Animal Training Academy

4:40 - Ryan asks Amy to take us back to when she started with training with positive reinforcement. 9:30 - Ryan and Amy discuss her PhD further and the questions that were raised through her PhD and how her research resulted in studying and researching studies involving children. 15:40 - Amy explains that the approach at UC Berkeley was focused around cognition rather than psychology and asking cognitive questions rather than focussing on ethology and behaviour. She details how the questions we ask about dogs tend to mirror the questions that we ask about children. 32:20 - Amy Cook explains how she started working with Denise at the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy and expands how play became an important part in her thoughts. 42:00 - Amy describes play as a therapy for the animal. 45:30 - Amy explains how having a low value play interaction allows us to see when they ‘can’t’ respond. 49:35 - Amy highlights using play in a set up and starting it in the environment when a dog is under threshold with a detailed example. 56:20 - Amy explains how using ‘theraplay’ and social play can be used as an early warning system, to indicate the low levels of stress the dog may be exhibiting in an environment. 58:30 - Ryan discusses with Amy an article regarding The Play Way written in the Whole Dog Journal. 1:05:50 - Ryan and Amy encapsulate the overall principle to training with the play way.

4:30 - Veronica shares the experience of her first dog and the training journey through different dog schools until she was able to find one to help her with her reactive dog. 10:00 - Veronica explains how she became sick with the neurological condition Generalized Dystonia and her life came to a halt. 12:20 - Veronica explains how she became interested in the Service Dog industry which led to the decision to open her business Co-operative Paws 15:00 - Veronica realised the need to bridge the gap between the Service Industry and the pet dog owners that needed professional guidance to train their dogs appropriately. 16:40 - Ryan thanks Veronica for bravely sharing her experience with a life changing disease and Veronica shares how it has helped her understanding of the requirements with the human part of training service dogs. 25:20 - Ryan asks if Veronica’s early approach to seek out and try something different helped her with her illness. 28:00 - Veronica explains how she got the Service Dog Coach Certification program up and running and what was involved. 35:00 - Veronica explains how her work changes constantly, and incorporates the support she gives to students, the development of courses, the work involved in training of her dogs, and the marketing aspect required. 39:40 - Ryan asks Veronica why it is important that we have science based trainers in the service training industry. 43:30 - How a trainer might get started in offering service dog training and what is involved. 51:30 - Veronica discusses further about point 4, and in particular how she handles the intake and plans for addressing the initial cases. 55:50 - Ryan asks Veronica if there are any particular resources that she shares with people looking for information. 56:50 - What are the next steps and expectations if a trainer wants to get involved with the certification process. 59:00 - Ryan asks his final question and asks Veronica to take us into the future and what she would love to see happen in the next 5-10 years.

6:28 – Shelly asks Ryan his first question and asks him about his life outside of the animal training world and how it has influenced his work and vice versa. 13:23 – Ryan discusses the four books that have greatly influenced his world and including his daily life and his animal training career. How to win Friends and Influence People. Crucial Conversations Growth Mindset First things First 25:51 –  Shelly asks Ryan to share with us a recent training related challenge that he has experienced, how he worked through the challenge and what he has learnt from the experience. 39:33 – Shelly asks Ryan to share a story about a behaviour that he has trained or a training situation that he is proud of experiencing. Ryan details the process and that he had with Reg and how the relationship developed through the journey. 46:43 – Ryan shares a second story regarding the goose ‘Security’ that was able to free room around the park. 56:17 – Ryan shares a recent example with his training with Fibi and why he was training that particular skill in that particular way. He discusses how we may be able to look at many different ways of getting to a specific goal but each one may develop a different type of learning experience.

3:10 - Ryan asks Erica if she can take the listeners back to the first time she heard about animal training. 15:20 - Erica discusses how her curiosity developed from a young age. 17:30 - Ryan asks Erica about how she discusses statements from others that may not have any scientific data supporting them - The two questions Erica would love people to ask! 21:05 - Ryan asks Erica what she is doing in 2020 and where the listeners can find out more about her. 24:30 - Talking about shelter dogs & Eric’s current research. 31:25 - Ryan asks Erica to take us through a journey through her research projects. 35:00 - Erica unpacks what she means by ‘having fun with the system’ for the dog trainer at home. 40:10 - Erica uses an example to help explain how to know if your making progress. 42:20 - Ryan and Erica discuss breaking aims down into bite sized goals and approximations. 44:15 - Ryan asks - If we are setting approximations, how does Erica decide what to do next? 46:45 - Ryan highlights and discusses a phrase that Erica raises “if your worries are changing then you are making progress” 48:47 - Erica talks about some of the results of her research regarding the magnitude of food in training 55.55 - Erica discusses one of her studies where they look at if access to the owner is a reinforcement. 59:00 – Erica takes us into the future and explains what she would like to see happen in the next 5-10 years in the world of animal training.

