Pet Professional Guild Australia upcoming events

"See Snake & Run" program (Wednesday, December 13, 2017)

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 08:30:00 GMT

Presented by Vicki Cleaver

The impetus for this program was borne 18 months ago, when one of Vicki's dogs luckily escaped an encounter with a Tiger Snake. Vicki lives on a rural property which is in a high snake prone area. In fact, all three venomous snakes in Tasmania, Tiger Snake, Copperhead and White Lipped Snake (Whip Snake) reside on her property.

Since then she has undertaken research around the world and talked to others who are considering or are in the process of establishing positive snake avoidance programs.

Whilst this program is a work in progress, Vicki believes it is critical that if she can provide education to others then it may save many dogs from being bitten by snakes.

Learning Objectives

This webinar is about teaching a dog that the smell and sight of a snake is to be avoided and to move away (run) away from the snake. It will include the training steps for the dog to alert to a human (if present) as well as teach strategies for when the dog is home alone.

Safety, prevention and management strategies
Train dogs, without the use of force, to respond to the smell and sight of a snake as a cue for training alternative fluent behaviours
Present a pilot training model including pre-requisite behaviours

The session will include videos of pilot program.

About The Presenter

Vicki Cleaver is a relatively new trainer in the dog training industry and is the owner/operator of CleverPawzOz Dog Training, and Labradoodles Bailey and Mollie. She has a strong background in vocational education and training of 26 years, and combined with her passion for dogs, embarked on a career change in 2014. The impetus for her career change was because of her own reactive dogs that sought her to seek out strategies and guidance from Veterinary Behaviourists and multiple professional dog behaviour specialists. In the process this also taught Vicki about the importance of relationship building, trust and the human bond that she now passionately wants to help others with what she has learned. To this end, Vicki is committed to learning as much about behaviour as she can and pro-actively attends conferences, workshops and courses in order to broaden her skill base and educate her clients.

Vicki's Qualifications include (but are not limited to):

Distinction in Animal Training & Behaviour - Karen Pryor Academy

Accredited Puppy Start Right Program Instructor - Karen Pryor Academy

K9 Nose Works Instructor's course (current)

Pet Dog Ambassador (PDA) Instructor/Assessor - Pet Professional Guild (2016)

Certificate IV in Training & Assessment

Bachelor of Vocational Education (BAVE)

Diploma of Training & Assessment

The Top Ten Most Important Dog Training Knowledge Concepts You Need Your Clients To Understand (Thursday, January 17, 2019)

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 17:00:00 GMT

Helping Clients Get It Right! with Niki Tudge

CEUs: PPAB 2, IAABC 2

Registered for the live event, get busy and cannot make it!

No worries you will automatically receive a recording!

As professional dog trainers and behavior consultants, we know that training a dog requires a combination of knowledge and mechanical skills; after all, dog training is a hands-on project. We also recognize that there are several ways to train a dog, lots of different methods, and many conflicting and varied philosophies about how training should be approached. So, let’s learn the important concepts that can help us to help our clients in a fun and easy way.

In this webinar we will review what we believe are the Top Ten Knowledge Concepts that as professional trainers we need to transfer to our clients in support of, and as a foundation to the key skills we teach them.

Key Topics Covered

1.     How to help clients make the best decision in choosing a dog trainer. We know that training a dog requires a combination of knowledge and mechanical skills; after all, dog training is a hands-on project.
2.     How your skill training programs can be supported with the necessary concept knowledge to help you help your clients train their dogs
3.     How to communicate to clients why we use +R training methods amongst all the conflicting and varied philosophies out there
4.     Learn how to make it easy for your clients to choose you as a professional dog trainer, these 10 recordings can be used on your website, social media or in emails to promote the Top-Ten Knowledge Concepts.
5.     Learn how these concepts can also be used to support lesson plans, homework emails and the transfer of important knowledge.
6.     How the supportive eBook can be used to promote your services and your philosophy to potential clients and those who have signed up for class

With registration of this webinar you will receive a code to download the following:

1 x 24 page eBook detailing each concept. This can be used on your website or forwarded to your clients
1 x PDF of the full color PowerPoint slides
10 Individual Video Files

These are your ten individual short video files. They are not branded and can be used however you need in support of your training programs and business growth

#1 Your Best Decision

#2 +R Rocks

#3 “No!” isn’t a Behavior.

#4 Management for Success

#5 You’ve Got It

#6 Your Training Gear

#7 The Training Steps

#8 What Will You Name It?

#9 Train-Test-Train

#10 Practice Makes Perfect!

