals, written by PPG members, covering all things animal be­ havior and training, pet care, canine, feline, equine, avian, pocket pets, and exotics, as well as shelter and rescue, advo­ cacy, business, sales, marketing consulting. It also features in­ terviews with key industry figures and canine research scientists plus in­depth reports from all PPG's educational events world­ wide. As per PPG's Guiding Principles, which state that shock, pain, choke, fear, physical force, and compulsion­based meth­ ods should never be used in training or pet care, BARKS is tar­ geted towards the animal behavior, training and pet care professionals that comprise the core of the organization's mem­ bership, as well as other pet professionals and pet guardians who are interested in learning more about modern, science­ based, force­free training techniques and tools. Each issue of the 64­page publication includes an in­depth cover feature and a further 15 or so articles covering a diverse selection of topics relevant to today's pet professional, as well as book reviews, PPG news, and member profiles. BARKS is also a valuable re­ source for advertisers, whose products and services are guaran­ teed to reach their intended target audience.

The new BARKS digital subscription plan begins immedi­ ately, starting with this, the March 2020 issue. Anyone wishing to gain access to this issue online (and all ensuing issues) is en­ couraged to subscribe on the new platform with immediate ef­ fect (barksfromtheguild.com/subscribe). In addition, as soon as PPG reaches the required number of registrants, it will launch the print edition, delivering BARKS directly to readers' doors six times a year for just $85. The print option will be rolled out in North America with further locations to be added at a later date. Once registered, all subscribers will also have exclusive access to the Members' Area of the BARKS website (barksfromtheguild.com/members).

"While subscription to the digital edition of BARKS will remain completely free of charge, as it always has been, we have chosen to ask readers to register so we can increase the features and benefits we make available to them, as well as prepare to launch the annual subscription to the print edition," said PPG president Niki Tudge. "By making the latter more easily available, we can more effectively continue to promote education, re­ sources, information, equipment, ideas, methods and techniques that both pet professionals and guardians can trust while we work to raise indus­ try standards as a whole."

"One of the most common questions we are asked by our members is whether an annual print subscription to BARKS is available, and we are pleased that we can finally make that a possibility," added Susan Nilson, editor­in­chief, BARKS from the Guild. "As soon as they have subscribed, readers will have ongoing access to each of the bimonthly issues, PDF downloads of all articles, vendor discounts, and first notification of new BARKS Blogs and BARKS Podcasts, and we will be adding more benefits in due course. It's an exciting time for BARKS and we look forward to working with PPG members and our wider audience to continue to deliver a quality product that promotes force­free, scientifically sound education in all as­ pects of training, behavior consulting and pet care.” (See also ad on p.7).

Write for BARKS from the Guild or the BARKS Blog!

We are always on the lookout for interesting features, member profiles, case studies and training tips to feature in BARKS from the Guild and on the BARKS Blog. If you’d like to join the growing band of member contributors, please get in touch.

barksfromtheguild.com

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

BARKS BARKS from the Guild blog Email: barkseditor@petprofessionalguild.com

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STAY IN TOUCH in 2020 New Ways to Subscribe for BARKS!

From March 1, 2020, BARKS from the Guild, the official bimonthly trade publication of the Pet Professional Guild, will be moving to a new subscription only platform. Once you have subscribed (it's still free!), you will have ongoing access to each of the bimonthly issues, PDF downloads, vendor discounts, first notification of BARKS Blogs and BARKS Podcasts and more. PPG has chosen to do this so it can increase the features and benefits for BARKS readers and also prepare for an annual subscription to the Print Edition.

DIGITAL BARKS IS STILL FREE! How It Works: Digital BARKS Subscription to the Digital Edition will still be completely free of charge. To keep reading, simply subscribe here. As this is a completely separate platform from PPG, you will need to create a new account.

Automatic login with your PPG member account username and password will not apply.

How It Works: Printed BARKS Due to popular demand, we are preparing to offer an annual subscription to the Print Edition* in addition to the free digital edition. If you would be interested in a print copy of BARKS delivered to your door for 12 months at just US$85, simply type Yes in the box when you register.

*Print subscription will be rolled out in North America with more locations to be added in due course.

DON’T MISS OUT SUBSCRIBE TODAY! barksfromtheguild.com/subscribe BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

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n e w s PPG Summit 2020: Attend with Your Best Friend

I

f you bring your dog with you to the PPG Summit, taking place in Phoenix, Arizona on September 18­22, 2020, you will have the oppor­ tunity to attend a variety of lecture/labs where you can work with your pup under the guidance of some fantastic trainers. All you have to do is register (petprofessionalguild.com/2020­Summit­Registration), choose your preferred program, add on any hotel rooms or food and beverage events, select your working labs, and choose your payment option to se­ cure your spot. Need more details? Contact PPG membership manager Rebekah King at membership@petprofessionalguild.com for assistance.

PPG Summit 2020: Win a Free Ticket

F

or your chance to win a ticket to PPG’s 2020 Summit, taking place in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday, September 18 – Tuesday, September 22, head over to Facebook or Twitter and share this Summit Schedule graphic on Facebook (facebook.com/PetProfessionalGuild/photos/a .214518431973339/2758905450867945) or Twitter (twitter.com /PetGuild/status/1219388176973713410) and follow these THREE sim­ ple steps in your post or tweet: 1.

Include this link: PetProfessionalGuild.com/2020­Schedule­of­ Events.

2.

Tell your friends which one of the Summit Sessions you are most interested in.

3.

Use the hashtag #PPGSummitSchedule so we can find it!

You can’t win if you don’t share! Drawing will be held on March 25, 2020. Winners will be announced on March 30, 2020!

Announcing the PPG Gift Certificate

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ou can now give the gift of results based, science­based force­free training and pet care!

Have you ever thought about gifting a webinar or event or member­ ship for a professional colleague? Well, now you can! Simply click the link (emailmeform.com/builder/form/YhZ3eMsd5UAeWTad6), choose a friend, and choose what you would like to gift them.

It’s that simple.

PPG will then deliver the Gift Certificate PDF to you to gift to your friend or colleague, or we can email it directly to them. Just let us know which option you prefer!

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BARKS BARKSfrom fromthe theGuild/January Guild/March 2020 2018

Cat Committee Releases New Behavior Handout

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PG’s Feline Committee has released the latest in their series of cat be­ havior handouts, this time with a focus on human­di­ rected play aggression.

Read it/download the PDF from petprofessionalguild .com/Human­Directed­ Play­Aggression. See also the article on the same topic on pp.48‐49.

n e w s PPG Names October, November Project Trade Ambassadors

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ongratulations to Daniel Antolec of Happy Buddha Dog Training (happybuddhadogtraining.com) in Wisconsin, USA for trading two prong collars and one shock collar and who has been named Project Trade Ambassador for October 2019. Congratulations, too, to Janis Crary of All About The Dog (allaboutthedog.us/index.html) in Indiana, USA for trading one prong collar, to Pam Francis­Tuss of Obedient Pups Professional Dog Training (obedientpups.com) in California, USA for trading two shock collars, and to William Giese of By My Side Dog Training (bymysidedog.com) in Missouri, USA for trading one prong collar. Congratulations again to Pam Francis­Tuss for trading one shock collar and one prong collar and who has been named Project Trade Ambassador for November 2019.

Find out more about how Project Trade can help your business in ‘Helping Dogs, Helping Families,’ BARKS from the Guild, March 2017, pp.20‐25 (bit.ly/HelpingDogs).

Project Trade (projecttrade.org) is an international opt‐in advocacy program for PPG members that promotes the use of force‐free training equipment by asking pet guardians to swap choke, prong and shock collars (and any other devices that are designed to change behavior or care for pets through pain or fear) for service discounts. Join today!

(Left to right) Daniel Antolec, Pam Francis­Tuss, Janis Crary and William Giese collected this selection of shock and prong collars as part of PPG’s Project Trade gear swap program

PPG Announces Writers’ Competition

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ow would you like to win a FREE ticket worth $500 to PPG’s sixth annual summit in Phoenix, Arizona on September 18­22, 2020?

The event theme is Collaborative Care and Enrichment – Creating Partnerships for Positive Results and we are looking for blog posts or short features on the topic of animal shelter and rescue to publish on the BARKS Blog (barksfromtheguild.com/blog) or in BARKS from the Guild (barksfromtheguild.com). We may publish snippets on our social media platforms too.

Do you have, for example, a specific training tip or enrichment idea that you have successfully implemented in a shelter or rescue environment? Perhaps your tale is more per­ sonal, of one special rescue animal who has taught you something special, or changed your life forever?

Whatever it is, if it’s related to shelter and/or res­ cue animals, we want to know about it!

Don’t consider your­ self a writer? No problem. Just do the best you can, and if we © Can Stock Photo/damedeeso choose your article for its content, we will help you knock it into shape. Photos, if you have them, are welcome.

The author of the winning blog post or article will win a FREE ticket to Phoenix 2020!

Please submit your article at petprofessionalguild.com/Win­a­FREE­Ticket.

Deadline for entries: April 5, 2020 Winner announced: April 20, 2020 See petprofessionalguild.com/Win‐a‐FREE‐Ticket for Terms and Conditions.

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

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n e w s BARKS Podcasts Throwback Podcasts: #ShockFreeCoalition Specials Project Trade ­ a strategic way to apply a discounted service policy in exchange for aversive training equipment from September 26, 2017: bit.ly/2xIoXql Drayton Michaels and Niki Tudge ­ An uncensored chat about training with shock! from September 28, 2017: bit.ly/2xLILKZ Dr. Marc Bekoff ­ Do pet parents understand when their dog is feeling stressed or feeling happy? from October 1, 2017: bit.ly/2x9AL7Q

Full podcast schedule: barksfromtheguild.com/category/show‐schedule.

Find and listen to all earlier BARKS Podcasts: barksfromtheguild.com/category/podcast.

Earn Your CEUs via PPG’s Webinars, Workshops and Educational Summits!

Webinars

Educational Summits

The Finer Points of Marketing Pet Loss Services ­ Presented by Coleen Ellis Wednesday, March 11, 2020 / Noon (EDT) petprofessionalguild.com/event­3530180

PPG Summit 2020 (Phoenix, Arizona) (see also ad on p.64/back cover) Friday, September 18 ­ Tuesday, September 22, 2020 petprofessionalguild.com/PPG­2020­Summit­&­Workshops

BRAVE ­ Essential Coping Strategies for Every Dog ­ Presented by Victoria Stilwell Monday, March 16, 2020 / Noon (EDT) petprofessionalguild.com/event­3718476

Residential Workshops

Genetic Testing Your Dog: Can you trust those health and breed results? ­ Presented by Dr. Jessica Hekman Friday, April 3, 2020 / 1 p.m. (EDT) petprofessionalguild.com/event­3668533 How to Conduct a Successful Pet Loss Support Group ­ Presented by Coleen Ellis Tuesday, April 7, 2020 / Noon (EDT) petprofessionalguild.com/event­3530218 Mantrailing ­ Training Dogs to Find People ­ Presented by Lisa Gorenflo Wednesday, April 8, 2020 / 6 p.m (EDT) petprofessionalguild.com/event­3662523 Just Get ’Em Out? Investigating the Effects of Sleepover and Field Trip Programs on the Welfare of Shelter Dogs ­ Presented by Dr. Lisa Gunter Friday, April 24, 2020 / 1 p.m (EDT) petprofessionalguild.com/event­3661838 Anxiety: The Whole Story ­ Presented by Dr. Jessica Hekman Friday, June 5, 2020 / 1 p.m (EDT) petprofessionalguild.com/event­3702923

Reactive to Relaxed: Next Steps in Control Unleashed with Leslie McDevitt (Tampa, Florida) (see also ad on p.31) Saturday, April 18, 2020 ­ 9 a.m. (EDT) Sunday, April 19, 2020 ­ 4:30 p.m. (EDT) petprofessionalguild.com/April­2020­Reactive­to­Relaxed­Next ­Steps­in­Control­Unleashed Canine Scent Instructor Program with Dr. Robert Hewings (Tampa, Florida) (see also ad on p.63) Saturday, November 7, 2020 Wednesday, November 11, 2020 petprofessionalguild.com/2020­Scent­Instructor­Program Canine Scent Advanced Handling Program with Dr. Robert Hewings (Tampa, Florida) (see also ad on p.63) Tuesday, November 17, 2020 Saturday, November 21, 2020 petprofessionalguild.com/November­2020­Canine­Scent­Advanced ­Handling Learn How to Train Dogs to Detect Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Nightmares with Dr. Robert Hewings (Tampa, Florida) (see also ad on p.63) Tuesday, November 24, 2020 Wednesday, November 25, 2020 petprofessionalguild.com/Train­Dogs­to­Detect­Post­Traumatic­ Stress­Disorder

PPG Webinars On Demand Listen any time! (Scroll down to find all the latest additions): petprofessionalguild.com/Recorded­Webinars

• Details of all upcoming workshops: petprofessionalguild.com/Educational‐Summits

Note: All dates and times are correct at time of going to press but are subject to change. Please check website for an updated list of all webinars, as well as discounted and on‐demand webinars: petprofessionalguild.com/GuildScheduledEvents.

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

We Invite You to Become a PPG Corporate Partner If you are aligned with our Guiding Principles. No shock, No pain, No choke, No fear, No physical force, No compulsion based methods are ever employed to train or care for a pet.

If you want to help shape the future of the pet industry with the Pet Professional Guild and enjoy numerous benefits and discounts.

If you want to expand your reach and grow your customer base through access to a core targeted market of pet industry business professionals.Â

Three Options to Suit Your Business Goals Ambassador $850 Annual Partner Membership

Diplomat

Delegate

$650 Annual Partner Membership

$450 Annual Partner Membership

We are the only membership organization for professionals who subscribe to the view that aversive methods should never be used - or even deemed necessary - in the training, care or behavior modification of any pet.

Great benefits at every level

1

Ambassador

2

Diplomat

3 Delegate

Let’s Work Together Creating a better life for our pets as a Pet Professional Guild Corporate Partner. Become a Pet Professional Guild Corporate Partner today!

For more information please contact Kelly Fahey Kelly@PetProfessionalGuild.com www.PetProfessionalGuild.com/Corporate-Partnerships

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uild

e v e n t s

Building a Shock-Free World for Pets Don Hanson, chairman of the Shock-Free Coalition, introduces the 61-Day Shock-Free Pledge Drive that aims to educate both consumers and pet professionals about the risks associated with using shock collars

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rainers, behavior consultants and pet professionals, the Shock­ Free Coalition needs your help! Specifically, we need your help in educating your clients, colleagues, friends, and family members about the benefits of using reward­based training and the dangers of using a shock collar as a training tool. Our goal is to prepare you so that you can ask pet owners and pet care professionals, especially veterinari­ ans and their staff, animal shelters and rescues, and other dog trainers to sign the Shock­Free Pledge.

How Do I Get Others to Sign the Pledge?

Visit shockfree.org/2020­Pledge­Drive after April 1, where you will find suggestions on how to talk to both pet guardians and pet professionals about pledging, and where you will be able to download flyers, promo­ tional materials, webinars, and podcasts to aid you in your efforts. Sug­ gestions and links will also be posted on the Shock­Free Coalition Facebook page at facebook.com/shockfreecoalition throughout the Pledge Drive.

Pledge Drive The Shock­Free Coalition will be launching a 61­day pledge drive on April 1, 2020 and will be awarding prizes to those that get the most peo­ ple to Sign the Pledge at shockfree.org/2020­Pledge­Drive. This event is open to anyone that has signed the Shock­Free Pledge and will end on May 31, 2020.

How Do I Participate?

1.

2.

3.

4.

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First, make sure you have signed the Shock­Free Pledge by vis­ iting shockfree.org, log in to your profile and print your mem­ bership card. You can do this from the home page by clicking on your name and clicking ‘View Profile’ once you log in.

Print lots of cards and distribute them to your friends, family, neighbors, fellow PPG members, clients, students, and col­ leagues and ask them to take just three minutes to Sign the Pledge.

When signing the Pledge, your referrals MUST enter your membership ID into the field between CITY and STATE, labeled “Who referred you to sign the pledge, please enter their ID # here.” That’s how we will be tracking who recruits the most pledges.

Participants who recruit the most pledges will be eligible for some great prizes.

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

Quick Links: Shock­Free Coalition: shockfree.org Shock­Free Coalition on Facebook: facebook.com/shockfreecoalition Shock­Free Coalition Pledge Drive: shockfree.org/2020­Pledge­Drive

e v e n t s The Shock-Free Coalition believes that pets have an intrinsic right to be treated humanely, to have each of their individual needs met, and to live in a safe, enriched environment free from force, pain and fear

Join the 61­Day Shock­Free Pledge Drive for a Chance to Win Some Great Prizes!

Highest Number of Pledges Recruited by Any Individual or Organization during the Pledge Period v

Winner will receive one FREE Ticket to PPG Summit 2020, including hotel room nights, and a full­page feature on their business in BARKS from the Guild v Runner­up will receive one FREE Ticket* to the PPG Summit 2020 and an invitation to be a guest on a BARKS Podcast to talk about their Pledge Drive

The Most Business Pledges Accrued to an Individual or Organization across the Three Business Pledge Categories v

Winner will receive one FREE Ticket* to PPG Summit 2020 v Runner­up will receive a $100 credit with PPG

The Most Pledges Recruited by a Veterinary Professional, Animal Hospital, or Clinic v

Winner will receive one FREE Ticket* to PPG Summit 2020 v Runner­up will receive a $100 credit with PPG

The Most Pledges Recruited by an Animal Rescue or Shelter v

Winning organization will receive one FREE Ticket* to PPG Summit 2020 v Runner­up will receive a $100 credit with PPG

The Most Pledges Recruited by a Dog Trainer or Behavior Consultant v

Winner will receive one FREE Ticket* to PPG Summit 2020 v Runner­up will receive a $100 credit with PPG

The Most Pledges Recruited by a Pet Guardian v

Winner will receive one FREE Ticket* to PPG Summit 2020 v Runner­up will receive a $100 credit with PPG *excludes accommodation

There’s Nothing Shocking About Why Shock Devices Can Be Harmful to Pets

Sign the Pledge!

Studies show that shock devices are unnecessary and have the potential to be very dangerous.

Shock Devices: Suppress behaviors instead of addressing underlying causes Can create behavioral problems Can malfunction causing serious injury Jeopardize your pet’s health, welfare, and the bond you share with your pet

Sign Our Pledge to Eliminate Electric Shock in the Training, Care and Management of Pets Learn More At: ShockFree.org

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Sign Up for the Virtual Summit!

PPG and PPGBI are to join forces and host an international online event next month to celebrate the launch of the Pet Rescue Resource Behavior and Welfare Toolkit, a brand new product designed by PPG’s Shelter and Rescue Committee

P

PG has announced an educational Virtual Summit taking place on Thursday, April 2 ­ Friday, April 3, 2020 to mark the launch of its new program, the PPG Pet Rescue Resource – A Behavior and Welfare Toolkit.

The Pet Rescue Resource Behavior and Welfare Toolkit is a compre­ hensive educational product, designed by PPG’s Shelter and Rescue Com­ mittee, that features a broad range of programs and modules aimed at helping improve the prospects of pets in a shelter or rescue environment by increasing adoption and retention rates. It consists of articles, training plans and videos that cover a broad range of essential topics pertinent to the world of shelter and rescue (e.g. dogs that jump up and canine play groups), as well as individual modules that focus on topics of a smaller scope. Each resource fulfills a specific need that has been identified by PPG’s Shelter and Rescue Committee as an issue that commonly occurs and needs to be addressed to aid in the management, behavior modifi­ cation, training, and enrichment of animals in shelters and foster homes.

Webinar Sessions In support of the rollout of the Toolkit, the Virtual Summit, jointly hosted by PPG in North America and Pet Professional Guild British Isles (PPGBI), will feature two full days of educational webinar sessions, fo­ cusing on collaborative care and enrichment, that can be implemented by animal rescue and/or shelter organizations to help better assimilate rescue pets into homes. The 1­hour sessions, followed by an interactive question and answer session lasting up to 30 minutes, will run from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (EST)/3 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. (GMT) on consecutive days. Presenters include neuroscientist Dr. Kathy Murphy, Dr. Karolina Westlund of Illis Animal Behavior Consulting in Sweden, veterinarian Dr. Nick Thompson, Dr. Zazie Todd of popular blog Companion Animal Psy‐ chology, Dr. Morag Heirs of Well Connected Canine Ltd. in York, U.K., renowned canine separation anxiety expert Malena DeMartini, Dr. Robert Hewings of the UK College of Scent Detection, and Dr. Juliane

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

Kaminski, director of the Dog Cognition Centre at the University of Portsmouth, U.K. Registration for the Virtual Summit is already open for business and you can sign up either through PPG (petprofessionalguild.com /Pet­Rescue­Resource) or PPGBI (ppgbi.com/Pet­Rescue­Resources).

Registrants will gain access not only to the live event, but also to audio session recordings for their own personal use for 12 months.

"As a PPG developed concept, the Pet Rescue Resource Toolkit re­ flects our organization’s mission to provide the greatest value, highest quality, state­of­the­art, force­free, science­based education on the training, behavior consulting, and care of companion animals," said PPG president, Niki Tudge. "Each program and module within the Toolkit has been constructed so it functions with the greatest possible efficiency in order to minimize additional work by shelter and rescue staff and volun­ teers in what are, often, under­resourced circumstances. On a second­ ary level, it has also been constructed to support adopters, foster home networks and professional pet trainers and care providers and designed specifically so it can be implemented by a cross section of pet profes­ sionals, volunteers, pet parents and pet hobbyists. The Virtual Summit is the perfect way to launch this exciting new resource, by starting as we mean to go on: providing quality education by some of the leading names in the field of pet training and behavior.”

A standalone website for the Pet Rescue Resource will go live in the first week of April, with full details to be announced at that time. n

Registration for the Virtual Summit is already open for business and you can sign up either through the PPG or PPGBI website. Registrants will gain access not only to the live event, but also to audio session recordings for their own personal use for 12 months.

