Worry Less, Wag More: The Behavior Vets Podcast

In our second Behavior Files case, Jeanne Clune and her client Rhys navigates a difficult case involving Taz, an 8 year-old miniature pinscher who suffers from both medical and behavioral issues. Little Taz exhibited a long list of behavior issues including aggression towards strangers, aggression related to handling, separation anxiety, resource guarding, reluctance walking outside, and house soiling. Due to Taz's anxiety, Rhys struggled to help Taz adapt to the urban environment of Brooklyn, NY. In addition, treating his medical issues required daily handling that could trigger bites.

The case started in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown when in-person training was not possible. How did Jeanne help Rhys and Taz through their journey by remote training? What were the keys to treating Taz's anxiety and aggressive behavior?

Jeanne's bio:
Jeanne Clune is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Behavior Consultant, and Fear Free Certified Trainer. She sees clients in Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess Counties.

Jeanne worked previously as the Director of Behavior and Enrichment at the SPCA of Westchester and with private clients through her own training company Joyful Pets of Westchester. During her tenure with the SPCA of Westchester, she started the Fearful Dog Rehabilitation Program and led the The Way Home Program. Through these ventures, Jeanne offered special training and enrichment to dogs with behavioral challenges that otherwise might not be considered for adoption. She successfully helped modify the behavior of dogs surrendered with separation anxiety and fear, and placed hundreds of dogs into forever homes. 

Most importantly, Jeanne helps families develop a healthy and harmonious environment for training, healing and fun. She has run free community workshops in Westchester for owners with dogs with behavioral issues and is the creator of a Shelter Trainer Forum that provides trainers a platform to discuss behavior modification techniques and share their success in preparing an animal for their new homes. 

Jeanne is a faculty member of CATCH Canine Trainers Academy. She is a member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), Pet Professional Guild (PPG), and Association of Pet Dog Trainer (APDT).  

Jeanne currently resides in Patterson NY with her husband and a very special canine, Hank. You might spot Jeanne and Hank working with clients on leash reactivity in the local parks. In her free time, she loves to travel, share Reiki with animals at local shelters, snorkel, hike, paddle board, practice yoga or walk in the woods in quiet admiration of our animal kingdom.

Links
The Resilience in Dogs webinar

https://behaviorvetsnyc.com/

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In this episode, Dr. Feuerbacher joins co-hosts Lauren Novack (ACDBC, KPA-CTP, FPPE) and Ferdie Yau (MA, CPDT-KA) to talk about what it's like to build a Master's program in Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare and her ultimate goal of improving standards for animal training and welfare. We dive into:

• What it was like to develop a Master's program at Virginia Tech in Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare from the ground up.
• Challenging her students to question accepted training lores in order to advance our knowledge of applied animal behavior.
• The need for more rigorous qualifications to become professional dog trainers and the injustice to dog guardians because of the system we have now.
• Her thoughts on LIMA, CAT, and how she likes to train animals. 

Dr. Feuerbacher's bio:
Dr. Erica Feuerbacher is an Associate Professor in Animal & Poultry Sciences at
Virginia Tech and director of the Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare Lab, where she focuses her research on dogs and horses. She also coordinates the online Masters program in Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare at Virginia Tech. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Florida in the UF Canine Cognition and Behavior Lab and her Master’s in Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas in the Organization for Reinforcement Contingencies with Animals. She is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. Her research and publications focus on understanding domestic animal behavior and learning from a behavior analytic perspective, using applied animal behavior to solve behavioral issues in dogs and horses, and identifying interventions that improve shelter dog welfare. She is passionate about humane, effective animal training, and working with owners, trainers, and shelter staff to improve our interactions with animals.

Links:
Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare Lab at Virginia Tech FB page www.facebook.com/aabvt

Virginia Tech's Online Master of Agricultural and Life Sciences program with a concentration in Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare

http://www.ericanfeuerbacher.com/

Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

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For the debut of "The Behavior Files", a series of real life case studies shared by the Behavior Vets team, Fanna and her client Christina attempt to treat canine compulsive disorder (CCD) exhibited by Rigg, a 1.5 yo bull terrier. Rigg will compulsively chase his tail and chomp at it, to the point of injuring himself or anyone who attempts to interrupt him. According to Tufts University, up to 85% of bull terrier litters will exhibit some form of CCD. 

Find out the history of Rigg's CCD and how Fanna helps her client manage and treat the very serious disorder. What steps did they take? Will they be successful? What kind of effect does Rigg's CCD have on his quality of life with Christina?

