Yes, but it produces a lot of another physical annoyances (pain, heart beat, insomnia).
But it is also more than a headache.
Chronic and severe stress can cause a number of conditions.
Affects mental and physical health – PTSD, heart disease, arthritis, asthma, and more.
Research study on monkeys by Uno andSapolsky
Stressed vs normal monkeys – hypocampus was very physical different.
Abnormal response – no one is ever that stressed, but impressive result
Consequences of Stress
Stress related illnesses in US cost us about 100 billion dollars annually.
Our response to stressors is what makes us sick – the stressors don’t make us sick.
Every vertebrate has the same response to stress.
Stress is a label, but it doesn’t describe what is actually happening physically and mentally.
Definitions
A stressor is a perceived threat to homeostasis – a stimulus. The stress response is an attempt to restore homeostasis. The stress response is the release of stress hormones.
Homeostasis is a property of living organisms to regulate their internal environment in order to maintain stability. Blood pH is an example. If the pH changes from “normal” levels, the body adjusts to return it to normal through a physiological reflex.
A stressor is perceived by the brain, it is processed, and triggers the stress response (fight or flight). Behavior response helps us survive threat.
Stress Response is a physiological response known as HPA axis. The HPA axis is when the hypothalamus releases CRH, the Pituitary gland then releases the ACTH (a neuroendocrine cascade of chemical releases and reactions), the then the Adrenal cortex releases cortisol (corticosterone). This cascade of reactions supplies the body with the necessary tools to evade a perceived threat.
There is also a daily rhythm of cortisol release. Levels peak just before onset of activity (for example, just before waking up).
Stress can be related to reproduction. It can be a threat to one’s ability to reproduce because threats can affect long term success. For example, taking an exam is stressful because can determine your success and ability to reproduce with your desired mate in the long run.
Role of Cortisol
Lion vs. Zebra Chase: Prey and predator both have a stress response during hunt. Cortisol redirects response (energy) towards dealing with the threat.
Increase in glucose in the blood stream which generates energy to escape/move (lion needs energy to catch zebra, zebra needs to move to escape)
Increases glucose in the body.
Increases sympathetic system.
Decreases parasympathetic system response to turn off unnecessary functions for immediate survival.
Stress related behaviors increase to escape the threat.
Alertness increases.
Once the threat is gone, negative feedback of the HPA axis to turn off stress response.
Part 2 – Importance Of Contexts When Studying Stress
Context
Context matters when determining stressors in an environment. One study by Romero, Reed, and Wingfield in 2000 discovered that tropical birds were more affected by weather changes than arctic birds. Bad weather did not produce a stress response in arctic birds.
Predictability
Predictability is important in stress. One species of birds stressed about weather changes that were unpredictable. The other species of birds unpredictable weather was predictable and did not stress them out.
“Controllability”
Some highly stressful events are predictable (like one’s parents becoming elderly), so there must be other things that contribute. Controllability is important, even when things are predictable.
Example: In a study where rats were put in a wire cage and shocked. The rats that had the ability to control the shock which meant evading the shock were significantly less stressed than rats who had no control. The stressor was the same, but the stress responses were different.
Ability to escape it with control reduced stress.
Those that could not control the shock had compromised immune systems.
“CORT is not always anti-reproductive. Neuroendocrine context is important.” Miles Orchinik
Stress Responses
Most vertebrates are highly resilient with stress.
Stress as a child can create “abnormal” responses to stress in adulthood. The prefrontal cortex doesn’t act “normally” in adulthood.
Nurture vs. Nature: One’s stress response depends on the environment one grew up in. Birth mother does not matter as much as the nurturing environment one grew up in as a young child. The environment in which they are raised influences their physiological response to stress as adults. (Kim, P. et al., 2013, PNAS)
Is stress a killer?
Stress increases mortality but only among those who perceived that stress affected their health.
If they didn’t think it affected them, they did not die at any different rate.
(Keller, A. et al., 2012, Health Psychology)
Anti-Stress Hormone – Oxytocin
The gaze of a dog increases oxytocin levels in dog and the human – increases the bond. (Nagasawa, M. et al., 2015, Science)
Take-Home Concepts To Consider
Stress is critical in survival and reproduction.
Stressors produce context specific effects. Context is incredibly important when analyzing the stress.
