Using Pets to Help Children
Eric Goebelbecker on June 15, 2011
Last week, for the Animal Cafe podcast, I interviewed IAABC Certified Member Dr. Risë Van Fleet.
I spoke to Risë about pet play therapy and how dogs (and other pets too!) can be used to help children work through various problems and communicate better with adults. For example, how can you use targeting a child that is afraid of the dark?
Here is the podcast interview:
Dr. Van Fleet has a very active Facebook group that you can join, as well as the Playful Pooch fan page where you can find news and articles about pet play therapy. Kirrie has some notes on her own over here on Facebook!
Risë also provided me with this video, showing some work with children, and how training figures into some of the therapy:
Risë VanFleet, Ph.D., RPT-S is a licensed psychologist and registered play therapist-supervisor with 35 years of clinical and leadership experience in a variety of settings. She is the president of the Family Enhancement & Play Therapy Center, Inc. in Boiling Springs, PA. She is the clinical consultant for the Beech Street Program. Dr. VanFleet is the founder of the International Collaborative on Play Therapy and a Past President/Board Chair of the Association for Play Therapy. She has authored several books on filial/family therapy, numerous chapters on play therapy, and is featured on 4 DVD workshops. Risë has trained thousands worldwide, and she has received 2 prestigious national awards for her work.
Ian and Kelly Dunbar Discuss Dog Training and Shelter Enrichment
Eric Goebelbecker on May 18, 2011
This week the IAABC Podcast has 2 very special guests: Ian and Kelly Dunbar!
Ian is currently touring the U.S. talking about Science-Based Dog Training (with Feeling), and I asked him a few questions about that talk, including what led to the content and the title. Kelly is working hard this year to promote and implement Open Paw, a humane education program she co-founded to help keep animals of shelters or, if need be, help make them more adoptable when they end up there. We discussed Open Paw shelters and how enrichment programs can be used to keep shelter dogs occupied and make them better adoption candidates.
You can find both Ian’s and Kelly’s blogs over at Dog Star Daily. For more information about Ian’s current seminars, click here. For more information on Open Paw, click here.
Jen Shryock explains the Dog and Baby Connection
Eric Goebelbecker on May 11, 2011
This week for the IAABC Podcast I am sharing an episode of Animal Cafe, in which I interviewed IAABC certified member Jen Shryock.
Jen is the founder of Dogs and Storks and tells us about her new project The Dog and Baby Connection.
Jen is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant who has been training and fostering dogs for over 15 years. Nine years ago Jen founded Family Paws and started offering her Dogs and Storks presentations after seeing a need for more information about children and dogs.
Since then Dogs and Storks has grown into a resource for trainers looking for information and resources about the intricacies of children and dogs and for families wanting to find trainers that have what they need. Jen is also active with the National Canine Research Counciland shares her home with Windsor, the NCRC “poster dog” for resident vs. family dogs. (See the link for details.)
In our talk Jen explains how she got started helping families with children and dogs with safety and socialization, and how the Dogs & Storks program has grown into an international resource for trainers and behavior consultants that have clients with dogs and children.
Some great examples of the resources Jen offers are the answers to questions you can find on the Dogs & Storks site such as Does my dog know I am pregnant? and the very well written pair of FAQs ( and here) on the Dog and Baby Connection website.
IAABC Podcast: Susan Smith of Raising Canine
Eric Goebelbecker on May 03, 2011
This week on the IAABC Podcast my guest is Susan Smith of Raising Canine
and Become a Professional Dog Trainer.
Susan has been online creating educational opportunities for experienced and new dog trainers alike for many years, including a new course for IAABC members interested in taking the Certified Behavior Consultant Canine exam.
We discuss how Susan became involved in educating trainers and some of the great new offerings already available and coming soon from Raising Canine.
Product Review: Behavior Adjustment Training for Fear & Aggression by Grisha Stewart
Laura Tyler on April 27, 2011
Grisha Stewart MA, CPDT-KA, CTP holds a Masters degree in Theoretical Mathematics from Bryn Mawr College. She is currently working on her second MA in Psychology predominantly in animal behavior. She also holds certification through the CCPDT (Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers) and is a Certified Training Partner with the Karen Pryor Academy. She owns and operates Ahimsa Dog Training in Seattle, Washington.
This first DVD by Grisha Stewart, Behavior Adjustment Training for Fear & Aggression, details both the reasoning behind the B.A.T. techniques and the systematic methods used to facilitate change in canine behavior. It is primarily directed toward fear and aggression although the techniques can be used to modify any type of “reactive” behavior.
