Unleashing Insights: My Top Take-Aways from the Aggression in Dogs Conference
Earlier this year I made the decision to step outside of my comfort zone and attend the conferences I've enjoyed so much virtually in person. I'm very grateful that I did. I found that in addition to listening to the motivational speakers, I was missing something that I did not even know I was missing. Connecting with other in the industry who focus on not only obedience, and puppy class but specifically aggressive behaviors. The Agression in Dogs Conference is hosted by Michael Shikashio and had a line up of impactful speakers include but not limited to Sue Sternberg, Wailani Sung DACBC, Irith Bloom, Sahara Salazar to name a few. I also had the opportunity to connect with Dog Behavior Consultants from all over the world - here are my top three take-aways:
Labels great for your office desk, not your dog.
Labels and defining terms were a common theme throughout the conference. Defining what words meant, discussion how even in a room of educated professionals there was still room for clarification. Dr Kristina Spaulding started her presentation with multiple definitions of “Agression”. From an ethological perspective, it can be food acquisition, competition over resources, response to a real or perceived threat. It can be reactive or proactive, it can be normal and abnormal, in some cases it is a good thing, in others not so much. So how can we label dogs with a blanket term like “aggression”. The answer is, we can’t!
Calling the Doctor
Imagine your not feeling well, and your partner calls the hospital for you. As best they can your partner explains what they think is going on. The Doctor goes okay! I agree and offers treatment without ever talking to you. Seems absurd doesn’t it. With dogs, this is what happens when we label them as “aggressive”. We need to dive into describing the behaviors we are seeing. This is where a behavior assessment and history is tremendously helping working to figure out what is going on so we can work toward helping. Behavior can be complex and it’s not always what it seems.
The dog bite today, started last night
Have you ever had a day that just continued to get worse and worse and worse and then you walking in the house, and you notice something you asked your partner to do last week is still not done and it’s the end of the world and you bite their head off grab a glass a wine and go into the other room? No? Me neither… but getting back to dogs. Stress hormones in dogs, cortisol levels have a half life of 30 minutes and it’s not purged from the body for about 24 hours. That means that the bite that just happened may not have just happened.
““The faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory.” ”
Back to the conference, in networking with all the brilliant animal professionals from the IAABC, to ASPCA and everyone in between I had the incredible privilege to have a candid conversation with Dr Tim Lewis PH. D (and his lovely wife Ruth) that has become a core memory for me. Now typically, when you meet someone as brilliant as these two, you may think I would ask a question about a case I’m working on, or the daycare. My go to question is if you could give one piece of advice, what would it be. Tim’s response. “The faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory.” Document everything. If you’re noticing unwanted behaviors in your dog, start writing them down. If you are working in training your dog, starting tracking them. It’s easy for us to forget the details and focus on the label and that doesn’t help us or our dogs.
Re-igniting Our Blog
So with that, I restart our blog. I hope to add humor, provide guidance and answer your questions about everything I can with dog behavior. For me, helping dogs is not just something I do, or something I’m good at. It’s what feeds my soul. Helping you, live healthy and harmoniously lives with your dogs, not just for your sake but for theirs.
And there you have it, friends—my top take-aways from an unforgettable conference that has inspired me to restart this blog. I'm thrilled to journey with you all as we explore the fascinating world of dog behavior. As I've said before, this is not just a job for me. It's my calling. It feeds my soul every single day, and I'd be honored to help you and your furry friend live healthier, more harmonious lives.
Let's Train Together
If you're facing challenges in training or understanding your dog's behavior and would like specialized, one-on-one guidance, I'm currently accepting clients for private training sessions. Don't hesitate to reach out. Feel free to email me directly at nikki@airdriepuppypals.com, and let's get started on making life better for you and your pup!