Come Celebrate the Launch of Come Celebrate the Launch of an New PPG PPG Program Program an Incredible Incredible New By attending a Virtual Virtual Summit Summit ByThursday, attending a April 2 & Friday, April 3, 2020 Thursday, April 2 & Friday, April 3, 2020

Brought to you by the Pet Professional Guild and PPG British Isles Brought to you by the Pet Professional Guild and PPG British Isles 2 days of educational 2 days of on educational webinars Rescue and webinars on and Shelter topicsRescue focused on Shelter topics focused Collaborative Care andon Collaborative Care and Enrichment Creating Enrichment Creating Partnerships for Positive Partnerships for Positive Results, to ANNOUNCE: Results, to ANNOUNCE:

A Behavior and A Behavior and Welfare Toolkit Welfare Toolkit

programspecifically specifically AAprogram createdand anddesigned designed created for Pet PetRescue Rescue&&Shelter Shelter for organizations. organizations.

All presented by by top-notch top-notch All webinars webinars presented experts in their their fields fields including... including... experts in Malena DeMartini DeMartini Dr. Malena Dr. Kathy Kathy Murphy Murphy Dr. Robert Robert Hewings Hewings Dr. Dr. Karolina Karolina Westlund Westlund Dr. Dr. Juliane Juliane Kaminski Kaminski Dr. Dr. Dr. Nick Nick Thompson Thompson Dr. Zazie Zazie Todd Todd Dr. Dr. Dr. Morag Morag Heirs Heirs 44 WEBINAR WEBINAR Sessions/Day Sessions/Day All webinars All webinars will will be be recorded and recorded and available available within within 24 24 hours to all hours to all registrants registrants

GetGetMore MoreInfo at

PetProfessionalGuild.com/Pet-Rescue-Resource

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PPG is heading to Phoenix, Arizona for its 2020 Summit & Workshops!

Event Location: Sheraton Phoenix Airport Hotel Tempe and Arizona Humane Society Event Theme: Collaborative Care and Enrichment – Creating Partnerships for Positive Results Choose between Two Unique Programs!

Program 1: Friday, September 18 ­ Tuesday, September 22, 2020 Includes:

• Registration Day ­ Your Evening Welcome Reception and PPG President Opening Address • 4 full days of General Sessions, Presentations and Lecture/Labs

Program 2: Friday, September 18 ­ Tuesday, September 22, 2020 Includes:

• Registration Day ­ Your Evening Welcome Reception and PPG President Opening Address • 4 full days of General Sessions, Presentations and Lecture/Labs • Daily 1.5 Hour Off­Site Workshops at the Arizona Humane Society

Quick Links: Arizona Humane Society: azhumane.org Exhibitor and Sponsor Guide: petprofessionalguild.com/2020­Sponsors­&­Exhibitors Hotel Booking (PPG group rate available 09/14/2020 to 09/25/2020): petprofessionalguild.com/Summit­Hotel Menus: petprofessionalguild.com/Group­Menus Presenter Guide: petprofessionalguild.com/Presenters­and­workshop­instructors Registration: petprofessionalguild.com/2020­Summit­Registration Schedule of Events: petprofessionalguild.com/2020­Schedule­of­Events Session Guide: petprofessionalguild.com/Session­Guide Sheraton Phoenix Airport Hotel Tempe: marriott.com/hotels/travel/phxta‐sheraton‐phoenix‐airport‐hotel‐tempe Workshop Groups: petprofessionalguild.com/Off­Site­Work­Groups

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

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Speaker Lineup THE #PPGSummit 2020 SUMMIT & WORKSHOP

Phoenix, Arizona

Collaborative Care and Enrichment – Creating Partnerships for Positive Results!

uild

Summit 2020, Phoenix, AZ Collaborative Care & Enrichment

Dr. Alexandra Protopopova Dr. Deborah Jones Dr. Karolina Westlund Dr. Kelly Lee Dr. Lisa Gunter Dr. Zazie Todd Emily Larlham Leslie McDevitt Emily Cassell Glenn Pierce K. Holden Svirsky Judy Luther Kim Monteith

Dr. Maria Karunungan Suzanne Clothier Louise Stapleton-Frappell Niki Tudge Paula Garber Sara McLoudrey Sherry Woodard Tabitha Kucera Tia Guest Carrie Seay Casey McGee Malena DeMartini Debra Millikan

Off-Site Workshops Hosted by

Check-In – Friday September 18th

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

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c o v e r

Learning to Love the Business Side of Your Business

Morag Heirs draws from her experience of 20 years running her own businesses to offer advice on helping canine training and behavior professionals enjoy — and

While dog trainers may often choose the profession because they really love dogs and to help dogs and their people, they may not automatically love the business side of the equation

become more efficient at — running the business side of their work

© Can Stock Photo/adogslifephoto

I

n my experience, dog people generally get into this industry because they really love dogs and get a real kick out of helping pet dogs and their people to build better relationships. But no matter what their training or background – academic course, apprenticeship, learning through experience – the chances are that, again in my experience, they did not get much help or education in the running a business aspect. Let me ask you, “Did you really get into this because you wanted to be self­ employed or to run your own company?” And let me ask in a broader sense, “Why do we assume that amazing dog trainers and behavior con­ sultants will automatically be great entrepreneurs?” It’s a totally differ­ ent skill set!

Background Picture the scene all the way back to Christmas 2014. Yet again I was busy searching for receipts, printing invoices, completing spreadsheets and having a minor nervous breakdown when my printer gave up the ghost. Here in the United Kingdom we file our tax returns at the end of January and even though I had kept records and had boxes of paperwork 18

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

it still ended up being one of those jobs that got left to the last minute.

It’s not that I can’t do tax returns; in fact, I quite like playing with spreadsheets. I still find it exciting discovering accountancy programs that allow me to project my cash flow in the future, but it’s not where my natural talent lies. It takes extra effort for me to be able to be good at that part of running a business, and that means more stress and pres­ sure. In a nutshell, doing my accounts was the thing I hated most about running my own business. And I’ve never done them since that year – now I have an office manager who I consider to be an essential part of my team!

I have been running my own businesses since I was 21, when I set up my first company specializing in remedial massage therapy (for hu­ mans!). Thankfully, I have had the support of my father, who is a profes­ sional entrepreneur and an accountant, throughout. I also managed to win start­up funding, which came with business mentoring as part of the package. But while my professional training courses (bodywork, massage therapy, aromatherapy and more) did include some basic business plan­ ning, it all felt very dry and theoretical. My canine training courses had

c o v e r even less business content, if any at all.

I don’t know about you, but I grew up loving the idea of running my own…something! Whether that was a training college or school or a business didn’t really matter, but I loved the idea of bringing an idea into reality and seeing it all the way through. That meant I was at least inter­ ested in the business side of animal training and behavior, but it’s been a very steep learning curve over the last 15 years!

Here’s the honest truth – it’s hard to run a successful business. Let’s face it, you got into this because you want to help people and their ani­ mals have a more fulfilling life together, right? You have the passion, ded­ ication, commitment, and interest. But knowing what your vocation is, can be quite different from knowing how to turn it into a reliable and sta­ ble source of income.

If you want to help people and dogs more than you want to be in control of building up a business, then I’d actively encourage you to start by looking at your employment opportunities. Could you apply to work within someone else’s organization? Or might you be the perfect candi­ date to work within a rescue or shelter organization? Are you keen to work with assistance dog charities? Too often, there is the assumption that the only way to be a dog/animal trainer is by striking out on your own, but that’s just one of many ways that you can work with people and their companion animals. For the past two years I’ve been running webinars focused on helping animal trainers and behavior consultants love their businesses just a little bit more. With this in mind, I will now ask you to consider three topics that you can start taking action on today:

#1. What are you doing in your sessions? #2. How much are you charging? #3. Is your business taking care of your sanity?

•

How can you use your time, and your client's time, most effectively?

• Incremental learning works well for dogs and humans.

• Stop trying to fit everything in!

Here’s a practical example that we implemented in my business. We created what we call our Three Week Intensives as a way to teach the core dog training skills rather than weekly classes that cover lots of ideas (see Fig. 1 on p.21). These sessions are taught to a maximum of two clients at a time, and each session lasts around 30 minutes. So, for exam­ ple, teaching loose leash walking would include: • Agreeing on equipment (management vs. training).

• Teaching three key skills: 1.

Attention/focus.

2.

Staying by your side (stationary).

3.

Staying by your side (moving).

• Three sessions minimum – progress depends on dog and human.

• Any additional sessions are optional, based on individual needs.

Packages vs. Single Sessions Another thing to consider is what we call Relationships (i.e. packages) vs. what we like to refer to as One­Night Stands (i.e. single sessions). Ask yourself whether you are aiming to create lasting change for a partner­ ship or provide an entertaining diversion? Both are great goals to have, but they are achieved in different ways.

I recently sat down with my colleagues to evaluate our models and packages, because we all had a vague sense that things were not as good as they could be. The outcome was a clear statement that we want to work with fewer clients, see those clients more often, and concentrate on enabling clients to be successful problem solvers in their own right.

That means the only single sessions we offer now are assessments (usu­ ally for court cases, adoption or similar).

Here’s the honest truth – it’s hard to run a successful business. Let’s face it, you got into this because you want to help people and their animals have a more fulfilling life together, right? You have the passion, dedication, commitment, and interest. But knowing what your vocation is, can be quite different from knowing how to turn it into a reliable and stable source of income.

Let’s examine each one in detail:

#1. What are you actually doing in your sessions?: Having clear structures, templates and processes may appear to be much less exciting than just heading straight into a session to help a guardian and their dog, but when your client knows what to expect, the session will flow more smoothly, and you’re more likely to see positive results.

• Benefits for clients: s They want to know the plan for them and their dogs and what is expected at each step. s They will have an idea of how you are going to get them to their end goal(s).

• Benefits for you: s You really don’t need to individualize absolutely every aspect of every session. s Essential if you ever want to work in a team or employ other people.

Utilizing templates and protocols is a lot like learning the rules for driving a car. Once you have learned the basics, it frees up your brain to concentrate on other details. In this case, you will be able to focus on more subtle aspects of relationships with your clients and their dogs.

Deciding what to leave out of each session might be easier than de­ ciding what you want to include. As such, consider the following: • Be clear about the purpose of EACH session or interaction.

• What are the absolute essentials that you must do, or explain?

Each package we offer has time for review built in and we concen­ trate on helping the client acquire the essential skills rather than teach­ ing the dog a specific behavior. This involves: • Creating an individualized package from standard components, including: s Weekly/twice monthly/monthly Skype calls and video reviews. s Phone calls. s One face­to­face plus a Skype session per month. s Rehab/group support session. s Advising on what’s best for the client and dog – use your expertise.

Here’s some feedback from client Laura and her noise sensitive lurcher, Roman, who struggles with other dogs: “Thanks Morag, for the Skype session yesterday. I find it really useful to talk through a situation

Get Reflective!

Ask yourself: • Have I always wanted to be an entrepreneur?

• Why am I in business anyway? Or thinking about going into business?

• Has my professional training or previous experience prepared me for this?

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

19

c o v e r

© Can Stock Photo/cynoclub

Taking the time to ensure clear structures, templates and processes are in place helps clients know what to expect and, in addition, training sessions will flow more smoothly with positive results more likely

with you as it helps me work through it, analyze it and find a solution.

This is more helpful to me personally, than saying, I have a problem, what do I do?”

To summarize thus far:  Structure frees up your brain to work with the client in front of you.  Use your expertise to craft the best options for your clients, focusing on helping them acquire essential core skills.  Screen potential clients to avoid one‐night stands, unless that’s what you are looking for.

#2. How much are you charging?: How did you decide what to charge? Did you look around at your competitors, or ask what you might feel comfortable charging? Have you looked at your accounts recently and checked how much you currently earn per hour?

Price setting is a tricky part of running a business, not least because the whole issue of money and worth can be caught up in our own indi­ vidual personal idiosyncrasies. But unless you are doing this as a hobby or you’re funded by a charity, it’s really important to make sure the busi­

Having clear structures, templates and processes may appear to be much less exciting than just heading straight into a session to help a guardian and their dog, but when your client knows what to expect, the session will flow more smoothly, and you’re more likely to see positive results. bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

ness aspect makes as much sense as your training plans. If you don’t feel comfortable thinking about, talking about or asking for money, your client isn’t going to feel confident spending their money with you. Con­ sider whether your own issues are getting in the way (and understand that undervaluing your own services can have an effect on other train­ ers too). For instance, “so­called Imposter Syndrome is very common across a wide range of professions.” (TED­Ed, 2018). One can imagine how the (erroneous) concept that you have only succeeded due to luck, and not because of your talent or qualifications, could influence price setting, performance and job satisfaction. So, you owe it to yourself, your business and your clients to examine personal issues relating to self­worth. Consider, too, Scarcity Mindset, i.e. “the belief that there will never be enough — whether it's money, food, emotions or something else entirely — and as a result, your actions and thought stem from a place of lack.” (Bell, 2019). We need to recognize how holding on to a negative mindset can make us so focused on risk avoidance that we lose sight of opportunities for growth.

Standard Price Setting When you're ready for the next step, there are a number of options when it comes to setting your fees. These include: • Base pricing (requires knowing or estimating ALL the costs).

Selling Price = (Fixed Cost per unit + Variable Cost per unit) + Desired Profit Margin (%)

• Value based pricing (perceived value, premium pricing).

• Target return pricing (high volume sales – not us!).

• Going rate pricing (what’s everyone else doing, commodities).

But you’re not selling a commodity/high volume product. Even if you

c o v e r cram 10 dogs into a class, you’re not the Lidl or Walmart of dog trainers (and that’s a good thing!)

Here’s how I went wrong. Some years ago, I created a standard be­ havior package price. While the price wasn’t set with regard to our com­ petitors, and it was a higher price to reflect added experience and skill, it still included some significant problems: • It sold a set amount of my time (rather than the solution to a problem).

• It vastly undercharged on an hourly basis.

• It set us up to be challenged by some clients about the hours spent on a case.

• It tried to find a price that worked for every case.

• Plus, at that time we were answering the phone, doing free phone consults, writing longer reports and sending all the detail to vets, etc. etc.

Here’s an alternative way to think about your pricing. Get the basics sorted and consider: • What are you selling (see Fig. 2, right, center)? s You are selling yourself – your time, your knowledge, your attitude, and your personality. s There’s a finite supply of you ­ there really is! s Even if you have a team, or several trainers, there’s only so much to go round. s If anyone can train a dog (that’s what the public often seems to think), why should they choose you?

• How much do you need to earn to cover costs? Ask yourself how much it costs to “run” your business before you even see any clients. And if you don’t know the answer to this question, I strongly suggest you make finding out your first action on to­ morrow’s to­do list! Expenses can include the phone bill, in­ ternet/broadband, vehicle maintenance, insurance, professional memberships, office supplies, replacing laptops and printers, admin time, website maintenance, continuing professional development, accounting fees, banking fees, and I could keep going…

• How much do you want to earn to enjoy life, achieve goals and feel fulfilled? What is your time worth to you?

Productive time is important because realistically we know that not all our working hours are actually productive. Productive time is where we actually contribute to the business or process – not by surfing Face­ book, reading news, or sending messages to friends (see Fig. 3, right, bottom).

Each session you “sell” needs to cover: • A percentage of the fixed costs.

• Associated administrative costs.

• Consumables used for the session.

• Staff costs (time, travel).

• Development of the session(s).

• PROFIT. To summarize:  Make sure you have accurate figures about how much you need to earn, and what your business costs to run.  Think about what your time is worth to you – how much of it do you want to spend working?  Work out what you need to charge based on productive time, and work up from there.

#3. Is your business taking care of your sanity?: Let’s start by ask­ ing this: What are some possible signs or symptoms of burnout?

• Physical and emotional exhaustion.

• Fatigue.

• A resulting lack of motivation and engagement.

Here are the basic risk factors for burnout which I have compiled

Fig. 1: Three Week Intensives

© Morag Heirs

Fig. 2: What Are You Selling?

© Morag Heirs

Fig. 3: How Much Do You Want to Earn?*

© Morag Heirs

*£1 = US$1.3 at time of going to press

from the various research literature available on doctors, nurses and veterinarians (see Resources): • Demanding workload (including dealing with highly emotionally aroused people).

• Working long hours/lack of sleep.

• A partner who is also in a demanding career.

• Family commitments e.g. children to raise, elderly relatives to care for.

• Experience and career stage (mixed evidence).

• Conflicts between work and home demands.

• Small proportion of time spent on nonwork related leisure activities.

• Lack of effective supervision/clinical support.

For some pet professionals we can also add in: • Seen as a hobby rather than a career.

• Done as a supplemental job, possibly competing with the demands of family life and a day job.

• Lack of preparation and training in coping skills.

How many of those apply to you? And do you recognize any of these warning signs of burnout?: • Frequently working under high levels of stress.

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

21

c o v e r Fig. 4: Setting a Reasonable Work Schedule

© Morag Heirs

Fig. 5: Setting Working Boundaries

© Morag Heirs

• Stressful working environment (admin, support team, what’s around you).

• Working in a way that doesn’t fit with your values or beliefs.

• Being the emotional support or buffer.

• Constant interference with family/other events.

• Lack of control over your schedule.

• Lack of regular self­care.

If you wish to explore further, there are a number of formal, validated tools to as­ sess possible burnout (e.g. Maslach Burnout Inventory Scales) and many of them are freely available on the web. Just put your answers in and they’ll tot up your score to give you an approximate answer. For the scope of this article, we are purely looking at gen­ eral signs and, more importantly, how to build a resilient life and practice!

Building Resilience To make sure your business builds and maintains your resilience, I recommend you ad­ here to the following steps: 1.

Set a reasonable working schedule and stick to it. This means setting your working schedule to suit you. Consider: • Number of hours.

• Times of day.

• Travel: Yes? No? • Type of cases/clients.

• Balance with client need/demand.

• The $s you want and need to earn.

It is simply not possible to work all of the hours on all of the days and continue to have a healthy life or pro­ ductive career. In Fig. 4 (top left) you can see how I have compiled my own personal capacity chart.

2. Set boundaries for cases and stick to them. Are there specific situations or types of cases you prefer not to see, e.g. aggression to children in the home? Are you burned out on a specific kind of problem, e.g. owner directed aggression? Then stop taking them on!

Consider instead, offering referrals. Do you have force‐free colleagues and a network of behavior consultants who would appreciate the opportunity to work with these clients?

Stick to your working boundaries and include them in your terms and conditions (see Fig. 5, second top left).

3.

Use waiting lists, application processes and other strategies to learn more about prospective clients and build in breathing space.

Waiting lists* are easy to implement and give me multiple points to consider if a client's needs are best

Price setting is a tricky part of running a business, not least because the whole issue of money and worth can be caught up in our own individual personal idiosyncrasies.

But unless you are doing this as a hobby or you’re funded by a charity, it’s really important to make sure the business aspect makes as much sense as your training plans.

Fig. 6: Implementing a Waiting List

© Morag Heirs

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

c o v e r Morag K. Heirs Ph.D MSc MA(Hons)(SocSci) PGCAP is a clinical animal behaviorist who runs Well Connected Canine Ltd. (wellconnectedcanine.co.uk) in York, England. She has been working in academia while also running her own successful businesses since 1999, and knows that it's not enough just to be good at the job. Marketing, pricing, client communication and building a strong reputation all take a different set of skills. Her aim with this article is to help you love your behavior or training business just a little bit more.

References Bell, G. (2019).It’s All in Your Head: Why a Scarcity Mindset Is Keeping You Poor. Available at: bit.ly/31usuHA D’Souza, S. (2020). 3 Elements That Create Waiting Lists that Work.

Available at: bit.ly/36pDl6k Maslach, C., Jackson, S.E., Leiter, M.P., Schaufeli, W.B. & Schwab, R.L. (2019). Maslach Burnout Inventory™. Mind Garden. Available at: bit.ly/36nbkwn TED-Ed (2018). What is imposter syndrome and how can you combat it? - Elizabeth Cox [Video File]. Available at: bit.ly/36paQpv

Resources

© Can Stock Photo/Novic

Pet training and behavior professionals might find themselves risking burnout; symptoms of which can include physical and emotional exhaustion, fatigue, and a resulting lack of motivation and engagement

matched with my professional strengths. They also avoid the pitfall of trying to squeeze in a new client, but then not giving new and existing clients the time and consideration they deserve. Waiting lists can even build upon excitement and anticipation and help resolve issues of scarcity (of time and resources available for each client in a given ses­ sion). Barriers shouldn't be huge or complex – filling out an application form is a barrier, as is our fee for a phone consult. And all of these get prior commitment from the potential client while letting you screen out anyone who might be better matched with another colleague. When possible, I also recommend you screen applications before you start talk­ ing to a potential client so you know what the case is about and whether you feel it will be the right match for your business (see Fig. 6 on p.22).

You are not obliged to work with everyone. Nor should you be “in­ stantly” available at all times. We do, however, offer more immediate support to anyone inside our business’s “family” (staff, assistants, puppy class attendees, previous clients etc.) and they get first refusal for evening or weekend sessions.

To summarize:  We are in a profession with a high risk for burnout, often with relatively little training in business skills or in prioritizing self‐ care.  Trying to help everyone, and every dog, is potentially dangerous but an easy trap to fall into when you’re passionate about your work.  You can take some simple actions to give yourself more breathing space.  And you can create a more resilient (and profitable) business model.

If you are interested in learning more about running your own busi­ ness, as well as how to dig in deep to create a business you can gen­ uinely enjoy working within, keep an eye out for my forthcoming webinars (petprofessionalguild.com/Webinars). n *Credit to Sean D’Souza of Psychotactics (see References), whose model I have adapted

Amoafo, E., Hanbali, N., Patel, A., & Singh, P. (2014). What are the significant factors associated with burnout in doctors? Occupational Medicine 65 (2) 117-121. Available at: bit.ly/2TTrtao Bria, M., Baban, A., & Dumitrascu, D.L. (2012). Systematic review of burnout risk factors among European healthcare professionals. Cognition, Brain, Behavior: An Interdisciplinary Journal 16 (3) 423-452.

