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Lincoln and his knee....

31/12/2020

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Wow, what a year 2020 has been.  Topped off with a knee injury for Lincoln.

Towards the end of October, Lincoln had just returned from his morning walk with the other pups.  They were all playing as they do post walk.  He turned suddenly and yelped.  Unfortunately Lucy was hot on his heels and couldn't stop, so knocked him in to the fence.    He was instantly on 3 legs.  I gave him the benefit of the doubt for 15 minutes, and when he didn't start to place his foot on the ground organised for Dr Jacqui to check him.

He had dislocated his knee.  The following day we did x-rays and could not identify any other problems.  We crossed fingers and initiated crate rest.  2 weeks later he was not improving so went to surgery.

His patella itself had been damaged, we deepened the groove and tightened the surrounding tissue.  Strict post op crate rest continued.  All went really well and 24 hours later he was walking, and 4 days later almost without a limp.    Unfortunately he literally went to bed night 4 and woke up lame day 5.  So back to surgery, this time 2 pins were added to stabilise the knee.  All good again....until 1 week post op, and a noticeable lump became obvious on his knee along with swelling.  He had dislodged one of the pins.  So back for surgery number 3 to remove the pin.

We are now a few weeks post his 3rd surgery.  He is still on crate rest which means he is either in his pen/crate or on leash and attached to the bed under supervision.  He has 3-4 toilet walks each day that last for a few minutes. 

Things that helped him through his surgery and the beginning of this recovery process.  

Being comfortable toileting in his own yard and on lead as well as having a toilet cue.  Mine is "hurry up".
Many dogs are not comfortable toileting on leash, and many more will only toilet outside there yards on walks. 
Neither of these scenarios would have been helpful. Teaching this is easy, especially from puppy hood, where the release from the leash in the puppy scenario can be part of the motivating reward. 

Cooperative care training - he is comfortable with restraint, wearing an elizabethan collar, wearing a muzzle (it wasn't needed but I believe all dogs should be trained for it), being poked and prodded, confinement etc. 
​
Lincoln also has had regular laser therapy as this is something I invested in initially for Poco and his back. It is helpful having it for use at home.

He has struggled with his high energy levels, so in conjunction with his behaviour veterinarian we added or increased medication to allow him to be that little bit calmer.

We also used adaptil, zylknene and inner winner CTFD..... legit that is its name.
​
Other things we have been able to incorporate to aid in calming and working his brain include using enrichment feeding, lick mats, snuffle toys (balls, bowls, pouches, mats and walls), kongs, lots of long lasting chews, and training.  

Initially the training he could do consisted of basics such as sit, look, down, shake a paw, chin and nose targets etc.  Anything that didn't involve movement.   Now that he is attending physio therapy I use a lot of targeting or shaping behaviours to achieve the physiotherapy task. This kills two birds with one stone.

I have also added in a scent wall, so that he can do some scent training, in a small space with minimal movement, but with a number of areas to search.   This was originally a peg board from Kmart and I added corflute to the back to stop things falling through the holes.  He loves it...as do the other pups.  The bonus of this is a few searches, takes no more than 5-10 minutes and he is one very tuckered out puppy.  

We have also been brining home odours from our walks - usually on rags, but sometimes random sticks/leaves that the other pups have shown interest in.  

Lincoln will continue in physiotherapy and hydrotherapy for some time.  I am fortunate that he knows both Lindsey and Lisa from his puppyhood and previous fun walks/swims.  He is always happy to see them.  Lisa has also been wonderful in introducing him to the underwater treadmill at his pace and we have been able to use ball play as a motivator for him (he is 100% more toy motivated than food motivated).

Meanwhile, I introduced a new remote feeding toy for him. This is in his larger pen/crate as this is where he is left when I have to go out.  It is called the Pet Cube Bites - it has been great, in that it is in his pen, I can access it from anywhere (at home or out and about).  Through the machine I can dispense a few rewards, talk to him and also get notified of movement or noise alerts.    The pen also has foraging activities, comfortable bed, fresh pawta potty every 2 weeks as a toilet, that he hasn't used and sleeps on instead, water etc.

