We are so excited to share this episode for more than one reason! The first being that our guest is Grisha Stewart, who so kindly agreed to share her time and knowledge with us on a topic Jade is only becoming more passionate about. The other is a chance to share an upcoming webinar covering all sorts of topics about finding, adopting, and training a new dog in a neurodivergent-centric way!

We invited Grisha Stewart to discuss emotional regulation instead of something more dog-centric or BAT related because Grisha's academy has been the first source of information where learning about the nervous system and emotional regulation didn't put me (Jade) off immediately. The concepts and practices introduced have created a profound shift in my wellbeing and by extension, my dog's wellbeing, and my relationships with other people. Of course, I had lots of questions and want to make these concepts more accessible for more neurodivergent people, so I hope you find many valuable points to take away while listening.

Back to the upcoming webinar - visit the link below to learn more and sign up!
The webinar is created and hosted by neurodivergent individuals and for neurodivergent owners (or professionals who want to learn more about working with ND owners).
https://www.autismactually.com.au/event-details/so-youre-neurodivergent-and-you-want-a-dog?fbclid=IwAR2oR2r6htaxLOvEwxSWmY0DRaHq7sPhA7PWnWyeW5jrYM73zoTz3BFcQEk
We'll be covering things like breed traits that disproportionately affect ND owners, specific equipment for making training sessions more sensory friendly, and sensory considerations to take into account when considering what breed to get!

About Grisha Stewart

Grisha Stewart is an author, international speaker, dog trainer, and online dog school facilitator based in Oregon, USA, who specializes in dog reactivity and canine empowerment.  “Ahimsa” is a Buddhist doctrine of nonviolence to all living things, which reflects Grisha’s focus on force-free methods to promote the well-being of dogs and their humans. Her seminal book, “Behavior Adjustment Training: BAT for Aggression, Reactivity, and Fear in Dogs,” was published by Dogwise in late 2011. Grisha’s popular second book, “The Official Ahimsa Dog Training Manual: A Practical, Force-Free Guide to Problem Solving & Manners,” was published in 2012 and updated in 2014. Her third book, BAT 2.0 was released in early 2016 and is available to order on her site.

Resources

school.grishastewart.com

Learn more about becoming a diamond member and subscribing to the academy (Jade considers this her personal favorite and most comprehensive + cost effective option for continued education)
https://school.grishastewart.com/bundles/diamond

Learn more about how to apply for a 6 month scholarship to the academy to study or earn your CBATI certification
Need based for individuals: https://grishastewart.com/diamondscholarship
free courses for shelters and rescues: https://school.grishastewart.com/bundles/rescue

Specific courses at the academy
How to Human:  https://school.grishastewart.com/courses/human?omnisearch__query=how+to+human
(message Jade for discount code)

Mentioned resources:
A little bit of lucid dreaming: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Bit-Lucid-Dreaming-Introduction/dp/1454942843/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2R5QK49V1XXAR&keywords=a+little+bit+of+lucid+dreaming&qid=1699832072&sprefix=a+little+bit+of+luc%2Caps%2C1468&sr=8-1
Marble spinner: https://store.grishastewart.com/collections/joy/products/ripple
Atlas of the Heart: https://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Heart-Meaningful-Connection-Experience/dp/0399592555

Have you wanted to hear more about our guests' personal experiences with and thoughts on being neurodivergent as a kid, throughout their career development, and in their business now? Miranda is the perfect guest for you (we know, we know, the episode got a bit long but it's well worth the listen)! We hope this is a relatable episode for other neurodivergent guardians and trainers, and an educational one for neurotypical listeners here to learn. We covered Miranda's experience with being undiagnosed neurodivergent as a kid, how this led to her career with animals, her experience with being houseless, and her current venture, the Buddy Project - a detailed journal of demonstrating and explaining the rehabilitation of a horse with aggressive behavior using force free training. 

Miranda Hebert (Certified Professional Animal Trainer - Knowledge Assessed) is a Neurodivergent freelance animal training & behavior technician, educator, consultant, and coach, based out of Greater Montreal, QC, Canada. She applies a holistic approach to welfare and training, nurturing confident, independent, ‘thinking animals,’ who when given an abundance of options still choose to work cooperatively in partnership with their handler(s). These results are evident in her work.

Miranda never wants to see a world where humans and animals can't coexist to the mutual benefit and support of each other's wellness, and has found her greatest strengths rooted in her experience teaching and learning from animals.

Miranda website: https://www.mhebertanimaltraining.com/
The Buddy Project facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebuddyprojecthorsetraining
mentioned Ted Talk Invisible Diversity: A Story of Undiagnosed Autism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cF2dhWWUyQ4&ab_channel=TEDxTalks

content warning: explicit language

Our guest today is Max Siefert, fellow ND horse and dog trainer to teach us (and you), more about horse training, his transition through training methods over time, his experience with being ND, and even a little bit about emotional regulation for humans. The added complexity of learning to emotionally regulate while also learning to train or change methods is seldom mentioned, so we're excited to share this conversation with you and hope you find it relatable!

Max Seifert is a CPTD-KA and CGC evaluator based in Frederick, MD. He owns Rosie’s Tail Training, and specializes in reactivity and aggression cases. Using his lived experiences with neurodivergency and trauma, his education, and his hands-on experience, he creates training plans that put emotional regulation and unmet needs at the forefront.

 Rosiestailtraining.com

Have you wondered whether offering day training would be a good option for your business? Ash is here to help you figure it out! Marketing to generate consistent client inquiries and then keeping up with answering those inquiries can feel like an impossible task for ND business owners. Relieving the stress of constant client generation can be one of the many benefits of a day training program, along with flexible hours and lots of chances for novelty. We cover the many benefits for you, the dogs, and the owners as Ash gives an in depth look at how she runs her business and structures her service as well as what you need to start your own day training business. 

