2nd International Scientific Conference of Companion Animals Behaviourists and Trainers

„CONTEMPORARY BEHAVIOR THERAPY OF COMPANION ANIMALS”

'MOOD MATTERS' - EMOTIONS AND MOOD - APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EMOTIONS AND EMOTIONALITY IN THE PRACTICE OF DIAGNOSING THE CAUSES OF BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS AND IN TRAINING AND THERAPEUTIC WORK WITH ANIMALS AND THEIR CARERS

Saturday 22 / Sunday 23 of June 2024

University of Agriculture in Kraków, Congress Centre, 31-482 Kraków, Poland

Organized by:

Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) Polska | School of Dog Nutrition at the Faculty of Animal Breeding and Biology of the Agricultural University of Krakow

Honorary Patronage:

Rector of the University of Agriculture in Kraków, Polish Association of Small Animal Veterinarians, Director of the University Center of Veterinary Medicine UAK, Dean of the Faculty of Animal Breeding and Biology UAK, IVSA Kraków, International Veterinary Students' Association Kraków, COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers, Polish Association of Pet Food Producers

Media Patronage:

Sponsors:

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

Two years after the last conference organized by COAPE Polska and COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers we are pleased to announce the upcoming edition of the conference, with the intention of arranging it in this format every two years.

It is an overview of the latest knowledge and practice in the fields of companion animal behavior therapy and behavioral science. This time, we will focus on emotions and emotionality of animals, recognizing that these mental processes are the most important in the regulation of behavior, and that they can be modified at different levels as the key factor in animal therapy and training.

We will emphasize two aspects of animal emotionality - the importance of emotional well-being (mood) and the problems associated with emotions of fear and anger, which generate the most behavioral problems.

We are committed to holding the biennial conference with a leading theme and a longer speech by a special guest, as well as presentations on this topic by Polish animal behaviorists, veterinarians, and animal behavior researchers.

In our opinion, the achievements and work of Polish animal behaviorists and trainers, as well as veterinarians interested in companion animal behavior therapy, in recent years, are impressive and stand out from the achievements of similar specialists in other European countries.

We have ambitions for our conference to become one of the most prominent conferences on behavior, behavior therapy and animal training in Europe and in our cultural circle. Therefore, all lectures will be translated simultaneously from Polish to English and from English to Polish.


Andrzej Kinteh-Kłosiński, MA Director of Centre Of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) Polska	dr Olga Lasek School of Dog Nutrition at the Faculty of Animal Breeding and Biology of the Agricultural University of Krakow

The conference will be translated into Polish and English and streamed for participants who will not be able to come to Krakow, and recorded in video.

The special guest of the conference will be Karin Pienaar, director of COAPE International.

Karin Pienaar - DipCABT (COAPE) (C.C.A.B.) OCN, CertCAB, CABTi Practitioner) is a specialist working in animal behaviour and behavioural therapy in companion animals and captive wildlife since 1997. She holds a diploma in Animal Behaviour Therapy UK (Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) and is a practice member of the International Association of COAPE Behaviourists and Trainers (CABTi).

She is the author of Mood Matters, which introduces trainers, behaviourists, and anyone working or living with animals the groundbreaking concept of MHERA, which was developed to assess the role that animal emotional states and mood play in their overall behaviour. For more information about Karin - click - HERE

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

SATURDAY

8.30 - 9.00 - Registration
9.00 - 9.30 - Introduction and greeting of guests
9.30 - 11.00 - Karin Pienaar MHERA: Mood Matters - An innovative approach to assessing animals' emotionality in the therapy of behavioural problems. Part 1.
11.00 - 11.30 - Coffe break
11.30 - 13.00 - Karin Pienaar MHERA: Mood Matters - An innovative approach to assessing animals' emotionality in the therapy of behavioural problems. Part 2.
13.00 - 14.00 - Lunch
14.00 - 14.45 - Sybilla Berwid-Wójtowicz - Emotional microbiota or microbiota that arouses emotions?
14.45 - 15.30 - Michał Dzięcioł - Emotions and chemical communication - what is invisible and what matters.
15.30 - 16.00 - Tea break
16.00 - 16.45 - Magdalena Michałek - The influence of the caregiver's emotions on the course of dog behavioral therapy.
16.45 - 17.30 - Marcin Przybyło - Nature's best! Behavior patterns of wild animals as a determinant of the welfare of animals kept under human care.

