Online One-to-One Mentoring for Animal Care Professionals by Myrna Milani

Objective:
The objective of On-line Mentoring for Animal-Care Professionals is to provide participants with the opportunity to develop the critical thinking skills necessary to properly analyze and address issues related to companion animal behavior, health, and the human-animal relationship. Participants can use this information to enhance their personal knowledge and/or client and animal interactions. The benefit of this approach is that information may be tailored to meet individual needs, thereby ensuring the maximum learning experience.

Description:
On-line Mentoring for Animal-Care Professionals offers four mentoring modules to enable busy professionals to engage in concentrated exploration of concepts of greatest value to them professionally. Although each module is designed to stand on its own, they complement each other and together provide a comprehensive approach for those with an interest in animal behavior, health, and/or the human-animal relationship.

Methods:

Currently there are four modules available. (Others are available by request):

Fee:
$1000 in advance or six $200 monthly payments.

Registration:
To register please contact mm@mmilani.com

Module Descriptions

Canine Behavioral Basics:

The fundamentals of ethology as they relate to companion dogs

  1. Using case histories supplied primarily by the participants, this module will explore the of 5 categories of normal animal behaviors as these relate to the intact, spayed or castrated companion dog's ability to succeed in a human household. Those groups consist of displays animals normally use to:
    1. Establish and protect the physical and mental space
    2. Obtain food and water
    3. Court, mate, and reproduce
    4. Raise young
    5. Play
  2. Participant will analyze case history supplied by the mentor and determine:
    1. Which of the categories of behaviors the dog displays
    2. What specific displays the dog uses within each category
    3. What a wild canine using that display would be communicating via those displays
    4. What the dog in the case history is communicating
    5. What humans who interact with the dog think the animal is communicating
    6. The result of those displays
  3. Mentor will assume role of client in mock phone consultation designed to test participant's knowledge of fundamental canine behaviors
  4. Written self-evaluation by student of final case history and mock phone consultation
  5. Discussion of self-evaluation

Feline Behavioral Basics:

The fundamentals of ethology as they relate to companion cats

  1. Using case histories supplied primarily by the participants, this module will explore the of 5 categories of normal animal behaviors as these relate to the intact, spayed or castrated companion cat's ability to succeed in a human household. Those groups consist of displays animals normally use to:
    1. Establish and protect the physical and mental space
    2. Obtain food and water
    3. Court, mate, and reproduce
    4. Raise young
    5. Play
  2. Participant will analyze case history supplied by the mentor and determine:
    1. Which of the categories of behaviors the cat displays
    2. What specific displays the cat uses within each category
    3. What a small wildcat using that display would be communicating via those displays
    4. What the cat in the case history is communicating
    5. What humans who interact with the cat think the animal is communicating
    6. The result of those displays
  3. Mentor will assume role of client in mock phone consultation designed to test participant's knowledge of fundamental canine or feline behaviors
  4. Written self-evaluation by student of final case history and mock phone consultation
  5. Discussion of self-evaluation

Canine Aggression:

An ethological approach to hostile dogs

  1. Exploration of the most common forms of aggression as these relate to the intact, spayed or castrated companion dog's ability to succeed in a human household.
    1. Territorial
    2. Rank-related
    3. Predatory and food-related
    4. Sexual
    5. Parental
    6. Parent-Offspring
    7. Play
    8. Passive
  2. Analysis of a case history supplied by the mentor to determine:
    1. Type(s) of aggression the animal displays
    2. Specific displays the animal uses
    3. What a wild animal using that display would communicate via those displays
    4. What the dog(s) in the case history communicates
    5. What humans who interact with the dog believe the animal is communicating
    6. The result of the aggression
  3. Mock phone consultation designed to test participant's knowledge of canine aggression
  4. Written participant self-evaluation of final case history and mock phone consultation
  5. Discussion of same with mentor

The Human Effect:

The human-animal relationship as it relates to the diagnosis and treatment of companion animal problems

  1. Human perceptions of human-companion animal relationships
    1. "Good" relationships
    2. "Bad" relationships
    3. Point of view
  2. Effect of relationship on:
    1. Animal's behavior
    2. Animal's health
    3. Client's behavior
    4. Client's health
  3. When demands of relationship exceed:
    1. Animal's ability to cope
    2. Client's ability to cope
    3. Professional's ability to cope
  4. Analysis of a case history supplied by the mentor to determine:
    1. Nature of relationship as perceived by the client
    2. Nature of relationship as perceived by the professional
    3. Effects of relationship on animal
    4. Effects of relationship on client and other people
    5. Possible ways to address any conflicts
  5. Mock phone consultation designed to test participant's proficiency relative to the practical effects of the relationship in human-companion animal interactions
  6. Written participant self-evaluation of final case history and mock phone consultation
  7. Discussion of same with mentor

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