"Dogs are a bit like chips... It's hard to have just one!"

In some families, cohabitation can go very well, but in others, the management of resources, the organization of training sessions, the walks and the harmony between the dogs, are going to be complicated. In a large family everything will be constantly multiplied: the positive, as well as... The less positive. In fact, who says more dogs, says more challenge! Fortunately, there are solutions !

This course is designed to give you the tools to make a multi-dog household a peaceful and productive place. Amélie lives with four dogs on a daily basis and regularly takes in guard dogs for several days. She will guide you step by step to (re)create harmony inside and outside your home.  

In this course you will learn to:

• Read and supervise canine interactions (conduct an introduction well, know how to interrupt an interaction, do consent tests, etc.)
• Teach behaviors that allow you to deal with everyday situations (food time, transport, walk, training, presence of guests, etc.)
• Set up consistent and fair communication (understand everyone's needs, one-to-one times, use the starts button, resources management, etc.)
• Become pro-active (prevent : why, when and how, anticipate risky situations, use the right tools) - Problem solving and managing “contagious” behaviors
• Take into consideration multiple factors before adding a new dog (crucial skills before you add a dog, assessment of your situation)  

This course is suitable for people with at least two dogs (from permanent cohabitation to occasional care), as well as people wishing to welcome a new dog soon (puppy, or already an adult dog).  

This class is NOT for households where there are dogs that are already aggressive towards each other and must already be managed with gates and doors etc.  

Course syllabus:

• Week 1 : Are you under the water ? Multiple dog household : Why it's hard? - Learn who are your dogs individually (his needs, his safe space) - Common issue Learn who are your dogs - Your environnement - Where are you now?
• Week 2 : Building healthy relationships Different rules for different dogs - Routines to maximize enjoyment - Work, chill and play with each dog individually - When to let dogs train each other and when not to
• Week 3 : Crucial skills inside Games with names (individually and group) - Stationning - Wait your turn - Sharing is caring - Love being alone - Guest coming !
• Week 4 : Crucial skill outside  Doors manners - Transport - Walking with multiple dog (leash walking and recall) - Free times : calm versus high arousal
• Week 5 : Become pro-active ! Interrupting behaviors in a multi-dog household - Manage play time - Recognize "risk times" - Managing “Contagious” Behavior - Common problem solving
• Week 6 : Go forward or go back ? Considerations before adding a new member - Assess compatibility - Protocol for integration - Red flag - Rehome is not giving up

A reliable recall is one of the most important safety behaviors we can teach the dogs in our lives, and in emergency situations. When we need our recall to work, we really need it to work!

• Do you wish your dog would come back when you called?
• Does your dog come back most of the time, but not quite all the time, and often not when it really matters?
• Do you wish your dog would stay closer to you and not run off in the first place?
• Does your dog run back to you when you call, but then immediately take off again?

"Dogs are a bit like chips... It's hard to have just one!"

In some families, cohabitation can go very well, but in others, the management of resources, the organization of training sessions, the walks and the harmony between the dogs, are going to be complicated. In a large family everything will be constantly multiplied: the positive, as well as... The less positive. In fact, who says more dogs, says more challenge! Fortunately, there are solutions !

This course is designed to give you the tools to make a multi-dog household a peaceful and productive place. Amélie lives with four dogs on a daily basis and regularly takes in guard dogs for several days. She will guide you step by step to (re)create harmony inside and outside your home.  

In this course you will learn to:

• Read and supervise canine interactions (conduct an introduction well, know how to interrupt an interaction, do consent tests, etc.)
• Teach behaviors that allow you to deal with everyday situations (food time, transport, walk, training, presence of guests, etc.)
• Set up consistent and fair communication (understand everyone's needs, one-to-one times, use the starts button, resources management, etc.)
• Become pro-active (prevent : why, when and how, anticipate risky situations, use the right tools) - Problem solving and managing “contagious” behaviors
• Take into consideration multiple factors before adding a new dog (crucial skills before you add a dog, assessment of your situation)  

This course is suitable for people with at least two dogs (from permanent cohabitation to occasional care), as well as people wishing to welcome a new dog soon (puppy, or already an adult dog).  

This class is NOT for households where there are dogs that are already aggressive towards each other and must already be managed with gates and doors etc.  

Course syllabus:

• Week 1 : Are you under the water ? Multiple dog household : Why it's hard? - Learn who are your dogs individually (his needs, his safe space) - Common issue Learn who are your dogs - Your environnement - Where are you now?
• Week 2 : Building healthy relationships Different rules for different dogs - Routines to maximize enjoyment - Work, chill and play with each dog individually - When to let dogs train each other and when not to
• Week 3 : Crucial skills inside Games with names (individually and group) - Stationning - Wait your turn - Sharing is caring - Love being alone - Guest coming !
• Week 4 : Crucial skill outside  Doors manners - Transport - Walking with multiple dog (leash walking and recall) - Free times : calm versus high arousal
• Week 5 : Become pro-active ! Interrupting behaviors in a multi-dog household - Manage play time - Recognize "risk times" - Managing “Contagious” Behavior - Common problem solving
• Week 6 : Go forward or go back ? Considerations before adding a new member - Assess compatibility - Protocol for integration - Red flag - Rehome is not giving up

A reliable recall is one of the most important safety behaviors we can teach the dogs in our lives, and in emergency situations. When we need our recall to work, we really need it to work!

• Do you wish your dog would come back when you called?
• Does your dog come back most of the time, but not quite all the time, and often not when it really matters?
• Do you wish your dog would stay closer to you and not run off in the first place?
• Does your dog run back to you when you call, but then immediately take off again?

As the caregiver of a mare who used to stand solely on her hind feet for the majority of her shoeing and a pony who came prepared to harm himself and others resisting medical care, I am familiar with how medical or husbandry procedures can become dangerous and generate suffering to all involved.

These horses are not "bad" nor “dominant” or "headstrong" but rather animals facing a stressful situation who are feeling and expressing themselves in the only way they know to defend themselves. It is our responsibility to familiarise and teach them how to behave under these scenarios. But this is also an amazing opportunity to establish kinship, build trust and enrich our shared language. 

Studies have shown that having the power to choose and influence (gain control) is essential to both humans and animals' health. It has a reinforcing value and it is an inherent part of real cooperation.

Sharing control with horses during medical or husbandry procedures can help transform an aversive stimulus (stressful/unpleasant) like receiving an injection, applying ointment, or lifting a leg for hoof care (or whatever has previously scared our horse off) into a reinforcing stimulus (desirable/pleasant).

Adding control to the horse will eliminate or reduce stress and can be revolutionary for both horses and humans.

It’s much more than just kindness alleviating our horse's suffering; it also has a very practical aspect: We are all affected by stress on a cellular level. Stress can cause secondary health damage like ulcers, colic, and slow healing process. It will hinder treatment, it can even alter and affect the accuracy of blood tests results (as stress affects cortisol and other hormones), and stress can lead to avoidance or conflictive behaviours that can pose danger to the caregivers and the horse itself. 

This does not mean that the horses are the only ones "controlling" the procedure. It means that both humans and horses have a way to influence in these circumstances and can work in true partnership, which is the actual meaning of ‘co-operative care’.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLZO5uD0sEY[/embed]

Learn how to facilitate breathtaking transformation and gain inspiring cooperation with your horse:
Change the way your horse perceives and behaves in husbandry and medical care scenarios. Deepen your shared language, reduce stress and train horses to be active, willing participants while using control (choice and influence) both as a reinforcer and an indicator to influence training and real time procedures. 

Gain deeper understanding of concepts and fluency in applying techniques and tools for training and enable better welfare. Build trust and confidence in both you and your horse and minimise safety risks for all.

Some of the skills and concepts taught in the course:

• Shaping a chin rest and other ‘Start Buttons’ behaviours to use in cooperative care. 

• Defining your goal then letting horses lead, ‘co-creating’ individualised shaping processes.
• Learning to set up inviting environments and use varied feeding techniques as your part of the dialog and your training toolkit.

• Broadening observational skills and adding flexibility.

• Defining and setting up choices - or - how and why to reinforce both ‘yes’ and ‘no’ while maintaining learning. 
• Looking at desensitisation and counter-conditioning with an operant mindset.
• Building duration, adding variety and distraction to the learning.

• Shaping behaviours for eye care, clipping, accepting injections, fly spray, and more.

