If you have ever wondered if  online dog training courses are for you, I found an excellent blog post on the “Online Courses” blog. It talks about online learning in general, but much of what is included can be applied to E-Training for Dogs courses.

The post is titled: Challenge Your Online Learning Expectations  and includes the following three pieces.

Here is the link to the blog post –  http://www.onlinecollegecourses.com/online-learning-expectations.

The resource provides the realities of online college programs and what students need to know about them.

Weight Gain in Dogs

Do you worry about or have a dog who suffers from too much weight gain or obesity? I have a free dog diet recipe just for Liking us on Facebook.

My 13 1/2 year old dog , Mazzy, was a great bird dog in her day. She could cover a field with the harshest cover (thick grasses and such) all day long, and then do it the next day over and over…for hours. When she reached about 11-12 years old, she started slowing down with arthritis, sore old joint injuries, etc. Just like the rest of us. With the slowing down came weight gain. Always “an easy keeper” (I swear that dog could maintain weight on eating dirt) she became obese. I couldn’t exercise it off of her so I started cutting down on her food giving her small amounts twice a day. She was so hungry. I knew that I would be hungry if all I ate was so small amount of food, no matter how laced with “everything I needed” it was. Some of these GREAT dog foods, recommend such a small serving, as they are so “good” …. but the problem is the dog is still hungry after eating it’s one slight cup. Of course! Who wouldn’t be?!

So I started making her dog food with fresh ingredients. It is about 3 hours of my time once a month, but the weight came off, and some of her health problems such as intermittent UTI, high blood pressure, stopped.

To get the Free Dog Diet Recipe, please Like us on Facebook and send me a Facebook message requesting the recipe.

Enjoy the following stats!

Pet obesity graphic produced by Matt Beswick for Pet365. Click here to view the full post.

One of my favorite blogs, Pet365, did a survey last month of over 1000 dog owners to find out what they thought about “dog training” and a “trained dog.” Most of the respondents were located in the UK and the US but there were respondents from all over the world.

She has posted her “raw data” online for you science geeks (that’s me too) in case you have other things you wish to check using the data.

Here at E-Training for Dogs, we put a strong emphasis on breadth of study for dog trainers and dog lovers. What do I mean by  THAT?!??

What I mean is, though it is important that a dog trainer knows how to teach a dog something or change behavior, it is just as important that they know dog communication, dog first aid, dog anatomy and physiology, canine basic ethology, breed differences, etc. These are TOOLS for a trainer’s “toolkit” that, to me, are fundamental and necessary.

How can you hold a class or change a behavior if you can not set a goal? How can you design a class if you know nothing of curriculum development, or how dogs AND humans think?

So, what did the study find? Here are the results!
Enjoy!

Dog Training graphic created by Matt Beswick for Pet365. Click here to view the full post.

Education on the development of a dog from conception to adult must be covered genetically, physiologically, biologically, mentally, emotionally and environmentally. Having all of the right factors in place gives each dog the best chance at a healthy and happy life with humans.

At E-Training for Dogs, we have several FASCINATING courses for those interested in canine development:
Introduction to Breeding and Whelping
Puppy Imprinting and Bonding
Dog Orgin and Early History
Canine Biology and Behaviour-Part I
Imprinting and Handling Puppies Birth to 10 Weeks-Webinar

Our upcoming courses are:
Canine Biology and Behavior-Part II
Canine Biology and Behavior-Part III
Introduction to Genetics

Watch for these. Sign up for our Newsletter to be the first to hear about these!

The Pet365 Blog, a wonderful blog on all things pets, has put together a fascinating graphic story of dog development from embryo to end of life. Enjoy!

Puppy Development graphic created by Matt Beswick for Pet365. Click here to view the full post.

I just discovered a canine research center that focuses on Dingeos. (Yes, the “e” is correct when talking about more than one Dingo.) The Dingo Discovery Research Center in Australia, a sanctuary and educational center for the Dingo. Not that it is a new Center, it has been around since 1990, but it was new to me and I was so impressed that I wanted to share it with you.

Our guest lecturer this month, February, 2013 is Dr. Bradley Smith. He is a researcher from the University of South Australia. He did much of his research with Dingoes at the Dingo Discovery Center sanctuary near Melbourne, Australia.

The sanctuary was established in 1990 by two veterans of the dog show world, Peter and Lyn Watson. These founders were resolved to preserve the now almost extinct in the wild gene pool of the Australian alpine variety of dingo. Since then, the sanctuary has been a source for positive media coverage, education of the public and a population of Dingoes available for non-invasive research studies.

Our speaker this month, Dr. Bradley Smith, through a series of experimental studies has documented the Dingo using tools. This finding has been bringing researchers from around the world to elaborate on his studies.

One popular hypothesis as to the origin of the Dingo is as a descendant of dogs brought by early colonists…gone wild. This is not true. The Dingo is more like the Australian wolf.  The Dingo existed in Australia long before any settlers brought dogs there and had been occasionally ”tamed”, much as the North American Gray Wolf, by socializing young puppies.

To learn more about this fascinating canine, its past, present and future place on this planet, join us and sign up for the webinar:

Dingoes, the ‘missing link’ between wolves and domestic dogs?

When: LIVE online from Australia, February 6, 7:00-8:30 PM EST (10:00 PM GMT)
Available as a recording also!

IAABC and CCPDT CEU’s available

Go HERE to learn more and to register.

The dog’s nose is one of the most refined scent organs in the world. There are approximately 1200 separately identified chemical odorants. Of these, the average human can detect about 35%, but most dogs can detect and track over 90%. That’s over 1000 individual odors!

Given this amazing skill, it’s no surprise that a host of canine sports have developed utilizing the nose. Tracking and earth dog were just the start. Now there’s Canine Scent Work! This low impact sport allows dogs of all ages, breeds, physical condition, and social skills to develop confidence, refine their nose, and most importantly, have fun!

Teaching Canine Scent Work is a six part course that teaches students how to help dog and handler build communication and shape this natural talent into a honed skill. Basic biology, physics of scent, and cultivation of drive and search skills are all discussed.

New Course:  Teaching Canine Scent Work

Purpose: To provide the basic tools, concepts, and skills to successfully run a canine scent work class, up to and including pairing scent. Students will also learn how to work their own dogs as part of the process. This course runs 6 weeks.

What you can expect to learn from this Course:

• Basic physiology of the canine nose and how “hunting” effects the canine body
• Basic physics of air flow and how it helps dogs determine the location of source
• General terminology used in Canine Scent Work (nose work)
• Reading the dog’s “tells”
• How to build drive
• Structure of classes
• Pairing  odor
• Beyond the classroom

Instructor: Shelly Volsche, CPDT-KA

Course Length: 6 one-hour sessions

Course Cost – 

For Credit: $185.00
For Audit: $85.00

Guest Blogger-Racine Hyatt, CCM

There are no coincidences – this I know for sure.  The year was 1991 – I was involved in a car accident that would put in motion a series of events which would not only change my life, it would lead to what would become my BEST life!

Unable to return to school and the work I was doing due to the brain injury the accident caused, I found myself applying for and getting a job in a veterinary hospital as the secretary/receptionist.  After working there for two years a young female Boxer was surrendered to the clinic (the people that owned her didn’t see the sense of investing in the life-saving surgeries she needed).  One look into her deep brown eyes not only introduced me to my dog; I was prepared to do whatever she needed for as long as she needed it.  We would recover together.  The vet assured me that nothing she was enduring would haunt her later on, so we began our long and arduous journey back to life!