About Your Presenter

Niki Tudge M.B.A, PCBC-A, CDBC, CDT

Niki is a certified in dog and people training and has spent the last 18 years teaching dogs and people across many disciplines. Niki is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt which gives her a unique perspective to training and teaching people. To ensure each person learns and effectively trains their dog, Niki uses her skills and experience as a Six Sigma Black Belt working in data analysis to baseline, monitor, chart and analyze the training process and its results. Data and statistics are used to baseline, track and improve changes in behavior and processes. When these skills are collectively grouped together it makes for a very fun, scientific and strategic approach to training and behavior change.
Niki is the President and Founder of The Pet Professional Guild, DogNostics Career Center and The DogSmith, Dog Training and Pet Care Licensing. Niki also serves as the President for Doggone safe.

Feline Psychology & Behaviour (Wednesday, March 20, 2019)

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 08:30:00 GMT

Dr Eleanor Parker

Photo by Kari Shea on Unsplash

This webinar will be a roller-coaster ride through the basics of feline psychology and behaviour. Normal and abnormal cat behaviour will be discussed with an emphasis on how to read body language and recognize signs of fear and anxiety. Common behavioural problems and diagnoses will be covered.
We will focus on how to live harmoniously with our domestic cats and provide for their needs to ensure they live optimal, happy and healthy lives. Recommendations for addressing behavioural problems in cats via multi-modal, scientific and ethical interventions will be a core component.

Learning Objectives

The aim of this webinar is to provide education and practically applicable information on the basics of feline behaviour and psychology with emphasis on feline behavioural needs and common pathologies such as fear and anxiety.

About The Presenter

Dr Eleanor Parker
BSc MVMS (Hons) MANZCVS (Veterinary Behaviour)

Elle graduated from Murdoch University in Western Australia in 2010.
After first working in emergency and critical care, she then moved to general practice.
Having always been fascinated by both human psychology and animal behaviour, she quickly found her niche in the blossoming field of veterinary behaviour. She is grateful that she has been able to combine her two great loves of psychology and animals to enthusiastically follow a unique and rewarding career path.

Elle undertook further study in the field of veterinary behaviour through the University of Sydney and then gained membership through examination to the Australia and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists in 2016.

She is most passionate about improving animal welfare and the human-animal bond through increasing education and understanding of our pets.

She now lives in Adelaide South Australia where she consults as part of the team at Adelaide Vet as well as running her private business "Pawly Understood.

Her guiding words are: "Compassion, communication, co-operation, co-habitation"

Co-operative Care Training for Vet Visits (Thursday, May 23, 2019)

Thu, 23 May 2019 09:30:00 GMT

Presented by Louise Ginman

Photo by Ivan Rojas Urrea on Unsplash

Do you dread visits to the vets because you know how much your dog or cat hates to be poked and prodded? Do you get stressed just thinking about having to restrain your pet for any kind of examination or treatment? If so, this presentation is vital for you – and your dog or cat will love you even more for attending it.

Vet visits used to be stressful for our animals as they were restrained for all procedures large and small. Having your freedom of movement taken from you when you feel uneasy or unsure can increase your stress levels. This is exactly what we do to our pets every time we go to the vets. That's why I love co operative care training for vet visits. Co operative care is all about giving choice back to our animals. You are going to learn skills that will change the way you handle your dog or cat. This presentation will explore the world of co operative care behaviours that are essential for vet visits. You will also learn about setting up the perfect consult and anaesthetic while also exploring new business opportunities.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

Gain an understanding of co operative care behaviours - what are they and why use them
Learn about the essential behaviours and how to teach them
How to set up the perfect consult for your pet
How to set up the perfect anaesthetic for your pet
Learn how to work with the stressed/fearful pets
Vets and professional trainers working together
See new business opportunities – co operative care classes for dogs and cats

About The Presenter

Louise Ginman PCT-A is a Delta Accredited and Professional Canine Trainer – Accredited Dog Behavioural Trainer who runs a dog training business ‘Positive Dogs’ in Sydney, Australia. She has served on APDT Australia committee since 2008 and been President since 2012. Louise also serves on the PPG Australia committee.

Louise has several qualifications including a Bachelor of Science Degree and Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services. Louise has over 26 years’ experience with both domestic and exotic species in both a training and husbandry/management capacity. Louise worked as a veterinary nurse, dog and cat groomer and animal attendant in a busy and large practice in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney for several years before moving to Taronga Zoo in 1994 to work on the Carnivore Unit where she is the Unit Supervisor. Her role is varied and covers duties such as carnivore husbandry and management, animal training and enrichment, diets and nutrition, staff training and supervision, media work, conference presentations and other forms of public speaking, research, education and conservation work.

Louise’s involvement with dogs and dog behaviour spans over 26 years. She currently is guardian of a Shetland Sheepdog and Siberian Husky and competes at both agility, Rally O and obedience. Louise is author of ‘The art of introducing dogs. A guide to conducting dog to dog introductions’ (Balboa Press, 2013). Dogs have always been Louise’s passion and she continues today to educate people about living in harmony with their dog through her writing and pet dog training courses.