Business cards should quickly show who you are, what services you provide, and legible contact information. You should include a phone number, an email address, and your website at the very least. Your brand should show clearly so that people have an idea of what they can expect from you. An outstanding business card can set you apart from other businesses in your area. The following dog training business cards go above and beyond the norm.
Dog Tag Mimic
The price tag tear off can easily be turned into a discount amount if someone sees your card and calls you for dog training help. The size and shape of this card can come in handy when determining where to leave it around town.
Kraftcuts
Oddly Shaped + Oddly Eye Catching
This cat tail business card idea can easily to altered into a dog’s tail to have the same effect. Its unusual size and shape can help you stand out, but might also cost a few extra dollars to produce.
Quick Sprout
Dog Behind Glass Card
This adorable card really captures your attention. It provides the viewer with a unique perspective while providing important contact information.
Design Crowd
Clicker Business Card
While most pet owners won’t know what the clicker is for, this can be a unique way to grab their attention. Accomplish two tasks at once with this clicker business info idea!
Pet Expertise
Fun + Durable
This kind of card is sure to stand out from the crowd. They are a bit more expensive, but they really make a statement.
Plastic Card Online
Clean + Informative
This card provides all the necessary information with a clean and colorful design that is pleasing to the eye.
Chelsea McKenna
Modern + Professional
Potential customers know they are getting someone who values professionalism when they call the contact info on this card.
Design Crowd
Unique + Fun
While I don’t think most people would feed this one to their dog, they might pick it up to do so before they notice the information. This business “card” is a great way to get your information into someone’s hand.
Personality + Eye Catching
This card shows a lot of personality and brings out good emotions in the person looking at it. It also makes the person curious about what it might be about.
By JB Pictures
Folded Ears
This is my personal business card that I made recently. It has received lots of positive feedback and I’ve already had one client mention that they saw my card at a local coffee shop. I’m offering the dog face and ears design for free to anyone who wants them on their business cards and you can click here and here to download them.
When you’re designing business cards, don’t be afraid to go for a 3D design. They don’t necessarily cost more if you cut or fold them yourself!
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We reached out to Nicole Larocco-Skeehan, CPDT-KA, to discover more about her success in the dog training world. She is the on that board of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and runs her own company in Philadelphia called Philly Unleashed. She also is the Director of Training for a fantastic prison-dog training program called New Leash On Life. She is a leading expert in our industry and we just had to get to know her a little bit better.
You used to ride horses and teach horse camps and then you got into dog training. How did that transition go? Did you use any of your horse training skills with dogs? How was it different?
There are so many similarities between training horses and training dogs! Obviously, there are a lot of differences as well, but the transition of skills between my equine and canine training experiences was initially pointed out to me by the manager at my first training job. He and I were working dogs together and I mentioned something about horses. He quickly said “I could tell you were a rider by the way you handle dogs.”
Working horses teaches you to handle quietly and to utilize your body in a methodical and efficient manner. When riding, you must be calm, even in a stressful situation. The more loud, explosive, or frustrated you become with a horse, the more likely you are to end up on the ground instead of on the horse’s back. So working horses also teaches you to utilize body contact and space in order to teach the animal what you want from them. These things can easily transition to your work with dogs.
When you joined the Pennsylvania SPCA as Director of Animal Behavior and Training, what were your goals for the shelter? What were you able to implement to help animal behavior in the shelter?
Boy, I had no idea what I was in for when I started that job. My goals were to develop a comprehensive behavior and enrichment program for that shelter. I implemented an evaluation process, began feeding from puzzle toys, and started a walking and volunteer dog training program pretty quickly. I also started a really interesting program with clicker training the dogs in the high-security kennel (where some of the aggressive dogs or animals who were in long-term protective custody) were housed where we trained them to accept people coming up to their kennels, taking them for walks, and integrating them into playgroups if they were good candidates for it.
It looks like you’ve been featured on Animal Planet a couple of times, how was that experience? How did you get on the show?
Animal Cops: Philadelphia signed on to film the Pennsylvania SPCA while I worked there. Everyone I worked with was really excited. Filming a reality tv show is very interesting! The cameras follow you EVERYWHERE! But it was super fun! From there I did an Animal Planet special called Dogfighting: Exposed, and that was cool too!
You’re currently leading the CCPDT Facebook page and social media, how did you come about doing that? What is your favorite part about that position?