She introduced me to the world of dog sport competition to rebuild her confidence and complimentary practitioners who, combined with conventional medicine resulted in a recovery many thought miraculous.

It was one of her chiropractors who introduced me to equine rehabilitation / then the new school she had heard about in Florida for canine rehabilitation and after completing studies there I went on to graduate from the Treetops massage program, and the rest (as they say) is history!

And now, through this webinar, I have an opportunity to share some of the information which has evolved out of the development of Canine Sports medicine, rehabilitation, fitness and wellness with so many more people than I ever imagined!

In the early 90’s very few people gave any thought to fitness conditioning – the assumption was that training was exercise and the dogs were “fit enough”.

Then came sprains and strains / the explosion of knee surgeries / early onset dysplasia / career ending disc injuries and the worst of all – cervical spinal compression and whiplash!

Either dogs were breaking down as a species or, as we were asking our dogs to do more, we were not providing them with more!  My Meisha retired from a variety of activities (including IPO) injury free at the age of 10!  When asked how she remained so healthy all I could think of was that we followed the few basic rules of fitness (from gym class) – warm up, cool down and exercise to compliment the stresses of training/competition!  Equine athletes have been doing this for years – why not dogs?

My primary focus was to educate those competing in dog sport – so I put together seminars to address canine fitness from the beginning:  Raising a Canine Athlete – Puppy Development, to the All-Fit program for overall fitness and finally, How to Condition a winning Performance Dog.  For many, these seminars have provided the missing link to their training regimes!

It is important that anyone living with active dogs have a basic knowledge of some key aspects of canine anatomy to understand how injuries can happen in order to prevent them – for example, the dangers of inappropriate exercise for puppies (under 18 months) while over 700+ growth plates are developing the structure upon which they will rely for their entire lives!  These micro-injuries are the precursors to dysplasia, spinal conditions, soft tissue damage – all preventable!!

Canine shoulder structure – or should we say lack of it!!  It is inconceivable that this bungled engineering can support dogs at all – and the main reason why education became so important to me!

The consequences of malnutrition created by the commercial dog food industry…specific changes in lifestyle for senior dogs to age with vitality…and simple exercises incorporated into your daily leash walk that will optimize this time you spend with your dog improving flexibility, strength and endurance to enhance and maintain healthy muscles!

I look forward to spending the hour with you, sharing enough food for thought that you will have new and greater insight into your dog’s fitness – and inspire you to continue learning through the many full length programs offered at e-trainingfordogs.

Join us in our newest Live Online webinar!

All-Fit Dog – A Whole Dog Approach to Over-All Fitness

Tuesday, January 8, 2013
7:30-9:00 PM EST (10:30 PM GMT)

The lecture will be recorded and available OnDemand after the lecture.
Cost: $25.00

Register HERE

Guest blogger: Chris Redenbach CDBC, CBCC-KA

I first just have to say that I love ethology. It let the daylight in for me regarding some serious questions about dog behavior and, as the science develops, it continues to illuminate more for me than any other science surrounding my work and passion of dogs. In just over an hour, I hope to share the joy of discovery, the many ah-ha moments, by bringing this to you.

Ethology explains the building blocks of behavior. When I lived in Brazil in the 70’s, I traveled in some remote places where people live on the land on a subsistence basis. I heard stories about how they hunt the large lizards that can feed a family. They just find a lizard path…worn in the ground…and then they wait until the lizard is coming back from its own hunt and kill it with their hand made weapons as it comes down its path. They couldn’t do this without a basic knowledge of ethology…the biology of the behavior of this species.

Likewise, any working protection dog trainer will tell you that some dogs are just born with what is known as a “full mouth bite” meaning that the dog naturally grasps what they are biting all the way to the back of the molars. Other dogs have a half mouth bite and grasp only with the front half of their mouth, and still others are slashers who prefer not to grasp at all and just strike out with canines for a brief hard bite while simultaneously retreating. These genetically determined patterns are fascinating to know and can really help a breeder or trainer in their everyday analysis and decision making.

As trainers and behavior consultants, we are taught to analyze behavior according to its antecedents and consequences, but our understanding and ability to give a full analysis and choose the most efficient ways to help a dog understand what we want or help us understand why the dog behaved a certain way, we need ethology.

As a breeder, I have puzzled over why some dogs play ball and littermates don’t; why some dogs go directly up to strange people or things and others hang back; why some tear apart toys and others never do; why some are eager to do what they are trained and others are independent despite using reward based methods; why some would claim the entire neighborhood as territory if they could while others would never stray from a close radius around the house.

Part of the journey of discovery in ethology is asking the right questions and part is observation and tinkering. Join me for this fun exploration of diverse questions.

Practical Ethology

Join us in our newest Live Online webinar!

Practical Ethology
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
8:00-9:30 PM EST (11:00 PM GMT)

The lecture will be recorded and available OnDemand after the lecture.
Cost: $25.00

Guest Blogger – Monique Udell

Humans and dogs share a long intertwined history. Although dogs and canines have likely coexisted for much longer, early evidence of canine domestication dates back at least 14,000 years- making man’s best friend the first known domesticated animal. Dogs can be found around the globe, and although the role of dogs worldwide can vary from scavenger to companion, for those of us who have come to view dogs as the latter know just how strong the bond between human and dog can be. Especially in the western world, dogs are often treated more like family than pets. A growing number of dogs hold jobs, and in many cases we bet our lives and well being on their ability to perform them. From search and rescue to explosive and cancer detecting dogs, to dogs that provide physical and emotional assistance or guiding the blind, in many cases we allow dogs to serve in roles once entrusted to humans alone. Yet even in the United States where “pet parents” spend billions of dollars a year on their furry children and many allow dogs to sleep in their own bed, over 10% of our companion animal population will end up in an animal shelter or rescue, and many will not find a forever home.

This dichotomy is a challenging one, in part because fully understanding the circumstances that lead to an animal being abandoned or surrendered often requires a peek into the private lives of humans and their pets. While behavior problems are often reported as a predictor of animal abuse or surrender, identifying causes and early warning signs from outside the home can be difficult. The Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire is one approach to addressing this dilemma, and is now being used to gather information about a wide range of dog behaviors and temperaments from the perspective of the owners and handlers that live with them. More commonly known as the C-BARQ, this questionnaire was developed by researchers at the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society of the University of Pennsylvania, and serves as an assessment tool for a wide range of behavior problems and warning signs, as well as a research tool for learning more about the human-canine relationship.

Upcoming Webinar – On December 5^th 2012, E-Training for Dogs is excited to welcome the director of this center and a world-renowned expert on human-animal interactions, Dr. James Serpell, as a featured speaker of this year’s Ethology and Canine Behavior lecture series.

Dr. James Serpell is the Marie A. Moore Professor of Animal Welfare at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, where he also directs the Center for the Interaction of Animals & Society. He received his bachelor’s degree in Zoology from University College London in 1974, and his PhD in Animal Behavior from the University of Liverpool in 1980. In 1985 he established the Companion Animal Research Group at the University of Cambridge before moving in 1993 to his current position at the University of Pennsylvania where he lectures on veterinary ethics, applied animal behavior and welfare, and human-animal interactions. His research focuses mainly on the behavior and welfare of dogs and cats, the development of human attitudes to animals, and the history and impact of human-animal relationships. In addition to publishing more than 100 articles and book chapters on these and related topics, he is the author, editor or co-editor of several books including Animals & Human Society: Changing Perspectives (1994), The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior & Interactions with People (1995), In the Company of Animals (1996), and Companion Animals & Us (2000).

