PDTE 2018 Autumn Newsletter

newsletter 

PET DOG TRAINERS OF EUROPE 

Autumn 2018 

20th Anniversary Year 

Vienna Conference 

Preview 

Pg 16 

What’s inside: 

President’s Report - Pg 2 

New Full Members - Pg 5 

A visit to Hemopet - Pg 6 

1 Autumn 2018 - PDTE Newsletter 

Looking for the Titer Test - Pg 8 

Country Corner Update - Pg 10 

Nosework Education - Pg 22 

Home Alone: Dealing with Separation 

Anxiety in the Dog - Pg 30 

King’s Medal of Merit for Turid - Pg 35

Editor’s Welcome 

As the summer continues to be so amazing here in the UK, it has 

given me the chance to reflect on how in our role as dog 

behaviourists and trainers, we also need to ensure the people we 

meet are made aware of how environments and weather effect their 

dogs. Including the changes to be made to ensure they are 

comfortable, such as very early walks. Not forgetting the choices they 

must have too – do they actually want to go for a walk? 

Whilst most people are aware of the dangers of dogs being left in 

cars, not as many are aware of the dangers of heatstroke, or what the 

signs of heatstroke are in a dog. So, I designed a poster which I 

printed out to hand to people and put in shops. 

Something so simple saves lives and helps bring awareness. If we all 

do this, people will continue to learn and dogs will benefit all over the 

world. Not everyone wants to listen as I found out(!), but smile and 

keep going...the dogs need us to do this. 

President’s Report 

I really look forward to seeing you at the AGM in Vienna which is 

promising to be a great weekend, and in the meantime have a lovely 

Summer. Best wishes, 

Caroline 

Dear members and friends of PDTE, 

An anniversary year always makes us think back, remembering how things were in the «good old days», 

seeing changes and differences that have taken place. 

In this edition... 

Walking down memory lane can be lovely, a little sad, and 

sometimes helpful in remembering that good things have 

happened and changes have been for the better. 

We have become much bigger as an organization of course, 

we reach so many more countries and have become truly 

international. The international networking is great, but has 

also led to misunderstandings sometimes, both because of 

cultural differences and different ways of seeing things. 

Remember to communicate! Talking about problems and 

differences is important. Communication is of vital 

importance both between us and our dogs, and between us. 

Important things have also happened in the dog world, and 

I do hope you all try to catch up on as much as possible. 

The later years we have learnt so very much about the 

brain, about movements, joints, muscles and the 

importance of keeping dogs physically healthy - and the 

very latest news about vaccinations have made me believe 

in a better future for dogs. 

Please keep your curiosity, follow what is going on, learn 

more - it is not enough any more to have learnt about 

operant conditioning and counter conditioning. Is your 

learning from five years back or longer, it is too old. 

I would love to see PDTE being the organization consisting of 

members with the highest possible level of updated 

knowledge in all fields: physically, mentally, training methods. 

Looking back to the beginning makes me smile, looking 

ahead gives hope - so let us celebrate the 20th anniversary 

together, looking ahead and trying to be always better as 

our goal. 

See you in Vienna! 

Your President, 

Turid 

www.pdte.eu 

Pg 4 

The PDTE Board 

Pg 5 

Dog Breeds Competition 

Pg 5 

New Full Members 

Pg 6 

A visit to Hemopet and 

Jean Dodds 

Pg 8 

Looking for the Titer Test 

Pg 10 

Country Corner Update 

Pg 16 

20th PDTE Annual 

Conference and AGM 

Pg 22 

Nosework Education 

comes to UK, Durham 

Pg 24 

New Members 

Pg 30 

Home Alone: Dealing with 

Separation Anxiety in the Dog 

Pg 35 

Turid Rugaas awarded the 

King’s Medal of Merit 

Pg 36 

Dates for you Diary 


Autumn 2018 - PDTE Newsletter 3

Dog breeds competition 

There’s chaos at the renowned and respected Dog Breeding Kennels ‘MUTS-R-US’ run by the legendary Dog Breeder Nora Bone. Having 

dismissed her kennel maid Anna Gram, Nora has been informed by the kennel volunteer Andy Mann that he witnessed Anna recklessly 

re-arranging all the lettering displayed on the Dog Breeds signage just before she left the premises. 

The Night Security man Arthur Ritus is off sick, at the moment, with aching joints. Andy has re-ported the incident to the police and 

woman police officer Laura Norder will attend the scene of this crime. 

Can you help unravel the lettering and help to correctly name the Dog Breeds :- 

The Board of PDTE 

1. A SHY MEAL 

2. ARAB LORD 

3. REAL IDEA 

4. RAMBO DEN 

5. YOUNG HERD 

6. HOW OLD FUN 

7. WITH PEP 

8. ANGER DATE 

9. HER CURL 

10. HEMP GENDER RASH 

11. SEND OAT BUSH 

12. LUCKLESS JAR 

13. GUARD ODE BOXED 

14. ZIP FISH TINS 

15. ME WEAR RAIN 

Turid Rugaas President Winkie Spiers Chairperson Karen Webb Secretary 

Thank you for helping Nora Bone and her staff to rectify this 

heinous crime. Send your answers in an Email to:- 

pdtesecretary@talktalk.net and please include the 15 answers 

and your name clearly shown. 

All correct entries will be placed in a box and the winner drawn at 

the AGM in Vienna - the winner will be informed by Email address 

supplied. The answers and the name with picture of the winner 

will be published in the October 2018 PDTE Newsletter. 

ALL entries must be received by Friday 21.9.18 

The prize will be awarded and sent to the winner. 

New Full 

Members 

Left: Kirsty Grant - UK 

Right: Alja Willenpart - Slovenia 

Sonja Hoegen Treasurer Susanne Lautner Board Understudy Stephanie Rousseau Board Assistant 


Winter 2017/18 - PDTE Newsletter 5

A visit to Hemopet and Jean Dodds 

Having a seminar in Los Angeles triggered my interest for the possibility of visiting Hemopet in California, a car 

drive South of LA. Knowing Jean Dodds from lectures, books and personal meetings made me want to look at 

what she was working with there, and the chance came with the seminar in LA. Dr. Jean Dodds is not always 

present, travelling a lot as she is, so I was really happy when she answered my mail - she would be there, and 

wished me welcome! 

I was so excited to get this possibility, and the people from 

Haqihana offered to drive me there - everything was lined up to 

be an interesting visit. 

Hemopet 

Is a non profit organization dependent on sponsoring. 40-50 

people work there plus numerous volunteers, and they have 

managed to build up specialized knowledge that benefits dogs all 

over the world. 

It all started... 

With the bloodbank. This is something I have always been 

interested in, as dogs, as well as people, 

Need blood transfusions during surgery, and many places in the 

world there are big problems getting blood when needed. 

Hemopet provides about 40 % of all the blood units used in the 

US, which is a lot, and really impressive! 

To be able to provide with all these blood units they have of 

course to keep dogs to draw it from, and again they have come 

up with an impressive system. Other places dogs are kept in 

kennels their whole lives, and do nothing but give blood to save 

other dogs’ lives. Not a good dog life at all. 

Hemopet does it differently. It started with the rescue of 

greyhounds. Racing dogs not racing anymore were mostly thrown 

away. Hemopet rescues them from the states where it is still legal 

to race dogs. Jean Dodds was in the nineties active in assuring 

that dog racing continues to be banned in California, and instead 

started to rescue them from other states, using them for a short 

period to give blood while rehabilitating them and making sure 

they were healthy, and then rehoming them as family dogs. 

The amazing part in this story is that of the approximately 200 

dogs they take in every year, all are rehomed! And not only 

rehomed, Hemopet has waiting lists from people who want a dog! 

The rescued dogs give blood for about 10 months or maybe 

longer if they need a longer period to get ready for rehoming, and 

then get an ordinary life in a family. Even if we might cringe a 

little from the idea of having dogs in kennels giving blood, I think 

we have to remember that they actually save lives, many lives! - 

maybe your own dog has been saved by a blood type compatible 

and safe blood unit from another dog. And doing it the way it is 

done here, being well looked after, and for a restricted period, I 

find it completely acceptable. 

But there was more… 

Hemopet also runs a clinic for dogs, with two holistic 

veterinarians doing consultations. As we were about to leave, 

Jean Dodds was called to the clinic part, she had a client waiting 

for her. 

We had a quick tour of the place, and looked in at consultation 

rooms with sofas and chairs and comfortable furniture, pictures 

on the walls, and as homely as you can get it at a vet’s office. 

The veterinarians of the place work on a holistic basis, and use a 

lot of different natural medications, supplements, and modalities 

like acupuncture, herbal, and laser therapy. 

The laboratories 

Was another thing I was curious about. I knew people sending 

samples to them from all over the world, and have their dogs 

tested for thyroid problems and allergies, and getting results back 

within amazingly short time. How could they manage that?! First 

and foremost they have the best and most modern equipment for 

it. Generous sponsoring has made it possible for them to get the 

very best and most expensive machines on the market. 

Lab Director Jay Tellez showed us the machines they use. They 

receive something like 50-60 samples every day from all over the 

world, and the samples are processed and results sent back to 

people very fast. A complete testing of the thyroid is done in less 

than 24 hours. If they have to test samples for absolutely 

everything in case of allergies, it might take up to 2 weeks, if I got 

that right. 

The whole place 

Was nice and friendly and with pictures on all walls to brighten it 

up. The kennels were of course full of dogs. New dogs one by 

one in the beginning. Others exercise together 2, 3 or more - but 

with special soft greyhound muzzles on. Volunteers walk them 

three times a day. We said hello to some of the dogs as we went 

through the kennel area, and like most greyhounds they were 

sweet and gentle, and people friendly. Their natural sweet nature 

make them excellent family dogs of course. 

I had to comment that the volunteers seemed to need some leash 

walking program - that should not be difficult when handling such 

gentle dogs! 

We use every opportunity to promote the use of harnesses, as 

you all know, so Haqihana left harnesses and leashes for trying 

out, hoping they will see the benefits of harnesses versus collars. 

Thanks for a great experience! 