I was elected to the Board of Directors of the CCPDT in 2013, and I was quickly appointed to the head of the Professional Outreach Committee. Since then, I’ve been heading up social media. I have a lot of fun sharing articles with Certificants and just generally networking!
From your accomplishments over the last decade, it appears you’re quite the networker! What has been key to your success? What are some tips you could give to a trainer that is just starting out?
Thanks! Networking is key. Talk to your clients and get to know them. Find out where they work and who they can hook you up with. Make friends with other trainers in your area. Know that it can be a lonely profession if you are out there on your own, but it’s nice to sit around with other trainers and chat about dogs, clients, and whatever!
And if you’re starting out, get to work! There’s no secret to being a successful dog trainer; your success is directly correlated to the amount of work you do. You’re going to start at the bottom, whether you are 21 and just coming out of school, or 51 and deciding to change careers, you’re entry level. And your lifestyle will reflect that! You’re not working at a 9-5 desk job, you’re out there hustling on nights and weekends, begging friends for referrals, and stopping into local businesses to get the word out. You can make a good living being a dog trainer. . . but it’s not easy!
We’d like to thank Nicole for taking the time to share her experiences with us. You can follow her on Facebook on the CPDT page or her business’s Facebook page.
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Dogs Out Loud is dedicated to saving the last 10% of dogs who face euthanasia in a no-kill, city-run shelter in Austin, Texas. Dogs deemed unadoptable due to their behavior issues now have a chance thanks to the Dogs Out Loud program and volunteers.
We took a few minutes to interview some of the founders of the Dogs Out Loud program to learn about the work they are doing to save these troubled dogs on death row.
The Dogs Out Loud group is determined to provide quality training to the dogs who need it the most. They utilize modern dog training methods to help dogs overcome their fear or frustration issues in the shelter. This group follows through with their commitment to the dogs by providing post-adoption support and training for the new family.
Dogs Out Loud provides adopters with continuing support post-adoption:
Free group training classes
Free home visits
$100 scholarship to local training facility when dog graduates from DOL program
Lifetime adoption support guarantee including invitations to group hikes, Wine & Woof dog behavior gatherings, & free quarterly seminars
Heartworm treatment for any heartworm positive dogs paid for by DOL through Animal Trustees of Austin
Take home care packet including information folder & Patricia McConnell, Ph.D.’s Love Has No Age Limit
Their next pursuit is to get a facility in order to serve more dogs and save more lives. They are open to sharing their processes with anyone interested. They also look forward to spreading to other shelters once they’ve fully satisfied the needs of the dogs at the Austin Animal Center.
If you’ve been inspired, like we have, to start a program like this in your shelter please do not hesitate to reach out to them with questions! They are excited to share the methods to their success!
Does your local shelter have a similar program? Share your experience in the comments below!
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The Truth About Shock Collars: There Shouldn’t Be A Trade Off Between Welfare And Better Behavior
A recent article was published that discusses the humane-ness of using shock collars to train dogs. The Science of Dog Training: Is It Okay To Use A Shock Collar?discusses the research behind the conclusion that shock or ecollars as training aids are as effective as positive reinforcement methods alone which makes their use utterly unnecessary.
Jonathan J. Cooper and his research team decided to delve more deeply into the animal welfare effects of Remote Electronic Training Collars (RETC). They were on a mission to reveal:
whether shock collars used to train household pets were effective, and
what were the associated welfare consequences.
Cooper and his team paid very close attention to some of the common variables in dog training. Their experiment set up broke down the dogs into three groups. Group A was trained using a shock collar by an experienced, Electronic Collar Manufacturers Association (ECMA) nominated professional trainer, Group B was trained by the same trainer and wore an inactive shock collar, and Group C worked with the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (an anti-electronic collar group) nominated professional dog trainer. The inactive shock collars in Group B prevented observers from telling which group they belonged to. All groups utilized positive reinforcement to acknowledge appropriate behavior.
Results
No matter the method, over 91% of owners were thrilled with the results that the training had on their dogs. Surprisingly, physiological urinary stress hormones were at similar levels throughout the groups and showed no significant changes. Group C showed higher levels of salivary cortisol than Groups A and B which was unexpected, but compared to the before and after training cortisol levels, none of the groups showed significant changes.
It was observed that Groups A and B displayed more stress-related behaviors and winced from sudden movement more often than Group C did with their trainers. This was perhaps due to the trainer’s style or personality rather than due to the active or inactive shock collars they were wearing.