Our society has a tendency to dodge the issue of death and when it is a beloved companion animal it happens with even more frequency because the loss is usually disenfranchised.

On June 21, 2012 our beloved Rommel passed away after a two year battle with Cushing’s disease. We did not call a funeral home and have guests come to pay respects, Rommel’s name was not featured in the local obituaries and at least to date no flowers or fruit baskets have arrived to our home. However since I was with him, I can tell you that he did die on that somber afternoon.

All that I listed which did not take place can at times have an affect on us by which we can actually “deny” the loss in our minds.

This is precisely the reason it is the most important time to take control. When asked about the loss, call it what it is. “Rommel died on June 21, 2012 and we miss him terribly”. Make absolutely sure that you respect your own feelings and do not succumb to a society’s vision.

On July 1^st we conducted a memorial service for Rommel. Just a few of us gathered to laugh and to cry but we took control and stayed in the moment we needed to be in.

Rommel’s cremains are in a prominent place in our home and each one of us visits him often. We talk to him and we still laugh and cry because he died on June 21, 2012.

When I am asked how many dogs I have, I say that we still have five. Rommel is still a part of us and always will be. The importance here is to talk about him and continue to acknowledge his life.

What it comes down to is that so much like a diet, a habit, or anything that involves our self, we can and in this case must take control of what it is to us. Take to no shame in dictating a conversation to express how you feel and how the animal’s life and death really matters.

Upcoming Webinar:
Pet Loss & Grief Companioning … Helping A Family In A Healthy Grief Journey

Where: Online

When: November 13, 2012

Live Lecture:  November 13, 2012
7:30-9:00 PM EST; 10:30 PM GMT

(will be recorded for OnDemand purchase after the Live lecture)

Exploring Taboos

Dogs are hailed as “man’s best friend,” but this is not entirely accurate. When a dog starts humping a toy or sniffing a visitor’s crotch, the dog quickly becomes man’s annoying and embarrassing house guest.

But what do these seemingly taboo behaviors mean for dogs? This talk explores scientific research into those behaviors that just don’t sit well with humans, such as humping and “inappropriate” sniffing.

Humping is not a behavior that simply falls from the sky or comes out of nowhere. Humping is performed for a myriad of reasons and must be examined in each specific context and for each unique individual.

Sniffing body parts also need not have a negative connotation. Scientific research reveals that dogs follow particular trends in how they sniff other dogs and humans.

Instead of feeling embarrassed or annoyed by our dogs’ behavior, owners can refocus their attention on what the behavior means for their dog.

“Exploring Taboos” helps us assess behavior from the dog’s perspective, as opposed to through the lens of human social norms.

Join us in our newest Live Online webinar!

Exploring Taboos

Wednesday, November 7, 2012
8:00-9:30 PM EST; 11:00 PM GMT
Will be recorded and available OnDemand after the lecture.
Cost: $25.00

Speaker: Julie Hecht, MSc

Purpose: To define and describe in full detail the core behaviors that dogs should reliably possess which can prevent or fix any behavioral problems.

Description: This course presents comprehensive definitions and explanations as well as pictures and video clips illustrating real life examples of The Six Things All Dogs Should Know and why and how these trained behaviors are fundamental to living in harmony with pet or working dogs. This multi media program also illustrates how individualized behaviors can be linked into multi step behavioral chains, thereby increasing a dog’s vocabulary in practical and fundamental ways.

Length: One single session 75 Minute Webinar

Prerequisites: None.

Instructor: Rachel Friedman

CEU’s:
IAABC-1 CEU
CCPDT-1.5 CEU’s

Price: Introductory Price: $25. $35 after March 15, 2013.

Bonus: A companion program, How to Teach The Six Things All Dogs Should Know, is also available through e-training for dogs.

∆˚∆˚∆

Until March 15, 2012, anyone who purchases How to Teach The Six Things All Dogs Should Know gets a $25 discount, essentially making this program FREE.

Speaker: Coleen Ellis

Recorded:  November 13, 2012

Available recorded- OnDemand.

People use the word personality every day. We use it with the people we know and sometimes even make attributions about people we don’t know. We also label animals with personalities: “Happy” “Grouchy” “Shy” “Outgoing” … even “narcissistic.” If you were to look up the

definition of “personality” from the people who study it in humans, you would find that there are almost as many definitions of personality as there are authors of personality studies. However, almost all the definitions attempt to use “personality” to help predict and explain people’s behavior. The same is true in animals.

Personality psychologists have found that there is, in general, some degree of continuity in an individual’s personality.  Another commonality in most definitions of personality is the studying of the consistency of behavior across time and situations.

Please note that this does not mean an individual’s personality never changes. The degree of behavioral consistency is influenced by more than personality. Situational factors, personality, thoughts, feelings, emotions and past histories, as we all know, also influence behavior.

So the study of Personality in humans, is not yet at the point where everyone has agreed: “Yep, this is “personality and this is what it means!” Perhaps it never will be.  Up until rather recently, the idea that an animal could have a personality would have been laughed upon. Not so now! There is strong evidence that animals from fish to chimpanzees have personalities.

So why  do we care about animal personality? The hope is that in understanding personality theories, research, development, and assessment, we can help individuals/animals lead happier, healthier, more productive lives.

E-Training for Dogs is very excited about the September 2012 Ethology and Canine Behavior lecture presented by Dr. Sam Gosling:

Animal Personality: What do we know and where shall we go?

Sam Gosling, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas in Austin, began studying personality in animals with his dissertation where he focused on personality in spotted hyenas. His non-human research has also examined dogs, cats, chimpanzees, and squid. In 2005 he founded the Animal Personality Institute, an interdisciplinary organization dedicated to understanding personality and temperament in non-human animals. Dr. Gosling presents the major discoveries from the field of animal psychology, focusing on the challenges the field has faced and those that lie ahead. For example, questions about measurement have long dogged the field, with concerns focusing on three basic issues: (1) that personality cannot be measured reliably in animals, (2) that the assessments are overly subjective, (3) that the methods required to obtain valid assessments are impractical. Using data from his studies of spotted hyenas, dogs, chimpanzees, squid, and humans Sam will address each concern and evaluate the viability of personality assessments in animals. He will discuss some major challenges that lie ahead for the field of animal personality and also consider the implications of this work in science (e.g., understanding the genetic bases of personality) and applied settings (e.g., identifying dogs well suited to explosive-detection work).

When: To be presented Live ONLINE through our Ethology and Canine Behavior lecture series on September 6, 2012 at 6:00 PM EST. Register HERE.

If you miss the live lecture, you can always check out the OnDemand version HERE.

Cost is $25

Length: 90 minutes including a 15 minute question and answer session.

Horses!!!?? SO why would a dog person want to know anything about working with horses?

For me, horses are proof that it isn’ t necessary to be cruel or strong-arm an animal to elicit a behavior or change a behavior. After all, do you really think a 100-200 pound 2-legged being (human) could MAKE a 1000 pound animal do something out of pure force…no. Learning how a horse learns something is an experience every dog owner or trainer should have. It reveals the importance of fair, clear and consistent communication. A horse would have no part of anything less.

