FOUNDATION NEWS
am going to steal it . This information is too valuable to not be posted on my living room wall .
Curtis Kelley ’ s seminar “ Broader Perspectives , Better Training ,” was all about including diversity in your training business . Curtis spoke about his own personal experience being a racialized person in the dog training industry . He spoke about legendary , groundbreaking BIPoC ( black , indigenous , people of color ) dog trainers and the barriers they face in accessing mentorship , education , and even dog ownership . He expressed the importance of inclusivity in the industry and ways to bring inclusivity into your business . This session was incredibly important to me . Although I face additional barriers being queer and autistic , I am incredibly privileged that my skin color has never prevented me from pursuing my goals . It is my dream to create intersectional accessibility through working dogs , and in order to do that , we need to open more doors specifically for marginalized communities . As Curtis said , “ The barrier is access , NOT skill .”
Curtis inspired me to begin making changes , fast . The first thing I ' ve done since returning home is building a mentorship , and training scholarship program specifically for individuals who are Black , Indigenous , People of Colour .
By the end of the conference , I felt right at home . I left with a sense of belonging and motivation to turn these “ really big dreams ” into a reality . Attendees who I had never met invited me to sit beside them , exchanged hugs on difficult days , and even shared a couple of drinks on the beach . It doesn ’ t matter how long you ’ ve been training , if you ’ re a crossover trainer , or even if you just work within the industry , there is a place for you at APDT .
Adri Dizy is the lead trainer at Helping Hounds Working Dogs , a community-fueled program in Alberta , Canada , that targets individuals facing intersectional barriers , such as being BIPOC , disabled , lowincome , unhoused , or have been traumatized by the systems that have oppressed them . She is working toward her CCPDT-KA certification .
Ashley Zeitz received ZIWI Guardian Scholarship for 2022 conference
Ashley Zeitz , who works at the Dunn County Humane Society in Menomonie , Wisconsin , received the 2022 ZIWI Guardian Scholarship through the APDT Foundation . The scholarship is for APDT member trainers , behaviorists , veterinarians and staff , shelter employees and volunteers , to attend the APDT / CAPDT Annual Conference who may not otherwise have the funds available to do so .
Ashley began working at the animal shelter as a teenager . “ I knew early on that I was meant to work with animals . It ’ s a great feeling
Ashley Zeitz
when you realize you have found your “ calling ” in life ,” she said . A dozen years later , Ashley now is working with some of the shelter ’ s more difficult-to-adopt dogs to get them placed into appropriate homes . “ This last year I have been gaining more information about dog training . I am looking to further my knowledge on training dogs and want to work toward getting certified ,” Ashley said , who shares four dogs with her fiancé .
The 2022 conference in Daytona Beach , Florida was Ashley ’ s first conference on training , and she was thrilled with the experience . “ The conference was great ! I learned a lot and attended at least nine sessions . I thought the speakers were fantastic , and extremely knowledgeable ,” she said . “ I learned a lot about stress in dogs in Choice and Training with Kristina Spaulding and Irith Bloom . I loved listening to Mike Shikashio , Tim Lewis , and James Crosby , who were fascinating speakers with a ton of knowledge . I found the nutritional impacts on behavior session to be very interesting on how the two correlates with each other . I liked the diversity of the different sessions and topics covered .”
Ashley also found value in the time between those sessions . “ I also made some great connections with other attendees and some of the exhibitors . Some of the information I gathered will help me make some changes at the shelter I work at to improve the lives of our residents while they stay with us ,” Ashley explained . “ I ’ ll be using some of the training techniques like Grisha Stewart ’ s BAT ( Behavior Adjustment Training ) or what I learned in the looseleash walking session to help the shelter dogs . It was a blast and I ’ m grateful for the opportunity to attend .”
24 Building Better Trainers Through Education