We are excited to announce Heel 2 Heal’s very own Brian Galea will be presenting at this year’s National Dog Show Therapy Dog Symposium at Rowan University on December 8th!We hope you will join us virtually or in-person to support our Co-Founder, Certified Professional Dog Trainer, ATD Tester/Observer, and all around great Pack Leader!Read below to learn more about Brian’s expertise and upcoming presentation.Register now for this year’s National Dog Show Therapy Dog Symposium at Rowan University here:
About Brian:
Brian Galea lives in Miami Fl, where he runs a private dog training and behavior consultation business, as well as launched his startup, Snoot: The New Dog Owner’s Guide for supporting rescue shelters and their adopters. Brian’s education and professional experience started in the medical world, with a bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, and anthropology, as well as a master’s degree in human anatomy. He left it all behind to pursue a passion for canine behavioral work, and hopes to modernize and unite the pet industry with quality standards and professional collaboration.
Topic:
The Path To Becoming a Therapy Dog: A Framework for Selecting, Raising, Training, and Troubleshooting To Reach Your Therapy Dog Goals
There is so much for handlers to consider when setting their dogs up for a successful career in therapy work that it can sometimes feel overwhelming. This talk will present a framework of 4 learning objectives, consisting of behavioral and training considerations, that therapy dog owners can use to structure their preparation for a long and successful career of therapy volunteering.
- The first consideration is the breed of your dog, which will influence their capacity for things like noise, harsh handling by children, or even their ability to sit still calmly.
- Early socialization and exposure will influence your dogs tolerance to environmental stimuli like loud noises, strange objects, or large and intimidating groups of people.
- Basic training and obedience for a newly adopted dog can teach some of the impulse control they may have missed as a puppy, and give handlers the tools to work with a dog they have known for less time.
- Finally, having a quality trainer or behaviorist to refer to when things go awry will help you to nip annoying behaviors in the bud. Examples like unexpected demand barking and leash pulling can have surprisingly complicated causes.
While this talk will not provide all possible solutions, it will give the audience a structure with which to assess to their own dog when deciding where to focus their efforts in preparing for therapy work.