Clicker Training and Operant Conditioning

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When Devene Godau adopted a retired racing greyhound, she thought she was just rescuing a dog. Instead, she found her purpose. What started as an effort to help an anxious greyhound with separation anxiety became a lesson in communication, connection, and compassion. Those lessons didn’t just transform her career; they changed how she saw herself.

A certified professional dog trainer with ADHD, Devene spent more than 25 years working with everyone from family pets to professional scent detection dogs for the TSA. She learned that dogs, much like humans, thrive when they feel safe, understood, and motivated — not shamed into obedience. Her work with scent detection dogs taught her that behavior isn’t about control, it’s about clarity. The same applies to people. Now through her platform The Distracted Dog Lover, Devene helps neurodivergent dog owners build stronger bonds with their pets using humor, empathy, and science-based, real-world strategies that actually work.

In this conversation, Devene and Tracy talk about why traditional training methods often fail for ADHD owners, what clicker training can teach us about communication, and how dogs mirror our emotions in ways that reveal what we need to work on ourselves. Devene also shares how gamifying training makes it easier to stay consistent, why sniffing literally boosts serotonin and calms a dog’s nervous system, and how the best kind of learning happens when you stop aiming for perfection and start enjoying the process.

Resources:

• Website: https://distracteddoglover.com 
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devene-godau-cpdt-ka-b696a71a0 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/disney_devene 
• Gerty: https://thegerty.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqWlLvwRhiG3tP96j9mICCIcZSa98gj5w1YRsy4jUJxWbZZtk4W 

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