Report: The <strong>PDTE</strong> AGM <strong>2016</strong> Iattended my very first <strong>PDTE</strong> AGM in Mataró, Spain and I must admit that it was all that I expected it to be and then some more. The AGM seems to be a fantastic opportunity to meet likeminded people from across the globe, have stimulating conversations, build valuable friendships, learn about wonderful initiatives relevant to canine welfare and of course have some fun. While, in this newsletter, I have tried to compile articles that summarize several of the talks at the AGM, I must admit that nothing compares to actually being there and soaking it all in. The fantastic event was put together for us by Nuria and her team at Canidos. The event happened in a lovely hotel near the port of a charming little sea side city of Mataró. The weather was warm and welcoming and the food was nothing short of enticing. This four-day event comprised of 15 Photo Credit: Team Canidos, Spain speakers speaking on different topics related to canine care. In addition there were several fun events organized like salsa classes, wine tasting, sightseeing and a grand dinner in Barcelona. Do check out the picture post cards from the AGM that are printed in this newsletter. The talks started with one by Dr. Marcelo Cabrera on Geriatric dogs. Cabrera spoke about the decline in biological functioning in dogs and how, often, organic problems in dogs are misinterpreted as behavioural problems. He spoke of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, a condition similar to Alzhimer’s in people. He listed symptoms of the condition and discussed some holistic solutions to it. This talk set the tone for the rest of the event, that focused a lot on looking at underlying issues that cause so called “behavioural issues in dogs”. Julia Robertson, the founder of Galen therapy center in the United Kingdom, which specializes in providing hands on therapy for dogs that suffer from chronic pain spoke about how pain always affects behaviour. Julia repeatedly reminded us that chronic pain is insidious and invariably effects behaviour and yet is hard to spot with an untrained eye. She provided some very useful pointers on how to recognize pain and things to do to avoid pain. A synopsis of her talk is available in this newsletter, for you to get more familiar with myotherapy, its importance and its application. Julia underlined the importance of empathy, when treating pain, a concept that was echoed in several talks during the event, including the one by Pennie Clayton. Pennie spoke about Canine Bowen Therapy, a nonmanipulative technique that works on the soft tissue of dogs with very mild pressure, that does not focus on treating specific conditions, but instead focuses on reducing pain and tension throughout the whole body. The technique does not lose sight of the importance of giving the dog choices – the dog decides how long the treatment should last, when he needs breaks, if he wants to receive the treatment indoors or outdoors and if he prefers it sit, stand or lie down during the treatment. An introduction to this technique is presented in an article by Pennie in this newsletter. Winkie Spiers, the chairperson of <strong>PDTE</strong>, further elaborated on the topic of choices for a dog, in her talk titled “It’s a dog’s life”. Winkie reminded us of the basic needs of all dogs, including quality sleep, good food, clean water, freedom to eliminate at will, social contact and as many choices as possible – choices on the kind of food a dog would like and where he would like to sleep. She reminded us of how scavenging, chewing, licking etc…were natural and valuable to a dog. Her talk drove home the point that a dog lives a dog’s life and needs a dog-friendly world to live it in, which provides well for the physical and mental wellbeing of a dog. She also presented some very interesting charts on what kinds of problems clients really seek help with. These charts are all part of her article in this newsletter and definitely worth examining for dog trainers and behaviour consultants, to better understand what it is that clients really need, to bring harmony in their “canine households”. The idea of the right environment for an animal was discussed again in the talk by Dr. Jesús Rosales- Ruiz, an Associate Professor in the Department of Behaviour Analysis at the University of North Texas. He provided a framework for understanding and approaching “behavioural issues” with an approach derived from Skinner’s functional analysis of behaviour that is based on the fundamental belief that “The organism is always right”. Dr. Ruiz argued that an animal’s behaviour and personality reflects the environmental conditions the animal lives in and urged us to create constructive environments that produce optimal interactions between people and animals. He differentiated between a constructional approach (which looks at setting up a constructive environment for the organism to offer/alter certain behaviours) and a pathological approach (which focuses on solving just the problem at hand, without considering the environment in which the behaviour is established and maintained). Virginia Millares, a professional dog trainer and kennel owner, elaborated further on this idea of setting up the right environment for dogs, specifically in the situation of meet and greet in the canine world. She spoke of a fairly elaborate protocol that would set up a dog for success. Her protocol involves a detailed interview to gather as much information about the dog as possible, carefully selecting a dog that would be right for this introduction, picking a place that is safe and insulated from loud noises or other things that could scare a dog and setting up of an enriched environment for the dogs. She then outlines the process where the dogs are introduced slowly, the people are encouraged to be relaxed and the dogs are encouraged to move about slowly (by having people walk slowly and calmly). 6 <strong>PDTE</strong> Newsletter <strong>PDTE</strong> Newsletter 7 <strong>PDTE</strong> Newsletter Dec <strong>2016</strong>.indd 6-7 22-12-<strong>2016</strong> 05:04:57 PM