Day 1 – Behaviour Genetics Presenter: Nando Brown Duration: One Day When we become trainers or behaviourists, emphasis is put firmly upon understanding specific dogs through particular frames: behaviourism as well as behaviour analysis are still the most fashionable. However, some of the most exciting new research is coming out of looking through other frames such as Nutrition, Neurobiology and of course, Genetics. Ever wonder where your dog learn to do something, when you didn’t teach it? Why your client who attended all the classes and put in the work still ended up with a shy dog who spooked at the smallest sound? Or have you considered why two dogs from the same house hold have such different emotional responses to the same sights and sounds? Genetics might just give you the answer. Genetics is the study of DNA, genes and heredity. From understanding broadly, the development of gene, their structure and their functions, to learning how and when this framework is key to understanding the dogs you are working with; this course is a 101 for canine professionals hoping to learn about another puzzle piece that makes up the dogs that we work with. Day 1 – How to Train your (Dragon) Cat! Presenter: Jo-Rosie Haffenden Duration: Evening Talk Ever wonder why your cat would rather drink from a tap than his water bowl? Or why buying a new sofa causes him to vacate the house for a month returning only to sniff everything, look at you with disgust and then wee on said sofa? Cats have character and sass – but why is it that despite being domestic pets, like dogs, they are so very different? This evening talk delves into the fascinating world of the cat. Covering a brief history of evolutionary theory, neurobiology as well as behaviour we will explore just why cats are so different from their often larger, fluffy nemesis the dog. We will also look into cat training – where to start, how to start and why training cats is not only hugely entertaining but beneficial too! Day 2 – How to tame a Pitbull : A Practical Guide Presenter: Jo-Rosie Haffenden Duration: One Day How to tame a pit bull: a practical guide Pit bulls without a doubt have the worst, most notorious reputation amongst all the dog breeds. As such they are banned in a greater number of countries than any breed of any species has ever been. But what is all the fuss about? Sadly, due to a cocktail of inappropriate selective breeding, fashion, negative observational bias and tendencies to become victims of abuse; these dogs can be hard for dog professionals to work with. They have quite specific breed tendencies which can make them trickier to socialise conventionally as well as frustrating to work with. As a result of this a great number of day care, groomers, dog parks and training clubs refuse entries to these often misunderstood creatures. This talk is an attempt to put the record straight and explain not just why this breed behaves the way they dog, but also what we can do to help them thrive – in pet homes. Over the last decade of specialising in this breed of dog, Jo-Rosie has particular interventions that strive to practitioners turn these clients from frustrating fidos into perfect pet pooches. Day 2 – Beyond Behaviourism Presenter: Nando Brown Duration: Evening Talk This evening talk covers how our understanding of canine physiology, neurobiology, neurochemistry, genetics, ethology, psychology and cognition has taken our training to new levels. It broadly identifies reasons why trainers struggle using more conventional methods based on reinforcement and punishment as well as how the discourse can confuse more current understanding. The talk will go through the problems with the behaviourism paradigm and look at both problem behaviour and useful training constructs that occur by moving away from the shackles of punishment and reinforcement. Day 3 – Separation Anxiety Presenter: Jo-Rosie Haffenden Duration: One Day Separation Anxiety is an umbrella term covering some of the most common problem behaviours that owners face. This course paves the way for practitioners to gain a thorough understanding of the problem as well as how to modify the behaviour. The course covers how and why some dogs are more likely to suffer than others as well as specific practical considerations when it comes to assessment, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and ongoing troubleshooting. Whilst it is one of the most common it is also a problem with an extremely high success rate. Practitioners will leave this course confident in assessing and treating the various types of separation anxiety.

Sponsor:Roverchase LLC
Speaker(s):Nando Brown and Jo-Rosie Heffenden

Contact: Abigail Witthauer
 Email: Abigail@Roverchase.com
 Phone: 205-789-2156
 Web: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nando-and-jo-rosie-in-alabama-tickets-64374044500