So I guess the biggest take home from this.  You never know what is around the corner.  I suggest making sure that part of your weekly training schedule includes things such as cooperative care, separation, handling and so forth.  It has been so much easier than I had imagined with Lincoln already being comfortable with this.

​Lets hope 2021 is a better year for all! 
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Jack the Assistance Dog

1/10/2020

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I first met Jack and his human Matt back in Feb 2019.

The plan was to train Jack toward his PAT assessment through MIND Dog.

We had a few challenges that we needed to work through - the biggest being Jack's dog reactivity.
When we first started Jack would react to dogs within 5-10 meters.  

However I have to say that I am so proud of Matt and Jack as a team.  They put in all the work, did all the desensitisation and counter conditioning, working at safe distances and ensuring Jack always had a rest day each week.  Also recognising the importance of quality sleep for Jack.

We implemented a lot of  deference training, as well as stationing (laying comfortably on mat), reliable recalls and leaving items on ground. We also have taught him to press a call button for help, and to walk slowly on stairs - both up and down.

Over time we have managed to decrease the distance that Jack is comfortable with walking past unknown dogs, and now he barely even acknowledges other dogs - meaning that he can walk through a dog park from one end to the other, and ignore the other dogs in the park.  We set him up for success and started this at distance, then outside the dog parks, and then using quiet dog parks.

Throughout his training, we have taken him to numerous locations, on public transport (buses, trains and city cats), cafes, shopping centres etc.

We also transitioned from a martingale collar to flat collar and then to 2 point attachment harness.  When Jack had originally used the harness prior to our training he had a negative experience, so it took time to transition back to this.

Jack is also now going to daycare at least once per week, and has a new sister spaniel at home called Molly.   Molly will one day likely take over Jack's roll.

Jack passed his MIND Dog PAT in July!  

It can be done, but you need the right team and an owner as dedicated at Matt is to Jack.
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Preparing Lincoln for Surgery

30/6/2020

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Preparing Lincoln for Surgery - desexing

Lincoln recently turned 12 months and is now fully grown.  So it was time to consider desexing.

Linc is a nervous and suspicious boy, so I wanted to make sure I set him up for success.

In the month prior to his desexing date, I really increased our focus on his husbandry training.  This included things such as preparing him for restraint - for both IV placement (cephalic vein), and blood draw (jugular vein), and exposing to various equipment.

I ensured to always expose him in a fun way, and ensured he had a choice to engage or not engage with the equipment that he was likely to see.  This included clippers, syringes, needles (I used a paperclip), Muzzle (he has his own), Elizabethan collar, Thundershirt, smell of alcohol swabs, crates and tables (most restraint and procedures in small dogs will be carried out on a table).

He loved learning and practicing his sustained chin target, rolling on to side (in preparation to check wound post op), wearing his muzzle and especially his Elizabethan collar.  

You can check out our video below.


​On the day of surgery he wore his Thundershirt sprayed with Adaptil pheromones and another canine calming spray.  These were sprayed on the Thundershirt 15 minutes prior to putting in on him.


We timed his admission for minimal cage time, so basically he went in, had blood taken and tested almost immediately, and within 1/2 an hour we had our results and he had his premedication injection preparing him for his anaesthetic.

He handled every bit of this like a little pro, and made we one very proud puppy mum.

While he would asleep his also had his tear ducts investigated and I chose for him to have a special implant - not usually used in desexed dogs, however it appears it may help keep luteinizing hormone more stable (it can increase up to 30x higher in some desexed dogs).  Changes in lutenizing hormone have been linked to increased risk of joint changes (more in large breed dogs and this should be minimised if allowed to complete their growth), and behavioural changes such as fear aggression in some dogs.    The implant will last for 12 months and at this point I will decide if I continue its use.

Once he had recovered post op and was able to swallow, stand and walk, I packed him up and took him home to spend the afternoon sleeping in his crate.....however he had plans of playing fetch within just a few hours.   So he was redirected to a sniffy toilet walk and visit with the neighbours.