Available at: bit.ly/2NQ7Tb9 Cañadas-De la Fuente, G.A., Vargas, C., San Luis, C., García, I., Cañadas, G.R., & Emilia, I. (2015). Risk factors and prevalence of burnout syndrome in the nursing profession. International Journal of Nursing Studies 52 (1) 240-249. Available at: bit.ly/30O4dfc Cohen, S.P. (2007). Compassion fatigue and the veterinary health team. Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice 37 (1) 123-134. Available at: bit.ly/30Pakjr Fritschi, L., Morrison, D., Shirangi, A., & Day, L. (2009). Psychological well-being of Australian veterinarians. Australian Veterinary Journal 87 (3) 76-81. Available at: bit.ly/36lXPNA Kennedy, D.S., & Marrs, J. (2011). No BS Price Strategy. Irvine, CA: Entrepreneur Press Kennedy, D.S. (2017). No BS Guide to Time Management. Irvine, CA: Entrepreneur Press Kumar, S. (2016). Burnout and doctors: prevalence, prevention and intervention. In Healthcare (4) 3 37. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. Available at: bit.ly/38Ana7N Lovell, B.L., & Lee, R.T. (2013). Burnout and health promotion in veterinary medicine. The Canadian Veterinary Journal 54 (8) 790-791.

Available at: bit.ly/2urhLRK Mastenbroek, N.J.J.M., Jaarsma, A.D.C., Demerouti, E., Muijtjens, A.M.M., Scherpbier, A.J.J.A., & Van Beukelen, P. (2013). Burnout and engagement, and its predictors in young veterinary professionals: the influence of gender. Veterinary Record (174) 6. Available at: bit.ly/36j0CH3 National Academy of Medicine. (2019). Valid and Reliable Survey Instruments to Measure Burnout, Well-Being, and Other Work-Related Dimensions. Available at: bit.ly/2Gih6oe Nett, R.J., Witte, T.K., Holzbauer, S.M., Elchos, B.L., Campagnolo, E.R., Musgrave…Pride, K.R. (2015). Risk factors for suicide, attitudes toward mental illness, and practice-related stressors among US veterinarians. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 247 (8) 945-955. Available at: bit.ly/2Gkp8Nv Newport, C. (2016) Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. New York, NY: Grand Central Publishing Newport, C. (2019) Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. New York, NY: Penguin Random House Vargas, C., Cañadas, G.A., Aguayo, R., Fernández, R., & Emilia, I. (2014). Which occupational risk factors are associated with burnout in nursing? A meta-analytic study. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology 14 (1) 28-38. Available at: bit.ly/2tPMY0S

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

23

training

Message Received!

Suzanne Clothier discusses how to ensure that communication is effective for both handlers and dogs to achieve optimal success during training sessions

A

t the heart of any relationship is communication. On so many lev­ els, how effectively we communicate plays a huge role in the quality, tenor and overall success of a relationship. As psycholo­ gist and family therapist pioneer Virginia Satir (1998) states: “Communi­ cation is to . . . relationships . . . as breathing is to life.”

As a trainer, my goal is to find the communication approach that serves the human, the dog, and the relationship. I need to recognize what works well for that specific team, and I need to know how, where, when and why communication becomes ineffective.

When working with clients and their dogs, part of our job is helping them learn how to have effective conversations. Satir (1998) also notes that “[e]ffective communication can be both taught and learned. We were not born with the way we communicate. We learned it, mostly through modeling, in ways no one even knew or intended.”

In trying to help handlers and dogs succeed, dog trainers often have a lot of rules: “Never repeat a cue,” “Use a high pitched happy voice,” “Never say no,” “Speak sternly from your core,” “Don’t talk much – just provide cues,” and so on. Inevitably, at the heart of the rule, is a genuine desire to help people and dogs communicate better. But, as with many rules, the intent can get lost in the strict application.

Whenever I encounter a “rule” that says a handler should or should not do X, Y or Z, my first question is always, “Why?” Sometimes, the rule is applied without need, and may even get in the way of effective com­ munication. Consider the dog and handler, not a rule of thumb.

How do you know if communication is effective? It: • Is sustainable – a natural fit with the dog and handler preferences.

• Gets results – you get the response you're looking for.

• Supports the relationship – good communication is mutually rewarding.

Teach handlers how to be congruent and coherent, and to do so in a way that is natural for them. A laconic handler may learn how to be more intense and generous with praise but asking them to speak in a high squeaky voice is unlikely to be sustainable. The “high squeaky voice” rule is meant to provide the dog with more motivating, stimulat­ ing auditory input that – in theory – will excite the dog in a positive way.

This may or may not be true for that dog, and even if it is, the handler has to be able (and willing) to sustain that behavior. This does not mean that learning new ways to communicate will be effortless. It takes prac­ tice and work.

Communication Styles Sometimes, there is a simple mismatch of preferences. One of my stu­ dents, Daniel, had a brilliant Siberian husky, Loki. Daniel is a soft­spoken and articulate seller of antique books, so he naturally relied on words,

Trainers face the challenge of figuring out the dog’s preferences as well as the handler’s, and then trying to find common ground between the two. If we forget the handler’s needs as a receiver, we can unintentionally further complicate things.

24

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

© Can Stock Photo/helga1981

Professional trainers must be effective in how they communicate with both humans and dogs, as well as be able to successfully identify the preferred communication style in individuals

using verbal cues for his dogs. By contrast, Loki was not particularly au­ ditory, but he was strongly visual. When Loki was focused on visual input, Daniel’s soft­spoken cues simply did not register. Some trainers blamed the dog (“You know how Siberians are!”) while others blamed Daniel’s timing or inadequate rate of reinforcement or insufficiently mo­ tivating food rewards. The truth? It was a simple communication mis­ match. When Daniel added visual signals to his verbal cues, Loki was cheerfully responsive and cooperative. Finding the solution here was just a matter of watching the man and his dog, seeing what was natural for them, and finding a mutually agreeable communication style.

Whatever rules you may impose on your clients and their dogs (or on yourself!), it can be helpful to step back, re­examine the intent of the rule, and observe what’s happening. I’m interested in sustainable,

training natural communications that are effective. How do we know? We ask the dog. His responses will tell us if there is: • Clarity – can the dog understand what the handler intends to communicate? If not, why not? Sensory processing? Ampli­ tude or magnitude of cue? Timing?

• Salience – even if the dog understands, is the communication meaningful? If not, why not? What would increase salience? Is there something else more salient in the situation?

• Congruence – is there agreement between the handler’s cues, gestures and body language?

Communication is transactional and we are always both sender and receiver. Let’s say that I am talking about my day to my husband – how the line at the bank was crazy, and I saw a coyote in Tim's pasture, and I did get those cookies for later, and by the way would you hand me the ketchup… If I do end up with the ketchup, my communication worked.

Although the request was buried in the ongoing story, if John is atten­ tive, if he cares about cooperating with me, if what I say is congruent, then it’s easy for him to hear what I’ve asked.

But, if he is busy checking his email or wondering how to fix the leak in the sink, not really listening, and if I wasn't really paying attention to his response and just babbling to suit my own needs, I might be sur­ prised by the lack of response. I would have to back up and isolate the request, "Would you please hand me the ketchup?" If that didn't work, I'd clarify further and say nothing more than a clear, direct "Ketchup.

Please!" I might also just clap and then point and then smile when I fi­ nally get my ketchup.

Paying Attention Please note successful communication hinges on the quality of the in­ teraction between two beings. Clarity exists when John is listening at­ tentively to me; it is missing when he’s checking his email instead.

Salience flies out the window if he’s soaking in a hot bath with no inten­ tion of retrieving the ketchup on the kitchen counter. Congruence is missing when I point out the window to the bird feeder while asking for the ketchup on the pantry shelf in another room. Where connection and attentiveness exist, when both are interested in the conversation, complexity and nuance are possible. Where there is disconnect, clarity and congruity become paramount.

For my clients, I am interested in discovering the specific style that suits that handler and dog. There is no one ideal way to be successful.

Trainers face the challenge of figuring out the dog’s preferences as well as the handler’s, and then trying to find common ground between the two. If we forget the handler’s needs as a receiver, we can unintention­

BARKS from the Guild

The “high squeaky voice” rule is meant to provide the dog with more motivating, stimulating auditory input that – in theory – will excite the dog in a positive way. This may or may not be true for that dog, and even if it is, the handler has to be able (and willing) to sustain that behavior. ally further complicate things. For one person, I have to communicate in this clear, direct fashion: "Sally, put your left hand here. Hold it. Count to 3, then let go." For another person, I can say, "Gertrude, what I think might work well for you and your dog is this: try holding your left hand closer to the handle, and count to 3 before you let go of the leash." Same communication.

Different style of communication. It all depends on Sally and Gertrude Dogs are no different. Some need very spare, precise information; like their human counterparts, they can get lost in a stream of babble.

Other dogs learn to tune out all but the salient information. How do you know if the handler’s style is helping or hindering effective communica­ tion? Ask the dog.

Smart Dog One memorable dog I worked with could parse the word DOWN out of any sentence at almost any time. He was calm and relaxed, unstressed but – as his handler perceived it – prone to randomly collapsing. She was understandably very concerned. His vet check had shown no abnor­ malities. “He just lays down for no reason at all, at the weirdest times.”

When we met, the dog was standing between us on a loose leash, not on cue but just hanging out, watching some birds across the yard.

We chitchatted a bit, and then she said, "I wanted to bring him down to you, to see if you can see something we're missing." When she said down, he laid down.

Promptly. Precisely. Calmly.

I wasn't sure her words and his behavior were related events. She had been talking to Trainers can gauge the efficacy of their chosen communication method by the dog’s responses; quality of the interaction is key © Can Stock Photo/IgorKovalchuk

BARKS from the Guild is the 64-page bi-monthly pet industry trade magazine published by the Pet Professional Guild, available internationally to Pet Professional Guild members, supporters and the general public online (and in print, by monthly subscription).

Widely read by pet industry professionals and pet owners alike, BARKS covers a vast range of topics encompassing animal behavior, pet care, training, education, industry trends, business AND MUCH MORE! If you would like to reach your target audience, BARKS is the perfect vehicle to achieve that goal.

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training As a trainer, my goal is to find the communication approach that serves the human, the dog, and the relationship. I need to recognize what works well for that specific team, and I need to know how, where, when and why communication becomes ineffective. me, not addressing the dog. He had appeared quite engaged in watch­ ing the birds. So we chatted some more. This time, I deliberately asked questions that would result in her using the word down in the normal course of conversation. And indeed, every time she said it (such as ”I put my keys down for a moment...”), the dog dropped.

Brilliant dog. Why did he set himself this task? Who knows? It was fascinating to see. Once the handler got past the “rule” that says dogs cannot do what her dog did effortlessly, she was amazed by the degree to which he remained tuned to her at all times. Of course, Joe Q. Public handlers have experienced this when an intensely salient word (such as walk or ball or cookie) appears in a conversation and their dog leaps up, hopeful and excited. Thus, we all learn to spell some words—and dogs learn to recognize the spelled words too!

We are most effective and humane when, first and foremost, we consider the specific handler/dog team before us. What do they need to be successful? How do they process sensory input? What signals and what style of communication work best for them as a team? What is sustainable for both? We help both people and dogs when we educate them on how rich, complex and rewarding good communication can be, and what that means in any given moment for that animal and for that person. n

References Schwab, J., Baldwin, M., Gerber, J., Gomori, M., & Satir, V. (1989). The Satir Approach to Communication: A Workshop Manual. Palo Alto, CA: Science & Behavior Books

Suzanne Clothier (suzanneclothier.com) has been working with animals professionally since 1977. Currently based in St. Johnsville, New York, she is well respected internationally for her holistic Relationship Centered Training™ approach to dogs and the people that love them. Her background includes training, instruction, behavior modification, kennel management, temperament assessment, physical assessment and conditioning, early puppy development, class curriculum development, obedience, agility, Search and Rescue, conformation, breeding and more. Since 1991, she has taught workshops and seminars on a broad range of topics throughout the United States and internationally for a wide variety of groups from training clubs to international conferences in 11 countries. An award-winning author of multiple books and DVDs, her book, Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs (2002) has received widespread praise from every corner of the dog world, including twice being included in the Wall Street Journal's list of Top 5 Dog Books. She has served on the American Humane Association’s Task Force for Humane Training, the AKC Agility Advisory board, and is currently a consultant for Frankie & Andy’s Place, a senior dog sanctuary in Georgia. She has also developed multiple assessment tools such as CARAT™ and RAT™ (Relationship Assessment Tool), as well as puppy and adult dog tests. These tools have been used by guide and service dog organizations, therapy dog groups, AAIA organizations, shelters and rescue groups, and trainers. In her work as a consultant to guide dog schools, her Enriched Puppy Protocol™ served as the structure for the updating of their puppy raising programs. Since 2007, more than 10,000 puppies have been raised in programs built around The Enriched Puppy Protocol™. Meanwhile, with fellow trainer Cindy Knowlton, she developed CCC: Connection, Cooperation & Control™, a puzzle-based program that builds joyful relationships between handlers and dogs.

Her newest program, FAT - Functional Assessment Tracking™, helps caretakers assess a dog’s well-being day-to-day as reflected in physiological, cognitive and social aspects.

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training

E-Fence Fallout Daniel Antolec presents the case of labradoodle Charlee and the ensuing fallout that occurred after her guardians, believing they were keeping her safe, installed an electronic containment system in their yard

M

y clients Maggie and George* had both grown up with dogs.

Now, as a married couple, they were ready for a puppy of their own. In 2009, they bought a house with a large lot that was ideal for a dog and joyful labradoodle, Charlee, thus entered their lives. As the house was located along a busy boulevard they, of course, wanted to keep Charlee safe while enjoying the yard, so they considered installing either a physical fence or an electronic containment system (ECS). Building a physical fence for a large yard would be expensive and they decided to seek advice from others before proceeding.

Charlee’s breeder was not keen on the idea of an ECS and pointed out that it would do nothing to keep their puppy safe from anyone or anything which entered the yard and she would be trapped if the ECS prevented escape. Unfortunately, she did not explicitly counsel against it, and so Maggie and George went ahead with the ECS installation anyway.

An ECS consists of a wire which is buried underground at whatever perimeter is determined to be acceptable and the dog wears a collar with an electronic device which senses when she is in proximity to the wire. The model Charlee wore could be configured to deliver a beep, and/or an electric shock, or both. If the collar got too close to the wire it became charged and delivered a beep and/or shock.

The family chose to contract with a national ECS franchise to install the system. As George explained: “Such a franchise is not necessarily owned by a dog person. It is more likely a businessperson and the instal­ lation was nothing more than a transaction.”

George stated the installer “did not do much” in terms of teaching Charlee. One thing in particular stuck in George’s memory and it both­ ers him to this day. Apparently, the installer kept flicking his finger on the tip of Charlee’s nose “to get her focus.” Maggie recalls that he did so because Charlee was not sitting. Neither of them appreciated the way he treated their puppy with George explaining that, “it set the tone.”

George described Charlee’s response as a look that suggested she was wondering why they were allowing this person to hurt her. She was about 6 or 9 months old at the time. George still feels bad that he did not stop the installer from treating Charlee as he did, and I heard the enduring sadness in his voice as he expressed the words.

First, the installer put the collar on Charlee so she could get used to it. Then, he configured the collar to beep when she was taken to the buried ECS wire. Ultimately, he configured the collar to beep, and then deliver shock when she was close to the wire. The final step was to re­ peatedly take Charlee too close to the edge of the yard so shock would be delivered, until she “understood” to stay within the yard. The in­ staller spent less than an hour with George, Maggie and Charlee and he never followed up with them to find out how things were going. It was a once­and­done transaction.

Repeated Shocks Charlee was a very social dog who loved meeting new people and dogs who passed by the house. Shortly after the ECS was installed she was in the yard and saw a dog on the boulevard median which divided four lanes of traffic — and went to greet the dog. As she passed the buried wire she was shocked, and then she remained on the median. George

28

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

© Charlee’s Stewards

Charlee was a social dog who loved meeting new people and dogs — shortly after the ECS was installed she saw a dog across the road and went to greet him, getting shocked as she passed the buried wire, making her too afraid to return to her yard

and Maggie described her as being afraid to return to the yard. George was immediately upset that the ECS was not working as promised, which defeated the reason for installing it in the first place.

Research has shown the escape rate is higher for dogs kept within an ECS than for dogs within a physical fence (Starinsky, Lord & Herron, 2017). Shortly after that unfortunate event Charlee was with her family in a room at the rear of the home where they often relaxed together.

She lay on the floor beside her guardians, still wearing the shock collar.

George suddenly heard the collar beeping and then Charlee was being shocked. Repeatedly. He and Maggie were deeply disturbed by the thought that their puppy was being shocked while inside the home, in the very room she most enjoyed. They quickly removed the collar and George began investigating the matter. What he found was an electrical wire tacked to the basement ceiling rafters, directly beneath where Charlie had been laying. He estimated there were perhaps two or three inches of flooring material between the wire and Charlee. Said George: “The wire carried an electric current and generated an electronic field with the collar.”

training Charlee was with her family in a room at the rear of the home where they often relaxed together.

She lay on the floor beside her guardians, still wearing the shock collar. George suddenly heard the collar beeping and then Charlee was being shocked. Repeatedly...They quickly removed the collar and George began investigating the matter. What he found was an electrical wire tacked to the basement ceiling rafters, directly beneath where Charlie had been laying. He estimated there were perhaps two or three inches of flooring material between the wire and Charlee. Said George: “The wire carried an electric current and generated an electronic field with the collar.”

They immediately got rid of the shock collar and paid to have a solid wooden fence installed, but received no refund for their ESC expendi­ ture. Eventually, after some passage of time, the family moved to a new home in Madison, Wisconsin.

Generalized Fearfulness Sadly, this negative learning experience followed Charlee and she started to respond fearfully when the telephone answering machine beeped. She became afraid to enter the room where it was located, even when there was no beeping sound. She traversed a roundabout route through the house just to avoid that room. Her fear further gener­ alized to beeping sounds on television programs, but the most “heart­ breaking” response was when the smoke detector battery died and the device emitted a constant screeching beep which terrified Charlee.

Charlee had always been afraid of thunderstorms, gunfire and fire­ works. With an underlying sound sensitivity, it would have been helpful if the ECS installer had asked about such things or cautioned about the unintended fallout of using a shock system, but no warnings were given.

Meanwhile, George and Maggie got rid of the answering machine. Even­ tually, 10 years passed since Charlee had worn the shock collar and she went on to become a registered Pet Partners therapy dog. Maggie, how­ ever, remained concerned because Charlee had started to resist walking in their neighborhood.

Environmental Stimuli The onset of the behavior corresponded with a major road construction project that was taking place on several city blocks near George and Maggie’s home. As a result, numerous heavy construction vehicles oper­ ated all day long, each equipped with a loud beeper which sounded whenever a vehicle backed up. In spite of the passing of time, Charlee

continued to generalize fearful responses to other stimuli even though they did not directly involve the electronic shock system she had been subjected to in her former home so many years ago.

To avoid these noisy and aversive local environmental stimuli Maggie began driving Charlee to remote locations for walks. A nearby nature ar­ boretum provided a quiet, safe location and Charlee resumed happily en­ joying her walks. Another peaceful location was a long peninsula which jutted into beautiful lake Mendota, and Charlee was fine, at least, until a motorboat sped past and once more a fear response was triggered. Fear­ ful events are recorded in the amygdala and remain persistent (Falconer­ Taylor, 2020).

Meanwhile, Charlee and Maggie were scheduled to take their bian­ nual Pet Partners evaluation for therapy dog registration. One of the ex­ ercises involved walking through a crowd of people, while someone located behind the dog dropped an object which made a sharp sound.

Dogs on Call, a local therapy dog program which administers the evalua­ tion, used a baking tin dropped on a hard floor to create the sound stim­ ulus. As a member of Dogs on Call who often helped during evaluations, I shared Maggie’s concern that Charlee may be so alarmed by the sound that she would not pass. She was otherwise perfectly suited to help oth­ ers as a therapy dog.

None of these unintended harmful outcomes were anticipated when Charlee’s family sought to keep their new puppy safe from vehicle traffic at their original home. George and Maggie had her best interests at heart and thought they were helping her to stay safe. They are loving pet stew­ ards and, while it has not been easy, agreed to share their experience here to inform and educate others. They expressly stated they did not want another family or their beloved dog to go through the same sorry experience. George stated he “does not want to demonize” the owner of the ECS franchise; he assumes the person was not well­informed.

© Charlee’s Stewards

Following her experiences with the ECS, Charlee started to respond fearfully when the telephone answering machine beeped and became afraid to enter the room where it was located, even when there was no beeping sound

© Charlee’s Stewards

The collar Charlee wore had an electronic device that sensed when she was in proximity to the ECS’s buried wire and could be configured to deliver a beep, and/or an electric shock, or both

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

29

training ...heavy construction vehicles operated all day long, each equipped with a loud beeper which sounded whenever a vehicle backed up. In spite of the passing of time, Charlee continued to generalize fearful responses to other stimuli even though they did not directly involve the electronic shock system she had been subjected to in her former home so many years ago.

Unfortunately, too many well­intentioned families experience simi­ lar problems. As an accredited professional dog trainer with a canine behavior certification, I have found that the majority of my behavior cases involve anxious and fearful dogs. As a participant in PPG’s interna­ tional advocacy program Project Trade, whereby clients swap aversive training gear for service discounts, I have so far accepted 18 shock col­ lars from clients in return for a concession on my training and behavior consulting services. Each family had a story to tell. These are among the problems they reported to me: ­ The buried wire malfunctioned and either stopped working or shocked their dog when he was not near the wire. ­ The battery in the collar failed and the dog escaped. ­ The dog was so distressed when he was shocked, he froze in position and continued getting shocked. ­ The dog was so distressed when he was shocked, he was afraid to leave the house and enter the yard. ­ The dog was so highly motivated to approach something outside the yard, he sprinted past the buried wire — but was not motivated enough to return. ­ Other animals entered the yard unhindered and attacked the family dog. ­ The dog became emotionally unstable or engaged in aggressive behavior toward people or dogs that passed by the yard.

As force­free, scientifically informed trainers and behavior consult­ ants, our goal is to help educate dog owners and professionals to pro­ tect family pets. One way to do this is to support the Shock­Free Coalition by signing the Pledge. Their goals are to educate pet owners and, indeed, professionals who persist in recommending such devices, and to remove shock devices from the supply and demand chain alto­ gether. We already know that there are alternatives which work and do not produce unintended harmful consequences (see Resources).

