Worry Less, Wag More: The Behavior Vets Podcast

In this episode, Jen Abrams tells us why we shouldn't lie to our dogs and how to repair the damage to the trust in the human-dog relationship. We discuss:

• Why anxiety needs information
• Long-term effects of lying to your dog
• Using clear communication and predictor cues
• How to repair the damage to your relationship after trust is broken

Jen's bio:
Jen Abrams is an Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (ACAAB) through the Animal Behavior Society, a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) and a licensed veterinary technician (LVT) with a masters degree (MA) in Animal Behavior & Conservation from Hunter College. She has an ongoing interest in canine cognition research and hopes to contribute to the field with future studies and data collection. 

Jen has been a Behavior Consultant with Behavior Vets since December 2020; prior to Behavior Vets she worked for nearly a decade with Animal Care Centers of NYC, New York City’s only open-admission, full-service animal shelter, in roles including Behavior Program Manager and Director of Animal Welfare. A committed New Yorker, Jen lives in Brooklyn and finds great value in helping dogs adjust to the difficult city environment, where everything is always a little too close and a little too fast and where a rush of stimuli hit you like a wall the moment you walk out your front door.

Click here for more about Jen Abrams

Links:
Maia Huff-Owen (CSAT)
Consent test petting video by Eileen Anderson

Webinars by Jen Abrams:
Easy DIY Food Enrichment
Confessions of a Dog Trainer: The Human Experience of Dealing with Behavior Challenges in Pets
They Said What?!?! A Guardian's Guide to Canine Body Language
Two Truths and a Lie: How More Truth Can Reduce Your Dog's Anxiety

Publications:
Trazodone as a mediator of transitional stress in a shelter: Effects on illness, length of stay, and outcome - ScienceDirect 

Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

Contact Behavior Vets

• tweet us @BehaviorVets
• follow us on Facebook
• follow us on Instagram
• Online courses
• Webinars and seminars

In this episode, Ursa Acree and I share our journeys to becoming dog trainers and some valuable insights learned along the way. We discuss:

• The value of good mentors
• Balancing animal and human needs
• Being a good communicator
• Honing your training skills with shelter dogs
• The Behavior Vets Practicum Program

Ursa's bio:
Ursa Acree is our Director of Training at Behavior Vets. She has run her own dog training company called Canis Major Training in Denver, CO and has many years of experience working with animal shelters, including being the Behavior Manager for the Kentucky Humane Society and Behavior Manager at the Dumb Friends League in CO. 

Links:
Behavior Vets Practicum Program
Pat Miller Peaceable Paws
Kathy Sdao Bright Spot Dog Training
Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution by Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger

Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

Contact Behavior Vets

• tweet us @BehaviorVets
• follow us on Facebook
• follow us on Instagram
• Online courses
• Webinars and seminars

In this episode, Taylor Kelly describes how increasing predictability in social situations for Stella, a fearful and anxious chocolate lab-beagle mix, along with traditional desensitization and counterconditioning techniques, helped Stella feel safer about meeting new people in her home. Listen to how Taylor helped Stella and her human mom incorporate predictable routines and creative predictor cues that reduced the uncertainty and panic of meeting new visitors in her home.

Taylor's bio:
Taylor Kelly, a Behavior Consultant at Behavior Vets, has an MA in Animal Behavior and Conservation from Hunter College and is a certified Fear Free Trainer. Before joining the Behavior Vets team as a behavior consultant, Taylor spent several years working at Animal Care Centers of NYC, the only open admissions shelter located in the city. Working as the canine behavior supervisor and then manager, she oversaw the canine enrichment program, conducted behavioral assessments and their basic training programs. Taylor also assisted in adoption of rabbits from the shelter, counseling and educating the public on rabbit ownership. Taylor began volunteering with Long Island Rabbit Rescue in 2013 where she adopted two of her rabbits, and has been dedicated to educating the public on both canine and rabbit behavior since then.

