EDITORS LETTER
APDT launches its own app available for Android and Apple
R emember the early
days of smartphones with commercials touting “ There ’ s an app for that ?” Well , APDT has an app for that ! Unleash the power of professional dog training with the all-new Association of Professional Dog Trainers app ! Never miss a post on the ever-popular Community Forum . Update your Trainer Search profile with the ease of a few clicks . The APDT app offers a treasure trove of continuing education opportunities , from on-demand webinars led by industry experts to downloadable resources on the latest training techniques . You can even read the latest issue of the Chronicle of the Dog .
Whether you are traveling or just taking a break from sitting at a computer , the APDT app will allow you to access everything that ’ s on our website , including member discounts , C . L . A . S . S . details and the SPEAK ! monthly newsletter . The new APDT app incorporates everything you need to know about upcoming conferences , such as the 2024 conference at Riverside , California , eliminating the need to download an additional app for conferences as we have done in the past .
Check out the ad on page 7 for a peek at the app and how to download it . There is also more information about the app on page 13 . Thanks to APDT Marketing and Communications Director Tricia Louque for spearheading this effort , assisted by the rest of APDT ’ s staff and Mobile Up .
And speaking of the APDT conference , beginning on page 10 , there is information about the two keynote speakers , Dr . Kathy Murphy , a veterinary surgeon and neuroscientist who is the chief scientific officer at Behavior Vets in New York City , and Ken Ramirez , the executive vice president and chief training officer of Karen Pryer Clicker Training . He also received the APDT Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021 .
Registration opens March 28 at APDT . com ( and the app !), with Early Bird rates ending July 1 , a payment plan and information about the hotels . There are three this year , all very close to the Riverside Convention Center : Mission Inn , Hyatt Place Riverside Downtown and Marriott Riverside . The hotel registration deadline is August 30 , since our 2024 conference is a month earlier than usual – Sept . 18-20 .
APDT ’ s founder has a significant role in this issue of Chronicle of the Dog . Dr . Ian Dunbar , who spearheaded the positive reinforcement movement more than 40 years ago , has some things to say about the future of dog training and the incipient creep of aversive punishment back into dog training . His 10-suggestion opinion essay begins on page 15 and is well worth the read . Dr . Dunbar has also written about the subject – among many other things -- in his new book that is reviewed on page 63 .
Our features for this issue include another offering by the dynamic duo Irith Bloom and Kristina Spaulding , Ph . D ., as they dissect a study about reactivity . That story begins on page 28 . Amanda Gagnon provides a thought-provoking article that begins on page 34 on using the term “ consent ” in dog training and what that actually means and should we continue to use it . Rachel Brix has provided a deeply personal piece ( page 37 ) about how both she and her pittie Apache are recovering after two off-leash dogs attacked him during a Sunday walk . Apache was leashed and muzzled at the time . Rachel provides insight into what she will do in the future to help prevent that from happening again .
One of the best-reviewed sessions at the 2023 conference was led by Ferdie Yau , a seasoned dog trainer who began his career working with polar bears and sea lions at the Central Park Zoo in New York . The story about his session on building resilience in shelter dogs starts on page 45 .
And Risë VanFleet , Ph . D ., the founder of the International Institute for Animal Assisted Play Therapy and the current foster mom to Willie the Perpetual Pig , writes about the expectation of therapy dogs , and should we train dogs to ‘ put up ’ with certain human behaviors ? That story begins on page 52 .
There is a lot in this issue , so kick back and enjoy the digital version off your computer , flip through the print version …. or open it on your newly downloaded APDT app and read it anywhere you might be !
Devon Hubbard Sorlie , Editor | devon . sorlie @ apdt . com
The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Spring 2024 5