SUNDAY

9.00 - 9.45 - Barbara Szczygieł - The interaction of emotional states between a behaviorist and a dog that has gone through something like this as a starting point in conscious therapy for dogs in a shelter.
9.45 - 10.30 - Beata Węgrzyn - AI and behaviourism - whether and how artificial intelligence will help in understanding animal behaviour and whether it can affect their well-being.
10.30 - 11.00 - Coffe break
11.00 - 11.45 - Martyna Woszczyło - Mood and emotions in the context of pharmacotherapy - a multimodal approach to diagnostics and behavioral therapy of dogs and cats.
11.45 - 12.30 - Marcin Urbaniak - The hypothesis of the affective niche of companion animals and its function in experiencing emotions.
12.30 - 13.15 - Agnieszka Żółtowska - What love has to do with it? Emotional health of hospitalised feline patients. The perspective of a veterinarian and animal behaviourist.
13.15 - 14.00 - Lunch
14.00 - 15.30 - Karin Pienaar MHERA: Mood Matters - An innovative approach to assessing animals' emotionality in the therapy of behavioural problems. Part 3.
15.30 - 15.45 - Przerwa herbaciana
15.45 - 17.15 - Karin Pienaar MHERA: Mood Matters - An innovative approach to assessing animals' emotionality in the therapy of behavioural problems. Part 4.
17.15 - 17.45 - Dyskusja - podsumowanie i zakończenie konferencji.

TICKETS

Ticket prizes:
- PREMIUM TICKET 220€
- REGULAR TICKET 195€
- ONLINE TICKET 125€

CONTACT TO THE ORGANIZERS - szkolenia@coape.pl tel. +48 607427171, +48 883 994 464

PROFILES OF SPEAKERS

Sybilla
Berwid-Wójtowicz

Dr. Sybilla Berwid-Wójtowicz - Sybilla Berwid-Wójtowicz, DVM, a dedicated expert in veterinary sciences. With a Ph.D. in Veterinary Sciences from Warsaw University of Life Sicences and postgraduate studies in human clinical nutrition from Warsaw Medical University, she brings a wealth of knowledge spreading right way of veterinary dietetics tuition according to official recommendations issued by international veterinary organisations (WSAVA, FEDIAF). Proudly affiliated with ESVCN, she is also a respected lecturer at main Polish Veterinary Faculties at main Universities (Warsaw, Cracow, Wroclaw, Lublin) and a representative to the Polish working group in FEDIAF (in Poland – Polkarma).
In her journey she went through industry leaders such as Royal Canin (Mars), Whiskas (Masterfood-Mars), Biomill, AptusPet (Orion Pharma), and finally joined Purina (Nestlé). Beyond corporate roles, she actively contributes as Vet Marketing & Science Communication Manager, providing valuable insights to various projects and brands development in veterinary channel.
Since 2004, she has been the driving force behind Dieto-profilaktyka, a brand dedicated to delivering engaging training sessions organized by other private entities (like Ethoplanet) and delivered insightful lectures in the area of animal and human nutrition. Her thought-provoking review papers can be found in reputable publications like Magazyn Wet, Weterynaria w Praktyce, and consumer magazines, both in print and online. The main topic she specializes is impact of nutrition on behavior of dogs and cats and human-pet relationship.
Her daily commitments extends to formulating personalized diets for sick dogs and cats at the reference stage, ensuring balance within WSAVA, FEDIAF (based on NRC), ECVCN good practices, and the latest veterinary knowledge. Join her in the fascinating intersection of science and compassion for our beloved animal companions. Let's make our journey in veterinary medicine together!

Michał Dzięcioł

Dr. Michał Dzięcioł prof. UPWR - Veterinarian and academic teacher, working at the Department of Animal Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences. Specialist in the field of animal reproduction. He conducts research in the field of animal reproduction and behavior, specializing in topics related to semiochemical communication. Originator and organizer of a series of international conferences devoted to the mechanisms of animal behavior. Founder of the Animal Behavior Analysis Laboratory at the local faculty. As a member of the Polish Ethological Society, since 2018 he is a Polish delegate to the International Council of Ethologists. Speaker at numerous scientific conferences in Europe (France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Great Britain, Ukraine), Asia (United Arab Emirates, India) and in the United States

Magdalena Michałek

Magdalena Michałek MA - Master's degree in psychology (University of Silesia, 2010), COAPE certified behaviorist (2018), Nosework Poland instructor, lecturer of the first and second year of the COAPE Diploma Course. Vice president of the COAPE Association of Pet Behaviorists and Trainers. She runs a companion animal behaviorist practice under the banner of „Piesek Manu". Long-time volunteer at shelters in Ruda Śląska and Zabrze. Guardian of two dogs: a mixed-breed Manu, and a kooikerhondje Bibi. Author of webinars and educational materials. Popular instagram creator and promoter of subjective treatment of dogs.

