[Episode 134] Amy Cook, PhD - ’The Play Way’

4:40 - Ryan asks Amy to take us back to when she started with training with positive reinforcement. 9:30 - Ryan and Amy discuss her PhD further and the questions that were raised through her PhD and how her research resulted in studying and researching studies involving children. 15:40 - Amy explains that the approach at UC Berkeley was focused around cognition rather than psychology and asking cognitive questions rather than focussing on ethology and behaviour. She details how the questions we ask about dogs tend to mirror the questions that we ask about children. 32:20 - Amy Cook explains how she started working with Denise at the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy and expands how play became an important part in her thoughts. 42:00 - Amy describes play as a therapy for the animal. 45:30 - Amy explains how having a low value play interaction allows us to see when they ‘can’t’ respond. 49:35 - Amy highlights using play in a set up and starting it in the environment when a dog is under threshold with a detailed example. 56:20 - Amy explains how using ‘theraplay’ and social play can be used as an early warning system, to indicate the low levels of stress the dog may be exhibiting in an environment. 58:30 - Ryan discusses with Amy an article regarding The Play Way written in the Whole Dog Journal. 1:05:50 - Ryan and Amy encapsulate the overall principle to training with the play way.