It was indeed an interesting and enlightening visit, and I am so 

glad I had the chance of learning about their work and all they do 

at Hemopet. It was even more than I had expected. Thanks to 

Jean Dodds for her time and engagement and being so generous 

about it - it was well worth a visit, even hours of traffic on the 

Californian highways! And when we ended the visit with dinner at 

a great restaurant where they served table water from Norway, it 

made the day complete for me ! 

Article: Turid Rugaas 



Looking for 

the Titer Test 

- a tool to reduce 

pet vaccinations 

by Turid Dyvesveen Sunde, 

Bamsekroken Kennel, Norway 

Just the other day Turid visited and we happened to talk about the vaccination of pets. I told her of my latest 

experiences and she asked me if I would like to share those with PDTE? 

My interest in this topic goes way back to year 2007. I read what 

Dr. Ronald Schultz wrote about the topic on the Internet, and later 

on I read about what the Norwegian Veterinarian, Dr. Are 

Thoresen, explained about the harm over vaccination may cause 

pets. This led to us stopping the yearly vaccination of our dogs, 

now they just get their core shots as puppies with a revaccination 

when they are grown. It was difficult to find out about this topic 

because here in Norway there was so very little talked about, and 

the veterinarians as good as silent about it. But we still received 

our yearly summons for vaccinations, long after we had read lots 

about how all vaccines last for years. 

Protect the Pets 

One year ago, I happened to read about a Veterinarian, Dr. John 

Robb. He is the leader of a World-wide movement called “Protect 

the Pets”. I followed his writings for some time, the possible over 

vaccination became too important to let it go without further 

research. 

I learned more about The Titer Test and what it proved and 

started to call several veterinarians. This didn't give much 

information, it seemed like they neither understood the 

implications of my questions, nor the intention of The Titer Test. 

My understanding was that the test could tell if, or if no pets had 

been immunised and thereby protected for many years to come. 

Maybe for the rest of their life. 

Here are some of the answers I got: 

“Approximately 6% will not be immunised, but the rest will be. But 

you can just go on with the revaccinating as usual,” was one answer. 

Strange, wasn't´ the vaccination supposed to last for years? 

“Do you think your dog is sick, is that the reason why you want 

to test it? If not, you can just revaccinate to be sure,” was 

another answer. 

“I would have given my dog core vaccinations and the 

revaccinations after 1.5 years, and then never more. Not even a 

Titer Test” was another vets point of view. 

“The routines of vaccination varies a lot” were also given as an 

answer. 

One vet was unhappy that The Titer Test had not been accepted 

in Norwegian Veterinary Practises. He also told me Rabies 

Vaccinations no longer lasts for one year only, but like the other 

vaccinations, will give protection for three years. But a few 

vaccinations should be given each year. 

Strange because I know that new information has proven that the 

one year and three-year vaccination against Rabies are similar. 

And many vets don´t find that revaccination against Rabies is 

necessary. 

Miniature and Large Dogs Given the Same Dose 

I also find it very scary that miniature and large dogs are given 

the same dosage of vaccination. This is a practice the vets are 

forced to follow, according to Dr. Robb and many others. Many 

vets take Rabies shots themselves and The Titer Test, with no 

more revaccinations later on. If you ask why, the answers are that 

this is enough to ensure their immunisation and the vets 

themselves do not want to get sick by over vaccination. Still they 

go on vaccinating pets every year! Dr. Robb and many others 

state that they see on a daily basis several dogs falling seriously 

sick and some die, even on the table just after the shot has been 

administrated. 

I contacted The Norwegian Kennel Club and asked about their 

rules for Dog Shows and dog stays at kennels. At dog Shows 

NKK´s regulations must be followed, a valid Vaccination 

Certificate must be presented. It was possible though to apply for 

a dispensation, but this was not likely to be given. This was an 

unknown problem. But it was said that if a dog didn´t get its 

shots at least every three years it would be difficult to take a valid 

Titer Test. To me these answers prove this vet doesn't know what 

a Titer Test is. Concerning dog stays at kennels, each kennel can 

decide on their own regulations. 

Immune or not Immune 

I find it very difficult to understand that a Titer Test showing the 

dog to be immune should not be as valid (or even more so) than a 

Certificate of Vaccination. As we know some 3-6% of dogs are 

not immune after vaccination, this will apply to many dogs. Out of 

100 dogs as many as 6 (even if they have had their shots and are 

thought to be immune) might not be. 

The Norwegian “Mattilsynet” (The Norwegian Food Safety 

Authority) did confirm the information given by NKK. 

I then asked the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of 

Veterinary Medicine, (NBMU) about their experience with the Titer 

Test and if they could administer them. The answer I got was that 

“Mattilsynet” are supposed to have a list of approved laboratories 

that analyses Titer Tests and they were also supposed to have all 

information needed in order to import animals to Norway. NBMU 

didn't analyse the Titer Tests and they also told me that a Titer 

Test would only prove immunity for Rabies and/ or Parvo. This 

made me wonder, my dog is tested in Norway for immunity to 

Pavo, Distemper and Adenovirus. Why I asked the NBMU in the 

first place, was to find out which laboratories could analyse a 

Titer Test. And this because a vet told me he could take the test, 

but he didn't know where to send it. 

All this being very confusing, I continued to follow Doctors John 

Robb, Ronald Schultz, Karen Becker, Jean Dodds and others. 

I also happened to get to know the name of a Norwegian vet who 

was known to administrate Titer Tests. I contacted him, but he 

didn't know anything about the test. He became interested and 

told me he would look into the matter. I phoned him back as 

agreed, but he hadn't been able to do as promised. He said he 

would phone me later on but I still haven´t heard from him. 

In the end I found a vet that gave me the name of two 

laboratories that were qualified to analyse the Titer Test. One in 

Germany and one in USA. He offered to take and analyse the test 

himself, even though he didn't understand why I wanted my dog 

tested. When I explained I didn't want to revaccinate a dog who 

was already immune, he gave me the names of the laboratories. I 

went to a local vet and asked him to take the test. He was frank 

with me, this was new to him, but he found it very interesting and 

promised to phone me back within 1.5 weeks. I then gave him an 

article written by Dr. Robb concerning how to perform a Titer Test 

and the vet accepted this with a smile (it makes me very 

impressed when somebody professional says they don´t know 

but will try to find information). 

Surprising Results? 

I later got the appointment for the blood test which were sent to 

one of the laboratories. The results surprised me, but perhaps not 

too much. I had heard Dr. Robb speak of how the results easily 

could be understood differently. And this laboratory stated that 

my dog was not immune and needed a revaccination. 

My thoughts were that I have a dog which is vaccinated just one 

year ago without being immune? Why is that when this 

vaccination is supposed to last for years? Why should I give my 

dog a new shot every year when it´s not working and might cause 

harm? Strange that the laboratory didn't question why the dog 

wasn't immunized but only told me to let it have a new shot. 

I had heard Dr. Al Pletcher speak of a dog that died of Parvo even 

when vaccinated and another which nearly died, both 

vaccinations had been administrated according to accepted 

procedure. The dog that got sick, but was still alive, received 

treatment targeting why he didn't become immune, after this 

treatment the results clearly showed immunity. (continued over) 



Dr. Pletcher has used Titter Test on his own animals for years 

without any problems. On You Tube one can find his video 

explaining this in more detail. 

As I haven´t got any medical education I´m not able to explain 

this, but I understand what´s going on. Once more I contacted 

Dr. Robb. He is a truly fantastic person and answers us pet 

owners by phone, e-mail or otherwise. He told me to mail him the 

test results. His answer was clear, “this test is not about 

interpreting numbers, this test gives a yes or no answer”. On the 

scale used to interpret our dog´s results, 1.8 was the required 

result for immunity. Our dog had the result 1.4 and was 

according to the laboratory, not immune. Dr. Robb understood 

the results differently, according to him and others 0,1 is more 

than enough to declare a dog immune. According to Dr. John 

Robb, our pet is immune. They are also saying that dogs with no 

result on a Titter test can have “sleeping” antibodies that will be 

awakened if they get exposed to illness. This is something the 

vets must explain, it´s not for me. 

My vet told me he didn't fully understand the results and told me 

he needed some assistance. 

I just love a vet who is willing to admit he does´t know it all! 

What do I do next? 

Country 

Corner 

Update 

I know of many dog owners who would like their dogs to have a 

Titer Test after reading about it. If they all get the same answers 

as us from this or many other laboratories, the unnecessary 

vaccinations will reach new heights. And I have a dog that 

according to the laboratory is not immune. All this is very 

uncomfortable. 

I said on the internet that our dog had had the Titer Test. Then 

someone contacted me to ask why I was so happy because I had 

found a vet who was willing to take the test? According to them 

the Titer Test has been known in Norway since 1993 and all vets 

are able to administrate the test. This may be right, as the 

answer was given by a professional. But this fact must be very 

under communicated to dog owners and perhaps not given due 

attention in the education of vets? If this is not so, why is it 

difficult to find information? 

My next stop will be at my vets and I hope he still is curious and 

positive. This will be important because many more owners want 

their dogs to have this test. 

I´m so looking forward to when the first Norwegian vets are 

named as a member of the world-wide movement “Protect 

the Pets”. 

I´ll inform you of the end result after my visit to the vet with the 

result from Dr. John Robb. I hope he thinks this is important for 

our pets. 

Article: Turid Dyvesveen Sunde 

A change is noticeable! 

Canary Islands 

Liz Ott 

In the summer holidays I will travel to 1 or 2 other 

islands and visit dog trainers to see if they could be 

integrated in the PDTE and become members. 

Professional dog trainers are nowadays some of them, 

but most of them, even if they are young people, still 

work according to the outdated methods. They talk 

about positive training, but they understand something 

different to us at PDTE. 

Here on Lanzarote, the so-called killing stations have 

been transformed into animal shelters. Not only on 

Saturday whole families come to take care of the 

shelter dogs, walk with them, cuddle them etc., in the 

schools they are informed by a special program of the 

shelter organisacions. We have a wonderful young 

policeman who, together with his colleagues, spares no 

effort to take care of healthy, badly kept and injured 

animals and most important...encourages the population to 

report cases of cruelty abuse to the police and media. 

I cannot and will not convert anyone against their will, even 

if it almost tears my heart out sometimes. My experience 

has taught me many years ago that actions are more 

important than words. 

