Animal Welfare Professionals

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  • 1.  Do your front-line people need help answering behavior Qs?

    Posted 10-24-2023 06:18 AM

    Do you have folks on the front-lines who struggle to answer questions or concerns related to feline behavior? Do they know how to work with owners to provide meaningful interventions aimed at keeping more cats in homes?

     

    Our Surrender Prevention Certification Workshop is TOMORROW, October 25 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. ET. Register here!

     

    Hosted by Community Cats Podcast, and presented by certified cat behaviorist Dr. Rachel Geller. Dr. Geller will share real examples, with proven results, setting the potential surrenderer and cat on the road to a happy relationship together and keeping the cat in her home. We’ll cover how to empathize with cat owners, working around their limitations (financial, time, patience) and focus on the 3 most common reasons for surrender: litter box problems, scratching (and not on the scratching post!), and inter-cat aggression. Take advantage of the interactive format, extensive handouts, and video footage of actual techniques. 

     

    The session is 1.5 hours, followed by an optional 15-minute Q&A session. Attendees will receive a certificate after taking a short quiz, as well as access to four additional training modules. Registration is $10. 

    PLUS, everyone who registers will also receive access to four (4) mini-courses, perfect for anyone looking to keep more cats in homes, regardless of experience level! Mini-courses will cover common behavior topics, such as:

     

    • Litter box issues

    • Scratching concerns

    • Introducing your new cat to your home

    • Introducing your new cat to your resident cat

    Scholarships are available! #ThanksToMaddie, we are pleased to offer complimentary access to the October session. Just fill out the form here:  https://forms.gle/EU3c6n18kTd5hHgb6 

    Learn more and register here!

    Surrender Prevention Workshop Flyer


    #AdmissionsandIntake(includingIntake-to-placement)
    #Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
    #Conferences,WorkshopsandWebcasts
    #EducationandTraining
    #PetSupportServices*

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    Brianna Lovell Myers
    Community Cats Podcast
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  • 2.  RE: Do your front-line people need help answering behavior Qs?

    Posted 10-26-2023 05:16 AM

    Does Maddie's Fund  have a workshop for Surrender Prevention  for Dogs for front-line volunteers and staff  ?  ie:  Asking the probing questions needed to help determine what is Really going on with the dog's  behavior and helping define what the owner is saying/meaning and supporting owners into either keeping their dog with intervention or helping them safely re-home when possible. 



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    Mary Lou Maraganis
    President
    Animal Rescue Konnection
    Gloucester MA
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  • 3.  RE: Do your front-line people need help answering behavior Qs?

    Posted 10-26-2023 08:08 AM

    I would be very interested in this training focused on dogs, too. 



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    Kim Alcott
    Fundraising Representative
    Beyond Rescue
    CA
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  • 4.  RE: Do your front-line people need help answering behavior Qs?

    Posted 10-26-2023 02:02 PM

    Hi, Mary Lou:


    I'm sorry; I don't believe we have any training specifically devoted to counseling for retention of canine pets. We have a course called Keeping Pets in Homes that is focused on crisis counseling for pet retention and has lots of audio samples of pet counseling. Although the focus is on cats in that course, the key learnings about how to interact with people in crisis are applicable to any situation.  

    We also have a new course on counseling tenants who believe they may have to surrender their pet, which is most often a dog. It is called Keeping Tenants and Their Pets Together

    In addition, we have an upcoming adoption counseling course which should help on the front end of dog adoption. But I can see that we may need to create more education in this area. If anyone has any recommendations for further education outside of Maddie's Fund, please let us know!

    Erika



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    Erika Shaffer
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 5.  RE: Do your front-line people need help answering behavior Qs?

    Posted 10-27-2023 08:06 AM

    Hi Erika -

    I'd like to suggest Billie Groom as a resource for this type of education as it's what her work is all about

     Dog Training and Behavior using Canine Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    I'm having a tech issue with getting the right link posted - sorry! 

