Creative Ways to Tackle Tough Cases –

How the Constructional Approach can make all the difference!

A Shift in Paradigm: What Modern-Day Dog Training Looks Like

Positive reinforcement isn’t always positive.

We don’t want to leave the dog exposed to aversive situations longer than necessary. We want them to feel control over those aversive contexts as soon as possible to alleviate the stress the dog and their person feels. Animal welfare is the goal, and the way that we train is how to get there.

In this webinar, you will learn how to analyze a behavior case and implement a plan based on the what the dog is after. And what the dog is after is what determines the function. When training, the type of approach selected can profoundly impact the training program produced. When taking a Constructional Approach, we don’t require withholding reinforcement for errors or “problem behaviors,” in fact, we reinforce everything!

Programs that rely on punishment or extinction have no place since the focus is solely on building repertoires and never removing consequences for undesired behavior. This presentation will explore the five critical components of Constructional programs and their influence on modern training. We will explore these concepts through research cases studies.

Saturday July 9, 2022 – 11am to 12:30pm EST (USA and Canada)

Treating Separation Anxiety when Traditional Methods Don’t Work

Living with dogs that experience separation anxiety can be challenging. People are often forced to rearrange their lives, or in worst-case situations, leave their dogs at local shelters.

What can you do when food or desensitization to departures doesn’t work?

In this presentation, a new analysis of separation anxiety behaviors, their causes, and their function will be discussed. Using the information from this analysis, a new procedure to treat and prevent these behaviors will be presented. We will explore these concepts through cases studies.

Saturday August 13, 2022 – 11am to 12:30pm EST (USA and Canada)

Animal Welfare – When Positive Training Can Become Coercion

There is a movement in our industry to make learning positive for our dogs by providing choice and control–what does that actually look like? How do we measure this? How can we be sure that the dog is freely participating in the program?

It’s like a coal miner working in a coal mine: they could either work in the coal mine to earn a paycheck or not work in the coal mine which means they can’t put food on the table. Their alternatives are limited, and so their perspective. They also have choices as a coal miner: they can either push a trolley or they can swing a pick axe. The coal miner has choices within their job, but does that make their experience enjoyable?

In modern dog training, we have to consider the welfare of the animal during the training process. Providing choice and control are wonderful topics explored by many trainers today. At the heart of this movement is a concern for our animal’s experiences and the desire to want them happy and fulfilled. But this paints an incomplete picture.

Adding the Degrees of Freedom perspective to this movement can provide a thorough and pragmatic approach to ensuring our training is enjoyed by our animals and even guide our decisions as to what kinds of procedures to implement during training. This presentation will explore Dr. Goldiamond’s Degrees of Freedom and Coercion analysis. We will explore what degrees of freedom/coercion are, how they are measured, and the implication this has for training. We will explore these concepts through research and cases studies.

Saturday September 10, 2022 – 11am to 12:30pm EST (USA and Canada)

These webinars are suitable for veterinary professionals, animal trainers, animal behaviorists, shelter and rescue staff and volunteers, and anyone with an interest in evidence-based behavior intervention.

Here is the list of webinar dates, topics, and times, one more time:

• Saturday July 9, 2022 – A Shift in Paradigm: What Modern-Day Dog Training Looks Like, 11am to 12:30pm EST
• Saturday August 13, 2022 – Treating Separation Anxiety when Traditional Methods Don’t Work, 11am to 12:30pm EST
• Saturday September 10, 2022 – Animal Welfare – When Positive Training Can Become Coercion, 11am to 12:30pm EST

This is an online event. The live streaming link will be emailed one day prior to the event.

“Doors” open 30 minutes prior to the start time of the event. Feel free to log in and wait in our “waiting room” via the video app. We will be using BlueJeans to stream the event: https://support.bluejeans.com/s/article/BlueJeans-Event-instructions-for-Attendees

These webinars will be recorded. Anyone that purchases a single webinar or package will receive the recording within 2 weeks after each live event date. You will be able to view the webinar even if you cannot join us on the event date. The recordings will be available for viewing for up to 6 months.

CEUs will be granted to those who purchase a ticket , even if they cannot join us on the date of the event.

CEUs pending:

• CPDT
• IAABC
• KPA
• PPAB

Registration:

• Single Webinar: $45 per webinar (purchase ticket before event date)
• Three-Part Webinar Package: $99 total (If you missed one of the parts as a live event, you will receive a link to the recording(s) as long as you purchase a ticket for the three- part package.)

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sean-will-webinars-creative-ways-to-tackle-tough-cases-tickets-300884482587

When purchasing a ticket, you will have the choice of choosing a single webinar by date, or the 3-part package. Please make sure to refer back to this description when choosing the webinar topic you are interested in; if you do not want to purchase the 3-part package. The tickets are listed by date and NOT by topic.

Cancellation policy: No refunds

About Sean:

Sean Will studied under Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and earned a master’s degree in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas. While studying at UNT, he spearheaded the development of Constructional Affection and developed constructional shelter programs to increase efficiency in animal shelters. Sean has over 15 years of experience as a professional trainer and has provided consulting for individuals and organizations that oversee the care of animals. Currently, Sean is in Florida Tech’s doctoral program researching problem-solving and animal training.

In 2020, Sean co-founded the Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training (CAAWT). CAAWT is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of animals and the people who care for them by providing educational content on animal behavior, care, and ways to solve behavioral problems. CAAWT hosts an annual internal conference and quarterly webinars to disseminate information on the Constructional Approach and its many applications to animal welfare and training. Sean also co-hosts a monthly podcast by the same name that features fun guests and amazing stories of how the Constructional Approach has improved the lives of the animals they care for and the people around them!