Grisha’s lecture along with her short clip videos offers the viewer a systematic approach to changing their dog’s reaction to distressing stimuli in the environment. It also teaches the dog handler to observe body language and which communication signals to watch for to determine progress.
This method, so simple in theory, operates on the environment in which the reactivity occurs. As the skill of the handler improves the use of desensitization and counter conditioning to a more appropriate response, changes the emotional state in how the dog reacts to perceived threats in his everyday life.
Once the handler and dog have developed their own “rhythm” and are moving with no leash tension or prompting by the handler, the B.A.T. protocol can become a standard in their training toolbox. The beauty of this technique is that once it’s learned by the handler it can be used every day in all types of situations. You no longer need to “set up” the training sessions. You just use what is available in the environment on your daily walks with your dog. The patience and commitment to this systematic protocol can build an entirely different emotional response to formerly highly reactive situations. B.A.T. also serves to change the human’s reaction which highly influences the dog’s reaction to the stimuli. The human’s emotional response has also been modified.
At the time I bought this DVD, I was working with a dog that had real fear issues with people and dogs and almost everything else. I studied this DVD repeatedly until I could write up a protocol using Grisha’s DVD as guidance. Within several sessions over a couple of weeks I was able to handle a dog that previously did not want anyone near her. Since that breakthrough the dog has been to several group dog classes as an observer, relaxing quietly on her mat accepting treats from people walking by. She has a long way to go but I believe her progress was jump started by the use of the B.A.T protocol. I saw the light go on in her eyes when she realized she had some control in her environment. Grisha’s use of the term “Locus of Control” comes to mind in teaching this dog that she did have a choice.
Grisha’s latest in depth 5 hour Full Day Seminar DVD includes the full protocol in writing along with a chart to record each session. It now resides in my library as well.
Podcast: Joan Orr of Doggone Safe talks Bite Prevention
Eric Goebelbecker on April 12, 2011
Joan Orr, President of Doggone Safe, talks children, dogs, safety, and her 2011 Bite Prevention Week Challenge.
Join me in an online chat with Joan about on children, dogs and safety at Animal Cafe Wednesday night at 9:00PM Eastern.
Subscribe to the IAABC Podcast on iTunes!
Podcast Interview: Debbie Jacobs of Fearful Dogs
Eric Goebelbecker on March 23, 2011
For this week's podcast I interviewed Debbie Jacobs, author of "A Guide to Living With and Training a Fearful Dog" and the outstanding Fearful Dogs website. A great resource for trainers and pet dog owners alike.
Debbie will be at the IAABC book signing at the conference. We wil be hosting several authors at the conference, many of them IAABC members from a variety of species. Don't forget to stop by and pick up some great books!
Conference 2011 Speaker: Dr. Kathryn Wrubel
Eric Goebelbecker on March 16, 2011
Who are you? What do you do for a living?
I am an animal behavior specialist working for InTown Veterinary Group at the Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in Woburn and the Bulger Veterinary Hospital in North Andover, Massachusetts. I see cats and dogs for behavior consultations that have severe aggression and anxiety issues. Some of the issues I help clients with include: aggression towards people and other animals, separation anxiety, noise phobias, house soiling, marking, generalized anxiety, situational anxiety (car rides, slippery floors, vet visits), new baby acclimations, furniture scratching, excessive vocalization, cognitive dysfunction, and compulsive behavior. Most of my behavior consultations are for dogs that have bitten a person or another dog. I mostly see cats for inappropriate elimination and aggression to other cats or people in the household. I see clients and their pets at the hospitals I work at and also do home visits. I will be applying for certification as an Applied Animal Behaviorist through the Animal Behavior Society soon. I have an article coming out next month in a veterinary journal (JAVMA) on interdog household aggression that I will be submitting as part of my application.
How did you get started in animal behavior?
I have been working in the animal behavior field for over 14 years. I have a B.S. in behavioral psychology from Eastern Michigan University and a Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from the University of Texas at Austin. I was a postdoctoral fellow at the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine Animal Behavior Clinic for 2 years. I trained with Dr. Nicholas Dodman and Dr. Alice Moon-Fanelli there.
What do you enjoy the most about your work?
I never know what to expect and I get to see interesting cases and meet people from all walks of life. Keeping an animal in their home that came in to see me facing euthanasia is the most rewarding thing I do. I get to use my brain everyday (figuring out why the animals I see are doing what they are doing, and how to put a behavior modification plan in place that the owners will be compliant with and will work in their home). I am very lucky to work closely with veterinary specialists and general practice veterinarians whom I can consult with while I am working, which is such a great resource. We often work together on cases that have both medical and behavioral components.