Footnote: I am pleased to report that Maggie and Charlee passed the Pet Partners evaluation and carry on their good work as an animal assisted therapy team. n *Names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals.

BARKS extends its thanks to Charlee and her guardians for sharing their story.

References

Falconer-Taylor, R. (2020). Pets, Fear and Fireworks: The Fallout and Terrible Consequences of Fear and Anxiety for Our Pets. Part 1, The Neurophysiology of Fear. Available at: bit.ly/387yPeI Starinsky, N.S., Lord, L.K., & Herron, M. E. (2017). Escape rates and biting histories of dogs confined to their owner's property through the use of various containment methods. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 250 (3) 297-302. Available at: bit.ly/38xFxKx

Resources

Anderson, E. (2015, July). Don’t Believe the Hype. BARKS from the Guild (13) 36-39. Available at: bit.ly/2OFRHqj Beerda, B., Schilder, M., van Hooff, J.A.R.A.M., de Vries, H., & Mol, J. (1998). Behavioural, saliva cortisol and heart rate responses to different type of stimuli in dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science (58) 3–4 365-381. Available at: bit.ly/3aCh0pD Benjamin, S. (n.d.). Clicking with Canines: Boundary Training. Available at: bit.ly/2sPC4ry Benson, K. (2019). Good Alternatives to E-Fencing: Dog Training Experts Weigh In. Available at: bit.ly/38zjQK4 Luther, J. (2011). Boundary Training: No Fence, No Problem. Available at: bit.ly/2utcJnG Project Trade: petprofessionalguild.com/Project-Trade Shock-Free Coalition. (n.d.). Electronic Fencing: What You Need to Know. Available at: shockfree.org/Education/Electronic-Fences Shock-Free Coalition: shockfree.org Shock-Free Coalition Pledge: shockfree.org/Pledge Smith, J. (2019). What Makes a Pet Fence Humane? BARKS Blog.

Available at: bit.ly/2TRFC7Y Tudge, N. (2020). The Effects of Using Aversive Training Methods in Dogs – A Review by Dr. Gal Ziv. Available at: bit.ly/2GdYi9X Daniel H. Antolec CPT-A CPDT-KA is the owner of Happy Buddha Dog Training (happybuddhadogtraining.com) in Brooklyn, Wisconsin.

He also chairs the Pet Professional Guild Advocacy Committee (petprofessionalguild.com /Advocacy-Resources).

There Is No Excuse

FOR ABUSE

It’s time to ban shock collars I would say that, as with any helping professional, your first and primary obligation is to do no harm, and we have compelling evidence that applying shock, either systematically or randomly, to domestic dogs increases their general level of stress and discomfort. So given that knowledge, there simply is no ethical rationale for using it.

Janis Bradley,

Director of Communications and Publications, National Canine Research Council

If there’s a tool which causes pain or discomfort, it has the potential of creating other problems. As animal care professionals, I feel that if we...can’t find kinder, gentler ways of doing something, then maybe we are in the wrong profession.

Ken Ramirez, Executive VP and CTO, Karen Pryor Clicker Training

“Until these devices are illegal, consumers must protect themselves and their dogs by looking beyond the marketing messages of those who profit from their sale and use. It is not necessary to use electric shock to change behavior.

It is not necessary in humans, in zoo species, in marine mammals or in dogs.”

Jean Donaldson, Author, Train Your Dog Like a Pro

ShockFree.org

30

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

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training

Identifying Positive Reinforcers for the Individual Anna Bradley explains why using food as a positive reinforcer in training is not bribery and examines alternative options for dogs who may not always be so food driven

W

hile I would say there is, in general, a much wider apprecia­ tion of the role of rewards in animal training and behavior these days, I also believe – and it is certainly my experience – that pet guardians do not always fully understand the power of positive reinforcement training. For example, I have had clients who consider the use of rewards to be “bribery.” There may also be a lack of ingenuity and inventiveness when it comes to actually choosing a reward beyond reaching for the nearest available dog treat.

It would be like winning the lottery if I claimed a dollar for all the times I have heard someone say something along the lines of, “My dog’s doing what I ask but it’s only cupboard love,” or “Bribery always works!”

That’s my cue to explain that, if their dog is responding in the way they would like it’s because he actually wants to, because he finds it intrinsi­ cally rewarding and fun and is keen to do more.

Why is using food so powerful and not simply bribery? States PPG (2016): “All animals are motivated by food. Food is necessary for sur­ vival. It is therefore a powerful primary reinforcer and a critical compo­ nent when used correctly as part of a strategic training or management plan. For behavior consultants who engage in behavior change pro­ grams where it is necessary to change a pet’s emotional reaction to a problematic stimulus, food is essential.” Wright (n.d.) explains thus: “The point of using treats is to REWARD the dog for a job well done.

This is done AFTER the dog does whatever is required…This is rewarding a behavior, not bribing the dog to do something.”

It’s not just a matter of semantics. On a physiological level, when done correctly, training with treats (or other reinforcers) engages what behavioral psychologist Susan Weinschenk refers to as a “dopamine seeking­reward loop.” The neurotransmitter dopamine plays an impor­ tant role in conditioning goal­directed behavior, according to Wein­ schenk (2018). Dopamine, she explains “is critical in all sorts of brain functions, including thinking, moving, sleeping, mood, attention, and motivation.” (Weinschenk, 2018). In a training context, when a dog ex­ periences something pleasurable (e.g. he smells or tastes food or en­ gages in an activity which is really good fun), dopamine is released, thus creating a feel­good relationship between what he is experiencing and whatever you are training in that moment. (Contrast this with punitive training methods and the emotional responses they generate in dogs.)

Furthermore, dopamine causes an individual to “want, desire, seek out, and search” and the dopamine system is “especially sensitive to ‘cues’ that a reward is coming (remember Ivan Pavlov?).” (Weinschenk, 2018).

Due to its “loop” nature, dopamine makes the dog want to engage

Many times, I might hear from a client that their dog just isn’t motivated by food. While it’s possible that food might not be a particular driver for that dog, it’s just as possible that the client has not actually identified exactly what food the dog would find reinforcing in that context.

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© Can Stock Photo/websubstance

Dogs will have their own individual preferences as to what constitutes a high value reward and what does not, and these may differ depending on a variety of factors; it is incumbent on trainers to identify what will be most effective in terms of reinforcement

more, search, seek, learn and thus be ready for your next cue. Not bribery after all then.

Primary Reinforcers Something else I hear often goes along the lines of, “Positive reinforce­ ment, that’s just treats right?” Well, actually, no. True, we might favor the use of food as a primary reinforcer, but this is where we can also start talking about the bespoke nature of reward. But let’s just stay with food for the time being. Many times, I might hear from a client that their dog really isn’t motivated by food. While it’s possible that food might not be a particular driver for that dog, it’s just as possible that the client has not actually identified exactly what food the dog would find reinforcing in that context. This may take some trial and error.

In such instances, this is what I recommend. Once you’ve identified some irresistible favorites, try then offering two or three varieties of high value foods in very small pieces. Be especially aware of morsel size if you will be requiring high volume, for instance, as part of a desensiti­ zation and counterconditioning protocol. If you have large pieces of one variety of food, then your dog may quickly become satiated and get bored. Feeding small amounts of a very highly valued (as determined by your dog, not you) and tasty food could be a game changer. You may have always used tasty chicken with your previous dog but this might not be appreciated by your current dog. He may be more motivated to work for small pieces of chopped sausage, ham or other smoked meats.

Foods which appeal to multiple senses (aroma, texture, taste) may be especially helpful if you have a dog who is a little choosy.

If the dog still does not appear motivated by food, perhaps other factors are at play. For instance, is there too much environmental com­

training petition that is causing overarousal and/or stress? In fact, anything that is causing emotional stress will negatively impact both your dog’s ap­ petite and his ability to learn (yet another reason to keep things posi­ tive.) Satiation is also a possible barrier to successfully using food rewards – maybe the dog just finished a meal or is being overfed. So, be sure to time feeding and training strategically. Note: When training with treats, always be aware of adjusting your dog’s regular meals accord­ ingly and be mindful of those dogs with digestive or allergy issues.

Understand also that, just as food value can be adjusted upwards, it can also be adjusted downwards. Sometimes, really tasty, yummy food can be a little too much of a “Thank you, you did great!” In these cases, you’re probably better off transitioning back down the reward ladder to something like dry biscuits, kibble your dog already has for dinner or dry toast. In these cases also, you may be better off with a different form of reward entirely.

Individual Preference But if we don’t use food, what do we use? Well, verbal praise is the sim­ plest form of saying “You did great!” Dogs are excellent readers and in­ terpreters of our body language and visual expressions – notice how differently they react when we are happy and smile at them as opposed to when we are feeling generally angry or irritated. As we build up our trust account with our dogs, praise in itself becomes a positive reinforcer, creating a positive conditioned emotional response. In addition, offering calm praise for as many things as possible can greatly help with confi­ dence boosting, especially if the dog is inherently anxious or has recently been adopted and is not yet used to his new situation. Look for those check­ins with you when the dog is off leash, for example. Don’t ignore them; make sure you praise them. As they get reinforced, they will become more frequent. Petting can also be used as a positive reinforcer, provided the dog enjoys it (and not all dogs do). A quick scratch of his favorite spot can be another way to create a positive condi­ tioned emotional response and motivate him to keep training and keep learning.

As Stapleton­Frappell (2018) explains: “Some rewards are considered by the recipi­ ent – not the provider – to be of a higher value than others. Importantly, this will be different for each animal. Once we have an understanding of this, we can create a ‘pyra­ mid’ to help us easily see what an individual finds more reinforcing and what is perceived to be less so.”

Play as a Reinforcer Continues Stapleton­Frappell (2018): “[J]ust because you think something will serve to reinforce a behavior, it doesn’t mean that it

will do so in all conditions or with all individuals. Some dogs will do just about anything if you throw a tennis ball for them to chase (unless they have just chased after 20 balls) while others would much rather lie under a tree while you go and retrieve the ball yourself.” Think about the innate characteristics of your dog’s breed and his personality. What is going to work for him? For example, retrieving breeds will (usually) love working for throw and fetch games. Sight hounds and terriers, meanwhile, often perform well with either lures, fast moving toys on sticks, flirt poles or what I call whizzy stick games (essentially these are rather like a cat toy, a short stick with equally short length of material attached). All of these can be offered as reinforcement when other op­ tions may not be as well received for whatever reason.

For any dogs who love playing games, you can use this to your ad­ vantage and incorporate play as a reinforcer. We might then reward a greyhound for calm and quiet behavior in the presence of a house cat with a very short play session with a whizzy stick. In such a scenario we are implementing the Premack Principle, i.e. the opportunity to engage in something the dog enjoys doing, so has a greater chance of doing, can be used to reinforce something he may not enjoy as much and/or has a lesser chance of doing.

Don’t forget to be inventive. Toys can be used very effectively to build focus into visual cues where a dog may struggle, e.g. holding a ball in front of you may greatly assist the hand signal or verbal cue “watch.”

Incorporating a game into the learning process can make it more fun – the training becomes absorbed into the game and becomes almost in­ visible. If, say, you are struggling with getting your dog to come back when called but you have a dog who loves to play fetch, then you can simply build your recall cue into that game.

Get Creative If you are still struggling to find something that might tell your dog he’s done well, keep thinking. I quite often use scents in such cases, allowing the dog freedom of choice because not all dogs (like us) like the same scents. Making a scent stick or dabber can be useful and the dabber in itself will suffice as the reward. (See also Tell Us What You Really Think on pp.38‐40 where Dr. Gre‐ gory Berns discusses the importance of olfactory stimuli in a dog’s universe.)

Let the dog be the architect of his own For dogs who are motivated by games, trainers and guardians can use this to their advantage and incorporate play as a reinforcer © Can Stock Photo/ra2studio

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training reward. For example, I hide toys and treats around the house for my dog to find. Originally, on cue, he would go find each one. Now, as soon as he is sent for the initial one, he will keep looking for more because the ex­ citement of looking, searching, finding and, of course, my over­the­top re­ sponses, all serve as rewards! Don’t forget to build fun and games into your dog’s learning. It’s not only simple to do, it’s enjoyable for both of you and can be repeated multiple times a day. What works for one dog may not work for another, just as what works for one dog may not work for that dog every single time. It is our job to find what works best for the individual we are working with in the moment. By being inventive and creative when it comes to rewards, we can be sure to find what our dogs find reinforcing every step of the way. n

References Pet Professional Guild. (2016). Open Letter to Veterinarians on Referrals to Training and Behavior Professionals. Available at: bit.ly/2KcMK84 Stapleton-Frappell, L. (2018, May). The Hierarchy of Rewards. BARKS from the Guild (30) 14-21. Available at: bit.ly/2EIG10Y Weinschenk, S. (2018). The Dopamine Seeking-Reward Loop. Psychology Today. Available at: bit.ly/37iVd47 Wright, M. (n.d.). Reward or Bribery? Available at: bit.ly/2RhDIvx

tions Applica mitted e sub must b il 5 ‐ en Apr betwe , 2020 May 5

Anna Francesca Bradley MSc BSc (Hons) is a United Kingdomebased provisional clinical, certified IAABC animal behavior consultant and ABTC accredited behavior consultant. She owns Perfect Pawz! Training and Behavior Practice (perfectpawz.co.uk) in Hexham, Northumberland, where the aim is always to create and restore happy relationships between dog and owner in a relaxed way, using methods based on sound scientific principles, which are both force-free and fun.

The A-Z of Training and Behavior Brought to you by H is for...

Habituate or Habituation: A decreased response to a stimulus after prolonged exposure to a stimulus. Ex. You move into a house next to a railway line and initially cannot sleep because of the noise of the trains. After a couple of weeks, you no longer hear the trains.

Hierarchy: A system in which individuals are ranked according to their level of authority or status, often depicted as a pyramid or ladder.

Hierarchy of Reinforcers (Common term: Hierarchy of Rewards): A classification of an individual dog’s positive reinforcement consequences from ‘lower value’ (least desirable) to highest value (most desirable). Before beginning any training, the trainer should make sure that the pet’s basic needs are met. The trainer can then make use of both primary and secondary reinforcers but must bear in mind that the ‘value’ will be ascertained by the recipient and not the provider.

Hierarchy of Needs: When needs are not being met, pets will be motivated to try and fulfil those

needs. Psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory in psychology, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid. Maslow stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs and that some needs take precedence over others. The Hierarchy of Needs includes: Biological and physiological needs; Safety needs; Love and belongingness needs; Esteem needs; Cognitive needs; Aesthetic needs; Self-actualization needs; Transcendence needs.

High Order Conditioning: High order conditioning takes place when a well-established conditioned stimulus is paired with a neutral stimulus to elicit a conditioned response. High order conditioning takes place in the absence of an unconditioned stimulus. With high order conditioning many more stimuli can come to elicit conditional responses not just those paired with an unconditioned stimulus, thus enhancing the ability of the pet to adapt and survive. High order conditioning also affects and influences many emotional reactions such as fear.

From: A Lexicon of Practical Terms for Pet Trainers & Behavior Consultants: The language you need to know!

by DogNostics Career Center. Available from: bit.ly/DogNosticsLexicon

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c a n i n e

Stress: Triggers and Consequences In her ongoing series on canine stress, Diane Garrod discusses the importance of triggers and the environment and the dog-guardian relationship, and presents tips for helping dogs through a stress reduction protocol

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n humans, good or mood enhancing stress, aka eustress, presents it­ self with a number of characteristics, including that it: • • •

Motivates; focuses energy.

Is short­term; happens repeatedly.

Is perceived as being within individual coping abilities, although this can vary from person to person.

• Feels exciting; internal release of oxytocin and dopamine is common.

• Improves performance; feeling good helps with focus.

In dogs, there are similar responses to eustress, which can vary dog to dog. Think, for example, of a pet highly responsive to cues, attentive to his guardian whether on­ or off­leash, delivering a focused perform­ ance and showing an overall positive demeanor.

Conversely, negative stress, aka distress, in humans, includes the fol­ lowing characteristics: • Anxiety or concern.

• Can be short­ or long­term.

• Is perceived as being outside an individual’s coping ability.

• Feels unpleasant; associated with buildup of adrenaline, nor­ epinephrine and cortisol.

• Decreases performance and ability to focus.

• Can lead to mental and physical problems; can cause health issues.

Again, dogs are very similar to humans. In dogs, negative stress can occur as soon as a trigger appears. When anxiety spikes, a dog might think he cannot cope with what is going on (perceived or real) and lose focus quickly. In this situation, a dog may be quick to react or aggress, and unable to take food. Distress can result in acute spikes, where the dog will go over threshold and take longer to come down each time, or eventually, result in chronic stress, leveling out over threshold, where the dog cannot come back down from it at all (see Figs. 3 and 4 on p.36).

Stressors and Consequences Triggers for stress (i.e. stressors) in dogs come in many shapes and sizes.

They may be environmental, biological, mental, emotional and/or social.

As such, releasing stress is a highly individualized process and will vary dog to dog. Each dog’s experiences will be unique, as will be his re­ sponses to specific triggers.

According to Bayne (2000), stressors can be defined as mild, moder­ ate and severe: • Mild stressors result in a “short­term physiological response on the part of some animals and slight to no behavioral ad­ justment. Examples might include room entry and regular husbandry activities which have been shown to cause an in­ crease in heart rate (Line and others, 1989).”

• Moderate stressors “may include a minor procedure on the an­ imal or a more significant procedure that is accompanied by pain relief and perhaps unconsciousness during the procedure.

© Diane Garrod

Stress release protocol client, Max, tries to relax on day one of his behavior change program

A moderate stressor would evoke behavioral adjustment on the part of the animal and physiological recovery or adapta­ tion by the animal. The animal may experience limited distress (or perhaps eustress) associated with restraint.”

• Severe stressors occur when “no relief is provided to the ani­ mal either through the ability to physically remove itself from the stressor or by modifications in its environment that would reduce the stress (e.g., use of nesting material to modulate cage temperature or treatment of a disease state). In such a case, there is inadequate adaptation by the animal to the stressor and distress results.” Distress would be defined then “as a state in which the animal is unable to adapt to the stres­ sor and the animal may exhibit maladaptive behavior. The ani­ mal is not coping—behaviorally or physiologically.”

Imagine you are taking a walk through a marked on­leash wooded trail with your dog. The day is sunny and calm. Suddenly, an unfamiliar dog is racing around the corner at full speed, off­leash, and with his guardian nowhere in sight. When the dog sees you, he enters a state of high alert. He approaches your on­leash dog, who starts lunging in an attempt to protect himself. However, the dog snaps at your dog and draws blood. Real life can happen this quickly. A nice relaxing walk has now turned into what could be weeks of physical and emotional recov­ ery. As a result of this incident, your dog may now experience stress in the environment where it occurred, whenever another dog approaches, and/or at any perceived inability to escape (barrier frustration). Walks, generally speaking, will not be pleasant for him if any of these triggers appear. Triggers create a lack of (perceived or real) safety, trust and con­ fidence. Actions have consequences and, as we know, dogs (and people) learn by association and consequence.

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c a n i n e

© Diane Garrod

© Diane Garrod

Fig. 3: Distress can result in acute spikes, where the dog will go over threshold and take longer to come down each time

Fig. 4: Eventually, stress will become chronic, staying over threshold, and from which the dog cannot come back down

Consider these four types of consequences in life: physical, physio­ logical, psychological and emotional. Continuing with the same exam­ ple, the consequences will most likely be manifold. Psychological, because this was a horrible experience for both guardian and dog. The guardian may be wondering why it happened and what they could have done to prevent it or protect their dog, and what they should do if it happens again. They may also be feeling more anxious when out walk­ ing the dog, trying to anticipate what could go wrong. The dog, mean­ while, may be on high alert and also feeling anxious, particularly in the area where the incident occurred or when seeing other dogs. This emo­ tional response may lead to reactivity. Another possibility is that the dog may experience an adrenaline rush that can shut down his digestive sys­ tem, making it difficult for him to take treats and therefore negatively impact any attempts by the guardian to implement a desensitization and counterconditioning protocol. This is the physiological response.

The physical consequence is the light injury sustained by the dog.

To break through the stress experienced by the dog as a result of the encounter will require an understanding of both the facts and the behavior. The incident must be taken apart trigger by trigger, from walk­ ing in the spot where it occurred, to dogs approaching quickly (both on­ or off­leash) and dogs getting too close while the original dog is on leash (leash reactivity/barrier frustration), and generalized emotions to differ­ ent environments. Just one incident can mean weeks or months of de­ sensitization and counterconditioning and releasing the dog’s stress must become a priority to help him cope again.

Behavior Modification Tips

© Diane Garrod

Annabelle attends a reactive dog class with her guardians: a calming hand helps soothe her (signs of stress include closed mouth, eyes wide, tail base and body tight, worried about the environment)

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When dealing with such cases, I focus on stress reduction and coping skills. In order to modify behavior, I teach clients how to modify the dog's environment with an emphasis on prevention, management and supervi­ sion. There are five concepts that are key throughout this process:

1.

SMART Goals

Setting goals in a systematic manner is key. A common way to do this is to set SMART goals, which, based on the scientific research, help people achieve their targets. In this context, SMART goals can help to­ ward errorless prevention, management and supervision and, thus, we can help a dog to experience less stress and cope better when it does.

As such, by using SMART goals, we can influence how he responds to and handles varying environments and triggers: a.

S = Specific: Clearly define and lay out a detailed plan. Put up signs if needed. b.

M = Measurable: Easy to determine whether goals are being accomplished. c.

A = Attainable: Something accomplishable through hard work. d.

R = Relevant: Aligned with other stress release and behavior modification goals. e.

T = Time­based: Linked to a time frame. Create goals, milestones, progress graphs. Short­term goals should be achieved in one to four weeks, while long­term goals can take months or even years to achieve.

