November 1st Talks
Cindy Peacock
CPDT KA, CBCC KA, KPA CTP
Beyond Species: Finding the Common Threads Through Training
What do a grizzly bear and a raven have in common with the dogs we work with every day? More than you might think. In this engaging talk, Cindy Peacock shares lessons learned from training a wide range of species—and how those experiences revealed the universal principles of behavior, communication, and trust. Whether you work with animals or people, you’ll walk away with fresh insights into the common threads that connect us all.
Andre Yeu
KPA CTP, CPDT KA
Positive Didn't Work... Yet
The assertion that positive reinforcement "didn't work" is often used to justify more invasive or aversive training methods. Andre will challenge this notion by exploring the most common missteps in training plans. Drawing from his extensive experience, he will highlight critical errors made by both pet owners and new trainers. Attendees will learn how to identify and correct these mistakes, enabling them to achieve good outcomes for dogs and their families through the least invasive means possible.
Cat Harbord
Dip.CBST, CDBC, FDM, DDT, IAPCT Member
You Want to Build Peace, Eh?
In 2011, I rescued my now-late rescue dog Mouse, who had spent most of his first two years in a shelter. Even as a dog professional, I found myself grappling with the complexity of his behaviour and caught in a whirlwind of unresolved conflict. Desperate for answers, I dove down the proverbial rabbit trail, and out of that journey emerged a living philosophy and universal framework now known as Pooch Peacebuilding.
Kendra Gale
Overcoming Tradition
The horse world is deeply rooted in tradition. We've always mounted our horses from the left side, a habit dating back to when people carried swords on their left—making it difficult to mount from the right. Despite the absence of swords for centuries, this practice persists.
However, many of these long-standing traditions no longer serve our horses and often make training and riding more complicated than it needs to be—creating unnecessary challenges for both horse and rider.
But let’s remember: tradition is simply peer pressure from those who are no longer with us.
There are better, more humane ways to work with our horses—methods that align with their natural behaviour rather than resisting it. Change can be difficult, especially when it involves letting go of familiar customs and justifications.
Today, we will explore how to overcome that mental resistance, and together, we’ll discover how embracing new approaches can lead to a better, more compassionate experience for our horses—and for ourselves.
Simon Gadbois
Ph.D
It Is Not What You Like, But What You Want That Counts: The Neurochemistry Of Behaviour And Motivation
Neuroscience now tells us that motivation, learning and behaviour are all intertwined in a few brain systems that involve dopamine and endorphins, the two most reinforcing neurochemicals in vertebrates. Since the 90’s, many theories of conditioning had to be revised to account for this new take on how the brain modulates behaviour and learning. One central concept involves a new focus, motivation, and incentive theories of learning. At the core of these ideas is the good old phenomenon of classical conditioning, now considered the bedrock of this new “motivology” (Woodworth, 1897). Following the classics from Rescorla (1988) and Turkkan (1989), I will discuss this new hegemony and revival of classical conditioning in our understanding of learning and behaviour, and we will discover why it is not the reward that matters, but its anticipation.