Service animals provide assistance to many people across this country.  So how do you know if an animal is a service animal?  What do you do if the animal is or isn’t a service animal?  These are questions facing Animal Control Officers and others every day.

Navigating the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) can be a very difficult task and it is important that we protect the rights of the disabled while also being cognisant that there might be those who are claiming the use of a service animal incorrectly.  This webinar will give you the tools to understand and provide protections afforded under the ADA while also giving you tools to approach those who are using the term “service animal” incorrectly.

Want to prepare for this webinar? The webinar, From Guide Dogs to Therapy Squirrels: The Americans with Disabilities Act and Animal Welfare Professionals, will be freely available on the JCH YouTube channel until Oct 11, 2024. Hit the bell icon on the JCH YouTube channel page to receive notifications of our latest video releases.

This webinar has been certified by the National Animal Care & Control Association and is approved for 1 Continuing Education Unit. Please refer to your NACA membership portal for current CEU submission process. Current NACA Members who attend the live presentation or watch the recording will be able to download a jointly issued attendance certificate that includes the National Animal Care & Control Association logo. Visit the NACA training page for a complete list of future trainings.

WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.justiceclearinghouse.com/webinar/americans-with-disabilities-act-and-service-animals-in-field-services/

The debate over when to recommend sterilization in pet dogs and cats has been under increased scrutiny over the past 5-10 years. With some veterinary professionals promoting pediatric spay/neuter and others recommending waiting or foregoing sterilization altogether for some breeds, how should we base our decisions and recommendations? This case-based discussion covers the critical evaluation of recent studies on the ideal age for spaying and neutering dogs and cats, specific variables that impact timing considerations, and comparisons of some of the risks and benefits of early spay/neuter surgery.

Takeaways

• Identify specific variables that impact the appropriate timing of spay/neuter surgery.
• Work through critical evaluations of recent studies on the timing of spay/neuter surgery.
• Compare risks and benefits of early age spay/neuter.

Suited For
This session is suited for anyone who is faced with the question of when to spay or neuter.

Credits
This session has been approved for 1hr of RACE credit for veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

Presenter: Dr. Lauren Blackwelder, Veterinarian, ASNA Training, ASPCA Spay Neuter Alliance (ASNA)
Dr. Lauren Blackwelder is a Veterinary Training Instructor at the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance (ASNA). After graduating from the University of Florida in 2013, she worked in shelter medicine and high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter (HQHVSN) clinics in Virginia and Florida before joining ASNA in 2021. Dr. Blackwelder is human-animal bond certified and received a graduate certificate in shelter medicine from the University of Florida. Her role in teaching veterinarians and veterinary students efficient surgical skills contributes to improved animal welfare through HQHVSN efforts worldwide. She lives in Asheville, N.C., with her husband, two children, dog, cats, and fish.

WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.aspcapro.org/training/webinar/northern-tier-shelter-initiative-zoomies-ideal-age-spay-neuter-dogs-cats

Could fostering for animal rescue organisations have benefits for older adults as well as the animals they care for? This presentation will discuss research exploring the health promotion potential of cat fostering in Aotearoa New Zealand, the role of foster programmes in cat rescue, and the potential for more older people to be involved in fostering.  Come along if you are interested in fostering, especially cat fostering, and the potential of involving more older adults as animal fosterers.

This event will be recorded and the recording will be available the day after the event.

Speaker: Christine Roseveare – Lecturer and Teaching Fellow, Massey University

Christine Roseveare is a Lecturer and Teaching Fellow in the School of Health Science at Massey University, in Aotearoa/New Zealand. She is currently pursuing her PhD, interdisciplinary research focused on the health promotion potential of fostering companion animals by older people. Christine holds a Master of Public Health ,  a Postgraduate Diploma in Education and Professional Development and a level 3 New Zealand Certificate in Animal Care (Companion Animals). Her research interests include health promotion, public health education, and the human-animal bond. She is a 2024 HOPE foundation scholar.

WEBSITE LINK: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qmta4CVCSt6ApvT9CszWug#/registration

Dogs are resilient and oh-so-forgiving! These qualities make them endearing as companions, along with their ability to love unconditionally. So, why do some dogs struggle to understand us when we are offering affection or when we want to help them, not harm them? In this session, we will focus on the HUMAN handling that contributes to unwanted behavior, even “aggression”. Get ready to rethink your approach as we reveal the common and widely accepted and taught handling errors that set dogs up for failure. Through extensive video examples, we will demonstrate alternative handling techniques that help dogs to trust and thrive!

