Emilea Byrum, KPA CTP, is a registered veterinary technician with a special interest in behavior. She is particularly interested in service dogs and herding breeds, and in the team approach to a well-cared-for pet.
How to Prepare Your Dog for a Veterinary Exam
Regular veterinary visits are important for your dog’s health and wellness, but for many dogs these visits can be stressful. Who wouldn’t be anxious about being in a strange, uncomfortable place, in unnatural positions, and being poked, prodded, and pricked in sensitive areas by unfamiliar people? Fortunately, you can reduce your dog’s anxiety by teaching him or her to accept restraint and examination.
How to Manage Counter-Surfing
In preparation for the holidays, kitchens are laden with tempting treats and mouthwatering smells. For dogs that are tall or athletic enough to reach a counter, the opportunity to help themselves can be too good to pass up!
Dogs of Any Age Can Have Fun with Freestyle
Many people think that they need to wait until their dog is an adult before getting started in dog sports, but you can begin training your dog basic behaviors before he/she is old enough to compete. In fact, dog sports teach your puppy useful skills, provide enrichment, and help work off some of that puppy energy!
Cooperative Injections
Does your dog become agitated anticipating a vaccination or blood draw? By incorporating training into your injection routines, you can help alleviate his/her anxiety.
Holiday Feast—in an Enrichment Toy
Holidays are fun to celebrate with furry family members, but the abundance of guests, commotion, and food can be challenging for you and your dog. An enrichment toy is a fantastic way to keep your dog relaxed and occupied during the holiday madness—or any time your dog needs a long-lasting treat.
November KPA CTP of the Month: Jay (Jihyung) Seo
Jay (Jihyung) Seo, KPA CTP, offers animal-training services in Seoul, Republic of Korea. In addition to working with dogs and their families, she trains other species, including cats, birds, and zoo animals. An animal lover since childhood, Jay remembers the rabbits, hens, rooster, ducks, and geese that she cared for at elementary school. As a middle-schooler, she studied in New Zealand, where she could not have pets of her own, but dreamed of ways to work with animals.
Teach Your Puppy to Walk On a Leash
Walking on a leash is an important skill for puppies to learn, but it can be challenging to train puppies that are eager to explore the world around them. The key to setting up puppies for success is to use a high rate of reinforcement to keep the puppy’s attention and accelerate learning. Visual markers can be helpful reminders to the handler to offer the puppy a treat for being in the desired position.
Helping Dogs Learn to Come Inside
Do you struggle getting your dog to come inside after playtime in the yard? While it’s frustrating when your dog ignores you, who could blame your pup when being outside is so much more exciting than being indoors? The trick is to flip that dynamic and make coming inside more fun!
Congratulations to the 2022 Zoe Scholarship Recipients
Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) and Lisa White, DVM, founder of Veterinary Behavior Management Solutions in Cincinnati, Ohio, are pleased to announce and congratulate the winners of the 2022 Zoe Shelter Scholarships to KPA’s Shelter Training & Enrichment course.