Decoding Animal Morality (Monday, June 17, 2019)

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 09:30:00 GMT

Harriet Alexander

Do animals have a sense of right and wrong? Do they understand fairness? How can we tell and how does this impact on behaviour, particularly for dogs?

During this webinar Harriet will be exploring these questions and discussing how current understandings of morality shape our interactions, thoughts and behaviour towards animals. She will examine research which aims to understand how animals see the world and how they relate to one another. She will look at social rules that govern interactions between animals, particularly dogs.

Join us to find out more about this fascinating topic and reflect on how we relate to both the human and non-human world around us.

Learning Objectives

Understand different definitions of morality and how they relate to animals and humans
Examine research that explores animal morality and emotions
Explore ethical questions relating to our treatment of animals and obligations towards them
Discuss canine communication and the ways in which dogs use social codes with each other and with humans

About The Presenter

Harriet Alexander is a dog behaviour consultant based in Melbourne, Australia. She spent six years living and working in London, and was fortunate to learn from some of her dog training heroes, including Winkie Spiers, Turid Rugaas and Anne-Lill Kvam. She is the founder of All Dogs Are Good (www.alldogsaregood.com), a platform which aims to make education about dogs accessible and engaging for everyone. She also worked at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, one of the oldest rescues in the world that cares for over 7,000 animals each year. She belongs to a number of a professional organisations and is passionate about connecting with the global community of dog lovers and finding new ways to explore the canine-human history and bond.

Games to Play in Class (Wednesday, June 26, 2019)

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 09:30:00 GMT

Presented by Jude Tuttleby

Are you wanting some ideas of games to play in group classes? Maybe it's a game to make skills practice more interesting, or perhaps its a novel way of presenting a skill for Graduation. Or maybe its something your clients to practice at home as 'homework' to make practice more fun.

This webinar is aimed at offering some ideas of games or novel presentations of skills to make class more engaging. With games aimed at basic skill levels, they can also be adapted for those in more advanced classes.

Learning Objectives

Learn how to provide more interesting classes with games:
- Present skills learning in novel ways;
- Make basic skills more exciting;
- Adapt the games for more advanced classes;

About The Presenter

Cat in a Box: Litter Tray Problems & Solutions (Wednesday, August 14, 2019)

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 09:30:00 GMT

Dr Jen Nesbitt-Hawes

Photo by Alicja Koczaska on Unsplash

Toileting outside of the litter box is one of the most common problems encountered in cat behaviour consulting. It’s a serious issue as it results in conflict, breakdown of the human-cat bond, rehoming and even euthanasia. You can make vast improvements to the lives of your clients and their feline friends by helping solve house-soiling problems.

Dr Jen will examine the various causes of this problem, environmental, social, and medical and will then outline a strategic approach for the detective work required to get to the bottom of the issue. What do cats prefer when it comes to litter trays, and do all cats agree? (Hint: no, they do not.) Would a cat ever subtly harass another cat to the point where the companion started having to think ‘out of the box’? (Hint: certainly.) What medical conditions could impact a cat's litter tray usage? (Hint: many.)

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

Gain an understanding of what cats prefer when it comes to litter boxes.
Establish a process for identifying and resolving common litter box problems.
Gain an overview of medical conditions that must be ruled out when tackling house soiling problems in cats

About The Presenter

Dr Jen Nesbitt-Hawes graduated as a veterinarian from Sydney University in 2001 with a strong interest in animal behaviour. She completed the CVE course in Veterinary Behaviour in 2003. A brief detour to Africa led her to complete a Masters in wildlife medicine. Her thesis involved catching urine and faeces from released captive orangutans in Sumatra (where she quickly discovered that it’s not the orangutan you are watching who is most likely to be aiming in your general direction).

Dr Jen returned to Australia to work in general practice, mainly with small animals, and susscessfully gained Membership of the ANZCVS Veterinary Behaviour Chapter in 2014. She served as Chapter President from 2016 to 2018.

Dr Jen currently runs Pet Perspective- a Veterinary Behaviour practice focusing on behaviour education. She has been involved with:
presenting online for the Australian Veterinary Behaviour Interest Group.
moderating a Facebook page for veterinarians interested in behaviour.
running reactive dog classes on the Central Coast of NSW.

Collaborative Care - For All Animals in Human Care (Thursday, October 31, 2019)

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 08:00:00 GMT

Presented by Dr Kat Gregory

Collaborative Care - For All Animals in Human Care

A vital aspect of living alongside any animal is to facilitate each individual to be an active voluntary participant in their own care. What is useful to teach? How is it taught? When should you begin? Who and what should be part of the training?
When the animal's needs are more immediate -some medications may help too.
The animal (learner), their "guardian", and veterinary professionals can all collaborate for the best outcomes in animal care and welfare.

