Documentation is often seen as busywork, but in shelters, the way we document behavior can directly impact a dog’s welfare, length of stay, and access to intervention.
Join Laurie Lawless, founder of Shelter Behavior Integrations, for a practical, back-to-basics conversation about why playgroups fail in some shelters and how to set them up for success.
Join Laurie Lawless, founder of Shelter Behavior Integrations, for a practical conversation about how communication systems (or the lack of them) shape daily care, behavior outcomes, and team morale.
Laurie shared her recent experience responding to an emergency sheltering situation involving 8 under-socialized German Shepherds found in a dangerous living condition, and needing to triage and on-the-fly set up a temporary shelter. This is a highly informational episode, filled with real life anecdotes and experience.
Join Laurie Lawless, founder of Shelter Behavior Integrations, for a live conversation exploring how shelters across the country are designing and improving post-adoption support programs and what the data tells us about where our focus should be next.
Laurie discussed the implementation of the Fear Free Shelters program in animal shelters, emphasizing its use for tracking behavioral data through FAS.
The holidays can be a special and challenging time for shelter teams and volunteers. Join Laurie Lawless of Shelter Behavior Integrations for a live discussion on how to keep volunteer energy high, enrichment programs thriving, and shelter routines steady during the busiest season of the year.
In this session, Laurie focused on the importance of behavioral assessments and evaluations to establish meaningful baselines for every dog entering the system.
The discussion also highlighted the power of collaboration between departments and the need for regular rechecks to ensure progress, identify early signs of stress, and continuously improve welfare outcomes.
In this Lawless Live session, Laurie opened the conversation on one of the toughest topics in animal welfare—ethical decision-making in shelters.
She explored real-world case studies to illustrate how shelters balance compassion, safety, and practicality when deciding how to allocate limited resources.
The discussion dove into the gray areas of shelter ethics—how decisions about one animal can ripple through the organization, impacting staff morale, public trust, and the care of others.
Laurie shared her personal evolution from a background in journalism to becoming a welfare-driven behavior consultant and educator. What began as a personal journey with her adopted dog, Charlie, grew into a professional mission to redefine how shelters and caregivers understand dog behavior.
Couldn’t make it to this year’s Aggression in Dogs Conference?
Join Laurie Lawless, founder of Shelter Behavior Integrations, for a recap of key insights, favorite speakers, and big takeaways from one of the most respected behavior conferences in our field.
If you’re curious about what the experts are saying about dog aggression and how it connects to your daily work in the shelter, this session will bridge the gap between theory and practical, behavior-forward action.
Shelter stress isn’t just about noise and overcrowding, it’s a complex, layered challenge that affects everything from behavior to adoptability.
Join Laurie Lawless, founder of Shelter Behavior Integrations, for a live discussion on how stress shows up for animals in shelters and what we can actually do about it.
Join Laurie Lawless, the founder of Shelter Behavior Integrations, for a thoughtful, practical discussion on how to better understand, assess, and respond to dog bites in a shelter setting.
Join Laurie Lawless, founder of Shelter Behavior Integrations, for a supportive, real-world conversation about what resilient dog training actually looks like in today’s shelter environment.
If you’re managing a packed schedule, an overworked team, or a behavior program that keeps stalling out, this session will offer do-able strategies that help both dogs and people succeed
Introducing dogs to each other in a shelter environment can feel unpredictable or downright overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. Join Laurie Lawless, founder of Shelter Behavior Integrations, for a compassionate, practical discussion on dog-to-dog introductions in shelters.
If you’re dealing with long-stay dogs, limited space, or a stressed-out team, Laurie will walk you through what really works to set dogs (and your staff!) up for success.
Let’s talk safety, because protecting animals starts with protecting people too. On this week's Live with Laurie, I'm joined by John Peaveler of Humane Innovations for a candid conversation on shelter safety. We’ll dive into: 🐾Product Demos and tools that John has created to increase control while decreasing stress on dogs 🐾 John's history of working with a wide variety of field work from capturing dogs everywhere from KuWait, South Korea, and beyond.
