Dogged Justice Courthouse Dogs Foundation

Have you ever wondered what it looks like to be an Animal Behavior Researcher? Emily Bray from the Arizona Canine Cognition Center joins Colleen and Jim in this episode. Emily takes our hosts through her process of working with puppies, tells them how the research is functionally applied and shares some of the activities she takes the working dogs through as well. 


Episode Highlights 
1:26 - Meet the first guest of Season 2 Emily Bray from the Arizona Canine Cognition Center & Canine Companions 
2:30 - The work that Canine Companions early development center does. 
4:35 - Emily’s process and her early work in animal behavior studies.
6:30 - Surprising behaviors discovered during the maternal studies.
10:05 - Jim & Emily reflect on how important the maternal work being done benefits all dog owners. Plus, where Jim has recently referenced the work.
12:30 - Why these long-term studies are so challenging to complete. 
17:00 - The benefits of these long-term studies and why it's worth being patient for them to be completed. 
18:00 - Emily goes deep on the cognitive research she's been conducting on working dogs. 
23:00 - How this research get’s functionally applied in the real world. 
26:00 - Jim points out how specialized puppy raisers' intuition and years of experience play a part in all of this. 
31:00 - Jim invites Emily to share her recent publications from the data she’s collected. 
33:00 - 3 tasks used in recent testing and what the results helped us understand. 
38:00 - Thinking about Blake, Colleen reflects on the daily tasks her facility dog would and would not be suited for.
40:45 - Jim and Emily talk through what makes positive and negative outcomes, and how a working dog's characteristics play a part. 
43:30 - What happens when a working dog isn't the right fit for the originally intended working environment. 
45:15 - Emily share's what it's like to work with these cute dogs all day as a professional animal behavior researcher.


If you'd like to know more about the work Emily does you can follow her website at https://www.emilyebray.com/
 

Welcome back to Season 2 of Dogged Justice. This season Colleen and Jim will be focusing on the complexities of the science and research behind selecting and training facility dogs. Our hosts also provide personal updates and share the celebration of Molly B’s life as a facility dog. 

Show Highlights
1:30 - Season 1 Recap
2:30 - What to expect in Season 2
4:30 - Science behind selecting these facility dogs
6:30 - Examples of research happening now
8:30 - Jim explains complexities in the evolution of scientific methods
12:00 - Updates on Frannie, Blake 
17:30 - Colleen asks Jim why Blake is upset when she gets in the hammock
20:30 - Celebrating Molly B’s life and service
22:00 - Jim shares his first memory of Molly B
26:00 - Colleen reflects on when she’s interacted with Molly B

This episode spotlights the upcoming training opportunity presented by the Courthouse Dogs Foundation on Responding To Incidents of Mass Victimization. Colleen & Jim welcome back Kim Gramlich & Tamara Martin presenters at this symposium to give you a preview on what to expect, and help identify if this is the right symposium for you to attend. 
Click here to learn more or register for this virtual symposium. 
 
Episode Highlights 
1:00 - Personal update on Jim 
2:15 - January 20th, 2021 Courthouse Dogs Foundation Virtual Symposium on Responding to Incidents of Mass Victimization 
3:30 - Kim Gramlich shares the roles she fills when there is a crisis
6:00 - Tamara Martin from Alabama is also back to share her experience in these events
8:15 - What Jim has observed following these events 
10:45 - Creating best practices for response to these events 
13:25 - Being prepared and mentally focused as a handler for a Mass Casualty Response 
15:45 - Defining the role the dogs play at these events 
19:00 - Managing the dogs as a resource to ensure they have down time
22:30 - Asking the right questions to prioritize who needs help
25:00 - Jim shares what to expect when attending the symposium 
28:15 - Colleen recognizes how responding has impacted her
30:15 - The flexibility, change of routine, and requests that come with these circumstances
34:00 - What you know vs what may be asked of you 
36:00 - The emotional experiences that you will carry with you 
37:30 - Preparing for these incidents to limit trauma inside the community
39:30 - A hope that Kim has for the future 
42:00 -  Keeping in mind the purpose for the dogs 
43:30 - Knowing when the time to say “no” is appropriate
46:00 - Being prepared to say “yes” or “no” in advance
47:30 - Kim’s experience with Caber in less than ideal circumstance
49:45 - Willow impacts a man amidst the Route 91 incident 
54:00 - Caber was exactly what was needed 
57:00 - The dogs know the right way to respond, even when we don’t
58:00 - Jim reminds us the training and problem solving will kick in
1:00:00 - Details on the upcoming symposium

We’ve interviewed puppy breeders, trainers, and handlers now it’s time to get the perspective from a puppy raiser. Kathy Zastrow with Canine Companions For Independence joins us to share her unique perspective on raising a puppy before handing it off to the training process. She shares so many surprises and family lessons learned as well as some of her memorable moments. 


