Prerequisites: This course is open to everyone.

Course Description: By eliminating anxiety and fear, rehabilitation therapists are better able to localize injuries, address pain, and implement treatment plans. Designed specifically for veterinary rehabilitation professionals, Therapeutic Handling for Canine Rehabilitation provides information and skills to help prevent anxiety and fear and manage behaviors. By applying evidence-based behavior theory, canine body language, and positive reinforcement to the practice of canine rehabilitation, patient interactions can be transformed into therapeutic relationships that benefit the patient, therapist and client. 

Course Curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction

    • Welcome
  • 2

    Part 1: The Foundations of Therapeutic Handling

    • Chapter 1: Advances in Canine Behavior

    • Chapter 2: New Thoughts in Canine Communication

    • Chapter 3: Don't Worry, Be Happy - Maintaining Functionality

    • Chapter 4: Ask Permission - The Four Agreements
  • 3

    Part 2: Therapeutic Handling in Action

    • Chapter 5: Answers to Common Behavior Questions

    • Chapter 6: The Greeting

    • Chapter 7: The Evaluation

    • Chapter 8: Treatments

    • Chapter 9: Therapeutic Exercises

    • Chapter 10: Treating a Dog with a Behavior Modification Plan
  • 4

    Course Evaluation - Therapeutic Handling in Canine Rehabilitation

    • Therapeutic Handling in Canine Rehabilitation

About the instructor

Instructors

Sasha A. Foster, MSPT, CCRT & Ashley Foster, BS, CBCC-KA

Sasha A. Foster, MSPT, CCRT, is the Rehabilitation Coordinator at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, faculty for Canine Rehab Institute, owner of Canine Rehab Shop, and founder of Canine Home Exercises. She has written more than a dozen books on canine physical therapy and fitness including the award winning books The Healthy Way to Stretch Your Dog and Canine Cross Training. She is also a contributing author to the textbook Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2nd Edition (Wiley, 2018). In 2013 she was awarded the first United States patent in canine rehabilitation for "Joint Stabilized Straight Plane Movement Stretching." Her mission is to provide canine companions with research-based, human-quality physical therapy techniques using therapeutic handling methods. Sasha teaches Canine Rehabilitation Therapist, Current Techniques in Clinical Orthopedics: Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation and Canine Neurology and Neuro Rehabilitation. Ashley Foster is a certified canine behavior consultant with 23 years of experience with pet dogs, performance dogs and show dogs. As the owner of Complete K9 Dog Training in Fort Collins, Colorado, and a Board of Directors Member of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, she specializes in relationship-based, positive reinforcement training for dog owners, veterinarians and rehabilitation therapists. In collaboration with Sasha A. Foster, MSPT, CCRT, she developed Therapeutic Handling for Canine Rehabilitation as a training tool to help rehabilitation therapists promote therapeutic relationships with their patients.