ASSOCIATION NEWS
APDT ’ s on-site conference successful after two years of virtual conventions
After two years of virtual conferences , the APDT / CAPDT Annual Education Conference and Trade Show was held inperson Oct . 19-21 at Daytona Beach , Florida , despite the locale being raked over by Hurricane Ian just the month before . It was nearly 30 years earlier when another Ian blew into the Sunshine State and ignited the positive reinforcement movement within the dog training industry . That Ian , of course , is APDT ’ s founder , Dr . Ian Dunbar , who hosted the first-ever APDT conference in Orlando in 1994 .
The 2022 conference featured 41 educational presentations , including three workshops , two keynote addresses , three Power Hour luncheons , 28 sessions and four scientific posters . Topics ranged from adding dog sports to your dog training services , how to balance work and family , how to avoid fraud and working with dog aggression . Attendees could earn as many as 30 continuing education units for recertification depending on which sessions and workshops they attended .
During the opening ceremonies , APDT Chair Fanna Easter recognized the award recipients for 2022 : Susan Friedman , Ph . D ., who received the Lifetime Achievement Award ; Melissa Taylor was named APDT Member of the Year , and Sarah Bond and Lisa McCluskey were honored with the Chairman ' s Award .
“ WOW ! With gorgeous sunrises over the beach , amazing speakers , a sea of tie-dyed conference shirts and lots of smiling faces , our 2022 APDT / CAPDT Conference was a success ,” Fanna said . “ Thank you to everyone !
Besides the popular workshops , keynote addresses and sessions , the Exhibit Hall was hopping with booths from sponsors , exhibitors , vendors , and organizations . There were several opportunities to meet and greet conference attendees , such as the PetSmart Trainingsponsored REGIception on Tuesday , the ZIWI-hosted Welcome Reception Beach PAWty on Wednesday , free chair massages at the Relaxation Station sponsored by Malena DeMartini , and Friday ’ s Yappy Hour closing reception that was sponsored by Enlighten Dogs and Pet Tech , which also featured a pet CPR demo . Other extracurricular activities included building tug-toys for Halifax Humane Society , Early Riser Yoga Thursday and Friday , the Blue- 9 Demo Arena that featured celebrity dog trainer Chrissy Joy and her Joy Crew , Petco ’ s Puparazzi , Pets for Vets Photobooth , author book signing at the Dogwise booth and canine comfort offered by the Alliance of Therapy Dogs .
10 Building Better Trainers Through Education Photos : Petco Pupparazzi