Pre-requisites: 

Both you and your horse need to be clicker savvy, having some experience with targeting, shaping and adding cues to behaviours.

****
(In Cooperative care with horses Part 2: you will train varied behaviours for hoof care)

As the caregiver of a mare who used to stand solely on her hind feet for the majority of her shoeing and a pony who came prepared to harm himself and others resisting medical care, I am familiar with how medical or husbandry procedures can become dangerous and generate suffering to all involved.

These horses are not "bad" nor “dominant” or "headstrong" but rather animals facing a stressful situation who are feeling and expressing themselves in the only way they know to defend themselves. It is our responsibility to familiarise and teach them how to behave under these scenarios. But this is also an amazing opportunity to establish kinship, build trust and enrich our shared language. 

Studies have shown that having the power to choose and influence (gain control) is essential to both humans and animals' health. It has a reinforcing value and it is an inherent part of real cooperation.

Sharing control with horses during medical or husbandry procedures can help transform an aversive stimulus (stressful/unpleasant) like receiving an injection, applying ointment, or lifting a leg for hoof care (or whatever has previously scared our horse off) into a reinforcing stimulus (desirable/pleasant).

Adding control to the horse will eliminate or reduce stress and can be revolutionary for both horses and humans.

It’s much more than just kindness alleviating our horse's suffering; it also has a very practical aspect: We are all affected by stress on a cellular level. Stress can cause secondary health damage like ulcers, colic, and slow healing process. It will hinder treatment, it can even alter and affect the accuracy of blood tests results (as stress affects cortisol and other hormones), and stress can lead to avoidance or conflictive behaviours that can pose danger to the caregivers and the horse itself. 

This does not mean that the horses are the only ones "controlling" the procedure. It means that both humans and horses have a way to influence in these circumstances and can work in true partnership, which is the actual meaning of ‘co-operative care’.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLZO5uD0sEY[/embed]

Learn how to facilitate breathtaking transformation and gain inspiring cooperation with your horse:
Change the way your horse perceives and behaves in husbandry and medical care scenarios. Deepen your shared language, reduce stress and train horses to be active, willing participants while using control (choice and influence) both as a reinforcer and an indicator to influence training and real time procedures. 

Gain deeper understanding of concepts and fluency in applying techniques and tools for training and enable better welfare. Build trust and confidence in both you and your horse and minimise safety risks for all.

Some of the skills and concepts taught in the course:

• Shaping a chin rest and other ‘Start Buttons’ behaviours to use in cooperative care. 

• Defining your goal then letting horses lead, ‘co-creating’ individualised shaping processes.
• Learning to set up inviting environments and use varied feeding techniques as your part of the dialog and your training toolkit.

• Broadening observational skills and adding flexibility.

• Defining and setting up choices - or - how and why to reinforce both ‘yes’ and ‘no’ while maintaining learning. 
• Looking at desensitisation and counter-conditioning with an operant mindset.
• Building duration, adding variety and distraction to the learning.

• Shaping behaviours for eye care, clipping, accepting injections, fly spray, and more.

Pre-requisites: 

Both you and your horse need to be clicker savvy, having some experience with targeting, shaping and adding cues to behaviours.

****
(In Cooperative care with horses Part 2: you will train varied behaviours for hoof care)

Do you dread walking your dog?  

Is it a constant struggle with pulling and a tight leash?  

Does your dog seem to forget you exist when you’re out on a walk?  

Can you imagine what walks would be like if your dog walked next to you and paid attention to you?  

By taking this course you will learn the skills that will help you and your dog achieve your polite walking dreams!   

Pulling on walks is often a frustrating problem for both you and your dog that can be detrimental to your relationship. It can also be dangerous and can lead to injuries to either of you! It’s not all lost though and this course will get you on the right track! Whether the dog is big or small, loose leash walking skills can be useful for all! With a puppy or newly adopted dog who doesn’t pull yet, the skills you will learn in the course can prevent future walking troubles from developing.  

In this course you will learn:

• How to select the appropriate equipment for walks with your dog
• How to use reinforcement efficiently on the walk
• How to teach your dog to pay attention to you
• How to teach your dog to walk on a loose leash in a variety of locations
• What to do when the leash gets tight
• How to teach your dog to turn away from distraction and walk with you in the other direction
• How to work with distractions 
• Walking games including Leslie McDevitt’s 1-2-3 from Control UnleashedTM

If we haven't convinced you yet, here is a more in-depth description of what you'll find in the course:

Week 1

1. Basic skills you and your dog will need
2. Identify your goals
3. Select appropriate equipment for your walks
4. Learn about important concepts and terminology including operant conditioning and marker signals
5. Identify the skills you and your dog will need for loose leash walking
6. Learn to select the correct environment to set you and your dog up for success
7. Know what to do when the leash gets tight

Week 2

1. Teaching u-turns, the 1-2-3 game and directional turns
2. Learn how type of reinforcement, rate of reinforcement, reinforcement placement and other small changes can make a big difference to keep the leash loose
3. Learning what motivates our dogs to pull in the first place
4. The “Three Ds” and loose leash walking

Week 3

1. How to change speed successfully on a walk
2. Learn how to pay attention to the environment and how that impacts our success with polite walking
3. How to build fluency with our polite walking skills in a variety of environments
4. How other important skills like recall can help us on walks

Week 4 - Working with distractions 

1. Diving deeper into motivation and distractions
2. How to identify distractions for the individual dog in front of us
3. Learn to work in more challenging environments
4. Learn when and how to teach our dogs to avoid distractions, and when and how we might use some distractions as reinforcers for loose leash walking

Week 5 

1. Different types of walks including urban walks and more decompression style walks and skill sets needed for both
2. Building duration with polite walking, and with the 1-2-3 game
3. Learning how to decrease distance to distractions

Week 6 

1. Putting it all together - distraction plus duration
2. Remembering to be mindful of the individual we are working with, and the environment where we are working 
3. Learn about common challenges and troubleshooting

  We can’t wait to see you on the course!

Anna&Shelly    

Do you dread walking your dog?  

Is it a constant struggle with pulling and a tight leash?  

Does your dog seem to forget you exist when you’re out on a walk?  

Can you imagine what walks would be like if your dog walked next to you and paid attention to you?  

By taking this course you will learn the skills that will help you and your dog achieve your polite walking dreams!   

Pulling on walks is often a frustrating problem for both you and your dog that can be detrimental to your relationship. It can also be dangerous and can lead to injuries to either of you! It’s not all lost though and this course will get you on the right track! Whether the dog is big or small, loose leash walking skills can be useful for all! With a puppy or newly adopted dog who doesn’t pull yet, the skills you will learn in the course can prevent future walking troubles from developing.  

In this course you will learn:

• How to select the appropriate equipment for walks with your dog
• How to use reinforcement efficiently on the walk
• How to teach your dog to pay attention to you
• How to teach your dog to walk on a loose leash in a variety of locations
• What to do when the leash gets tight
• How to teach your dog to turn away from distraction and walk with you in the other direction
• How to work with distractions 
• Walking games including Leslie McDevitt’s 1-2-3 from Control UnleashedTM

If we haven't convinced you yet, here is a more in-depth description of what you'll find in the course:

Week 1

1. Basic skills you and your dog will need
2. Identify your goals
3. Select appropriate equipment for your walks
4. Learn about important concepts and terminology including operant conditioning and marker signals
5. Identify the skills you and your dog will need for loose leash walking
6. Learn to select the correct environment to set you and your dog up for success
7. Know what to do when the leash gets tight

Week 2

1. Teaching u-turns, the 1-2-3 game and directional turns
2. Learn how type of reinforcement, rate of reinforcement, reinforcement placement and other small changes can make a big difference to keep the leash loose
3. Learning what motivates our dogs to pull in the first place
4. The “Three Ds” and loose leash walking

Week 3

1. How to change speed successfully on a walk
2. Learn how to pay attention to the environment and how that impacts our success with polite walking
3. How to build fluency with our polite walking skills in a variety of environments
4. How other important skills like recall can help us on walks

Week 4 - Working with distractions 

1. Diving deeper into motivation and distractions
2. How to identify distractions for the individual dog in front of us
3. Learn to work in more challenging environments
4. Learn when and how to teach our dogs to avoid distractions, and when and how we might use some distractions as reinforcers for loose leash walking

Week 5 

1. Different types of walks including urban walks and more decompression style walks and skill sets needed for both
2. Building duration with polite walking, and with the 1-2-3 game
3. Learning how to decrease distance to distractions

Week 6 

1. Putting it all together - distraction plus duration
2. Remembering to be mindful of the individual we are working with, and the environment where we are working 
3. Learn about common challenges and troubleshooting

  We can’t wait to see you on the course!