© Diane Garrod

Italian greyhound Wylie is able to fully relax as he works his way through a stress reduction procedure: sleep is one of several things a dog needs in order to remain functional; yet guardians do not always think of sleep as a big deal

c a n i n e Triggers for stress (i.e. stressors) in dogs come in many shapes and sizes. They may be environmental, biological, mental, emotional and/or social.

can help guardians build better relationships with their dogs. Understand­ ing stress and how it affects dogs is critical for clients. They will start to “lis­ ten” to their dogs by reading their body language and being cognizant of when environmental triggers are causing stress.

The Neurology of Sleep 2.

Stay Motivated

The motivation model is quite clear. This is where professional expert­ ise to help a dog’s guardian work at keeping stress levels low will go a long way; understanding what the guardian/client goes through is also helpful. a.

The hype: Motivation goes through the roof in the beginning and usually remains strong at the outset. The honeymoon is the period of the hype when motivation reaches an all­time high. In my experience, it lasts for around a couple of weeks—until the dreaded plummet.

3.

Prepare for the Plummet

This is the time when the professional’s expertise and knowledge of how to work with people shines through. The honeymoon period is over and results are everything. Reality sets in, motivation starts to decrease and, guess what? This is all normal—until the lapse. a.

With the plummet comes the lapse. This is where trainers may feel they have hit a brick wall. It is where the client gets stuck and where “thought distortions” set in (like seeking a new trainer or hiring an aversive trainer to “fix” the situation). The client feels they can’t do it, or that they have failed. This is where the trainer must help their client work through these specific challenges.

4.

Infinity and Beyond

Behavior flows; it does not remain static. It has slips and surges. It pro­ gresses and regresses. After a first lapse, client motivation will experience highs and lows. Motivation, like behavior, isn’t constant either, but ebbs and flows. Again, this is where the professional’s expertise comes in as they help the client meet milestones and goals, showcasing how far they have come and helping them not get discouraged...because a surge is right around the corner.

An example here would be, say the client takes their reactive dog for a walk but by mistake leaves all the tools and treats at home. They have had a stressful day themselves but the dog needs a walk and so they just head out. While out, the dog has a reaction, which has not occurred for weeks, but this time the client was not paying attention to the distance be­ tween a trigger and their dog. Embarrassed to report the slip up, the client skips training sessions, not for a couple days, but for three weeks. They make one excuse after another why they missed an appointment with their dog. They feel guilty and a little ashamed. That negative feeling is enough to increase the likelihood that the next day will be skipped too.

Don’t despair. Ask yourself what you can do to help the client stay on track. What can you do to help them remain positive and reinforce their dog so the behavior they want gets stronger? With clients, as well as with dogs, it is important to focus on positive reinforcement, which, as we al­ ready know, increases behavior by giving something pleasant in return.

5.

Positive Reinforcement

Throughout the entire process, reinforce both dog and client behavior when indicated. The brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that causes a rush of pleasure, when a reward is received. This positive rein­ forcement ensures both client and dog repeat the behaviors they have been rewarded for. The behavior we want from the client is to follow through on a systematic and achievable stress release and behavior modifi­ cation protocol. Since nearly everything revolves around a dog’s environ­ ment, teaching clients how to prevent, manage and supervise their dog(s) is vital to continued success. That success is then both rewarding and rein­ forcing ­ for guardians and pets (and even trainers)!

By following these guidelines, professional canine behavior consultants

As with any behavior modification plan, in addition to the five concepts mentioned above, stress reduction must also include deep sleep. Sleep is one of several things a dog needs in order to remain functional; yet guardians do not always think of it as a big deal. Dogs are supposed to be constantly active, right? On guard? Working all the time? No. During sleep, growth hormones are secreted to facilitate the healing of muscles as well as repair damage to any tissues (Van Cauter & Plat, 1996).

After a dog has fully relaxed, neurotransmitters and sleep signals continue to lull brain activity (keeping out stimuli). GABA, galanin, and other relaxing chemicals are continually produced to keep the body and brain asleep.

During this time, other waste materials accumulated during the wake cycle can be transported and removed from the brain, promoting a feeling of re­ freshment and well­being upon waking (WiseGeek, 2020). Sleep may also contribute to dogs’ memory consolidation (Bódizs, Kis, Gácsi & Topál, 2020). "Memory consolidation is defined as a time­dependent process by which recent learned experiences are transformed into long­term memory, presumably by structural and chemical changes in the nervous system (e.g., the strengthening of synaptic connections between neurons)." (Urce­ lay & Miller, 2008). But what if sleep is ignored or considered to be nonessential? Lack of sleep can lead to a serotonin depletion (Bel Marra Health, 2015). There is a reason for the saying that someone woke up “on the wrong side of the bed." It’s an expression that applies to dogs as well as to people! n

References

Bayne, K. (2000). Assessing Pain and Distress: A Veterinary Behaviorist’s Perspective. In Definition of Pain and Distress and Reporting Requirements for Laboratory Animals. Proceedings of the Workshop Held June 22, 2000. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US).

Available at: bit.ly/30DTioo Bel Marra Health. (2015). Serotonin deficiency causes depression, mood disorders. Available at: bit.ly/38r7dRh Bódizs, R., Kis, A., Gácsi, M., & Topál, J. (2020). Sleep in the dog: comparative, behavioral and translational relevance. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences 33 25-33. Available at: bit.ly/2ug5UG5 Urcelay, G.P., & Miller, R.R. (2008). Retrieval from Memory. In Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference (1) 53­73. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier Van Cauter, E., & Plat, L. (1996). Physiology of growth hormone secretion during sleep. The Journal of Pedriatrics 28 (5 Pt 2): S32-7. Available at: bit.ly/2sO9zL0 WiseGeek. (2020). What Is the Relationship between Neurotransmitters and Sleep? Available at: bit.ly/37cNlkQ

Resources

Garrod, D. (2016, March). Let Sleeping Dogs Lie. BARKS from the Guild (17) 18-23. Available at: bit.ly/2G05PKk Garrod, D. (2019, November). Stress Matters. BARKS from the Guild (39) 36-39. Available at: bit.ly/34jxhMy Garrod, D. (2020, January). The Impact of Stress on Behavior. BARKS from the Guild (40) 32-33. Available at: bit.ly/36aweih Schultz, P. (2006). Stress and Distress: A Discussion by the Refinement and Enrichment Forum. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science 54th National Meeting Official Program. Animal Technology and Welfare 5 (2) 99- 102. Available at: bit.ly/36aQHTX Diane Garrod BSc PCT-A CA1 FF1 is the owner of Canine Transformations (caninetlc.com) based in Langley, Washington, where she conducts Treibball workshops, classes and private consults, specializing in canine aggression and reactivity.

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

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interview

Tell Us What You Really Think Susan Nilson and Angelica Steinker speak to Dr. Gregory Berns about the significance of olfactory and visual stimuli in a dog’s universe and what dogs may really be thinking

A

mongst dog trainers and enthusiasts, Dr. Gregory Berns is proba­ bly best known for his pioneering work that specializes in the use of brain imaging technologies to gain a greater understanding of canine motivation and decision­making. For the last three years, Berns’ team at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia have used positive rein­ forcement to train a group of volunteer dogs to remain still during func­ tional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)*. As the dogs are awake during the entire fMRI process, Berns and his colleagues are provided with vital information as they work to decode what dogs are really thinking. The data they have collected, and continue to collect, reveals intriguing insights about how the canine brain works.

In the study, (Prichard, Chhibber, Athanassiades, Spivak, & Berns, 2018), Berns and his team used awake fMRI in 19 dogs over a series of three experiments to measure reward­related learning of visual, olfac­ tory, and verbal stimuli. They found that visual and olfactory associa­ tions “resulted in the fastest learning, while verbal stimuli were least effective, suggesting that verbal [cues] may be the least efficient way to train dogs.” The researchers explain that, “[a]lthough dogs may attend to verbal stimuli, olfactory and visual stimuli likely have greater impor­ tance in the dog’s assessment of its physical and social environment and when interacting within such environments” and that their results, “showing greater salience for olfactory and visual stimuli in the amyg­ dala, are concordant with the dogs’ behavioral preferences in their nat­ ural surroundings.” (Berns et al., 2018). Given the human propensity for verbal communication, we were interested to find out Dr. Berns’ views about whether training protocols based on verbal cues, while “optimal for humans,” may not – from a dog’s perspective – necessarily be the most effective way to learn. © Emory University

Verbal vs. Visual BARKS: What are the implications of the study’s findings for dog train‐ ers, given that verbal cues, typically, are currently a mainstay of dog training?

Gregory Berns: We found that olfactory and visual associations – as measured by changes in brain activation – occurred with fewer repeti­ tions than verbal ones. The olfactory preference should come as no sur­ prise, but the visual over verbal preference suggests that the use of verbal cues may be more for the human’s benefit than the dog’s. Of course, most people use visual signals in conjunction with verbal cues, and that may be the best route.

BARKS: What about human‐canine communication in general – should we be trying to re‐evaluate the way we communicate with dogs, given

“...it is possible that a dog may be paying attention to a person’s hands because they expect something to be dispensed, and this could interfere with learning something unrelated. In this case, a neutral object could serve as a bridge.” - Dr. Gregory Berns

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

Dr. Gregory Berns (above) is fascinated by what dogs understand from human language: “Do words have meaning to them?, he asks. “If I say ‘ball’ do they picture a ball in their mind?”

the human preference for verbal communication? How can we capitalize on this research to make our training more efficient and improve our communication with the dog?

GB: Humans are verbal creatures, and although we talk to our dogs, that does not mean they understand what we’re saying, at least not like we understand each other. When it comes to verbal communication, the brain research is showing that although dogs can learn to discrimi­ nate certain sounds and some words, their mental representation of what the words mean may be quite different than ours. For example, humans are very noun­centric. We name everything. Dogs, however, may have very little use of nouns. Instead, they may be verb­ or action­ centric. So, when they hear “ball” they may actually think, “get ball.” Be­ cause dogs do not have the neural real estate for language processing, it is imperative that humans use their words concisely and consistently for dogs to understand them. Speak the dog’s name, followed by a one or two­word cue. Anything more than that is a distraction and will only serve to slow down learning.

I think that there is growing evidence that there may be critical peri­ ods of learning for dogs. They are more apt to learn verbal cues (or any

interview “Because dogs do not have the neural real estate for language processing, it is imperative that humans use their words concisely and consistently for dogs to understand them. Speak the dog’s name, followed by a one- or two-word cue. Anything more than that is a distraction and will only serve to slow down learning.” - Dr. Gregory Berns tasks) when they are young. Chaser, the famous dog who knew 1,000 words, began when she was just weeks old.

BARKS: In terms of visual stimuli such as the objects used in the experi‐ ment, do you think that a hand signal, commonly used in dog training, would have the same effect on the rate of learning? If not, how would it be different?

GB: We have used hand signals in some of our experiments, but we have not directly compared hand signals versus objects. In one case, we began with hand signals but found that they seemed to be too distract­ ing to the dogs.

Most dogs have been acclimated to the importance of human hands, if, for no other reason, because hands provide food and petting!

So, it is possible that a dog may be paying attention to a person’s hands because they expect something to be dispensed, and this could inter­ fere with learning something unrelated. In this case, a neutral object could serve as a bridge.

Scent and Sniffing BARKS: Given the apparent preference for olfactory and visual stimuli as demonstrated by this research, how can we apply this to a dog’s every‐ day life, e.g. the importance of sniffing when out for walks, the use of nose work in training, etc.?

GB: Yes, letting dogs sniff is important for their mental stimulation. Nose work may not be for everyone, but it could be something fun and differ­ ent for people to do with their dogs, even at home. The dog needs to learn at least one target odor, like lavender, and then the game is to find where it is hidden.

© Emory University

Dr. Gregory Berns reviews images of a dog’s brain as it is being scanned

GB: To make it easy for dogs to discriminate between objects, we try to use things that are as different from each other as possible. This means different sizes, shapes, textures, and colors. Humans tend to categorize things primarily by shape, but this may not be the case for dogs. In fact, we’re not really sure what the most salient features of objects are to dogs. Texture and smell may be the most important.

BARKS: Why was it important that the dogs used in your studies were positively trained to duration target (ie. lay still in the machine on cue)?

GB: Because we want the dogs to have fun and enjoy their experience in the MRI. Sometimes they don’t want to leave!

BARKS: If anything were possible, what is the question you would ask of the dog (i.e. what do you really, really want to know about the way they think or how their brains work)?

BARKS: Do you think this research could be used in other contexts, e.g. using a scent cue to calm a fearful dog (as opposed to verbal reassur‐ ance), say during a thunderstorm or vet visit?

GB: Possibly. I’m not aware of any convincing evidence that some odors are intrinsically calming to dogs. So, the scent would need to be previ­ ously associated with a calm, positive emotional state, which would need to be maintained through repeated training. You wouldn’t want the scent to become associated solely with the aversive situation.

BARKS: Can you talk a bit about odor concentration and vapor pressure, their application in the study, and/or relevance to the study’s findings?

GB: We used concentrations of a few parts per million, which was barely detectable to humans in the bore of the MRI. This was likely overkill for dogs, but we wanted to make sure our apparatus was working.

Theory of Mind BARKS: How relevant was object color (i.e. the pineapple and flamingo) in this study, if at all? Would this warrant further study?

© Emory University

Dr. Gregory Berns poses with a canine study subject in front of an fMRI scanner

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

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interview GB: I have so many. I’m still fascinated by the question of what dogs un­ derstand from human language. Do words have meaning to them? If I say “ball” do they picture a ball in their mind? I’m also very interested in whether they have “theory of mind,” which means understanding that a person (or dog) is a thinking, sentient being. And do dogs have empa­ thy? I know that many people implicitly believe these things to be true about dogs, but we really don’t know. n *Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is mainly used “for the depiction of changes of local blood supply in the brain activated by specific stimuli.” (Rinck, P.A. (2020). Magnetic Resonance in Medicine: A Critical Introduction ‐ The Basic Textbook of the European Magnetic Resonance Forum (12th edn). Chapter 11‐04 Functional Imaging. Norderstedt, Germany: BoD. Available at: magnetic‐resonance.org/ch/11‐03.html).

About Gregory Berns Gregory Berns MD Ph.D (gregoryberns.com) is the distinguished profes­ sor of neuroeconomics at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he directs the Center for Neuropolicy and Facility for Education and Re­ search in Neuroscience. He is also a professor in the Psychology Depart­ ment and a founding member of the Society for Neuroeconomics. He is the author of Satisfaction: The Science of Finding True Fulfillment, Icono‐ clast: What Neuroscience Reveals About How To Think Differently, named one of the best business books of 2008 by Fast Company, How Dogs Love Us, which became a Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestseller, and What It's Like to Be a Dog which, according to Dr. Brian Hare, author of The Genius of Dogs, “will establish Berns as one of the most skilled neuroscientists of our day, as well someone with the intu­ ition that understanding other animals will lead to greater insight and knowledge about ourselves.” Dr. Berns is also co­founder of Dog Star Technologies – a company using neuroscience to enhance the dog­ human partnership.

“Humans tend to categorize things primarily by shape, but this may not be the case for dogs. In fact, we’re not really sure what the most salient features of objects are to dogs. Texture and smell may be the most important.” - Dr. Gregory Berns Study Article Reference Prichard, A., Chhibber, R., Athanassiades, K., Spivak, M., & Berns, G.S. (2018). Fast neural learning in dogs: A multimodal sensory fMRI study. Scientific Reports 8:14614. Available at: go.nature.com/30DEHt6 Susan Nilson BA (Hons) DipCABT PCBC-A is editor of BARKS from the Guild (barksfromtheguild.com) and a Reuters-trained journalist with over 10 years’ experience in print journalism in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. She also studied feline behavior under the tutelage of Prof. Peter Neville at the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) in the United Kingdom and completed her diploma in companion animal behavior and training with COAPE in 2005. She is also an accredited professional canine behavior consultant through the Pet Professional Accreditation Board. In 2018, she co-authored Pet Training and Behavior Consulting: A Model for Raising the Bar to Protect Professionals, Pets and Their People (petindustryregulation.com).

Angelica Steinker PCBC-A owns and operates Courteous Canine, Inc. DogSmith of Tampa (courteouscanine.com/Florida), a full service pet business and dog school specializing in aggression and dog sports. She is the national director of training for DogSmith Services (dogsmith.com), and co-founder of DogNostics Career College (dognosticselearning.com).

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r e s c u e

From Shelter Dog to Service Dog Dr. Maria Karunungan sets out some guidelines to help with the selection of rescue dogs to set them up for success in training to be service dogs

© Can Stock Photo/Belish

© Can Stock Photo/AntonioGravante

It can be challenging to come up with one­size­fits­all guidelines for selecting a service dog from rescue candidates because characteristics that may be deal­ breakers in one area may be desired or required qualities for another situation

Much of the debate surrounding service animals in public spaces has to do with how well­behaved the animal is and whether the animal is experiencing an undue level of stress

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vironments, but for those who do, the United State Department of Jus­ tice (USDOJ) (2011) mandates the standard of required behavior as being “under the owner’s control.” Examples of being under control might include remaining calm on leash, not sniffing merchandise or jumping on passersby, and confidently tolerating “strange sights, sounds and odors in a wide variety of public settings.” (International Association of Assistance Dog Partners, 1997).

Working in public means the dog should be able to respond to a handler’s needs and move nimbly through spaces not designed for both a human and a dog, while remaining unfazed by the many distractions that may be present in public situations. Some of these requirements mean that not every dog will be naturally suited to service dog work.

he idea of two lives saving each other – one a homeless animal and the other a human being in need of the kind of help only an animal can provide – tugs at heartstrings and makes the work we do as animal training professionals feel extra worthwhile. The history of service dogs potentially dates back to medieval times in Western Eu­ rope, based on manuscripts that have survived from as early as the 13th century (Murchison, 2018). Indeed, many biologists agree that the do­ mesticated dog began its companionship with people to varying degrees doing types of work that humans found useful (Coppinger & Coppinger, 2004).

In the United States, a service animal is defined as a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities (United States Department of Justice, 2011). The words “service” and “task” are used here because they signify the legal basis on which dogs are granted access to enable their human partners to operate independ­ ently as they go about their day in public settings. There are many dif­ ferent types of service dogs – from dogs who pull wheelchairs and open doors, to dogs who alert their handlers to an oncoming seizure or to a dangerous obstacle in their path. Not all service dogs work in public en­

Behavior evaluations conducted in many shelters and rescues usually don’t give the whole story needed for service dog selection. These evaluations provide a limited snapshot of behavior in one moment of time in a particular context (often the highly artificial context of an animal shelter).

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Behavior and Welfare Much of the debate surrounding service animals in public spaces has to do with how well­behaved the animal is and whether the animal is ex­ periencing an undue level of stress. While many behaviors can be trained, some natural ability and inclination for the task expected of them is also required. For example, a 10­lb Chihuahua would not be ex­ pected to pull a wheelchair; and a dog uninterested in environmental noises could find it challenging to rouse from a deep sleep to alert a hearing­impaired or deaf person when indicated. Forcing a square peg into a round hole is as much a welfare issue as it is a questionable in­ vestment of time, money and effort.

A fearful dog, as another example, might be immediately ruled out for most types of service dog work. Fear can result in a dog planting his feet and not being able to move across a threshold or up a flight of stairs, barking suddenly in a library or workplace when startled by

r e s c u e someone getting up after being otherwise quiet or still for a long time, or more serious aggression, which would be highly inappropriate for a dog given public access. It is also unfair to a dog to routinely put him into situations he is afraid of. Fear is one of the primary reasons that many dogs bred for service programs “wash out” and are not placed as part of working teams (Grunow, 1995).

For dogs who are confident and enjoy the tasks they perform for their handlers – indeed, thrive on them – their lives are wonderfully en­ riched by the quality of interactions with their person. The joy on a dog’s face as he earns a cookie for a job well done is precious – and for those humans who have had to face additional challenges in life and who now get help with these challenges, this joy goes both ways.

Working in public means the dog should be able to respond to a handler’s needs and move nimbly through spaces not designed for both a human and a dog, while remaining unfazed by the many distractions that may be present in public situations. Some of these requirements mean that not every dog will be naturally suited to service dog work.

Finding the “Right Dog” How do we actually find the dogs who can provide this type of help to an individual, and how do we make the right matches? And can these dogs come from shelters and rescue organizations? This prospect is ap­ pealing. Contrary to popular belief, many shelter dogs are surrendered for reasons unrelated to poor behavior, such as moving homes, an owner’s illness, or other factors (Salman et. al, 1998; Weiss, Gramann, Spain & Slater, 2015). Even so, finding dogs who can train to a high level of performance and navigate public access with aplomb is still a tall order. Behavior evaluations conducted in many shelters and rescues usually don’t give the whole story needed for service dog selection.

These evaluations provide a limited snapshot of behavior in one mo­ ment of time in a particular context (often the highly artificial context of an animal shelter). Responses to typical behavior evaluation test items may not reflect how well a dog would perform as part of a well­matched team in the long term. A dog’s known history can help, but often that history is missing or lost in translation.

Many organizations or professionals that select service dogs from animal shelters have devised strategies for collecting multiple observa­ tions of the prospective service dog over time that will help give a more complete picture of the dog. For example, some organizations have vol­ unteers who serve as the dog’s temporary caretakers. Another creative solution includes having prospective service dogs stay with prison in­ mates enrolled in a special program for this purpose. The most valuable information can come from observing the dog in real­life settings and in “at­ home” settings over time with different people and in different situ­ ations.

Having information about the dog in many different situations can, in tandem with the time invested in competent training, help the dog meet ideal minimum standards for public access (International Associa­ tion of Assistance Dog Partners, 1997). The effort to find a solid dog who is unflappable in all the right ways, will prevent adding a heavier burden to an individual with a disability. At the end of the day, a service dog should make the individual’s life easier rather than harder – and so, in some ways, while all dogs are still dogs, we want the behavior of a service dog to be as impeccable as possible.

Coming up with one­size­fits­all guidelines for selecting a service dog from among rescue candidates can be tough, bearing in mind that char­ acteristics that may be deal­breakers in one area of disability may actu­ ally be desired or required qualities for another situation. For example, a high level of interest in sounds or the environment would be required for a hearing dog, but not ideal for a dog tasked with helping a person with a psychiatric disorder triggered by lively and overwhelming settings. The latter individual would benefit from a dog remaining calm and com­ pletely nonreactive to sounds in the environment. Keeping in mind that some matches are very individual, here are some basic guidelines: • Age and Health: Given the amount of time required for train­ ing, and the average “retirement” age of 10, a younger dog is preferred. How young varies from organization to organization.

