Dog walking is one of the most common causes of fall-related injuries among active older adult dog owners. This is also a subject that most fall-prevention strategies don’t talk enough about. In this presentation, Andrew Ledford draws on 35+ years of hands-on experience of training dogs and working with people. In addition he incorporates current research on balance and aging (including studies linking Tai Chi practice to reduced fall risk), and the CDC's STEADI framework. Attendees will learn practical leash-handling techniques, simple body-awareness and balance exercises adapted from Tai Chi Chuan. The talk blends real-world training expertise with current fall prevention research. While much of this information is intended for those over 65 and caring for an aging family member, it is useful for dog handlers of all ages. Andrew goes over the standard training techniques as well as the modification needed to more mature adults.

Andrew Ledford is a professional dog trainer with over 35 years of experience, based in the Long Beach/North Orange County/Southern California area and operating through OC Dog Training Network. His training lineage traces back to William R. Koehler, with additional grounding from Len Sana of International Police Dogs and Alfons Ertel of the American Temperament Test Society and is highly influenced by the work of B.F Skinner, Ian Dunbar, and Lorenz. He developed the ALT Evaluation system as a foundational assessment tool featured in his last book.

In recent years, Andrew has focused much of his work on a specific and often overlooked risk: falls caused by dog walking, particularly among senior handlers. Drawing on peer-reviewed research (including a JAMA Internal Medicine study on Tai Chi and fall prevention) and decades of hands-on training experience, he created the C.A.N.I.N.E. Safety program, which pairs Tai Chi Chuan-based balance and body-awareness training with practical leash handling and dog-management skills. He is currently completing a book about Fall-Prevention and Safe Dog Walking for Seniors. The book incorporates much of the CDC's STEADI fall-risk framework alongside his own training methodology.

Andrew is also the author of Picking the Perfect Puppy or Dog and has spent decades producing educational content on public access television and online. He speaks on the intersection of dog behavior, human safety, and healthy aging. His training programs draw on years studying somatic movement, his long career training dogs, as well as the people who handle them. He will often say “You can’t change the dog's behavior unless you can change the people’s behavior.” Presentations are done in person and include demonstrations and audience participation.