Click here for more about Taylor Kelly

Links:
Interested in learning more about the Treat/Retreat game that Taylor mentioned? Learn more about it here: Treat/Retreat Overview with Suzanne Clothier

Contact Behavior Vets

• tweet us @BehaviorVets
• follow us on Facebook
• follow us on Instagram
• Online courses
• Webinars and seminars

In this episode, Adele Shaw shares her journey in horse training and teaches us how to get started with low-stress husbandry for horses. We discuss:

• Adele's journey from traditional to reward-based training
• Letting go of perfection and accepting mistakes for better welfare
• Finding a supportive community
• The value of building trust with horses
• Low-stress husbandry exercises to start with

Adele's bio:
Adele Shaw (Certified Equine Behavior Consultant) is an internationally recognized horsemanship mentor, behavior consultant, and trainer focused on creating a positive relationship between horse and human through science-based training and care practices. Drawn to horses labeled as “trouble makers” and “lost causes” from an early age, Adele has always had a passion for understanding the “why” behind behavior and a deep desire to help horses find their way back to wellness. This holistic approach examines the horse’s environment, lifestyle, and physical and mental soundness to ensure that the horses are not simply surviving, but truly thriving in their life and relationship with their human caretakers. As a teacher, Adele is supportive and understanding of both horse and human, and tailors her lessons to provide the most personalized, accessible, and ethically minded coaching possible. Her approach goes beyond method: by offering flexible training and care systems, the wellbeing of the horse and the empowerment of the student always remain the primary goals.

In addition to her hands-on work with specialized rehabilitation cases at her ranch in Texas, Adele maintains an active role in the equestrian community through her clinics, online student programs, courses, blog, podcast, and social media outreach. As she connects with students across the globe, Adele remains dedicated to making information on behavior science, positive reinforcement, LIMA principles, the humane hierarchy, and species appropriate care practices accessible and achievable for every horse owner through The Willing Equine.

Janna Dewey's bio:
Janna works at Behavior Vets of Colorado as a Behavior Consultant and therapist, specializing in those having difficulty living or working with the animals in their lives. Janna earned a B.A. in Psychology and a Minor in Theatre from Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, FL. She also holds a Master’s in Counseling from Regis University and is also a Certified Equine Assisted Mental Health Practitioner through University of Denver. Janna is a Certified Professional Bird Trainer (CPBT-KA) through the International Avian Trainers Certification Board.

Links:
https://www.thewillingequine.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thewillingequine/
https://www.youtube.com/thewillingequine
https://www.tiktok.com/@thewillingequine
https://www.facebook.com/thewillingequine

Contact Behavior Vets

• tweet us @BehaviorVets
• follow us on Facebook
• follow us on Instagram
• Online courses
• Webinars and seminars

In this episode, Jen Abrams helps an unpredictable Bracco Italiano named Mars transform from exhibiting fear-based aggression to quiet relaxation. Mars and his devoted companion Emily had a rocky journey from Florida to Indiana before eventually landing in Brooklyn, NY. Immediately upon moving to Brooklyn, Emily found Behavior Vets and Jen through a referral by her vet. Listen to how Jen created a behavior plan that helped Mars find the confidence to navigate the city streets safely and make new friends. 

Jen's bio:
Jen Abrams is an Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (ACAAB) through the Animal Behavior Society, a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) and a licensed veterinary technician (LVT) with a masters degree (MA) in Animal Behavior & Conservation from Hunter College. She has an ongoing interest in canine cognition research and hopes to contribute to the field with future studies and data collection. 

Jen has been a Behavior Consultant with Behavior Vets since December 2020; prior to Behavior Vets she worked for nearly a decade with Animal Care Centers of NYC, New York City’s only open-admission, full-service animal shelter, in roles including Behavior Program Manager and Director of Animal Welfare. A committed New Yorker, Jen lives in Brooklyn and finds great value in helping dogs adjust to the difficult city environment, where everything is always a little too close and a little too fast and where a rush of stimuli hit you like a wall the moment you walk out your front door.

Click here for more about Jen Abrams

Links:
Webinars by Jen Abrams:
Easy DIY Food Enrichment

Confessions of a Dog Trainer: The Human Experience of Dealing with Behavior Challenges in Pets

They Said What?!?! A Guardian's Guide to Canine Body Language

Two Truths and a Lie: How More Truth Can Reduce Your Dog's Anxiety

Publications:
Trazodone as a mediator of transitional stress in a shelter: Effects on illness, length of stay, and outcome - ScienceDirect 

Contact Behavior Vets

• tweet us @BehaviorVets
• follow us on Facebook
• follow us on Instagram
• Online courses
• Webinars and seminars

