Presentations & Schedule
Introduction & Welcome - Katenna Jones
Friday, October 7th, 9:00 am EST
Putting Yourself First Isn't Selfish - It's Good Business! - Katenna Jones
Friday, October 7th, 9:15 am EST
YOU are the most important part of your behavior consulting services. Self-care is not something that should come when you have time or extra money, or the ideal client, it’s something that should be in place at all times in both our personal and in our business lives. In this session we will talk about finding balance between self-care and heartbreaking cases, being thorough as well as setting and maintaining boundaries with needy clients. It’s OK, and in fact better, to know your limitations rather than trying to be all things to all people. Trust me, I thought I was taking care of myself until I collapsed one morning and had a stroke.
Is the Customer Always Right? Challenging Conversations, Communication Strategies for Challenging Clients - Tabitha Kucera
Friday, October 7th, 10:15 am EST
Join therapist Dr. Meghan Breedlove and veterinary technician and behavior consultant Tabitha Kucera as they share their personal experiences and strategies they apply when dealing with difficult clients.
Participants will be encouraged to
1) Reflect on their definition of “difficult” clients and consider personal experiences.
2) Consider how their own verbal and nonverbal communication can affect rapport with clients (e.g., tone, body language, etc.).
3) Apply an empathetic mindset and approach when working with clients who they identify as challenging or difficult.
4) Consider their own boundary needs when working with clients who they identify as difficult.
Navigating high risk conversations with difficult clients - Erika Lessa
Friday, October 7th, 11:15 am EST
As professionals working with owners, we will inevitably be presented with situations that are difficult to navigate. In this presentation we will look at ways we can first identify a “difficult client” and what might be creating the difficulty. Next, will be an exploration of what constitutes a high-risk conversation. The three specific content types we will be diving into include meeting the needs of a challenging dog, aversive training methods – both past uses and considerations for the future, and behavior euthanasia. Every owner with a behaviorally challenged dog will enter the working relationship in a different place. We know that dogs can not learn if they feel unsafe and the same is true for humans. As consultants, we need to be able to create an environment that is safe, non judgmental, and whole hearted to be effective.
Using Technology to Manage Your Client Interactions - Mychelle Garrigan
Friday, October 7th, 12:15 pm EST
Even dealing with clients who are a joy can made much easier through the use of technology! In this session we’ll talk about various tools you can add to your business including schedulers, policy generators, forms, email and more to streamline your client process and head off client issues before they can get started.
Turning Client Challenges into Customer Service - Teoti Anderson
Friday, October 7th, 1:15 pm EST
Whether you’re new to working with clients or a veteran, certain scenarios can still make you cringe. The bickering couple. Clients who ignore your advice in favor of TikTok or YouTube. Those who have unrealistic expectations. And a personal favorite: the dreaded refund request. You don’t have to tie yourself up in knots when faced with difficult client situations. We’ll examine how to tackle them diplomatically, while setting realistic boundaries. You may find your most challenging customers become your greatest advocates!
Panel Discussion
Friday, October 7th, 2:15 pm EST
The presenters will discuss some of their own difficult client stories, how they handled them and what they learned that helped to improve their client processes and communication.
Speakers
Teoti Anderson, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP
Teoti Anderson is the vice president of A Dog’s Best Friend, located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. A professional dog trainer for more than 27 years, she is the author of The Dog Behavior Problem Solver, DogFancy Ultimate Guide to Dog Training, Animal Planet Dogs 101 Dog Training, Puppy Care and Training, The Super Simple Guide to Housetraining, and more.
She also writes for Modern Dog and Happy Paws magazines, the Fear Free Happy Homes Blog, and has been interviewed in Southern Living, New York Times, DogFancy, Puppies USA, Whole Dog Journal and other national publications. A popular conference speaker, she has given presentations to pet owners, humane organizations and fellow trainers across the United States and internationally. Teoti has extensive education and experience in working with a variety of canine issues, including serious cases of fear and aggression.
Teoti served on the board of directors of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) for six years, serving as President for three years. She serves as a consultant on canine training and behavior for local and national dog rescue groups. She has been involved with pet therapy as a volunteer, evaluator and instructor for more than 25 years, serving with two Labrador Retrievers, a Papillon and one special cat.