Learning Objectives

To appreciate that all trainers should facilitate the animals in their care to learn at least some basic foundation behaviours to support their animals when veterinary care is needed.
To appreciate how much can be achieved to improve animal welfare if time and effort is given to training these behaviours.
The behaviours required are simple - and the benefits of teaching animals that calm stillness can be positive, that novelty is not scary, and that human's can be trusted - ripple far beyond the vet clinic or hospital.

About The Presenter

Dr Kat Gregory

Dr Kat Gregory initially trained as a vet – working a large part of her career in emergency, critical care and anaesthesia. She is now primarily a consultant in applied animal behaviour & training.
Over the past 20+ years she has worked with people’s pets, but particularly in the zoo and aquarium industry, locally and internationally, to facilitate the creation of positive resolutions to a diverse range of problems and challenges in animal behaviour and training. She has a large focus on cooperative proactive veterinary care, in which the animal is a confident voluntary participant.
A collaborative approach is key – and is facilitated by her unique understanding of the combined needs & goals of veterinary teams and keeper/training staff. Katrina has been privileged to work (perhaps) every species of which any child has ever dreamt (elephants, falcons & parrots to seals dolphins, sharks, cheetahs, lions and more) and the humans who passionately care for them.

“Good training”- it’s not just about “perfect” behaviour, the goal is to nurture reliability and confidence, and ultimately a positive resilience in the human- animal relationship. Resilient relationships, based on mutual trust, pay off most, when life doesn’t go quite as planned. In her opinion ethical animal care, welfare and conservation must continue to evolve and improve – Education is the key.

Dr Kat Gregory BVSc.MANZCVSc.(animal behaviour; anaesthesia & critical care)

Low Stress Farming (Thursday, October 31, 2019)

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 08:30:00 GMT

Presented by Josephine Atkins

Low Stress Farming

Farm management and training of domestic farm animals can be done with the least invasive intrusive, minimally aversive techniques using positive reinforcement as the basis for teaching.

Understanding species ethology and specific ethograms will help to minimise stress in management and improve safety in training for both the human and the animal.

The use of appropriate equipment for handling and training of specific behaviours & essential husbandry requirements is essential for the well being of farm animals.

Learning Objectives

· Understand the definitions of:

LOW STRESS,

LIMA,

ETHOLOGY

ETHOGRAMS

DOMESTICATION (and how this term is irrelevant to the “taming” and training of any species- all individuals deserve to be understood in their own right

· Brief over view of the following species’ ethograms that can make handling and training more challenging: Sheep, cattle, horses, chickens

· How understanding the ethogram of a species helps us to create environments that lessen stress and create calmer, happier animals

· Farm infrastructure and what works to aid in all of the above

· To gain some understanding of how to use Operant & Classical Conditioning with large animals in respect to having singular animals or a herd of animals

· The farm dog, another “set of hands”. Training of your dog and alternatives to using a dog to help muster/ herd stock.

· Why choose low stress farming practices

· What this talk is not going to discuss: the ethics of producing animals for food

About The Presenter

Josephine Atkins

Jo grew up on a mixed farm in Northern Tasmania.Weekends and holidays were very hands, on with herself and two sisters tagging along after their dad, herding and milking cows and all that accompanied work on a dairy farm. Hay carting, cleaning the dairy, moving irrigation, feeding out and tending to the calves on a daily basis during calving season.

The farm diversified into keeping pigs, and there were many pet pigs over the years along side tame dairy cows and pet sheep.

Even though it was a serious farming enterprise the girls were able to form relationships with many of the animals including their horses, the farm dogs and the feral cats that made their way to the sanctuary that was the huge hay shed on the farm.

Once leaving home to study Art at university, Jo moved her horses with her into the city and bought home her first real pet dog.

Skip forward to today and Jo and her new family have an 87 acre farm in Southern Tasmanian’s Huon Valley in Wattle Grove.

The farm is home to horses, Speckle Park cattle, some sheep including four pet ones & chickens.

Over the past ten years there has been a move towards making a conscious effort to manage and handle the farm animals in ways to minimise stress to the animals.

Gentle handling and management techniques are integral to the farms success.

When individual animals require teaching skills positive reinforcement is employed.

The farms’ horses are trained with the principles of Force Free training and live out doors all year in a herd of five.

Formal qualifications of a certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing and a certificate IV in Companion Animal Services have helped give Jo an insight into how her goals can be attained.

Learning and studying further to help humans and animals live along side each other is so important to make all lives worth living.

The Behaviour Of Posture (Thursday, January 23, 2020)

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 08:00:00 GMT

Presented by Dr Jaime Jackson

The Behaviour Of Posture

This webinar is for anyone who comes into contact with dogs in a personal or professional setting. This is an important information session for anyone who is involved in assessing behaviour and during training for high level activities such as sports, assistance dog training and even a regular game of fetch. Good posture reduces the risk of injury. It improves precision and endurance. It allows us to assess fatigue levels and your pets physical health on a daily basis.

