Wednesday, November 5
9:00-10:30 am
Opening Keynote: Behavior in Motion: Why movement cycles matter
Dr. Jesus Rosales-Ruiz
A movement cycle is a repeatable unit of behavior. It specifies a starting position and a series of learner-environment interactions that continue until the individual is back at the starting point and can begin the movement cycle again. For example, most people think of the behavior of “sitting” in terms of the outcome, the dog’s bottom on the floor. However, one movement cycle of sitting starts with the dog in a standing position, goes through a series of muscle movements and weight shifts until the dog’s bottom is on the floor, and then goes through another series of actions to return to the standing position. The concept of the movement cycle was developed and refined by Dr. Ogden Lindsley. However, he attributed the original idea to Dr. B. F. Skinner. Although the concept of the movement cycle is central to the description of behavior, it has largely been forgotten by modern behavior analysts and is unknown to many animal trainers. In this talk, we will explore why movement cycles are still relevant from a theoretical perspective and how they can help you better understand the nature of reinforcement. Thinking in terms of movement cycles will give you a new perspective when you are defining units of behavior for measurement, designing shaping plans, and setting your criteria for reinforcement.
10:45-11:45 am
Cocker-Doodle-doo: What is a dog breed anyway?
Dr. Tim Lewis
Breeds and intentional crossbreeds are both distinct kinds of genetic lines selected for traits. We will distinguish species from breeds based on biological terms (think red wolf). We will look at the biological side of what makes up a dog breed and what we know about how the major breeds came into being based on DNA analysis rather than the written breed histories. We will look at some of the more popular breeds and crossbreeds as examples of artificial selection for specific activities. From this, we can use science to better establish our expectations about breed look and behavior, especially as it applies picking your next dog.
1:30-3:00 pm
Canine Sense and Scent Ability
Nathan Hall
Myths and legends abound about the canine sense of smell. In this talk I will provide the science of the canine sense of smell and describe how we measure it at the Canine Olfaction Lab. I will provide a tutorial on how we train dogs to detect odors and the research we conduct to support the performance of detection dogs.
3:15-4:45 pm
Love Bites: Dog Aggression Directed at Family or Friends
Michael Shikashio
Have you recently introduced a new dog to your family, only to witness unexpected aggression directed towards your partner or visitors? Or, has your long-time companion suddenly dispayed hosility towards a family member you live with? Perhaps you've observed your dog reacting aggressively when you and your partner express affection or approach each other? Maybe your dog just doesn't want anyone in the home except for you?! If any of these scenarios resonate with you or your clients, then this presentation will be tailored to address these issues. Join Michael Shikashio CDBC as he dives into the undelrying reasons behind this often puzzling and stressful type of aggression. In addition to shedding light on the root causes, Mike will provide valuable insights into effective managment and behavior change strategies suitable for situations where dogs and humans share living spaces, whether around the clock, or for just a few mintues while visiting!
Thursday, November 6
8:00-9:00 am
Skully and Mulder: Weird, wild, and wonderful cases with the Dr. Detectives
Dr. Amy Pike, Dr. Amy Learn
In this talk, Drs. Amy Learn and Amy Pike will discuss cases of theirs that have over the years either stumped their veterinary colleagues, or just plain fascinated them!
9:15-10:15 am
How to Talk so People will Listen...How to Listen so People will Talk
Kenny Lamberti
Regardless of what we are trying to accomplish being able to effectively communicate is the key to success. Whether working with an individual dog, managing a team, or giving a keynote adress, our abilty to deeply understand our audience and the message we hope to convey will make the difference in leaving a lasting meaningful impression. In this session we will explore how cultural nuance, surrendering our ego, and viewing our message with humility through the eyes and ears of the listener can elevate us as leaders, teachers, faciliators, and change makers.
10:30-12:00 pm
LIVESTREAM EXCLUSIVE: Conversations About Research Methods Utilized in the Study of Dog Behavior & Welfare
Lisa Gunter and Erica Feuerbacher
When designing research studies, scientists must have a clear understanding of the question being asked, appropriate dependent measures to answer that question, a design that is free from bias or are biased against their hypothesis, and experimental conditions that are equivalent in as many ways as possible except for the critical variable of interest. Moreover, their sample of participants should be representative of the population, and their methodology consistently applied. Once data collection is complete, scientists need to use statistical analyses that are appropriate for their data and research question, ensure interpretations are consistent with the analytical results, and be transparent in their reporting. In this session we will discuss the essential features of carrying out such a research study, and how a study investigating the question of training methods would need to be designed in order to fulfill these aims and obtain applicable results. Attendees will have a better understanding about the challenges of conducting applied research and be a more informed consumer of science, including being able to discuss the strengths and limitations of a given study more knowledgeably.
