ClickerExpo is definitely focused on training better, so veterinary professionals may wonder if there is anything at Expo for them. The answer is a resounding YES! For more than a decade, ClickerExpo has reached a diverse audience; the number of veterinarians and veterinary technicians in attendance grows each year because of the value they receive from attending. Here are the top five reasons ClickerExpo 2017 is a must for veterinarians and those who work in the animal healthcare profession.
- Courses about veterinarian and trainer collaboration specifically
In addition to being skilled trainers, several ClickerExpo instructors have also worked in the veterinary field. Debbie Martin has created two brand-new courses for ClickerExpo 2017. The first, The Animal Behavior Healthcare Team: Real-World Trainer & Veterinary Collaboration Models, focuses on the ways the two professions complement each other and enhance other’s work. In the second course, Crossing Chasms: Understanding Trainer & Veterinary Collaboration Models, Ken Ramirez joins Debbie in exploring why the two professions sometimes have difficulty working together. Ken and Debbie will give their unique perspectives on how veterinarians and trainers can overcome those challenges. There is also a Learning Lab offered by Laura Monaco Torelli, Deep Impact: 7 Behaviors that Profoundly Change the Vet & Groomer Experience, that focuses on healthcare behaviors and on successful handling of dogs at the veterinary office or groomer. - Foundation Sessions that will help you give better advice to clients
Frequently, clients look to their veterinarians for professional advice on far more than just health care concerns. In 2017, ClickerExpo offers ten separate Sessions that focus on core skills to help everyone learn more about training and how to get started. Foundational courses help veterinarians assess client needs better and guide them toward the right professional trainer. Kathy Sdao’s A Moment of Science: Clicker Training 101 is a must-see for all animal-care professionals. Lori Chamberland’s Session and Lab When Good Training Goes Badly will provide great practical advice. All of these courses will provide a clearer understanding of the basics of training, an understanding that will help veterinarians communicate about behavior issues with their clients and with professional trainers. Another recommended Session and Lab combination is Laura VanArendonk Baugh’s Building Behavior: Shape the Future. But don’t stop there—check out the other Sessions labeled as Foundation courses (Foundation Curriculum Portland, Foundation Curriculum Stamford). - In-depth Sessions on handling pet aggression
Aggression is one of the most common problems that pet parents face, and these parents bring their behavioral concerns to their veterinarians regularly. ClickerExpo 2017 offers many courses that focus on aggression and general behavior management. The better veterinarians understand the varied types of aggression and various treatment options, the more easily they can guide their clients in selecting the right behavioral approach. Expo options range from Lindsay Wood’s On Guard! Resource-Guarding Lab to Ken Ramirez’s Full House? Working & Living with Multiple Animals. For those interested in serious and in-depth aggression management, check out these Sessions led by Emma Parsons: Ready . . . or Not? Working with Reactive Dogs and The Anatomy of an Aggressive-Dog Training Plan. Check the ClickerExpo schedule (Portland Schedule, Stamford Schedule) for other aggression-related courses as well. - The science of behavior explored and explained by the experts
It is easy to forget that understanding animal behavior requires a science base. There are many Sessions at ClickerExpo that focus on explaining and using the science of behavior analysis correctly. Dr. Susan Friedman and Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz each offer separate compelling and mind-stretching explorations into the science of behavior. These Sessions are recommended for all animal-care professionals because they add to the understanding of why animals behave and act the way they do. Three Sessions that might be particularly useful to veterinarians include Dr. Friedman’s Session and Lab, Consuming Research without Indigestion, Dr. Rosales-Ruiz’s Poisoned Cues: Diagnosis, Analysis & Repair, and Dr. Friedman’s Ideas that Should Die: Outdated, Outmoded & Misunderstood Behavior Science. - Special Sessions focused on people skills and business skills that can be used in your practice every day
Whatever your profession, ClickerExpo 2017 features many courses that focus on improving both people skills and business skills. There are far too many of these courses to list them all. However, a few highlights that veterinary professional may find useful include:
- Wanted: Training Consultant (Those Good with Animals Need Not Apply!), Ken Ramirez
- Keep Your Candle Burning: Avoiding Professional Burnout, Kathy Sdao
- Step off the Treadmill: Effective Time Management for Dog Trainers, Veronica Boutelle & Gina Phairas
- Camera-Ready: TV, Radio & the Trainer, Laura Monaco Torelli
- Help Me Now! Effective Management for Desperate Clients, Laurie Luck
ClickerExpo is an experience that all animal-care professionals will find beneficial.
Don’t let the word trainer in some of the titles dissuade you. Each of the instructors in the above Sessions provides input and examples that will assist and resonate with veterinarians.
ClickerExpo is an experience that all animal-care professionals will find beneficial. The courses listed above are just a few of the many that veterinarians will find useful. If you work in the animal healthcare field, don’t miss out on all that ClickerExpo 2017 has to offer.
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