Sara McLoudrey started using the term, Care with Consent, while working at Synergy Veterinary Behavior. She wanted clients, referring veterinary clinics, and groomers to understand there was a more inclusive way to train cooperative care.

Care with Consent is about tailoring care solutions for all types of dogs and their people. Our goal is to develop and implement creative training solutions tailored to the comfort and abilities of the individual in front of us. We are focused on minimizing stress and fear during all types of care. It is important to our program to incorporate consent from all parties who interact with the pet including clients and the professionals.

Have you ever seen a video of an animal trained in cooperative care and felt that there was no way your dog or your client’s dog would be able to do that - we understand! While cooperative care is the gold standard, and we love to train skills to be as hands-off as possible, sometimes it is not practical for a variety of reasons.

So, welcome to the world of Care with Consent! In our world, trained restraint is great, muzzles are amazing, medications can be magical, and a comprehensive team approach is key. We always remember that the team comprises the pet, the guardian, the consultant, and the pet care professional.

Care doesn’t need to be perfect to lower fear and stress, but it does need to incorporate agency, consent, and predictability. While providing Care with Consent coaching, we will continue to grow the pet’s comfort and the client’s skills to strive for restraint free cooperative care. If we don’t get there, that is ok. It is also OK that restraint may always be necessary for safety. Providing Care with Consent is still valued and celebrated! Remember, life is seldom perfect, and embracing the practically perfect is empowering for you, your clients, their pets, and their care providers.

Sara McLoudrey provides two decades of experience as a professional dog training consultant. She also brings 14 years of experience coaching clients ranging from attaining low stress nail care to creative solutions that keep everyone physically and emotionally safe for dangerous dogs with bite histories in their home or at the veterinary clinic. In addition to this, Sara worked as the head trainer at Synergy Veterinary Behavior for six years. As such, she has worked with dogs with a wide breadth of behavioral concerns.

If you would like to learn more about Sara check out our About Page.

Candidates should have at least two years of professional experience, understand positive reinforcement training/techniques, be open to learning, be willing to support their fellow Pet Pros, and like to laugh and have fun while training.

The Foundation Level is a ten month program. It focuses on skills to prevent fear and stress in the veterinary clinic, grooming, and at home care. This proactive approach gives dogs skills to opt into care and their guardians understanding how to safely interact with them.

The next level, Behavior Modification, is a six month program. It focuses on dogs who already experience fear and stress in the veterinary setting or with grooming and handling requiring counterconditioning, desensitization, and alternative behaviors to opt into care.

The last level is a four month program, that is focused on dogs who display aggression at the veterinary clinic, groomer, or towards their guardians when being handled. This level will be be stressing the need for a team approach with the the guardians and professional care providers.

The Foundation Program is made up of four sections. Live Zoom sessions will be on Wednesdays at 1:00pm CT/11:00am PT.

• Section One: February 4 - April 13, 2024

• Section Two: April 29 - June 22, 2024

• Section Three: July 7 - August 17, 2024

• Section Four: September 8 - October 5, 2024
  

• Final projects will be due November 2, 2024
  

  You must complete and pass all four sections and your final project to earn your Care with Consent Professional certificate.

The program takes place virtually to serve a more diverse group of Pet Pros. There will be live group sessions, recorded lectures, one-to-one sessions, video reviews, and more.

All live sessions will be on the Zoom platform.

Dogs who struggle with veterinary care, grooming, or handling are less likely to receive the care they need. Care with consent offers an approach to reduce stress for the dog, guardian, and professionals.

This program is designed to give you the hands-on skills to implement care with consent with your clients and their dogs in a way that ensures that needs on both ends of the leash are met. And if you find yourself struggling, you will also have access to a community of other skilled professionals to bounce ideas off of or just get some reassurance and support.

Cooperative care is the gold standard, but if you have ever seen a video of cooperative care and felt that there was no way your dog or your client’s dog would be able to do that - then, you’re in the right place! Care with consent is about solutions for dogs who already experience fear and stress. Care doesn’t need to be perfect to lower fear and stress, it just needs to incorporate agency and consent.

The Foundation Professional Program is a ten month program. For the investment of $275 per month over the 10 month program (total of $2,750), you get

• 26 Weekly Group Zoom Classes

• 12+ Group Office Hours

• 6 One-to-One sessions with Sara
  

• Continuing Education credits have been applied for, from CCPDT, IAABC, and KPA. If there is another organization you would like CEUs for please let us know.

We’re thrilled that you are interested in applying to the Care with Consent Professional Program. Please fill out this application.

Applications for the 2024 cohort are due on December 1, 2023, at Midnight Pacific Time.