Anna&Shelly    

Do you dread walking your dog?  

Is it a constant struggle with pulling and a tight leash?  

Does your dog seem to forget you exist when you’re out on a walk?  

Can you imagine what walks would be like if your dog walked next to you and paid attention to you?  

By taking this course you will learn the skills that will help you and your dog achieve your polite walking dreams!   

Pulling on walks is often a frustrating problem for both you and your dog that can be detrimental to your relationship. It can also be dangerous and can lead to injuries to either of you! It’s not all lost though and this course will get you on the right track! Whether the dog is big or small, loose leash walking skills can be useful for all! With a puppy or newly adopted dog who doesn’t pull yet, the skills you will learn in the course can prevent future walking troubles from developing.  

In this course you will learn:

• How to select the appropriate equipment for walks with your dog
• How to use reinforcement efficiently on the walk
• How to teach your dog to pay attention to you
• How to teach your dog to walk on a loose leash in a variety of locations
• What to do when the leash gets tight
• How to teach your dog to turn away from distraction and walk with you in the other direction
• How to work with distractions 
• Walking games including Leslie McDevitt’s 1-2-3 from Control UnleashedTM

If we haven't convinced you yet, here is a more in-depth description of what you'll find in the course:

Week 1

1. Basic skills you and your dog will need
2. Identify your goals
3. Select appropriate equipment for your walks
4. Learn about important concepts and terminology including operant conditioning and marker signals
5. Identify the skills you and your dog will need for loose leash walking
6. Learn to select the correct environment to set you and your dog up for success
7. Know what to do when the leash gets tight

Week 2

1. Teaching u-turns, the 1-2-3 game and directional turns
2. Learn how type of reinforcement, rate of reinforcement, reinforcement placement and other small changes can make a big difference to keep the leash loose
3. Learning what motivates our dogs to pull in the first place
4. The “Three Ds” and loose leash walking

Week 3

1. How to change speed successfully on a walk
2. Learn how to pay attention to the environment and how that impacts our success with polite walking
3. How to build fluency with our polite walking skills in a variety of environments
4. How other important skills like recall can help us on walks

Week 4 - Working with distractions 

1. Diving deeper into motivation and distractions
2. How to identify distractions for the individual dog in front of us
3. Learn to work in more challenging environments
4. Learn when and how to teach our dogs to avoid distractions, and when and how we might use some distractions as reinforcers for loose leash walking

Week 5 

1. Different types of walks including urban walks and more decompression style walks and skill sets needed for both
2. Building duration with polite walking, and with the 1-2-3 game
3. Learning how to decrease distance to distractions

Week 6 

1. Putting it all together - distraction plus duration
2. Remembering to be mindful of the individual we are working with, and the environment where we are working 
3. Learn about common challenges and troubleshooting

  We can’t wait to see you on the course!

Anna&Shelly    

A reliable recall is one of the most important safety behaviors we can teach the dogs in our lives, and in emergency situations. When we need our recall to work, we really need it to work!

• Do you wish your dog would come back when you called?
• Does your dog come back most of the time, but not quite all the time, and often not when it really matters?
• Do you wish your dog would stay closer to you and not run off in the first place?
• Does your dog run back to you when you call, but then immediately take off again?

When my journey in dog training began, I wondered why people use coercion. Was coercion the only choice? Was this the only way to interact with animals?

But after a while everything changed: I met the world of clicker training.
My life changed when I discovered that I could communicate with my dog just by using a little sound: click!

So instead of forcing the dog to sit, you can have a dog who wants to sit. There’s a big difference!

Sometimes we feel frustrated because our dogs don't listen to us, or they ignore us. How many times does this happen? But, have you ever thought that this can be due to a lack of understanding between two different species?

The beauty of the clicker is that it helps to build a strong and effective communication. How can I talk to my dog if I speak English and he speaks “dog language”? By using the clicker we can explain to our learners what we want to say. The clicker is like a bridge between the behavior and the reinforcement. Simply said, it tells the dog what is the behavior that earns the treat. And this leads to the repetition of that behavior.

Moreover, the dog understands that he is in control of the situation: once he figures out what is the behavior we reinforce, he can make us click! And this is how confidence grows.

And the more you build confidence, the easier it is for the dog to cooperate with you.
Another amazing aspect of using a clicker to learn a behavior is that you can only focus on what is “positive” and not on what is “negative”: you click a behavior you like but you can’t click what you don’t want. In other words, you explain to the dog that you like what he does, but you don’t focus on behaviors you don’t like. Instead of punishing unwanted behaviors, we teach the dog more appropriate behaviors.

Furthermore, remember that learning new behaviors stimulates our cognitive skills (attention, memory, problem solving, etc) and it is not different for our furry friends. You’ll see that the more your dog learns, the more he will be able to learn.

Last but not least, using a clicker makes you a better trainer. You realize how big is the difference between forcing your dog to do something or explaining what you want, giving the dog the correct information, respecting his needs, building trust. And all this is an invaluable experience for you.

Isn’t it a fascinating world? Once you learn how to use it, you never stop. BUT. Keep in mind that before teaching behaviors to our learner, we have to consider ourselves learners too.

This is what this course is about: we’ll start from the beginning because I want you to acquire the skills you’ll need for the rest of your life. Also, I want you to pay attention to the process and not run to the final behavior, because it is the process that leads to the final behavior.

This is the key for successful training.

During the course we’ll try to understand how to use the clicker and the science behind it through some very basic exercises. While working on these, we’ll focus on the mechanics of clicker training, delivery patterns, errorless learning, cues, latency. Basically, we’ll “use” these behaviors to understand how to use a clicker and all the components that stand behind the final result.

The course covers:

•  What is clicker training
• Why it is important to use positive reinforcement
• Getting started with the clicker
• Sit
• Down
• Stay
• Hand target
• Paw target
• Target transfer
• Mat target
• Between my legs
• Spin
• Adding a cue
• Clean loop
• The trainer
• ...and much more!

So join me for six weeks, I am sure we can learn from each other and I can’t wait to share my experience with you!!

When my journey in dog training began, I wondered why people use coercion. Was coercion the only choice? Was this the only way to interact with animals?

But after a while everything changed: I met the world of clicker training.
My life changed when I discovered that I could communicate with my dog just by using a little sound: click!

So instead of forcing the dog to sit, you can have a dog who wants to sit. There’s a big difference!

Sometimes we feel frustrated because our dogs don't listen to us, or they ignore us. How many times does this happen? But, have you ever thought that this can be due to a lack of understanding between two different species?

The beauty of the clicker is that it helps to build a strong and effective communication. How can I talk to my dog if I speak English and he speaks “dog language”? By using the clicker we can explain to our learners what we want to say. The clicker is like a bridge between the behavior and the reinforcement. Simply said, it tells the dog what is the behavior that earns the treat. And this leads to the repetition of that behavior.

Moreover, the dog understands that he is in control of the situation: once he figures out what is the behavior we reinforce, he can make us click! And this is how confidence grows.

And the more you build confidence, the easier it is for the dog to cooperate with you.
Another amazing aspect of using a clicker to learn a behavior is that you can only focus on what is “positive” and not on what is “negative”: you click a behavior you like but you can’t click what you don’t want. In other words, you explain to the dog that you like what he does, but you don’t focus on behaviors you don’t like. Instead of punishing unwanted behaviors, we teach the dog more appropriate behaviors.

Furthermore, remember that learning new behaviors stimulates our cognitive skills (attention, memory, problem solving, etc) and it is not different for our furry friends. You’ll see that the more your dog learns, the more he will be able to learn.

Last but not least, using a clicker makes you a better trainer. You realize how big is the difference between forcing your dog to do something or explaining what you want, giving the dog the correct information, respecting his needs, building trust. And all this is an invaluable experience for you.

Isn’t it a fascinating world? Once you learn how to use it, you never stop. BUT. Keep in mind that before teaching behaviors to our learner, we have to consider ourselves learners too.

This is what this course is about: we’ll start from the beginning because I want you to acquire the skills you’ll need for the rest of your life. Also, I want you to pay attention to the process and not run to the final behavior, because it is the process that leads to the final behavior.