Most horses live their lives in some sort of confinement. Some are lucky enough to live in herds in large pastures. This is the normal environment for a horse. Others, are kept in smaller areas of confinement such as a “run” a corral, or even a stall.  Their only contact with other horses may be through stall walls or a fence. For horses in any type of confinement outside of that huge pasture in a herd, stress or boredom is often the result. There are ways for their human care-takers to enhance these horses’ lives and this lecture emphasizes these. Just as dogs who are confined without physical, emotional or mental stimulation develop unwanted behaviors, so too do horses. Learning through cross-species studies will help the dog owner, enthusiast, trainer, behaviorist or other professional learn more about the canine.

Yes, this presentation is relevant for any species who spends time confined. With dozens of photos and video demonstrations, Barbara Handelman, author of the top-selling book,  CANINE BEHAVIOR – A PHOTO ILLUSTRATED HANDBOOK, will show the student how to identify the behaviors a stressed horse exhibits. She also will present a range of training challenges that can occupy horses and their trainers during a period of confinement along with introducing a variety of food-dispensing toys that provide mental stimulation and simulate foraging for food.

Presented through the Ethology and Behavior Lecture Series, this 90 minute Live lecture will be recorded for OnDemand viewing as well.  The date of the Live lecture is Thursday, August 9, 2012 at 8:00 PM EDT.

Cost: $25

To register for this lecture either Live (online) or OnDemand go here:

http://www.e-trainingfordogs.com/2011/03/ethology-and-canine-behaviour-series/

Dr. Reid to describe the story behind the exciting research that demonstrates that dogs, like children, can learn that certain words represent individual objects, and other words represent categories of objects, independent in meaning of what they are asked to do with those objects.

Register HERE:  http://www.e-trainingfordogs.com/2011/03/ethology-and-canine-behaviour-series/

Press Releases:
PitEngine
PR.com-Dr. Alliston Reid Discusses the Science Underlying Chaser, the Border Collie Who Knows the Names of 1,022 Objects, in Online Webinar Brought to You by E-Training for Dogs

May 25, 2012 – Windsor, CO – E-Training for Dogs, the most extensive online dog training educational site on the Internet and provider of a wide selection of webinars for the dog owner, dog trainer, breeder and canine enthusiast, will hold an online webinar featuring Dr. Alliston Reid, who will share the rigorous science underlying the story of Chaser, the Border Collie, who knows the names of 1,022 objects, on (June 7, 2012 at 6 PM EST). NOTE: This webinar will be recorded and available for viewing OnDemand anytime after the Live lecture.

The research with Chaser, by Dr. John Pilley and Dr. Alliston Reid, has received worldwide attention this past year. Chaser’s incredible language abilities have been featured in a wide variety of news outlets around the World and are demonstrated on NOVA ScienceNOW where Dr. Neil Tyson tested Chaser’s knowledge of 1022 names of objects.

The webinar will feature, Dr. Alliston Reid describing the story behind the exciting research (published in the journal Behavioural Processes)  that demonstrates that dogs, like children, can learn that certain words represent individual objects, and other words represent categories of objects, independent in meaning of what they are asked to do with those objects.

About Alliston K. Reid, Ph.D.  Dr. Reid received his B. S. degree from WoffordCollegein 1975 with a major in psychology. As a student, he was passionately involved in research in experimental psychology and neuropsychology, working closely with Dr. Pilley and Dr. Scott on several research projects. Dr. Reid received his Ph.D. degree from DukeUniversityin experimental psychology with a minor in zoology. He came to WoffordCollegein 1996 when his favorite mentor, Dr. John Pilley, decided to retire. Dr. Reid served as chairman of the psychology department from 1998 to 2004. At Wofford, Dr. Reid was awarded the Governor’s Distinguished Professor Award by Governor Mark Sanford in 2004. At graduation in May 2005, Dr. Reid was awarded the Roger Milliken Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Science, which provides $50,000 over a ten-year period to promote faculty development. For three years, he served as Program Chair for the Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior (SQAB) and special editor of the journal, Behavioural Processes, which publishes the proceedings of the SQAB conference as a special issue each year. Currently, Dr. Reid serves as President of the Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior. In 2010 Dr. Reid was appointed Reeves Family Professor of Psychology due to the continued generosity of Ed Reeves and his family.

Press Release:

24/7 Press Release

PR News

Shelters, rescues and foster individuals can enter to win the free online seminar, ‘Working with Shelter or Rescue Dogs: When Love Isn’t Enough’ through E-Training For Dogs Facebook contest. 

May 20, 2012 – Windsor, CO – E-Training for Dogs, the most extensive online dog training educational site on the Internet and provider of a wide selection of webinars for the dog owner, dog trainer, breeder and canine enthusiast, announces a new ground breaking seminar designed to help shelter, rescue and foster family individuals prepare their rescued dogs for more successful adoptions, and a chance to win the free online seminar, ‘Working with Shelter or Rescue Dogs: When Love Isn’t Enough.’

The new online seminar ‘Working with Shelter or Rescue Dogs: When Love Isn’t Enough,’ is designed  to new help shelter, rescue and foster personnel learn to become more educated with the appropriate skills and ideal environment to successfully help dogs achieve a better chance of finding their forever home.

The course has several videos that clearly demonstrate the concepts and methods important to master when working with rescue or shelter dogs, along with three quizzes to access knowledge for those seeking credit or CEU’s.

“The more quickly and successfully rescue and shelter dogs can move into their forever homes, the more openings there can be for more dogs to be rescued and taken out of the shelters and re-homed,” indicates Dr. Cheryl Aguiar, founder of E-TrainingForDogs.com.

“Many foster and rescue dogs have dog aggression, people aggression, fears, anxiety, stress and/or phobias from being sheltered, and because of this many rescue individuals need to help these dogs have a better chance at adoption,” added Aguiar. “Through our online seminar we are sharing tested and proven knowledge and skills for them to acquire the confidence and leadership in their own actions to help these dogs overcome their behavior issues for more successful adoptions.”

In addition to the release of the new online seminar, shelter, rescue and foster individuals will have an opportunity to join E-Training For Dog on Facebook and sign up to receive one free, simple five minute idea to get a dog adopted 50% faster; as well as enter for a chance to win a free ‘Working with Shelter or Rescue Dogs: When Love Isn’t Enough,’ online seminar. The contest opportunity runs from May 15 until June 15, 2012.

The ‘Working with Shelter or Rescue Dogs: When Love Isn’t Enough,’ online seminar is taught by Nikki Ivey, a professional dog behavior consultant/trainer, who has worked with people and their pets for more than 11 years.

Trained by Bob Bailey in operant conditioning and reward based methods, Nikki began applying this unique style of training with incredible results. Nikki also has current and passed experience in operating a dog day care and training facility, agility training, and founding two K9 search and rescue organizations.

Carolyn Sharp, a foster individual with Country K-9 Rescue, recently attended the online seminar. “All of us from Country K-9 Rescue really enjoyed Nikki’s seminar,” shared Sharp. “It was a great presentation, and she made the topic interesting, fun and educational. I had three fosters at the time and started working with them using Nikki’s methods the next day with incredible results!”