So I prefer to set a good example with my dogs and the 

animal welfare dogs entrusted to me. Of course, they 

always wear a harness and 3m leash in public, I often only 

communicate with gestures/handsigns/body language 

instead of loud commands. I let them sniff during the walk, 

show little Nosework games. Often the dog owners are 

amazed and start asking questions, start looking at their 

dog in a different way... how wonderful! My customers are 

also active and show other dog owners how to treat their 

dogs properly. This is so nice. 

My favourite classes are, besides the Nosework classes, 

my Social Walk classes, because they are not just walks 

with dogs. I integrate fearful, reactive and leash aggressive 

dogs with very good success into these small groups of 

less than 6 dogs/human teams. The owners don't learn to 

see their dogs as problem dogs, but as a family member 

who has special needs at the moment. They learn to 

perceive and read the body language that is so important. 

They learn that it is not important to get from A to B as 

quickly as possible. But that in between there are so many 

interesting things to discover and smell, together with the 

four-legged friend and he likes to take us with him into this 

often overlooked world. 

Often I discuss with veterinarians and vendors of animal 

accessories, give them information material. I explain to 

them and dog owners why I don't have a collar, halti, no pull 

harness, electric collar, etc. use. Why I don't offer 

obedience, agility, canicross, discdog, monitoring, dog 

diving training. 

It touches me again and again when I see the owners of the 

annoyed leash-jerk, loud control freak become emphatic, 

patient friendly dog people. The beauty of this is that there 

is a different dynamic within people. Not a competitive 

atmosphere, but a more attentive interaction with each 

other. New friendships are formed. You are there for each 

other, if someone from the group is ill, takes care of their 

dog etc. (continued over) 



In the private classes it is important to me to integrate the 

children living in the family into the training and to train the 

handling of the four-legged friend. Because in my 

experience, the behavioural issues of family dogs are often 

stress based. It is important to me that the children also 

come along on the Social Walk and so observe and learn 

the body language of their and also the other dogs. 

Parents often tell me that they have never experienced their 

child so attentively. 

In the animal-based play therapy with children they learn 

first what a dog is, needs and how it is gladly respected. A 

very nice example is an Autistic Boy, who persuaded his 

parents to bring his own dog from the backyard into the 

house, to buy a harness and a 3m leash due to the therapy. 

He shows me again and again small videos, how he makes 

search games with Mimo. Also parents have positively 

changed their relationship to the son and also to the dog. 

I see my mediation of PDTE ethics here in the Canary 

Islands as follows: 

Every strong and mighty tree was once a small and tender 

seed... so lets spread the PDTE-seeds… 

France 

Paulina Druri 

Some news from France. We have a new Associate 

Member, one of Turid's IDTE students which is wonderful. 

Hopefully more will follow now. 

We are always working to promote ethical training methods 

and equipment during workshops, seminars and holidays 

with dogs. France is difficult country for dog's law. It 

changes slowly or very little. 

Hong Kong 

Eric Lee 

Eric was invited to present his International Dog Trainer 

Education final project topic - Mastication at the Taiwan 

Dog symposium, where it was well received. 

Eric has invited Dr. Amber Batson to do her Basic 

Aggression Course in Taipei, getting started on Nov 2018, 

this was fully booked within a week! 

United Kingdom 

Laura Aitken 

PDTE UK Facebook now has over 400 followers from both 

the UK and abroad, it’s lovely to have so many people 

interested in what we do. We also have two new UK 

Associate Members, Diana Hill-Trevor and Danniele 

Shirreffs – welcome on board! 

It looks like the whole of the UK is going to follow the lead 

of Wales and ban shock collars. Scotland was going for a 

third consultation on banning these devices but were so 

overwhelmed by the number of people who signed online 

petitions they decided to fast track the decision. They are 

currently drawing up legislation which should also include 

the banning of anti-bark and spray collars. Equally exciting 

is that it looks like England and Northern Ireland are soon 

to follow. People can make a real difference, so if you get 

the chance to sign a petition to end animal suffering please 

do and pass it on. It can make a difference! 

The wonderful Anne Lill Kvam is running her scentwork 

course for the first time in Durham, UK. Session One was in 

February being followed by April and August for those 

already on the course. It won’t surprise anyone to know 

that she uses a dog centred approach, always keeping in 

mind what the dog is comfortable with thus making her 

training a pleasure for all dog and human participants. Too 

late for people to join now but worth thinking about if she 

runs it again. 

Events: 

A seminar on Enhancing the Life of Your Hound was held in 

Essex on 29 April, 2018 for people who already have, or 

would like to adopt a retired greyhound. Lots of useful 

topics will be covered. 

Dr Amber Batson was in Surrey 3 June, 2018 speaking 

about understanding and managing separation anxiety. 

Well worth going. 

Ways to be involved in UK activities: 

Sadly Alabama Rot is in the UK and spreading. It’s a 

horrible disease that usually leads to kidney failure and 

death. Now the group Stop Alabama Rot is keeping track of 

where it’s been reported and making information available 

so people can protect their dog. If you have information to 

share or want to learn about the disease, you can Google 

them or find them on Twitter #StopAlabamaRot. 

If you want to take part in citizen science programmes 

there are two UK Universities currently looking for 

participants. 

Bristol University is doing research on dogs that spin and 

tail chase. Details at: 

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/vetscience/research/projects/bris 

tolspinningdogproject/ 

The University of Portsmouth is researching dog cognition. 

Details at: http://www.port.ac.uk/department-ofpsychology/facilities/dog-cognition-centre/ 

Spain 

Virginia Millares 

We welcome a new Country Rep for Spain. Virginia is 

introducing herself to everyone this time, and in the next 

newsletter will keep us updated with Spain’s changes 

towards dogs and dog law. 

I live in the North of Spain, in Navarre, with my nine dogs 

and my cats. I run my own kennel in which client dogs live 

freely with me and my family dogs. We do not have or use 

cages nor shells here. 

I have been working with dogs for thirteen years now. I 

began as a dog walker and at the same time, I begun 

attending a lot of courses and seminars about dog 

behavior, dog communication, dog training and more. One 

of them, in 2007, was the first Turid Rugaas International 

Dog Education Course she held in Spain, and it changed the 

way in which I related with dogs and my life aswell. 

Nowadays, I am a dog trainer and behaviourist, I offer 

private consultations, courses, classes and seminars at my 

dog school to show to owners how to live in a respectful 

and empathetic way with their dogs, and for people who 

wants to become a dog trainer or want to learn more about 

dogs to improve in the development of their work with them 

as well. 

Ireland 

Steph Rousseau 

Ireland is a country not renowned for its high standards for 

canine welfare, so I’m going to keep this positive and 

mention a couple of good things that have happened here 

in the past year or so: 

1.In 2017, the law preventing pet dogs from entering pubs 

and restaurants was rescinded, so here's hoping for a 

future where our beloved dogs get more and more of the 

same rights enjoyed by their human counterparts! 

2.Bad news - every year in Ireland, over 10,000 greyhounds 

disappear without a trace. Good news - in 2017 a bill was 

drafted (Welfare of Greyhounds (Amendment) Bill 2017) 

which will introduce a control on the export of 

greyhounds from Ireland, and go some way to tackling the 

issues with the doping of racing greyhounds. 

Small changes, none of which go far enough of course, but 

a good start!!! 

Czech Republic 

Martina Naceradska 

I still continue cooperation with one NGO on vaccination 

homeless people dogs for free, not only just rabies 

vaccination which is obligatory, but I was able to get 

microchips and 3 annual vaccine for infectious diseases 

for them to help to protect the health of the dogs, because 

they often die because of parvovirosis. Homeless people 

do not have money for vaccinations nor the therapy, so that 

I am trying to help on this. These people really love their 

dogs and spend whole days with them. 

I started to cooperate with one of my clients on supporting 

shelter dogs. They organise the seminar with me speaking 

about animal behaviour and the collected money are to 

support one particular shelter which participated on 

rescuing of 202 dogs from puppy farm this year. 

I started campaign against breeding short nosed dogs 

(brachycephalic) and cats. I had a speech on this topic at 

the veterinary university in Brno in October 2017, since than 

I managed to make interviews for several newspapers and 

lastly for one TV. Soon we will be shooting more for one 

state TV about this topic to educate clients. I can not just 

sit and watch how are the dogs suffering because people 

wanting them to look like humans. I have a speech for state 

veterinary administration on this topic, try to convince them 

that they should start punishing *people who ignore the 

fact that their animals can not breathe...they really have to 

choose whether they want to eat or breathe and sometimes 

they are just fighting for their lives when it is so hot outside 

like these days. 



There is a new animal protection law in progress - that 

people who abuse dogs should be punished much harder 

than now and puppy farming is included there, the 

government is going to talk about it very soon... 

I will also film a short spot for Hills company about dog 

behaviour and what should owners do with dogs adopted 

from shelters - they are having campaign to help with 

adoption of dogs from shelters instead of buying them...I 

will talk about calming signals and the PDTE way of life 

with dogs...including harnesses. 

Mexico 

Esther Herrera 

I send you the news from Mexico. 

A public Veterinarian Hospital was built in Mexico City in 

the premises of the Pet Control Center. The idea is to 

offer free of charge services like vaccinations, spaying or 

neutering and to promote responsible ownership. Small 

steps towards eradicating the killing of street dogs 

and cats. 

Belgium 

Marina Gates Fleming 

Since the last newsletter, there have been no firm 

developments on the dog front in any of the Regions. 

Animal welfare in general is however continuing to 

experience unprecedented positive dynamics from the 

public as well as from the governments of the 3 Regions. 

On 16 November 2017, the first official low-noise fireworks 

display in Belgium was launched in Brussels. Better known 

as ‘silent’ fireworks, low-noise fireworks are designed to 

avoid the familiar noise disturbance, by stifling the 

explosion at the point of detonation. During a spectacular 

show lasting nearly a quarter of an hour, local and regional 

representatives could see and hear the real potential 

offered by this alternative type of display, which is much 

more respectful of animals. 

It was a positive message for the Brussels Region Animal 

Welfare Minister who said she would urge her colleagues of 

the 19 municipalities in the Brussels Region to switch to 

low-noise fireworks displays as soon as possible. 