This is the key for successful training.

During the course we’ll try to understand how to use the clicker and the science behind it through some very basic exercises. While working on these, we’ll focus on the mechanics of clicker training, delivery patterns, errorless learning, cues, latency. Basically, we’ll “use” these behaviors to understand how to use a clicker and all the components that stand behind the final result.

The course covers:

•  What is clicker training
• Why it is important to use positive reinforcement
• Getting started with the clicker
• Sit
• Down
• Stay
• Hand target
• Paw target
• Target transfer
• Mat target
• Between my legs
• Spin
• Adding a cue
• Clean loop
• The trainer
• ...and much more!

So join me for six weeks, I am sure we can learn from each other and I can’t wait to share my experience with you!!

Did you know that cats go through a sensitive period? This period is important for introducing cats to the human world so they don't see it as a scary place. This is also called the Socialization Period. Cat's socialization period happens around 3-7 weeks old up to 14 weeks old. During this time, a startled kitten recovers more quickly than older cats. Once this window of socialization is closed, fear of new things becomes the norm. So, set your kitten up for success by starting early!

Because the socialization period of cats is very early, many cats are thought to be aloof and mysterious whereas they most often are under-socialized and misunderstood by the time they are ready for adoption or purchase (~2-3 months old).

This course is suitable for kittens aged 7 weeks old up to 14 weeks old. If you are a foster care of orphaned kittens or a cat shelter attendant, you will learn how to help your kittens be more socialized and more adoptable. If you are a breeder, you have the responsibility of properly socializing your kittens before they are ready to be separated from the mother cat and into the hands of the new owners. If you are an owner of older kittens, you will still find this course useful for training and bonding, and for cat behavior knowledge.

What we will do in this course.

• Discuss the importance of socialization and how to socialize kittens during this sensitive period as well as feline body language to help you read your kitten's response during socialization
• Learn how to condition your kitten to gentle handling and body manipulation using positive association that will help with grooming and some veterinary procedures
• Learn how to trim your cat's claws without using stressful restraint
• Prevent pet carrier or crate stress for car rides or vet visit by training ahead
• Learn how to prevent stress in future vet visits by always making a visit fun and positive for the kitten
• Discuss common behavior problems in kittens and ways to prevent them
• Learn to analyze common behavior issues using applied behavior analysis
• Learn basic training skills that can help you bond with your kitten and increase their level of responsiveness to cues

Skills we will cover:

• Clicker training
• Targeting
• Stationing/place training
• Name recognition
• Recall
• Crate or pet carrier
• Gentle and positive handling
• Intro to walking on a harness

In this course, we will learn basic training skills, behavior problem solving and prevention. This kitten class is designed to help with socialization, address normal kitten behaviors, and prevent the development of behavior problems. This course is not designed to treat serious behavior problems (such as aggression, anxiety, or extreme fear or phobias).

Weekly breakdown of skills and lecture topic:

Week 1: Clicker training & name recognition, kitten socialization

Week 2: Targeting & recall, preventing litter box issue

Week 3: Stationing & pet carrier training, preventing destructive scratching

Week 4: Gentle and positive handling, proper playtime

Week 5: Cat harness conditioning, positive nail trim

Week 6: Leash walking, problem solving model

Did you know that cats go through a sensitive period? This period is important for introducing cats to the human world so they don't see it as a scary place. This is also called the Socialization Period. Cat's socialization period happens around 3-7 weeks old up to 14 weeks old. During this time, a startled kitten recovers more quickly than older cats. Once this window of socialization is closed, fear of new things becomes the norm. So, set your kitten up for success by starting early!

Because the socialization period of cats is very early, many cats are thought to be aloof and mysterious whereas they most often are under-socialized and misunderstood by the time they are ready for adoption or purchase (~2-3 months old).

This course is suitable for kittens aged 7 weeks old up to 14 weeks old. If you are a foster care of orphaned kittens or a cat shelter attendant, you will learn how to help your kittens be more socialized and more adoptable. If you are a breeder, you have the responsibility of properly socializing your kittens before they are ready to be separated from the mother cat and into the hands of the new owners. If you are an owner of older kittens, you will still find this course useful for training and bonding, and for cat behavior knowledge.

What we will do in this course.

• Discuss the importance of socialization and how to socialize kittens during this sensitive period as well as feline body language to help you read your kitten's response during socialization
• Learn how to condition your kitten to gentle handling and body manipulation using positive association that will help with grooming and some veterinary procedures
• Learn how to trim your cat's claws without using stressful restraint
• Prevent pet carrier or crate stress for car rides or vet visit by training ahead
• Learn how to prevent stress in future vet visits by always making a visit fun and positive for the kitten
• Discuss common behavior problems in kittens and ways to prevent them
• Learn to analyze common behavior issues using applied behavior analysis
• Learn basic training skills that can help you bond with your kitten and increase their level of responsiveness to cues

Skills we will cover:

• Clicker training
• Targeting
• Stationing/place training
• Name recognition
• Recall
• Crate or pet carrier
• Gentle and positive handling
• Intro to walking on a harness

In this course, we will learn basic training skills, behavior problem solving and prevention. This kitten class is designed to help with socialization, address normal kitten behaviors, and prevent the development of behavior problems. This course is not designed to treat serious behavior problems (such as aggression, anxiety, or extreme fear or phobias).

Weekly breakdown of skills and lecture topic:

Week 1: Clicker training & name recognition, kitten socialization

Week 2: Targeting & recall, preventing litter box issue

Week 3: Stationing & pet carrier training, preventing destructive scratching

Week 4: Gentle and positive handling, proper playtime

Week 5: Cat harness conditioning, positive nail trim

Week 6: Leash walking, problem solving model

Mat training is one of the most important behaviors that can be taught. It’s very useful in many situations when people and dogs live in the same space.  

Placement and size of the mat, your position, location of the treats, the timing of cues and markers, and other factors can create many variations of mat training. But don’t be scared, I will guide you through this process step by step!  

This mat training course will provide you with ideas on how to incorporate mat training into your daily life in a natural way so that both you and your dog can live stress-free and secure lives.  

Think about these questions:  

• Do you want your dog to stay on the mat while you vacuum?
• Do you want your dog to stay on the mat when you have guests or a delivery guy bring you a package?
• Do you want the dog to stay on the mat while you prepare the dog's food?
• Do you want the dog to stay on the mat while you eat your dinner at the table?
• Do you want the dog to stay on the mat while you work at your desk?

  If you have said YES! at least once while reading the questions above, you have to register for the course :D  

I will also share with you the "Most Common Mistakes" people tend to make when mat training, so you can learn in the shortest amount of time possible.  

Here are the skills and concepts that will be taught in the course:  

➡️ Antecedent Arrangements - prevention is better than cure

➡️ 3Ds-Distance, Distraction, and Duration

➡️ Understanding operant conditioning and classical conditioning

➡️ Going to the mat on cue

➡️ Replace it with a context cue

➡️ Stay on the mat until the release cue

➡️ Stay calm and settle on the mat

➡️ Generalize to both - inside and outside the house

➡️ Generalize to crate training - very useful during traveling (safety!) or in the animal hospital  

If your dog knows mat training very well, you can get a peaceful family visit without jumping or have tea with your dog at a cafe!  

I hope you will join this course and enrich your life with your dog through mat training. Register now!

Mat training is one of the most important behaviors that can be taught. It’s very useful in many situations when people and dogs live in the same space.  

Placement and size of the mat, your position, location of the treats, the timing of cues and markers, and other factors can create many variations of mat training. But don’t be scared, I will guide you through this process step by step!  

This mat training course will provide you with ideas on how to incorporate mat training into your daily life in a natural way so that both you and your dog can live stress-free and secure lives.  

Think about these questions:  

• Do you want your dog to stay on the mat while you vacuum?
• Do you want your dog to stay on the mat when you have guests or a delivery guy bring you a package?
• Do you want the dog to stay on the mat while you prepare the dog's food?
• Do you want the dog to stay on the mat while you eat your dinner at the table?
• Do you want the dog to stay on the mat while you work at your desk?

  If you have said YES! at least once while reading the questions above, you have to register for the course :D  

I will also share with you the "Most Common Mistakes" people tend to make when mat training, so you can learn in the shortest amount of time possible.  