1:30-3:00 pm
How WE Learn: An Introduction to Behavior Analysis and Training
Rick Hester
This talk is an introduction to the principles, procedures, and philosophy of behavior analysis. We will review six fundamental topics to understanding and changing animal behavior. The topics include 1) an evolutionary view of learning and behavior; 2) a review of the science of behavior-change called behavior analysis; 3) common obstacles to the scientific analysis of learning and behavior; 4) ABC assessment to better understand, predict and change behavior; 5) the errorless learning philosophy and antecedent arrangement to make the right behavior more likely; 6) the relevance of the least intrusive procedure to ethical use of training procedures.
4:00-5:00 pm
Finding Furever Homes: Training shelter volunteers how to teach dogs behaviors that promote adoption
Sean Will and Maasa Nishimuta
Animal shelters across the United States are tasked with caring for and re-homing over three million dogs annually. Well-trained volunteers are required to help dogs get adopted from animal shelters. Inadequate training can lead to mismanagement of the volunteers and attrition of those volunteers who are critical to helping shelter dogs get adopted. However, animal shelters often lack access to the resources and funds required to provide adequate training. This study created and examined a cost-effective and effective method to train volunteers how to teach dogs behaviors that have been demonstrated through research to promote dog adoption. This presentation will explore the research behind dog adoption and the ONE behavior shown to have a statistically significant increase in being adopted, the training program used to teach volunteers how to teach this behavior to the dogs, and the results of the training for the humans and the outcomes it had for the dogs!
Friday, November 7
8:00-9:30 am
The "Good Life" of a Good Dog: A total welfare model for the future of the pet dog industry
Kim Brophey
How do you REALLY get a "Good Dog"? By giving them a "Good Life" - a term that has been defined by leading animal welfare scientists concerned with the characteristics of optimal welfare as the gold standard for any animal living under human control and captive conditions. Because - guess what? Animals who have this "Good Life" standard of welfare do not have behavior problems. That's right- our dogs' behavior challenges are very often symptoms of their chronic confusion, frustration, and distress in their modern pet lives. The "easy" life of today's pet is not as easy as we think it is - and our dogs desperately need our help as their stewards and professionals. This talk will be a powerful, game-changing, conflict-mediating introduction to Kim Brophey's new Total Welfare Assessment Tool - the integration of the internationally celebrated L.E.G.S. Model of Canine Science with the updated framework of the Five Domains Model of Animal Welfare. This tool will give dog professionals a solid basis for curating a "Good Life" standard of welfare for pet dogs in their care to prevent and treat behavior problems, as well as the ability to evaluate and track a dog's welfare before and after interventions are provided (without falling into abstract questions, concepts, values, and arguments about terms that are impossible to define). This model offers a promising future to an industry that is currently mired in conflict about the meaning of welfare for pet dogs - a solution for not only the health of our industry, but for the countless dogs and families who depend on us.
9:45-10:45 am
Embracing all 4 L.E.G.S. of Pets and People to Create a New Kind of Veterinary Experience
Colleen Quinn
The science of ethology has reemerged as a critical aspect of behavior in the last few years and one of the models (developed by Kim Brophey CDBC, BA) is L.E.G.S. , which stands for Learning, Environment, Genetics, and Self. It focuses on the "why" behind behaviors, more than the "how to's" of changing behaviors. If we understand more about why animals are showing the behaviors they are through analyzing their L.E.G.S., we can meet their needs better and improve their emotional, physical, and mental health and in turn, improve their welfare. This model can be incorporated into the veterinary setting, alongside Fear-Free and Low Stress Handling, to decrease anxiety for both the pets and their owners. Come hear about the L.E.G.S. model, how it works in a veterinary setting, and see how the speaker has used it to open an entirely new type of veterinary clinic designed specificcally to help anxious, fearful and aggressive pets.
1:15-2:00 pm
Closing Speech
Matt Varney
Stay tuned for exciting annoucements and recognitions.
2:00-3:30 pm
CLOSING KEYNOTE: The Genius of Dogs
Dr. Brian Hare
Dogs have more jobs than ever, but the demand for the best trained dogs far exceeds the supply. The challenge is identifying dogs that are most likely to succeed with working dog training. Here I will present data on individual differences in dog psychology that demonstrate that dogs have different types of cognition and these abilities vary independently. I will then explain how the existence of cognitive profiles in dogs has the potential to enhance the selection, breeding and rearing of working dogs. To tell the story I will share what we have learned so far about puppies, service dogs, bomb detection, genes and even some wolves. The ending we are working toward is one where 1) we can train dogs for jobs they are most likely to succeed in and 2) more people in need can benefit from the help a dog can provide. I will conclude by sharing how we are currently working toward these goals and explain how our findings link to dog training more generally.