In this episode, Sarah Stremming (CDBC) breaks down the value of decompression walks with me and co-host Bobbie Bhambree (CDBC, CPDT-KA). We discuss:

• How Sarah developed the idea of a decompression walk
• Safety management with off-leash dogs
• Framing the value of the decompression walk
• How to prep high-energy dogs for a decompression walk
• Managing walks for puppies in urban environments

Sarah's bio:
Sarah Stremming is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (IAABC) with nearly two decades in the field of dog training and behavior. She works privately with clients to find solutions to their dogs' behavioral concerns, supports an online community of folks pursuing better wellness and training principles, and presents her programs in hands-on workshops across the globe. Sarah's podcast Cog Dog Radio is a favorite amongst dog behavior geeks worldwide. With 25 years of experience in Agility and Obedience Sarah has brought challenging insight from the behavior realm into dog sports, and holds the welfare of sport dogs experiencing behavior struggles as a primary concern. When not working, she is deep in the woods in the Pacific Northwest with two border collies and an Icelandic sheepdog. 

Links:
www.sarahstremming.com

facebook.com/thecognitivecanine 

Instagram @cognitive_canine 

TikTok @sarahstremming 

Contact Behavior Vets

• tweet us @BehaviorVets
• follow us on Facebook
• follow us on Instagram
• Online courses
• Webinars and seminars

In this episode, Rikke Brogaard shares her case story of Doodle, a young terrier mix who was suffering from a debilitating case of the urban jitters in Brooklyn, NY. Listen to how Rikke and her client creatively use every tool available to them to carve out a life for Doodle where he could feel safe and supported.

Rikke's bio:
Rikke has trained dogs and their humans since 2002, and has operated her own New York-based dog training and behavior business since 2004. She is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, a Pat Miller Certified Trainer, and a certified Family Dog Mediator who currently supports  clients from all over the world virtually. She is also a Fear Free Certified trainer. 

In 2012 Rikke co-founded the NY Force Free Trainers where she, and two close colleagues mentored and taught aspiring dog trainers. She is supremely proud that several previous students have become rock stars within the Force Free training community,  who are now themselves helping dogs and humans. 

For a period of over four years  Rikke had the unique opportunity to work weekly with the three full-time facility dogs at Mt Sinai ’s Children’s Hospital in New York City. She trained both the staff and the dogs, and helped the handlers create schedules, activities, and skills for the dogs that ensured ample time for decompression, enrichment, and lots of fun in-between their patient and staff support duties. 

A native of Denmark who originally went to Copenhagen Business School with the goal of becoming a translator at the UN, Rikke speaks four languages fluently and can read and get by in two more languages. Turns out the translating she was always meant to do was between dogs and their humans.

Click here for more about Rikke

Links:
@rikkebdogtraining on Instagram

Contact Behavior Vets

• tweet us @BehaviorVets
• follow us on Facebook
• follow us on Instagram
• Online courses
• Webinars and seminars

In this episode, Dot Baisly describes a vision for best practices in animal sheltering that includes compassion for both animals and humans. We discuss:

• Dot's journey into animal behavior and shelter work.
• Becoming a more effective communicator with humans.
• The multidisciplinary education necessary for frontline animal shelter staff to meet the demands of the modern world. 
• Recognizing the tough emotional demands of shelter work on humans. 
• How shelters can talk to their communities about behavioral euthanasia decisions.
• Promising trends in animal sheltering including the Canine Assessment of Risk for Shelters (CARS) and conversation-based adoptions. 

Dot Baisly's bio:
Dot Baisly is the Executive Director for the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) and the Behavior Consultant at Heal Veterinary Clinic in Watertown, MA. Dot also holds a master’s degree in Animal Behavior from Tufts University and is a certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA), a certified dog behavior consultant (CDBC), certified cat behavior consultant (CCBC), and certified shelter behavior specialist (CSB). Dot is currently a core member of the Shelter Playgroup Alliance team where she facilitates course content for the on-line program and in-person workshops. Most recently she was the director of behavior for Northeast Animal Shelter where she built a behavior program and transformed the organization’s approach to behavior as a result of her leadership. Prior to this she was also the lead behavior staff at the SPCA of Westchester and then the Animal Rescue League of Boston. 

