APDT 2012 Symposium Panel: Barbara Long (moderator), Jeanine Johnson-Brown, Rebecca Rodriguez, Gail Fisher, Rise VanFleet, Sue Sternberg, Teoti Anderson

Kentucky has been a popular location for dog training conferences these past few years. I recently made my third trip to the state's rolling hills, along with Assistant Instructor Phyllis Beasley, for the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) Annual Educational Conference and Trade Show October 17-21. We spent an eventful week learning, networking and shopping!

More than 800 trainers gathered for the conference, eager to learn the latest in canine behavior. I provided video vignettes and served on a panel for the conference's day-long symposium, Teaching Old Trainers New Tricks: Driving Change in Your Life, Community and Beyond. I also gave two presentations -- one on incorporating shy dogs into group training classes and another on avoiding burnout for veteran trainers. Both Phyllis and I also enjoyed a variety of presentations, from solutions for resource guarding to canine nutrition. It was a jam-packed week!

The trade show was a fun source of new books, DVDs and dog toys. I also opted for an additional workshop -- a behind-the-scenes tour of the Cincinnati Zoo. I got to pet a baby penguin! He was a big baby, but only 5 months old and soft as fleece.

Charlemagne, a baby King penguin

I also had the thrill of feeding penguins, although I found I'm going to need a lot more practice before I'm very good at it. In order to feed the large King penguins a large fish, you had to practically shove the fish down their throats. The fish were very slippery and I kept dropping them! We were not allowed to pick the fish up from the rocks due to safety reasons, and the penguins couldn't pick them up, either. I spent some minutes gazing into the disappointed eyes of penguins, as they hoped another trainer would come along with better fish feeding skills. I apologized quite a bit! Thankfully, I was much better at feeding the smaller Rockhopper penguins.

Teoti trying to feed a King penguin

The trainers at the Cincinnati Zoo were so friendly and informative, I really enjoyed spending an afternoon learning about how they work with their animals!

As I've often said, continuing education is very important to me and the other trainers at Pawsitive Results. This was my 17th consecutive APDT conference, and I look forward to many more. It truly is a one-stop shop of education about dogs!

These past few months I've been speaking at national conferences and making local appearances. A certain Papillon has been helping on occasion!

In September I traveled to Austin, TX to speak at the Pet Sitters International Quest for Excellence conference. I gave a presentation on canine behavior. It was my first time speaking at this conference -- what a wonderful group!

 

WOLO TV Columbia, SC did a story on Prescription Paws, our local Pet Partners affiliate group. Pawsitive Results Assistant Instructor Phyllis Beasley and her dog, Gideon, joined me and Finian for the story on our visit to the University of South Carolina to offer some canine stress relief to the students. See the story on the healing power of pets. 

 

WACH Fox TV in Columbia, SC also ran a wonderful story on the Prescription Paws program, and invited our teams into the studio during the Good Day Columbia show. Here's the story on canine therapy bringing health and wellness.  

 

On October 13 Phyllis and I also spent an afternoon at Pupcakes, a local dog bakery and boutique, offering a variety of presentations on canine behavior and how to teach manners. I brought the boys home some tasty baked treats!  

 

I was also interviewed by the Kentucky Enquirer earlier this month about my appearance at the 2012 Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) Annual Educational Conference. I gave two presentations at the conference and served on a speaker panel. More details about the conference in this issue!    

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Halloween Tips

Even dogs who love children can be frightened by kids dressed up in costume, so keep a close eye on your dog this holiday. If he is licking his lips, putting his ears back and trying to avoid the festivities, he's trying to tell you he's worried! Remove him from the situation and put him in a place he feels safe.

If you already know your dog won't enjoy kids coming to your door, put him in a back room with some soothing music playing. Give him a chew toy or food-stuffed Kong^® toy to keep him occupied.

Remember, chocolate is poisonous to dogs! So is xylitol, an ingredient in sugar-free gum and other candies. So please make sure your dog does not get into the Halloween candy. It will be a nasty trick if you spend the night at the emergency vet's!

Pawsitive Results, LLC offers reward-based group dog training classes in Irmo and West Columbia, SC., as well as private lessons. Owner Teoti Anderson is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and author who also gives popular workshops across the country to dog trainers and pet owners.

 
Pawsitive Results, LLC