We will begin by looking at posture as a behaviour that reflects the external environment, the internal environment and learning history. There are predictable patterns to external stimuli that can help us identify an animals strengths and weaknesses. We can use the dogs response to stimuli to determine if there may be underlying conditions that should be assessed by a Veterinarian prior to continuing training. Once we have the all clear by the Veterinarian we can start to modify the external environment to encourage good posture from young dogs through to our more mature animals.

Learning Objectives

Identify Posture as behaviour in response to the internal and external environment.
Identify normal posture.
identify posture that is not normal and should be investigated further
Create changes in the environment to improve posture after the dog has been cleared by a veterinarian.

About The Presenter

Dr Jaime Jackson

Dr Jaime Jackson BVSc CCRT is a Veterinarian who has done advanced training in Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. She has explored both the Veterinary and the Animal Physiotherapy perspective across the globe. The highlights have been visiting the Veterinary Rehabilitation and Sports medicine clinics: VOSM, and PUPrehab the University of Georgia in the USA, Uppsala University in Sweden, and Eläinsairaala Evidensia Hattulain in Finland.

For over five years Jaime has been practicing Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation exclusively. To meet the growing demands for high quality, science based practice she has been traveling across Australia and Internationally for private consults and seminars. Jaime has also been involved in education of Veterinarians and other industry leaders to improve patient outcomes in many different clinics.
The passion for Veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation evolved during Jaimes experiences in the world of competitive dog sports. With her Australian Kelpies and Finnish Lapphunds they have successfully competed in Agility, Flyball, Herding, Obedience, Rally, Conformation Showing and Tracking.
Jaime believes strongly in addressing the mental health needs of pets while meeting their physical needs. She was one of the first group of Australian Veterinarians to complete the Fear Free qualification to ensure the highest standards are met during every consult.
There is never just one path to reach your pets optimal health. Jaime tailors each program to fit in with your pets physical and emotional needs and also you their owners needs and abilities.

Qualifications of presenter:

Bachelor of Veterinary Science- University of Sydney
Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist- Canine Rehabilitation Institute.
Fear Free Certified Practitioner- Fear Free LLC
Certificate in Canine Myofunctional Therapy- National college of Traditional Medicine
Certificate in Nutrition in Canine Rehabilitation- Canine Rehabilitation Institute.

Reinforcement - What is it? (Wednesday, March 04, 2020)

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 08:00:00 GMT

Presented by Jude Tuttleby

Aimed as an introduction for pet owners to explain why we use Positive reinforcement, what reinforcement is and how we can use many different types of reinforcement in working / living with our pets.

Learning Objectives

To provide pet owners with an understanding of:

- What is positive reinforcement

- Why we use this

- Food as a reinforcement

- Play as a reinforcement

- Other options for reinforcement

About The Presenter

Having worked as a Dog Trainer since 2008, I am the owner operator of Life Lessons On Leash dog training.

I currently hold a Cert IV in Companion Animal Services, am a Fear Free Certified Professional, a Pet Dog Ambassador Trainer & Assessor, as well as Professional member of both the Pet Professional Guild Australia (PPGA) and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers Australia (APDTA).

Puppy socialisation and life skills (Friday, March 27, 2020)

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Presented by Barbara Hodel, Dip.CBST, MDI (CPDT)

Puppy socialisation and socialisation in general is one of the buzz words in dog training these days. But what does it mean? Are socialisation and life skills really the same?

This webinar is aimed at trainers running puppy pre school classes and humans who are looking for a puppy pre school for their new puppy.

Learning Objectives

Define socialisation and life skills.
Explain the critical socialisation periods in puppies, including fear phases.
Describe what do puppies need to be socialised to and what do they need to learn.
How does a good puppy pre school curriculum look?
As a new puppy parent, how do you chose a puppy class?
Play and interaction with other puppies - the good, the bad and the ugly.
Is play important and what are the benefits?

About The Presenter

Barbara Hodel

In 2015 I completed my Diploma in Canine Behaviour Science and Technology at the Companion Animal Sciences Institute in Canada. But I have been involved in dog training for the last 20 years and completed a Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services as a Delta-accredited instructor in 2007. I have been running Goodog Positive Dog Training on the Northern Beaches Sydney for the last 13 years, running classes on all levels as well as workshops and agility fun classes. We also do in home consultations.

I compete on master level in Agility and Rally O with Shellbe my 7 year old German Shorthaired Pointer. My young dog Chillax is just starting out and has gained his Rally Novice title in 2019 but he is still a real teenager.

I am the president of the Pet Professional Guild Australia.

I am a registered breeder with Dogs NSW.

I had a life before dogs and hold a Master's Degree in Modern European History and Economics from the University of Bern (Switzerland) and a MBA (Master of Business Administration) from Southern Cross University Australia. I have in-depth experience in adult education and training, having taught high school and university students in Bern, college students in Sydney, as well as middle and top management employees of a large public corporation in Switzerland.

