Holder of the University Diploma in Veterinary Psychiatry (DUPV), Dr. Sylvia Masson is a specialist in companion animal behavioral medicine, certified by the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine – Behavioural Medicine (ECAWBM-BM). She is a the vice president of GECAF (Study Group on Companion Animal Behavior) and serves as secretary of the European Society of Veterinary Clinical Ethology (ESVCE).
After practicing behavioral medicine for nearly ten years while remaining a general practitioner, Dr. Masson chose to specialize fully in behavioral medicine.
She now works exclusively in referral veterinary psychiatry at her clinic in Voreppe, France. A speaker at both national and international conferences, she has published several research papers and authored the popular science book G.E.R.E.R. – Training and Behavior of Your Dog, aimed at the general public, and the technical manuals for veterinarians Veterinary Psychiatry of the Dog and Veterinary Psychiatry of the Cat, translated and published internationally by Springer Nature.
Qualifications:
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) | Holder of the University Diploma in Veterinar
Psychiatry (DUPV) Specialist in Companion Animal Behavioral Medicine – ECAWBM Certified
Missions:
- Lead Developer of Psy4Vet
- Director of No Ledge Editions
- Head of No Ledge Research
- Supervisor of Resident Training Programs
- Author and Content Creator for the Cynapse YouTube Channel
My lectures
2023
2-Day Seminar – Fear-Based Disorders - Nyon (Suisse)
Hormonal influences on canine behavior: stress, thyroid, and sex hormones
Pro Canin Webinar - Suisse
9-hour overview of behavioral medicine
Major Syndromes in Veterinary Psychiatry - Alpivet Annecy et grenoble
GECAF Basic Dog Course - Nancy
Therapeutic elements, phobic states, sensory deprivation syndrome
AFVAC National Congress - Lille
Puppy adoption age, house training, behavioral development in dogs and cats, oral exploration, and more
GEDAC Annual Congress - Saint-Malo
Feline natural behavior, medication administration, cat-friendly consultations, behavioral links to dermatology
Vetogroupe Day - Lyon
Emotional response conditioning and behavioral links to dermatological issues
GECAF – Canine Therapies - Paris
Vet in Web - Webinar - Education vs. pathological behavior
GECAF Awareness Course
Feline physiology and behavioral specifics
• Behavioral Medicine Overview - Guadeloupe et martinique
- Istanbul (Turquie)
- Aging process in dogs and cats, what’s normal and what’s not ?
- Aging disorders in dogs and cats – how to treat them ?
Entre Chiens Continuing Education
20+ hours of recorded webinars (see 2017)
2022
European College of Behavioral Medicine Congress - Palma de Majorque (Espagne)
Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of venlafaxine to treat behavioural disorders in cats: a pilot study
TVM Partnership Events - Feline behavior in general practice - Poitiers et Toulon
10 common puppy behavior questions during vaccination visits - Annecy – Alpivet
AFVAC Junior – Canine behavioral development - Nantes Ecole vétérinaire ONIRIS
Postural communication: theory and practice - Chamonix – Alpivet
DUPV Courses - Learning, GERER method, practical supervision - Lyon
Psychiatric disorders in aging cats - Beaunes – AFVAC régional
Clinical trial results on SativaVet - Paris – Univet
Zoopsy Days – Clinical case: intuition vs. deduction - Bruxelles
Canine Education Week - Tullins -Zoopsy / Entre-Chiens
Learning, therapy, postural communication
Master in behavioral medicine - Edinburgh - visio
Presentation of the French veterinary psychiatry for Kevin McPeak lecture (chair of the behavioral medicine department)
Psy4Vet Webinar
Software presentation
GECAF Basic Cat Course - Nancy
Inhibition, depressive states, aging, synaptic function
2-Day Seminar – Postural Communication - Nyon (Suisse)
Practical applications with client dogs
Entre Chiens Educator Training - Tullins - Entre Chiens
Full program (see 2017)
Category Dog Owner Training Module - Tullins - Entre Chiens
Cat behavior at the counter - E-learning TVM
TVM Partner Evenings - Paris, Lille, Montpellier, Dijon, Aix en Provence, Marne la Vallée, Orléans
Canine behavior, education vs. behavior
Resocialization Therapies in Dogs - Zoopsy/APForm – journée visio
2021