Also interestingly, a new unified and bilingual political party 

has been launched this February in Belgium. Called 

DierAnimal, this new actor is anti-speciesist and will strive 

to put the issue of animal rights at the forefront of their 

"policies". "Animals are an integral part of society, the 

politicization of the animal issue is more than a necessity, 

it is an evolution of manners," said their President. It seems 

that DierAnimal is part of an expanding global movement 

as it will be the 19th animal party on the planet, some of 

which already have parliamentary seats, for instance in the 

Netherlands and Portugal. 

Intro to new CR for Belgium 

Manon Pekelharing 

I was a student on Turid's education in the Netherlands and 

earned my certificate in 2016. I have never stopped 

learning and observing since. I live in Belgium with my girl 

friend and our 2 dogs. All of our dogs are 'rescues'. They 

are my teachers. I work part-time and I hope to launch my 

own business 'B-nosy dog training and advice' later this 

year. In the meantime I will proudly represent our ethics in 

Belgium. 

Slovenia 

Alja Willenpart 

A change in animal protection law has been proposed 

recently and one of the most prominent changes is 

euthanasia of healthy animals in shelters no longer being 

permitted. Currently the law states that every shelter must 

take in any stray animal found in the municipality the 

shelter covers. The municipality then pays for 30 days of 

basic care of this animal. If in these 30 days the animal 

doesn't find its previous or a new owner, it can be 

euthanized. 

Most shelters don't euthanize unless absolutely necessary 

(lack of funds and/or space or due to health reasons). 

While the law proposal was well received by some, many 

animal welfare organisations opposed the change 

concerning euthanasia. The main problem being the costs 

for the animals' care would according to new law need to 

be covered by the shelter owner while at the same time no 

solutions were proposed as to where the shelter might get 

any funds for these animals. 

We were worried what would happen to animals after the 

shelter ran out of space or funds as this would soon lead to 

big welfare issues for animals staying in shelters. After 

discussing these concerns with the ministry officials at 

several meetings and via e-mail everything has gone very 

quiet. It is likely the new law won't go through at all 

although it is too early to say. Hopefully, they'll stop the 

change for now and prepare a better proposal that deals 

with abandoned pets issue more systematically and with 

animal welfare in mind. 

Germany 

Steffanie Binder 

I actuallly don't have much news. But there is a new 

vaccination schedule for dogs in Germany. Unfortunately I 

don't have detailed information yet, but the aim is to offer a 

basic for all and then a more individual schedule depending 

on area and lifestyle of the individual dog and based on 

actual scientific research. Next time I hope to have more 

detailed information. 

Switzerland 

Silvia Deimeke 

I informed all members, that registration for the 20th PDTE 

AGM in Vienna is up. 

We have also some law changes in Switzerland! The most 

important: From March 1st all anti-bark collars triggered by 

barking, no matter if water or air inside, are banned. 

Furthermore we have a new campaign, called Nationales 

Hundehalter Brevet, that encourages dog owners to take an 

exam, that includes a theoretical and practical part about 

dog ownership and behaviour in all day life. This 

programme was lanced by a merger of all trainings sites for 

certified dog trainers (former SKN Trainer). I am looking 

forward to the development, because all training and 

education direction have to work together. 

Latvia 

Natasha Bystrova 

Hello from Latvia! I'm all alone here, so no one to gather, 

but everything is going well so far. 

We had a great seminar by Anne Lill in March in Riga. 

Hope to see everyone in Vienna! 

And looking forward to know who will host the next AGM 

(in 2019), as I want to offer a topic on group trainings. As 

far as I found out, for most PDTE dog trainers its a huge 

challenge to organize a group training for non-puppies in a 

dog-friendly and relaxed way. 

India 

Sindhoor Pangal 

I want to give you a few quick updates from India. I don't 

get involved with activism and welfare in India because it is 

very very heart breaking. 

But in the last few months, I have joined hands with some 

of the activists in the city to take on two major issues - one 

is to ban online sale of puppies and the other is to retaliate 

against a new stupid government regulation that makes 

most of our dogs illegal (BOTH my dogs become illegal as 

per this law). 

I run a Facebook group with close to 20k members and on 

this group I have managed to mobilise a lot of support for 

these movements, which is being led by the leading 

activists and rescuer workers of the city. It is turning out to 

be a large citizens movement and I am so happy to see how 

a city is standing up in protection of our dogs. Someone 

drew a lovely cartoon to depict our current struggle and I 

am sharing that with you. The reason I am so particularly 

proud of this movement is that it seems to be a movement 

almost entirely led by women. 

Of course, if you do not mind it, please do sign our petition. 

Even if it's not from our city, your signatures will help. 

https://www.change.org/p/dr-anand-bbmp-why-punitivewith-responsible-pet-owners-instead-of-backyard-breeders 



20th PDTE Annual Conference 

and AGM 2018 

Sept. 28th - 30th 2018 Vienna, Austria 

at the JUFA Hotel Wien City*** 

The programme for the weekend is as follows: 

Friday, 28. September 2018 

7:00 pm 

Reception & Registration 

Saturday, 29. September 2018 

8:00 

Registration 

9:30 

Welcome & Surprise 

Sunday, 30. September, 2018 

8:00 

AGM 

9:30 – 10:30 

Anne Lill Kvam, “Aggression in dogs – a normal 

behaviour?” 

10:45 – 11:45 

Cristina Gomes & Aurélien Budzinski, “At the heart 

of the walk” 

The organisation of the 20th Anniversary of the PDTE AGM and Conference hosted by the PDTE is 

very much underway now so if you have not booked your place for the weekend, it is important 

that you do so as soon as you can. 

Not only is this a chance to learn so much about dogs and the Pet Dog Trainers of Europe. It is 

also a wonderful way of meeting up with old friends, and making new like-minded friends too. 

www.pdtevienna2018.at 

10:15 – 11:15 

Turid Rugaas, “The ethical aspects of dog training” 

11:30 – 12:30 

Sonja Hoegen, “Helping puppies to be great” 

Lunch 

14.00 – 15:00 

Stephanie Rousseau, “Children and dogs; Life in 

Harmony” 

15.15 – 16.15 

Eric Lee, “Dogs in the City Hong Kong” 

Evening 

On Saturday evening there will be a gala diner, and - as 

Vienna is famous for balls - there will be a waltz 

performance, and waltz music - so it would be nice to 

dress up to reflect this. 

12:00 – 13:00 

Winkie Spiers, “Training Live Skills for Dogs” 

Lunch 

14:30 – 15:30 

Nina Tschanhenz, “Special needs of special dogs; 

finding homes for shelter dogs” 

15:45 – 16:45 

Dr. Iris Schöberl, Guest Speaker - “Stress coping in 

human-dog relationships” 

Monday, 01. October, 2018 

On Monday (if sufficient people are interested) a little 

sightseeing trip through Vienna will be organised. It 

will be on foot- and afterwards going to a Heurigen or 

similar in the city. 

The hotel is very close to the city of Vienna - about 10 

minutes to the Underground and the 3 stations to the city of 

Vienna - St. Stephans Place. 


Official Sponsor 

This Year’s Sponsor is Calming Signs 

In Ellen and Nelis shop you can find harnesses, treat bags, beddings, 

pouches, clothes and books. Everything your dog needs in a very 

high, mostly handmade, quality. They also offer high quality dogfood. 

www.calmingsigns.nl 

Ellen and Nelis will be offering their products at the conference. 


Conference speakers: 

To Register 

To find out more information about the AGM and to book your place, please go to http://www.pdtevienna2018.at 

Turid Rugaas 

Bestselling author and undisputed authority in the field of 

dogs, Turid Rugaas has devoted her life to the welfare of 

dogs. The Norwegian dog trainer became known for her 

discovery and description of the calming signals which has 

inspired and helped so many. Turid is a popular speaker 

and her in-depth training around the world is fully booked. 

She set up the PDTE 20 years ago, and earlier this year was 

awarded the H.M. King Harald V of Norway Medal of Merit 

in recognition of all the work she tirelessly does for dogs. 

www.turid-rugaas.no 

Anne Lill Kvam 

Anne Lill Kvam began working with search and rescue and 

scent discrimination dogs in the 1980’s. After studying at 

the Turid Rugaas Dog Trainer School, she has been working 

full time with dogs including a three year period in Angola 

teaching dogs and their handlers how to detect land mines. 

Anne Lill gives inspiring seminars worldwide and is a 

recognised author. She presents her work as fun challenges 

for dogs which enhance the human-dog relationship, and in 

turn keep the dog physically and mentally fit. She helps 

people to realise that their dog possesses a wonderful 

ability to track scents. 

www.troll-hundeskole.com 

Sonja Hoegen 

Sonja runs the dogcom training center in South Germany, 

founded by her in 2005. She has been PDTE Board member 

for some years, and offers Trainer Education as well as 

education for family dogs. Her special interests are animal 

welfare, and helping new or struggling dog trainers to 

develop a business. 

www.dogcom.de 

Guest Speaker Dr. Iris Schöberl 

“Stress coping in human-dog relationships” 

Amongst other things personality, interaction with and 

attachment to social partners influence dyadic stress 

coping. Within this talk Iris Schöberl presents actual results 

from her doctoral thesis, including data on physiological 

and behavioural reactions of owners and dogs to various 

challenging situations. The relevance for dog training and 

daily life will be discussed. 

Mag. Iris Schöberl, PhD is a Behavioural Biologist specialist 

on human-dog relationships and stress coping. Iris 

Schöberl also works as a self-employed dog behaviour 

consultant, systemic coach and family consultant. She is 

lecturer with the goal to present actual scientific results 

and their practical implications to a broad audience of 

private dog owners as well as dog trainers. 

www.beratungundtraining.at 

Stephanie Rousseau 

Stephs “doglife“ began in 2010, when she adopted Alfie, an 

ex-racing greyhound. He was six, and spent his entire life in 

kennels. With the help of a professional trainer she helped 

Alfie and was hooked on dogs! She has completed Turid 

Rugaas dog trainer education and lots of learning about 

dogs. 

In 2014, Steph set up her own dog training and canine 

behaviour business in London. She met and worked with 

hundreds of dogs, from puppies in class, to dogs who 

showed aggressive responses, and everything in between! 

In 2017, she returned to Dublin, and opened a dog school. 

She has a compassionate, holistic approach in her work, 

and only uses reward-based methods. Her aim is to teach 

dogs life-skills, improve their lives, and that of their 

humans. 