Here are the skills and concepts that will be taught in the course:  

➡️ Antecedent Arrangements - prevention is better than cure

➡️ 3Ds-Distance, Distraction, and Duration

➡️ Understanding operant conditioning and classical conditioning

➡️ Going to the mat on cue

➡️ Replace it with a context cue

➡️ Stay on the mat until the release cue

➡️ Stay calm and settle on the mat

➡️ Generalize to both - inside and outside the house

➡️ Generalize to crate training - very useful during traveling (safety!) or in the animal hospital  

If your dog knows mat training very well, you can get a peaceful family visit without jumping or have tea with your dog at a cafe!  

I hope you will join this course and enrich your life with your dog through mat training. Register now!

• Basic odor kit (including a minimum of 3 scent vessels, such as tins, tubes or straws)
• Smelly, high value food to search for (e.g. dried fish, beef lung, fresh chicken, or tuna)
• High value food or toy reinforcement
• Access to a variety of search areas--both interior and exterior
• Video camera or phone
• Misc. items of furniture--tables, chairs, etc
• Exercise pen, large cardboard boxes, three colanders, junction boxes, or bowls.

• Index of terms--expanded to include more advanced topics
• Handling odor and setting hides
• Basics of odor movement
• Preserving  your dog's confidence and enthusiasm
• Self-Assessment: what is your dog’s current skill-level with multi-hide searches, elevation, inaccessibles, etc?
• Bonus lessons:
  • Clarifying search cues and "Find Another"
  • Practicing search cues in multi-hide searches using food

• Single hides vs. multiple--how does putting out additional hides change the overall picture?
• Recognizing convergence before the dog solves it
• Tips to make multi-hide searches more errorless
• Multi-hide searches with separate scent plumes
• Multi-hide searches with overlapping scent plumes

• Inaccessible by containment
• Inaccessible by reach
• Where's that backdoor? -- Persistence games to balance inaccessible work

• Large Area Air-stream Teasers
• Thermal Convergence Puzzles 

• Revisiting Pt. 1 Search Areas With More Hides Added
• Expect the Unexpected Searches

• Parkour and Poses
• Elevation Break Down
• Elevation Progression

• Principles over recipes
• The power of learner-driven teaching
• Performance--Feedback--Revision
• Training in "Three Acts"
• The Brave Learning Rubric for planning and assessment
• How to hone in on meaningful goals for each training session
• What is "errorless learning" really?
• How to find the right starting point (and what to do if you're wrong)
• How to let antecedents work for you, not against you
• How to avoid "cue pile ups"
• How to identify when prerequisites are missing for something you are trying to teach
• How to capitalize on previously learned repertoires
• How to tell if your marker signals are effective
• How to isolate cues within a context (aka "stimulus control")
• How to build resilience into your behaviors right from the start
• How to develop reinforcement strategies that suit your learner's needs in the moment
• Knowing when to follow the rules and when it is okay to break them

[embed]https://vimeo.com/571409186?fbclid=IwAR3cRYj5WTl7v8nnEsLdWAbTsus05nvJymXCKYxmF2MRpSuP4q0WhKQKlLk[/embed]

Cats have long mystified and mesmerized humanity, inspiring poets and artists alike, while invading  Internet memes and finding a place in the hearts and homes amongst all countries. Cats have often been considered aloof and unpredictable, walking their own path and daring to, “look at a king.“ But like all other organisms, felines are also subject to the laws of behavior science and as such, yes, even cats can be, ‘trained,‘ or ‘conditioned,’ in much the same way that they train and condition us to get up out of bed before our alarms blare by kneading our bellies, licking our noses and maybe even nibbling our fingers. This is why the Cat Herding 101 course was created!   Conditioning is always happening and cats like every other organism are not immune to it. There is no secret code word to begin exploring the magically fascinating world of cat training, aka, ‘cat herding.’ All it takes is one’s interest, plus a desire and effort to explore and learn…in a phrase, with the curiosity of a cat!  

But why would we wish to train a cat? Because cat training is an amazing for:

• enhance your relationship with your cat and increase the ‘trust account’, allowing the learner increased choice and control to access functional reinforcement
• it allows an outlet for enrichment including mental and physical stimulation for both the trainer and learner alike
• helps you to minimize or more adequately construct and shape new behaviors to replace 'unwanted', or aversive behavioral patterns
• increase your overall mechanical and conceptual skill regarding applied behavioral technologies through working with your cat

J.R. Henderson & his clowder (Condie, Durga & Poe) invite you on an incredible voyage of behavioral discovery!

Explore many aspects of behavioral techniques that can be applied to all aspects of cat herding 101 to set both you and your cat up for success. As Dr. Susan Friedman reminds us, “behavior is a study of one,” and keeping this in mind with a species evolutionary-based approach, J. R. & his clowder will guide you on a journey of behavioral discovery regarding cat herding. You will explore all aspects regarding cat herding, from building upon foundational principles and behaviors to creating behavioral momentum and bringing an element of ‘loopiness,’ to your training sessions. You will also explore more intermediate training principles and behaviors such as basic cooperative care and maybe even a pattern game or two thrown into the mix. J.R. & his clowder will cover a tad of everything to get any and everyone inspired and set up for success regarding cat herding 101.  

Cat Herding 101 will cover:

• foundational principles, including equipment needed to begin cat herding, the antecedents of training setup and arrangement, preference testing, reviewing the concepts of pairing the marker/bridge (respondent conditioning), constructing behavior via capturing, luring and shaping, along with principles of errorless and graded training approaches
• you will be able to demonstrate foundational behaviors including, ‘targeting’ and ‘stationing’ which many of our other behaviors and arrangements will be predicated upon
• building behavioral momentum through the concepts of ‘training in loops,’ reinforcer delivery, a review on stimulus control and an overview on prompts, cues and prompt fading
• you will be able to demonstrate intermediate level behavioral responses including: ‘sit,’ ‘down,’ ‘high five,’ and jump ‘up’
• the basics of cooperative care will be covered including beginning tactile work and various objects being contacted to the body including stethoscopes, capped needles or similar substitutes and other objects of veterinary care, along with reviewing carrier training and also an overview of keeping medium and long-haired cats’ coats brushed which can at times be a challenge of endurance and wriggling for both cats and guardians alike
• discussing and demonstrating the use of pattern games with cats
• a detailed discussion and exploration of continued building of behavioral momentum over duration, distance and distraction.

  Lesson 1: Foundational principles Lesson 2: Foundational behaviors Lesson 3: Building behavioral momentum Lesson 4: Intermediate feline behaviors Lesson 5: Basic cooperative care concepts Lesson 6: Pattern games and further inspirations in behavioral construction  

  J.R. & his clowder look forward to continuing the cat chat and celebrating life in the meow with you in Cat Herding 101!

Cats have long mystified and mesmerized humanity, inspiring poets and artists alike, while invading  Internet memes and finding a place in the hearts and homes amongst all countries. Cats have often been considered aloof and unpredictable, walking their own path and daring to, “look at a king.“ But like all other organisms, felines are also subject to the laws of behavior science and as such, yes, even cats can be, ‘trained,‘ or ‘conditioned,’ in much the same way that they train and condition us to get up out of bed before our alarms blare by kneading our bellies, licking our noses and maybe even nibbling our fingers. This is why the Cat Herding 101 course was created!   Conditioning is always happening and cats like every other organism are not immune to it. There is no secret code word to begin exploring the magically fascinating world of cat training, aka, ‘cat herding.’ All it takes is one’s interest, plus a desire and effort to explore and learn…in a phrase, with the curiosity of a cat!  

But why would we wish to train a cat? Because cat training is an amazing for:

• enhance your relationship with your cat and increase the ‘trust account’, allowing the learner increased choice and control to access functional reinforcement
• it allows an outlet for enrichment including mental and physical stimulation for both the trainer and learner alike
• helps you to minimize or more adequately construct and shape new behaviors to replace 'unwanted', or aversive behavioral patterns
• increase your overall mechanical and conceptual skill regarding applied behavioral technologies through working with your cat

J.R. Henderson & his clowder (Condie, Durga & Poe) invite you on an incredible voyage of behavioral discovery!