Category Dog Owner Training Module - Tullins – Entre Chiens
Dog trainers Training Center - Tullins – Entre Chiens
Full program (see 2017)
Proxemics and postural communication - E-learning TVM
AFVAC National Congress - Bordeaux
Aggressive cat hospitalization, individual welfare approaches, hyperactivity detection
AFVAC Junior – Postural communication in dogs - Nantes Ecole Vétérinaire Oniris
Balancing welfare for animals, teams, and owners - Annecy - Alpivet
DUPV Course - Lyon
Temperament, aging cat psychiatry, dyssocialization, dysthymia
Canine Education Week - Tullins – Zoopsy - Entre-Chiens
Practical training
TVM Webinars - Lille
Canine behavior at the counter
WSAVA Global Congress - Video conference
The welfare of the team
Veterinarian–Educator Collaboration - Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer avec le Dr. Chevallier
Veterinary Psychiatry Intro Seminar - Nyon (Suisse)
Communication, Postural communication, Behavioral development, Risk assessment, Presentation of veterinary psychiatry consultation, Educator–veterinarian collaboration
Problematic Dog Behaviors - Zoopsy/APForm (online)
Learning Congress - Paris- Zoopsy
Emotional response conditioning
2020
For the clients of a local dog trainer (general public) - Visioconférence
How and when to suspect a behavioural disorder in your dog, The value of veterinary psychiatry consultation
Training Center for Dog Trainers - Tullins – Entre Chiens
Full program (see 2017)
Training module for owners of categorized dogs - Tullins – Entre Chiens
Psy4Vet online software - Paris
Two weeks as part of the DUPV program - Lyon
Involution and aging processes, depressive states, instrumentalization, inhibition, and psychopharmacological supplements
- Les apprentissages, méthode GERER
- Travaux dirigés
Veterinary psychiatry - Belgique - Visio pour Veterinexpo
2019
Retaining cat-owning clients - Isle d’abeau - Zoopsy/APForm
Training center for dog trainers - Tullins – Entre Chiens
Full program (see 2017)
Intraspecific sociopathy - Toulouse – congrès hiérarchie Zoopsy
2 weeks as part of the DUPV program - Lyon
Welfare of exotic pets, psychiatric disorders in elderly cats, dyssocialization, dysthymia, dissociative disorders – guided workshops
Congress of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine (ECAWBM) - Heinhdoven
- Link between foreign body ingestion and behavioural disorder in dogs
- Award for Best Oral Presentation by a Behavioural Medicine Resident
ACI congress - Haïfa (Israël)
Technology needs of behavioral veterinarians – invited speaker
Alpivet – Two-day seminar with Emmanuel Gaultier - Annemasse
Learning and the GERER method, interspecific communication and practical workshop, behavioral development, aggression – practical workshop, a dog’s life
Practical week of dog training - Tullins - Zoopsy - Entre-Chiens
- Apprentissages, thérapies, communication posturale avec mise en pratique
Behavioural medicine serving the general practitioner - Strasbourg - Vetodistribution et TVM
2018
Training center for dog trainers - Tullins – Entre Chiens
Full program (see 2017)
To shock or not to shock ? - Visioconférence pour un congrès espagnol
For Sagi Denenberg’s students (spécialiste européen en médecine du comportement) - Bristol
Postural communication and 2 clinical cases handled using a different approach (France)
Involution and aging processes, depressive states, instrumentalization, inhibition, motivation - Lyon - 1 semaine dans le cadre du DUPV
The suffering of working dogs and its management - Lyon – congrès Zoopsy
2017
6 annual training days (since 2013) - Tullins – Entre Chiens
Learning processes, communication, postural communication, behavioral development, behavioral axes, difference between education and behavior, introduction to veterinary psychiatry consultation, behavioral therapies
Understanding, detecting, and preventing canine behavioral disorders - Grenoble - Zoopsy - APForm
Practical assessment day for candidates applying for the position of dog trainer for the city of Grenoble - Grenoble
resentation evening for colleagues - Grenoble
Behavior: a veterinary discipline like any other
Congress of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioural Medicine (ECAWBM) - Samorin
Survey of shock collar use in France : providing practical results for regulatory guidelines development