The APDT Chronicle of the Dog Summer 2020 | Page 8

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR �Contact me at [email protected] COVID-19 CRISIS Those who adapt have a better chance of surviving challenging times Flexibility in our changing world is the key to keep us relevant. As we go forward in 2020, think about how you can continue learning. Knowing what you have learned in the last couple of months, are there things you would add or delete from your current teachings? Are there ideas you would tell your clients that you never brought up to them before? One of these for me is what if something happens to your family, who will get the dog? We are not just dog trainers, but we are family counselors, friends, and a community for someone. We are essential. Planning for the future might look different now. I want to challenge you to add something new and different in your scope. How much can change in just a short time. Not long ago, we were all concerned with dog licensing and legalization. Now we are concerned if we will still have a career. As the months go by, we have been keeping a keen eye on what is essential and non-essential for each state and county. Everyone is affected by COVID-19, we just have to continue to move forward as a team. A good friend of mine, Sue Sternberg, once told me, “you may not want what is happening, but the only thing you can control is your attitude and what you wear.” This piece of advice has helped me battle cancer and the uncertainty of my business during COVID-19, to be strong for my employees and clients. What is your catchphrase to get you through tough times? You know as dog enthusiasts, owners, and trainers we try to solve problem behaviors. Each client is a new challenge, each dog is a new individual, each problem has a different solution. During the past months, we have seen dog trainers coming together to help each other solve the problem of teaching with social distancing. We came together to learn how to take our business online. We have created new ideas for revenue and found original ways to support the industry. We have kept the hope and passion of our industry alive. We, as a whole, are adapting to the solutions to the ever-fluid problems. We didn’t argue or fight about the issue but have gathered to support each other. This is what being a member of an organization is about, supporting each other and working toward a common goal. If you haven’t tried a webinar do one. Check out the ones we offer https://www.pathlms.com/apdt. If you ever wanted to take a class and couldn’t find the time, find the time. Explore topics in different areas of your business. Network with others and be kind to those whose values are different than your own. We must help each other improve because there is hope in numbers. During the last couple of months, the board has been busy with continuing our strategic partnerships with others, running surveys, providing resources for COVID-19, and working on the 2020 Virtual Conference. We appreciate the feedback you send to us. Without you our members, we would not be able to push forth policies and work with others to improve our industry. Thank you for supporting each other. Khara Schuetzner 6 Building Better Trainers Through Education