Canine Low Stress Handling® in a Shelter Environment with Christine D. Calder DVM DACVB
This session offers practical, in-the-moment applications of Low Stress Handling® of dogs for shelter veterinary exams: reading the canine communication signaling, applying the 3-second rule and the least-restraint principle, adjusting the examination approach to the individual, and creating a low stress environment.
Key takeaways:
- Understand species-specific canine behavior and communication signaling and set up the environment to support a low stress experience.
- Apply the 3-second rule and least-restraint principle for dogs, adjusting handling techniques to the individual dog.
- Decide when to proceed with, adjust, or defer the examination based on the individual dog, incorporating food distraction and pharmacologic support where the shelter setting permits.
About Guest Speaker:
@Christine Calder DVM DACVB, Director of Behavior Educational Content at Veterinary Information Network
Dr. Calder has spent many years practicing veterinary medicine in both New Jersey and Maine. Over the course of her career, she has worked in general practice, served on the behavior service at the San Francisco SPCA, and taught in community practice settings at several veterinary schools. Her deep interest in animal behavior led her to pursue a residency with the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, and she became a Diplomate with the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists in 2017.
Today, Dr. Calder runs her own veterinary behavior consultation practice and serves as the Director of Behavior Educational Content at the Veterinary Information Network®, Inc. She is the co-author and editor of Low Stress Handling® and Behavior Modification of Dogs and Cats (second edition) and Low Stress Handling®: A Practical Guide to Cooperative Care, Training, and Behavior Modification. Alongside her clinical and editorial work, Dr. Calder contributes to educational programs at VIN® and is especially passionate about helping veterinary students feel confident and prepared for that behavior case on their first day in practice and beyond.
About Maddie's Community Conversations
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The calls will be recorded to watch at your leisure if you can’t make it live, and are now approved for CAWA and NACA. Some will be approved for RACE continuing education credit, too!
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Learn more about Community Conversations, watch recordings and continue the conversation with guest speakers here on Maddie's Pet Forum: https://forum.maddiesfund.org/communityconversations
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