Assessing Dogs for Therapy Work (Thursday, April 30, 2020)

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Presented by Hilary Paull

In this webinar I will talk about assessing dogs for working in a therapy setting. There are three main zones that an assessor will be concentrating on, training, temperament and the handler. Yes, it’s not all about the dog, the work they are doing involves the handler as well, it’s a team. You have limited time during an assessment, so you must hone your skills to read dogs and people.

We will also talk about the application process and requirement of the dog assessor. It may not pay well or be a large part of the dog trainers work, but its rewarding in such that the ones that pass go on to help so many. As a trainer it will develop your skill set

Learning Objectives

What is required of a therapy dog assessor

How you can help

What is a therapy dog

Assessment...no crystal ball, but there is a process

Coping with failure...not yours

About The Presenter

Hillary Paull

K9 Potential

Long standing animal lover and professional dog trainer for 10 years Hilary has had many animals, dogs, cats, alpacas and cows, and gets the chance to train horses and birds at times. Hilary likes to challenge herself by taking on clients behaviourally difficult dogs. Currently therapy and service dog training is her other special interest, along with ongoing education and cooperative work relationships. Hilary is a dog assessor for Story dogs, and also serves on the panel to assess applications from trainers to be Story dog assessors. Hilary also has a history of volunteering with her own dogs in therapy setting.

Hilary’s professional qualifications and memberships include:

Diploma in Canine Behaviour Science and Technology (2019)
Certificate in Dog Training and Behaviour (2010) from the National Dog Trainers Federation
Fear Free Certified Trainer 2019
Dog assessor for Story dogs
MindDog preferred trainer
IAABC International association animal behaviour consultants
Member of Pet Professional Guild (PPG)
Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers
Member Behaviour Education Network (BEN USA)

Cultivating Calm Canines (Monday, May 25, 2020)

Mon, 25 May 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Presented by Cassandra Roland

A variety of behavioural issues stem from a dog's inability to calm or self-soothe. If we are not mindful, we could be conditioning and creating overstimulated dogs that have no idea how to be calm in the presence of people and other animals. Our dogs are not born knowing how to be calm. It is our responsibility as their guardians to help them learn to regulate their arousal and make better choices and appropriate outlets for their energy.

This seminar will equip you with the knowledge and skills to recognise what calm looks like and create a zen-like state in your dog.

Learning Objectives

Understanding calm body language in dogs

Understand stress signals in dogs

Developing activities to promote calm canines

About The Presenter

Cassandra Roland

Cassandra established Fur Get Me Not Dog Training in Brisbane driven by a commitment to positivity, quality, transparency, and service like none other. She has a special interest in working with dog’s with mental health concerns and assisting their guardians and other professionals to improve their dog’s wellbeing and live their best life.

Cassandra’s non-canine professional background was working in executive positions in the not-for-profit sector including in Mental Health. Now she happily works every day to improve the lives of the local canine community in Brisbane.

She is always continuing her studies and professional development as a behavioural trainer and travelling around the country to ensure she brings the most current and effective training methods to her clients. She is committed to modern positive reinforcement-based training only and believes this is the only effective method to get a well-mannered and happy dog. Cassandra has also been mentored by a leading Behavioural Vet to enhance her knowledge and skills in supporting dogs with mental health issues.

Cassandra’s professional qualifications and memberships include:

· Advanced Certificate in Canine Reactive Behaviour

· Certificate in Canine Anxiety

· Association of Pet Dog Trainers Australia

· Certificate IV in Training and Assessment

· Bachelor of Creative Industries

· Graduate Certificate in Marketing

· Certificate IV in Mental Health

· Diploma of Community Services Management

· Diploma of Drug and Alcohol

Understanding Livestock Guardian Dogs is Critical to their Success as Companion Dogs (Monday, June 22, 2020)

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Presented by Erin Williams

This webinar will focus on providing a better understanding of “Livestock Guardian Dogs” and it would be beneficial to professional dog trainers, daycare providers, Veterinarians, other clinical staff, shelter & rescue staff, as well as LGD owners in urban environments. With an increase in LGDs as pet/companion dogs, a high percentage of these dogs quickly end up in rescues, shelters or being euthanised unnecessarily, simply because they are misunderstood. These dogs are often referred to as “Primitive” breeds with a long and rich working history that dates back over 3,000 years ago and they are absolutely critical to the success of farming in many countries.

While every dog is ‘a study of one’, understanding some of the more unique and ‘typical’ behavioural characteristics of these breeds, will increase your knowledge and confidence to assist novice LGD owners and their LGDs in suburban environments. We will look at the differences and similarities between these breeds and other breeds; the differences between working and non-working LGDs; aggression in these breeds; and how you need to adapt your programs in training, daycare, clinical, and shelter situations, to successfully integrate them into these challenging environments.

