Simplifying Shelter Behaviour

*New Episode- Greif and Loss with Dr. Tara Quinn* In this episode we cover another difficult reality of working in shelter and rescue. Join myself and Dr. Tara as we discuss all aspects of grief and loss, including bereavement and more. this episode discusses some difficult ground so feel free to take your time, skip past it or do whatever you need for yourself (a key theme of the conversation). Sadly, it can certainly feel like shelter is a difficult place to work currently and I am personally very grateful for the work Dr. Tara and her network does with Shelters and Rescues to support their staff and volunteer’s. About Dr. Tara Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo is a Chartered and HCPC (Health & Care Professions Council) Registered Counselling Psychologist and Associate Fellow of The British Psychological Society. She has over 20 years’ clinical experience and uses her in depth knowledge of mental health and disability and human behaviour, to inform her clinical work. Her purpose is helping people to understand and manage their emotional wellbeing and empowering them to. She specialises in helping people formulate both new and longstanding conditions and helping people take a fresh look at longstanding issues. She believes in robust evidenced based assessment and treatment. She takes pride in her approach combining compassionate and evidenced based practice in order to empower people to create a core shift in managing the difficulties they face. She specialises in supporting people following adverse life experiences. Dr Quinn-Cirillo has a special interest in bringing the principles of psychology to communities to help them cope with adversity and support each other with mental wellbeing. She achieves this through her media work and philanthropic and humanitarian projects she is involved in. She regularly appears in a variety of media outlets including TV and Radio and print publications. Dr Quinn-Cirillo is also a Psychological First Aid Responder with the British Red Cross. About Human Animal Welfare Alliance An innovative and unique alliance spearheaded by Psychologist Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo and fully supported by the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG). Utilising the skills and passion of mental health professionals, as well as those in the animal welfare sector, to create a core shift in how the emotional health of those working in animal welfare is addressed and protected. We aim to create a direct, measurable, and hugely positive impact on the animal welfare sector in the UK. What we Provide We are developing the UK’s first Emotional Health Toolkit specifically for animal welfare workers. This will be digital and include a variety of resources to help staff manage their emotional health. Hosting emotional health safe spaces for shelter workers.These are supportive & informative sessions for UK based shelter staff to help them think through the current issues they are facing in their work & the impact this may be having on their own emotional health & wellbeing. We provide a safe & compassionate space for staff to be heard & for us to then identify their future support needs. We want to introduce staff to evidenced based effective psychological models to empower them to effectively manage stressors & demands impacting their emotional & physical health. Providing targeted mental health training sessions on topics including stress, anxiety, overwhelm & burnout, and vicarious trauma. Offer 1:1 telephone debrief calls as required for staff members in individual rescue organisations during discrete traumatic events. Utilising a trauma informed approach with the aim of reducing emotional distress and increasing psychological safety. Links Dr T- https://drtara.co.uk/ HAWA- https://drtara.co.uk/hawa/ Chronically Under Touched — Why I Waited 12 Months for A Hug-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi_hm0-zrgk&t=3s Blue cross pet loss support- https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-bereavement-and-pet-loss

Ep. 26 Shelter Assessments the Good the Bad and the Ugly with Dot Baisly About this Episode In this podcast episode, I’m Joined by Dot Baisly, Executive Director of the IAABC and all-round shelter expert, to discuss the critical topic of dog behaviour assessments. Dot and I explore the importance of accurately evaluating dogs to ensure their suitability for adoption and to enhance their chances of finding forever homes. The conversation delves into various assessment methods, highlighting both behavioural observations and environmental factors that can influence a dog's behaviour and how we can best collect and utilise this data. Assessments is one of the most discussed areas of shelter and rescue behaviour. This conversation serves as an introductory podcast episode, with further episodes coming soon! During this episode we cover, what assessments are, different types of assessments and why we might use them, gathering information at different parts of the dogs journey and how to use this information to support the individual moving forward. About Dot Dot Baisly is the Executive Director for the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). Dot also holds a master’s degree in Animal Behavior from Tufts University and is a certified dog behavior consultant (CDBC), certified cat behavior consultant (CCBC), and certified shelter behavior specialist (CSBS). Most recently she was the director of behavior for Northeast Animal Shelter where she built a behavior program and transformed the organization’s approach to behavior as a result of her leadership. Prior to this she was also the lead behavior staff at the SPCA of Westchester and then the Animal Rescue League of Boston. Dot also worked as a consultant for Paws With A Cause, working with service dogs and the clients they serve for over 10 years. She has been working in animal welfare, veterinary care and behavior for over 20 years, both in animal welfare and rescue organizations and as a private consultant. Dot has consulted with private clients since her initial certifications, working with owned cats and dogs on a regular basis. In her private practice, Dot specializes in working with dogs and cats exhibiting significant behavioral concerns, including human-directed aggression. She also provides consultations to shelters across the country where she has evaluated dogs, educated staff and volunteers and continues to be recognized as a key leader in the animal welfare and shelter behavior community where she is sought out for her expertise, compassion, and skill in leading change efforts. Links Building Better Bonds- https://www.buildbetterbonds.com/ IAABC- https://iaabc.org/ No better than flipping a coin- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787816300697#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThis%20means%20that%20even%20under,the%20basis%20of%20such%20test Adopter- dog interactions at the shelter: Behavioral and contextual predictors of adoption -https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=QzzG6YUAAAAJ&citation_for_view=QzzG6YUAAAAJ:u-x6o8ySG0sC Preference assessments and structured potential adopter-dog interactions increase adoptions - https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=QzzG6YUAAAAJ&citation_for_view=QzzG6YUAAAAJ:p2g8aNsByqUC

Bark! The Science of Helping your Anxious, Fearful and Reactive dog with Zazie Todd In this episode we are joined by Zazie Todd author of Wag, Purr and now Bark! These books do a great job of combining stories, science and tips and tricks for owners and care givers. In this episode we talk about Bark! The what’s, whys and how’s. Exploring the book, Zazie’s reasonings behind it and how she hopes it will help explain the things they need to know. To make living with an Anxious, fearful, or reactive dog. About Zazie Todd Zazie Todd, PhD, is an animal behaviour expert and award-winning writer who loves nothing better than helping people resolve issues with their pets. She covers dog training and behaviour, cat behaviour and training, animal welfare, the relationship between people and their pets, and books about companion animals. Todd is the author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy. Her highly-anticipated third book, Bark! The Science of Helping Your Anxious, Fearful, or Reactive Dog, will be published in October 2024. Todd is the go-to pet expert for many media outlets and has been mentioned in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Daily Telegraph, The Atlantic, Newsweek, The Globe and Mail, The Vancouver Sun, CBC Radio, Radio New Zealand, and many more. She is the creator of Companion Animal Psychology which she started in 2012 to explore the ways in which science can help us to have happier cats and dogs. The Animal Book Club followed in 2016. Todd's podcast, The Pawsitive Post in Conversation, is co-hosted with Kristi Benson and features interviews with authors, scientists, dog trainers, and cat behaviourists. Links Zazies Site- https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/p/about-zazie-todd-and-companion-animal.html Books- https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/p/books.html Hey that’s mine with Jean Donaldson https://open.spotify.com/episode/1XmKKmdczRb8N8j3C5BiPM?si=8zAG9vCpTp2QAmJ342oUBA Safe haven- https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18F46cSRFA/?mibextid=UalRPS Red amber green for owner expectations- https://www.facebook.com/share/v/13wS437hxx/?mibextid=WC7FNe Grisha Stewart academy bites and fights panel- https://school.grishastewart.com/courses/dogbitesfights?ref=352ff9 Bark fest- https://youtu.be/mJyQ7S2XCm4?si=B6RIZwOTz0BYw074 Dog behaviour conference- https://www.vsdogtrainingacademy.com/dog-behavior-conference/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=speaker&utm_campaign=dbc&utm_term=Tom&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0Ea34iYTU8Rm5ZqpJMq0dBZ9P0V6T4rExkBzCxdyYlbxl4JdtA-0dY2P0_aem_lCmGNZuTYaLtZIdhVxMqeA

Summary In this episode we look at different ways we can support the transition from the shelter/resuce to the home, specifically for our feline friends. We know that cats can often be sensitive to changes in their environments so as a shelter, and adopter we want to take supportive steps to assist our cats be successful in their new homes. About Katenna Jones Animal Behavior is not a new field for Katenna nor a hobby turned into a career - it's all she's ever done. While earning a bachelor’s degree in biology, she became a shelter volunteer in 1998, then went on to earn a Master's in Psychology, with a focus on animal behavior, from Brown University. Katenna is Rhode Island's only Associated Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, and is also a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, and is Certified Fear Free. Katenna works virtually with families and their cats and dogs and also provides professional development and coaching services locally, internationally, and online. The has recently relocated to the Syracuse, NY area where she will offer in-person services as soon as she is settled. Links https://www.feliway.co.uk/ https://www.battersea.org.uk/pet-advice/cat-advice/cats-sense-smell https://www.jonesanimalbehavior.com/ https://www.jonesanimalbehavior.com/articlesandrecordings https://school.grishastewart.com/bundles/noseworkcatsbundle?omnisearch__query=cat https://hippocampusonline.com/all-courses/

Resilience Framework for Shelter Dogs In this episode we are joined by Bobbie Bhambree (CDBC, CPDT-KA) and Ferdie Yau (MA, CPDT-KA) to discuss resilience in shelter dogs and more specifically how we can use the resilience framework to support rescue dogs. The Resilience framework is an amazing creation from Bobbie and Dr Kathy Murphy, that can be used to take a holistic approach to supporting mental and physical wellbeing. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from stressful events and supports dogs in a stressful experience and environments, so we know this is super important when were working in a shelter environment! We want to help our dogs to do as well as possible in our space so that we can support their adoption as quickly as possible. If you enjoyed this episode and you want to have a look at a specific case study of the resilience framework in a shelter environment you can join me on 20th of October with educanine use code SSB for 10$ off! https://educanine.thinkific.com/courses/tom-candy About Bobbie Bobbie started her career in 2003 as a pet behavior counselor with the ASPCA Animal Behavior Center. While there, she implemented behavior modification programs for dogs who had been surrendered by the public or seized by Humane Law Enforcement. In 2007, Bobbie joined the Humane Society of Westchester, spending the next nine years as their shelter trainer. She created and implemented training and enrichment programs for the dogs, counseled adopters, trained volunteers, participated in community outreach programs, and performed evaluations. In 2016, Bobbie joined the North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington, NY as the Director of Pet Behavior. During her tenure there, she managed a team of canine and feline trainers who focused on developing behavior modification and enrichment programs for the animals in the shelter. She also deployed for the ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Behavior Team to work in the field, supporting the team with dog fighting busts, puppy mill cases, and hoarding cases. In addition to this work, she founded and directed her own company, DogCentric Dog Training, helping people whose pet dogs experienced a wide spectrum of canine behavior issues. About Ferdie Ferdie Yau (MA, CPDT-KA) is an animal trainer and wildlife biologist helping families in Westchester since 2009. Ferdie has been working with animals from penguins to pit bulls since 2003 and specializes in treating complex behavior cases, drawing on his experience and skills refined through decades of practice. In addition, he is a former ecologist for New York City with a Master’s in Conservation Biology from Columbia University. In his free time, Ferdie studies NYC's urban coyotes with the Gotham Coyote Project – his intricate knowledge of urban coyotes gives him a unique perspective of canine behavior. His compassionate and multi-disciplinary approach incorporates principles from ethology, psychology, evolutionary biology, and neuroscience. The upshot: Ferdie's positive training makes an often overwhelming and challenging process safe and fun…while empowering you to create a happier life for your dog. Links Ferdie- https://sitsnwiggles.com/ Resilience Framework- https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/the-resilience-rainbow/ Pattern Games-https://open.spotify.com/episode/0pgxfbWoN9OxGS3jDsXVOm LATTE pattern game- https://school.grishastewart.com/courses/latte?ref=352ff9 Pattern games Trauma- https://school.grishastewart.com/courses/patterns?ref=352ff9 Camp Maddie Behaviour- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljXtG02rYYk Puppy resilience- https://school.grishastewart.com/courses/pandemic?ref=352ff9 Ttouch and Bat together, empowered Body awareness-https://school.grishastewart.com/courses/ttouch-bat?ref=352ff9 CATCH Canine!- https://catchdogtrainers.com/ Worry less Wag more https://open.spotify.com/show/6ynv2qT8xwzARLtAhgQNrQ