Fanna's bio:
Fanna Easter is based in Lafayette, Louisiana and has a special focus on separation anxiety and compulsive behaviors. She is a Certified Separation Anxiety Dog Trainer, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Fear Free Animal Trainer and Karen Pryor Academy graduate. She has been instructing dog training group classes and behavior consults for over 30 years.
 
Living with Bull Terriers, Fanna is fascinated by canine obsessive compulsive disorders. Fanna is well known throughout the Bull Terrier world for her extensive knowledge pertaining to CCD and skilled at creating behavior modification programs for extremely challenging CCD cases with great success.
 
Fanna is an industry expert who has been quoted in VICE News, HGTV, Newsweek, Animal Wellness, Dogs Naturally, and Forbes. She is the current Chair for the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT).
 
Fanna spent 5 years as Petco’s National Dog Training Expert where she and her team developed a new positive reinforcement training program that launched nationwide to over 2,000 stores. While at Petco she also created the Petco Dog Training Instructor Program and the Petco separation anxiety course. Additionally, Fanna developed the updated the dog trainer curriculum for Animal Behavior College.
 
Fanna loves Bull Terriers and shares her home with a Miniature Bull Terrier, Eli. When she’s not working with animals, Fanna enjoys attending festivals and conformation dog shows and is learning to appreciate yoga and meditation.

Links:
https://behaviorvets.com/

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In this episode, Lauren shares the findings from her research on dog activity in fenced yards and the impact of fenced yard requirements on dog adoptions. It is so common for shelters to require a fenced yard for dogs for various reasons, most commonly for very active dogs. But do fenced yards really make a difference on dog activity levels? Are shelters unnecessarily limiting the pool of potential adopters with a fenced yard requirement? We discuss:

• How dog activity levels sync with human activity
• Owner perceptions of their dog's activity level compared with the results
• How important are fenced yards for highly active dogs?
• The potential impact of fenced yard requirements on dog adoptions
• A better understanding of activity levels in dogs can increase the success of adoptions

Lauren's bio:
 Lauren Tsao, BS, CDBC, CPDT-KA is one of Mississippi’s only Certified Professional Dog Trainers - Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and Certified Dog Behavior Consultants (CDBC). She founded Faithfully Yours Dog Training, LLC in 2014 to help dog owners live stress-free lives with their faithful companions after adopting a project dog of her own. Through her business she provides training and behavioral consultations for a variety of animal species both in-person on her beautiful 11-acre farm in Mississippi and virtually to anyone in the world.

Lauren has an Associate of Arts with a concentration in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She is currently completing her Master’s degree in Agricultural and Life Sciences with a concentration in Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on dog activity levels and animal shelter policy.

Her expert opinion has been featured by Honest Kitchen, 4Knines, SuperTalk MS, WLBT/FOX40, and more. Additionally, Lauren is available to serve as an expert witness for dog bite and dog aggression legal cases.

Links:

Lauren's Thesis: The Great Outdoors: Fenced Yards and Their Impact on Companion Dog Activity and Adoption

Faithfully Yours Dog Training, LLC

Faithfully Yours Dog Training Facebook

Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare Program at Virginia Tech


Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

Contact Behavior Vets

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In this episode, Evia Russell and I talk about the benefits of cooperative care training and how important it is if you want to keep your pet as healthy as possible. Do you have a pet who panics at the vet clinic? Do you struggle to do routine grooming with your pet? Are you filled with dread every time your pet has a medical issue because they can’t be touched by a veterinarian? Fear not! Learn more about cooperative care training and our new virtual Happy Handling program. We discuss:

• Why cooperative care training should be an essential part of pet care
• The difference between a "need" and a "want" in veterinary care
• Benefits to the human-animal bond through cooperative care training
• Giving animals agency and "Start" and "Stop" button behaviors
• Short-term investment for long-term gain for veterinarians and caretakers
• Launching our new Happy Handling virtual coaching program

Evia's bio:
Evia Russell is a CDBC and graduated from Carleton College with a B.A. in Animal Behavior. Evia worked in shelters and rescues before transitioning into the veterinary field. She followed her heart to Colorado where she accepted a position at Behavior Vets. She trained with Debbie Martin, renowned for cooperative care and is also a Fear-Free (TM) Certified Veterinary Professional. Evia is also Fear-Free (TM) Certified, a consultant through the IAABC, and is going to vet school at St George’s University starting January of 2023 in order to offer more cooperative handling throughout the veterinary world.