Marcin Przybyło

Dr. Marcin Przybyło - Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Biotechnology Nutrition and Fisheries at the University of Agriculture in Cracow, member of the European Zoo Nutrition Group (EAZA), advisor on the keeping and breeding of non-domestic animals in European zoos. His research interests are in comparative animal physiology and anatomy, practical feeding of non-domestic animals, and optimization of the conditions under which these animals are kept in captivity, in the context of ensuring the highest possible level of well-being. He has researched or worked with several hundred species of animals - from spiders of a few millimeters to elephants of several tons. In recent years, he has been focusing specifically on the influence of environmental factors on animal behavior, especially the occurrence of stereotypies, in zoos and private breeding farms, in an attempt to directly transfer behavioral patterns observed in the wild to animals kept in captivity. Privately, he is an avid kangaroo breeder.

Barbara Szczygieł

Barbara Szczygieł - COAPE behaviorist practitioner, vice president of the COAPE Association of Pet Behaviorists and Trainers. Lecturer at the 1st year of the COAPE Diploma Course, and tutor of the" School for Dogs” course organized by COAPE Poland, instructor of bite prevention, instructor of basic dog training and olfactory detection. Member of TOZ branch in Chorzow. Originator and founder of "Edu - Canis Behawioryści Barbara Szczygiel, Jaroslaw Stanczyk"- where she works with dogs, but also deals with educational activities by conducting training and seminars for volunteers and trainers, as well as for the police and municipal police. She gives opinions for courts in animal abuse cases. In her school in Katowice, she conducts obedience and nosework classes, but especially for dogs that have completely lost trust in humans, as well as rehabilitation training for aggressive and fearful dogs with low social competence - she teaches them to use communication and acquire proper strategies. In her work with dogs, she is guided primarily by the principle of voluntarism - the dog is decisive and has the right to its own communication. A behaviorist at the Dog Shelter in Chorzow, she also works with the Dog Shelter in Katowice, where she previously volunteered

Marcin Urbaniak

Prof. Marcin Urbaniak - is a neuroscientist and zoopsychologist at the University of the National Education Commission in Krakow, as well as the founder of the interdisciplinary Animal Behavior and Mind Laboratory. Professionally, he deals with the evolution of cognitive structures and processes and their comparative approach in the animal kingdom. He conducts research in the areas of zoosemiotics and interspecies communication, as well as on the issues of animal social behavior and higher mental activities, including subjective agency, predictive coding and emotional states in selected species. The results of his research justify the need to constantly improve animal welfare. In his free time, he works as an expert for the protection of exploited groups of animals, including: in tourist transport, in industrial cage breeding or in hunting, recreational and entertainment practices.

Beata Węgrzyn

Beata Węgrzyn - COAPE Certified COAPE Behaviorist and a member of the COAPE Association of Pet Behaviorists and Trainers. She works as a volunteer at the 'Na Paluchu' Dog Shelter in Warsaw, where she assists in the care and socialization of animals, and leads adoption processes. She is also an educator who conducts classes and trainings on animal well-being. In behavioral therapy, she uses only positive ways of working with the animal. She helps guardians build unique relationships with their four-legged friends, based on trust and understanding of their needs.

Martyna Woszczyło

Dr Martyna Woszczyło - veterinarian and COAPE behaviorist. He specializes in conducting behavior therapy for dogs and cats. She completed veterinary studies at the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences and completed the Center of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) diploma course. During his doctoral studies at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Wrocław, he conducts research on semiochemical communication, stress and instinct in dogs. She combines her work as a practicing behaviorist with teaching, is the author of scientific and popular science articles related to animal behavior, and a speaker at conferences on these issues.

Agnieszka Żółtowska

Lek. wet. Agnieszka Żółtowska - Agnieszka graduated from University of Liverpool in 2005 and passed her Membership Examination in Medicine of Cats in 2012. In 2014, she completed COAPE Higher Diploma in Animal Behaviour and Training. Since graduation she was involved in a number of charity projects abroad (including Cyprus and Portugal). In the UK, she has worked in first and second opinion practices, a referral practice in Bristol as well as emergency out of hours clinics.
In 2018 Agnieszka obtained the ISFM Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour. In Jan 2019, she joined The Nottingham University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science Small Animal Clinical Teaching Team. In in 2023 she became an Associate Professor in Veterinary Education. She works with vet students at different stages of their career, concentrating on the final year clinical practice teaching.