This Live with Laurie focused on positive reinforcement techniques and behavior modification strategies for dogs in animal shelters. The discussion covered various aspects of operant conditioning, classical conditioning, and counter-conditioning. The conversation also explored practical strategies for managing challenging behaviors, implementing enrichment programs, and creating more comfortable kennel environments to support the well-being of shelter dogs.
In this live session, I’ll walk through what actually works when it comes to onboarding, training, and building a culture volunteers want to be part of.
In this live session, I’ll walk through how to document what you see in a way that supports behavior plans, adoption matches, and decision-making. Whether you're jotting quick kennel notes or writing formal reports, this session will help you capture what matters without overcomplicating it.
The work we do in animal sheltering is incredibly meaningful, but also incredibly demanding. Over time, the emotional labor can add up, and what starts as deep compassion can start to feel more like depletion.
Budgeting may not be why you got into animal welfare… but it can be the key to reducing burnout, improving outcomes, and creating sustainable shelter systems that actually work for your team.
Join Laurie Lawless, CDBC, CPDT-KA and Jessica Wheatcraft, CDBC for a candid, supportive conversation about what reactivity actually is (and isn’t), why it shows up so often in shelter environments, and how we can approach it with more clarity and compassion.
Volunteers are the heartbeat of many shelter operations—but attracting and keeping them? That’s the real trick.
A better adoption process starts with asking the right questions....and no, we’re not just talking about the adopters.
In the third installment of Leia's Story, we’ll take a closer look at the medical care provided during a dog’s time in the shelter. This session will highlight the importance of thorough medical evaluations and ongoing care planning to support both health and adoption readiness.
This session is the first in our series, Leia's Story, designed to provide an in-depth look at her journey from intake to adoption.
Is your shelter ready to handle the unexpected? Join Laurie Lawless for a practical and informative webinar designed to help you prepare for and manage critical incidents like bites, fights, and other shelter safety challenges.
In this session, we'll dive into:
- The impact of trauma on animal behavior and care.
- How latent learning plays a role in recovery and trust-building.
- Strategies to support animals transitioning from malnourished to healthy.
Are you looking to refine your adoption counseling skills and feel more confident discussing behavioral topics with potential adopters? Join Laurie for Tips for Adoption Counseling, where she’ll dive into:
Join us for a special Facebook Live to kick off "Leia's Story," a series that explores the journey of dog adoption through the unique lens of a shelter consultant turned adopter.
Are adoption discounts a lifesaver or a slippery slope? Join Laurie for a thought-provoking discussion exploring the pros and cons of offering discounts on animals in shelters.
I'm Laurie Lawless from Shelter Behavior Integrations, and I'll be diving into how veterinary care and behavioral understanding go hand-in-hand for our canine companions. This discussion is all about enhancing your dog's health by exploring how behavior and medical care intersect — making sure that we're not just treating symptoms, but understanding the whole picture.
Transports can be stressful, not just for the animals but for you as well. Join us for a straightforward and informative Facebook Live webinar, “Reducing Stress on Animal Transports.”
Are you struggling with introducing your shelter's furry friends to new canine pals? Discover the best techniques and tips to ensure smooth and stress-free dog-to-dog introductions.
Occasionally, the dogs we are working with on shelters won't eat, foiling what we thought would be a great B-Mod session. Trust me, I've been there.
How do we work around this in a shelter environment? Let's talk about the why's, the how's, and the what can be done's in this weeks Facebook Live!
Discover effective strategies to involve your volunteers in the critical work of behavior operations, turning them into key contributors to your shelter’s success.
Join Laurie as she discusses a variety of ways to reduce noise in a kennel environment.
Join Laurie as she discusses why it’s critical to ask the right questions at the time of intake to set the dog up for success in the shelter.
Join Laurie Lawless as she covers all things Post-Adoption Support for dogs in your shelter.