I also ensured that I set him up post op to have minimal surgical complications by keeping him calm and quiet. He wore his cone anytime he wasn't under 100% direct supervision.  We removed the water sources that he usually sits/swims in.

We used enrichment items including snuffle balls, snuffle mats (check out Snuffle 'ems), LickiMats, long lasting chews including dried pieces and fresh raw bones.  We did start walking day 3 post op, and ensured he had plenty of time to sniff his world.

For more information on preparing your dog for Vet Visits check out this page, and if you would like to enrol your dog in the online version of Ready Vet Go!, check out the Cooperative Care Online course - currently only $75 for 12 months access (1/2 price due to Covid - I appreciate that many do not have job stability at the moment).

​
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Staying safe during COVID19

3/4/2020

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Staying safe during COVID19
 
Well, I have to say, 2020, has been one hell of a year so far. 
 
How are you all holding up?  I’m serious.  This year will take a toll on all of us. 
 
So instead of your usual case study that would be here.  I’m going to put a few ideas out there to keep both you and your pets happy, safe and healthy.
 
Looking after you.

Look after yourself.
Take time to do something you enjoy and reduce your stress.

Exercise – at home, or on a walk.  Just avoid the crowds of others out and about on the streets.

Talk – talk to others.  Check in with friends and family.  Use technology to stay in touch, Skype, Zoom, messenger or the humble phone call, text or email.

Minimise contact with others, and keep the social distance of 1.5m.

I’m a high-risk person – so I’ve been isolating at home.  We are up to day 16 without leaving the house, except for our stupidly early (before sunrise) walks with the pups. But hey who’s counting 😉.

Commit to the new rules, and work them into your life to make the best of it.  Time to read a book, catch up on study, change your business plans or goals, or even, maybe it’s the step you needed to consider the career change that’s been nagging at the back of your brain for a while now.

And as I always say when I sign off to my TAFE students, stay safe, wash your hands and don’t touch your face.
 
Looking after your pets.

Ok, this isn’t because I expect them to catch COVID.  Its because their world has just changed too.
And, honestly, I expect to see some relatively serious separation distress come of this when people are able to return to their previous jobs/activities.
 
So, what can you do?

Set your pets up to succeed.  Practice alone time still.  It could be as simple as time in their crates, time outside while you are in, time inside while you are out, baby gates and separate rooms.
But make it a good thing for them.  Give them things to do that they enjoy. 
Time your practicing of these skills to align with when you are most likely to succeed. 
Use enrichment – feed from enrichment toys, cardboard boxes, scatter feeds etc.  Start at your pet’s skill level and increase the difficulty as their skills improve.
 
Do small training sessions every day.  Teach basics behaviours, play home agility, start some husbandry training for cooperative care procedures.  The sky’s the limit.
 
Getting a puppy?

OK, there are certainly pros and cons to this.

One big pro – you are there.  You can manage their behaviour. Confine when needed, and provide appropriate outlets for chewing when they have chosen the wrong item.  Toilet training should be a breeze 😉, well maybe not a breeze, but easier than the average as they will have extra supervision.
 
A big con though, will be the lack of socialisation with new people and dogs. 
You cannot do this safely at the moment.

What you can do however, for puppies and even our current dogs, is expose them to many new novel things – at home in a safe and fun way.
Play dress ups. Where different hats, get a fake moustache, ski goggles etc.

Expose them to different equipment such as skate boards, brooms, mops, vacuums, umbrellas, wheelies bins, bikes, scooters, clippers, hair dryers, drills etc.  There is an app called sound proof puppy that has awesome noises on it, and another called razor prank that simulates clippers really well.

Do proprioception tasks.  Teach them to balance on a pillow, and move from sit to stand. Walk over cardboard boxes, crawl through cardboard boxes, step in and out of cardboard boxes, walk over short hurdles, step on and off the wire crate divider, walk through leaves, shallow water etc.