Episode Highlights 
1:10 - Meet Kathy Zastrow puppy raiser for & Northwest Region Board Member with Canine Companions for Independence 
2:45 - Volunteering for a new puppy with a catch! 
4:15 - Kathy’s children learn a valuable lesson 
7:00 - Family lessons learned raising puppies 
10:30 - The kids continuing the legacy
11:30 - Introducing the program to Aiden the first puppy Kathy raised
15:00 - A trip to the grocery store wins over the principal 
17:00 - Jared takes the dog on the school bus 
19:30 - 5 types of Canine Companions for Independence service dogs
21:30 - Supporting Veterans with PSTD
24:00 - What the process for becoming a puppy raiser looks like
27:30 - The behaviors and training these puppies have 
30:30 - The importance of socialization
32:00 - The funnest place Kathy has socialized a puppy
34:00 - Raising male puppies
37:00 - Placing a dog in the right job based on their personality 
39:30 - What the transition from training to working looks like for the dogs
42:45 - Observing the unexpected path the dogs take
45:00 - Watching Monty work as a facility dog
48:15 - A dog goes down an unexpected path 
53:00 - Prairie unexpectedly becomes the star of the class
56:30 - Colleen shares on Blake’s headstrong moments
59:30 - Kathy reflects on past placements & future plans


Links To References
Canine Companions For Independence

While you may have assumptions on how working dogs are bred, there is still plenty to learn. Marina Phillips the Breeding Coop Administrator for Assistance Dogs International North America Regional helps answer many questions on this topic. Jim shares why the terminology is so important when discussing these topics as well. 
Join us next month for the November Virtual Race & Walk for Gratitude to raise funds to support this program.

Episode Highlights 
2:00 - Meet Marina Phillips a Breeding Coop Administrator for Assistance Dogs International 
2:30 - How the programs work together 
4:30 - Breeding Cooperative accreditation & member schools
6:00 - Sharing resources in breeding
8:00 - How the breeding cooperative began 
11:30 - Marina’s journey to the breeding cooperative
16:30 - The many aspects of breeding 
19:00 - Tracking the window of ovulation 
20:00 - Development of the colony of 
22:30 - The ways genetic testing is leveraged 
24:00 - Definitions for naming of dog characteristics 
28:00 - Developing systems to screen & develop for training
30:00 - Formalizing terminology to work together for best possible outcomes
32:00 - Micro Behaviors seen to recognize long term outcomes 
34:00 - Training handlers to spot the behaviors that benefit the dogs
36:30 - Marina shares how feedback influences what works well
39:30 - Behavior checklists and how facility dogs connect 
42:00 - Colleen reflects on the characteristics of Blake
 
Links To References
Assistance Dogs International North America Regional Chapter 
International Working Dog Registry 

How many loads of laundry does it take to raise a puppy? Who takes care of the pregnant dogs? How are the dogs paired for breeding? Colleen & Jim are joined by Breeder Caretaker Wendy Clock Johnson from Canine Companions for Independence to answer all our puppy breeding and raising questions. They also discuss why this process is so important for successful working dogs. 
 
Episode Highlights 
1:00 - Meet Wendy Clock Johnson the Breeder Caretaker for Canine Companions For Independence 
3:30 - How Wendy becoming a breeder caretaker 
5:30 - The process for breeding and and length of service
7:30 - What happens if a breeder caretaker needs help 
9:30 - The challenges of socializing dogs right now
12:15 - All the loads of laundry to do!
14:45 - From pregnancy, to whelping boxes 
19:30 - Maximum puppy cuteness, Jim shares the science
23:15 - Pairing the dogs for breeding
26:30 - Seeing characteristics passed from parent to puppy
27:45 - Recognizing the skills generationally 
30:15 - Wendy shares a few examples she’s seen 
31:30 - Why purposeful breeding is useful
34:00 - Mission critical tasks we rely on dogs for
36:30 - History, hit rate, and choosing the environments
39:00 - Milestones the breeder caretaker manages 
40:30 - An unexpected conditioning moment 
42:45 - When puppies are ready to go to the puppy raiser
44:30 - Delivering the puppies to the raiser & when they return 
48:00 - Wendy’s experiences working in these programs
49:00 - The types of working dogs that Canine Companions for Independence raises
52:10 - Identifying the characteristics to put the dog in the right working environment
54:30 - Collen reflects on the observed actions dogs pick up
56:00 - Frannie’s personality that Jim enjoys
58:00 - Blake asks for dessert
59:30 - Sabina & Mara at home with Wendy
1:02:30 - The social media puppy raisers have created 
1:04:00 - When public has been surprised by these dogs
1:06:00 - The moments that make this work great
1:10:00 - Where dogs go to when they are not able to be placed as working dogs
1:13:00 - A special community built around raising these dogs
1:14:30 - What happens when Sabina & Mara retire
1:17:00 - Roles of the dogs after they are retired 


Links To References
Canine Companions for Independence 
Assistance Dogs Of The West - Facebook 
PADS - Pacific Assistance Dogs Society