Starting with a young puppy can be riskier since some genetic

•

•

•

•

•

•

behavioral tendencies may express themselves later in their de­ velopment. The overall health of the dog is important too, so, a veterinarian’s medical opinion is essential. As with behavioral issues, having medical issues to manage might prove cumber­ some or prohibitive to the handler.

Comfort with Being Petted and Having Body Parts Touched: Is the dog comfortable when hands reach toward him? Are there any trouble spots (paws, ears, tail, etc.) where the dog is sensi­ tive? Sometimes the handler may need to be able to physically move the dog out of the way of a fast­moving vehicle or other danger. Having a dog who is comfortable with being touched will also help with routine care such as grooming, nail trimming, ear cleaning, and administering medication.

Confidence in the Hustle and Bustle of an Urban Scene: Can the dog handle trains going by, people suddenly appearing around a corner, horns honking, carts wheeling by, people car­ rying bags or heavy objects? Can the dog handle a wide variety of unfamiliar people of all ages, sizes, and attire, and who walk and act in ways the dog might not have encountered before?

Comfort Being Left Alone: Some may argue a service dog will get to accompany the handler everywhere, but in the event an individual is whisked to an emergency room or another unantic­ ipated situation, a contingency plan should either be in place or the dog should be able to spend a few hours alone without panicking.

Sociability with Children: Does the dog enjoy being petted by children, or at least seem relaxed in the event this happens?

Service dogs in public are often approached by children running up in delight at the sight of a dog where they weren’t expecting to see one. More and more parents are managing this better as education about not distracting working dogs becomes more widespread, but being comfortable with children approaching, petting, running around, screaming, or jumping is important.

Reactions to Other Dogs: A normal level of social interest in one’s own kind is to be expected, so when we look at a prospective service dog’s sociability with other dogs, we as­ sume that the ability to handle being on leash and passing an­ other dog can be trained. Aggressive behavior toward other dogs would not be appropriate, given that many businesses and hotels are pet­friendly, and that in places that don’t allow pets, there may still be other service animals present.

Reactions to Cats, Squirrels, Birds, and Other Small Animals: Curiosity about smaller creatures is not a

Organizations that select service dogs from animal shelters often implement strategies to observe the dog over time to provide a more complete picture of his suitability for the job © Can Stock Photo/firstbite

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r e s c u e deal­breaker, but the dog should be capable of being redirected with “happy talk” or food enticement. While some dogs with an intractable focus on smaller creatures can perform well with a greater investment in training, others may be unable to func­ tion at all in the presence of an urban pigeon.

Exit Strategy In the interests of being efficient, some of these observations about res­ cue candidates can be collected while initial basic training is being started. A plan should be in place for what happens if the dog isn’t “per­ fect.” Take, for example, a dog who was initially observed around chil­ dren and seemed fine with them, but over repeated exposures or after a negative experience suddenly seems sensitive and now exhibits dis­ comfort. Can that dog still be placed with an individual whose disability doesn’t prevent them from managing the dog effectively in public, or should the organization counsel against the dog having public access (e.g., the dog works at home only)? Or should the dog be placed as a nonworking dog in a home the same way any rescued dog might be placed? Sometimes a dog may get placed as part of a working team and then an unforeseen behavior issue emerges that means the team either needs ongoing support from a local trainer or follows a predetermined exit strategy in the event the dog cannot continue to have public access.

There is no right answer and different organizations and professionals have different ways of handling these situations. The hope is that this is a win­win­win proposition: A “perfect,” adoptable rescue dog is placed as a service dog helping an individual who has a disability. Or, a nice, adoptable rescue dog got some training and wasn’t perfect for every type of service dog work but was placed with a well­matched individual who was able to manage the dog’s needs, and in return, received the gift of increased self­sufficiency. Or, a nice, adoptable rescue dog got some training and didn’t get placed as a service dog at all, but the dog did find a good home as a pet dog with wonderful manners to start his new life with his best paw forward! n

References Coppinger, R., & Coppinger, L. (2004). Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior & Evolution. Romford, UK: Crosskeys Select Books.

Grunow, S. (1995). Fearfulness and Failure in Training Working Dogs.

Master’s Theses. 995. Available at: bit.ly/2tnZvbE International Association of Assistance Dog Partners. (1997). IAADP Minimum Training Standards for Public Access. Available at: bit.ly/2QXSUOh Murchison, K. (2018). Guide Dogs in Medieval Art and Writing. Available at: bit.ly/2QVbHJT Salman, M.D., New Jr., J.G., Scarlett, J.M., Kass, P.H., Ruch-Gallie, R., & Hetts, S. (1998). Human and Animal Factors Related to the Relinquishment of Dogs and Cats in 12 Selected Animal Shelters in the United States. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 1 207-226.

Available at: bit.ly/2FUarAu United States Department of Justice (2011). DOJ Service Animals.

Available at: bit.ly/2Rouqwu Weiss, E., Gramann, S., Spain, C.V., & Slater, M. (2015). Goodbye to a Good Friend: An Exploration of the Re-Homing of Cats and Dogs.

Open Journal of Animal Sciences 5 435-456. Available at: bit.ly/2sthBc3 Maria Karunungan Ph.D CTC CSAT has been a professional dog trainer for 15 years. She has served on the behavior staff at several shelters in Northern California, running playgroups and focusing on helping dogs and cats find homes for more than eight years. She now specializes in service dog training and separation anxiety cases, and currently partners with Fetch the Leash (fetchtheleash.biz), a dog training program serving the community of Burlington, Vermont. She holds a Ph.D in educational research and received her certificate in teaching and counseling with honors from the Academy for Dog Trainers, as well as her certificate in separation anxiety training from Malena DeMartini's Separation Anxiety Certification Program.

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

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f e l i n e

Reading Cats’ Minds Given that, according to a recent study, many cat guardians have trouble deciphering their cat’s emotional state, Andrea Carne explains how those who share their lives with cats can learn to interpret how they are feeling by paying close attention to changes in behavior

© Can Stock Photo/Rustmb

© Can Stock Photo/vladko13

A recent study found that cat guardians were not always able to accurately read their cat’s signals

Cats display a variety of emotional states through their body language and facial expression

A

ment to cats not necessarily gaining a higher score than those reporting no such affinity.

What does the Dawson study really tell us then, apart from confirm­ ing that people may not always be very skilled in reading their cats’ minds? Well, the research team believes it points to the obvious oppor­ tunity to turn that particular statistic around so that more people are educated about the intricacies of cat facial expressions. This knowledge­ building will greatly im­ prove the bond between cats and their guardians and increase overall cat welfare. I absolutely agree, but this will take time and more research. We are talk­ ing about changing an ex­ tremely long­held, common opinion that cats are inde­ pendent, aloof and can take care of themselves. They don’t need us getting all clingy and trying to read their facial expressions, right? Wrong! Those of us that follow the science

new study reveals something many cat owners may have already thought for some time – cats can be hard to read in terms of their emotional states (Dawson, Cheal, Niel & Mason, 2019). Sur­ prised? No, I didn’t think so. But what may be surprising is that cats cer­ tainly do have facial expressions and they change subtly to give signals to their humans. It’s just that humans may not always be terribly effi­ cient at deciphering them, or even noticing them.

More than 6,300 people from 85 countries took part in the online study which involved watching a series of 20 short YouTube videos fea­ turing cats and assessing whether the cat in each one was either in a positive or negative state. The videos concentrated on the cats’ faces (eyes, muzzles and mouths) in a range of scenarios including playing, being petted, seeing food, and being intimidated by other cats. None of the videos showed the classic fear responses such as flattened ears and bared teeth as the researchers considered these to be already widely understood. The average score was around 59% and, of the thousands of participants, only 13% scored 75% and above. Women scored better than men (but only just), younger people scored better than older, and those that scored well generally had professional experience with cats, such as veterinarians (Dawson et al., 2019). It is perhaps not surprising that veterinarians scored well – it is, after all, in the cat's best interest that veterinarians recognize pain and it is also in the veterinarian's best interest to be able to recognize if a cat is about to lose his cool.

Another recent study into cat facial expressions was aimed at devel­ oping a Feline Grimace Scale to assess the pain score of cats under med­ ical care in veterinary hospitals (Evangelista, Watanabe, Leung & Monteiro, 2019). But while vets scored well in the Dawson et al. study, it is interesting to note that being a self­confessed cat lover made no dif­ ference in scoring well in this case, with those listed as having an attach­

While body language indicating fear may be more commonly recognized, cats also display more subtle signals that their guardians may not always understand © Can Stock Photo/Cherrymerry

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f e l i n e know this simply isn’t true. Our cats do like us – for the most part – they are just extremely good at hiding how they feel (including their subtle facial expressions), so it’s up to us to work out when they need our help.

While we are waiting for the world to catch up with the science and for more cat owners to understand the importance of being able to read feline facial expressions, we need to remember that there are many ways to decipher what’s going on with our cats. If we want to be re­ sponsible cat owners whose feline companions lead happy, healthy lives, we just need to be better detectives and take more notice of all the messages we’re being given.

Physical Changes

© Can Stock Photo/piyato

Has your cat shown a physical change in the way he goes about his nor­ mal daily routine? Has he stopped jumping up into his favorite chair, couch or cat tree? Often, this is the first sign that there may be some pain issues going on. Jumping hurts, so the cat simply avoids it. Has the cat’s gait changed? Does his walking style seem a little odd? Again, he may be experiencing pain and is walking in a way that helps alleviate the discomfort. Is he still able to curl up in a tight ball when he is asleep? Is he still able to do the “snorkel” leg lift when grooming? Any changes to these scenarios can indicate pain and should be checked out by a vet.

There are so many options to safely manage pain these days and make our felines more comfortable, particularly in their senior years. If he is a younger cat, he may have injured himself or be in the early stages of any number of health problems that can be diagnosed and treated before getting worse.

We are talking about changing an extremely long-held, common opinion that cats are independent, aloof and can take care of themselves. They don’t need us getting all clingy and trying to read their facial expressions, right?

Wrong! Those of us that follow the science know this simply isn’t true. Our cats do like us – for the most part – they are just extremely good at hiding how they feel.

Behavior Changes © Can Stock Photo/AlexMAK

Has your cat displayed some behavioral changes that seem out of charac­ ter? Is he normally social with his humans but suddenly, or over time, has become more withdrawn or reluctant to be touched Is he spending more time hiding? Is he overgrooming or not grooming at all? Is he showing aggression towards the humans in the house or other pets where there has been none before? Is he vocalizing more or in a differ­ ent way? Is he normally playful but has become disinterested in this ac­ tivity? Have any of these changes to his normal behavior occurred without any apparent reason? If so, he may be unwell and/or in pain.

Ongoing and untreated pain or illness can cause a great deal of stress which, in itself, can further deplete the cat’s health and overall well­ being. Likewise, a stressful event such as moving, home renovations, a stray cat hanging around or a stay in a boarding facility could cause stress which, if left unnoticed, can get very bad very quickly.

Appetite Changes

© Can Stock Photo/SundryPhotography

(Top to bottom) A cat’s ears, eyes, muzzle and mouth are good indicators of whether he is experiencing a positive or negative emotional state

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Has the cat gone off his food when he is not normally fussy? Will he only eat wet food and avoid the dry and is this unusual for him? Is he eating way more than normal and yet always seems hungry? Is he drinking more water? He may indeed be unwell and/or have dental issues which can make it very painful to eat. He may also have a thyroid problem, dia­ betes or another medical condition. All of these potential problems can be properly diagnosed and treated by a vet and the sooner changes are noted and addressed, the better the expected outcome for the cat.

f e l i n e Litter Box Changes The most common behavior issue we tend to see in cats these days is inappropriate toileting. I always tell clients that toileting mishaps are never “vindictive” on the cat’s part but rather a call for help that should not be ignored. Either the cat is not happy with the litter box set up – lo­ cation, type and size of tray, litter type, cleanliness, number of trays available – or he is being prevented from using the tray due to antago­ nistic behavior from another cat in the household, or he is actually un­ well and perhaps cannot make it to the tray in time or is finding it difficult to get into or move about in the tray due to pain. He may then start to associate the litter box with pain, meaning he may start avoiding it altogether.

Is he straining when using the litter box, or is he visiting it more fre­ quently? Can you see blood in his urine or feces? Does he vocalize when toileting? Any of these point to medical problems which should be treated seriously. (Note: Male cats straining to urinate is a medical emergency.)

for their physicality, behavior and dietary and toileting habits. If cat owners see something that is out of character, it should not be ignored.

A quick trip to the vet for a check­up will never be wasted.

Oh, and if you are interested in testing your own ability to decipher cat facial expressions, Dawson et al. have set up a website with a short­ ened version of the online test (see Resources). I’m happy to say I scored 100% ­ if I hadn’t, I’d be reconsidering career paths! Just joking – we all have much to learn about our feline friends and the more re­ search that’s carried out, the better understanding we will have of our intriguing furry companions. n

References Dawson, L.C., Cheal, J., Neil, L., & Mason, G. (2019). Humans can identify cats’ affective states from subtle facial expressions. Animal Welfare 28 (4): 519. Available at: bit.ly/374JEgY Evangelista, M.C., Watanabe, R., Leung, V.S.Y., & Monteiro, B.P. (2019). Facial expressions of pain in cats: the development and validation of a Feline Grimace Scale. Scientific Reports 9 (1) article number 19128. Available at: go.nature.com/2tjixjL

Environmental Enrichment

Resources

The key to any of the signals listed above is to rule out potential medical issues first with a trip to the vet. Then work on changes to the cat’s envi­ ronment – increase resources, increase enrichment and decrease po­ tential stressors. Whether you are dealing with a medical condition, stress, or both (which is often the case, in my experience), making posi­ tive changes to a cat’s environment will always be welcomed.

To conclude then, for cat guardians who find it difficult to read their cat’s subtle facial expressions, looking for other signs that all may not be well with their feline companion can be an excellent way to start under­ standing their cat a little better. Cats are lovers of routine and that goes

University of Guelph Cat Faces Quiz: bit.ly/361XlvG Andrea Carne is a graduate of the University of Southern Queensland, Australia where she majored in journalism and drama before, later in life, following her dream to work in the field of animal behavior. She is a qualified veterinary nurse and dog trainer and member of PPG Australia. Her special area of interest is cat behavior and her passion for it led to the establishment of her own cat behavior consultancy Cattitude (cattitude.com.au), based in southern Tasmania, through which she offers private in-home consultations.

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The lack of consumer protection and transparency across the marketing and operations platforms of many pet-related businesses.

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How the current lack of reported and enforced animal cruelty laws means there is insufficient protection when it comes to holding pet professionals accountable for their methods, approach and philosophies toward their craft and the pets they serve.

The authors advise on the pertinence of all these issues to the development of an infrastructure for oversight to support the professional evolution of the pet training and behavior industry while providing a complete recommended implementation model from which to do so.

"I would urge anyone interested in the direction of the industry to get a copy. It has been invaluable for a project I am involved in, and identifies and clarifies really important aspects of the industry that desperately need addressing. Even as an individual practitioner it provides a great resource for identifying best practice." - Andrew Hale, chair of association of INTOdogs "Check out this groundbreaking new resource for the pet training and behavior consulting industry written by the best in the business." - Paula Garber, owner of LIFELINE Cat Behavior Solutions and chairwoman of the Pet Professional Guild Feline Committee "Reliable, scientifically accurate behavioral information from experts in the field."

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

47

f e l i n e

Quick Cat Behavior Tip: HumanDirected Play Aggression The PPG Cat Committee discusses the cat’s natural, predatory instincts and the need for guardians to provide an outlet for them via interactive play

W

e can’t say it enough – cats need to play! Given that feline play is closely linked to the hardwired behavior of predation, cat guardians are well advised to find out what kind of play their cat prefers (e.g. chasing, jumping, pouncing etc.), as well as what types of toys they prefer (e.g. little furry animals, bouncy balls, fishing poles with feathers etc.) and take the time to engage in regular play ses­ sions to keep potentially human­directed aggressive play behavior at bay. And even if a cat isn't exhibiting play aggression, cat guardians can quite possibly still up their feline enrichment game — to the enormous benefit of their pet.

Important Reminders about the Behavior •

•

•

•

Any behavior change could be an early sign of a medical prob­ lem. In all cases of aggression, a veterinary checkup is recom­ mended to ensure that pain or illness is not a motivating factor.

Aggression has many causes that must be considered and ruled out. These include fear, anxiety, frustration, learned in­ appropriate play, tense relationships with cats or other ani­ mals in the home, illness, and pain.

Play in cats is closely linked to normal and necessary instinc­ tive behaviors related to hunting and predation that involve stalking, chasing, ambushing, pouncing, grabbing, kicking, and biting. Movement and sound are common triggers for these predatory behaviors.

Cats need to hunt! If your cat is not provided with a natural outlet to engage in predatory behavior and you never play predatory type games with her either, she may well “invent” her own games, and these may involve stalking, chasing and grabbing you. Regular, satisfying, interactive play is essential to resolving this problem.

© Can Stock Photo/logoboom

Predation and hunting are natural feline behaviors and guardians are well advised to provide outlets for them via interactive play in order to avoid human­directed aggressive play behavior

•

Management and Safety Information:* •

• • •

48

Watch the cat for early signs of arousal and agitation: o Tail twitching or lashing. o Head lowered and body crouched and low to the ground. o Eyes wide and fixed on the “prey” target, pupils may or may not be dilated. o Ears and whiskers forward, or ears back, flat against the head. o Skin on the back twitching or rippling.

At the first sign of any of the above and BEFORE the cat pounces, redirect her with a favorite toy and give her space.

Don’t try to touch or pet a cat who is already aroused. Any­ thing that moves near the cat is likely to be grabbed or bitten.

Don’t overdo physical attention—while petting can start out calm, it can end up “nippy” as the cat gets more excited. To counter this, pick up a toy before petting the cat. As soon as she begins to get mouthy or show signs of arousal, introduce the toy. Play with her with the toy, if you can do it without getting bitten. If not, just calmly move away and leave her with the toy.

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

• •

Place large items in places where the cat tends to sit and wait to ambush people to block her access. Where this isn’t possi­ ble, keep a container of small toys or crumpled up paper balls nearby that can be tossed to move the cat out of position and allow the person (or other pet) to safely pass by.

Avoid rough play, and never use your hands or feet as toys during play.

If your cat bites or grabs you, remain calm, stop all play, and calmly withdraw from the cat. Never yell at, squirt with water, chase, hit, scruff, shove, push, or use any other aggressive be­ haviors toward the cat. Also avoid pulling or jerking away, screaming, or squealing. These techniques either reinforce the cat’s behavior by creating drama and turning the interac­ tion into a game, or escalate the cat’s arousal and fear, which can increase aggression and the risk of potential injury to you.

Instead: 1. Freeze and make the targeted body part go limp (like dead prey). Cats respond to movement, and by freezing and going limp, you are no longer enticing to the cat.

2. Calmly say, “Ouch.” (No need to yell—cats have excellent hearing.) Cats squeak at each other to communicate when play becomes too rough. It’s a signal many cats understand

f e l i n e Play in cats is closely linked to normal and necessary instinctive behaviors related to hunting and predation that involve stalking, chasing, ambushing, pouncing, grabbing, kicking, and biting. Movement and sound are common triggers for these predatory behaviors.

o

Resting and hiding areas, including vertical space (e.g., tall perches, cat shelving, tunnels, cardboard boxes).

Novel scents and textures (e.g., catnip, silver vine, cat grass, Feliway®, tissue paper).

Positive, predictable social contact with preferred as­ sociates (people, cats, dogs, or others).

Training basic behaviors and tricks (see Clicker Train‐ ing for Cats, BARKS from the Guild, November 2017, pp.16‐23).

o o o

and respond to by releasing their grip or bite. If the cat doesn’t release right away, remain calm and wait. Remember that the more you move, the more likely you are to be scratched or bit­ ten. The moment the cat releases her bite or grip, praise her in a soft, happy voice, “Good cat/girl/boy/kitty.”

3. Calmly walk away from the cat. This communicates to her that play ends and you leave when she’s too rough. When she returns to a calm state (i.e. she is not exhibiting any of the signs of arousal or agitation listed above), you can once again engage her in play with an appropriate toy. *These management techniques and the behavior modification skills outlined below must be implemented simultaneously.

Specific Tools • • • • •

Timeline •

Behavior Modification Skills •

•

•

•

•

Determine your cat’s preferred play styles and “prey” prefer­ ences by offering her a variety of different types of toys and hunting games and observing which ones she engages with most readily and for longer periods of time. For example, one cat might like to bat around and chase small bouncy balls, while another might prefer to grab, bite, and kick large stuffed toys. Also pay attention to what type of movement is most en­ ticing to the cat; for instance, she might be more interested in a ribbon that is pulled under a carpet than a ribbon that is pulled along the ground. (For more tips and techniques on playing with cats, see How Cats Play, BARKS from the Guild, September 2017, pp. 50‐51.)

Provide the cat with appropriate outlets for her energy and hunting needs daily: o Toys for solo play that resemble prey items (rodents, birds, bugs/insects, and snakes), move or make noise, contain catnip or silver vine, and can be bat­ ted, tossed, grabbed, and bitten or kicked. Maintain novelty by rotating toys so the cat receives at least three “new” toys daily. o Interactive play with wand­ or fishing pole­type toys twice daily, preferably morning and evening. Keep the sessions brief, about 10­ to 15­minutes long, and take short breaks between bursts of play if the cat gets overly excited and starts biting or clawing at your hands. o Food puzzles to promote natural foraging and hunt­ ing behaviors. Refer to the Food Puzzles for Cats website for information on how to get started.

Cue the beginning of play sessions with a word or phrase, such as “Let’s play.” Instead of ending play sessions abruptly, wind them down over about five minutes so the cat has a chance to calm down, then end the sessions with a cue word or phrase, like, “All done,” and a few treats or a small meal so the cat un­ derstands when the play session is over.