This webinar will demonstrate:

– Examples of handling that causes negative behavior compared to handling that promotes  desired behavior

– Demonstration of handling that induces trust and learning with dogs that are too afraid to respond initially to food rewards or affection

– Comprehensive discussion around the correct use of pressure and release and why this is a critical skill for shelter canine handlers to master to save more dogs

This is a 2-hour presentation followed by a 30 min Q&A session. This webinar costs $20 and you will receive the recording the next day.

WEBSITE LINK:  https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4bcg2hn4TGGXti0SZvCoCw#/registration

At DPFL’s Stranger Danger webinar, you will learn how to work with dogs that are wary of strangers by building their confidence and helping them to develop the skills to meet new people (and potential adopters) happily and successfully! Even for the private dog trainer or dog owner, the skills taught in this webinar will help support your stranger danger dog to expand their comfort level when meeting new people at home!

This webinar will demonstrate:

• DPFL’s Assess and Progress approach: fluttering between assessing and influencing behavior to determine how a dog might respond WITHOUT proper human support to determine what training is necessary for successful placement
• Comprehensive Tool Selection: determining what tool will best support the dog while keeping the handler and others safe during the learning process
• Principles vs. Methods: determining what approach will teach the dog as efficiently and effectively as possible
• Creative Proofing: conducting training with the goal of solid generalization of new skills so that dogs are able to work for multiple handlers with clarity and confidence

Come learn how to safely and effectively reach this segment of the canine population through in-depth behavior analysis, dynamic video examples, and practical approaches designed for anyone who is trying to find solutions for the dogs who need this extra human support. This is a 2-hour presentation followed by approximately 30 minutes of Q&A. This webinar is scheduled on EASTERN TIME. Following the webinar, attendees will receive an email with the webinar recording.

WEBSITE LINK:  https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_I_zFinz6RWC1IUeSxCY7wA#/registration

Almost three-quarters of dogs have some kind of canine anxiety, according to research. This talk is an overview of how to help fearful dogs, starting with recognizing the signs of fear and helping the dog to feel safe. We’ll look at the prevalence of fears in dogs, the kinds of fears that are most common, and some of the specific steps that can be taken to protect fearful dogs.

Management is important for several reasons. We’ll also look at the role of the dog’s attachment to their guardian, why it’s so important to work at the dog’s pace and not make them face their fears, and which techniques work best with fearful and anxious dogs. We’ll also talk about how to evaluate and prioritize the changes that will be most important in an individual case.

Learning Objectives

1. Appreciate the importance of choices and routine (including how to cope with changes)
2. Describe the secure base effect and understand what attachment to the guardian means for a fearful dog
3. Evaluate the changes that will be most beneficial for a fearful dog, including the role of management
4. Recognize tools, approaches, and actions that are detrimental for a fearful dog, and help clients choose (and stick to) alternate approaches.

WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/webinars-events/webinars/how-to-help-fearful-dogs-feel-safe-with-dr-zazie-todd/

Frustration Elicited aggression can occur in all animals, including humans. When a learner or teacher gets frustrated, they can begin to act out with aggressive behaviors. This could be a puppy that begins to nip at the person training them, a horse that kicks, a macaw that will bite or a human that hits.

Frustration usually occurs when the learner is not understanding or the teacher/ trainer gets “stuck” and is not sure how to proceed with training.

Since every human and animal is unique, we must look at how the individual is understanding what is expected. A puppy may be confused by what we are trying to teach or the teacher may not know how to “fix” a problem in a way that the learner understands it. Understanding frustration elicited aggression can not only help the learner learn and the teacher teach, it can also help improve the bond between the human and the animal.

Learning Objectives

• What is Frustration Elicited Aggression?
• What causes it?
• Who is affected by it?
• Why is it important to understand frustration elicited aggression?
• What can be done to prevent it?
• How understanding it can help reduce stress in training (for the human and animal)

WEBSITE LINK:  https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/webinars-events/webinars/frustration-elicited-aggression-what-is-it-how-it-occurs-and-how-to-stop-it-with-shannon-riley/