Ashlee Osborn is a certified dog trainer with over a decade of experience caring for and training dogs and their owners. After developing day training programs for multiple local dog daycare and boarding facilities, she founded Pawsitive Pups Academy in 2021, a mobile training service based in Omaha, Nebraska that specializes in off-leash training and adventures. She also offers virtual training and coaching services to both pet owners and other professionals.

How to Create a Day Training Program webinar (even more details!): https://www.pawsitivepupsacademy.com/daytrainwebinar

Our guest this week is Laura Gendron of Miss Behavior Training, here to discuss cooperative care, perfectionism, and memberships. Laura shares about her transition from the veterinary world into the training world, and then into virtual training and behavior consultations with a membership. We discuss the impacts of ADHD and perfectionism on cooperative care and other training, and include a few solutions about communication between veterinary staff and trainers. Join us to talk about realistic training!

Laura Gendron, owner of Miss Behavior in Northwood, NH founded her dog training business in 2008. She graduated from the University of NH with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and an Associate’s Degree in Animal Science with a concentration on Small Animal Care in 2007.

Laura is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Fear-Free Certified Trainer, and a Licensed Family Dog Mediator. She believes in positive, playful, and trust-based training and getting to know every dog-family team individually, often collaborating with a pet-care team. Having worked in a veterinary hospital for 10 years, Laura also has a strong passion for teaching pet parents and professionals how to use lower-stress techniques in handling and vet care. 

As a mom of two children, one dog, and two birds, Laura feels strongly about helping dog parents learn how to raise their dogs much like mothering children, using play, good management, and predictable patterns. 

Laura currently offers private virtual and in-home training and coaching, online courses, and a membership for dog parents working with their dogs at home. To learn more, visit MissBehaviorTraining.com. 

On this episode of Dog Life With No Spoons, we explore the importance of confidence in selling services and programs, the benefits of having a specific niche, and the balancing personalization vs standardization with business coach Jenesis Rose Long. We also discuss the importance of self-acceptance and being true to yourself in business, compared to the cold-selling tactics and their impact on creating power dynamics and lack of trust. Join us as we learn more about developing customized experiences for our clients and empowering them to improve on their own

Jenesis Rose Long, M. Ed. is a Business Development Coach helping business’ create transformational programs designed for their unique niche market. Her academic background in education and social psychology, alongside her business leadership experience, make her the best person to talk to when you’re ready to grow your own service-based business with a clear brand, a high-impact offer, honest marketing, and consensual sales. Additionally, she is rhe co-founder of Liberationships: a transformative mentorship model for women of color.

Jenesis Rose Long is a ND business coach. Check out her information below!
Find her podcast and blog at https://jenesisrose.com/
Watch her free training here: https://jenesisrose.com/freecoachingsalestraining/
instagram: @jenesis_rose (https://www.instagram.com/jenesis_rose/)

Dog training advice can seem like some kind of formula - apply this solution for this problem and if it doesn't work, you did something wrong (or identified the wrong problem). Join us with Brian Fleming to discuss how chaos theory can be used to broaden your understanding of behavior and modifying behavior. Behavior is complex, and situations with a complex environment or many relationships within the home do not lend themselves well to a reductionist approach. 

Brian Fleming is a dog behavior consultant and Licensed Family Dog Mediator out of Connecticut, he specializes in complex cases and is the author of the Chaos & Canines blog and co-host of The Canine Complexity Podcast

Brian
website: brianthebarkeologist.com
facebook: Brian the Barkeologist
Blog: Canines at the Edge of Chaos

Mentioned Resources
Robert Sepulsky on Chaos and Reductionism
Book: Power in the Wild
Podcast: SFI Complexity Podcast 

Join us with Rain Jordan to reframe fear aggression and the ladder of aggression into self defense and the ladder of distress, and learn more about the Fearful Dog Project and their anti-aversive approach. We thought the discussion was a great example of how to navigate sticky conversations, taking the time to thoroughly define terms, and normalizing asking for clarification that the discussion is still targeted at the belief and ideas, not the person. We wrapped everything up with a discussion on Rain's experience as a neurodivergent individual and other people's perceptions as well. 


Rain Jordan specializes in feralized, traumatized, and other fearful and anxious dogs, Ms. Jordan is a Certified Canine Behavior Consultant (CBCC-KA) and Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) via the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), a  Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP), a graduate of Behavior+ Works' Animal Behavior program (LLA), and the Certified Canine Fear Abatement Instructor/Mentor for The Fearful Dogs Project.

Ms. Jordan wrote the first ever essay on "learned helplessness" in racing industry greyhounds; this seminal work appeared in a 3 part series in The Coalition for the Protection of Greyhounds magazine. Although Seligman's original idea of helplessness being "learned" has more recently been revised, what's most important isn't whether it's a learned or default state, but rather, how to avoid activating it. Jordan also writes a canine behavior newspaper column and articles for other publications. In addition to running her private behavior practice, she also develops animal welfare programs for shelters, rescues, and companion animals and their humans. The Fearful Dogs Project was one of the earliest of these programs. Ms. Jordan holds a terminal degree (M.F.A.) and has more than 15 years experience teaching adults, including teaching in California colleges. She is the author of several books, including  Such Small Hands: An Anti-Aversives Primer and The Dog Who Couldn't Be Petted. 

 You can find how to become a Certified Canine Fear Abatement Expert (CCFAE) on at the Fearful Dog Project. Scholarships available for people with limited income, seniors, BIPOC, LGBTQ, neurodivergent individuals, etc

www.CanineFearSolutions.com

www.FearfulDogsProject.org

https://medium.com/@caninefearsolutions

https://www.expertcanine.com/post/dogbehaviormodification