    I hope this one works: Dog Training and Behavior using Canine Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    My best,

    SL



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    SL (Sindee Lee) Gillespie
    Founder
    Houston TX
    https://pawsitivelyspeaking.com/
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  • 6.  RE: Do your front-line people need help answering behavior Qs?

    Posted 10-30-2023 10:13 AM

    Thank you Sindee Lee!

    Erika



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    Erika Shaffer
    Maddie's Fund
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  • 7.  RE: Do your front-line people need help answering behavior Qs?

    Posted 10-31-2023 03:41 PM

    I'm glad you posted this link.  
    Unfortunately, it's pricey, especially for shelters, fosters, and individuals.

    Program1 deals with aggression, anxiety, leash reactivity, elimination issues, jumping, nipping, barking, bullying, stealing objects, behavior changes and unpredictable behaviors.
    P2, specifically for the newly adopted to proactively prevent common issues such as bonding, communication, teaching routines and expectations, including the dog in daily activities and routines, and prevent health /anxiety related issues. 
    Also, Learn to read and understand your dog and make better matches. 
    Ok! My yard system gives all that and more, because EVERYONE is learning CONTINUOUSLY. In REAL time and space.
    Yes, there's an investment building the yards, but it's mostly one time and most facilities just need small tweaks to get started. And, it's an investment in your own community, with and for all the dogs, and people, you encounter. So, instead of 10 individuals and 10 dogs, for the same price, you'd get it in perpetuity.

    Sure, I can sell you a meal, but I'd rather teach everyone how to cook so they don't go hungry - ever.
    If the dogs in your care do not have an opportunity to FREERUN if they choose, DAILY, if not several times a day as I do, you are not getting the entire picture needed to fully understand and communicate positively with the dog so all parties are happy.
    WHY isn't anyone interested in helping change how dogs are kept so everyone benefits, in perpetuity.
    What is it that makes everyone disregard my experience and efforts to bring dogs to light? 


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    Diane Cuff
    Owner/operator
    Waggin'Tails Boarding Kennels
    TX
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  • 8.  RE: Do your front-line people need help answering behavior Qs?

    Posted 11-01-2023 06:07 AM

    Hi Diane, 

    I thought a few people besides me did express interest in your system.

    You mention one time costs of the yards: At my shelter, and probably others, it's not a matter of simply ear-marking funds for a project. The funds would need to be there to be earmarked. Many shelters are understaffed and under funded: When I look at shelters that have recently gotten grants we hope to apply for, the situation is clear - a facility that places 2x as many dogs and about the same number of cats as we do has 3x the money to work with. We can't look at new designs for kennel runs until our next capital project. That's not lack of interest, it's the reality of the situation. 

    In the meantime, I am interested in learning more about your system and will at some point sit down to compose a question to ask you. 



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    Eudora Watson
    Volunteer
    Potsdam Humane Society Shelter
    New York
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  • 9.  RE: Do your front-line people need help answering behavior Qs?

    Posted 11-01-2023 02:39 PM

    Hi Eudora.  "I thought a few people besides me did express interest in your system."

    Nope. Not really. 

    It's not about the $$, but that seems to be the driving force, which I understand. For me, the driving force is happy well adjusted dogs, and I've been making it a reality for a very long time. 


    I am one person, and built this from nothing, alone, as a single parent in a new state, and run it alone.  Today I have a house full of dog aggressive dogs, and alls good. It sure would not be if I kept them according to shelter guidelines.

    Please, ask away. Especially if skeptical.



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    Diane Cuff
    Owner/operator
    Waggin'Tails Boarding Kennels
    TX
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  • 10.  RE: Do your front-line people need help answering behavior Qs?

    Posted 10-27-2023 04:13 AM

    Mary Lou said, "Asking the probing questions needed to help determine what is Really going on with the dog's  behavior and helping define what the owner is saying/meaning and supporting owners into either keeping their dog with intervention or helping them safely re-home when possible. "

    My yard system will let the dog tell you who he is and show you the true communication between the two. Then you can help modify both.



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    Diane Cuff
    Owner/operator
    Waggin'Tails Boarding Kennels
    TX
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