Shelter Dog Behavior Mentorship

2023B SDBM-Shelter Dog Behavior Mentorship

This 13 week deep dive into all things shelter behavior will help you create evidence-based policy and procedures for your shelter behavior department. Weekly live mentorship meetings allow us all to help one another! Starts June 13, 2023.

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Course curriculum

1. How do I use Thinkific?
  FREE PREVIEW
2. About your instructor, Trish McMillan
  FREE PREVIEW
3. Registration Conditions
1. Introduction
  FREE PREVIEW
2. Facebook group link for discussion
3. Perma Zoom link for all meetings, Wednesday at 10 AM or 7 PM EST (you may attend either or both meetings!)
4. What are Standard Operating Procedures, and why do I need them?
5. What behaviors can we help in a shelter setting?
6. Read and handle dogs well
7. Place dogs appropriately, and place safe dogs
1. Learning Objectives Module 1
2. Facebook discussion group link
3. The Five Freedoms/Five Domains
  FREE PREVIEW
4. The Five Domains Webinar
5. Understanding Capacity for Care
6. ASV Guidelines
7. Capacity for Care calculation
8. ASV guidelines: how do you measure up?
9. Class Meeting #2 - Prep
10. Your turn!
11. Survey monkey link for this module
12. Module 1 Quiz
13. Resources and further reading
14. June 14 AM zoom
15. June 14 PM Zoom
16. June 21 PM Zoom
17. Survey results for module 1
18. June 28 AM Zoom
19. June 28 PM Zoom
1. Learning Objectives Module 2
2. Behavior and Intake
3. Stray dog intake
4. Owned Animal Relinquishment
5. Seized/impounded animal intake
6. Transfers from other facilities
7. Scheduled intakes and intake diversion
8. Fast-tracking from intake
9. Sample Intake Forms
10. Managing Intake Webinar
11. Resources and further reading
12. Survey monkey link for this module
13. Your turn!
14. Intake quiz
15. July 5 AM Zoom
16. July 5 PM zoom
17. July 12 zoom
1. Learning objectives Module 3
2. Canine body language webinar
3. Reducing stress in shelter dogs
4. Body language handout for staff and volunteers
5. Shelter stress
6. Shelter handling
7. Walking Equipment
8. Leash holds and body awareness
9. Leashcraft webinar
10. Handling difficult dogs
11. Your turn!
12. Survey Monkey link Module 3
13. Quiz: body language and low-stress handling
14. July 19 PM Zoom
1. Learning objectives, module 4
2. Intro to Enrichment guest instructor: Mik Moeller!
  FREE PREVIEW
3. Enrichment with Mik Moeller
4. Mom Moeller's Magic Dog Biscuits
5. Kennel setup and enrichment
6. In-kennel enrichment ideas
7. Out-of-kennel enrichment
8. Arizona Humane Snack Trax treat tubes
9. Assessing behavior from multiple points of view
10. Pathway planning after assessment
11. Assessment webinar with Trish and Di
12. Survey Monkey Link
13. Your turn!
14. Enrichment and assessment quiz
15. References and Resources
16. Aug 2 AM Zoom
1. Module 5 learning objectives
2. What goes into an SOP?
3. What is an SOP?
4. SOP webinar
5. The Three P's
6. Using a template
7. How to add a table of contents
8. Will we write any policy documents?
9. Your turn!
10. Aug 9 AM zoom
11. Aug 9 PM zoom
12. Aug 16 AM zoom
13. Aug 16 PM zoom
1. Module 6 learning objectives
2. Working with volunteers
3. Training volunteers
4. Templates for volunteer training presentations
5. Talent show!
6. Your turn!
7. Working with volunteers quiz
8. Survey monkey link
9. Aug 23 PM zoom
10. Aug 23 AM zoom
1. Module 7 learning objectives
2. Equipment reminders
3. Defensive handling with aggressive dogs
4. Defensive handling webinar
5. Working with medical staff
6. Webinar: Medical/Behavior Collaboration with Ali Waszmer and Dr. Solacito
7. Defensive handling and working with medical quiz
8. Your turn!
1. Module 8 learning objectives
2. Dog play: exercise, enrichment, and rehab
3. Dog play webinar
4. Introductions and Rehab
5. Breaking up dog fights
6. Breaking up a dog fight
7. Dog play quiz
8. Your turn!
9. Resources
10. Study: Do Play Groups for Shelter Dogs Reduce In-Kennel Arousal and Excitability Levels?
11. Sept 13 AM zoom
12. Sept 13 PM zoom
1. Module 9 learning objectives
2. Behavior modification in shelter dogs
3. Working with fearful dogs
4. Webinar: working with fearful dogs
5. Working with overaroused and jumpy/mouthy dogs
6. Sheltering the hard to shelter dog
7. Working with aggression toward humans
8. Separation Anxiety or Separation Fun?
9. Your turn!
10. Bmod quiz I
11. Behavior Modification resources
12. Sept 20 AM dog zoom
13. Sept 20 PM dog zoom
1. Learning objectives module 10
2. Working with leash and kennel reactivity.
3. Working with food guarding.
4. Working with dogs who guard other resources.
5. Working Dogs and Alternative Placement options
6. Placing dogs in homes with kids
7. Impulse control exercises and games
8. Your turn!
9. Module 10 quiz
10. Resources and further reading
11. Sept 27 zoom
1. Learning objectives module 11
2. Setting adoptability criteria
3. Behavioral euthanasia webinar
4. Making Euthanasia Decisions
5. What about Sanctuary?
6. Adoptability criteria template
7. Compassion Fatigue Webinar by Jessica Dolce
8. Compassion Fatigue Webinar Workbook
9. Low-Impact Debriefing - Jessica Dolce
10. Reducing Rumination - Jessica Dolce
11. Module 11 quiz
12. Your turn!
13. Oct 4 zoom
1. Learning Objectives
2. Secret Shopping: Would you be allowed to foster for your organization?
3. Starting a behavior foster program
4. Recruiting Volunteers and Fosters
5. Training fosters and volunteers in behavior
6. Foster Mentors
7. Behavior foster webinar
8. Daily Rounds
9. Rounds webinar
10. Your turn!
11. Module 12 Quiz
12. Daily Rounds, research and further reading
13. Volunteers and fosters, research and extra reading
14. Oct 11 AM zoom
15. Oct 11 PM zoom
1. Learning objectives module 13
2. Adopting shelter dogs: starting with "yes!"
3. Adoptions webinar
4. Trish and Di talk adoption policies!
5. Adopters Welcome Manual - HSUS
6. Taking great shelter dog pictures
7. Post-adoption support
8. Post-adoption support webinar
9. Introducing Sue Alexander CPDT-KSA, CBCC-KA, CDBC
10. Post-placement: The role of the behavior consultant, with Sue Alexander CPDT-KSA, CBCC-KA, CDBC
11. Optional Assignment: Post-placement, the role of the behavior consultant
12. Your turn!
13. Adoption quiz
14. Adoption Resources
1. Where do we go from here?

