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Behavior Solutions for Declawed Cats with Dr. Lisa Radosta

Behavior Solutions for Declawed Cats with Dr. Lisa Radosta

An important part of setting a declawed cat up for successful life at home is understanding and molding their behavior. Join Lisa Radosta, DVM, DACVB, a leader in behavior and a member of the Fear Free Advisory Team, as she discusses behavioral solutions for declawed cats to help reduce their fear, anxiety, and stress both at the clinic and at home.

About the Presenter

Lisa Radosta, DVM, DACVB, graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 2000. After completing an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Coral Springs Animal Hospital, she worked as a primary care veterinarian for two and a half years. She completed a three-year residency in behavioral medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 and passed the board examination later that year. During her residency, she received the Resident Research Award from the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) two years in a row.

Dr. Radosta lectures nationally and internationally for veterinary professionals and pet owners and is the author of a number of textbook chapters and scientific research articles, She also co-authored “From Fearful to Fear Free: A Positive Program to Free Your Dog from Anxiety, Fears, and Phobias” with Dr. Marty Becker, Mikkel Becker, and Wailani Sung.

She is the section editor for Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery and served on the 2015 AAHA Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines Task Force.

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.

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.

Fear Free Pet Sitter Certification Program

Unlike any other pet professional, pet sitters spend an extended period of time with the animals they care for, giving them an intimate and unique glimpse into animals’ home lives. Because of this, pet sitters can readily identify opportunities for improvement and spot emerging behavior concerns, enrichment opportunities, and other areas that might otherwise go unnoticed.

This course will equip pet sitters with a scientifically sound knowledge base in animal body language, dog walking, behavior and training basics, enrichment, home life, travel, administering medications, and more so that they can offer top-level Fear Free care to pets and provide owners with basic support and advice. The Fear Free Certified® pet sitter will be empowered to help educate pet owners on reading dog and cat body language and provide ideas for how enrichment and training can be incorporated into the pet’s environment and routine, promoting not only a calmer pet-sitting stay but also a richer, more fulfilling life. We’ll cover everything from the very first greeting of a pet to creating calmer leash walks to delivering medications in a Fear Free manner and much more!

This course was reviewed by PSI (Pet Sitters International) and NAPPS (National Association of Professional Pet Sitters).

The Path to a Great Bath: An In-Depth Look at Fear Free Bathing

Course Overview

Bath time is scary for many animals—whether it’s the sound of the water, the feel of it on their skin, being restrained, or the tub itself. This one-hour module will teach you how to break down the bathing process into individual components that can be worked on separately to allow for calmer, safer bathing experiences. We will provide step-by-step desensitization and counterconditioning plans for every component—introducing the shampoo bottle, entering the tub, introducing water, and introducing the sound and feel of the dryer. You’ll also learn what you can do to modify the bathing environment to make it more inviting and less stressful for animals.

There are three lessons in this course:

Lesson 1: Overview of Fear Free Bathing and Positive Reinforcement
Lesson 2: Introduction to the Tub
Lesson 3: Modifying the Environment for Success

This one-hour course was designed for Fear Free groomers but is also open to our veterinary professional and trainer members. It was written by Terrie Hayward, M.Ed., KPA Faculty Member, CPDT-KA, CSAT, co-author of the book Grooming Without Stress, and is approved for one hour of RACE CE.

A Close Look at Canine Enrichment: What, Why, and How?

Course Overview

True enrichment goes way beyond simply providing dogs with food puzzles each day. For instance, a comprehensive enrichment strategy incorporates all types of enrichment: social, occupational, physical, nutritional, and sensory. This course will show you how to engage all the senses, as well as how to thoughtfully determine which enrichment activities are most appropriate for individual dogs, how to enrich the lives of dogs in a veterinary clinic, and those who are recovering from an injury and on restricted exercise.

This course, approved for 1 RACE-approved CE hour, was written by Laura Ryder, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, IMDT.

This course consists of four lessons:

  • Lesson 1: Exploring enrichment using all the senses
  • Lesson 2: Identifying the right balance
  • Lesson 3: Enrichment for dogs in the vet clinic
  • Lesson 4: Enrichment for dogs on restricted exercise or cage rest

Alone in the Wilderness

Course Overview

Are you the only person in your clinic who has a passion for Fear Free? It’s easy to get discouraged and frustrated when we are surrounded by obstacles. This course provides tools to achieve your Fear Free goals even when you feel like you are all alone in your work. Learn how to get buy-in, implement strategies from the ground up, and encourage your colleagues to join your heart’s work of protecting the emotional welfare of our treasured animal patients.

This course, approved for 1 RACE CE hour, was written by Monique Feyrecilde BA, LVT, VTS (Behavior).

This course consists of five lessons:

  • Lesson 1: The essence and importance of Fear Free Practice
  • Lesson 2: Understanding the dynamics of change
  • Lesson 3: Implementing change within your practice
  • Lesson 4: Addressing common push-back topics
  • Lesson 5: Thrive where you’re planted, or transplant to a new garden

Training as Enrichment: Your Questions Answered

Training as Enrichment: Your Questions Answered

You asked, and we will answer! Fear Free Head Trainer Mikkel Becker and Education Manager Lori Chamberland will discuss some of the most common questions we’ve received from previous Fear Free training webinars. We’ll talk about leash reactivity/pulling on leash, teaching dogs and cats to live in harmony, counter surfing, and more! We will leave time at the end for you to ask questions in real time, as well. Join us – your dog or cat will thank you!

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