Besides your primary duty as a pet care professional, the most important thing you can offer a client is behavioral savvy and a concern for the animal's mental health. Yes, you can strap on a muzzle and get the job done once or twice. After that, Pugsy-Wugsy is going to resist coming through your door. That's the owner's first hint that Pugsy-Wugsy doesn't like your establishment very much -- and we all know that many dog owners believe that their dog has an unerring skill when judging human character.

In the long haul, the pet care pro who knows more about behavior keeps the clients, not just the easy ones. If you are trying to compete with the mega-stores, service is one area where you can compete on a level playing field. Behavioral services and knowledge can give you an edge that can't be undercut by volume purchasing power. To say you have a vested interest in having a fantastic knowledge of dog behavior is an understatement.

This two-day Animal Behavior Conference will take the myriad of things you know about dogs and put them in a cohesive, logical, understandable bundle. We all know that Yorkies are hard to housetrain. But why? Is it the same reason that Pugs can't swim worth a darn? Do Australian Terriers move their legs "down-under" to scent mark something? Can you bop a dog hours after it has made a mess in the living room? Can you give a dog a treat hours after he sits? What can help you build a relationship with a fearful dog who has years of experience disliking animal care professionals? The answer to these questions and more are in this ten hour seminar.

#1416 - Animal Behavior Conference 2004 - DVD
Qty: $99.95

#1429 - Animal Behavior Conference 2004 - VHS
Qty: $99.95

Gary Wilkes worked for eight years in animal shelters in every capacity: poop scooper, shelter manager, euthanasia tech, dog catcher, humane investigator, educator and board member of one of the largest shelters in the country. He has worked for the last seventeen years offering behavior services by veterinary referral including the position of staff behaviorist for a veterinary neurological clinic. He has physically handled tens of thousands of animals over more than 25 years and a goodly number of those animals were certified whackos.

Gary is most known for developing the practical side of clicker training. Wilkes' methods and techniques are, above all, effective. This isn't the "bribe the doggie with a biscuit" or a "swing them around by the neck" sort of thing. Contrary to the whimsical rules of modern dog training, you don't need to be abusive or permissive to teach an animal that there are rules that need to be obeyed. This is a simple, effective way to predict and control behavior and any professional will benefit from learning these methods.