Explore many aspects of behavioral techniques that can be applied to all aspects of cat herding 101 to set both you and your cat up for success. As Dr. Susan Friedman reminds us, “behavior is a study of one,” and keeping this in mind with a species evolutionary-based approach, J. R. & his clowder will guide you on a journey of behavioral discovery regarding cat herding. You will explore all aspects regarding cat herding, from building upon foundational principles and behaviors to creating behavioral momentum and bringing an element of ‘loopiness,’ to your training sessions. You will also explore more intermediate training principles and behaviors such as basic cooperative care and maybe even a pattern game or two thrown into the mix. J.R. & his clowder will cover a tad of everything to get any and everyone inspired and set up for success regarding cat herding 101.  

Cat Herding 101 will cover:

• foundational principles, including equipment needed to begin cat herding, the antecedents of training setup and arrangement, preference testing, reviewing the concepts of pairing the marker/bridge (respondent conditioning), constructing behavior via capturing, luring and shaping, along with principles of errorless and graded training approaches
• you will be able to demonstrate foundational behaviors including, ‘targeting’ and ‘stationing’ which many of our other behaviors and arrangements will be predicated upon
• building behavioral momentum through the concepts of ‘training in loops,’ reinforcer delivery, a review on stimulus control and an overview on prompts, cues and prompt fading
• you will be able to demonstrate intermediate level behavioral responses including: ‘sit,’ ‘down,’ ‘high five,’ and jump ‘up’
• the basics of cooperative care will be covered including beginning tactile work and various objects being contacted to the body including stethoscopes, capped needles or similar substitutes and other objects of veterinary care, along with reviewing carrier training and also an overview of keeping medium and long-haired cats’ coats brushed which can at times be a challenge of endurance and wriggling for both cats and guardians alike
• discussing and demonstrating the use of pattern games with cats
• a detailed discussion and exploration of continued building of behavioral momentum over duration, distance and distraction.

  Lesson 1: Foundational principles Lesson 2: Foundational behaviors Lesson 3: Building behavioral momentum Lesson 4: Intermediate feline behaviors Lesson 5: Basic cooperative care concepts Lesson 6: Pattern games and further inspirations in behavioral construction  

  J.R. & his clowder look forward to continuing the cat chat and celebrating life in the meow with you in Cat Herding 101!

This course is dedicated to getting the highest level of fluency in our behaviors by getting geeky and diving deep into each training session.

How do we do that?

The short answer is: We focus on behavior! Both ours, and our learnes behavior.

We are going to analyze everything in the session, both from the handlers position and timing, to everything the dogs does.

So I will emphasize,- this course is geeky, and it is a good thing, if you are prepared to use quite a lot of time, of practicing using the schedules, and being comfortable with just focusing on behavior.

You will, as a premium participant, be asked to fill out quite a few schedules ad homework, to get comfortable with them.

Analyzing our sessions to this degree can be slightly scary and seem overwhelming in the beginning.

Luckily, as with anything else, the more we practice doing it the right way, the more fluent in behavior we become. And what we leave this course with, is very fine-tuned observation skills, that will help us in the future. Both when we want to improve our own sessions, and also if we are helping someone else. Having practiced your observational skills, takes you a big step towards being a favorite training partner.

In this course, we will work on a few specific behaviors that you would like to have perfected. You can chose some, or I can suggest some. This course is not about teaching as many behaviors as possible - that is the "Off cue- off control" course. Here, we dive much deeper into fewer behaviors. We work with the learner offering the behavior off cue and perfecting it, till we have the behaviors freakishly fluent.

This is a course where there is going to be a significant amount of work, taking data, and reviewing the videos from every session, again and again. We use a lot of benchmarking schedules to track the progress, and you will learn how to take your training to the next level with this tool.

This course covers:

• Introduction to what fluency is and how we get it
• The science and definitions behind it
• Benchmarking schedules on the following topics
  • Timing
  • Criteria
  • Reinforcement
  • Off cue behaviors
  • Stimulus control
  • Chaining
  • Training focus
  • Mechanical skills

  When this course finishes, the goal is for you to have ninja skills in clicker training, and have freakishly fluent behaviors!

This course is dedicated to getting the highest level of fluency in our behaviors by getting geeky and diving deep into each training session.

How do we do that?

The short answer is: We focus on behavior! Both ours, and our learnes behavior.

We are going to analyze everything in the session, both from the handlers position and timing, to everything the dogs does.

So I will emphasize,- this course is geeky, and it is a good thing, if you are prepared to use quite a lot of time, of practicing using the schedules, and being comfortable with just focusing on behavior.

You will, as a premium participant, be asked to fill out quite a few schedules ad homework, to get comfortable with them.

Analyzing our sessions to this degree can be slightly scary and seem overwhelming in the beginning.

Luckily, as with anything else, the more we practice doing it the right way, the more fluent in behavior we become. And what we leave this course with, is very fine-tuned observation skills, that will help us in the future. Both when we want to improve our own sessions, and also if we are helping someone else. Having practiced your observational skills, takes you a big step towards being a favorite training partner.

In this course, we will work on a few specific behaviors that you would like to have perfected. You can chose some, or I can suggest some. This course is not about teaching as many behaviors as possible - that is the "Off cue- off control" course. Here, we dive much deeper into fewer behaviors. We work with the learner offering the behavior off cue and perfecting it, till we have the behaviors freakishly fluent.

This is a course where there is going to be a significant amount of work, taking data, and reviewing the videos from every session, again and again. We use a lot of benchmarking schedules to track the progress, and you will learn how to take your training to the next level with this tool.

This course covers:

• Introduction to what fluency is and how we get it
• The science and definitions behind it
• Benchmarking schedules on the following topics
  • Timing
  • Criteria
  • Reinforcement
  • Off cue behaviors
  • Stimulus control
  • Chaining
  • Training focus
  • Mechanical skills

  When this course finishes, the goal is for you to have ninja skills in clicker training, and have freakishly fluent behaviors!

This is the continuation of the course Off cue- off control vol. 1

This is suitable for everyone who has started working with "off cue" behavior, and wants to keep practicing the skills, to get even better. In this extension of the topic, e we will continue to work with breaking down all the things you would like your learner to able to do, into single behaviors. We focus on developing multiple of the skills you and your learner need, to teach them exactly what you dream off.

This time, we will take them a bit further, and practice getting more fluency.

We will also look at other variations of the behaviors, than we did in the first course. We will also still have all the content from vol.1 for you to brush up on. That being said, vol 2 is for you, if you have already taken vol 1, or already have experience in structuring your sessions like this. We do this, as always,  by shaping and capturing behaviors, and we work with them off cue, to make sure we get the exact behavior. We will in this vol. 2 put a bit extra focus on setting the environment up for the behavior to happen.

The focus of this course is to get the learner started on offering behaviors. We will try to build a big repetoire of behaviors, so that our learners get creative and become an very active part of our training. If you want to start all the behaviors this course covers, there is going to be quite a lot of work – so be prepared for that.

The behaviors we will cover and work more with, in this course are:

• Focus
• Targeting
• Sit
• Backing
• Heel position
• Recall
• Heeling
• Down
• Stand
• Stay
• Doggie-zen
• Hold it
• Release
• Bark
• Jump
• Search

Under each behavior box, there are several behaviors. We will go through a few of them, and you are always free to chose which behaviors you would like to focus on.

We will also discuss the topics of:

• Off cue
• Fluency
• Doggie-zen
• Cues

This course focus will be working without treats in hand and helping as little as possible, without leaving your animal frustrated. We give the learner the highest rage of choice we can, and teach the learner to actively take part in the training. I cant wait to get to learn with you :-)

Set your puppy up for success!   

The number one reason for dogs being handed over to an animal shelter or rehomed is behavioral issues. Those issues start in puppyhood and many of them can be avoided with the right plan and actions.   

Raising a puppy is filled with a lot of joy and cuteness but also an equal amount of frustration! Even professional dog trainers with the new puppy have days when they question their decision to get one in the first place! The path to raising a puppy is not easy! That’s why it’s best to do it with others who understand you. Join this course with other puppy caregivers to have the community to lean on when things get tough.   

Learning the best practices now will equip you with everything you need for your pup's future. Set your puppy up for success and create a relaxed life for both of you! Having a dog doesn’t have to be a struggle. Let me help you create a strong relationship so you will be able to call your dog your best friend that you always wanted.   

Why would you consider joining the course and setting your puppy up for success?

