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The Fear Free Approach With Temple Grandin

Join world-renowned animal behaviorist, award-winning author, and subject of an Emmy-award winning film Temple Grandin, Ph.D., as she takes a tour of a veterinary hospital with Fear Free founder Dr. Marty Becker and describes what she sees, hears, and experiences. Learn through Dr. Grandin’s first-hand observations how we can better “see” things from animals’ perspectives and how even small improvements, exactly like the ones taught in Fear Free’s Veterinary Certification Program, can make a world of difference for cats and dogs.

Finesse the Chin Rest: The Basics and Beyond for Cooperative Care

Course Overview

The chin rest is a valuable cooperative care behavior that allows for a hands-off, consensual way to keep an animal still for veterinary exams, husbandry care, grooming, and other procedures. A chin rest serves as an indication from the animal that he is ready to engage in a handling or care procedure. By giving him a choice to “opt out,” even for a few seconds, chin rest empowers the animal to have a voice and greatly reduces his FAS.

In this course, you will learn the steps for training a solid chin rest behavior to an advanced level and discover its many practical, on-the-job applications.

This course includes three lessons:

  • Lesson 1: Strategies and Equipment
  • Lesson 2: Training and Problem Solving
  • Lesson 3: Taking it to the Next Level

This course was written by Mikkel Becker, CTC, KPA CTP, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, CDBC.

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Helping Our Feline Friends Feel Fear Free with Dr. Tony Buffington

Helping Our Feline Friends Feel Fear Free with Dr. Tony Buffington

In this webinar, Tony Buffington, DVM, PhD, Clinical Professor UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, will remind participants “who cats are” and why they are particularly prone to fear in confined situations (i.e., hospitals, shelters, homes, etc.) After defining fear and stress in cats, Dr. Buffington will explain what people can do to minimize their fear, particularly in caged contexts—including how to enrich the cat’s surroundings, both inside and outside of the cage, and how to recognize both red and green flags by “asking” the cat. Resources for training staff and where to learn more about effective environmental enrichment for cats will also be provided.

After this presentation, attendees will be able to:

1. Recognize fear in confined cats
2. Identify threats that may be causing the fear response
3. Reduce fear by making changes in the cat’s environment

Brought to you by our friends at Virox, makers of Rescue disinfectants

Next Level Nail Trims: Cooperative Care Behaviors

Course Overview

This course builds upon the foundational concepts covered in the Fear Free Nail Trims: Trimming Away the Terror course, which included finessed use of distractions, desensitization and counter-conditioning methods, and finely tuned choice of nail care tools.

An understanding of these foundational nail care concepts is recommended before starting this more advanced course. Cooperative care techniques taught in this course are useful both as preventive strategies to improve ease of nail care and as an interventional approach to address already existing FAS with nail care.

Since there is no “one size fits all” approach to nail care training that will work for every animal every time, this course aims to empower you with many options to choose from, depending on the animal you are working with at the time.

There are six short lessons in this course:

  • Lesson 1: Communication & Consent Cues
  • Lesson 2: Treat-Ment Stations
  • Lesson 3: Chin Rest and Bucket Game
  • Lesson 4: Offering Paws and Zen Down
  • Lesson 5: Scratch Board Training
  • Lesson 6: Problem Solving and Coaching Clients

This course was written by Mikkel Becker, CTC, KPA CTP, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, CDBC.

Providing the Optimum Environment for Cats

Providing the Optimum Environment for Cats

Many behavior problems in cats develop due to our failure to provide them with their behavioral needs. This presentation with Valarie Tynes, DVM, DACVB, DACAW, will review the social structure of the cat and why multi-cat households can be so stressful. Recognizing these signs of stress and how to avoid their development be covered. In addition, a variety of tips for meeting the environmental and behavioral needs of the cat will be reviewed.

Brought to you by our friends at Ceva Animal Health

Communicating With Clients About Feline Declawing


Communicating With Clients About Feline Declawing

If you are going to decline to declaw cats, it will be critical that you’re able to clearly explain to clients why the risks of declawing outweigh the potential benefits. In addition, every member of the team must be able to offer clients practical alternatives to declawing in a straightforward and understandable manner.

In this webinar, Valarie Tynes, DVM, DACVB, DACAW, will help build your team’s knowledge regarding why cats scratch and what cats want in the way of a scratching post as well as prepare them for these difficult client conversations.

Valarie Tynes owns Premier Veterinary Behavior Consulting in Sweetwater, Texas. Dr. Tynes is a native of Fort Worth, Texas and she earned her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1987 from Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. After several years in private practice, Valarie completed a residency in clinical animal behavior at the University of California at Davis in 2003. Her special interests include miniature pigs and other exotic pets as well as animal behavior. Dr. Tynes is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists and a frequent speaker at professional meetings around the world. She has authored numerous articles and chapters on a variety of behavior-related topics and she is the editor of Behavior of Exotic Pets. Dr. Tynes is also the author of Miniature Pig Pet Care, part of A Quick Reference Guide to Unique Pet Species, on the Veterinary Information Network.

Speak the Right Words

Speak the Right Words

Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton, principal at Hamilton Law and Mediation, PLLC (HLM), helps vets and their staff learn how to appropriately address disagreements and foster mindful reactions to difficult discussions. As the first conflict consultation practice in the U.S. dedicated to helping people resolve conflicts that arise in business and life over animals, HLM uses empathy, compassion, and methods of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to assist people in understanding the “why” of a conflict that arises when dealing with animals. These conflicts are relational, not transactional, and can be nipped in the bud—before they nip the veterinarian in the butt—if skills to address the conflict are learned and applied.

Gain the knowledge on how to peacefully and proactively:

  • Address disagreements
  • Choose to keep relationships or let them go peacefully
  • Appreciate how you (and others) think
  • Enhance your listening skills
  • Find strength in allowing curious questions and discussions
  • Realize you can navigate difficult conversations

Brought to you by our friends at Vetoquinol.

Helping New Pet Owners Create a Fear-Free & Happy Life for Their Pet

Helping New Pet Owners Create a Fear-Free & Happy Life for Their Pet

New pet owners can be overwhelmed with all the information we want to provide them regarding the health and wellbeing of their pet. However, if a strong human-animal relationship built on trust and empathy is not established, the pet very well may not remain in the home. In this webinar, Kenneth M. Martin, DVM, DACVB, and Debbie Martin, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, LVT, VTS (Behavior), will provide you with 5 tips to give new pet owners so they can start the relationship off on the right paw, facilitate a strong bond, and keep pets in the home and coming back to your veterinary clinic.

Brought to you by Vetoquinol

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