Linda Marston Seminar

Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th August 2010

This unique opportunity to share in Linda Marston’s research and expertise will be held at Murdoch Challenger TAFE on Saturday 7th August, and Billy’s Day-Care for Dogs on Sunday 8th August.

Both days will feature live demonstrations with dogs. Included in the days’ events are morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea.

You can also choose to continue discussions over a 3 course dinner on Saturday evening with Linda Marston, the teams from Paw Prints Pet Training and Top Dogz Pet Training as well as your fellow attendees! But be quick, there are limited places available for the dinner option!

Discounts apply when registering early - before 15th July 2010.

Seminar Highlights

Saturday 7th August 2010 –

Held at Murdoch Challenger TAFE

Calling all Canine Enthusiasts!
…owners, students, shelter staff, vet nurses, pet store workers…

Topics covered today include

• the dog-human bond
• environmental enrichment for the companion dog
• the benefits of massage…and so much more!

Sunday 8th August 2010 –

Held at Billy's Day-Care for Dogs, Belmont

Dog professionals and their peers!
…trainers, students, shelter staff, interested intelligentsia...

Topics covered today include

• reactivity in dogs, the how and the why
• physiological and psychological effects of reactivity
• working with reactive dogs, prevention techniques…and so much more!

Read about Dr Linda Marston PhD...

Somewhat unusually for a scientist, Linda combines research with hands-on applied behavioural training in the community dog club and shelter environment.

This interest was fostered by her initial training as a psychologist and then becoming the owner of a dog-reactive female German Shepherd. Traditional training methods, the standard at this time, enabled this dog to perform very well in obedience, flyball and as a therapy dog, but didn’t ‘fix’ her reactivity issue.

Thinking that there must be a better way, Linda went back to school to study the dog-human relationship and what happens when things go wrong.

Her PhD research has been recognised by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), and has been implemented by national and international animal shelters - most recently in South Africa, Spain and Guam.

Linda regularly works as an independent consultant on companion animal issues for state governments, the WSPA and urban planners. Linda was key in helping transform the Victorian Animal Aid Trust shelter into a ‘quiet shelter’ and implementing Post Adoptive Training, a first for Australia.

She has created the course materials and teaches the TAFE Cert. IV unit ‘RUV4203A - Identify and Respond to Animal Behaviour’ course and is currently designing Cert. II and Cert. III course materials.

Linda has published widely in the scientific literature, contributes to scientific review panels for a number of journals and regularly presents her research at conferences both locally and internationally.

Two of her current dogs are ‘rescues’. One was adopted at seven months with minimal human socialisation; the other had major resource guarding issues. Linda says, ‘They have been great teachers.'