Worry Less, Wag More: The Behavior Vets Podcast - Sassafras Lowrey (CPDT-KA, CTDI): The Art of Writing and Trick Training for Happier Dogs

Sassafras Lowrey (CPDT-KA, CTDI): The Art of Writing and Trick Training for Happier Dogs

12/15/23 • 50 min

Worry Less, Wag More: The Behavior Vets Podcast

In this episode, Sassafras shares some tips about writing to engage your audience and how trick training has helped improve the lives of hir dogs. We discuss:

The art of writing about behavior and training for a broad audience
Her books Tricks in the City and Chew This Journal
How trick training can complement behavior modification plans
Trying to help people enjoy their pets and avoid unrealistic expectations

Sassafras's bio:
Sassafras Lowrey (CPDT-KA, CTDI) is an author, dog trainer, and multimedia educator. Sassafras' work with dogs focuses on engagement, enrichment, play, and competitive trick training. Sassafras is the author of the dog training books Tricks In The City and Chew This Journal. Sassafras' dog training articles have regularly appeared in leading dog magazines like Dogster, The Bark, Modern Dog, and The American Kennel Club as well as publications including WIRED, Apartment Therapy, and The New York Times.
Links:
https://sassafraslowrey.com/
Facebook @SassafrasLowrey
Twitter @SassafrasLowrey
Instagram @SassafrasLowrey
Instagram @SiriusTheBear
BooksTricks in the City Chew This Journal
Articles
American Kennel Club:
https://www.akc.org/author/sassafras-lowreyctdi/
WIRED:
https://www.wired.com/author/sassafras-lowrey/
Apartment Therapy:
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/authors/sassafras-lowrey
Cuteness:https://www.cuteness.com/user/sassafras_lowrey
New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/smarter-living/dog-training-behavior.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/smarter-living/the-dog-park-is-bad-actually.html?smid=url-share
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/smarter-living/before-you-adopt-planning-a-lifelong-commitment-to-your-pets-health.html
Theme music composed and performed by Andy Sells

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In this episode, Sassafras shares some tips about writing to engage your audience and how trick training has helped improve the lives of hir dogs. We discuss:

The art of writing about behavior and training for a broad audience
Her books Tricks in the City and Chew This Journal
How trick training can complement behavior modification plans
Trying to help people enjoy their pets and avoid unrealistic expectations

Contact Behavior Vets

Previous Episode

Suzanne Clothier Reflects on Truly Hearing and Seeing the Animal in Front of You

In this episode, Suzanne shares her insights for Relationship Centered TrainingTM (RCT) and having a persistent curiosity of the animal in front of you. We discuss:

Communication and the willingness to hear others
Being a carpenter or a gardener
Humility in training
Dandelions and orchids
Her new Functional Assessment Tracking tool

Suzanne's bio:
Suzanne Clothier has been working with animals professionally since 1977. She is well respected internationally for her holistic Relationship Centered TrainingTM (RCT) approach to dogs and the people that love them. This positive and humane approach keeps the relationship central at all times, and promotes promote healthy, respectful and joyful dog/human connections.

Since 1991, she has taught on a broad range of topics throughout the US and internationally for a wide variety of groups, and served as a consultant to major service dog schools.

An award winning author of multiple books & videos, her book, Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs (2002) has received widespread praise from every corner of the dog world. Her innovative programs include Treat/Retreat, the Enriched Puppy Protocol, CARATTM, RATTM, FATTM, as well as many RCT techniques, online courses and webinars.

A long-time breeder of German Shepherds with 10 generations successful in nearly every dog sport, Suzanne lives on an upstate New York farm with husband John Rice, and their (large!) animal family.
Links:
https://suzanneclothier.com
RCT Online courses
FAT for dogs
Webinars:
Intro to CARAT
Treat/Retreat Overview

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Next Episode

The Behavior Files: How Claire Cario (MA, CPDT-KA) Found a Niche for a Dog-Reactive Cattle Dog in New York City

In this episode, Claire Cario (MA, CPDT-KA, FFCT) was tasked to train Queenie, an intensely dog-reactive cattle dog, in New York City. Queenie's over-the-top reactions became a scary safety risk as she redirected a bite towards her human guardian. Listen to how Claire expertly guided Queenie's mom to find safety and stability in a highly unpredictable environment.
Claire's bio:
Claire F. Cario has been working within the animal welfare and veterinary medicine fields since 2001. She received her MA in the Advanced Psychology of Animal Behavior and Conservation in 2008. The most rewarding aspect of her work is strengthening the human-animal bond and seeing her clients achieve a deeper understanding of their dog’s communication, motivations and behaviors.

Claire started her own business in 2009 and since then, has supervised, managed, and trained animal behavior staff across all sectors of the animal behavior world, developed curriculum for training programs for training schools, municipal shelters, and therapy dog programs, given webinars on canine behavior topics, built behavior assessment systems, and developed individualized behavior training plans for dogs displaying a wide variety of behavior concerns. She is certified through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and a Fear Free Certified Professional. Currently Claire is a Behavior Consultant for Behavior Vets of NYC and an instructor at CATCH Academy. Prior to this, she spent three years as the Private Trainer Manager at School For the Dogs in NYC, four years as the Behavior and Enrichment Assistant Manager at Animal Care Centers of NYC, three years as a behavior consultant on the ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Behavior Team, six years as the executive trainer and coordinator for The Good Dog Foundation.

Click here for more about Claire Cario.

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