Agency describes the overall amount of control an animal has over its environment. Control is a big buzzword in the dog world right now. There is an increasing call from professionals to give our dogs more control. How do agency and control actually impact behavior? Why are they so important? Luckily for trainers, we have many decades worth of research on this topic! And the research suggests that providing animals with a sense of agency is critically important for promoting their emotional wellbeing. It turns out that control changes how the brain functions and can influence the animal’s entire world view!
This talk will start with a discussion of learned helplessness and what it tells us about the impact of lack of control. I will cover how control (or lack of it) influences brain function and how it can change an animal’s approach to his or her environment in dramatic ways. Finally, we will talk about different ways of increasing control for our dogs. This webinar is great for puppies and adult dogs and for pet owners and professionals alike.
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Date: Thursday, June 17, 2021
Time: 3pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 – Registration required PRIOR to scheduled presentation time.
Instructor: Kristina Spaulding, PhD, CAAB
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