Mychelle Garrigan, MSW, CDBC
Mychelle Garrigan runs Firelink Digital Marketing which focuses on small to medium businesses and non-profits, with a special niche for pet care professionals (Pet Pro Marketing). She provides a full range of online business services include website design, copywriting, SEO, Google analytics, and web accessibility audits. She also has a specialty in helping individuals develop online course platforms, whether it’s on their own website or using pre-configured learning management systems.
Mychelle’s professional background includes over 20 years working in administration, development and marketing/communications positions in the non-profit world. She currently serves as the volunteer Executive Director of Siouxpercon, a 501c3 charity in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Mychelle has a long history working as both staff and a volunteer for various shelters and rescues. She is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through the IAABC. She has been a regular writer for several websites on dog and cat behavior and training and small animal and reptile care. She also served for many years as editor for both the IAABC and the APDT journals and as the Technical Course Manager for IAABC’s online education program and was the original website designer for their award-winning journal. Mychelle lives with her dogs Kaylee and Jack, bearded dragons Haku and Ivy, ball pythons Geralt and Sienna, cockatiel Torrent and green cheek conure Amos, and several fish in Sioux Falls, SD.
Katenna Jones, ScM, ACAAB, CCBC, CDBC, Certified Fear Free Trainer
Through Jones Animal Behavior, Katenna Jones provides in-person and virtual behavior consultations as well as educational seminars to pet owners, rescues, and other pet professionals. She speaks at international events, contributes to a wide variety of publications, and is author of Fetching the Perfect Dog Trainer: Getting the Best for You and Your Dog. Katenna began her career as a shelter volunteer in 1999 and went on to earn her Master’s Degree from Brown University where she studied animal behavior, learning and cognition. Eventually, she became a cruelty investigator, worked for American Humane Association and also for the Association of Professional Dog Trainers. Katenna is an Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Certified Cat and Dog Behavior Consultant, and a Certified Fear Free Trainer. She shares her RI home with one dog, two cats, seven chickens, three ducks, and several thousand bees.
Tabitha Kucera, CCBC, RVT, KPA-CTP
Tabitha Kucera is an Elite Fear Free and Low Stress Handling Certified Registered Veterinary Technician, CCBC, and KPA-CTP. She is the owner of Chirrups and Chatter Cat and Dog Behavior Consulting and Training in Cleveland, Ohio. She enjoys helping people better understand and relate to their animal companions which leads to a stronger bond and a more gratifying relationship between animal and human. She loves educating others through writing, behavior consulting, and lecturing on all things cats and dogs, including feline and canine behavior, working with fearful animals, fear free handling, and more. She is a Fear Free certified speaker, Fear Free Practice Certification Consultant, a trainer-mentor for Cat Pawsitive Pro, host of the podcast, Tails of a Vet Tech, serves on the board of Pet Professional Guild’s Cat Committee, is the vice president of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, President elect for the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians, and she serves on the board of The Together Initiative for Ohio’s Community Cats.
Erika Lessa, dip. CBST / CDBT, CDBC, CPDT-KA, Fear-Free Certified
Erika’s path to working with dogs unknowingly began 18 years ago when she adopted a dog with developing aggression issues. In the course of his rehabilitation she was introduced to the world of dog behavior. Her education came by way of hands-on experience, multiple apprenticeships, and self-education. Most recently, she received her diploma in Canine Behavior Science & Technology from the Companion Animal Science Institute requiring approximately 500 course hours. She also holds her Certified Dog Behavior Technologist (CDBT) with the AABP, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) from the IAABC, CPDT-KA (Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed) with CCPDT, is a member of the Pet Professional Guild and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. She has been published in the IAABC Journal as well as local publications, developed and co-presented educational programming on canine social interactions. Erika has worked with many shelters and rescues on staff education, adoption transition support for difficult-to-adopt and marginal dogs, and behavior assessments. Currently, She is currently living with 3 rescue dogs of her own and working on her Master of Science degree in companion animal behavior analysis and counseling.