For more information about the ‘Working with Shelter or Rescue Dogs: When Love Isn’t Enough,’ online seminar, visit http://www.e-trainingfordogs.com/2012/03/working-with-shelter-or-rescue-dogs-when-love-isnt-enough-2/ and/or http://e-trainingfordogs.com, call 970-231-9965, or email Cheryl@e-trainingfordogs.com. For more information about the Facebook contest, visit https://www.facebook.com/eTrainingForDogs/app_208195102528120.

The Pet Loss Companioning course at E-Training for Dogs is our newest offering in quality and informative webinars.

This is an 8 session webinar course co-taught by Coleen Ellis and Joe Dwyer. Each lesson is in lecture format designed to provide real steps and actions that will teach the student how to help others, or yourself, through the loss of a beloved pet.

As more and more people are acknowledging that their pets are more than just animals and that they are members of the family, they are demanding the same types of services that we would want and expect of our human family members.  While Pet Parents did all they could for their furry children during life, they also want to make sure that the same can be said in death.  Furthermore, they will feel comforted in knowing that, most of all, their feelings of grief are validated.  As Pet Care Professionals, while it’s our responsibility to help pet parents with the loss of their pet, it’s also an area that many people are uncomfortable with.  In the eight Pet Loss Companioning webinars, many different aspects of death and grief are explored as the attendees learn the intricacies of one of life’s inevitable events.

In the eight Pet Loss Companioning webinars, many different aspects of death
and grief are explored as the attendees learn the intricacies of one of life’s inevitable events: Death.

Each session will consist of a lecture, a quiz, and reflection homework that helps the student to absorb the material. This course is OnDemand (available at any time for the student’s participation).

To learn more and to register, go HERE.

This course is co-taught by Coleen Ellis, the first awardee of the Death and Grief Studies Certification specializing in Pet Loss Companioning by Dr. Alan Wolfelt at Colorado State University and Joe Dwyer, a graduate of Emerson Theological Institute as a certified Animal Chaplain and pet parent of Daniel, the Beagle who survived the gas chamber.

RACE CEU credits available.
CCPDT and IAABC CEU’s pending

 View our most recent company news at:

24-7 Press Release

PR.COM

Praised by dog professionals, owners and enthusiasts all over the world, E-Training For Dogs new online courses include the Associate Dog Trainer (ADT) Diploma and the Dog Behaviorist Diploma.

February 8, 2012 – Windsor, CO – E-Training for Dogs, the most extensive online dog training educational site on the Internet and provider of a wide selection of webinars for the dog owner, dog trainer, breeder and canine enthusiast, announces two new online dog training classes available for the first quarter of 2012. Both diplomas are awarded through the International College of Canine Studies.

The new courses include:

Associate Dog Trainer (ADT) Diploma – The Associate Dog Trainer (ADT) Diploma course is a comprehensive educational program to assist dog enthusiasts to enter the exciting and rewarding career of dog trainer. Geared toward individuals who are passionate about improving their bonds with their own dogs or desire to become a dog trainer, the course will assist them in developing the necessary skills to become an effective dog trainer in the canine industry. The course focuses on helping the student learn how dogs developed to be our companions, how they learn, canine body language and how they interpret our body language, basic dog care, basic dog training using positive reinforcement techniques, how to end many common canine problem behaviors, and an advanced first aid course.

Dog Behaviorist Diploma – the Dog Behaviorist Diploma course assists dog enthusiasts in entering the exciting and rewarding career of a dog behaviorist. Through the course students will learn dog behavior from theory to application, from puppy training to advanced dog training, and learn the way dogs learn. This course is essential for anyone interested in the study of dogs, dog behavior and for those working with dogs in any capacity.

E-Training For Dogs offers two tracks of courses geared toward the Canine Professional and the Canine Enthusiast. The company was established in 2005 by Dr. Cheryl Aguiar to provide comprehensive educational programs to canine professionals as well as a vast array of Online Dog Training courses for dog owners.

The Canine Professional Programs are designed to develop canine enthusiasts into skilled professionals equipped to better serve their canine clients, and include courses in Professional Development Programs, Canine Certification Programs, Continuing Education Programs, and individual courses focusing on dog training, health care, dog behavior, breeding, genetics and more. Many of the academic offerings are eligible for CEUs with major organizations such as CCPDT and the IAABC. Diplomas and Certificates are issued through the International College of Canine Studies (ICCS).

The Canine Enthusiast Programs focus on helping dog owners who wish to obtain outstanding instruction in dog training from puppyhood through to top level competition. They will find a broad selection of courses to choose from that cover the most effective training techniques and approaches in use today that will greatly assist them in providing the best possible care for their canine companions. The courses focus on first aid, grooming, health care, nutrition, fitness, behavior and more.

The E-Training for Dogs courses are led by a variety of world-renowned trainers and dog related professionals including Monique Udell, PhD, who helped develop the Canine Cognition and Behavior Lab at the University of Florida; Barbara Handelman,M.Ed., author of the critically acclaimed book “Canine Behavior: A Photo-Illustrated Handbook; Ava Frick, DVM,  owner of Animal Fitness Center, published author, and honored runner-up of the Hartz 2006 Veterinarian of the Year award; Rachel Friedman, a pet trainer/behaviorist, licensed independent social worker and owner/president of A Better Pet LLC; and Dee Ganley, a trainer for over 30 years focusing on how to create positive partnership with their dogs, and many more.

Heddie Leger, one of the first individuals to take the ADT course, shared her experience in taking the course from E-Training For Dogs. “This is a great program. I learned a lot and really enjoyed everything about the coursework, especially the lecture series. I will also highly recommend e-training for dogs to others, said (last name). “Thank you so much for your patience and for working with me on a personal level to help me complete the coursework. Thank you for all the wonderful support you have provided through this learning experience. I guess this means I can put ADT after my name now. Yahoo !!!”

Enjoyed by hundreds of dog professionals and enthusiasts throughout the world, E-Training For Dogs delivers a wide variety of educational courses and programs provided by top quality educators in the field via the Internet, allowing them to be accessible to everyone. The education programs are geared toward the canine professional as well as the dog owner and enthusiast.

All of the courses offered through E-Training For Dogs are available through the E-Training For Dogs website. For more information visit at http://e-trainingfordogs.com, call 970-231-9965, or Cheryl@e-trainingfordogs.com.

“My dog snapped at my friend’s dog for no reason…so I don’t take him to the park anymore.”

“My dog always puts his shoulder to dogs who start fights with him.”

“My dog is always getting in between two dogs that are starting to growl at each other.”

“My dog usually puts his hair up right away when he meets another dog so I yell at him.”

What does it really mean when dogs “put their hair up” or “split up two dogs that are getting rough” or “curve and give an aggressive dog their shoulder instead of fighting back” or “snap and show their teeth when a dog gets near them?” Is it important to know? Why is it important?

The trained observer of dog behavior would probably interpret the four common behaviors listed above a lot differently than the untrained observer. Knowing what each meant might make the difference between your dog or another dog getting seriously injured. Knowing what each meant would help you to know when to intervene or not intervene. Knowing what each meant would impact your interpretations of which dog was acting appropriately and which is acting inappropriately.