What do you enjoy the least about your work?
Writing the individualized behavior modification plans! They are time-consuming and I have trouble sitting and writing for long periods of time. I am happy with what I produce for my clients but I find the writing process very boring.
What do you do when you are not working in animal behavior?
I have a lot of interests. I am a single mother of a 15 year-old daughter, Eve, that I enjoy spending time with. She is funny, entertaining, and a talented singer. I really like seeing live bands and I am finally learning how to play the drums- a dream of mine since middle school. I also enjoy indie movies, roller skating, and collecting kitsch from the 60’s and 70’s (mostly dog and cat paintings and figurines).
What do you think is the most important thing people need to know about their companion animals?
I think you need to teach clients about their pet’s individual personality, genetics, and why they are behaving the way they are, in order to help them to understand their pet a lot better and get them on board with the behavior plan. Teaching clients about feline and canine body language really helps them in working with their pet.
What do you think is the most important thing we should teach our companion animals?
Compassion and trust in us. You really can tell a lot about people by how they treat their animals.
What is your favorite aspect of animal behavior conferences?
Getting to meet other people that work with animals and love them as much as I do.
What was the last conference you attended? What kind of presentation do you prefer (live animals present, power point, whatever?)
I spoke about common feline behavior issues at the New England Federation of Humane Societies conference. I really like working with rescue groups and shelters and I do a lot of pro bono work for them, as well as staff and foster education. I am speaking next week at the Interdisciplinary Forum for Applied Animal Behavior meeting about a study I am doing with my colleague, Dr. Beth Innis, a veterinarian that practices Chinese Herbal medicine, investigating the effects of an herbal formula on anxiety issues in pets.
Tell us about your animals at home.
We have an 8 year-old laid-back Dobie/Shepherd mix named Jake, a 10 year-old neurotic Blue Heeler/Beagle mix named Phoenix, and a saucy white Chihuahua named Norton (imagine Mick Jagger in dog form). I also keep reptiles as pets, including a 35 year-old dwarf tortoise named Amy.
What would you most like to convey to behavior consultants and trainers?
I only advocate using positive-based training and behavior modification methods. Also, it is important to work with the people, as well as the pets in the home, in order to resolve behavior issues. You have to connect with your human clients and to gain their trust and respect in order to be truly successful at what you do. It doesn’t matter what you can do with a dog or cat when you are alone with them- you have to be able to work with their family and teach them how to successfully work with their pet.
What would you most like to see in our work together?
I would like to see trainers, animal behavior consultants, certified applied animal behaviorists, and veterinary behaviorists working closely together, sharing information, and showing each other mutual respect. We all have a lot to learn from each other and sometimes it feels like there is a divide and competition between different groups.
What’s the strangest consultation you’ve ever had?
I have seen 2 cats in the last 12 months that would attack their owners when they took their pants off. I saw a Shiba Inu that humped their owner when they cooked chicken.
Photo Credit: Yukari*Podcast: Conference Speaker Dr. Sheila D’Arpino
Eric Goebelbecker on March 16, 2011
The Conference 2011 speaker interview series continues with Dr. Sheila D’Arpino of the Animal Rescue League of Boston. Dr. D’Arpino shares some great ideas about making dogs more adoptable and about the work being done at the Center for Shelter Dogs in Boston.
Guy Kawasaki Talks About Enchantment
Eric Goebelbecker on March 09, 2011
So much of what we do, in our roles as trainers, behavior consultants, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, animal welfare advocates and other animal-related jobs, involves changing hearts and minds. It may be as mundane as changing how someone deals with a cat on a sofa to as significant as an attitude toward breed specific legislation.
Whether we want to admit it or not, how we approach people that disagree with us has more impact on our success than whether we are right or wrong. The wrong approach, which is often our initial reflex when we fell strongly about something, frequently ends the discussion and closes off any further communication. The right approach can often open doors and build bridges with almost no effort.
For this reason, I found Guy Kawasaki’s “Enchantment,” an especially interesting and useful book.
Enchantment can occur in villages, stores, dealerships, offices, boardrooms, and on the Internet. It causes a voluntary change of hearts and minds and therefore actions. It is more than manipulating people to help you get your way. Enchantment transforms situations and relationships. It converts hostility into civility. It reshapes civility into affinity. It changes skeptics and cynics into believers.
Who couldn’t use that?
I interviewed Guy about his book for the IAABC podcast. We talked about how enchantment applies to our work, and Guy supplied from useful advice. Have a listen, and pick up the book.
Here is the podcast:
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