Steph is PDTE board member since 2017 and holds a 

certificate in canine behaviour and dog training. 

www.stephsdogtraining.ie 



Conference speakers (continued): 

To Register 

To find out more information about the AGM and to book your place, please go to http://www.pdtevienna2018.at 

Nina Tschanhenz 

Nina lives in Bludenz, Vorarlberg, Originally studying 

architecture, she completed the 2013-2014 Nosework 

Education with Anne Lill Kvam and the dog trainer 

education with Sonja Hoegen (www.dogcom.de). 02/2014 

founding her dog school, Freilauf“in Bludenz and 08/2016 

founding the animal welfare club “Umsicht“ Bludenz. She 

joined the PDTE in 2017. 

2018-2019 she will host the education “Professional 

dogcare“ for the first time: 

http://freilauf.cc/posts/professionelle-hundebetreuungneuer-ausbildungslehrgang/ 

She works with dogs of all ages in a very calm stressless 

ways, considering the personality, mind and character of the 

dog to help owners and dogs to enjoy a companionship life. 

Eric Lee 

Eric has been engaged in animal care work in Hong Kong 

for more than fifteen years. Through the experience of 

working in two of the largest animal welfare organizations 

for domestic animals and wild animals in Hong Kong, the 

experience contributes him to acquiring a solid background 

and considerable wealth of knowledge and understanding. 

Change Your Mind, Change Your Dog 

Tellington TTouch Practitioner For Companion Animals P1 

Turid Rugaas – International Dog Trainer Education (IDTE) 

Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Certified Training Partner (CTP) 

TAGTeach Primary Certification 

Pet Dog Trainers of Europe Full Member 

www.freilauf.cc 

www.umsicht.cc 

Winkie Spiers 

Winkie Spiers works professionally as a dog trainer and 

behaviour consultant and Bowen Technique therapist for 

both people and dogs. With over 15 years experience in 

dog training and public speaking. In addition Winkie speaks 

at seminars and conducts workshops in the UK and abroad 

on a variety of canine subjects for both professionals and 

members of the public. Her first book ‘How To Handle 

Living With Your Dog’ was published in 2008 by ShortStack 

Publishing. 

Honorary Member and current Chair of PDTE (Pet Dog 

Trainers of Europe) 

Cristina Gomes and Aurélien Budzinski 

Cristina & Aurélien are 2 dog behaviourists certified by 

Turid Rugaas in France. They use their knowledge to assist 

dog owners to better understand their animals. They also 

created the Dogbrochures.com project, a worldwide web 

database, to help people spread accurate information 

about dogs and their wellbeing. 

In this talk “At the heart of the walk”, you will discover the 

result of their field study about the heart rate of the dog 

during different walks. Combining observation and data 

analysis, we begin to see how some behaviours influence 

the heart rate of the dog. Excitement? Stress or Relief? You 

will also find out how some of our human behaviours can 

affect the dog in his daily life. 

Full Member of APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers), 

ABTC (Animal Behaviour and Training Council), BTPA 

(Bowen Therapists Professional Association), ECBS 

(European College of Bowen Studies) and Association of 

INTO dogs. 

www.winkiespiers.com 

Transport 

Transport from the airport: Taxi is about €25.00 

Public transportation: From the airport to Vienna “Wien 

Mitte”. Then U3 from “Ladstraße” to “Enkplatz”. From there 

it is around a 10 minute walk. 

Accommodation 

Hotel rooms are available at the conference venue JUFA 

Hotel Wien City*** 

Reservation can only be done by email: wien@jufa.eu. 

Booking code: 1970388 

Dogs are welcome at the hotel room. 



Putting into practice 

Practical work:- we have participated in scent discrimination, 

lost/retrieve, sausage tracking, tracking, find the victim, square 

search, treat searches, treat trees, go to and lots, lots more. 

Homework, oh yes forgot to mention plenty of it! 

Nosework Education comes to 

UK, Durham 

As part of the International Dog Trainer Education with Turid Rugaas, which we were delighted to host, one of the 

modules was Anne Lill Kvam teaching Nosework. 

Everyone enjoyed the Nosework enormously and we were 

persuaded to invite Anne Lill to teach her Nosework Education in 

Durham. Due to Anne Lill’s commitments we had to wait awhile. 

We have now already had two units with Anne Lill and our final 

unit is in August. If you have the opportunity to attend Anne Lill’s 

Nosework Education grasp it (wherever in the world it is) you 

won’t regret it, and your dog will love you for it! I am ready to do 

this course all over again! 

Personally for me, I can never grow tired of observing, listening & 

learning from our dogs! I wish I had known 30 years ago what I 

know now…and I still have lots to learn. 

The greatest judge of the education has to be the dogs and the 

enthusiasm they show. Our dogs are our greatest teachers of all! 

Article and photographs: Karen Webb 

Finally, February arrived and saw us return to our great venue 

Houghall College. Dog pods were erected (dog pods were 

designed and made by Alan initially for the IDTE to allow the dogs 

to be in the classroom with the students, providing security and a 

calm relaxed place for them whilst their humans learn). Thirteen 

students including eight PDTE members, together with 8 dogs 

began their journey with Anne Lill. 

The ages of the dogs range from 8 months to 17 years. Clearly 

showing us they are never too young or too old to learn and 

participate in nosework activities, and importantly enjoy it and 

have fun. 

Important theory 

Theoretically we have covered topics such as the senses, 

olfactory system, the brain, calming sig-nals, stress and 

emotions, aggression, breeds studies. For a number of the 

group some topics were a refresher and for some the information 

was new. 



since I can kiss my patients without 

search for a dog. I found a dachshund, 

New members... 

Zoopharmacognosy (herbal choices) 

and Turid Rugaas’ IDTE Dog Trainer and 

Behaviour Education. 

I particularly enjoy working with senior 

dogs, and dogs with spinal or 

neurological problems and would like to 

work more in this area. Having 

recovered from a stroke myself, I am 

interested in helping dogs to regain or 

improve their cognition and mobility 

after injury as I have a particularly 

Elaine Stavert - UK 

empathy in this area. 

For many years I worked as a 

I help at various rescues when needed 

Production Manager in television, 

for special cases, and also my own 

mainly in sports, golf, tennis, and 

clients. I live with my husband and our 

programmes such as World’s Strongest 

two rescue Tibetan Terriers, Toby and 

Man and the Nobel Prizes, being lucky 

Milly. I enjoy tending my canine herb 

enough to travel the World to some 

garden at our barn in the 

wonderful locations with my job. Upon 

Buckinghamshire countryside, where I 

moving to the countryside with my 

also make herbal extracts for my canine 

husband to take life a bit easier (which 

consultations. The thing that gives me 

did not happen), I became very 

the most pleasure is spending time with 

interested in herbalism and the nature 

my gorgeous dogs, helping them to be 

around us. With this new-found love of 

happy and healthy. 

herbs I formed a natural herbal soap 

and skincare manufacturing company, 

which I staffed and ran for 12 years at a 

working farm nearby, supplying The 

National Trust, Chatsworth and many 

other outlets. I was approached by GMC 

Publishing (The Guild of Master 

Craftsmen) to write a book for them, 

and surprised myself by eventually 

becoming an author of five globally 

published books on natural herbal 

products and skincare for them. 

After an illness and selling my business, 

and wanting a new direction, I decided 

to re-train in areas that I am passionate 

about – dogs, herbs, therapies and 

Karin Dondertman – Netherlands 

health. Since then, I have trained in 

My name is Karin Dondertman, and I am 

Canine massage, Myofascial Release, 

living together with my friend Kor and 

Acu-point therapy (Acupressure), 

our 2 Vizsla’s, Hungarian hunting dogs. 

Photizo Vetcare Infra-red LED and 

Thermal Imaging, Animal Reiki Master, We have had Chandor since he was a 

 

puppy. He is born in April 2012. He is 

very loyal, trained, a connector and 

really well behaved. 

The other dog is Joep, he is born 

December 2013 and came to us at 15 

months, so we are the second owner. 

He is kind of a clown and everybody’s 

friend, and has a special instruction 

manual. 

This combination and difference 

between both dogs was the trigger that 

I wanted to learn more about dogs 

behaviour. And my goal is to better 

understand my dogs, and to find a 

positive way they can understand me. 

I have followed the program “Welfare 

together with the dog” and I am so 

impressed about this learning method, 

that I feel this is what I need to tell 

other dog owners. 

My dream is that the world will be a 

better place for all dogs, with more love, 

understanding and compensation of 

dog’s needs! 

Lise Rovsing - Denmark 

I’m 36 years old, living in the outer part 

of Copenhagen! 

I graduated from university in January 

2006 and have worked as a small 

animal veterinarian. 

Today I have my own practice called 

“Dyreklinikken Artemis,” named after 

the Greek god, that in the ancient 

mythology was the protector of 

animals. My clinic has 5 veterinarians 

and 4 nurses employed. 

We work in a wide range of areas from 

vaccinations to advanced surgeries. I 

have made a huge effort in order to 

develop the clinic with the aim of the 

animals’ wellbeing. You can read more 

about the clinic at our webpage 

www.artemis.dk! 

My clinic works closely together with 

PDTE dog trainer Hanne Truelsen, and 

every month we host “Introduction to 

the language of dogs” with new puppy 

owners as a target group. 

I have set up a concept called ”A social 

walk”, where I every second week invite 

my clients and friends to go to the 

forest with their dogs. I’m present 

together with my trainer Hanne 

Truelsen, the dogs are on a leash and 

it’s a slow walk which makes room for 

people to start a friendly dialogue about 

their dogs. 

I’m in charge of maintaining my clinics 

webpage. 

Besides from that I run my own 

webpage, where I blog about, ethics, 

diseases, health, behaviour and much 

more – all circled around animals. It’s 

my goal to have as much as possible 

translated to English and I also work on 

a Mandarin concept. I believe that the 

more knowledge pet owners have about 

health the better the life we can provide 

for our loved ones. 

I don’t have any animals myself, my life 

does not make enough time for me to 

take an animal in full time, and it also 

gives me the opportunity to bring home 

a patient that needs special care. I 

grew up with animals: dogs, rabbits, 

hamsters. 