Links:
Contact Behavior Vets at [email protected] if you are interested in the Happy Handling Program!

Interesting studies for a deeper dive into cooperative care training:

Bertilsson, E., & Johnson Vegh, E. (2019). Animals in control – Start-button case studies. Video On Demand, Karen Pryor Clicker Training. https://video. clickertraining.com/programs/animals-in-control- start-button-case-studies?cid=719162

Ramirez, K. (2012). Marine Mammal Training: The History of Training Animals for Medical Behaviors and Keys to Their Success. Veterinary Clinic Exotic Animal Practice, 15, 413-423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvex.2012.06.005

Stellato, A.C., Jajou, S., Dewey, C.E., Widowski, T.M., Niel, L. (2019). Effects of a Standardized Four-Week Desensitization and Counter-Conditioning Training Program on Pre-Existing Veterinary Fear in Companion Dogs. Animals, 9, 767. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9100767


Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

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In this episode, Debbie Jacobs (CPDT-KA, RBT) shares key lessons she has learned from treating fear in humans and non-human animals. I love what Debbie has to say about why working with different species forces us to question what we think we know about behavior.  We discuss:

• The animal trainers retreat at Lemon's Hope Sanctuary
• How Debbie learned about applied behavior analysis
• Three strands for working with fearful animals
• How to find the starting point with helping an animal feel safe and learn
• Thoughts on the constructional approach

Debbie's bio:
Debbie Jacobs is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and a Registered Behavior Technician which qualifies her to work with a range of behavior challenges and skill deficits in people, under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She is the creator of the fearfuldogs.com website and the author of A Guide To Living With & Training a Fearful Dog and Does My Dog Need Prozac?

She lives in Vermont where she offers onsite educational workshops for trainers interested in taking a deeper dive into Applied Behavior Analysis as it can be used to address challenging behavior problems. She provides info and support to owners, foster caregivers, trainers and anyone trying to help dogs struggling with fear, anxiety, reactivity or aggression. 

Links:
Debbie's website
https://fearfuldogs.com
Events for trainer professionals


Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

 

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In this episode, Kayla Fratt tells us about conservation detection dog training and how trained detection dogs are increasingly becoming an important tool in wildlife conservation and management. If you love wildlife and dog training and you've wondered how you might be able to help save wildlife, pay attention to this episode. We discuss:

• What is the growing field of conservation detection dog training?
• The traits that Kayla looks for in a good detection dog.
• Interesting projects Kayla has worked on with detection dogs.
• Challenges in the field and other factors affecting detection dog performance.
• Skills important for detection dog handlers to learn.
• Developing an online conservation detection dog handler course.

Kayla's bio:
Kayla Fratt is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and the founder of K9 Conservationists. She is passionate about using humane and effective training techniques to train dogs to help biologists with their research.

Links:
K9conservationists.org
Instagram @k9conservationists
TikTok @k9conservationists
Twitter @kaylafratt
K9 Conservationists Podcast

Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

Contact Behavior Vets

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In this episode, Dr. Kathy Murphy (BVetMed, DPhil, CVA, CLAS, MRCVS ) discusses how pain is frequently overlooked as an important component of behavior problems. Don't miss this episode. We discuss:

• The challenges of understanding and treating pain in animals
• Takeaways from the landmark Mills et al. (2020) study "Pain and Problem Behavior in Cats and Dogs"
• Direct and indirect effects of pain on the nervous system and behavior
• How to be a "pain detective" to help your vet diagnose medical issues

Dr. Murphy's bio:
Dr Kathy Murphy (BVetMed, DPhil, CVA, CLAS, MRCVS) is a veterinary surgeon and neuroscientist. She graduated from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons UK in 1999, initially working in mixed clinical practice before studying for two post graduate clinical qualifications with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, in Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, and Laboratory Animal Science.

In 2009 she was awarded a highly prestigious Wellcome Trust Research Training Fellowship to study for her PhD, in Behavioral Neuroscience, at The Queens College, University of Oxford, UK. She subsequently worked in the USA as Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Anesthesiology at the Icahn School of Medicine NYC, where her research into the long term effects of anesthesia on learning and memory contributed to a change to the safety advice for the use of general anesthesia in children. She moved back to the UK in 2013, to take up clinical-academic positions at the University of Oxford and subsequently Newcastle University, and concurrently completed a Residency in Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia with the European College of Veterinary Anesthesia and Analgesia, during which she became increasingly interested in how pain re-models the nervous system and this can manifest as behavioral problems in pets.