Let’s look at the first situation:
“My dog snapped at my friend’s dog for no reason…so I don’t take him to the park anymore.”  Carefully watching these two dogs in this interaction with an understanding of dog communication might have led to a very different conclusion. More than likely, if the dog “snapped” at another dog, it was warning the other dog in a very clear way to stop doing whatever the other dog was doing….even if it was simply coming in to sniff. This is appropriate dog communication: “stay away from me” or “stop doing what you are doing.” If the dog who “snapped” launched into a full fledged bite that ripped skin or drew blood…that would be inappropriate. This is a situation where you may or may not want to intervene. If the dog who was “snapped” at does not respond appropriately to the dogs snap, and attacks, or continues to come closer, or does not stop its unwanted behavior…then you do need to intervene. However, if the warned dog walks away…it is over. No intervention is necessary. The two dogs “communicated.”

If you want to learn more about the other posed situations, we have an awesome new 5 lesson course that has more than 50 videos that will begin to train you to be a good observer of dog communication between each other and with humans.

Understanding this will greatly improve your relationship with dogs as well as help you to work with dogs with a variety of behavior problems. This course is essential for anyone that finds themselves interacting with dogs during their job or on a leisurely walk in the park with their own dogs.

You can either audit this course (5 lessons-no CEU’s, no Certificates, no homework or test) or take it For Credit (5 Lessons plus a proctored-online-final exam that is both written and video).  It is not only important for a dog trainer or someone who works with dogs in their profession, but it is important for the dog owner who takes their dog to daycare, dog parks, dog play dates or just in the normal day to day life with their own dog.

Check it out:

Be Safe, Be Responsible: Understanding Dog-Dog and Dog-Human Communication

Luchi-Photo courtesy of Ann Bagnell

A new class released, Thinking Like a Dog Trainer-Part I, is a well-organized, clearly written course designed to help the dog trainer understand the language used to describe the theory behind operant learning (learning theory) and, most importantly, how to recognize what they are seeing when they observe behavior during training.

Dog trainers, no matter which method they use, all have the intention of either teaching a new skill to a dog, or changing/shaping a behavior already in place. The concepts, theories and terminology are a common discussion amongst trainers. Terms are tossed around on a regular basis, yet, not everyone will agree on their definitions, much less be able to identify them when they see them. How important is it to be able to understand the theories of learning and when and when not to use them? My opinion is that it is very important!

Take a scenario:
A 6 month old Spinone Italiano is learning to point birds. She points whenever she makes scent in the field. When her owner sees her point, she starts walking toward where the pup is pointing to flush the bird. As soon as the Spinone notices the owner coming up, she races in and flushes the bird herself. The owner wants her to stay pointing (steady) until the owner flushes the bird. So, the owner takes the puppy home and rewards her for standing and remaining on a wooden platform in the yard. She ups the difficulty daily by making it harder to stay on the platform by moving further away, throwing favorite toys at varying distances from the puppy and always treating when the Spin stays on the board. Eventually she even takes a bird out into the yard, far away at first, moving closer, and eventually flushes it and it flies away… the Spin is rewarded for staying on that board, even in the presence of a bird. Now she takes her out to the field, first with the board and a “set up” bird. Then in the field taking the board away and the Spin now stays on point even through the flush of the bird. What is happening here? What are the theories, concepts, and terms that went into such a plan of shaping behavior/learning this new skill of “steady through the flush?” All of this is without even touching the dog.  See if you can identify the following in the above scenario.  Which ones are or are not being used in this plan? Do you have enough information to correctly respond to each of the below?

• Was Operant or Classical Conditioning used? Or both?

  

  Brasch Pointing-Photo courtesy Ann Bagnell

• Who is the trainer(s)?
• Who is the learner?
• Was positive reinforcement used and when?
• Was negative reinforcement used and when?
• Was positive punishment used and when?
• Was negative punishment used and when?
• Was extinction used and when?
• What is the primary and secondary reinforcer (if any)?
• Was capturing used?
• Was differential reinforecment used?

Could you do it? The Thinking Like a Dog Trainer course will teach you how to do this correctly. It is not easy. However, these concepts are important to understand and to, most importantly, recognize when you should or should not apply or use them. Many people do not even know how to recognize them even when they are doing them. “Thinking Like a Dog Trainer” and understanding when and why certain theories should be, or are implemented (or not) is the foundation for good dog trainers and in creating a behavior change/new skill with reliability and no negative unintended consequences. Check out the “Thinking Like a Trainer” course taught by Sue Alexander, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KSA, CABC.

As usual, this course is available “OnDemand” and 100% online. It is about two hours in length (depending on how fast the learner “learns”) and taught by Sue Alexander, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KSA, CABC. It has our typical rich mode of delivery using lecture, video demonstrations, quizzes, and a written assignment. Thinking Like a Dog Trainer-Part 2 (coming soon) will take the definitions and understanding learned in Part 1 and have the student apply operant theory to their training plan and make their training more effective and efficient.

Service Dog Training – for Individuals and Professionals

• Professional dog trainers seeking the knowledge and skills to work in the Service Dog Training field
• Persons with disabilities who desire to train their own Service Dog.
• Persons with disabilities who currently have a service dog and want to learn how to refresh or keep their dogs’ skills sharp.
• Family members of persons with disabilities who already have a service dog and want to learn how to refresh or keep the dogs’ skills sharp.

For more detailed information please follow these links -

Service Dog Trainer Professional Diploma Program

Service Dog Individual Ownership and Training Stream

Service Dog Preparation Series

Service Dog Training Series

Service Dog Modular Approach

Research In Dog Training

E-Training for Dogs is founded by a previous university professor and has a unique following/clientele of dog enthusiasts, breeders, and professionals. Most of our students are hungry for MORE information, BETTER information, so they can become better trainers and other canine professionals. As such, one of our most popular series is our Ethology and Canine Behavior Lecture Series. This series is presented “Live” online the first Thursday of every month from 8:00-9:30 PM EST. The Live lecture is about 60 minutes in length and 30 minutes is allowed for a question and answer session at the end with the Speaker. It is also recorded so those who cannot view it can attend it “ondemand” at a later time or date. This month’s (January 5, 2012) Lecture is titled: Research in Dog Training: Current Projects and Future Directions Speaker Nicole Dorey, Ph.D.

So, why should dog trainers care about “Research” anyways?

Well, in general, research should inform practice. What does that mean?

• It means that when someone does research it should be able to be applied to a real world “question.”
• It means that you KNOW that if you do “this” then “that” will happen.
• It means that you KNOW that if you increase or decrease “this” then “that” will increase or decrease.
• It means that you KNOW that if you change the amount of doing “this” then “that” will change in a certain amount.
• It means that though our non-“research” ways of “knowing” are valuable (typically based on experience, observation, experiment, values or ethics) ….chances are we might be wrong.

Of course… experience, observation, values, and ethics are very important. In addition, sometimes research is just silly and not useful…it does NOT inform practice. However, unless someone actually researches the variables of behavior and behavior change, we really are making best guesses. Fortunately, there are canine professionals doing more and more research all the time on those variables.

Dr. Nicole Dorey is one of these researchers. As a graduate student at the University of North Texas, Nicole became interested in animal training and specifically decreasing problem behavior in animals. One of her first endeavors was an olive baboon that was engaging in self injurious behavior which caused huge lacerations on its arms and legs. With Nicole’s knowledge of behavior analysis, her first thought was to see what was maintaining the baboon’s problem behavior and to conduct a functional analysis. From the data collected with this method, she was able to eliminate the self injurious behavior and found that the cause of the problem was the keepers telling the baboon to “stop doing that” that was acting as attention and increasing the self injurious behavior. This was the first time this method had been used with an animal and has since been used to determine the maintaining variable of self injurious behavior in other captive primate species. After this project, Nicole was hooked. Although her Ph.D. at the University of Exeter was focused on investigating social learning in a variety of zoo animals and dogs, in her spare time she consulted on training and decreasing problem behavior at the Paignton Zoo and successfully co-organized a zoo training workshop. Her recent research focuses on developing a line of research that will serve the dog training community and seek to find a deeper understanding of the factors that underlie problem behavior.