My daily work luckily gives me the 

benefit of being around animals. I 

always say I have the greatest job ever, 

getting into trouble. 

My mother Kristine Elbæk Rovsing is a 

veterinarian as well. She has always 

been and still is a huge inspiration to 

me and to how I approach my work. She 

introduced me to a more holistic way of 

thinking and taught me always to be 

patient with both animals and humans, 

to take your time when people come to 

the clinic or call on the phone and to be 

a strong communicator. She is today an 

active member in IVAS. 

I used to be involved in politics and 

have served 12 years as a member of 

the city council in my commune from 

2001-2013. I “retired” after 3 terms of 4 

years. I’m still an active member of the 

conservative party. 

Brigith Rietveld - Netherlands 

I am Brigith Rietveld, 30 years old and I 

live in the Netherlands with my partner 

and dachshund Tess. 

I got my first dog (Jack Russell) when I 

was 15 years old and lived with my 

parents. One year later my second dog 

arrived (Border Terrier). I enjoyed living 

with the dogs, they gave me so much 

joy in life. With the Jack Russell I 

followed some classes at a dog school, 

my first experience with training dogs. 

When I left the house at 22 years old I 

really missed a dog to live with. After a 

few years without a dog I decided to 

2.5 years old, and I called her Tess. 

Tess wasn’t used to walking on the 

leash, meeting other dogs, doing her 

needs outside and so on. It was a very 

long road and we are still not there, but 

we are still making progress. 

In 2016 I was thinking about the 

progress Tess and I made and I started 

thinking about helping other people with 

their dogs. Then I found out about the 

education program of Astrid Verkuyl 

and Pauline Lanting; ‘Welzijn samen 

met de hond’. I decided to follow this 

education and now here I am, ready to 

help a lot of other dog owners. 

Christine Lang - Norway 

Imagine a small, idyllic town in 

Switzerland, with lots of farms and 

fields where children play in the hay and 

you can hear the church bells chiming. 

That is where I grew up. 

My parents are originally from Vienna, 

Austria, where we spent all our 

summers during our childhood. We 

were a pack of five: my parents, my 

sister, Taski, and myself. Taski was our 

Golden Retriever and undoubtedly my 

first ‘true love’. 

I grew up around dogs, going to puppy 

courses, organising playtimes and 

walking some of the dogs in the 

neighbourhood. I could never imagine 

my life without dogs, but it is only now, 

after some years of moving around and 

about, that I’ve turned my passion into 

my work as a dog professional. 

In the past, I called many different 

places my home, even Mexico and 

Miami, but since three years my 

boyfriend and I have been living in 

Stavanger, Norway. I enjoy exploring 

new cultures and learning new 

languages, only then do I really feel 

connected to people. 

I have a degree in Hotel Management 



New members (continued 1) 

 

I have always had dogs, and grew up Stefania Acquesta - Italy 

mainly with Setters. Although at the age 

My name is Stefania Acquesta and I 

of 13 I rescued a lurcher that I had 

have had the honour of attending Turid 

befriended whilst volunteering at the 

and Ann Lill’s course from 2008 to 

RSPCA (I did this for 3 or 4 years). Molly 

2010, in Italy. 

the Lurcher was due to put down and 

I am a Dog Trainer for SIUA, FICSS, 

with my Mum’s permission we took her 

Tutor for AAI (Animal Assisted 

away that day. We had Molly until she 

Intervention) and President of the Pet 

was the grand old age of 17 and she 

Project Association. My main aim is to 

started my love of sighthounds. 

spread the knowledge regarding canine 

Over the past five or six years I have 

communication and calming signals. 

done a variety of dog walking, dog 

I am especially interested in teaching 

sitting and holiday stays alongside my 

my students, who then go and work in 

and for many years I worked in hotels other freelance work. I have also done 

the field of Pet Therapy or with 

worldwide. But I have grown out of the the Alpha Education Think Dog! 

veterinaries, the ways through which we 

hotel industry and am laying my focus Certificate Course and this Year I 

can understand dogs, how they 

on the canine world. 

attended the IMDT and PDTE 

communicate, and respect their 

My boyfriend and I usually spend some 

choices. I also enjoy the application of 

time each year in Lima, Peru, which is 

nosework, which helps me with all of 

where his roots are, and where we 

my clients. I have specifically chosen 

volunteer at a dog shelter for street dogs, 

the excercises Square and 

hoping to make their life a tiny bit better. 

discrimination. 

What I like most about working as a 

I like taking long walks immersed in 

canine professional is to see the 

nature, which is why I chose to leave the 

relationship grow between the dogs and 

city to go live near the hills, where I 

their owners, as well as how trust 

have a large garden in which my Arab 

develops, and owner and pet become 

horse of 30 years old (29 with me), a 

best friends. 

rescued Vietnamese pig, two ferrets 

And of course, I LOVE the hair and paw 

and a chicken live. 

prints on all my clothes! 

youngster born 28 months ago. They 

teach me and help me understand dogs 

every day and I will never be grateful 

enough. 

Annalisa Nicolao - Italy 

My name is Annalisa Nicolao and I 

attended Turid and Ann Lill’s course, 

which was held here in Italy from 2008 

to 2010. I am a SIUA dog trainer, an AAI 

(Animal Assisted Intervention) teacher 

and the Vice President of the 

Association Pet Project. 

Turid’s course taught me how to 

understand dogs’ communication and 

the importance of defending their 

mental and physical wellbeing. My main 

aim is to pass this knowledge on to the 

people who address me to educate their 

dogs. 

Besides working as a dog trainer, I am 

an AAI pet-partner with Sunny and 

Nanà, my flat coated retrievers. In this 

activity, as in any other, the respect for 

the dog and his/her wellbeing is always 

a priority. 

Birgitta Geerlings – Netherlands 

I have loved dogs since a child. For 

years I have volunteered for various dog 

foundations abroad. I helped during a 

castration marathon in Bosnia and 

Romania, assisted in several animal 

shelters like in Bulgaria and Uruguay 

and I did a lot of fundraising work. 

We have four rescue dogs, two male 

border collies and two female stray 

dogs. My dogs are my best teachers. 

Thanks to them and to Calming Signs 

whom I asked for help some years ago, 

I learned about the calming/stress 

signals, about the real needs of a dog, 

using a harness and a long leash etc. 

After just one week I could already see 

some clear results. Dazzler, one of the 

border collies, was locked up for five 

years in a small apartment and was 

Snuffle gardens in the Netherlands. 

Please see also my website 

www.snuggletuinen.jimdo.com 

My greatest wish is that more dogs can 

snuffle and that people understand how 

important this is for dogs. Making as 

many dogs and owners happy will be 

my mission as a Natural Dog Trainer. 

Danniele Shirreffs - UK 

I was feeling quite alone in my canine 

beliefs and practices, surrounded by 

Clicker happy, agility loving, obedient KC 

obsessed Trainers……until I attended 

your Annual Conference representing 

the rescue I work for…….during this 

weekend I have never felt more 

understood, sane, welcomed and 

surrounded by like-minded people, I 

honestly felt I had found ‘Home’ and 

where I belonged. Other behaviourists 

where talking about the exact same 

things as I believed and I couldn’t 

believe my luck that we were sent to the 

conference last minute, so I thank you 

from the bottom of my heart. 

Samantha Arends - UK 

My name is Samantha Arends. I am an 

Actor and Puppeteer (random, I know!) 

and I have a growing desire to work with 

dogs. As my Fiancee reminded me, I am 

always at my happiest when I am with 

dogs! 

My hope is that over the next year or two 

I can start doing consultations and 

puppy classes alongside my other 

freelance work with the potential, if all 

goes well, to transition to working in dog 

training 100% over the next few years. 

Conference. I am also soon to do the 4 

day practical IMDT course. I have been 

taking my time with it all so far but am 

keep to start picking up the pace with 

learning and developing practical skills. 

Ultimately I would love to help families 

and dogs have happier co-existing 

relationships and also help dogs have 

happier lives in shelters and happier 

integrations upon leaving. I think my 

background in acting and working on a 

corporate level role-playing for doctors, 

people in the armed forces and in 

business has helped me to develop 

good communication skills and I would 

like to use this moving forward. 

However, my greatest love are my three 

dogs: Ivy a 12 year old standard poodle, 

Mbra a 6 year old standard poodle and 

finally another poodle: Elliot, a 

My dogs are free to express their 

personality, and I never request them to 

do anything too demanding or stressing. 

We have a really good relationship, 

hence Sunny and Nanà are always eager 

and happy to accompany me… and this 

is the message I want to convey to 

whom attends the AAI courses. 

mistreated before he came to our house. 

After a while Dazzler relaxed more and 

more and started trusting people. 

We were so happy to see a much 

happier dog, for that reason I realised 

that I wanted to do something also for 

other dogs. My drive is to teach people 

what dogs really need. Not just a safe 

place and food, but give the owners the 

insight and skill to give dogs a real 

happy dog life. 

In November 2017, I successfully 

completed my training as a natural dog 

trainer at Calming Signs in Koninglust. 

My graduating project was realising dog 

My journey began in 2009 when I 

relocated to the Middle East with my 

previous career, I was a ‘Training and 

Development Manager’ for Retail 

corporations, I basically made sure 

people were in the right jobs, trained 

them to have the right skill set, 

motivated them and kept staff turn-over 

low because employees felt valued and 

happy. I had a great career doing an 



New members (continued 2) 

 

amazing corporate role, I was set for 

life BUT something was missing, I felt 

numb and empty…..I always wanted to 

work with animals, I actually wanted to 

be a vet when I was a teenager but I got 

told by many people that it was an 

unrealistic career and to choose 

something else. 

I started to get heavily involved with the 

dessert dogs, volunteering with 

rescues, rescuing dogs myself, having 

many discussions with Local emirates 

about dog welfare, I started dog walking 

peoples dogs... so after 6 months of 

this I handed in my notice and went 

back to study, I signed up to the ‘British 

College of Canine Studies’ after weeks 

of researching who I should study with 

and this college suited me perfectly. 

Whilst I was studying I took jobs in 

Daycare centres, Boarding Kennels and 

continued with volunteering with local 

rescues, I made contact with local dog 

trainers and began my knowledge 

absorbing journey. 