• Starting with your puppy from a get-go will help you avoid any aggressive behaviors from ever developing in your puppy,
• You will learn how to avoid separation anxiety which not only saves your furniture from shredding and your neighbors from complaining but also increases your puppy’s wellbeing which often translates to lower vet bills!
• Teaching your pup how to navigate through a human world will eliminate the embarrassment of having your puppy behave in an inappropriate way like get spooked and run or bark at things, 
• Teaching your pup how to greet people and dogs politely will save you from uncomfortable conversations and apologizing for your pup’s behavior,
• You will learn how to teach your puppy to 'settle ' which will allow you to take your pup out and about to a cafe or a pub and enjoy uninterrupted time with your friends.
  

Some of the lessons in the course:

• Toilet training
• Puppy biting and play with toys
• The importance of sleep and teaching settle 
• Being left alone - first steps to avoid separation anxiety
• Body language essentials
• Socialization with people and dogs
• Puppy play with other puppies and/or dogs
• Exposure to life in a household (inanimate object, sounds, etc)
• Exposure to life in a human world (cars, traffic, etc)
• 4 paws on the floor and how to avoid jumping up on people
• Handling exercises and vet visits
• Enrichment

This course will be the first of the three part heelwork series!   Vol 1. focuses on stationary exercises and prerequiste skills.   What is the first exercise that comes to your mind when you think about competing in obedience?  Let me guess - heelwork? On the other hand, it is also the exercise that most of teams stuggle with and have a hard time breaking it down into teachable units.  

If you are just starting, this course will be perfect for you. You will learn foundations for heelwork that will score the maximum number of points.  How to teach a dog the correct head position?  What should the perfect pivot look like?  How to teach it all with errorless progression?  You will get the answers in this course!

The course will also benefit teams who already take part in the competition, but would like to improve their results.  It doesn't matter if - your dog sits crookedly, pivtos with his butt on the ground or drops his head every 5 seconds - together we will go through this process and build a perfect routine.

Close your eyes and imagine the perfect heelwork you would like to achieve.  Can you see it?  Good, we will build solid fundaments to achieve this picture within six weeks!  There is one condition - you must sign up for this course with me 😄

  Week 1:

• defining criteria for a perfect heelwork
• different rules for different venues
• how to break down heelwork into teachable units
• food/toy delivery patterns
• prerequisite skills: hand touch, paw targeting

Week 2:

• prerequisite skills: backing, side movement
• head position and focal point
• pivots

Week 3:

• more pivots,
• backing,
• back to position

Week 4:

• setups
• following backward

Week 5:

• trot practice
• fading out prompts
• cues

Week 6:

• troubleshooting
• putting it all together

  There will be limited number of Premium Spots!   To take this course as a Premium Member you need to finish Trainer’s Toolbox first (as Premium or Auditor)

This course will be the first of the three part heelwork series!   Vol 1. focuses on stationary exercises and prerequiste skills.   What is the first exercise that comes to your mind when you think about competing in obedience?  Let me guess - heelwork? On the other hand, it is also the exercise that most of teams stuggle with and have a hard time breaking it down into teachable units.  

If you are just starting, this course will be perfect for you. You will learn foundations for heelwork that will score the maximum number of points.  How to teach a dog the correct head position?  What should the perfect pivot look like?  How to teach it all with errorless progression?  You will get the answers in this course!

The course will also benefit teams who already take part in the competition, but would like to improve their results.  It doesn't matter if - your dog sits crookedly, pivtos with his butt on the ground or drops his head every 5 seconds - together we will go through this process and build a perfect routine.

Close your eyes and imagine the perfect heelwork you would like to achieve.  Can you see it?  Good, we will build solid fundaments to achieve this picture within six weeks!  There is one condition - you must sign up for this course with me 😄

  Week 1:

• defining criteria for a perfect heelwork
• different rules for different venues
• how to break down heelwork into teachable units
• food/toy delivery patterns
• prerequisite skills: hand touch, paw targeting

Week 2:

• prerequisite skills: backing, side movement
• head position and focal point
• pivots

Week 3:

• more pivots,
• backing,
• back to position

Week 4:

• setups
• following backward

Week 5:

• trot practice
• fading out prompts
• cues

Week 6:

• troubleshooting
• putting it all together

  There will be limited number of Premium Spots!   To take this course as a Premium Member you need to finish Trainer’s Toolbox first (as Premium or Auditor)

Learn a training method that will facilitate and accelerate your training achievements. Meet backchaining!  

You probably don't even know that you've already used backchaining in your training. Or maybe you used it consciously, but you still don't get it right, or while planning your training, you get stuck somewhere and don't know how to carry out the training correctly? Or maybe you do not plan your training at all but just grab treats, call the dog and start the sessions?  

Bring peace to your training and start achieving your goals with pleasure and without frustration, yours and your students! :) Sounds great, right?   Backchaining is one of those things that seem very simple. But only when you dive a bit deeper into the subject and start realizing what it actually is that happens and how every single thing we do in the process affects the chain will we get the full advantages of using it.  

You will leave this course with a desire to back-chain everything you can and have gotten very comfortable with splitting everything into behaviors to perfect.  

Some sessions are dedicated to the topic of cues, where we will look deeply at why some cues are like shooting an arrow, and others are more like pushing a car uphill. We will also discuss the topic of off cue behaviors, having fluency, and excellent stimulus control.  

We will:

• go through the pros and cons of backchaining
• Briefly touch base on forward-chaining – but we are not going to spend a lot of time on that
• Have lessons on off cue behaviors, and if that's a good thing to have
• Go through the process of adding cues to already fluent behaviors
• Make the cue a green light for performing the behavior.
• Dissect the cues, if there is a learning history that gives slower responses
• Find out what is brutally exposed when we’re backchaining.
• Figure what the glue is that makes chains so strong
• Dive into the double effect of each behavior (R+ for previous cue AND green light to the next)
• Exercise backchaining in everything we do
• Discuss the optional response to a mistake in a chain
• Go through the testing phase
• Discuss the complex job, that is, being handler
• Practice without dogs too

This course is most suited for teams that already have good solid fluency behavior and also at least 3 reliable cues that have been learned with positive reinforcement.  

You can participate if you want to work with fun chains that you can use around your house, with tricks or with competition exercises. The most important thing is that you're willing to spend six weeks of your life learning about backchaining! Will you join me?  

I can’t wait to meet you!  

See you soon at training!  

Learn a training method that will facilitate and accelerate your training achievements. Meet backchaining!  

You probably don't even know that you've already used backchaining in your training. Or maybe you used it consciously, but you still don't get it right, or while planning your training, you get stuck somewhere and don't know how to carry out the training correctly? Or maybe you do not plan your training at all but just grab treats, call the dog and start the sessions?  

Bring peace to your training and start achieving your goals with pleasure and without frustration, yours and your students! :) Sounds great, right?   Backchaining is one of those things that seem very simple. But only when you dive a bit deeper into the subject and start realizing what it actually is that happens and how every single thing we do in the process affects the chain will we get the full advantages of using it.  

You will leave this course with a desire to back-chain everything you can and have gotten very comfortable with splitting everything into behaviors to perfect.  

Some sessions are dedicated to the topic of cues, where we will look deeply at why some cues are like shooting an arrow, and others are more like pushing a car uphill. We will also discuss the topic of off cue behaviors, having fluency, and excellent stimulus control.  

We will:

• go through the pros and cons of backchaining
• Briefly touch base on forward-chaining – but we are not going to spend a lot of time on that
• Have lessons on off cue behaviors, and if that's a good thing to have
• Go through the process of adding cues to already fluent behaviors
• Make the cue a green light for performing the behavior.
• Dissect the cues, if there is a learning history that gives slower responses
• Find out what is brutally exposed when we’re backchaining.
• Figure what the glue is that makes chains so strong
• Dive into the double effect of each behavior (R+ for previous cue AND green light to the next)
• Exercise backchaining in everything we do
• Discuss the optional response to a mistake in a chain
• Go through the testing phase
• Discuss the complex job, that is, being handler
• Practice without dogs too

This course is most suited for teams that already have good solid fluency behavior and also at least 3 reliable cues that have been learned with positive reinforcement.  

You can participate if you want to work with fun chains that you can use around your house, with tricks or with competition exercises. The most important thing is that you're willing to spend six weeks of your life learning about backchaining! Will you join me?  

I can’t wait to meet you!  

See you soon at training!  

