Day 2
Saturday, February 12th
Click on a description for more information about the speaker.
Please note: All times are in PT (San Francisco, CA time!)

Are you a behavior consultant who would like to accept aggression cases but you’re not sure how to begin? Do you have concerns about safely managing both aggressive dogs and their people? Ever wonder about the particular stressors involved when working aggression cases? If you answered “Yes!” to any of these questions, this presentation is […]
The contributions from the science of behaviorism to the dog behavior profession cannot be overstated. Without a comprehensive understanding of the principles and mechanisms of learning theory, it is difficult for trainers to accurately understand or influence behavioral goals and challenges in pet dogs. Behaviorism must undoubtedly maintain a consistent seat at the table in […]
A high drive dog is the team mate that is always willing to step to the lane. This is what everyone “thinks” they want … and largely it is. However, for a dog that lives to work, how to you deal with the inevitable “Genie out the bottle”? More and more in dog sports, we […]
There is a complex connection between behavioral medicine and systemic conditions, whose interactions are clearly established. These conditions include those that affect the urinary, dermatological, neurologic, and gastrointestinal systems. It is important for all practitioners of animal behavior to take some interest in overall health. Pain and illness quite often contribute to anxiety, phobias, and […]
Care for our pets, including grooming and veterinary care, is such an important aspect of our pets’ lives. But grooming and veterinary visits can be stressful for many pets, as well as for their caregivers. More than a third of dog guardians and over half of cat guardians say their animals “hate” going to the […]
This webinar is to help owners of both pet and competition dogs get the best out of them, both in general day-to-day life and in competition and sports. We will be looking at delayed gratification vs. frustration tolerance. I will be breaking down drive, arousal and the management of it. Then we will delve into […]
Trauma can be an issue for the animals we train. It can be an issue for the people who care for them. Literature continues to emerge on positive reinforcement approaches to help animals move beyond past trauma and form trusting relationships. We will look at current concepts in medical care, both veterinary and human, to […]
Just five years ago, the popular magazine Scientific American published an article musing that animals shared similar mental capabilities as humans and, thus, might be capable of similar mental health disorders. The suggestion was that such a claim, that animals feel complicated things, was amusing and even comical. Yet, this realization might be scoffed at […]
My presentation will offer perspectives on olfaction within academia that are not commonly very well known in the applied world of olfaction. From experimental psychology we will discuss the distinction between detection and discrimination that defines methods and procedures, including models that could benefit the work done in medical detection and diagnosis. From ethology we […]
Lunch Time Panel Discussion (Via Facebook Live)
It’s All In How They’re Raised… (Or Is It?)
Hosted by Melissa Breau, with panelists Jessica Hekman, PhD., DVM, Kim Brophey, and Sharon Carroll.
This lunchtime discussion will be streamed via YouTube, free and publicly available, even to those not paying to attend the conference. Our panelists will discuss socialization and what it means to “properly” socialize a puppy or young dog.
Introducing dogs to other dogs is not just a consideration for a dog being added to a family. Dogs are welcome more places all the time such as breweries, restaurants, and festivals. This puts them in many situations and means they will closely encounter many new dogs in these “dog friendly” spaces, Additionally, the popularity […]
Desensitization (DS) is a popular topic in horse training social media circles. But as the wise Inigo Montoya once said. ‘You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means, TikTok-ers.’ As presented on social media, desensitization often involves exposing the horse to a feared stimulus at such an […]
Why did they do that?! Training dog agility requires one to wear many hats. Between our handling mechanics, obstacle training and arousal management, it can be difficult to step back and assess what happens when errors occur, much less how to fix it! In this webinar, a flowchart is presented to help handlers diagnose issues […]
Since 2007, when Control Unleashed: Creating a Focused and Confident Dog was first published, the science—and the art—of Control Unleashed has been guiding handlers all over the world as they help their “dogs with issues” learn how to relax, focus, and work off-leash reliably in stimulating or stressful situations. Whether you’re training a challenging dog […]
In many ways, dog training has moved in a wonderful direction that allows dogs to make more choices, and be empowered to “behave” in their training environments. The “strict heel” position during walks has been shifting towards a focus on enrichment. There is less concentration on the “place” behavior in favor of allowing a dog […]
Teaching your dog to hold an object can be very challenging. It’s even more challenging if you plan on turning that hold into a competition retrieve in the future. In the past, the predominant methods in achieving this goal have not left much room for choice by the dog. Join Sara as she discusses teaching […]
Reactive dogs tend to be intelligent, energetic & vigilant and as such they need structure, both physical and mental activity and a good relationship with their handler based on mutual trust and respect. Because reactive dogs are sensitive, it is my belief that a large percentage of the time you actively spend with your dog […]
Chrissi and Marco have been digging into the formal studies done on the behaviors, land use patterns, and population dynamics of free-roaming dogs in different parts of the world. They will illustrate the research findings with videos, pictures, and stories of the dogs in their own neighborhoods: Marco lives in the beach town of Sayulita […]
Ever feel envy when you watch an obedience/rally/Schutzhund/etc. … trial performance and the dog executes perfect skills for the WHOLE routine? No treats in the handler’s pocket, no toy in their hand, but the dog is certainly acting like there is! Meanwhile you’ve got a bait bag on one hip, cookies in one hand, and […]