One of the hardest parts of a pet trainer’s job can be getting the people on board. You can come up with the best plan in the world, but if the clients don’t follow it, nothing is likely to change.
This session will help you figure out ways to collaborate with clients, so that both they and their pets get the best possible results. Topics covered will include creating training plans that work for the client as well as the pet, encouraging clients to practice, and adjusting the plan as the case progresses.
This was previously aired at Geek Week 2021
About Your Presenter
Irith Bloom
Irith Bloom has loved animals for as long as she can remember. She grew up with dogs, gerbils, and a pet snake (who was housed far from the gerbils) and was fascinated by horses. After years of (unsuccessfully) begging her parents to let her ride, she took matters into her own hands and won a horse in an essay contest. Irith’s parents were too busy to train the animals, so Irith became good at teaching useful (from the human point of view) skills to non-human animals.
A self-admitted geek, Irith has spent a great deal of time studying the science of behavior. She is fortunate enough to be invited regularly to give presentations on a variety of animal- and learning-related topics. Her writing on these topics has also been published both online and in print.
Irith is faculty at Victoria Stilwell Academy for Dog Training and Behavior and dogbiz’s Dog Walking Academy. She is also a CPDT-KSA, a CBCC-KA, a CDBC, a CSAT, a KPA CTP, a VSPDT, and a CBATI, as well as being certified in TAGteach, a positive-reinforcement method for teaching humans.
Irith is a member of the board of directors of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT), on the advisory board for Daily Paws, chair emeritus of the Education Committee of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), and a former member of the APDT Legislative Task Force. She also volunteers for National English Shepherd Rescue.
Irith has a BA in biology from the University of Pennsylvania and lives in Los Angeles, California. Her company, The Sophisticated Dog, LLC, offers online training and behavior services to clients worldwide as well as limited in-person services for clients in her local area. Irith also offers consulting services for fellow pet professionals.
