![[EN] CAAWT Webinar.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/55b531_d81439f1c42541f49eff1951ae8c5be7~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_272,h_122,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BEN%5D%20CAAWT%20Webinar.png)
The Dogs Were Teaching Us All Along.
How Constructional Affection Came to Be
A one-night-only special webinar in which Dr. Sean Will tells, for the first time,
the story of Constructional Affection from its beginnings to where it is today.
Why does a dog’s behavior change when it looks like someone is “just petting” the dog?
Constructional Affection was not always what it is today.
Today, we can watch Constructional Affection in just a few minutes of video.
A dog who was jumping on people just moments ago is petted, sits, lies down, and eventually settles calmly beside the person.
When people see it for the first time, they may wonder:
“Isn’t this just petting the dog?”
And at the same time, they may also think:
“But if it looks like the person is just petting the dog, why does the dog’s behavior change so much?”
In fact, before this simple-looking interaction became what it is today, there were many dogs—and many questions of “why?”
Training that did not go as planned.
Dogs behaving in ways we did not expect.
Videos watched over and over again.
Disagreements that led to long conversations.
And throughout it all:
“What is this dog asking for?”
That was the question they kept coming back to.
Dr. Sean Will originally worked with dogs primarily through clicker training. So how did he come to focus on petting and human interaction themselves?
And how did he, together with Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, Chase Owens, and ORCA students, turn those observations into a recognizable training procedure?
But—
The story did not end when Constructional Affection became a training procedure.
After CAAWT began, Dr. Sean and Maasa continued learning from dogs and other animals, revisiting and refining Constructional Affection along the way.
While respecting the training procedure that exists today, they continue working toward a form that is gentler and more comfortable to use—not only for the animals, but also for the families and other people who live and work with them.
This webinar is not a how-to webinar on Constructional Affection.
How did Constructional Affection begin?
Which dogs changed the direction of the work?
How did it gradually take shape—and how has it continued to develop?
For the first time, Dr. Sean Will will bring together the stories he has previously shared only in pieces, along with moments he has not talked about before, and tell them as one complete story.
With historical videos and photos, we will trace the story of how Constructional Affection came to be and how that story connects to what it is today.
Who this webinar is for
Whether you already know Constructional Affection or are hearing about it for the first time, you are welcome.
-
People who live with dogs or other animals
-
People who work with animals
-
People who are thinking about welcoming an animal into their family
-
Anyone interested in building better relationships between people and animals
No prior knowledge of behavior analysis or Constructional Affection is required.
CAAWT Fukuoka Workshop 2026 — Companion webinar
In this webinar, we will follow the story behind Constructional Affection—how it began, and how learning from dogs helped shape it into what it is today.
At the CAAWT Fukuoka Workshop, we will build on that background and go deeper into what matters in Constructional Affection today, how we think about what we are seeing, and how we put that thinking into practice.
The webinar asks: “How did it begin?”
The workshop asks: “What do we look for, how do we think about it, and how do we interact?”
This webinar is a companion event to the Fukuoka Workshop, but you are absolutely welcome to join the webinar on its own.
Registration
◼️ Registration
Registration for the English version of this webinar will open in the future!
◼️ All the profit from the webinar will fund the behavior support and training we offer to shelter dogs ♡
CAAWT is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to remove financial barriers to behavior support and training for individuals and organizations who need training but cannot afford it. As you learn with us, you are helping shelter dogs! We thank you for your support.
◼️ Contact us
If you have any questions about the webinar, feel free to email us.