Researching what method works best and when and with this or that dog, in this or that situation, etc. is not going to be the answer to ALL questions, but it will INFORM us. These are exciting times for canine professionals as they hunger for the RIGHT answers and demand the proof is now. Come join us ONLINE to find out what the cutting edge research is saying. A recording of this lecture will be available ondemand. You can get it HERE.

Awareness > Attention > Learning > Behavior

To elicit a behavior from a dog, the dog has to first be aware of a cue or some stimulus, pay attention to it, learn it and then DO it.

This is the general order of how all learning occurs.

In the world of dog training and canine behaviorists, especially as it relates to trying to teach a dog a new or different behavior, the study of the “distracted dog” is the probable equivalent to the human behaviorists study of “attention.”

Attention and distraction are, obviously, inextricably interwoven psychological phenomenon. To a “distracted dog” two things in the realm of “attention” are happening…

1. He is not paying attention to something that the human may be wanting him to pay attention to, and

2. He is paying attention to something(s) that are distracting him.

For the dog trainer and the canine behaviorist, it is important to work with the dog to encourage him to be able to “pay attention” even through distractions…especially for a working dog or a dog competing in a sport.

Attention is usually seen as having two components: (1) direction (what the attention is on) and (2) intensity (how much mental effort goes into it).

What are some of the factors that should be considered when working with a distracted dog and trying to get him to pay “attention?”

Salience Dogs, like people, can pay attention to more than one thing in their environment and NOT give equal attention to each of those things. For example, a dog in a show ring may be focusing on the liver treat in the handler’s hands, but he is also aware of the dog in front of him, behind him, the dog outside the ring playing with another dog, the people, the flooring, the smells of the hotdogs in the concession stand, etc. BUT he may be paying MORE attention to that piece of food than any of those other stimuli as it, RELATIVE to these other stimuli, has more salience to him. What if the last time the dog was in a show ring, the judge accidentally stepped on his paw, would he find the judge more salient than the liver treat and become distracted by the judge?

Vividness is related to salience, but whereas salience is determined by the relation of paying attention to one object as it relates to all the other objects/stimuli in the environment, VIVIDNESS is inherent in the stimulus itself. What if a dog comes to class and a Pudelpointer (no offense anyone!) attacks him. A Pudelpointer is a dog with a bearded face. So this dog that was attacked by a bearded dog, now is easily distracted when any other bearded dog is near him. It is both salient and vivid to him. The main difference between SALIENT and VIVID is that VIVID information, according to the research, is more easily recalled.

So getting a dog, who is distracted, to pay attention, it may be useful to think about the following:

• What is distracting the dog?/What is the dog paying attention to?
• How distracted is the dog?/How much attention is the dog paying to the thing that is distracting him?
• How salient, relative to all the other things going on, is the distraction (the thing he is paying the most attention to?)
• How vivid is the distraction (the thing he is paying the most attention to?
• Knowing the above, how can you make the distracted dog pay attention using the concepts of salience and vividness?

We have an excellent webinar to help you if you have a distracted dog and want to find ways to get him to pay attention to you:
The Distracted Dog

Here is a sample video from the 60 minute, ondemand class-

The Attention Exercise

Renea Dahms, DipCBST, RMT, an early childhood educator and dog trainer in North Central Wisconsin since 1995, specializes in helping people work with getting their dogs’ attention…Distracted Dogs. She has developed a very down to earth, easy to understand, easy to apply, webinar for us called: The Distracted Dog.

Honey

I always carry honey when hunting or training or judging. It is my  “go to” remedy. Not only is it a life saver in hyperthermia (heat stroke), it is scientifically proven to be effective on wounds, burns, skin ulcers, boils, and infections.

Honey is one of nature’s oldest folk remedies  used by many ancient civilizations to help heal wounds.

Scientific university research is showing the reason why honey could assist natural healing. Results of a University study showed that unprocessed honey healed wounds and external ulcers in all but one of 59 patients. Honey, keeps sterile wounds sterile until they had time to heal, while infected wounds became sterile within a week. It provides a moist healing environment yet prevents bacterial growth even when wounds are heavily infected.

First Aid and CPR

True story: I am a judge for the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) and travel all over North America judging hunting dogs. As a Senior judge (one of the three judges must be the “Senior”) I find myself often in charge of tests. This means I am responsible for executing the test from the test logistics to the dogs to the handlers to the spectators. A couple years ago in southern California I had an experience that I will never forget.

First of all, the temperatures were 103 degrees Fahrenheit by 11AM all 3 days of the test. In the tests, we do field work, water work, and tracking. The field work is 20-30 minutes long, so we tried to get all of that out of the way first thing in the morning. However, we did not get to the tracking portion until the end of the day. Tracking USUALLY takes no more than 2-4 minutes for dogs in the test we were doing…Utility. We do not call it tracking, as the dog is only expected to follow the scent of a person dragging a dead duck behind them about 100 yards and then leaving it there for a dog to find and return to the handler…so you can imagine, the scent of that is pretty strong, and the distance is not far for an upland bird dog to run out and back.

Judging Team Southern Cal NAVHDA, 2010
Greg Weiss, Herbert Schoderer, Senior Judge Cheryl Asmus
Aprentice Judge Gabriel Awbrey

Well, that day was so hot and dry and the wind…the wind was gusting about 30 mph. Each judge takes turns dragging the duck and then hiding in the woods. It was my turn. I dragged the duck out about 140 steps, left it there, and went to hide in the shaded woods (after looking for rattle snakes that might have the same idea!). The other two judges then brought out the handler and his dog who had been out of sight to the spot where the “track” started. He unleashed her, a young solid liver German Shorthaired Pointer, and she tore off down the track. Due to the wind, the track scent had blown a good 60 yards to the right so she got off the actual track air scenting landing her a good 60 yards downwind of the bird laying on the ground. She started searching, she ran and ran and ran. It was about 9 minutes into it at that point and I finally saw her run by me and pick up the duck….she was not well. I knew that instantly. I am not sure what I “saw” in the brief glimpse, but I instantly stood up and started sprinting toward the spectators, owner, and other judges. I was screaming “Get some water” “Get some water”…the wind blew my voice away.  The dog stopped about 10 yards from the owner and just stood there. By this time, someone heard me, and a spectator bolted from the crowd and yanked the duck out of the dog (which was covering its tongue…the place a dog sweats from), swooped her up and put her in a tub of cool(er) water in the shade by his truck (we had tubs of water everywhere to keep the dogs cool).

I ran to her and held her head up in that water as she was too weak to hold it herself. She was in shock but conscious. Her rectal temperature was over 105 when we first took it. We took her temperature every 5 minutes until it was normal. After her temperature dropped to under 103, we dryed her off and put her in an air conditioned car and off to the vet. She ended up being fine.

One other thing we did, was we gave her small amounts of honey on our finger and put it inside her cheek …about 2 Tablespoons in all over the 30 minutes in the water.

