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Victoria Stilwell Positively Newsletter - April, 2014
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Dog Bite Prevention Conference
 
I am excited to announce the UK's first National Dog Bite Prevention and Behaviour Conference, which will be taking place May 31st-June 1st, 2014. 
 
If you're a dog owner, a dog lover, or a pet professional, this is a conference you won't want to miss. I'll be joined by some of the world's leading experts in dog bite prevention and dog behavior, including dog bite forensic investigator Jim Crosby, animal behaviour experts Sarah Fisher and Chirag Patel and Beverley Cuddy, publisher and proprietor of Dogs Today magazine. 
 
Attendees of the conference will discover real-world solutions to preventing dog bites and dog attacks through better understanding of dog aggression, body language, and appropriate training methods. 
 
There will be a special emphasis on keeping children safe around dogs, and what to do in the case of a bite incident. 
 
You don't want to miss this incredible conference--I hope to see you there! 
 
Victoria's Signature
Truth Behind Positive Training
Recently, there was a great article about dog training in the Sunday Telegraph as well as in the Telegraph online.
 
The article highlighted a study that found pets trained using aversive methods were 15 times more likely to exhibit symptoms of stress than those trained using "positive" techniques, and that training dogs with positive and humane principles was more effective and caused less stress and anxiety than training a dog using aversives such as physical punishment and equipment such as shock, choke or prong collars. 
 


The study's results don't surprise me, nor any other trainer that uses positive methods, but it's great that the message is getting out to readers who might not know the difference and be confused about what methods to use or what kind of trainers to employ.
 
What surprised me, however, was the opinion of a well known "animal psychologist" in the UK who warned that relying solely on positive training could lead to badly behaved pets. "It's a bit like realizing children need boundaries and having to say no," he was quoted as saying. "That doesn't mean being cruel. It means owners have to not be so indulgent."
 
 
 
Victoria's Featured YouTube Video
Results of Positive Training
 
Victoria talks with Canine Assistants founder Jennifer Arnold about a very special dog that was rehabilitated using only positive training methods. See how far a once aggressive and damaged dog has come thanks to the lasting results of humane training.
 
Click the thumbnail below to watch Results of Positive Training. 

Look for other Teacher's Pet videos and check out the American Dog with Victoria Stilwell series on the eHow Pets YouTube channel here.
 

Filming with Arson Dogs
This month, Victoria will be heading to the beautiful state of Maine to film with arson dogs and their handlers, as they meet for the first time at State Farm's special arson dog training camp. 
 
Arson dogs are specially trained to detect accelerants that people use to start fires, and help the police determine whether a fire was accidental or intentionally caused. State Farm's arson dog program uses only positive dog training methods. 
 
Viewers of this upcoming web series will get a rare, intimate glimpse inside the intense preparation and training it takes to get handlers and their dogs paired up and ready to work as a team. 
 
Later this year, Victoria will be traveling all over the country documenting these same handlers and their first experiences after they return home with their new dogs. 
 
Stay tuned for more information about this exciting new web series. 
 
 
Featured Positively Blog Post
Check out the latest blog post from Positively Contributor Maggie Marton. Maggie talks about a recent fatal dog attack in her town and how it has created a new demand for breed-specific legislation.
 
"Over the years I’ve written and talked about breed-specific legislation. I am a passionate owner of two pit-bull-type dogs, and I’ve taken every opportunity to write about the myths and misconceptions about the breed and the benefits of breed-neutral laws. But it was always from a theoretical perspective.
 
Then, on March 24, an unspeakable tragedy occurred in my town of Houma, Louisiana: A four-year-old child was killed by a dog in her apartment...."
 

DNA Used to Study Aggression
Researchers in the UK are looking more closely than ever to try to get to the root of aggression in dogs. By looking at the DNA of dogs, they are hoping to get a more objective picture of what causes aggressive behavior and how to prevent it. 
 
The University of Lincoln says that this type of scientific approach could help prevent future dog bites and protect people from dangerous dogs. Researchers there are hoping to identify which dogs may be predisposed to acting aggressively without warning.
 
 
They will be collecting saliva samples from pets, which will then be used to identify genes that may effect a dog's behavior. The researchers believe that dogs who have a lower aggression threshold can then be directed to people that better understand dog behavior and know how to handle such a dog."
 
Read more.
 
Changing dogs' lives...positively.
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