Sensory Beings: Two Part Series 

Part 1 - Understanding Behavior Through a Sensory Processing Lens
Tuesday, August 15, 2023 
6pm to 7:30pm EDT (USA and Canada)

Part 2 - Assessing & Training Dog Behavior Through a Sensory Processing Lens
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
6pm to 7:30pm EDT (USA and Canada)

This introductory-level workshop will support dog behavior professionals and companion dog guardians in understanding how underlying sensory differences can be evaluated and treated in dogs.
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The webinar is suitable for pet owners, veterinary professionals, animal trainers, animal behaviorists, pet guardians, shelter and rescue staff and volunteers, and anyone with an interest in evidence-based behavior and training.

In this Webinar Series: 

PART 1 -  Understanding Behavior Through a Sensory Processing Lens
This introductory-level workshop will support dog behavior professionals and companion dog guardians in developing knowledge and understanding of dog behavior through the lens of sensory processing. Participants will receive a brief introduction to the neurophysiology of sensory processing in dogs and the Yes-No Spectrum for Behavior will be introduced as a visual framework to support understanding of behavior by exploring the relationships between perception of safety and nervous system state (arousal). Scientific evidence in human and dog subjects will be used to illustrate the relationship between sensory hypersensitivity and behavioral / mental health diagnoses. Discussion, experiential activities, and sensory-based exercises will be used to support participation and learning in this webinar.

After this workshop, participants will be able to:
  • Identify 8 sensory systems in dogs + humans (ie. vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, proprioception, the vestibular system, & interoception).
  • Summarize the relationship between sensory processing, arousal, and cognition.
  • Differentiate between qualities of sensation that contribute to alertness versus qualities of sensation that contribute to calmness.
  • Understand the relationship between sensory hypersensitivity and anxiety.
  • Recognize environmental stimuli that are likely to contribute to a sense of danger, versus a sense of safety in dogs.


Part 2 - Assessing & Training Dog Behavior Through a Sensory Processing Lens
This introductory-level workshop will support dog behavior professionals and companion dog guardians in understanding how underlying sensory differences can be evaluated and treated in dogs. Participants will receive a review of the relationship between sensory processing differences and canine mental health diagnoses and will discuss behaviors that indicate further evaluation of sensory processing. Two valid and reliable assessment tools will be introduced, and 3 sensory-based interventions for improving dog behavior will be discussed, including Leslie McDevitt’s Pattern Games, Linda Tellington’s TTouch, and Wilbarger & Wilbarger’s Sensory Diet. Scientific evidence will be used to demonstrate the necessity and effectiveness of sensory-based interventions as part of a comprehensive and holistic behavior modification plan.

After this workshop, participants will be able to:
  • Identify behavior signs that indicate a dog’s sensory processing patterns should be evaluated further (ie. “picky” eating, separation anxiety, thunderstorm or noise phobia)
  • Describe 2 valid & reliable assessments for evaluating sensory processing patterns in dogs (ie. The Highly Sensitive Dog Questionnaire, Canine Behavior & Research Questionnaire)
  • Describe the 3 foundational types of sensory input that contribute to sensory integration and nervous system health (ie. proprioception, vestibular input, deep pressure touch).
  • Identify everyday dog-human activities that provide proprioceptive, vestibular, and deep pressure touch input.
  • Describe 3 interventions (ie. Pattern Games, TTouch, Sensory Diets) that utilize a sensory-based approach to treating anxious, reactive, or aggressive dog behavior


 3 CEUs pending:
  • KPA
  • PPAB
  • IAABC
  • CPDT

Tuition:

  • General Admission Tickets – after July 15, 2023: $85
  • Early Bird Tickets – before July 15, 2023: $55
  • Shelter/Rescue/Vet Student/Vet Tech Tickets - no expiration date: 30% off general admission ticket (discount code is SDFWBV)


Discounts are available for groups of 5 or more - please contact Webinars@BehaviorVets.com for more information.

Cancellation policy: No refunds


Behavior Vets Membership
We are grateful that you trust us with your continued education, and we wanted to make it even easier for you to learn and grow with us. You can now gain access to ALL webinars for 25% off!!!

The Basic Level provides you with 25% off ALL webinars, seminars and workshops! Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for animal training and behavior professionals are offered for current and future webinars, not past webinars. You will have access to our webinar content for the length of your membership.

After enrolling, you can apply the Membership discount to THIS webinar! :)

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Meet the instructor

Sharon Vincuilla

Sharon is a doctor of occupational therapy, with advanced clinical practice in community-based mental health, who has practiced dog training and behavior consulting for 16 years, specializing in public safety / dog bite prevention, and rehabilitation for anxious, reactive, and traumatized dogs.

Sharon facilitated animal assisted interventions for 10 years supporting human-dog teams in becoming registered and visiting in nursing homes, schools, homeless shelters, and children’s courts. Sharon also provided animal assisted therapy groups and canine behavior consulting to previously unhoused humans with The People Concern in Los Angeles, CA.

As a licensed OT, Sharon supported traumatized adults who were labeled with serious mental illness in building healthful daily routines and sensory-based coping strategies to overcome severe nervous system dysregulation and to support community reentry.

Sharon recently started Human Canine Collaborative and is supporting humans and dogs through trauma recovery, grief journeying, and professional practices of trauma-informed care by cultivating sensory diets, practical coping strategies, and consent-based interspecies communication.
Patrick Jones - Course author