APDT Annual Conference

Stamford Grand Adelaide

Thursday 2 October – Sunday 5 October

Program

Thursday 2 October 2025

Pre-Conference Day

8:30 am

Registration Open

Morning workshops (concurrent sessions)

8:30 am10:00 am

Pre-Conference Workshops

Game Changer: Training Games and Behaviour Change

Laura Ryder

Pre-Conference Workshops

Do you see what I see? Challenging Our Observation Skills and Interpretations of animal behaviour

Peta Clarke

10:00 am10:30 am

Morning Tea

Concurrent sessions continued

10:30 am12:00 pm

Pre-Conference Workshops

Game Changer: Training Games and Behaviour Change

Laura Ryder

Pre-Conference Workshops

Do you see what I see? Challenging Our Observation Skills and Interpretations of animal behaviour

Peta Clarke

12:00 pm1:00 pm

Lunch at own expense

Afternoon workshops (concurrent sessions)

1:00 pm2:30 pm

Pre-Conference Workshops

Foundations for Life Rethinking Puppy Socialisation

Chirag Patel

Pre-Conference Workshops

In sickness and in health – how disease affects the behaviour of the dog

Dr Amber Batson

2:30 pm3:00 pm

Afternoon Tea

Concurrent sessions continued

3:00 pm4:30 pm

Pre-Conference Workshops

Lost in Translation: Speaking Client and trainer

Chirag Patel

Pre-Conference Workshops

In sickness and in health – how disease affects the behaviour of the dog

Dr Amber Batson

4:30 pm

Registration open for all attendees

6:30 pm8:30 pm

Ice Breaker Function
Drinks and canapés at the venue

Friday 3 October 2025

Conference Day 1

7:30 am6:30 pm

Registration Open

7:45 am8:15 am

APDT Shorts x 2

7:45am – Speaker announcement soon!

8:00am – Speaker announcement soon!

8:20 am8:30 am

Conference Opening

Louise Ginman
President
, APDT

8:30 am9:30 am

Speaker announced very soon!

9:30 am10:00 am

Speaker announced very soon!

10:00 am10:30 am

Morning Tea

10:30 am12:00 pm

A Multi-modal approach to behaviour problems

Dr Amber Batson

12:00 pm1:00 pm

Lunch

APDT Shorts – sessions announced soon!

1:00 pm1:45 pm

Body Language beyond the lip lick: Is it time to throw away the bath water and change the baby

Chirag Patel

1:45 pm2:30 pm

From Crazy to Calm: A case study with an “impulsive” Samoyed

Chirag Patel

2:30 pm3:00 pm

Afternoon Tea

3:00 pm3:30 pm

The perfect puppy program: Best practices for industry professionals

Laura Ryder

3:30 pm4:30 pm

Shut up I’m thinking. Cognitive processes in dogs.

Peta Clarke

4:30 pm4:40 pm

APDT Awards Presentation

Winner of APDT Trainer of the year announced Presented by Diane Garrod and Alisa Sannikova

5:30 pm6:30 pm

APDT AGM

6:30 pm9:00 am

Free Night

Saturday 4 October 2025

Conference Day 2

7:45 am8:15 am

APDT Shorts x 2
7:45am – Speaker announcement soon!
8:00am – Speaker announcement soon!

8:20 am8:30 am

Welcome

Louise Ginman
President
, APDT

8:30 am9:30 am

The “Good Life” of a “Good Dog” – A Total Welfare Model for the Future of the Pet Dog Industry

Kim Brophey (via Zoom)

Presenting virtually

9:30 am10:00 am

Speaker announced very soon!

10:00 am10:30 am

Morning Tea

10:30 am12:00 pm

Reactive: The label that needs a time out

Chirag Patel

12:00 pm1:00 pm

Lunch
APDT Shorts – speaker announcements coming soon!

1:00 pm1:45 pm

You know what you are teaching but do you know what they are learning?

Peta Clarke

1:45 pm2:45 pm

Getting to the guts of it all: how digestive health influences dog behaviour

Dr Amber Batson

2:45 pm3:15 pm

Afternoon Tea

3:15 pm4:00 pm

Paws, Patterns and progress: Understanding behaviour through observation and data

Chirag Patel

4:00 pm4:45 pm

Concurrent Sessions

Playful reinforcement utilising toy play to shape positive dog behaviour

Laura Ryder

6:30 pm9:00 am

Free Night

Sunday 5 October 2025

Conference Day 3

7:45 am8:15 am

APDT Shorts x 2
7:45am – Speaker announced soon!
8:00am – Speaker announced soon!

8:25 am8:30 am

Welcome

Louise Ginman
President
, APDT

8:30 am9:30 am

Speaker announced very soon!

9:30 am10:00 am

Speaker announced very soon!

10:00 am10:25 am

Morning Tea

10:25 am

Concurrent Sessions

10:25 am11:10 am

Tough Talks: Navigating difficult conversations in the animal care industry

Laura Ryder

Revisiting Learning Theory: The missed layers

Chirag Patel

11:15 am12:00 pm

The Shape of eating. Training the behaviour of eating.

Peta Clarke

Fear Not: Practical training Skills for Veterinary and Husbandry Procedures

Laura Ryder

12:00 pm1:00 pm

Lunch
APDT Shorts – speaker announcements soon!

1:00 pm1:30 pm

Hiss-teria to Harmony: Helping dog trainers Purr with Confidence

Chirag Patel

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie: Links between sleep and behaviour in our pet dogs

Dr Amber Batson

1:35 pm2:35 pm

The Dogs Game? Exploring our beliefs about Canine Scent work

Peta Clarke

Frustrated Fido: A look at practical ways we can help dogs cope more effectively in frustrating situations

Dr Amber Batson

2:30 pm3:00 pm

Afternoon Tea
Trade Show Concludes at 3.00pm

3:00 pm3:45 pm

Boost the brain before you train – understanding executive functions and cognitive capacity in dogs

Dr Amber Batson

3:45 pm4:30 pm

Just One More! The Closing Surprises You Don’t Want to Miss!

Chirag Patel

We’re all familiar with the temptation of “just one more time” in training—when everything is going perfectly, and we decide to push just a little further, only to wish we hadn’t! (Of course, none of us here would ever fall into that trap, but we’ve all seen it happen, haven’t we? 😜) This time, however, “just one more” is something to embrace. In this final session, it’s not a misstep but a reward. Be sure to stick around to the end, plan that travel accordingly because you don’t want to miss this… expect… surprises, laughter, expert insights, and even prizes (goooood prizes!).

4:30 pm4:30 pm

Conference Close