3:00 - Trish shares where she began her positive reinforcement animal training journey. 7:00 - Trish explains how she started working in a shelter environment, how it led to working with the San Francisco’s SPCA and developed into the opportunity to work towards achieving a Master’s Degree in Animal Behaviour. 11:00 - Trish and Ryan discuss the opportunity Trish created to speak with Dr Sophia Yin and the early training Trish dog with her Dalmatian. 12:30 - Ryan asks more about Trish’s experience when she wanted to adopt her first dog from a shelter. 13:00 - Trish explains her ‘No 1’ take home lesson that she shares with all her new clients 16:15 - Trish and Ryan discuss Stanley Milgram’s’ study on the “Obedience to Authority” and the effects this can have on our behaviour. 19:30 - Ryan asks Trish about her experience with her more challenging foster dogs that she & how it helped her understand some of the hard decisions she has to make 24:40 - Ryan asks Trish what mindset and experiences would be of value for trainers that are looking to enter a shelter environment to expand their skills and knowledge. 30:00 - Trish explains how she has become a co-founder of a grief support group with Sue Alexander to help people who have had to euthanise their pets on behaviour grounds. 35:00 - Ryan asks Trish to expand on her 5 main thoughts on what will help to improve shelters become more successful fin 2020 and beyond. 46:20 - Ryan asks Trish about neglect cases and how to help people care better for their dogs. 49:30 - Ryan and Trish discuss further the concept of ‘start with yes’ when discussing animal adoptions and how to address neglect, animal hoarding and cruelty situations. 52:00 - Ryan asks Trish about the concepts of shifting some of the paradigms that are linked around the shelter adoption processes and concepts. 57:45 - Ryan asks Trish if she has any tips on helping people bring ideas into the shelters that they may already be helping and where to find useful resources. 1:00:15 - Trish shares her final point on what she thinks we will see happen in the next 5-10 years in the shelter world.

1:20 - Ryan introduces Sonya Bevan 4:00 - Sonya takes Ryan and the listeners back to where she first learned about positive reinforcement training and the journey from a career in being a physio to a behaviour consultant and dog trainer. 19:10 - Ryan asks how Sonya’s background in physio has helped her in her new profession. 20:20 - Sonya explains the assessment process she uses in her dog training and behaviour consultants. 24:15 - Ryan is curious if Sonya has a process for data collection and asks her for thoughts on helping people review their own processes for improving data collection. 28:10 - Ryan asks Sonya about her free video series. 29:20 - Sonya describes what she has learnt through the period of building the video library with her dog Zuri and how being courageous and sharing her mistakes has helped others train too. 32:00 - Ryan empathises that we often want to share our enthusiasm of positive training with others and asks Sonya how her thoughts have changed with sharing information and her enthusiasm with others. 36:50 - Ryan describes a situation where a client may be using an aversive tool and asks Sonya how to become an effective coach for the clients that are asking for help in those cases. 43:25 - Sonya describes what the year of 2020 has looked like for her through the pandemic, the change and opportunities that have arisen and explains how she has managed to overcome the feeling of being nervous and have the courage to make this podcast with Ryan. 50:20 - Sonya provides details of where to find out more about her work within her business Dog Charming. 52:10 - Ryan explain that the podcast is going be turned into 2 parts and introduces that part 2 will discuss having a dog as an amputee and the training and husbandry requirements. 53:10 - Sonya thanks Ryan for the opportunity to share her journey with the ATA Audience

