Behavior Talk

Part of our series of interviews from the 2010 Association of Pet Dog Trainers conference in Atlanta, Georgia, this episode features a conversation with Victoria Stilwell, host of the popular TV series “It’s Me or The Dog,” and noted presenter.  During my talk with Victoria Stilwell, she shares who some of her professional influences have been, and what she’s learned that has made her the kind of trainer she is today.  She also discusses some of the special issues involved when working with a dog  while filming a TV show. And we talk about “Thinking Dog,” how to better understand how a dog relates to his environment, and how it’s different from the way people see the world.  Finally we talk about her efforts to extend and promote the use of positive training methods through her many ventures which can found on her website, Positively.com.

Part of our series of interviews from the 2010 Association of Pet Dog Trainers conference in Atlanta, Georgia, this episode features a conversation with Collen Pelar, author, speaker, and trainer in from Northern Virginia.  She has a special interest in the dynamics of families with both dogs and young children, and at the most recent Association of Pet Dog Trainers Conference she gave a presentation on this topic entitled, “Who’s Watching the Kids?”

Part of our series of interviews from the 2010 Association of Pet Dog Trainers conference in Atlanta, Georgia, this episode features a conversation with Patricia McConnell.  Dr. McConnell led a sumposium on "A Dog's Mind - Thoughts and Emotions" and also gave a talk entitled "Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking? An introduction to the Central Questions in Cognition and Emotion in Dog Behavior."   We talked about the ways dogs see their world, how that's different from the way we look at things, and why that matters.  And we talk about understanding these differences and incorporating them into your practice to make you a more compasionate and effective trainer.

Dr. Rosales-Ruiz was at the University of Minnesota giving a seminar on Constructional Aggression Treatment, or C-A-T. This is a method of treating aggression and anxiety by using a controlled series of approaches by a stimulus dog, and varying the distance between the two dog and the procedure continues. You can see some examples of Dr. Rosales-Ruiz's demonstrations in the video section of ABRIonline.org. After his session, he talked with me about this protocol.

Pat Miller is the owner of Peaceable Paws, in Maryland, and the author of a number of books, including "The Power of Positive Dog Training," and two volumes of "Positive Perspectives." She recently gave a seminar on Positive Dog Training at the University of Minnesota, and I caught up with her after the first day of her two-day presentation. During our interview, we covered a number of topics around the concept of using positive training techniques, including her own history of how she came to use and endorse positive methods.

What is "natural horsemanship," and where did it come from? And why are the methods so successful? Dr. Robert M. Miller is a leading authority on the development and popularization of natural horsemanship. In this interview we talk about his book, "The Revolution in Horsemanship: And What it Means to Mankind," co-authored with Rick Lamb. Dr. Miller traces the development of a more gentle and sensitive approach to horse training that came out of the cowboy culture in the Pacific Northwest. We also talk about his latest book, "Natural Horsemanship Explained," in which he examines from a scientific point of view why the "natural horsemanship" approach works. Later in the interview we discuss Dr. Miller's interest in foal imprinting, and how some simple approaches and techniques used within the first hours of birth can pay off throughout the entire life of the horse. Finally, we conclude the interview with a talk about yet another career of Dr. Miller's: cartoonist. His cartoons, under the signature RMM, have appeared in all types of publications, and have provided a unique insight into practice of veterinarians and lifetime dealing with animals.

Hi everyone, I'm Duffer Schultz, and this is Behavior Talk. We're continuing our four-part series of podcasts from the 2008 Association of Pet Dog Trainers Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, and the one-day symposium, "Play in Our Dogs' Lives." Our guest today is Dr. Karen London. She is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Certified Pet Dog Trainer and writer who specializes in the evaluation and treatment of serious behavioral problems, including aggression, in dogs. She writes for numerous publications, including the BARk Magazine. At the 2008 APDT Conference she gave two presentations, one on using Play to Treat Aggression Related Behavior Problems, and one on applying Dog Training to our Relationships with People. We started our conversation discussing "play," which Dr. London considers highly underutilized in managing behavior issues. We talked about what factors make for an effective protocol, and the connection between play and emotions. The second part of our interview covers the notion that because of their special training and expertise, dog trainers can have unique qualities that can translate to their dealings with other people in all aspects of their life. She talks about which dog training skills are particularly applicable, and how to use them. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy these podcasts, please be sure to tell your colleagues and associates. And check out our website, ABRIonline.org, for all our episodes, along with many videos, articles, and other resources.