About this course

186 lessons
42 hours of video content

FAQ

Who Should Take This Course

Anyone wanting to learn more about Shelter Dog Behavior. ESPECIALLY those involved in sheltering: volunteers, staff, rescues, veterinarians and vet techs, and anyone interested in a future career in animal welfare
What are the Topics Being Covered?

Each week we will cover a different aspect of shelter operation from the perspective of meeting the behavioral needs of the dogs in our care. From the ASV Guidelines and Capacity for Care through Defensive Handling to Placement and Beyond, this course is THE industry standard for learning about dog behavior within the shelter. Please see the curriculum outline in the section above for weekly topics!
Is this a Live Course?

The answer is yes & no! You can work your way through the webinars and written material at your own speed. You have your choice of one of two meeting times weekly via zoom (Tuesdays at 7pm EST and Wednesday at 10am EST). For those who cannot make those live meetings, they will be recorded for viewing later. New modules are released on Mondays.
Are There CEUs Available for this Course?

Yes! CCDPT- 30 CEUs IAABC-29 CEUs
What if I Cannot Complete the Course in the 13 Weeks?

No need to worry! You have up to a year to complete the course material.

2023B SDBM-Shelter Dog Behavior Mentorship

Course curriculum

Welcome to Shelter Behavior Hub!

Introduction and goal-setting

Module 1: ASV Guidelines, the Five Freedoms and Capacity for Care

Module 2: Intake

Module 3: Reading and handling dogs

Module 4: Assessment and Enrichment

Module 5: Writing SOP's

Module 6: Working with volunteers

Module 7: Shelter ninjas and working with medical staff

Module 8: Dog play and social rehab

Module 9: Behavior modification I

Module 10: Behavior modification II

Module 11: Criteria setting/Euthanasia/Compassion fatigue

Module 12: All things Foster, plus daily rounds

Module 13: Adoption and post-adoption support

What is next?

About this course

FAQ