Learning Objectives

What is a Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD)

The behavioural characteristics of these breeds and how they differ

from other breeds

How we as professionals, can help them to better adapt to life in the suburbs including;

- Considerations for adapting your training programs to meet their needs

- Accommodating their needs in non-working suburban environments

including clinical care and daycare

Considerations for shelter and rescue staff in handling, managing and

assessing LGDs

About The Presenter

Erin Williams, CPDT MDI, specialises in Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGDs) in both working rural situations on farms and in urban environments as companion dogs. She is alarmed at the increasing number of LGDs in shelters and rescues, and the number that are euthanised or die unnecessarily. She sees an urgent need to address the lack of understanding about these unique breeds which is also putting their welfare at risk. She established her second business “Livestock Guardian Dogs Australia”, a first for Australia, to address this situation and to also provide robust education for rural practitioners to successfully implement an LGD strategy.

After studying Agriculture and working with dogs in various fields for 35+ years, Erin gained her CPDT qualification with the renowned Delta Institute in Australia. She is a Committee Member of APDT Australia and a Professional Member of PPG Australia. Her Maremma became an ambassador for the breed, after her successful transformation from a working LGD into a Therapy Dog with her story appearing in various media and included in Penguin’s publication “Dogs That Make A Difference.”

As an Administrator for the largest LGD Facebook Group, Erin and her colleagues, provided advice and support to around 28,000 Members worldwide. She is passionate about education and deepening her understanding of behaviour to assist the dogs that stand before her, to ensure they are living the instinctually satisfying lives for which they were bred.

Coping with COVID-19 - Resilience Toolkit for Pet Professionals (Thursday, July 30, 2020)

Thu, 30 Jul 2020 03:00:00 GMT

Dr Vanessa Rohlf

COVID-19 has brought with it not just a health crisis but also a social, economic, and mental health crisis as well. For Australians, already coping with the 2019/2020 bushfires, these truly are unprecedented and challenging times.

Some of you, who may have been feeling the effects of burnout well before COVID-19 may be feeling overwhelmed by these additional challenges. There may be others who have found the decrease in face to face business activities, that came with social distancing measures, a welcome relief. Still, there may be others who experience a range of positive and negative feelings in response to the pandemic or even feel a sense of numbness. In this webinar, we discuss stress reactions to COVID-19 including compassion fatigue. We will also cover science-backed ways to cope with stress, compassion fatigue, and uncertainty to build resilience.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this webinar, attendees will:

Understand the latest science exploring the mental health impacts of COVID-19

Understand the signs and symptoms of compassion fatigue (secondary trauma and burnout) in the context of COVID-19

Learn tools to promote your own mental health and resilience

About The Presenter

Dr Vanessa Rohlf, is a consultant, counsellor and educator to those who work with and care for animals. She has a PhD with a specialisation in psychology (human-animal interactions) and has blended her knowledge of human psychology and human-animal interactions in a number of previous roles over the last 20 years including veterinary nursing, psychology lecturer at Monash University, and animal welfare researcher at the Animal Welfare Science Centre, University of Melbourne. She is a certified compassion fatigue therapist and educator and has additional qualifications in mindfulness and animal bereavement.

Vanessa is a member of the Green Cross Academy of Traumatology, research fellow in the School of Psychology & Public Health at La Trobe University and regularly presents her work in peer-reviewed journal articles, as well as international and national conferences.

Vanessa works with a range of animal care industries including animal shelters, veterinary clinics, zoos, and research facilities. She also regularly provides individual counselling and support to companion animal owners and professional animal caregivers from a range of industries.

How to Love & Survive – Our Teenage Dogs (Monday, August 17, 2020)

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Presented by Barbara Hodel

Are you living with or training a young dog? Then you can probably relate to them being spooked by a man with a hat, disappearing in the distance chasing a rabbit, coming home to a loungeroom filled with white fluff or a dug-up back yard. The puppy has become a teenager – and it happened almost overnight – just when you thought all was going well!

As with humans, dogs need to go through the teenage phase to reach the stability of adulthood and there are biological reasons for a lot of the frustrating behaviours we see in teenage dogs. Understanding those reasons will help us in dealing with these challenges. To put it simply, during the adolescent period the brain is still under construction. Different parts of the brain mature at different rates and teenage dogs have a hard time making good decisions, exhibiting self-control, remembering their training and they are hyper-emotional. Overall, the teenage months are a challenging time for most dogs and their humans. It is also a time when some dogs are surrendered because we cannot deal with their emotional responses. Surprisingly, while there are countless articles and books on puppy raising, there is significantly less information available once the cute puppy becomes a ‘stroppy' teenager. It does not need to be like this. With good information on how to deal with the challenging teenage dog we should and can enjoy our teenage dogs.

