February 2026 Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection
Breaking Up a Dog Fight
One of the most important ways we can meet shelter dogs' needs and reduce behavior problems is to allow our dogs contact and playtime with their own species. Many staff and volunteers are concerned about giving dogs this vital exercise, enrichment, and important natural behavior outlet because of a fear of dog fights. While dog fights can sound scary, most are just "spit and noise" and cause little to no damage, many of us have seen fights that caused more damage, or fights where a person was also injured. Most of the ways we naturally approach breaking up a dog fight can actually make things worse, so teaching people how to break dog fights up efficiently and safely is an important part of onboarding any employees who may supervise dog interactions.
Laurie Lawless (of Shelter Behavior Integrations) and Trish McMillan (of Shelter Behavior Hub) are shelter behavior experts with decades of experience monitoring and facilitating dog play in many different contexts, but especially with shelter dogs. This webinar will review the tools and techniques they believe shelters should have on hand and employees should be taught to use, so that dogs can be cared for more safely, and so that they can have their needs met and behavior improved through social contact with their own kind.
Guest Speaker: Trish McMillan (Shelter Behavior Hub) & Laurie Lawless (Shelter Behavior Integrations)
Trish McMillan
Trish McMillan holds a master of science degree in animal behavior, and is a certified professional dog trainer, She worked for the ASPCA for nearly eight years, first as director of animal behavior at their NYC shelter, then helping assess and rehabilitate dogs from cruelty cases, dogfighting and hoarding situations, and researching, writing and presenting on animal behavior topics. Sh owns McMillan Animal Behavior in North Carolina, run from her small farm, Pibble Hill. There, she does training and behavior modification work with dogs, cats, and horses. Trish speaks and consults nationally and internationally on animal sheltering issues, dog, cat, and horse behavior, dog aggression, and defensive handling.
When she’s not on the road, Trish shares her life with three horses, two goats, four dogs, way too many chickens, and two cats as well as a rotation of foster animals.
Trish currently runs Shelter Behavior Hub, which has courses on dog and cat behavior as well as her flagship online shelter dog and cat behavior mentorships.
Laurie Lawless
Laurie Lawless, CDBC is a nationally recognized expert in shelter dog behavior, with over 16 years of in behavior, sheltering, leadership, consulting, and animal cruelty response. Her career was sparked in 2008 when she rescued an 85-lb Boxer named Charlie - his behavioral challenges launched her into the world of professional dog behavior work, and she’s been “blaming Charlie” ever since.
In 2023, Laurie founded Shelter Behavior Integrations to help shelter teams implement behavior-forward practices in ways that are accessible, practical, and deeply impactful. Her passion lies in finding calm within the daily chaos of sheltering by streamlining operations and positive outcomes while improving behavioral support for the animals.
Register here: https://maddies.fund/MonthlyBehaviorRegistration
About Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection:
Join us on the fourth Thursday of every month as we talk about dog and cat behavior - supporting pets in our community and animal shelters. Each month, we hear from speakers about topics of interest to our group, such as behavior medications, modifying animal behavior, assessing and improving animal welfare, and how organizations successfully provide behavior support to dogs and cats. Webcasts hosted by Board-Certified Veterinary Behaviorist, Dr. Sheila Segurson
All recordings and resources shared during the webcast will also be available on the Maddie's Monthly Behavior Connection page in Maddie's Pet Forum - https://maddies.fund/monthlybehaviorconnectionMPF
#Behavior, Training and Enrichment