Dr Murphy founded, and is now Director of, Barking Brains Ltd (a neuroscience outreach platform for the animal behavior and training community), which focuses on translating neuroscientific information into practical and useful information for people interested in animal behavior. In order to maximize the impact of her diverse interests and skill set, Dr Murphy teamed up with Behavior Vets LLC in 2022 as the new Chief Scientific Officer. She is now able to focus on her new found passion for science communication and providing evidence based, up to date, accessible, scientific information to clinicians, animal professionals and their clients, about subjects related to pain, behavior, neurobiology and the many interrelated factors.

In addition to Dr Murphy's primary career roles she was Trustee and Veterinary Advisor to the Rottweiler Welfare Association for 14 years; is co-founder of Ethics First (a collective which lobbies for ethical decision making in clinical practice); is an Oversight Committee Member for the UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter; sits on numerous National and International boards, working groups and ethical review panels; is an ad-hoc reviewer for neuroscience, veterinary medicine and anesthesia and pain journals; and continues to collaborate on research projects. Dr Murphy lives in the UK with her husband Elliot (ex Search and Rescue handler and now scentwork and mantrailing trainer) and their 5 dogs: Dennis a Yorkshire Terrier mix, Nancy a Rottweiler mix, Zebedee and Nel

Contact Behavior Vets

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In this episode, Trish McMillan bravely shares her experiences with dangerous rescue dogs and the unintended side effects of a 100% No-Kill policy by shelters and rescues. This is an important episode for anyone involved with working for shelters and rescues. We discuss:

• Can training fix every single behavior issue?
• How a 100% No-Kill policy may place more high-risk dogs into your community.
• If every safe and family-friendly rescue dog is spayed/neutered, will it be harder to find safe family dogs in shelters?
• Creating an adoptability criteria document for your shelter or rescue

Trish's bio:
Trish McMillan holds a Master of Science degree in animal behavior, and is a certified professional dog trainer, certified dog behavior consultant and associate certified cat behavior consultant.  She has been involved in the animal rescue and sheltering world since the mid-1990’s, starting out as a volunteer and working her way up to director of animal behavior. She worked for the ASPCA for nearly eight years; first as Director of Animal Behavior at their NYC shelter, then as a behaviorist on their field team, helping assess and rehabilitate dogs from cruelty cases, dogfighting and hoarding situations, then she joined the Shelter Research and Development team. 

Trish currently does animal behavior consulting near Asheville, North Carolina, working with dogs, cats and horses. Her farm, Pibble Hill, is home to a happy herd of animals of five species. Trish speaks and consults nationally and internationally on animal sheltering issues, dog, cat, and horse behavior, dog aggression, and defensive handling. Her online shelter dog behavior mentorship has helped students from around the world apply best practices at their respective shelters and rescues.

Links:

Shelter Behavior Hub: https://trish-s-school-bcb6.thinkific.com

https://trishmcmillan.com/

https://www.facebook.com/McMillanAnimalBehavior

https://www.facebook.com/shelterbehaviorhub

 Shelter dog (and hopefully soon shelter cat) behavior mentorships here: 

https://trish-s-school-bcb6.thinkific.com/collections?category=courses

Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

Contact Behavior Vets

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In this episode, Eric Gillaspy shares his tips for dog owners to get the most out of group training classes. Highlights include:

• Why having a great time with your dog or puppy should be the priority
• The value of taking class field trips and how to be safe
• Helping dogs focus on the handler in distracting environments
• The pros and cons of group class vs private lessons
• How to recognize when a group class is not the right learning environment for your dog

Eric's bio:
Eric’s dog training career started in Seattle, Washington at the Academy of Canine Behavior. There, he specialized in working with aggressive dogs. Simultaneously, he taught classes at Downtown Dog Lounge and was the head trainer at Pit Bull Rescue.

Eric moved to Colorado in 2004 and became a Certified Professional Dog Trainer in 2006. For the past 15 years, he was the head trainer at Lone Tree Vet. There, he built and ran a wide variety of behavior services including Boarding School and Playcamp, ran AKC STAR puppy classes and Canine Good Citizen evaluations, and provided private lessons both in home and at the facility.

His written work has been featured on Petfinders, Petocracy, and Good Dogs Rule.

In his free time, he loves to spend time with his wife Karen and dogs Lulu, Knuckles, and Kitty. He is in his element in the mountains or on a river, especially if he’s on a snowboard or kayak.

Links:
How to Find Eric
https://behaviorvetsco.com/

Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

Contact Behavior Vets

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