Welcome
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Identification: WE01
Speaker(s):
Keynote - Sharing Positive Training Skills and Techniques
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Identification: WE02
Professional trick dog training is a rapidly growing part of the pet industry. Sara Carson and her side-kick, Hero, will share their positive training skills and techniques when she delivers the keynote address at the Association of Professional Dog Trainers' 23rd Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nev.
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Awards Ceremony
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Identification: WE03
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The Pet Dog - Is He Going Extinct?
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Identification: WE04
The Pet Dog - Is He Going Extinct?
1. What is a 'Pet' Dog? a. What behaviors are 'natural'? b. Do people really just want a stuffed animal?
2. The Inseparable Triad: Human-Environment-Dog
3. Today's Environment: a. More crowded b. Less open space/access to natural world c. Aerobic exercise limitations d. Less access to free movement/galloping e. More bull breeds f. More dominant/tough dogs g. Are shelters/rescues promoting placement of low-threshold dogs (in particular RG and dog-dog aggression)
4. Today's Human a. Less time b. More people own more than one dog c. Less handling/touch d. 'All Positive' or reward based methods e. Puzzle toys and stuffed Kongs ™ and constant mild stimulation/arousal f. Dog parks g. 'All dogs should meet and play' subculture h. The outcry to save serious biters and blame children or victims i. Obesity as a means to flatten behavior, attitude and energy levels
5. Today's Dog a. More shelter/rescue dogs, very chic to adopt/'rescue' b. More guarding and fighting dogs and mixes c. More arousal d. Lower aggression thresholds e. Less sociability f. Purebred health deterioration g. AKC including more and more inappropriate non-pet dogs from other countries h. 'Soft' dogs are becoming extinct i. The most successful pet dogs are being sterilized
6. What Can We Do? a. Should the shelter world contribute? b. In ten years, where will your next dog come from?
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Social Learning in Dogs: Do as I Do for Beginners
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Identification: WE07
Social learning means acquiring new behaviors from the observation of others. Dogs are predisposed to learn socially form humans. During this talk I will describe the results of the most recent scientific research on the use of social learning in the applied field of dog training with the Do as I Do method. This is a training method based on dog's social cognitive skills, particularly on his imitative ability.
Link to CEU form for this session: https://apdt.com/conference/ceu/cd-rom/
Practicle Desensitization and Counterconditioning for Aggressive Dogs
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Identification: WE06
Aggression in dogs can present a potential danger for owners, the public, and trainers. Proper behavior modification is comprised of many necessary foundational steps: management; owner leadership; pre-trained cues; proper tools. The step that changes the underlying motivation is desensitization and counterconditioning. This talk will give an overview of the science behind this technique, as well as case examples of it in action.
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A to Z of Canine Nutrition
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Identification: WE05
It is currently on trend to choose pet foods that are high in animal sources of protein, moderate in fat, low in carbohydrates, and grain-free. However, these popular nutrient profiles are not consistent with recommendations from leading nutrition authorities. This session will cover the basics of dog nutrition with a focus on macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates) and will discuss some related hot topics: Are high protein, low carbohydrate diets the best option for dogs? What is the optimal amount or ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in pet food? Is glycemic index a useful measure of the carbohydrate quality in pet food?
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Beginners Guide to Canine Fitness Training
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Identification: TH01
As a dog trainer, you have developed expertise and likely built outstanding relationships with your clients. What if you were able to offer more? What if, as part of your current dog training services, you were able to combine basic training and fitness to give more to your clients that positively impacted their daily lives both behaviorally and physically? This session will help you explore the world of Canine Fitness and its opportunities. You will learn how to become a respected Canine Fitness Trainer, the basic structure of a good canine fitness program, how a fitness assessment can help structure and validate your program, the importance of good equipment and facility choices, and a live demonstration of proper form and techniques for basic exercises.
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Animal Behavior: Making and Breaking the Human-Animal Bond
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Identification: TH03
Animals provide us with great joy, but often give us great heartache when their behaviors are annoying, stress-inducing, or even dangerous. How can we help owners understand and improve the human-animal bond? Conversely, how can we help owners identify the underlying problems that fracture this bond? We will discuss the elephant in the room…how to honor an owner's ultimate decision and help them through the process.
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Building Better Marketing Projects
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Identification: TH04
Get inspired to take a whole new approach to marketing your dog business. Forget business cards and class fliers and don't waste money on online advertising schemes or stress yourself out begging for referrals. Instead, learn how to put together marketing projects that:
Whether you're looking for new marketing ideas or just trying to get started, Veronica and Gina of dog*tec will show you how to make marketing fun, effective, and valuable.
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