Learning Objectives

Discuss why teenage dogs do what they do – their brain is still under construction
Explain why the relationship matters
Introduce the role of critical anthropomorphism for understanding teenage emotions
Define best practice training methods for teenage dogs
Redefine socialisation and why it is a lifelong process
Discuss the new job description for our dogs – Is calm just another behaviour?
Learn how to deal with the daily challenges

About The Presenter

I compete on master level in Agility and Rally O with Shellbe my 8 year old German Shorthaired Pointer. My young dog Chillax is just starting out and has gained his Rally Novice title in 2019 but he is still a real teenager.

I am the president of the Pet Professional Guild Australia and a registered breeder with Dogs NSW.

My first book: How to Love – And Survive – Our Teenage Dogs will be published in July 2020

Thinking INSIDE the box - the importance of enrichment and choice for cats (Thursday, September 24, 2020)

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 09:00:00 GMT

Presented by Andrea Carne

Unlike dogs, cats are often seen as independent, aloof animals who only tolerate humans, can look after themselves and don't need much looking after. Recent scientific studies turns that all on its head. Cats love their humans more than you think and how they live their lives with us dramatically affects their overall health and wellbeing.

I will show you how even small changes to a cat's environment and offering them some choice and control in that environment can have a big impact

Learning Objectives

Understand how offering enrichment and choice to cats can dramatically boost their health and well-being.

About The Presenter

Andrea Carne

I first became interested in the fascinating and complex world of cat behaviour when I was working as a vet nurse at an animal shelter. I wanted to learn more about the feline residents and how to make their environment better suited to their behavioural needs.

I have since completed numerous courses including a Cert IV in Companion Animal Services and a Feline Behaviour and Psychology Diploma (‘With Distinction’) and am currently completing further study through the International Society of Feline Medicine and Compass Education in the UK.

After many years using my knowledge to help cat owners through my work in a veterinary clinic, "Cattitude" was officially born in 2018 when I made the leap to go out on my own. My main aim is to work with cat owners to build better, more positive relationships with their feline family members. I offer private, in-home consultations to help find solutions to behavioural issues and support owners in creating harmonious, enriching home environments to share with their beloved cats.

Pet Quality of Life - their final years (Wednesday, October 21, 2020)

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 08:00:00 GMT

Pet Quality of Life - their final years
Presented by Nikki Catley

Pet loss and the grief it brings is so very real but it is often not really discussed or supported enough and can sometimes even be dismissed or not taken seriously. Yet those with pets, or those that have lost cherished pets certainly know differently.

As pet parents, understanding about our companions quality of life is so important. This webinar will help you look at your pet’s quality of life as they near the end of their life dance. It will help you to prepare and to recognise the stages of grief and cover the things that we often dismiss as a society. Understanding more about Quality of Life allows us to have a small amount of control in what otherwise feels like a helpless situation. We all know that no time is going to feel good about saying goodbye but a well planned and written last chapter is certainly very helpful with the healing process.

When we experience human loss we are devastated at their passing and then we grieve and make arrangements such a funeral with usually a wealth of support around us, but often with the passing of our pets, who we love just as dearly and deeply, and often for a very long time, we are just expected to get back on with life.

Nikki believes we should honor and celebrate their lives and most importantly recognise the grief that surrounds their passing.

Learning Objectives

Learn how to measure your pets Quality of Life

Recognise the stages of Grief including; shock, denial, guilt, anger, re-adjustment and acceptance

Understand how having just a little bit of control of the situation can be so beneficial

About The Presenter

Nikki has worked in the veterinary industry for almost 25 years. She has been a qualified counsellor now for 15 years but it was about 10 years ago when she lost her fur baby that she felt incredibly alone in her grief and she realised she needed to promote the support and guidance she now offers to those feeling consumed by their grief.

She now helps many veterinary clinics in supporting their clients when they are looking at putting their pets to peace or helping them with their post loss grief. Pet loss and the grief it brings is real but is really not discussed or supported enough and l make it my mission to be there for anyone who needs me.

Tellington TTouch (Thursday, February 18, 2021)

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 08:00:00 GMT

Presented by Rosalynd Taber

Introduction to TTouch

You will see how TTouch bodywork is different from just patting or rubbing your dog. The benefits of TTouch bodywork can include lowering stress levels, promoting calm, and reducing tension in the body—and, therefore, improving posture and gait. These benefits often produce positive changes in behaviour as well.

Tellington TTouch Training is not limited to bodywork, TTouch includes movement exercises, loose-lead walking techniques, empowering animals to make choices using various equipment and set-ups, and other tools

Learning Objectives

* What are the Tellington TTouches

* How to do them

* Possible applications

About The Presenter

Ros has decades of experience in a broad range of Dog and Cat behaviours starting at the RSPCA, and continuing on to starting Pawsitive Connection in 2014. She has been a TTouch Practitioner for many years and brings that into every aspect of her work, both in private sessions and in a broad range of Dog Sports.

Dip FBST (CASI) CPDT-KA, Fun Scent games Instructor, TTouch Practitioner 1