03/18/2024
This weekend I had the privilege of going to a continuing education conference. The speakers were Mike Shikashio, Dr. Ballantyne, Trish McMillian, and Dr. Amy Cook. It was 2 days packed full of information and education.
Mike Shikashio, who is a dog trainer who focuses primarily on aggression, talked about emotions that influence dog aggression, what they look like, and why they matter. He showed us videos of dogs displaying emotions, and some of his most difficult cases. He gave us strategies to work through difficult scenarios. He discussed helping clients understand the potential outcomes of their situation, taught us why prognosis is an essential tool for setting realistic expectations, and how to avoid burnout and compassion fatigue in dog training.
Dr. Ballentine, who is a board certified veterinary behaviorist, talked about the 5 domains of animal welfare, the overlooked challenges and stresses related to pet ownership and how caregiver burden particularly affects owners of pets with behavioral challenges. She talked about how caregiver burden can impact clients, trainers, and the training plan. She also gave us resources to access for caregiver burden.
Trish McMillan, who is a professional trainer who specializes in behavioral issues and rescue work, talked about the importance of meeting dogs where they are, ways to help them with any issues they have, and to avoid stress and promote the behaviors we desire. She also discussed how to decide if a dog is a candidate for behavior euthanasia, issues that surround behavioral euthanasia, how and when to bring up this sensitive topic, and how to best support the human end of the leash throughout the process.
Dr. Amy Cook, who is an animal behaviorist, talked about how to read dog body language, preferences on how dogs like to be handled by us, and how to respect the dogs answers. We learned about consent with dogs, and how to not put to much pressure on them. She also talked about The Play Way, a method she developed and created, which is a method of helping shy and fearful dogs overcome issues to live a happier and less stressed life.
This weekend was an absolute blast, and I've learned so much. I am excited to implement some new things into my business. I also got to meet a lot of new people, and make connections. I can't wait to go to another dog training conference or seminar.