More important than the method trainers teach to owners is owner compliance. Without owner compliance, no method will be successful. Surprisingly, only 76% of the owners in Group A were willing to continue the training compared to 95-100% of owners from Group B and C. Group A’s lack of confidence demonstrates an average dog owner’s discomfort with using this kind of collar.
“These findings suggest that there is no consistent benefit to be gained from e-collar training but greater welfare concerns compared with positive reward based training” says Cooper.
Future Study Recommendations
This study, just like many, is limited to the techniques the trainers used. Dog training is as much an art as it is a science. While some trainers may believe in the same science behind a method and use the same tools, their application can be completely different. Trainer’s skills and approaches vary greatly and this study was limited to four trainers. A larger number of trainers from a variety of demographics is needed to draw stronger conclusions. Of course, this is usually limited due to funding, time, and resources.
In the future, we would love to see salivary cortisol samples taken more often than just before and after training. Group C displayed higher levels than the other groups which was very interesting. We would like to know the group’s salivary cortisol levels just before receiving their normal meals, during praise-only or play-only training interactions, and how food (as well as the differences between types of food) affect salivary cortisol levels.
Based on the research that is currently accessible, this study is monumental in spreading the truth about shock collars. Their effect on a dog’s mental well-being should not be ignored.
We would like to conclude by leaving this quote for you to ponder. Share your response to this research in the comments below or on our Facebook page.
How To Choose Between Starting Your Own Business Or Becoming Someone’s Employee
When you are first starting out, it can be difficult to choose between starting your own dog training business or joining someone else’s. Ultimately, there are benefits to both.
Start Your Own Business
Many dog trainers choose to start their own business. Having your own business increases your revenue and lets you run the business how you see fit. However, having your own business also comes with more responsibility. You’ll need to purchase insurance, get the appropriate business licences, and maybe even start an LLC. The income isn’t always steady and you don’t have anyone to share the work load with. Fortunately, the job security is great because you are your own boss.
Starting your own business is the best way to make a decent wage as a trainer. It is more of a career path than an hourly or commission based job. However, there are some advantages to starting out with a regular job under someone else’s direction.
Get a Job
If you don’t know how to run a business, but are eager to get started training, getting a job is a great option. While working for someone else, you’ll be able to learn about how the administrative end of running a business looks like and you’ll be able to learn from the other trainers in the company. The down side is that you have less freedoms when it comes to working and you will have to survive off of commissions or hourly based pay. Many of the jobs that you will find are entry-level positions such as dog caretaker, kennel tech, or dog walker. Management level positions are quite rare. Getting a job is a great way to get a lot of experience under your belt. We’d like to encourage you to research companies that are willing to reimburse or fund continuing education or certifications.
If you are considering getting started as a dog trainer, check out DogTec’s free download, “Going to the Dogs?” There is some great information about what it takes to become a dog trainer.
Would you prefer to start your own business or join someone else’s company?
The Humane Hierarchy is a model in which training methods are ranked from leash invasive to most invasive. Dr. Susan Friedman, a well-respected and knowledgeable behavior analyst, coined this term and model. This model has been adapted by the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers as the guide for their trainers to use when working with dogs.
The model is broken down into 6 levels. Trainers should thoroughly explore the options at every level before escalating their training method to more intrusive choices.
Health and nutrition affect a dog’s body chemistry and, thus, its behavior. Failing to address the dog’s medical issues will likely reduce the effectiveness of any training. For example, consider a dog that is acting aggressively when a child pets the dog on the head. If the dog is experiencing pain due to an ear infection, the dog is only reacting due to the pain the petting causes the dog. Behavior modification will be ineffective to change this dog’s reaction. A professional dog trainer should understand some key signals that pain or medical issues could be the route of a problem so they can refer to a veterinarian when appropriate. Many trainers choose to have clients take their dogs to the vet for a wellness exam before any training begins.
Antecedent Arrangement
Much problematic behavior is a response to an environmental trigger. A dog’s behavior is influenced by the environment. Manipulating the environment so that the dog does not experience the trigger can eliminate the entire problem. Without thoroughly completing this step before moving on with more intrusive training, the antecedent to the dog’s behavior may continue to trigger the same response. For example, if a dog barks when he sees other dogs through a window, applying a frosted window film at the dog’s eye level will eliminate the problem without further intervention. Without this step, training will not progress as smoothly as it could.