Reinforce polite requests for play (a gentle paw touch, meow, look, or approach) with play and positive attention. Reinforc­ ing desirable behaviors is easier than correcting unwanted be­ haviors.

Provide additional enrichment that considers the cat’s senses and her basic needs:

Toys for solo and interactive play.

Food puzzles.

High­value treats.

Items that provide opportunities for resting and hiding.

Items for scent enrichment.

•

Approximately 2­4 weeks to see fewer instances of human­ directed play aggression. (Note: this will vary for each individ‐ ual cat and may take more – or less time – than this, which is intended as a guideline only).

Maintenance: it is important to keep up your behavior modifi­ cation protocols to establish and maintain desired behaviors long­term. n A printable PDF version of this document is available as a handout on the PPG website: petprofessionalguild.com/Human‐Directed‐Play‐Aggression For more feline behavior resources, see also: petprofessionalguild.com/Feline‐Education.

Note: Every cat is an individual, and behavior is complex.

If you need help training your cat, please seek out a qualified feline behavior professional: petprofessionalguild.com/Find‐Your‐Feline‐Professional.

Resources Adelman, B. (2017, September). How Cats Play. BARKS from the Guild (26) 50-51. Available at: bit.ly/38nMJbZ Food Puzzles for Cats: foodpuzzlesforcats.com/guide Garber, P., & Miller, F. (2017, November). Clicker Training for Cats.

BARKS from the Guild (27) 16­23. Available at: bit.ly/clickerforcats

HOST A WEBINAR FOR PPG! Share your knowledge and expertise!

Topics may include a particular aspect of training, ethology, learning theory, behavior specifics...anything at all your fellow pet professionals would find educational.

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Submit your idea for a webinar to: petprofessionalguild.com/Host-A-Webinar

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

49

case study

Basement Bugaboo: The Curious Case of Cleo and Blaze Paula Garber discusses the case of two best friends, one of whom started attacking the other following a “fight” with a neighborhood cat through the window

© Cleo&Blaze’s Guardian

© Cleo&Blaze’s Guardian

Resident felines Cleo (left) and Blaze were best friends until Blaze saw another cat outside the basement window, tried to fight him through the glass, and then redirected his aggression onto Cleo

In order to stop the cats fighting, author Paula Garber devised a multipronged plan that included environmental modification, stress reduction, systematic desensitization and counterconditioning, and leash training

C

During our initial conversation, Cleo and Blaze’s guardian reported that the cats were best friends and that they slept together and played games of mutual chasing and wrestling. She described a typical interac­ tion as Cleo approaching Blaze, putting her head under his chin to initi­ ate him to groom her, and then curling up with him as they groomed each other (see video, Blaze grooming Cleo).

Cleo and Blaze’s guardian lives in a suburban area in a three­level townhome that has a finished walkout basement with carpeting, a sofa set, and a TV. She spent her evenings in the basement, relaxing and playing with the cats. On two occasions in 2016, Blaze saw an outside cat on the patio through the glass doors in the basement, and he and the outside cat tried to fight with each other through the glass. In both cases, Blaze redirected his aggression onto Cleo, and their guardian had to keep them separated for a couple of days. In spring 2017, she in­ stalled shutters on the glass doors to eliminate the cats’ outside view in the basement and prevent further problems.

leo and Blaze are 5­year­old feline housemates who had been liv­ ing together for about three years when their guardian reached out to me in March last year.

The Cats Name: Cleo Breed: Domestic shorthair (spayed female) Appearance: Tabby with white markings.

Background: Acquired from a shelter in upstate New York when about 9 months old; found as a stray kitten.

Personality (according to guardian): A friendly, social, lap cat.

Name: Blaze Breed: Domestic shorthair (neutered male) Appearance: Orange tabby with white markings.

Background: Adopted from the same shelter about a year after adopt­ ing Cleo, when he was about two years old; previous owner had died.

Personality (according to guardian): A sweet, silly, playful, and kitten­ ish—a “permanent toddler.”

Blaze saw an outside cat on the patio through the glass doors in the basement, and he and the outside cat tried to fight with each other through the glass. In both cases, Blaze redirected his aggression onto Cleo, and their guardian had to keep them separated for a couple of days.

50

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

Cat Fight One evening in December 2018, Cleo and Blaze’s guardian was playing with the cats in the basement, and Cleo was hiding under a curtain that had been just taken down. Blaze approached the curtain to investigate, and a serious fight suddenly ensued. The guardian separated the cats and took Blaze to an emergency vet the next day. Fortunately, he got a clean bill of health. Cleo went to her regular vet a few days later and also got clean bill of health. When the guardian tried to reintroduce the cats to each other during this time, Blaze would relentlessly attack Cleo as soon as he saw her, so she kept the cats completely separated for a couple of weeks.

case study In an aim to reduce the cats’ stress levels, the vet recommended giving each cat 125 mg of Zylkene® (a behavior supplement for pets) daily, and this was started in December shortly after the incident*. The cats finally reached a point where they were fine together and every­ thing was back to normal—unless they were both in the basement.

Everywhere else in the house, they were fine, but in the basement, Cleo would become fearful and Blaze would become aggressive with her.

The cats finally reached a point where they were fine together and everything was back to normal—unless they were both in the basement.

Everywhere else in the house, they were fine, but in the basement, Cleo would become fearful and Blaze would become aggressive with her.

Environmental Modification

the moment they saw each other, and again once they were in the same room together to prevent such problems. This worked well. During this preparation period, the guardian also added a large cat tree in the base­ ment and introduced each cat to the tree individually, as shown in the videos, Cleo intro to new cat tree and Blaze intro to new cat tree.

On May 7, my client informed me that the new door to the base­ ment had been installed, Blaze was harness trained, and both cats were remaining calm and relaxed during their individual visits downstairs. She was ready to begin desensitizing and counterconditioning the cats to each other in the basement. She started with the cats at the top of the basement stairs and gradually worked with them down the stairs and into the basement. (See the videos, May 8 ‐ DS‐CC on landing, May 10 ‐ DS‐CC on landing and first step, and May 12 ‐ DS‐CC on landing and first and second steps, which log the cats’ first three training sessions.)

My client reported on June 6 that she had gotten the cats all the way down the basement stairs and several feet into the main room, and that they were no longer fighting at the top of the stairs when one or both of them came up from the basement. However, Blaze was resistant to going down the basement stairs alone without his guardian. I sug­ gested that she start tossing treats down the stairs for him to chase— tossing them down only a few steps at first and working up to tossing treats all the way down the stairs. We also started phasing out the cats’ individual visits to the basement around this time and replaced them with visits to the basement that included both cats at the same time.

Their guardian tried adding a cat tree, new toys, and Feliway® Multicat diffusers in the basement, and she had the carpet steam cleaned. She also rinsed the patio with white vinegar to remove any foreign odors that could have been wafting inside. The cats wouldn’t fight in the base­ ment if she gave them both treats, but when left to their own devices, Cleo would become fearful and Blaze would chase her up the stairs and relentlessly pursue her throughout the house until their guardian inter­ vened. She decided to barricade the open doorway on the main floor that led to the basement to prevent them from going down there, but they both tried to get through it and were sometimes successful. She then made plans to install a permanent door there to keep the cats out, and the days of spending time relaxing in the basement and playing with Cleo and Blaze seemed to be over.

Consult After meeting Cleo, Blaze and their guardian in their home in late March 2019 then, I made the following recommendations: • Expand the cats’ territory in the basement: This could be achieved by adding easily accessible elevated space in the form of cat trees, perches, and shelves. New territory would not hold a negative association for the cats and would enable them to more easily share the basement space with less conflict.

• Eliminate potential sources of competition and tension: Poten­ tial sources of conflict between the cats included feeding in close proximity to each other (the cats also pushed each other away from their food bowls), and litter boxes that were grouped together in a dead­end area on the second floor.

• Use systematic desensitization and counterconditioning: A DS/CC protocol would be implemented to gradually change the cats’ negative association both with the basement and each other in that space to a positive association.

Cleo and Blaze’s guardian also wanted to install the permanent door at the top of the basement stairs for safety reasons before working with the cats together, so while she was choosing a door and hiring a con­ tractor, we made the following preparations: • Individually reacclimate each cat to the basement: Allow each cat to spend time in the basement without the other cat pres­ ent. Add items in the basement that each cat could use to dis­ tribute scent, such as scratching posts and pads, cat beds, and soft blankets. Encourage use of the items by rubbing them with catnip and positively reinforcing the cats when they used them.

Encourage play and make lots of good things happened for each cat during their time in the basement.

• Train Blaze to wear a harness and leash: As a safety precaution, Blaze would wear a harness and leash during the exercises. The leash would be tethered to his guardian’s arm or leg during the training sessions to prevent him from lunging at or chasing Cleo. The leash should be loose so there was no tension on it, but short enough so that Blaze could not lunge at Cleo.

When individually reacclimating the cats to the basement, the cats’ guardian encountered a problem when bringing Cleo back up to the main floor —Blaze started attacking Cleo. To address this, I recom­ mended that she, when bringing one of the cats upstairs after a base­ ment visit, should give both cats treats before they saw each other, at

Roadblock A few days later, my client contacted me with a concern. The cats were doing very well together in the basement, with Blaze still on harness and leash, but when she stopped the steady flow of treats, Cleo would start roaming and exploring the room, and Blaze would follow her. Since this was typically how a fight and a chase started, their guardian was un­ sure what to do—should she stop the exercise and bring Blaze upstairs, or should she keep Blaze on a short leash and let him follow Cleo? I ad­ vised her to watch the cats’ body language closely and referred her to the handouts on body language that I’d provided (see Resources), specif­ ically signals of fear, anxiety, or aggression that might include not eating the treats, moving away, staring at or approaching the other cat with head lowered and tail down, crouched body, tail flicking or swishing,

© Cleo&Blaze’s Guardian

As Cleo would become fearful and Blaze aggressive when allowed free rein to the basement, their guardian barricaded the doorway to prevent the cats from accessing the area

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

51

case study ears turned to the side or back, constricted or dilated pupils, and, of course, hissing or growling. I also advised her to keep Blaze on the har­ ness and leash, but not a short leash and not pulling on the leash, and to keep a blocker (a large pillow or blanket) on hand to place in between the cats to de­escalate any tension, if necessary. She should also con­ tinue to keep distractions high (i.e. treats and toys) and roaming times brief.

Several months passed, and in early September I received a report from my client that said she and the cats were spending a lot of time in the basement together, but that she never left them there alone. Blaze was still on a harness and leash, but she was able to let go of the leash most of the time. A couple of days later, she reported that she and the cats had spent a couple of hours in the basement together, and Blaze had only his harness on with no leash, and everything went well. Cleo liked to be on the new cat tree while Blaze preferred the floor. About a week later, the guardian reported that the cats had curled up on the couch together when they were all in the basement the evening before.

On September 21, the guardian did a test: she opened the base­ ment door and allowed both cats to go down on their own. Blaze had no harness on and she gave them treats as they went down the stairs and into the main room, but then left them alone. The cats spent several hours in the basement and their guardian checked on them multiple times—there were no issues. She was pleased to say, “So far, so good!”

A few weeks later, she reported that she could now leave the basement door open when she’s home, and the cats had not had any problems.

She would close the door when she went to sleep or left the house.

Finally, on December 18, my client reported that the door to the basement remains open all the time now, and that she, Cleo and Blaze are back in their old evening routine of relaxing and playing together in their favorite space. n *Cleo and Blaze’s guardian has gradually tapered the dose of Zylkene®. Currently, when she’s home, they each get half of a 75mg capsule per a day (usually with dinner). When she travels for work, which is frequently, she has the pet sitter give each get half of a 75 mg capsule with each meal (breakfast and dinner). At the time of going to press she was about to speak with her vet about taking them off the medication altogether as they are doing so well and she doesn’t think they need it any longer.

References Garber, P. (2019, May 8). May 8 - DS-CC on landing [Video File]. Available at: youtu.be/2K-mvSIXfhI Garber, P. (2019, May 10). May 10 - DS-CC on landing and first step [Video File]. Available at: youtu.be/k_nfxJRhU9Q Garber, P. (2019, May 12). May 12 - DS-CC on landing and first and second steps [Video File]. Available at: youtu.be/3IQ5G7MH8mY Garber, P. (2019, May 14). Blaze grooming Cleo [Video File]. Available at: youtu.be/hQAXh_yB4og Garber, P. (2019, May 25). Cleo intro to new cat tree [Video File].

Available at: youtu.be/5DZHLDW2YN4 Garber, P. (2019, May 25). Blaze intro to new cat tree [Video File].

Available at: youtu.be/B9GG11-L-_k

Resources Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine: The Indoor Cat Initiative. (n.d.). Reading your cat’s “body language.” Available at: bit.ly/36clTlU

Paula Garber MA Ed CATEP CFTBS is the owner of LIFELINE Cat Behavior Solutions (lifelinecatbehavior.com) in Westchester County, New York. She is a certified animal training and enrichment professional and certified feline training and behavior specialist through the Animal Behavior Institute. She is also a Fear Free certified trainer and is certified in Low-Stress Handling for Dogs and Cats (Silver-2015). She holds a Master’s in education and is currently earning a diploma in feline behavior science and technology from the Companion Animal Sciences Institute. She is chairwoman of PPG’s Feline Division, serves on PPG’s Steering Committee and is director of the Cat Protection Council of Westchester.

52

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

behavior

Lessons from Exotics Lara Joseph explains how ring-tailed lemur pair Dill and Pickles landed at her training center and how working with exotics such as these helps her finesse her training skills

I

always enjoy training and applying behavior analysis to the exotic and undomesticated animals I work with. Both these groups present me with plenty of variety as well as various levels of complexity I have to draw on and apply in order to put my skills to work. To explain exactly what I mean, I am going to talk about Dill and Pickles, two ring­ tailed lemurs I am currently working with.

When I first met Dill and Pickles, I was walking by their exhibit during a professional zoo visit. At that moment, they were in the area of their enclosure that was closest to where I was walking. They followed me as I walked by, hanging onto the edge of the enclosure, so I made and kept eye contact. This could either have been reinforcing or aversive, I didn’t know at that point. As they kept following me, I identified that some­ thing was reinforcing their behavior, whether I desired it or not. As I didn’t yet know what it was, I continued the interaction to try to identify it. If I stopped walking, they would stay in the position closest to me. If I backed up along the edge of the enclosure, they would move in that di­ rection too, again staying closest to me.

Before I went any further in potentially reinforcing an undesired be­ havior, I chose to offer them food reinforcers to see if they would accept them. Indeed they did, but cautiously. I identified this through their be­ havior, which included them not turning their backs on me, keeping eye contact, maintaining a leg and body posture ready for retreat, and hold­ ing their tails over their backs like squirrels. These were all observable and measurable behaviors that I could work on decreasing.

In order to identify motivation, I began tossing food reinforcers into their enclosure and simply waiting to see what they did next. This turned out to be returning to the edge of the enclosure after they had jumped down to the ground to take the food. This provided me with more observ­ able and measurable behavior. I had no previous history with these two lemurs and a keeper wasn’t around for me to ask about their typical be­ havior, so I decided to approach, with care, and hand them food through the cage bars while making them reach for it during protective contact.

They straight away began taking food from my hands and while they were doing so, I was able to observe the position of their ears, what they were looking at, the position of their bodies, and their vocalizations. The whole time I was identifying what these behaviors looked and sounded like while they were eating, between eating, and during my moving around the outside of the enclosure. What I saw and heard was motivation.

Target Training Via this protective contact, i.e. with the cage bars between us but Dill and Pickles being able to touch my hands with their mouths, I noticed

...training the multiple varieties of species the exotic world encompasses helps us fine-tune our application and understanding of the Laws of Behavior: What does that behavior mean? When does the behavior happen? When doesn’t it happen? Is this a positive reinforcer or an aversive and how do I find out? Am I actually using a negative reinforcer and, if so, how can I change my approach?

© Lara Joseph

Author Lara Joseph started her training plan with ring­tailed lemurs Dill and Pickles by identifying positive reinforcers while observing behavior contingent on the immediate environment

they were taking food from my fingers gently, so I began moving my fin­ gers in closer proximity and, eventually, right through the cage bars.

They continued to take the food gently from me, so I made the next move, which was to introduce a target stick. By having them focus on the target stick and eventually touching it with their noses, I began teaching them contingency, i.e. the cause and effect between the be­ havior and the consequence (DogNostics, 2018). I conducted several training sessions like this as I needed us all to understand the behaviors being requested before I moved on to my next step.

I would remove the target stick from the environment after each nose target by placing the end of it under my arm because I needed them to understand exactly what was earning them the food reinforcer.

We practiced this in several different areas outside the enclosure until I felt very comfortable with our interactions and understanding of an­ tecedents, behaviors, and consequences. It was time to implement the next step in my training approach and so I went to find the keeper re­ sponsible for cleaning Dill and Pickles’ enclosure. He told me he did go in but did not interact much with them. He also said they kept their dis­ tance but would come closer when their food was delivered. My next step, then, was to enter the enclosure. As I walked in, I immediately began tossing treats to the ground in the same area as where I had begun the training outside the enclosure. Again, I was watching and lis­ tening to their behavior and noting the similarities to what I had seen and heard outside. My next step was to start walking around, but not behind them or when their backs were turned. When they had to take

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

53

behavior

© Lara Joseph

© Lara Joseph

Joseph learns to understand individual behavior while targeting via protective contact

Through her understanding of behavior through training, Joseph was confident and comfortable moving inside the enclosure

their eyes off of me to eat the food reinforcer, I made sure to not move as I did not want to scare them or make them any more cautious. They quickly returned to me after the delivery of every treat. It did not take long to see that I had quickly earned their trust through pairing every possible action of mine with the positive reinforcer.

After several sessions over a period of different visits to the zoo, I could tell that my approach had become the cue that training was about to begin. Lemurs can jump far and fast, a behavior that is often paired with fear or excitement. Along with their vocalizations and continuing to go to the side of the exhibit closest to me, I was very confident that what I was seeing in Dill and Pickles was excitement. Empowering ani­ mals like this by making the training itself a highly valued form of en­ richment is the primary reason that I train, and why it is so effective to enrich animals through training.

our early interactions, I quickly identified that Dill found comfort in hav­ ing Pickles with him. It was at that point I chose to never separate them as far as was possible. In fact, to date, I have not found the need to do that. To accommodate the situation, I would often focus my immediate attention and shaping of behaviors on Pickles while tossing reinforcers to Dill. When I took this approach, it didn’t take long for me to be able to shape the same behaviors to Dill and even begin having Dill offer the behaviors first.

As we progressed, I began training Dill and Pickles to station by pointing to an area and requesting them to go there. Via small approxi­ mations, rates of reinforcement, and care in not pushing them past their comfort levels, they were soon both bouncing to different areas around the enclosure. Next, I started to increase the complexity by asking verti­ cal stations vs. horizontal. Perhaps unsurprisingly, cueing Pickles from the ground to a swing that was 6 feet high seemed to draw a lot of at­ tention from spectators. This provided me with the perfect opportunity to educate the zoo’s visitors on the power of positive reinforcement.

Meanwhile, I was having a lot of fun watching Dill and Pickles blos­ som through our training sessions. But the fall season was quickly ap­ proaching and I knew they would soon be taken off exhibit, meaning my training opportunities with them would be limited. I decided to ask the zoo if they could come to my training center for the winter so we could keep working. Dill and Pickles thus duly made the transport to The Ani­ mal Behavior Center in Sylvania, Ohio, where I am based.

Unfortunately, they found being transported stressful because I had not been able to crate train them and shape the behavior of moving calmly from one location to the next. Sadly, the weather left us out of time for that. Now, however, they are here with me and I am happy to say we are at the stage where they are both going into a crate together and I can shut the door (see video, Crate Training).

Training in Tandem From experience, I know that if I train one animal at a time, I can get the targeted behaviors faster. I could have separated Dill and Pickles but via

Settling In

© Lara Joseph

Professional dog trainer, Daphné Robert­Hamilton, uses pointing as a cue, to scale train the ring­tailed lemur pair

54

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

When Dill and Pickles first came to my training center, I started by giving them a few days to settle in. There were new sounds and unfamiliar ani­ mals for them to get used to, and it was the first time in their two years of life that they had been moved. I experimented with them to see if training would provide the only familiar thing I could offer them and they instantly responded as I worked at generalizing familiar behaviors and cues to their new environment. Since they had originally been quickly receptive to my training at the zoo, I assumed they would be re­ ceptive to anyone that was taking the same approach. This was not the

behavior case, however. When I asked different volunteers to go into their enclo­ sure and point to different perches, I would see Dill and Pickles huddle in the corner and not even take their favored food reinforcers offered by the volunteers. And so it was back to the drawing board to shape calm in the presence of unfamiliar people.

I began this process by asking our volunteers to introduce them­ selves through the enclosure bars, just as I had when I first began work­ ing with the lemur pair. Next, they began training the same things I had trained when I first entered their enclosure at the zoo. As a result, just one week after they arrived here at my training center, numerous peo­ ple were able to get most of the behaviors I had already trained, in addi­ tion to my teaching them to enter and exit their crates.

Laws of Behavior As my experience working with this lemur pair shows, training the mul­ tiple varieties of species the exotic world encompasses helps us fine­ tune our application and understanding of the Laws of Behavior: What does that behavior mean? When does the behavior happen? When doesn’t it happen? Is this a positive reinforcer or an aversive and how do I find out? Am I actually using a negative reinforcer and, if so, how can I change my approach?

I have been working with exotics and undomesticated animals for many years. I entered this field of work to help empower these animals by providing enrichment, choice, control, and increasing complexities.