Take some time to get them comfortable in the car, even if you don’t have a final destination. 
Small sessions focusing on teaching a car is a place to be calm and rest and that rewards happen will have huge benefit once we are able to return to normalcy.  Adding engine noise, movement, a trip around the block and perhaps some scenic drives with windows cracked (not down), to allow for some visual and scent stimulation.

What else?  Enrol in an online or virtual puppy school.  I will be running puppy preschool for pups up to 6 months (with a max of 6 pups), using virtual Zoom rooms.  We can see the puppies, interact with the people and guide you through the training of several behaviours.  This classes will also be an outlet to openly discuss problems people may be having and trouble shoot to problem solve this.
 
Vet Visits during COVID19.

Vets will remain open.  They have been deemed essential workers.

However, talk to your vet before you go.  Many clinics will have changed their protocols and a number already have and those that haven’t, may end up required to switch to contactless curb side consultations etc.
This is aimed at keeping both you and the clinic staff safe and in good health.

What does a contactless consultation look like? This means that your pet, may be collected from your car by a staff member, transferred into the clinic with them to the veterinarian, and your pet’s consultation likely performed via telephone or video conference before being returned to you at the car.

Discuss with your vet if your pet’s vaccination comes due.  Can it wait?  Puppies no, adult dogs possibly.

Need to pickup regular medications?  Phone first, and allow time for it to be made up ready for collection.

If your pet is likely to be anxious at the vet, especially without you there.  Talk to your vet before your visit.  They may be able to prescribe medications that may help settle the nerves.

You can also use species specific pheromones – feliway for cats, adaptil for dogs – sprayed into cat cage, or on a bandana or thundershirt/firm fitting t-shirt.  Make sure you spray these products into the cage/on the bandana/thundershirt/t-shirt 15 mins prior to putting the animal in the cage or equipment on.     When taking animals in cages, have a towel to cover it as well – this can help reduce their stress.

You can also use Zylkene capsules – ideally these need to be given daily for 3 days prior to the event, however, in an unexpected event, providing it is safe to pop something down your pets throat, you can give a triple dose before you go (check with your vet if you think your pet is vomiting, or may require sedation or anaesthesia – as fasting may be preferable).

One final thing to remember.  It is thought that pets may be able to be “fomites” for COVID19.  This means if they come into contact with the virus, it may stay viable on their coat etc for a short period of time.   This is one of the reasons that dog parks were closed.  It is important that if you or your family has shown any signs of illness, and your pet needs a vet visit, that vet staff are made aware. 
They will likely wear further PPE, and your pet may require a bath as detergent deactivates the virus.
 
My works changes.

I have had to change how I work just as many of you have.
 
For TAFE, I am now working from home and delivering content online via a learning management program and zoom classrooms – to be honest its actually quite fun, and I love my morning and afternoon commutes – down the stairs and then up the stairs.

For ALLPETS, all face to face contact has been stopped.  This includes puppy preschool and private sessions. 
I have however made changes so that training can continue.

I am now running an online K9 manners course – self-paced with 12 months access, skype/zoom consultations, and virtual puppy preschool (pups up to 6 months) using zoom classrooms.
I am working on a cooperative care online course and others.  I plan on having these up as soon as possible.
 
Stay safe everyone, wash your hands, don’t touch your face!
 
 
 
 
 

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Eddy the Dashy

30/12/2019

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Meet Eddy. 

You may have seen him previously on Instagram or you can follow him and his adventures here https://www.instagram.com/eddythedashy/

I
've met Eddy a few times - initially for reactive behaviours and some separation distress, and also for cooperative care/husbandry behaviours.  He is a lucky pup, as his mum is proactive and recognises when he is not comfortable with something and wants to improve his emotional state for the better.

You may have met his mum at some stage when you drop in to Chew Chomp and Chill.  Her name is Alica.  Say hi.

Our most recent session with Eddy was to help him with his confidence on walks.  When he became overwhelmed or went to a new location, he would often shutdown, and stop walking and engaging.

So we incorporated something that Eddy has had some experience with before, and something that he enjoys.  Sniffing.