Honey-don’t leave home without it!

Karen M. Davis, PhD. started her interest in animal behavior as an undergraduate at Purdue University by studying and working with socialized wolves at Wolf Park in Battleground, IN. She learned about ethology and wolf behavior from Dr. Klinghammer and eventually hand raised her first set of wolf pups.  She continued to learn about training and animal behavior as a zookeeper and later studied crayfish aggression for her Master’s with Dr. Robert Huber in Bowling Green, OH. Then she moved on to study cognition and behavior of turtles with Dr. Gordon Burghardt at the University of Tennessee. Her PhD work included training for turtles to visual discrimination tasks in order to study their learning and memory capabilities. Presently she is teaching Comparative Animal Behavior and is conducting post-doctoral research on the comparative development of canine play with Julie Albright DMV and Dr. Gordon Burghardt at the University of Tennessee. Karen’s applied experience includes training a variety of species including sea lions, lynx, wolves, dogs, bears and turtles.  Furthermore, she worked for Clever Critters for a few years as a behaviorist and currently works as a behaviorist for Adopt-a Golden of Knoxville dog rescue in her spare time.

Ethology and Canine Behavior lecture, April, 2013:  The Ethology of Play and What Canines Can Teach Us

James Serpell is the Marie A. Moore Professor of Animal Welfare at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, where he also directs the Center for the Interaction of Animals & Society. He received his bachelor’s degree in Zoology from University College London in 1974, and his PhD in Animal Behavior from the University of Liverpool in 1980. In 1985 he established the Companion Animal Research Group at the University of Cambridge before moving in 1993 to his current position at the University of Pennsylvania where he lectures on veterinary ethics, applied animal behavior and welfare, and human-animal interactions. His research focuses mainly on the behavior and welfare of dogs and cats, the development of human attitudes to animals, and the history and impact of human-animal relationships. In addition to publishing more than 100 articles and book chapters on these and related topics, he is the author, editor or co-editor of several books including Animals & Human Society: Changing Perspectives (1994), The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior & Interactions with People (1995), In the Company of Animals (1996), and Companion Animals & Us (2000).

Lecture December 5, 2012 (Available recorded): Measuring Behavior and Temperament in Dogs: New Methods and Applications

Caring for Your Pet at the End of Life  Also known as – Spirits in Transition™, this beautiful 9 session course is for both the animal lover who is facing the end of life with their pet and the professional desiring to learn how to help people and their beloved pets get through this difficult journey. This informative course is taught by Ella Bittel, DVM. Ella is recognized by her peers as the leader in animal hospice and speaks internationally dozens of times a year.  Ella has specialized in holistic modalities for over 20 years, among them veterinary acupuncture and chiropractic, cranio-sacral work, homeopathy, TTOUCH and energy medicine techniques adapted from Donna Eden, including work on the animals aura and chakras.

Supporting a dying animal is an art that can be learned, and benefits greatly from preparing ahead of time, before the actual hospice situation arises.  Being there for our animal as it completes this life cycle can be one of the most challenging, and at the same time most rewarding undertakings we may ever experience. While we are not opposed to euthanasia, we feel there is great value inherent to the natural dying process. However, many are not familiar with that process and how to best support an animal going through it.

For detailed information on this course and to register please click on this link 

Approaching Animal Hospice: Geriatric and Special Needs Care for Animals

Schutzhund is the ultimate sport if you are truly interested in not only learning the difference between play and aggression; between prey and aggression; between fear and aggression…but becoming a SCHOLAR of understanding aggression and how to know when it is and when it isn’t. I urge you to study some of the videos by Ivan Balabanov as he truly understands how to shape the natural drives of a dog with a no conflict method.

Schutzhund is a sport and a training system for a working police dog. It is a 300 point test, with three levels. 100 points are TRACKING; 100 points are OBEDIENCE; 100 points are PROTECTION. They must qualify in all three areas. A Schutzhund dog would not be very good if he tracked a lost person and then bit that person at the end of the track. A Schutzhund dog is required to heel off leash through a mingling crowd under gunfire. A Schutzhund dog is at heel, off leash, when a crowd of people walk quickly toward him and hover over him. He must show NO fear or aggression.

These dogs have exemplary temperaments. They would not get very far in Schutzhund if they did not have SELF control in any situation, no matter what is happening. Training SELF control is not achieved by force or aversion. It is achieved by shaping their natural drives. Sound familiar?

A Schutzhund dog must be able to be called to a drop in mid air after launching for a bite. They are taught to bite through the use of building their PREY drive starting with a burlap sack and tug of war with it. The reward, even after the dog has reached the highest titling possible, for that dog, is to parade around with the sleeve in his mouth, tail wagging…like he is carrying his favorite toy. When the DEFENSE drive is brought forward it is very carefully done always ending with the dog winning and ending with PREY. I believe a lot of people might learn a lot about dogs if they took a dog through the rigors of Schutzhund.

To join a sanctioned Schutzhund club and work in the three areas…my opinion…nothing better for a person or a dog…even a pet dog.

Here is a great video if you want to understand true Schutzhund training. Carefully watch the very dance these two do. I love it.

I hope you will note that the training is all motivational and when the dog is biting, at first, the helper always turns away from him building only on the PREY drive. Toward the middle-end, he briefly begins turning full frontal on the dog BRIEFLY and that turns on the defense drive, but he quickly either turns away again (prey) or lets the dog win (lets go of the burlap roll). The body language between this “helper” and this dog is incredible. Imagine people learning to read and respond as well as this “helper.” I even love the term “helper” as they are not considered trainers…they are, and think of themselves as helping shape and build a dog’s drives.

I also want to point out that Schutzhund is not JUST teaching a dog to bite. It is an organized sport as much as agility or herding. Isn’t one of the positive ways to deal with biting puppies to let them bite and then teach them how much is too much and when to quit? This is the same thing, only better.

• Eighteen hours of online instruction in anatomy and physiology of canines.
• This provides a unique opportunity to come back to each lesson with questions, concerns and insights after completing your homework assignments.
• Homework assignments that ensure you master the material.
• Students should prepare to complete 6 hours of homework each week.
• Students must successfully complete the canine anatomy and physiology course before enrolling in the introductory canine massage course.
• A Test Out Option from the anatomy and physiology course is available for qualified students.
• Eighteen hours of online instruction in the introduction to canine massage course.
• Students must successfully complete the introduction to canine massage course before enrolling in the advanced canine massage course.
• Fifteen hours of online instruction in the advanced canine massage course that develops specialized massage skills to deal with a wide variety of health issues.
• It also helps students prepare for opening their own clinic.
• Homework assignments and video submissions in both of the massage courses that will ensure you master the massage skills.
• Students should be prepared to complete 6 hours of homework each week.
• There will be a knowledge assessment at the end of each course that ensures students have successfully completed the course requirements and have a level of training that ensures they will be safe when working on their own animals and doing the case studies.
• Lastly students must complete 40 case studies – this means massaging 10 different dogs at least 4 times.

Payment Plan

OnDemand Complete Canine Massage Program : $210.00USD – monthly

Resources and Equipment Needed:
Internet access.
Digital camcorder to video homework.
Access to wide variety of friends and families dogs for practicing canine massage techniques.
A large flat canine dog bed and assorted covers upon which to safely and comfortably practice canine massage. All massages must be on the floor.
A quiet, private massage area.

Student Information: