Wednesday,
September 18

Gather with other conference attendees and have breakfast at the Riverside Convention Center prior to the beginning of conference.

You don't want to miss the opening welcome of APDT 2024. Special annoucements will be made.

In her forthcoming presentation, Dr. Murphy will delve into the intricate neurobiology of cognitive and emotional control, highlighting its crucial role in both normal and pathological behavioral processes in dogs. By exploring the underlying neurobiological mechanisms, the talk aims to shed light on how appropriate and proportional control of cognitive and emotional responses impacts canine behavior. Furthermore, Dr. Murphy will discuss the implications of these neurobiological insights for practical dog training strategies. This presentation promises to bridge the gap between complex neurobiological theory and everyday dog training practices, offering valuable knowledge for both researchers and practitioners in the field.

K9 Nose Work® or Nose Work in general terms has grown in public awareness since its inception as a scent detection activity for companion & sport dogs. At its core, K9 Nose Work® has been an activity with identifiable behavioral and enrichment benefits that goes beyond competitive sports. During this talk we'll look at how incorporating nose work into your training business cannot only increase opportunities for client engagement but can provide support benefiting both the canine and human learner.

Join us to unlock the potential of modern payment platforms tailored for your dog training, boarding, and breeding business. In this hands-on session, you'll learn to integrate tools like Stripe and GoCardless to handle subscriptions and one-off payments efficiently. Discover how to boost your revenue with streamlined payment solutions that your customers will love. Get ready to transform your transaction processes and easily ensure a steady cash flow. Outcomes of the Presentation: •Set up and manage subscription services using advanced tools to ensure consistent revenue. •Implement user-friendly, multi-platform payment systems for one-off and recurring transactions. •Experience live demonstrations on customizing payment setups to suit your specific business needs.

This session will review Indemnification clauses versus liability waivers and why the difference matters. What does a good indemnification clause look like? What does a good liability waiver look like?

Concessions are available for purchase at the Riverside Convention Center.

In today’s pet community, many people are opting for more than one companion animal in their homes. This can result from many situations from the humans’ desire for more than one companion to people who already have a beloved pet that choose to live with someone else with the same situation. Regardless of the motivation for creating a multiple species household, the animals may not share the same desire to cohabitate with another animal. When this happens, often an outside professional may be contacted to help make this blending work. In this session, I will discuss the approaches I have used and recommended for adding dogs and cats to a single shared household. In addition, I will briefly cover birds (specifically parrots) and a few other popular companion animals that a behavior professional may encounter from the general public. Each species has its own personality and innate behaviors that can affect how well they will tolerate and get along with other animals in their niche.

Reactivity. What does it mean? Barking and lunging on leash? Emotional oversensitivity? Something else? What do clients think “reactivity” means? This webinar will take a deep dive into the literature on reactivity: what it means, how it’s currently used and how we might want to use it (or not) moving forward. Get ready for some thought-provoking new information and follow-up discussion!

Both dogs and their handlers have multiple brains (five of them, not a typo), each with its own evolutionary history and area of expertise. We will discuss the different cues and rewards each brain focuses on, which should help you motivate and communicate with your canine partner.

Dealing with reactive dogs, handling aggression, and working through problems with highly sensitive animals can be a challenge for even the very best trainers. Over the years, many creative trainers have presented various alternatives to handling aggression and reactivity problems. The explosion in the number of approaches, combined with an array of new nomenclature, is often confusing for trainers seeking to choose an approach for themselves or to recommend to others. Today, some of the most discussed approaches include, but are not limited to, Counter Conditioning, Constructional Aggression Treatment (CAT), Click to Calm, Behavioral Adjustment Training (BAT), the “Look at That” game (LAT), and a host of others. How do these varied treatment approaches compare? What common or distinct scientific principles are being employed? Are certain plans better for certain situations than others? This Session is designed to help you sort out the choices. It will explore the science underlying the approaches, look at their known efficacy, and help you see what these approaches share, as well as their differences, so that you can make informed choices.

Join us in the Exhibit Hall for a Welcome Reception. Meet exhibitors, watch demos, and more!