EDITORS LETTER
Shake the Daytona Beach sand out of your shoes and gear up for next year ' s event at Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky
It ’ s like déjà vu all over again , to quote the late , great New York Yankees catcher , coach and manager Yogi Berra . Three years ago , following our 2019 conference in Portland , we touted the “ Save the Date ” for the 2020 conference in the Cincinnati metro area of Covington , Kentucky ( where the Cincinnati airport is located ). Little did we know three months later , our world would be rocked by a virus called COVID-19 . Everything was shut down , and the APDT Board of Directors made the hard decision to follow suit with other associations and go virtual . And like Army Gen . Douglas MacArthur , we promised to return , and so we shall , Oct . 18-20 , 2023 . So Save the Date !
For those who attended our first in-person conference since the one at Portland , the scuttlebutt is people had a good time at Daytona Beach , and learned a lot from outstanding workshops , sessions and keynote speakers . The locale , despite being whipped around by Hurricane Ian , still managed to host several events besides our association a month after the storm . Thankfully , the conference was held mid-October because a few weeks later , Daytona Beach got clobbered again with a rare November hurricane called Nicole .
For those who were unable to attend , and even those who did but missed a few of the sessions , you might consider getting the conference recordings . At only $ 195 for members , it has all three days of the sessions and keynote addresses , enough to earn 30 CEUs .* Just check out page 16 on how to take advantage of this opportunity .
With the conference behind us , it ’ s now time to look to the future , and in January , that ’ s APDT ’ s National Train Your Dog Month . For more on that important social media event , check out page 25 . Use your social media to promote the need to train dogs using responsible trainers who use LIMA as their foundation for training methods . Reach out to your local media to offer your insight on the importance of getting that Christmas puppy trained to keep it from spending Valentine ’ s Day at a shelter due to unwanted puppy behaviors .
But back to this final Chronicle of the Dog for 2022 : As you flip through the pages , Association News ( beginning on page 10 ) is packed with information , including the highlights from keynote speakers Taylor Barconey and Jiovany “ Jio ” Alcaide and Michael Shikashio . Fanna Easter , the 2022 APDT Chair , will relinquish her spot to incoming 2023 Chair Benjamin Bennink , while Erica Marshall and Ines McNeil join the board after they were elected earlier in the fall . The much-anticipated DEI Survey Report is revealed and two of the APDT Foundation scholarship winners write about their conference experiences .
Our features begin on page 44 with a deep dive by our favorite duo , Irith Bloom and Kristina Spaulding , into a research study on why some dogs are adopted for life , but others are returned , sometime more than once . There ’ s also an article by animal behaviorist Melissa Hatfield on how to deal with clients who are less than responsive when it comes to their dog ’ s training . That begins on page 50 . On page 54 , Heather Mishefske , an APDT board member , explains how taking a few moments to plan and set the stage can create the environment necessary for a successful puppy class .
Besides those features , our regular columns ( Biz End of the Leash , Veterinarian ’ s Perspective , CATCH Canine Academy and Ask the Trainer ) are written by professionals in the animal behavior / training industry and all offer unique insights into their areas of expertise . David Pearsall ’ s Insurance Insight column will be back for our SPRING issue after a bit of break due to a busy time of year and attending our Daytona Beach conference . And if you are looking for last minute gifts , there might be some nice stocking stuffers in the form of books that are reviewed beginning on page 59 .
We hope you can take a moment to savor these features , columns and articles , and begin planning for the conference next year . Happy holidays with your family and friends , and safe travels !
Devon Hubbard Sorlie , Editor | devon . sorlie @ apdt . com
* Those who registered for the Fall Conference have access to the recordings as part of their registration .
The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Winter 2022 5