During my 5 years in the Middle east I 

was exposed to appalling animal abuse, 

extreme behavioural cases and getting 

to work with Natural Dog behaviour… 

.dogs living as dogs without human 

ownership, no Kennel Club breeding 

standards….just dogs being dogs and I 

am so grateful that I have had the 

opportunity to start my study 

witnessing this at first hand. 

This is my passion ‘Natural Dog 

Behaviour’……dogs being understood 

and owners getting educated about 

‘How’ to live a balanced fulfilled life 

together in domesticated bliss. I am not 

an advocate for the kennel Club, in fact 

I despise the organisation, what they 

have done to dogs is simply horrific 

animal abuse and its dogs who are 

suffering. 

I decided to leave the Middle East Oct 

2014, I returned to the UK but lived in 

Scotland for 2 years, for the 1st year I 

was working in 2 different boarding 

kennels….I was wanting to build my 

knowledge of dogs and dog owners as 

much as possible before becoming 

qualified. 

In August 2015 I qualified with 

Distinction in my Level 4 Advanced 

Behaviour Diploma, I had studied for 5 

years in total, since 2010 and am glad I 

took my time building my knowledge… 

.my knowledge is still growing and will 

continue to grow until my dying breath 

on this earth…..we never stop growing 

and we should always be open to new 

information for the sake of dogs, if 

nothing else. 

I set up my own Canine Business in 

Scotland for 1 year, I really enjoyed this 

and had around 30 clients in total but 

due to personal circumstances I had to 

move back to my home town of 

Nottinghamshire and therefore had to 

close the business BUT has life always 

plays out as it should I was successful 

in applying to be the Centre Trainer at 

jerry Green dog rescue and started my 

new role on the 2nd Jan 2017…….this 

year has been a rollercoaster but I 

absolutely adore my job and the role I 

have, I get to make a positive influence 

not only with our dogs in rescue but 

also working with external clients 

seeking help with their own dogs. 

I began my journey in 2010 saying that 

if I could make a difference to 1 dogs 

life then I would be happy, though 7 

years on I never feel like I’m doing 

enough or know enough for the sake of 

dogs, I would absolutely love the honour 

of being part of the PDTE, somewhere I 

can feel that I belong surrounded by 

like-minded people….we are stronger 

together. 

Jenny Golsby - Australia 

My work is based on a non-training 

approach. I care deeply about the 

welfare of dogs and understand the 

connection we have with them. 

I am committed to providing the tools 

needed to build a solid bond that will 

never be broken based on Trust and 

Respect. 

I have been working with dogs for over 

20 years and come from a traditional 

Dog Training background. 

I began researching alternatives as l 

was not happy with what I was 

experiencing within the training arena. 

I have attended many seminars over the 

years and more recently invited Turid 

Rugaas to Australia to speak at a 2 day 

Seminar in Brisbane. 

I try to attend the Dog Symposium in 

Oslo where I can, and will be holding my 

first Dog Symposium in Brisbane in 

2018 with Anne Lill Kvam as my first 

international guest speaker. 

I plan to run these symposiums 

annually with an international speaker 

at each event. 

I am also planning to attend the IDTE in 

Spain in 2018 - 2020. 

My Company is well established and the 

work I do increases in popularity 

annually. 

Diana Hill-Trevor – UK 

I grew up on a working sheep farm in 

North Wales. As a child, I lived with six 

dogs – two Border Collies, three Border 

Terriers and a terrier/poodle/Old 

English Sheepdog cross-breed (my best 

friend Merry who lived to the great age 

of 18!). 

Having hankered after my own dog as a 

‘grown up’, I finally got the chance six 

years ago at the grand old age of 44, 

and became the proudest owner/pet 

parent of Betty – a Lhasa Apso/ 

poodle/schnauzer cross who is, even 

allowing for my heavy bias, an 

exceptionally beautiful dog in both 

nature and looks. I put this down to 

lucky genetics to a fair degree, but also 

to attending classes and social walks 

with Winkie Spiers. 

It quickly became apparent that the ‘dog 

training’ I remember from age six when 

Merry arrived in my life, has 

transformed into a far more dog-friendly 

approach to living with a dog and I have 

loved every minute of learning and 

seeing Betty grow into the happy and 

well-rounded dog that she is. A true 

pleasure to share my life with! 

Aurélien BUDZINSKI - France 

I’m Aurélien BUDZINSKI, I’m 29 and I am 

Turid Rugaas IDTE certified. 

I’m a dog trainer in France working with 

my wife. We created ToutPourMonChien.fr 

to help people to better understand 

their dogs. 

The goal is to explain that "a dog is a 

dog" and what he needs. Why he has a 

specific behaviour and how to manage 

or handle him. We also propose Man 

Trailing, to give the owner and the dog a 

natural and healthy activity. It helps 

build a good/better relationship 

between the owner and his dog and 

builds the dog's self confidence. 

Before being a Dog Trainer, I was a Web 

engineer so I use that skill in our 

company. 

I’m also the co-founder of 

Dogbrochures.com, a web database to 

help people create and diffuse good 

philosophy and information about dogs 

all over the world. 

I also work on a Pulse measuring 

project on dogs. Because it is really 

important to observe them and know 

how they feel. We want to discover the 

impacts of daily life and explore the 

behaviours of dogs. 

The last activity is an educational 

Webshop to sensitize people to prefer a 

harness instead a collar, always for 

question of wellbeing. 

Valeria Rapezzi - Italy 

I own dogs since 2004, but I was a 

volunteer in shelters long before. I’m 

still active in shelters and rescue. 

I graduate at University in Milan in 2007, 

in “Animal breeding and welfare”. 

In 2008 I attended the course for Dog 

Trainers from Turid Rugaas 

International Dog Trainer School in Italy. 

I am a Tellington TTouch Practitioner 2. 

I work with dog with disabilities, since I 

adopted a blind, partially deaf and 

epileptic Aussie in 2011. 

Currently I own a facebook page about 

health and genetics of the Australian 

Shepherd, where I upload info’ about 

genetics and health problems of the 

breed, translating them mainly from 

English, to help Italian owners and 

breeders to be aware of problems they 

could face too. 

I live with three Australian Shepherd: 13, 

12 and 6 years old. 



Speaker Dr Amber Batson 

Home Alone: Dealing with 

Separation Anxiety in the Dog 

Seminar by Dr Amber Batson BVETMED MRCVS IAABC UK 

In June a number of people (myself included) attended a day Winkie Spiers had organised giving the opportunity 

to hear Dr Amber Batson speak extensively on separation anxiety. 

As any of us who work with dogs know, this is an ever increasing 

problem so I wanted to ensure this important subject was 

covered here. But, please go and see Amber speak because what 

is written here, is a very tiny part of what she shared...it’s a huge 

subject. 

What is separation anxiety? 

In basic terms it is a fear of being alone. It is considered one of 

the hardest behaviours to help and change. It is the development 

of fear behaviours, or signs of stress in the presence of stimuli 

that then indicts they will be left alone. Young dogs are fearful 

when their primary care giver leaves them. Dogs can get anxious 

about separations because they are a highly social species. 

How it manifests itself 

Anxiety – An anticipation of a potential threat or danger. Anxiety 

is frequently displayed in the absence of an eliciting stimulus. 

Actually what they are worried about is the owner going, or not 

being with them any more which creates fear, a natural response 

to the stimulus. 

Separation Fear – A natural response to a perceived threat, 

normally in the presence of specific stimuli. 

Phobia - A disproportionate fear response that is of high 

intensity. It doesn’t help them survive. Fifty percent of the 

separation cases Amber sees are in this phobia section – 

breaking toes by digging through concrete as an example. 

Panic Disorder - Total loss of self control as the result of high 

levels of stress, often as part of a phobic reaction, accompanied 

by a high risk of self trauma. Loses all sense of reason. 

Classic signs of separation anxiety In the presence of predictable 

‘leaving’ cues: whining, pacing, panting, drooling, close proximity 

to the person leaving, picky eating – (they need to feel safe to 

eat, commonly seen in the morning before people leave). 

During the separation: whining, pacing, panting, 

trembling/shaking, barking, howling, defaecating / urinating, try 

to escape, destruction, self mutilation (eg excessively licking 

themselves – compulsive disorder to help them cope with the 

stress which creates the release of feel good factors). 

Just how common is this? 

Studies suggest as many as fifty percent of dogs in Europe 

experience separation anxiety at some point in their lives, 

although an unpublished study undertaken as part of a UK TV 

programme in 2015 suggested the figure may be as high as 80% 

of UK dogs! - (Bradshaw JWS et al. Aetiology of separationrelated 

behaviour in domestic dogs. Vet Rec. 2002 Soares GM et 

al Exploratory study of separation anxiety syndrome in apartment 

dogs. Cienc Rural. 2010) 

What is normal attachment for the dog? 

Both parents can be present, although Boitani’s Italy study 

suggested not in that case. 

* Maternal care provided: much licking in first week, stays in 

close proximity for many weeks. *Reduction in suckling at 6- 

12 weeks, with milk production stopping around week 11. 

Feeding of regurgitated food often starts as early as 5 weeks. 

* Develop sibling relationships – current litter mates and older 

siblings. 

* They are never left alone, most feral dog studies show an adult 

stays with them. (In Boitani’s study, a lack of constant care 

was linked to high predation rates). 

* The Boitani study showed that surviving pups remained with 

the group until over 1 year of age. Pal’s study showed pups 

stay until adulthood – certainly beyond sexual maturity. Only 

approximately 50% of dogs ever dispersed, although figures 

were higher for males than females. Average age of the 50% 

who did disperse was 13 months (range 5-37 months). 

It is worth recognising that less than 1% of puppies have the 

opportunity to be born in a natural situation where choice is 

available, eg born to two parents. 

Ref Boitani, L., & Ciucci, P. (1995). Comparative social ecology of 

feral dogs and wolves. Ethology Ecology & Evolution, 7(1), 49-72 

Pal, S. K., Ghosh, B., & Roy, S. (1998). Dispersal behaviour of 

free-ranging dogs (Canis familiaris) in relation to age, sex, 

season and dispersal distance. Applied Animal Behaviour 

Science, 61(2), 123-132. 

(continued overleaf) 



What happens if we break down the bond between 

mum and puppy? 