The inordinate number of different species I work with present me with a vast array of never­ending complexities as I work to determine my training approach in each and every situation. The field I have chosen encompasses prey, predator, matriarchal communities, variety in loco­ motion, unique reinforcers, intricate behavior modification situations, and, in fact, more than I can list. The infinite uniqueness it offers has fine­tuned my fluency in applied animal behavior and training beyond measure. n

References Animal Behavior Center. (2019, October 21). Crate Training [Video File]. Samantha Sarin M.S. BCBA training ring-tailed lemurs, Dill and Pickles, to enter and exit the crate at The Animal Behavior Center's All Species Animal Training & Behavior Workshop. Available at: youtu.be/R2jjkTDaO8s DogNostics Career Center. (2018). A Practical Lexicon for Pet Trainers & Behavior Consultants! The Language You Need to Know. (n.p.): Authors

Resources Joseph, L. (2019, July). Learning from Mother Nature. BARKS from the Guild (37) 48-50. Available at: bit.ly/2TFEWCp Lara Joseph is the owner of The Animal Behavior Center (theanimalbehaviorcenter.com), an international, educational center in Sylvania, Ohio focusing on teaching people how to live, love, and work with animals using positive reinforcement and approaches in Applied Behavior Analysis. She is a professional animal behavior consultant and trainer with a focus on exotics, travels internationally giving workshops and lectures, and provides online, live-streaming learning programs on behavior, training, and enrichment. Her focus is on behavior and training with all species of animals whether in the home, shelter, zoo, or as educational ambassadors. She sits on the advisory board for All Species Consulting, The Indonesian Parrot Project, Collaboration for Avian Welfare, and is the director of animal training for Nature's Nursery, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Whitehouse, Ohio. She is also the founder of several animal organizations for animal welfare and has much experience working with special needs animals. She is a published author and writes regularly for several periodicals and also blogs for Deaf Dogs Rock. She has also been asked to co-author and is currently working on an international manual of animal behavior and training. She is a guest lecturer in Zoo Biology: Animal Nutrition, Behavior and Diagnostics taught by Dr. Jason Crean at St. Xavier University in Chicago, Illinois.

Pet Professional Guild has partnered with BarkBox to provide all members with a 20% discount. * Order a monthly box of dog goodies for your canine friend! * Special rates available for gifts for dog friends * A portion of proceeds from each box will go to help dogs in need The promocode can be found in the Member Area of the PPG website: PetProfessionalGuild.com /benefitinformation

www.barkbox.com BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

55

e q u i n e

A Change of Perspective Kathie Gregory explains why clients may not always initially be onboard with the recommendations made by training and behavior professionals, and what can be done to help them adapt to a new perspective

W

hile there are widespread, established methods of equine man­ agement and working with horses that have been around for a very long time, we now know that these can create a lot of work and may not even necessarily be in the best interests of the horse.

Yet, despite research providing empirical evidence that, in fact, some of the established management solutions are actually detrimental to a horse’s well­being, the change to an improved level of welfare is, unfortu­ nately, slow. The same can be said for how we teach horses. Research shows that working in a noninvasive, positive way is enormously effective; yet, as in the world of dog training, punishment and aversive methods that can damage the animal, both physically and emotionally, remain.

Having said that, things are definitely changing, and I am seeing more and more clients seeking out professionals who possess up­to­ date knowledge of the horse as a species as well as their specific needs, and who promote a high level of welfare and compassion. Nevertheless, whether we are working with clients on a behavior change protocol or their horse is in our care, we need to be able to understand where they are coming from if they struggle to accept our professional opinions.

In my article Starting Friendships on the Right Hoof (see BARKS from the Guild, January 2020, pp.47‐49), I briefly talked about how difficult it was for the guardians of 20­year­old pony Toffee, who had barely been out of his 10 ft x 12 ft stall for years, to let go of how they thought Toffee should be managed in his environment. It was difficult for them to un­ derstand and accept that there are other ways of managing a horse and that, in this particular situation, the alternative was far better for Toffee's welfare than the guardians’ usual and preferred management strategy.

© Can Stock Photo/AnneMS

Research shows that positive training methods are enormously effective, yet aversive techniques and equipment still exist in the world of horse training

Let’s take the example of an elderly horse. A guardian may base all their decisions about him with his age in mind, but there are still other things to consider. When, then, they ask questions such as, “Does the horse need a rug on or not?”, “Should he be brought in at night or not?”, or “What should he be fed?”, the answers should take into account all aspects of the horse and his environment and not just the fact that he is elderly. This would include assessing his body condition, the thickness or thinness of his hair in conjunction with the temperature at the time, and his mobility and ability to manage his own comfort.

One of the reasons people may sometimes find it difficult to accept a contrasting opinion is that they do not always separate how they feel from how the horse feels. As such, they may have a more subjective ap­ proach to his comfort, meaning that their own feelings and views influ­ ence and inform how they see him. For example, if they feel cold, then the horse must feel cold, or if the temperature drops, the horse must be cold. People feel reassured if their horse is in an enclosed building dur­ ing the night because they don't like to think of him being outside all night. Now, while I am well aware that there are horses that need to be placed in a locked and enclosed space overnight to keep them safe, there are also those that are fine staying in their outside environment all through the night. Their guardian, however, may feel uncomfortable if they remain outdoors. This empathetic, yet subjective, viewpoint shows that people care about their horses and want to do the best for them. However, a subjective view of what is best for the horse and what

56

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

is actually best are not always the same. In England, in winter, for exam­ ple, the landscape is pretty barren and the skies are often dull leading people to think it's so cold that they need to wrap up. Or, on an overcast day, the lack of light can feel oppressive, and people may feel that they want to stay cozy at home, close the curtains and put the lights on.

These actions are all emotional responses to how they feel but do not necessarily reflect the physical reality, e.g. objective measurements such as outside temperature and windchill.

How we feel influences how we view our animals and what actions we take on their behalf. When experiencing an emotional response to the weather, for example, we may automatically assume they are cold (or warm) or want to be indoors (or outdoors) without stopping to assess what is objectively appropriate or what they actually need, or prefer.

Another situation where people may struggle to accept a differing opinion is when they zone in on a specific issue. Let’s take the example

e q u i n e of an elderly horse. A guardian may base all their decisions about him with his age in mind, but there are still other things to consider. When, then, they ask questions such as, “Does the horse need a rug on or not?”, “Should he be brought in at night or not?”, or “What should he be fed?”, the answers should take into account all aspects of the horse and his environment and not just the fact that he is elderly. This would include assessing his body condition, the thickness or thinness of his hair in conjunction with the temperature at the time, and his mobility and ability to manage his own comfort, physically and physiologically (ie. health status). We should further be asking: Is there shelter avail­ able should he wish it? Does the food he is eating adequately cater for his nutritional needs? Does he need any additional support from food?

How is his emotional state? How will he feel if one decision is made over another? How does a decision progress his well­being to where we want it to be? Or does it hinder progress?

An elderly horse with a very thick winter coat may not need a rug until the weather deteriorates, but his guardian may not assess his coat or how warm he is at that time. Rather, because he is old and must surely be cold, they may feel he must have a rug on. While this is a legit­ imate concern, there may also be evidence to the contrary which shows he does not need a rug at that particular time. The human mind tends to ignore anything that undermines its perspective because acknowl­ edging conflicting evidence means it has to let go of a belief. This can be difficult to do and is why people are sometimes unable to alter their perspective. This cognitive dissonance is also, in my opinion, the reason why there is so much outdated information out there that is not factual.

Core Beliefs As professionals, when we are working with and advising clients, we im­ plement changes gradually and explain what we are doing and why every step of the way. However, the client’s core beliefs have not have changed at that stage and they may revert to old habits, going against what we have put in place. This backslide can be triggered by comments from oth­ ers or simply a thought that causes them to question the new strategy. It takes time to change perceptions; even seeing that a horse has under­ gone positive physical and/or psychological changes may not cause an in­ dividual to replace their existing beliefs with new ones straight away.

Training and behavior professionals can help here by teaching clients to be objective. This means assessing their horse and his needs without being influenced by their own beliefs or feelings. It takes time and patience and the brain needs to become familiar with this new con­ cept before it feels comfortable with it and can accept it. Clients will ei­ ther come to accept the new strategies you recommend, meaning that their brains have changed perspective, or they will find it too difficult to let go of their existing beliefs and reject the new perspective. While we know we cannot help everyone, and that there are some clients that we cannot reach no matter how hard we try, we can still do everything we can to educate them to help enhance their perspectives and, thus, im­ prove their horses’ welfare, and that of all animals. n

Resources Gregory, K. (2020, January). Starting Friendships on the Right Hoof BARKS from the Guild (40) 47-49. Available at: bit.ly/2RCJJC9

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Kathie Gregory is a qualified animal behavior consultant, presenter and author, specializing in advanced cognition and emotional intelligence. Passionate about raising standards and awareness in how we teach and work with animals, she has developed Free Will TeachingTM (facebook.com/freewillteaching), a concept that provides the framework for animals to enjoy life without compromising their own free will. She has authored two books, A tale of two horses: a passion for free will teaching, and A Puppy Called Wolfie: a passion for free will teaching, and her work is currently divided between working with clients, mentoring, and writing.

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57

business

Ask the Experts: Finding Longevity Veronica Boutelle of PPG corporate partner dog*biz provides suggestions on how pet professionals can streamline their businesses when feeling overwhelmed

Q

: When I first started building my dog training busi‐ ness, I was pretty desperate for all income and every op‐ portunity I could get. Now that things are a bit more established, I’m feeling overwhelmed. I teach classes in six, yes, six, different locations across town. The driving and set‐up are killing me. I volunteer at two local shelters. I do “Ask the Trainer” events at two different pet supply stores. I’m even still pet sit‐ ting for some clients (though I have taken pet sitting off my website). I do day training (which I love) and coaching (which I don’t so much love) as well as classes. I’d really like to do some board and train (clients have been asking), but I don’t know where I’d fit it. My schedule is a mess and I’m worried I’m start‐ ing to burn out. I know you’re going to tell me I should sim‐ plify, but I just don’t know how. I feel bad pulling back from anything, and I’ve got some FOMO going, too. Help!

all forever. And here’s another real­ ity—you don’t need to do it all to maintain (and even grow) your suc­ cess. The trick here is to ask yourself two questions: What do you want? And which things contribute most to that goal?

Gaining Control Making a small business sustainable is essential for longevity and avoiding burnout

‐ Stacy, training down South

A: Let’s start with some +R. Kudos for doing the legwork to build those referral relationships, and huge congrats on getting yourself established. Kudos also for being ready to now make your business work for you before you burn out, even though you feel a little nerv­ ous about doing so.

I’ve seen a lot of trainers in your situation wait too long to make the changes necessary for longevity.

Change is hard, especially when you’re already stretched thin. And feelings of guilt and fear are challenging to wrestle with. It’s always painful to adjust a relationship or end an era, and the fear of missing out (aka FOMO)—of leaving a void for another trainer to step into—can be para­ lyzing. But the reality is that you can’t do it

If you could snap your fingers and have your business be exactly what you want, what would it look like? If you were designing it from scratch today knowing what you’ve learned from the process the first time around, which services would you choose to offer?

What do you most enjoy doing? What is bringing in your best income? Where do you see the most growth poten­ tial?

From the bit you’ve shared with me, it sounds like your inter­ est may lie primarily in day training and board and train. In that case, one option to get your schedule under better control and make more room for these services is to cut back on the number of classes you’re teaching. Assess each loca­ tion. How much money do you make at each? What is the time com­ mitment, including drive time? Who are the students, and what kind of conversion rate are you seeing from classes into private training? Keep the locations that best serve your pri­ vate training goals and let go of the others. Let go of the guilt of saying goodbye, too; it really is okay to © Can Stock Photo/leungchopan

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canine / feline / equine / piscine / pocket pets / ly holds current,150 ar ticles, murine / avian / behavior / training / business / 3 , r s ove s, podcast trends / PPG news / book reviews / studie nd videos ! y a il a s member profiles / opinion d g blo rowing and is g

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

business move on, and they’ll be fine. And if they replace you with another trainer, that’s okay. Remember that this location isn’t serving your goals anymore.

Go through this same process to assess the other things on your plate, too, like the Ask the Trainer events, shelter volunteer work, and pet sitting. As you do, keep in mind that while everything on your plate likely has value, that value is not all equal. You know you can’t continue to fit everything in, so you must pick and choose based on how well each thing vying for your time and energy relates to and serves your vision for your business. Remember, too, to make sure you reserve some time for self care.

Kudos again for being ready to take your success to a new and more sustainable level, Stacy. We hope these tips help, and we’d love to hear how you decide to move forward and how things evolve for you. n Veronica Boutelle MA Ed CTC is founder and co-president of dog*biz (dogbizsuccess.com), and author of How to Run Your Dog Business and co-author of Minding Your Dog Business. dog*biz offers professionally designed positive reinforcement dog training class curricula, including Open-Enrollment Puppy, Open-Enrollment Basic Manners, and short Topics classes built for retention.

Do you have a question for the business experts at dog*biz?

Submit your question for consideration to: barkseditor@petprofessionalguild.com

Learn how

can help your business:

…keep in mind that while everything on your plate likely has value, that value is not all equal.

You know you can’t continue to fit everything in, so you must pick and choose based on how well each thing vying for your time and energy relates to and serves your vision for your business.

Showcasin best of theg the industry to pet chuckle an chat, d share Join hosts Niki Tudge and Louise StapletonFrappell with their special guests discussing news and views on force-free training, behavior, and pet care!

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

59

business

Going on Air Kelly McFarlane sets out some brief guidelines for speaking to the media in a professional capacity

T

hree years ago, I was normal, explaining the reasons asked to appear on a tel­ as to why the dog may be en­ evision show in New gaging in them, and how we Zealand. It was a new show can teach him to do something that would be aired on morn­ else instead, like eliminating ing time LIVE TV. I was very ex­ outdoors instead of on the car­ cited and nervous all at the pet. same time as I had never done Getting Your Name anything like that before. I felt Out There very out of my comfort zone and it was something of a Getting yourself on the TV or learning curve so I would like radio really just comes down to share a few tips that others to contacting the networks may find helpful if invited to and selling yourself and your speak to the media in their services, so to speak. Do your professional capacity as a pet research and make sure you trainer or behavior consultant. find out the best person to First, to help calm the © Can Stock Photo/damedeeso contact. Definitely send your Becoming the local go­to expert on all matters training and behavior is good for a nerves, have some bullet bio, and you can even ask to professional’s reputation and business, as well as for pet owners and their pets points ready that detail exactly meet up for a coffee or have a what you want to cover. You phone conversation to discuss are usually given advance notice about what is going to be discussed, what you can offer as an expert and why you are different from anyone even if it is an interview on live TV, so you do have time to prepare. they have had on before. Another good option is to provide feedback Also, very important, don’t forget to breathe and be yourself! Re­ when radio DJs or TV presenters ask their audience a question. Often, this member, everyone wants you to do well and if you do forget some­ is via social media or text. Try to do this as it’s easy, quick and direct. Say thing, or stumble on your words, or the dog you’ve brought along who you are and what you do. Become their go­to expert. That way, they decides he doesn’t want to do anything that day, then it really doesn’t may just call you specifically next time there is a question about canine matter. Just go with it and try to make light of it. behavior, or any animal­related issue that needs an expert comment.

Finally, do not be afraid to blow your own trumpet. After all, no one Positive Training else will do it for you and, let’s be honest, if you shout the loudest you The TV slot I aired on was a 4­minute segment about training your will be heard. So my advice is to tell the networks you are here and start dog (or puppy). Each segment would cover a topic, ranging from branching out into local media. This is good for you as a professional, house training, to the types of suitable toys for a dog to play with, to good for pet owners and their pets, and, of course, good for your busi­ teaching a dog not to jump up. The reason I said “yes” to appearing ness and professional reputation too. n on this pet segment was to help increase awareness about positive Kelly McFarlane CSAT CDBC VN (kellymcfarlane.co.nz) is a New training; as we all know, there have been a lot of shows, articles, and Zealand based canine behavior consultant with over 20 years of TV and radio segments based on outdated views and methods, not to hands-on experience. As a teenager growing up in the U.K., she volunmention some of the content you can find on the internet. I wanted to teered at a kennel before she went knocking on veterinary clinic doors show people how easy it is for them to train their dogs and how simple to gain work experience. She went on to become a veterinary techniit is to use positive methods. cian and eventually head nurse at a 24-hour veterinary emergency I found that the main things people wanted to learn about were hospital in Central London. When she moved to New Zealand in 2007, how to house train their puppies, how to use a crate properly, how to she was appointed head veterinary nurse at the Ponsonby Veterinary teach recall, and how to stop their dogs from jumping up. My favorite Clinic. She has completed the acclaimed Delta Training Course in Auswas how to stop a dog from barking. When discussing any of these tralia, is accredited as an animal trainer, is a certified dog behavior areas, it is all about helping people understand that the behaviors are consultant through the IAABC, and recently became a certified sepa…it is all about helping people understand that ration anxiety trainer through Malena DeMartini, the only person, to the behaviors are normal, explaining the reasons date, in New Zealand to do so. Although she is still practice manager as to why the dog may be engaging in them, and at a veterinary emergency and critical care clinic, these days she how we can teach him to do something else spends most of her time helping dogs with separation anxiety, phobias and fear issues, barking complaints, destructive behavior, and instead, like eliminating outdoors instead of on puppy training issues. She shares her expertise on the TV show, The the carpet.

Café on THREE.

60

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

p r o f i l e

Taking Responsibility In our ongoing series of PPG member profiles, this month BARKS features Julie Humiston of Puppy Love Dog Training in Medina, Minnesota

J

ulie Humiston entered the world of dog training after a career in the arts, and now runs her own business offering a variety of dog­ related services.

Q: Can you tell us a bit more about yourself, how you first got into animal behavior and training and what you are doing now?

A: I worked in the graphic arts for many years and was considering a career change. When I got a new puppy in the mid 90s, I decided to open a dog walking/pet sitting business. I also began volunteering at a local humane society. I spent the next few years studying dog behav­ ior and training and "practicing" on my clients' dogs, and, in 2004, I sold my dog walking business and switched to dog training. I also worked for several other local dog training businesses over the years.

Now, Puppy Love Dog Training offers private lessons, day training, small group classes, and behavior consults.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your own pets.

A: My dogs are Emma, a 9­year­old border collie who has dabbled in obedience, rally, agility, and herding, and currently does mostly nose work. Pi is my 2­year­old border collie who loves obedience, rally and parkour. Jack is an 11­year­old Lab mix that I adopted from a small rural shelter. I had originally adopted his mother, Angie, who was at the shelter with her litter of puppies, but, sadly, she died of cancer a year later. A year and a half later, perusing Petfinder, I was shocked to find one of Angie's puppies still living at the same small shelter. Jack was 3 years old when I finally got him and even though he had some “is­ sues” in the beginning, he is now such a good boy! I also have two cats and six sheep.

Q: Why did you become a dog trainer or pet care provider?

A: Of course, I love dogs. But after volunteering at a shelter I wanted to help keep perfectly good dogs from being surrendered and even eutha­ nized, often just because they didn't get adequate or proper socializa­ tion and training as puppies.

Q: What do you consider to be your area of expertise?

A: Puppy training and socialization, reactive dogs, and fearful dogs.

Q: Are you a crossover trainer or have you always been a force‐free trainer?

A: I probably jerked a leash or two before I ever went to my first training class. But I don't really consider myself a crossover trainer because once I started formally training my own dogs, I rejected all the "traditional" training advice I got. I walked out of a few classes and seminars, which was not always easy to do. Even though I didn't know much at the time, I knew I didn't want to do hurtful things to dogs. Luckily, I live in a fairly large metropolitan area, so I had lots of choices of places to go, and clicker training was becoming better known at the time.

© Julie Humiston

Julie Humiston with border collie Emma (left) and Labrador mix Jack

Q: What drives you to be a force‐free professional and why is it impor‐ tant to you?

A: I believe if we tame an animal or use him/her in any way for our own purposes, we must take full responsibility for his/her quality of life.

Dogs, especially, give us so much — we owe them a lot. I also think being nicer to dogs (and all animals) can help you be nicer to humans too, and the world certainly needs more of that.

Q: What is your favorite part of your job?

A: Just making any amount of progress and knowing that people are seeing that their dogs actually can be trained. I've even had people say, "Wow, I guess he's not hopeless after all!" Also, when I can convince a student/client to wait patiently and quietly while their dog figures something out and then the thrill they get out of seeing how he can be successful without being controlled or pushed around. And, of course, puppies!

Q: Who has most influenced your career and how?

A: I've learned from so many people: Kathy Sdao, Patricia McConnell, Kay Laurence, Jean Donaldson, Sophia Yin, Suzanne Clothier, Ken Ramirez, Suzanne Hetts, Emily Larlham, and many others. I've learned from some less than force­free trainers too, if only what I don’t want to do. I try to take the good each has to offer and combine it into my own style and philosophy.

BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

61

p r o f i l e “I believe if we tame an animal or use him/her in any way for our own purposes, we must take full responsibility for his/her quality of life.

Dogs, especially, give us so much — we owe them a lot. I also think being nicer to dogs (and all animals) can help you be nicer to humans too, and the world certainly needs more of that.”

- Julie Humiston

Q: What awards or competition placements have you and your dog(s) achieved using force‐free methods?

A: I'm not a big competitor – I mostly just like to play! But Emma has a couple of obedience and rally titles (some first places and a national ranking in rally), one agility title, one nose work title, and is an Expert Trick Dog. Pi has novice titles in obedience, rally and parkour.

Q: What are some of your favorite positive reinforcement techniques for the most commonly encountered client‐dog problems?

A: I used to use negative punishment in the form of removing attention for dogs that jump up. Now, I try to click and treat the dog before he even has a chance to jump. I saw this effectively demonstrated by Steve White at a seminar with a really “wild” dog and loved it. I also do a lot of shaping because I think it makes dogs both smarter and more coopera­ tive. I especially like to use it to crate train dogs and to get them com­ fortable with grooming and handling. I love Doggy Zen, i.e. games to teach impulse control, too, because people are always amazed at how fast their chow hounds will politely leave a handful of food alone.

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BARKS from the Guild/March 2020

Q: What advice would you give to a new trainer starting out?

A: Work with as many different dogs as you can. Volunteer with a shel­ ter or rescue. And never stop educating yourself.

Q: How has PPG helped you to become a more complete trainer?

A: I love all the educational opportunities PPG offers. I'm an education junkie! n Puppy Love Dog Training (puppy­love.biz) is based in Medina, Minnesota.

To be featured in the BARKS Profile section, please complete this form: bit.ly/2y9plS1

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