About this episode

Ryan Cartlidge and Kim Palermo discuss the importance of assent, degrees of freedom, and creating safe spaces in animal training.

In this insightful and thought-provoking conversation, Ryan Cartlidge is joined by Kim Palermo—a Certified Control Unleashed Instructor (CCUI) and Animal Centred Education (ACE) Practitioner with over 20 years of professional experience in the dog training industry. A lifelong animal enthusiast who owns Blue Dog training and walking business near Boston, Kim brings a blend of academic rigor, from her degree in zoology, and compassionate curiosity to her work with dogs and other species. Together, Ryan and Kim explore the power of observation and the critical importance of creating "safe spaces" for learners to process information. Kim shares her personal journey from a "crossover trainer" to a passionate advocate for positive reinforcement, emphasizing how her own experiences with chronic pain and ADHD have shaped her empathetic, trauma-informed approach to training. They discuss how professional mentors—including the late Gail Fisher, Julie Daniels, and Sarah Fisher—have left an indelible mark on her career and the industry at large. A major focus of the discussion is the innovative concept Kim calls "opt-out stations." By integrating ACE Free Work and Control Unleashed…

People in this episode

Host: Ryan Cartlidge

Guest: Kim Palermo

Topics covered

• animal training
• positive reinforcement
• degrees of freedom
• trauma-informed approach
• observation in training
• safe spaces for learners

Keywords

• animal training
• positive reinforcement
• degrees of freedom
• opt-out stations
• chronic pain
• ADHD
• Control Unleashed
• Animal Centred Education

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Blue Dog, Control Unleashed, Animal Centred Education

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