Dot also worked as a consultant for Paws With A Cause, working with service dogs and the clients they serve for over 10 years.  She has been working in animal welfare, veterinary care and behavior for over 20 years, both in animal welfare and rescue organizations and as a private consultant.  Dot has consulted with private clients since her initial certifications, working with owned cats and dogs on a regular basis.  In her private practice, Dot specializes in working with dogs and cats exhibiting significant behavioral concerns, including human-directed aggression.

She also provides consultations to shelters across the country where she has evaluated dogs, educated staff and volunteers and continues to be recognized as a key leader in the animal welfare and shelter behavior community, where she is sought out for her expertise, compassion, and skill in leading change efforts. Prior to working in sheltering, Dot managed a veterinary clinic and worked as a technician where she developed her knowledge and skills in low-stress veterinary handling.  Since that time, Dot has taught those techniques in shelters and at veterinary practices across the country.

Links:
https://iaabc.org/
https://www.shelterdogplay.org/learn-with-us

Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

Contact Behavior Vets

• tweet us @BehaviorVets
• follow us on Facebook
• follow us on Instagram
• Online courses
• Webinars and seminars

It's an awful feeling knowing that the dog who is the love of your life can be scared and aggressive towards other people. In this case story, a 110 lb pitbull-mastiff X named Eli is a total mush with the humans he loves, but getting to know him is not so easy. Due to unfortunate accidents, there were a few bites towards other people. Listen to how Behavior Vets' Director of Training Ursa Acree (CDBC) helps her client develop a training and management plan to prevent bites and help Eli feel safer around strangers.

Ursa's bio:
Ursa Acree is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Certified Professional Dog Trainer, and Fear Free Certified Trainer. She founded Canis Major Training in 2016 which operated as the premier training, board and train, and daycare facility of Denver, CO through 2021. She is currently the Director of Training at Behavior Vets. 

In addition to her experience working with private clients, Ursa has extensive experience working with animals in need. She was the Behavior Manager for the Kentucky Humane Society from 2007 to 2010 and the Behavior Manager at the Dumb Friends League from 2010 to 2013. While in those roles Ursa worked with clients to prevent relinquishments due to behavior issues, implemented changes to reduce stress and improve animal adoptability, and trained shelter staff and volunteers in enrichment, body language, humane handling, husbandry, and training. From 2013 to 2015 she did behavior and nutrition research with Hill’s Pet Nutrition as a Behavior Technician. She was responsible for animal husbandry and handling in addition to training animals to participate in preference assessments of new foods.

More about Ursa

Links:
Treat-Retreat by Suzanne Clothier

Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

Contact Behavior Vets

• tweet us @BehaviorVets
• follow us on Facebook
• follow us on Instagram
• Online courses
• Webinars and seminars

In this episode, Linda Case joins me and co-host Drew Webster (CPDT-KA, CDBC) to talk about what we need to know when feeding our dogs. We discuss:

• Changing nutritional needs from puppies to seniors
• Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet while using treats for training
• General effects of diet on behavior
• Choosing the best diet based on quality, budget, and personal values
• How the ingredients and level of food processing matters

Linda Case's bio:
Linda Case is well-known author, canine nutritionist, and dog trainer. She earned her B.S. in Animal Science at Cornell University and her M.S. in Canine/Feline Nutrition at the University of Illinois. Following graduate school, Linda was a lecturer in canine and feline science in the Animal Sciences Department at the University of Illinois for 15 years and then taught companion animal behavior and training at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Linda is the author of numerous publications and nine books, including Feeding Smart with The Science Dog, Dog Smart, Beware the Straw Man, and Dog Food Logic. She owns AutumnGold Dog Training Center in central IL and also operates The Science Dog Courses, an on-line education program that provides courses and webinars (https://courses.thesciencedog.com/). She is also the author of the popular Science Dog Blog (http://thesciencedog.wordpress.com). Linda and her husband Mike live in central Illinois and share their lives with two amazing dogs: Alice and Stanley, and Pete the cat. In addition to writing and teaching, Linda enjoys hiking, swimming, cycling, yoga, and gardening – all activities that she happily shares with her dogs.

Links:
The Science Dog Blog
The Science Dog Courses

Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

Contact Behavior Vets

• tweet us @BehaviorVets
• follow us on Facebook
• follow us on Instagram
• Online courses
• Webinars and seminars