Positive Reinforcement
Once a dog’s health has been examined and the antecedents to the behavior have been eliminated or changed, positive reinforcement is the least intrusive way to modify behavior. Positive reinforcement is the addition of something the dog desires in order to increase the frequency of the behavior in the future. Ultimately, dogs repeat behaviors that create desirable consequences. Setting up the environment to help the dog make the right choices and then using positive reinforcement to reward those choices is the most humane behavior modification method if it can be applied safely.
Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behaviors
Differential reinforcement involves strongly reinforcing certain alternative behaviors to the problem behavior. It also includes removing the reinforcer for the problem behavior.
Notice the yield sign before this option in the chart. These behavior modification methods can increase stress and anxiety in the dog. The emotional ramifications on a dog should be considered before utilizing these. Much of the stress can come from the dog’s lack of understanding of what it is supposed to do instead of the problem behavior. Once the problem behavior stops producing the dog’s expected consequence, the dog can experience frustration and anxiety. The dog may not have a clear understanding of what will work instead.
Positive Punishment
The stop sign before this option in the chart reflects the fact that this is a last resort. The CCPDT suggests that trainers consult with one another to find alternative solutions to positive punishment. Positive punishment is the addition of something the dog deems undesirable and works to avoid in order to decrease the frequency of the problem behavior in the future. Most likely, all the other options have not been exhausted if a trainer chooses to use positive punishment as a means to train a dog. Environmental management, health, and less invasive techniques should be thoroughly implemented before utilizing positive punishment. Lack of creativity and problem solving skills can often lead trainers to use this method too soon.
Do you consider yourself a Humane Hierarchy modern dog trainer?
Dog parks are a touchy subject for many dog trainers. While the concept of dog parks is wonderful, the implementation and reality of dog parks are challenging. Dog parks, in theory, are a great way to socialize your dog around other dogs and people off leash. For city dwellers, they may be the only time a dog is able to be off leash outdoors. However, the many stories of bullying and aggression displayed at dog parks are not to be ignored. Fortunately, a research team lead by Lindsay R. Mehrkam, M.Sc. at the University of Florida performed a study to understand what happens when play turns into aggression.
Factors That Contribute To Aggression at Dog Parks
Context is an important factor in understanding dog-dog interactions. The researchers were aware of this and took context into considerations. The team only took into account play that turned aggressive in order to remain objective. They also ended the video recordings at the very first sign of aggression in order to stay objective and prevent their personal biases from intervening in their observations. The size of the dog park was important. Larger dog parks had fewer cases of aggression than smaller ones. The size of the confined area affected how the dogs behaved with one another. They also observed high contact play usually occurred between dogs that were already quite familiar with each other.
Precursors To Aggression
The teams research discovered some simple and consistent predictors to aggression at dog parks. While these are not 100% guaranteed to lead to aggression, they are common precursors to it. Behaviors such as vocalizations and hackles near the tail were found to be common in play that lead to aggression. Additionally, dogs who tucked their tails at any point had a 58% higher likelihood of becoming aggressive. These specific behaviors can be observed fairly easily by anyone who knows what to look for.
Current Research Conclusions
The researchers concluded that aggression occurs in about 1 in 10 play interactions at dog parks. They discovered that owners did not intervene enough – only in about 5% of play encounters. They want to make it clear that there isn’t a single behavior that will lead to aggression 100% of the time so that should be taken into consideration. Context is extremely important in understanding dog-dog interactions. They concluded that the best thing to do is to be an advocate for the dog you are responsible for. Train them before entering the dog park so that you can safely leave challenging or uneasy situations.
Do you recommend your clients take their dogs to the dog park? Do you recommend they avoid dog parks?
Pricing services can be difficult since there are so many factors included in dog training. These factors include: customer interactions, communication skills, location and travel, education, experience, perceived value, and amount of competition in the area.
Cost Of Operation
Before you can determine a good price point for your services, you’ll want to make sure that the prices will make a net profit after costs are deducted from your profit. If your costs end up being more than profit, you won’t be in business very long. The basic principle of starting a business is to make a living from it.
Target Audience
While it is noble to donate your time to rescues and those that cannot afford to pay you for your services, pricing yourself lower so that more people can afford you is a recipe for burn out. You have to make each client worth your time and energy which means you need to be charging for the value you provide to your customers. Your prices should reflect the audience you want to reach.
