When: Sunday March 24th, 2013 at 9:30am
Until: Sunday March 24th, 2013 at 4:30pm
Price: $145.00
Availability: There are currently 0 slots available for this event.

Join Pawsitive Tails as we host a day of dog research with scientists from around the country discussing their latest work in canine cognition and behavior as well as the interesting intersections of canine and human behavior. Speakers include Julie Hecht, Kathryn Lord, Sasha Proptopova, Lisa Gunter and Erica Feuerbacher.

For canine professionals, shelter workers, and enthusiasts that are interested in understanding the science behind many of our interactions with dogs, this full day of applied science will include presentations on anthropomorphism, critical period of socialization, social training for adoption success, breed stereotypes and efficacy of social reinforcers as well as a roundtable discussion hosted by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Jeannine Berger, DVM, DACVB to end the symposium. 

Sign-up by February 14th for the early registration rate of $130! Registration after February 14th is $145. Symposium proceedings and lunch provided for attendees. 

IAABC & CCPDT approved for 6 CEUs

*Please note when completing Symposium registration through our online system, you will need to answer questions about your dog. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. The Symposium is a human-only event. Our registration system (including subsquent emails) are designed for our dog training classes.

 

Schedule:

9:30-10:30 am: Why the First Eight Weeks Are So Important (Kathyrn Lord)

10:30-11:20 am: Unpacking Anthropomorphism (Julie Hecht)

11:30 am-12:20 pm: Increasing Shelter Dog Adoptions: Research on Social Training & Adopter Preference (Sasha Protopopova)

12:30-1:30 pm: Lunch

1:30-2:20 pm: A Picture’s Worth a 1,000 Words: Effects of Stereotypes on Perceptions about Pit Bulls (Lisa Gunter)

2:30-3:20 pm: Why Does Your Dog Love You? Investigations into Why Dogs are Social with Humans (Erica Feuerbacher)

3:30-4:30 pm: Speaker Roundtable

 

Our Speakers: 

Julie Hecht, MSc is a canine behavioral researcher, science writer and Adjunct Professor in the Anthrozoology Masters Program at Canisius College. She manages Alexandra Horowitz's Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College in New York City and holds lectures for the general public and student groups on dog cognition and behavior research. A regular contributor to The Bark magazine and blogger at Dog Spies and Do You Believe in Dog?, her writing covers everything from dog daycares to the science behind humping, crotch sniffing and the "guilty look".

Kathryn Lord received her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts, where she studied the evolution and development of behavior, with Dr. Raymond Coppinger. Kathryn has served as adjunct faculty at Hampshire College, in Amherst MA, and Canisius College, in Buffalo NY, teaching courses in animal behavior, evolution, and dog behavior. She has also given lectures and workshops internationally including the Chienposium, Quebec, Canada; University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; and Schweizerische Tierärztliche für Verhaltensmedizin, Bern, Switzerland. Kathryn is currently working on several new projects investigating how the evolution and development of behavior can help to inform our management of village and shelter dogs.

Alexandra (Sasha) Protopopova, MS, CPDT-KA is an applied animal behavior scientist focusing on companion animal training and welfare. Her work on increasing adoptions in shelter dogs has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Sasha’s research has been presented in numerous scientific conferences, such as the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Sasha holds two Bachelor of Science degrees in Pre-Veterinary Science and Neuroscience, a Master of Science degree in Behavior Analysis, and is working toward her PhD in Behavior Analysis at the University of Florida.

Lisa Gunter, BA, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, has worked with dogs and cats at animal shelters and with owners for over eight years. She received her training certification from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers in 2007 and earned her behavior consulting certification in 2011. She currently manages behavior and training services at Pawsitive Tails and conducted her current research on breed stereotype and effects of handler appearance on perceptions of pit bulls while a student at Foothill College in Los Altos. She has presented this research at the Association of Pet Dog Trainers conference and is scheduled to present at the Interdisciplinary Forum for Applied Animal Behavior and International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations conference.

Erica Feuerbacher is completing her Ph.D. at the University of Florida in the Canine Cognition and Behavior Lab with Dr. Clive Wynne. She has worked as an animal behaviorist at Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA in San Mateo, CA and as Training and Programs Manager of A DOG'S LIFE Doggie Daycare in Palo Alto, CA. She graduated from the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers and worked as private dog trainer before returning to earn her Master's in Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas where she worked with Jesus Rosales-Ruiz and investigated concept formation in dogs. Her current research at UF investigates the development of the relationship between dogs and humans and reinforcers that maintain canine social behavior towards humans. Her goal is to apply her findings to enhance positive dog-human interactions. She has taught Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas and the University of Florida, and is an adjunct faculty member at Santa Fe College.

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