Let's talk about play! At the 2008 Association of Pet Dog Trainers Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, they devoted a whole one-day symposium to the topic. And we're going to take a look at play throughout the next for episodes of Behavior Talk. When it comes to discussing play in all its forms, there may be no better authority than Ian Dunbar. Acclaimed throughout the dog behavior world as an author, speaker, and inspirational leader, Ian founded the APDT 16 years ago, and continues to be a powerful force in the industry. His latest venture is Dog Star Daily, a website and on-line community he runs with his wife Kelly. While at the APDT Conference, I was able to lure Ian away for a few minutes to have this conversation. We discussed the recent history of dog training, including the growing understanding and use of play as an effective tool in managing behavior. We also talked about what's new at Dog Star Daily, and then he gave me his predictions for the two trends that will guide dog training in the next five years. Thanks for listening. If you're a fan of these podcasts, visit the iTunes store and leave a comment. Or you can email me at duffer@ABRIonline.org. And check out our website for free videos, articles, podcasts and more.

Dr. Kelly Moffat is a board-certified animal behaviorist in Mesa, Arizona. She took a few minutes from a recent conference to tell me more about her practice, and some of the typical behavior cases she sees. She also talked about diagnosing aggression problems, and how veterinarians can better distinguish between good and bad information about animal behavior. Finally, we also talked about the value of early learning and socialization.

Dr. Alice Vilalobos is a veterinarian, author, and the immediate Past President of the American Association of Human Animal Bond Veterinarians. She's also the author of "Canine and Feline Geriatric Oncology: Honoring the Human Animal Bond." We talked about her book at the North American Veterinary Conference, where she introduced me to the concept of Pawspice -- comprehensive end of life care for animals. She also talked about her HHHMM Quality of Life Scale, with the acronym standing for Hurt, Hunger, Hydration, Happiness, Mobility, and More good days than bad. We also talked about emotions and attachment in older pets, and some of the special behavior issues that can be found in animals toward the end of life.

This episode's conversation is with Dr. Patrick Melese, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, and the director of Veterinary Behavior Consultants in San Diego, California. He delivered a symposium on behavior case managements sponsored by Lilly at the 2008 North American Veterinary Conference. Right after that session, and while the conference crew was setting up for the next meeting, he talked to me about his symposium. We talked about what every veterinarian should know about behavior, how to find good information about behavior, and how to establish positive working relationships with other companion animal professionals.

Dr. Terry Curtis is a clinical behaviorist at the University of Florida. This conversation was recorded during the 2007 North American Veterinary Conference where she was leading two master classes.

In this episode, Dr. John Ciribassi talks reviews several of his recent cases, including a lab who rushes the door, and exhibits anxiety and fear induced aggression. He talks about dealing with fearful dogs, and evaluating them for possible treatment with pharmaceuticals. We also cover many other topics, including using response substitution as an alternative management technique to punishment; medical conditions that can contribute to behavior problems, the roles of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and trainers; and the future of treating behavior issues in a veterinary practice.

Why do dogs bark? And can we humans understand what dogs are trying to communicate? That's the focus of some recent research by Dr. Adam Miklosi, and ethologist from Budapest, Hungary. He delivered a talk in New Orleans at the joint conference of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. Right after his presentation, he sat down with me to go over some of his research findings, and to discuss what this might mean about the evolution of canine vocalization, and the implications for how we communicate with our animals.

Part of our special series of interviews from the North American Veterinary Conference.