Market Research
Location plays a huge role in determining your prices. It would be quite difficult to begin a business if you were the most expensive in the area. Also, it is not to your advantage to be the least expensive in your area because many customers understand that they will get what they will pay for. Being the least expensive tells the community that you do not think highly of your skills. Make sure your prices are competitive, but also exude confidence about your training skills.
Pricing Models
Hourly
Many trainers start off using an hourly fee to price their services. This is a great way to get started. However, as your business grows you’ll discover that you only have so many hours in a day and, thus, can only make so much money each day. Once you start running out of hours in the day, or maybe even sooner, consider changing your pricing model to the following.
Flat Fee
A flat fee pricing model is commonly used for board and train programs because it is more than an hourly commitment. This kind of service can provide a lot of value to clients who can afford it. A flat fee pricing strategy can allow you to make customized training packages for each family you work with and provide them a variety of services to increase their chance of success. For example, you can create a package that includes day training and private lessons for a flat fee based on that family’s needs.
Understand Perceived Value
As dog trainers, we provide incredible value to families everywhere – we give them peace in their lives again. Perceived value is about what the customer thinks they are gaining by hiring you. When clients look for trainers, they aren’t really looking to hire a dog trainer, they are looking to get balance, peace, and control back in their lives again. Understanding perceived value for the customer will help you determine the right pricing for your services.
Pricing can be very difficult for new trainers to understand and implement. Consider reaching out to your mentor and ask them how they first determined their pricing strategy. Most importantly, when customers call, make sure you can articulate how and why your services are worth their prices.
At the APDT Conference last week we had the pleasure of listening to Sumac Grant-Johnson‘s speech called Build A Better Trainer. Sumac is a wonderful dog and people trainer. She engaged the audience like few speakers were able to. Everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves during her speech. Here are some of the highlights of her presentation.
Teaching Skills For Dog Trainers
Many trainers get into dog training for the dogs. However, you have to work with people to make a living so having some people skills are important to being a successful dog trainer.
Sumac has broken down the steps every teacher should take when instructing a class or lesson into an easy-to-remember acronym: OIA. OIA stands for Observe, Interpret, and Act. She encourages all trainers to learn as much about human body language as they do about dog body language. This will increase your ability to understand clients who might be struggling. She stated that if there is a failure rate of more than 25% in a class after instructions are given then the issue lies with the instructions given, not the students.
Observations
As a teacher, you must be able to observe your student’s actions. Look at what they do correctly and incorrectly. See what might be inhibiting them from achieving the goal behavior.
Interpret
Once you’ve made accurate observations, you can then interpret what you’ve observed. Bring into consideration environmental factors such as space, distractions, fears, and noise. She mentioned that you can let clients know what they can do if they cannot hear you appropriately.
Learning Styles
A good instructor understands how to utilize different approaches so that all learning styles are incorporated into their teaching. Learning styles can be broken down into visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Make sure you’ve researched these styles so that you can identify the learning style of each client.
Knowledge Base
Every client will have a different history and knowledge base. Sumac recommended we read the book How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman. You never know right off the bat what kind of training knowledge, behavior knowledge, or experience a client may have. What they know can hold them back in some cases due to prejudices or biases.
One of the most important parts of her presentation was the recommendation to never express differing or conflicting opinions right off the bat or they’ll put up barriers.
Act
After observing and interpreting your client’s behavior, you’ll want to act accordingly. Consider adjusting the environment, avoiding putting people on the spot, and mark and reinforce correct behavior. Sumac recommended the use of words like good, nice, or great as marker words before explaining what they did correctly. Make sure you give your students achievable steps towards the goal behavior just like you would when working with their dogs.
In the end, she states that as dog trainers, we all of ONE job. That is to help people meet THEIR goals. This presentation was one of our favorites out of the whole APDT Conference in Hartford. She is an excellent presenter and intelligent people-person. She claims she used to be extremely shy as a child, but we find that extremely hard to believe! Thank you Sumac Grant-Johnson for sharing your knowledge with us.
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We reached out to Nicole Larocco-Skeehan, CPDT-KA, to discover more about her success in the dog training world. She is the on that board of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and runs her own company in Philadelphia called 
You’re currently leading the CCPDT Facebook page and social media, how did you come about doing that? What is your favorite part about that position?