Simply by using his nose, and encouraging him to sniff to find hidden rewards, he was much brighter and engaged with his environment.  An advantage for this was a previous course with Bec at Hide n Seek where the basis for searching had been taught.

However this is easy enough to start at home, and once your dog has an understanding of what is expected, you can take it on the road.  Sniffing and hunting out the small food rewards, toys or a novel odour, helps the dog become more confident and independent.  When playing scent games, the dog will engage their seeking system (kind of like kids and an Easter egg hunt).  Activation of the seeking system, will result in the release of dopamine (a neurotransmitter).  Dopamine is considered a feel good chemical, and pushes the animal to continue to engage and focus on tasks.

We started with Eddy close to the entrance to the park. This allowed him to retreat back to the car should he have needed to.

With him mum holding his leash, I showed him what he was "hunting for" and went and hid the small rewards at an appropriate height (he is a dachshund so we don't want him jumping up or reaching too high) within a reasonable distance from him, gradually moving further away from the base point.  Once hidden, he was given his search cue, and we followed at his pace while he found the rewards.  Rewarding at the hide location will also really make it more exciting and worthwhile for the dog.

This link discussed one of the many ways you can teach your dog scent work.  
http://www.allpetseducationandtraining.com.au/scent-work-at-home.html

I am also currently enrolled in and completing an online scent course through The School of Canine Science.  Throughout this course we will be teaching the dog scent work through 3 different methods, and I look forward to sharing them with you in future.
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Bruno - Fear Free Success

27/9/2019

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I first met Bruno in July 2018.  We have been working together since then relatively regularly (monthly for a few sessions and then every few months).

Bruno's mum approached me regarding his fear in veterinary clinic situations.  He is often suspicious and was even with his own family.  He was relaxed for scratches and continuous pats, however, a pause in movement and he would immediately react with what would easily be perceived as aggressive behaviour.

We spent time learning his small signals that indicate he is not comfortable - his ears are a great judge.  We also taught him a start and stop cue, so that he could control a procedure or situation.  And taught him to settle on a his mat.  Calm behaviour is rewarding.

Late last year, Bruno participated in my Ready Vet Go! course.  During this course we focused on having fun in the veterinary clinic as well as introducing him to commonly used veterinary equipment and situations.

Bruno is now comfortable in his basket muzzle - through which he can take yummy cheese or chicken chunks, as well as frozen ice blocks etc.    Next we taught Bruno a sustained target - using a chair and towel to allow him to stand or sit with his head at a comfortable height.  And then we paired the sustained target with the muzzled.

Something else that really helped Bruno, is ensuring he knows what is going to happen.  So named his body parts and say the name prior to touching them.  This includes Scruff, Tail, Paw, and Ear.  

I can't say how proud I am of Bruno and his mum.

Over the past 12 months Sara has put so much work in to Bruno and the trust and bond that has blossomed between them is truly beautiful.  I also feel the love when Bruno happily sits in my lap with his back toward me - not able to see what I am doing, whilst being comfortable with my touching - this is something that certainly wasn't possible to begin with.

During the past few months we upped the training again in preparation for his annual vet check and vaccination.
He also had several happy visits at the clinic with his Veterinarian Dr Jacqui.  

I am happy to say his check up and vaccination went without a hitch.

Congratulations team Bruno.
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Schrodinger the Manx cat

9/8/2019

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I'm sure you have all seen Schrodinger over the past couple of years on my facebook page.  Schrodinger is one of my cats.  I adopted him as a 5 month old rescue deaf manx.  When I picked him up, he bunny hopped at speed as many manx cats do, and was exceedingly friendly and confident.   However has he approached the 12 month mark, we noticed that he stopped jumping as much, and although he liked human company, he didn't want to be touched. 

He had a few consultations with orthopedic specialists and work up and we discovered extra vertebra and prolapsed discs.  Pain medication trials only helped briefly.  In May this year he had deteriorated.  We could barely touch him, he was crouched, and had slow reflexes in hind leg and took excessively long to urinate.  We were considering the possibility of surgery.  He had a CT scan which point we identified a few extra issues.  He unfortunately was not a good surgical candidate.  So we decided before giving up on him and considering euthanasia to attempt some other therapies.  
Ideally physio was the best option, however as he was untouchable that wasn't the easiest thing to do.  We started with teaching him to wear an Elizabethan collar.  Pairing the collar with lots of good things, as well as lots of time in and out of his crate.

Before we could do manual physio, we started laser therapy.  He surprisingly was cooperative and we were able to complete a number of sessions and were convinced we saw improvement.


Before we knew it he was comfortable with hands on manipulations.  We also began some balance work and the micro but many step plan to introduce him to the underwater treadmill.  We aren't in the treadmill yet (well not with it moving and water all together), I plan on not rushing the process.  My aim is for 12 months.  

We are working toward this by getting him walking on a normal treadmill, as well as standing in increasingly deep water.  Now we are in the treadmill at VSS pairing it with his favorite foods.

A key to his comfort and many visits to VSS - taking a dog with us.  He very much loves his pups, so having a dog with him really does increase his confidence.

​   
At his last surgical review, Drs Dave and Nick were very impressed with our progress.  He now stands tall, with no neuro delays and has built some muscle in hindlimbs. His time to urinate is also now down to 1/2 the time we started with.

So we will keep on keeping on.  I cannot thank Lindsey and Lisa from Animal Physiotherapy Solutions for working with us.  We certainly have a much more comfortable cat and I am so happy to see his progress.  

Lisa even had a cuddle with the once untouchable cat!!
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Finn and Max

6/4/2019

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Meet Max a 4 year old Bull Arab cross and Finn a 3 year old Staffy x Boxer.

I first met this adorable pair in December 2018.   The reason for the session was Finn's excitability and vocalisation and Max's reactivity and both for loose lead walking.

During the private session we captured the moments of 4 on the floor with Finn.  We started mat training and impulse control.  This was especially helpful regarding putting harnesses and leashes on.  We used the multiple dog game that involves impulse and stimulus control for this and 2 elevated couches for the dogs to sit on when "getting dressed".  This has definitely improved the arousal associated with their walking gear.

We also started to teach a default look, and began loose lead walking training in the back yard to ensure that both dogs were able to stay below threshold and learn.  During this time it became apparent just how anxious Finn is away from Max.  Some Adaptil spray on a bandana helped, however was not the be all and end all.  We added in Zylkene at this time.  For Max we introduced the Look At That game for triggers at a distance.

With a follow up session in March we introduced the attention game in the back yard, with the plan to move toward the gate to exit the property and gate manners.  This was especially hard for Finn.  
We also added in moving the mats to multiple locations and focusing on calm in several settings.  Dogs do not generalise, so need to practice behaviours in several scenarios.  I recommended follow up with their veterinarian to discuss the potential benefits of medication for Finn.

I am so happy to say that during our most recent follow up in March, both Max and Finn (with the introduction of situational behaviour medication) were able to exit the property calmly, practice loose lead walking in the street and learn a new behaviour of emergency U turn.  We also practiced with the mats in the drive way and switched between increasing arousal (running, walking, emergency U turns), to calming and chill time on the mats and one dog at a time. 

I cannot be more proud of Max and Finn's parents.  Both dogs have shown huge improvements and I look forward to catching up with them in future.  We have other plans for confidence building and fun, as well as cooperative care behaviours and muzzle training (something all dogs should be able to do).




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    Author

    Trish Allan - MDI (CPDT)
    ​Certified Pet Dog Trainer,
    Pro Dog Trainer, 
    ​Fear Free Certified Professional (Elite, Veterinary Level 1, 2 and 3, Puppy and Kitten, Animal Trainer, Groomer and Avian).
    ​Member of Delta Institute, APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers), PPG Australia (Pet Professional Guild), ISFM (International Society of Feline Medicine), IAABC (International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants, and CVE (Centre for Veterinary Education - Sydney University)

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