Amber has done extensive worldwide research and found 

puppies can be removed from mum by 4/5 weeks old to 

encourage a bond with humans, and to get the puppies eating 

solids earlier and dry the mum’s milk up. 

Average age of puppy being placed in to a new home is around 7 

weeks old. Not taking into account those taken in from puppy 

farms at around 4 weeks. 

When humans ignore puppies or are unavailable in times of need, 

the sense of attachment security is undermined, so negative 

situations are created (Brennan, Clark, & Shaver, 1998). 

Parthasarasay and Crowell Davis (2006) found that the intensity 

of the bond between dog and primary human care giver DID NOT 

have a negative affect on the likelihood of the dog developing 

separation anxiety. 

Genetic predisposition to under produce serotonin – needing 

humans to be there. 

Gut disease – diseased intestine has higher levels of serotonin 

locked up in it than normal. So the higher levels signals the brain 

that it has a lot, but it causes an imbalance in function. This can 

cause a worsening of separation anxiety. 

Skin disorders are thought to be the same. 

What does NOT cause separation anxiety 

Gender of dogs 

The age they are acquired 

Presence of other pets in the home 

Gender of the owner – blame the woman for loving dogs too 

much but is not relevant 

* Harness/leads on 4-8 weeks of age. 

* Disease/pain/medications 

* Unable to toilet when they want to 

* Hunger 

* Unusual noises and items they aren’t used to and learn are 

scary 

Dietary insufficiency 

Risk factors 

Dogs in single human houses. 

Neutered dogs – higher rate of separation anxiety than those who 

haven’t been. When they are neutered has a great impact. The 

classic time is around 5-12 months of age in the UK. And the 

worst time to do it is 6-12 months of age. 

Having more than one previous owner 

Spoiling activities such as on the bed, feeding from table 

Hyper attachment – very strong bond with the owner 

Breed of dog – although those with smaller gene pools can be 

more predisposed to suffer. 

What is Stress? 

* Poor sleep patterns – not given social sleeping opportunities, 

or enough time to sleep properly. 

* Can struggle with separation anxiety if given a lot of activity 

prior to going out because the dog is exhausted but not 

calm...there is a difference. 

* Low glucose levels - the brain will remove it from prefrontal 

cortex so becomes less rational and able to cope. 

Serotonin 

Panic disorder occurs in individuals with low serotonin activity in 

the brain. Serotonin is a chemical found in the brain, gut, skin and 

platelets. How much of it is used, effects how well situations are 

handled. 

What lowers it? 

Chronic stress tips an animal to panic when left. 

Dogs with high stress levels – can be genetic, specific breed 

needs, lack of choices. 

Neotenisation – breeding dogs to have brains that are more 

puppy like. We have a tendency as humans to want to love 

puppies such as Labradors/Spaniels – soft fur/large eyes etc. 

The main reason we had dogs 40/50 years ago was for 

guarding/herding. Now it is for playing with, cute and interactive 

for us to love. But how are dogs bred for this ever going to be 

able to cope by themselves? 

Acute stress – lasts seconds into minutes. Can’t stay in this for 

very long, it can kill us. 

Chronic stress - starts in minutes but can last for minutes, hours, 

days, weeks etc. 

Triggers for stress responses 

* Maternal stress 

* Reduced licking of puppies – caesareans can cause this 

* People handling puppies, creating anxieties. 

* Age impacts on developing fear behaviours, can occur as get 

older due to not feeling they can cope - Losing sight, hearing 

and smell. Also, over production of steroid hormones in 

middle age – cushings. 

How do we get the dog’s brain ready for learning? 

Sleep – if stressed they need more sleep, rest and calm 

downtime to re-establish homeostasis. 

Avoid being left alone – they are often suffering with chronic 

stress. 



(continued overleaf) 

Treat searches, treat trees, walks, new calm experiences and 

sniffing. Slow down with your dog for them to investigate, you will 

see what motivates them...sniffing! 

How does this help the brain? 

Strengthening the calm pathways and increasing the neuro 

transmitters in the brain connected to calmness and so reducing 

the arousal pathways. 

Puzzle solving helps develop and expand the connections 

between the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system parts of the 

brain – in effect adding a thicker ‘brake pad’ to the brake system 

that helps the brain gain conscious control of the emotional 

reactions. 

How Dogs Learn 

Associative learning – association between behaviour and 

outcome. Behaviour volunteered by the animal which is followed 

by a consequence which we administer. 

Non associative learning – the increase of an initial response to 

a novel stimulus after repeated presentations. Eg: vet trying to 

clip fur off to take blood...they are now sensitised. 

Fear is an involuntary emotional response causing a behavioural 

outcome. The brain detects office clothes going on and an 

involuntary response occurs – pacing/whining. 

Generalised anxieties – apprehensive expectation about events 

or activities. They spend their life in a vigilant state trying to work 

out what you are doing that will mean you will leave. So they are 

with you all the time to try and spot it. This is 

physically/emotionally exhausting and accompanies clinical 

depression so the dogs shut down because they can’t cope. The 

serotonin levels are so depleted by this point. 

The ready to learn brain: 

No chronic stress, good quality sleep, new context, no separation 

for the first 2/3 weeks. Be clear and consistent. As owners we 

must understand that dogs did not evolve to spend significant 

time on their own – they can cope but not thrive. 

The key to success is reducing stress, temporary prevention of 

any separations (where this is impossible, the use of certain 

medications may be beneficial for a very short period of time, 

but this is not in place of helping the dogs). Take the dogs with 

you, leave in the car, take dog to a dog sitter or neighbour. 

Ensure the dog does not feel alone when left in the future. 

Provide different places to sleep, some elevated and provide 

warmth if needed, plenty of opportunity to sleep, regular treat 

searches etc., check for pain/health problems – they can 

become more sensitive if feel they can’t cope. Make sure they 

have plenty of good food and treats. 

Getting another dog will not solve the problem because it is not 

a cure, but it allows the dog in the future to not be left on its’ 

own when it is ok with you leaving it. Think about the social 

needs of your dog. 

Dog creche – depends on the number of dogs etc. Needs to be 

calm. 

Change the context of where the dog was previously being left. 

So if left in kitchen previously, then look at a different room, or 

whole house so then it will no longer happen when associated 

with kitchen again. 

Start by moving half a step away from the dog whilst dog 

remains calm and using hand signal. Most dogs struggle with 

people leaving and turning their back on them as they leave. 

Can start with owners standing still with body and just move the 

leg, but keeping on the spot. We are building up to creating a 

small distance, and then in time walking towards the door. The 

initial training is for 1 minute/1 ½ minutes maximum. The dogs 

need to want to do it, initially there will be an expectation from 

the dog so heart rate will be increased. 

We must also make sure we don’t keep making it harder. We need 

to go up and down with our expectations and training. Finish the 

session by chewing or treat searching. 

Ensure the dog is always calm and very gradually build up the 

time apart, but the goal should never be to leave the dog for 

hours at a time. 

Article: Caroline Lewis 

Turid Rugaas awarded the 

King’s Medal of Merit 

At the Dog Symposium in Oslo, back in March there was a 

wonderful start to the weekend by recognising the achievement 

Turid has made in the dog world. 

‘Saturday started with a lovely video presentation of Turid getting 

the King’s Medal of Merit for her work with dogs. She was also 

presented with flowers (and a hug!) on behalf of the symposium. 

Turid thought she would just be having dinner with friends at the 

Tyrifjord Hotel on a Sunday in early January. That is, until Ståle 

Versland, the mayor of her community, entered the room and 

presented her with the King’s Medal of Merit for her work 

promoting the welfare of dogs around the world. Turid has been 

helping dog owners for almost 50 years, has authored a number 

of books, and has helped produce several award-winning films. 

“I was stunned! I would not have expected that!” said Turid to the 

reporter who covered the event. “It means a lot. Having worked 

so hard for so many years, it’s not often one gets praised for 

most things. It almost never happens. Getting some feedback 

that I’ve done a great job is amazing! 

“I’ve always known I had to do something with animals. Animals 

have always been my focus of interest, so I’ve tried to educate 

myself as much as possible to get the right background. I started 

having courses and consultations to help dogs with problems. I 

gave more courses, gained more experience, started developing 

methods myself, and have become very active in that area and 

known for it. Then I started writing books. Things have 

continued to develop, and I went international in the mid-1990s. 

It turned out that there was huge interest in the things I was 

doing everywhere. First and foremost, it was something new: 

There is another and better way to be with dogs that makes 

people feel better. They see that their dogs are getting better, 

they get a much better life together, and that’s something many 

have appreciated.” 

Turid also says she has no plans to retire. “I’ll hold on as long as I 

have breath, because when people ask me something, I try to 

help. I no longer have courses, as they are physically too 

demanding. But I do what I can to explain to people what they 

can do with their dogs, and I write books. 

“It’s amazing. I never expected this [medal] at all. It’s so far out 

there, I just can’t grasp it. I have to say a thousand thanks to 

those who started this here. I can’t fathom how they got the idea 

at all, but I’m very grateful. It’s very touching. It’s fun and it feels 

very good to be appreciated. Thank you very much; I’m 

speechless! And that’s a rare event, I can tell you!” 

Congratulations Turid! 



Dates for your Diary... 

SEPTEMBER 

16 

To Vet or Not to Vet? 

Seminar by Dr Amber Batson 

A presentation for dog 

owners on recognising ill 

health in their pets and how 

and when to apply first aid 

principles and home 

remedies. 

Venue: Surrey, UK 

www.winkiespiers.com 

SEPTEMBER 

28-30 

PDTE 

20th Anniversary 

AGM & Conference 

JUFA Hotel City Wien, 

Vienna, Austria 

www.pdtevienna2018.at 

NOVEMBER 

3-4 

Dog Symposium 

The Netherlands 

www.dogsymposium.nl 

STARTING 

FEBRUARY 

15-16-17 

Nosework Education 

Holland 2019 

By Anne Lill Kam 

Three units starting October. 

Venue: Koningslust 

www.calmingsigns.nl 

© Noel Lopez 

Note: If you have anything to contribute to the next 

issue please email it to pdteeditor@hotmail.com 

MARCH 

2-3/19 

Dog Symposium 

Scandic Hotel Helsfyr, 

Oslo, Norway 

www.dogsymposium.no

PDTE 2018 Autumn Newsletter

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