3:10 - Shelly takes us back to where her journey begin with positive reinforcement animal training. 19:30 - Ryan asks Shelly to share her work with children at Epic Pals - pairing children with dogs preparing to be adopted. 23:20 - Ryan and Shelly discuss the use of PORTL and resources used in the Epic Pals program and how it impacts the children 25:00 - Ryan asks where you can find out more about Shelly’s work at ‘Drop your jaws dog training’ and ‘Epic’ 26:00 - Ryan introduces the new program that Shelly will be hosting for the ATA community. 27:45 - Shelly shares what makes it an exciting program for her to host and introduces the first members that she will be interviewing. 31:05 - Ryan reveals the expected launch date of the new podcasts! 31:50 - Ryan moves the conversation forward to look closer at Shelley’s experience with animal introductions. 33:50 - Shelly explains how she found her first foster dog and how her resources and knowledge and the ATA community has supported her through the experiences 37:15 - Ryan asks about the specific processes, techniques and strategies that have been helpful to implement when introducing new animals. 40:55 - Shelly talks us through the parallel walking process that she uses when introducing dogs 44:10 - Shelly introduces us to her new puppy, Castor and what she has been working on with him recently. 45:30 - Ryan asks a few questions regarding how Shelly has come to be able to bravely share her training and learning online with others. 49:15 - Ryan introduces a summary list: ‘5 things to consider when introducing animals in your house to each other’ 50:35 - Ryan asks Shelly what the most reinforcing part of the process is for Shelly as a human learner in the processes [when sharing your training online] 54:05 - Shelly explains how important it is to choose where you share your training videos when you want feedback and support. 55:05 - Ryan asks Shelly to return to the time when she first brought home fosters and explain what was the antecedent set up in her home to make it more successful. 57:55 - Shelly explains what she may do differently next time and her favourite moments during introductions and with her foster dog Cross. 1:00:00 - Ryan asks Shelly to travel into the future and say what she would like to see happen over the next 5-10years.

3:45 - Ryan asks about Caitlin’s PhD in Evolutionary Biology and Caitlin shares her stories and journey of how positive reinforcement training began for her. 13:35 - Ryan asks how the diverse areas of her knowledge influence and blend into Caitlin’s current work. 17:25 - Caitlin explains with an example how she asks about behaviours using a diagnostic approach when using an online platform. 18:35 - Ryan expands the discussion point in relation to online social platform (Facebook) communities and groups and how to approach conversations when emotions are involved. 20:20 - Caitlin highlights the importance of highlighting the facts but also acknowledging emotions with human connection and empathy, before moving to the questions to assist with training, behaviour and solutions. 23:00 - Caitlin’s simple recipe to help others with behavioural enquiries on social media 25:00 - Caitlin notes the benefit of honest recognition of doing things well, noting courage, bravery and giving compliments to your audience and your team is beneficial. 27:35 - Caitlin shares how they manage their Facebook group members, the knowledge that they share and bring, and meeting the goals for being in the groups. 31:05 - Caitlin notes her participation rates on the Facebook group and discusses with Ryan how she approaches different cultures, races, ethnicities and wider world topics that may be controversial but may not relate directly to dog training. 37:40 - Ryan and Caitlin discuss how she manages the comments and posts that may disagree with the community philosophy or those comments that may trigger a reactive response form members. 41:00 - Ryan asks if Caitlin has taken her knowledge of behaviour of all learners and applied a behavioural approach to managing her group members. 43:30 - Caitlin describes the effective reinforcers for people that are utilised well on social media. 48:45 - Ryan encapsulates the last point in relation to our own training relationships. 50:05 - Caitlin shares her recent experience with her new horse and how critical trust can be in the training relationship. 53:30 - Caitlin expands how trust builds with people in the interactions on posts in FB. 54:40 - Ryan asks when you are using verbal language and the information is met with distrust how does Caitlin manage the defensive responses. 59:40 - Ryan asks what Caitlin wants to see happen in the training community over the next 5-10 years and Caitlin talks through some examples of changes that need to be embraced. 1:06:05: Caitlin explains where to go to find out more.  

1:20 - Ryan introduces Chris Shank 4:50 - Chris takes us back to the start of her training journey 12:00 - Chris explains that her new education and skills were difficult to transfer to her own pets 13:25 - Ryan asks about what valuable learning opportunities occurred from Chris’s time working with dolphins in the US and in Germany. 16:45 - Chris is honest and brave about sharing her experience regarding her introduction to breeding birds and the impact to her life. 20:45 - Ryan asks about the switch in Chris’s life regarding training techniques with birds 23:20 - Chris shares her face book and email details. 24:00 - Ryan asks about the activities and events at Cockatoo Downs. 28:25 - Ryan asks Chris to discuss free-flying parrots. 40:45 - Chris expands how she discusses with people about free-flying their pet parrots as it is often controversial. 45:10 - Ryan asks if having a frank conversation about consequences about free- flying their parrots with clients help. Chris describes an example of how it can go drastically wrong. 47:45 - Ryan asks about training with parent-raised birds and chicks. 54:00 - Chris shares her final comments on the training world at this time. 55:50 - Ryan thanks Chris and wraps up the episode.