This is the course for you, if you have very specific behaviors you want to work on, and want to dedicate time to getting it perfect it. Since there, after a lot of the courses, has been requests for one-to-ones, I decided to create this course, as  the online version of that. This is your chance to get 6 weeks of feedback on your videos, without it being within in certain limits. The sky is the limit here, and the only criteria for me to help you, is that you are using positive reinforcement. You tell me what behavior your are aiming for, and how it looks, and I will help you get there. Here, there will be information on

• off cue behaviors
• fluency
• cueing
• backchaining
• doggie-zen

We will not go very deep into many theoretical lessons in this course, as this is mainly for the practical purpose, and therefor this is not a suitable course for most auditors.

This is the course for you, if you have very specific behaviors you want to work on, and want to dedicate time to getting it perfect it. Since there, after a lot of the courses, has been requests for one-to-ones, I decided to create this course, as  the online version of that. This is your chance to get 6 weeks of feedback on your videos, without it being within in certain limits. The sky is the limit here, and the only criteria for me to help you, is that you are using positive reinforcement. You tell me what behavior your are aiming for, and how it looks, and I will help you get there. Here, there will be information on

• off cue behaviors
• fluency
• cueing
• backchaining
• doggie-zen

We will not go very deep into many theoretical lessons in this course, as this is mainly for the practical purpose, and therefor this is not a suitable course for most auditors.

This is the course for you, if you have very specific behaviors you want to work on, and want to dedicate time to getting it perfect it. Since there, after a lot of the courses, has been requests for one-to-ones, I decided to create this course, as  the online version of that. This is your chance to get 6 weeks of feedback on your videos, without it being within in certain limits. The sky is the limit here, and the only criteria for me to help you, is that you are using positive reinforcement. You tell me what behavior your are aiming for, and how it looks, and I will help you get there. Here, there will be information on

• off cue behaviors
• fluency
• cueing
• backchaining
• doggie-zen

We will not go very deep into many theoretical lessons in this course, as this is mainly for the practical purpose, and therefor this is not a suitable course for most auditors.

This is the course for you, if you have very specific behaviors you want to work on, and want to dedicate time to getting it perfect it. Since there, after a lot of the courses, has been requests for one-to-ones, I decided to create this course, as  the online version of that. This is your chance to get 6 weeks of feedback on your videos, without it being within in certain limits. The sky is the limit here, and the only criteria for me to help you, is that you are using positive reinforcement. You tell me what behavior your are aiming for, and how it looks, and I will help you get there. Here, there will be information on

• off cue behaviors
• fluency
• cueing
• backchaining
• doggie-zen

We will not go very deep into many theoretical lessons in this course, as this is mainly for the practical purpose, and therefor this is not a suitable course for most auditors.

This is the course for you, if you have very specific behaviors you want to work on, and want to dedicate time to getting it perfect it. Since there, after a lot of the courses, has been requests for one-to-ones, I decided to create this course, as  the online version of that. This is your chance to get 6 weeks of feedback on your videos, without it being within in certain limits. The sky is the limit here, and the only criteria for me to help you, is that you are using positive reinforcement. You tell me what behavior your are aiming for, and how it looks, and I will help you get there. Here, there will be information on

• off cue behaviors
• fluency
• cueing
• backchaining
• doggie-zen

We will not go very deep into many theoretical lessons in this course, as this is mainly for the practical purpose, and therefor this is not a suitable course for most auditors.

Get clean, precise, and fluent behaviors – even at a distance. If you are ever in a situation where you need your dog to do certain behaviors at a distance, this course will help you get there.

Even if you are working at longer distances, you can still get your behaviors as perfect as if you were standing right next to your dog. Usually, I focus a lot on the behaviors that are happening close to the handler. In this course, that will be turned a bit around.

In these six weeks, we will discuss the following in the lessons:

• Which basic skills do we need to get started with distance behaviors?
• What equipment do we need – or can have great use of?
• How do we teach the dog an “Off cue” stay?
• How do we define our criteria, and why is this even more important when we are working at a distance?
• How do we get the dog to go to a certain point of distance?
• How do we get the desired pace when the dog is running to a certain point?
• How can we start and perfect stationary behaviors at a distance – like position changes?
• How can we start and perfect speed behaviors at a distance – like picking up the dumbbell?
• How can we teach the dog to have precision in behaviors in motion – like down and stand during recall and send away?
• How do we make a training plan, take some data, and use this information to get progress?
• How do we get fluent behaviors “off cue” when it is at a distance?
• How do we choose the best cues for our distance behaviors?
• And how do you teach those cues in a way that makes them very reliable?
• How can we make the behaviors shine in a back chain?
• And how do we use back chaining?
• What is the best way to reinforce the behaviors when we are working at a distance?

We will cover the different tools we can use, discuss how to get these behaviors started, and we will go into dept with directional targets and platforms and the fading of these tools. There will be video examples of the behaviors – and how to get there and text lessons explaining the process.

We will also have a closed Facebook group for all participants, where we all can discuss these concepts and connect more over this topic. For premium participants, there will be homework with your dog each week, with both set tasks and tasks that you decide on. This course is suitable for all levels. We will work from the level you are at and adjust the criteria so that they are matching you and your dog.

I can´t wait to get to work with this fun and awesome topic that always gets the creativity going.

Catja

Get clean, precise, and fluent behaviors – even at a distance. If you are ever in a situation where you need your dog to do certain behaviors at a distance, this course will help you get there.

Even if you are working at longer distances, you can still get your behaviors as perfect as if you were standing right next to your dog. Usually, I focus a lot on the behaviors that are happening close to the handler. In this course, that will be turned a bit around.

In these six weeks, we will discuss the following in the lessons:

• Which basic skills do we need to get started with distance behaviors?
• What equipment do we need – or can have great use of?
• How do we teach the dog an “Off cue” stay?
• How do we define our criteria, and why is this even more important when we are working at a distance?
• How do we get the dog to go to a certain point of distance?
• How do we get the desired pace when the dog is running to a certain point?
• How can we start and perfect stationary behaviors at a distance – like position changes?
• How can we start and perfect speed behaviors at a distance – like picking up the dumbbell?
• How can we teach the dog to have precision in behaviors in motion – like down and stand during recall and send away?
• How do we make a training plan, take some data, and use this information to get progress?
• How do we get fluent behaviors “off cue” when it is at a distance?
• How do we choose the best cues for our distance behaviors?
• And how do you teach those cues in a way that makes them very reliable?
• How can we make the behaviors shine in a back chain?
• And how do we use back chaining?
• What is the best way to reinforce the behaviors when we are working at a distance?

We will cover the different tools we can use, discuss how to get these behaviors started, and we will go into dept with directional targets and platforms and the fading of these tools. There will be video examples of the behaviors – and how to get there and text lessons explaining the process.

We will also have a closed Facebook group for all participants, where we all can discuss these concepts and connect more over this topic. For premium participants, there will be homework with your dog each week, with both set tasks and tasks that you decide on. This course is suitable for all levels. We will work from the level you are at and adjust the criteria so that they are matching you and your dog.

I can´t wait to get to work with this fun and awesome topic that always gets the creativity going.

Catja

Master's of Odor Trailer

[embed]https://vimeo.com/447001480[/embed]

Whether they are brand new to formal scent detection or highly experienced working dogs, all dogs are masters of odor.  

From scavenging food, to hunting rabbits, to noticing when a neighboring dog has just come into season, processing the complex world of scent with exquisite accuracy is what dogs have evolved on this Earth to do. In comparison, the human nose is handicapped. We tend to picture odor moving through space in a limited, two-dimensional way. Like Luke Skywalker impatient with Yoda’s cryptic descriptions of the Force, we are sometimes baffled as to why one day our dog makes a beeline straight to source, but then on another day seems to take forever to find a hide directly in front of his face.  

Because scent-detection is often high stakes or timed with titles on the line, we often set hides with specific training goals in mind, such as teaching the dog not to pass thresholds, or to check every container in a row. However, in this class we will be taking a different approach. Instead of putting out hides to teach our dogs how to be more efficient competitors, we are going to set up single hide searches and let our dogs teach us about odor. Each week we will compare and contrast how different types of hide placements change how the dogs search.  

Come join me on a fascinating journey into the world of scent, led by the true masters of odor—our dogs!  

Pre-requisites: I am most familiar with essential oils as target odor, but if your dog is trained to a different scent, we can make it work. All levels welcome, but you will get the most out of this course if your dog has a strong reinforcement history in place for hunting for something specific. Food or toys can work as well as oils, but the dog still needs to understand the game.

In this course I will not be covering how to teach an indication behavior, or basic search skills, but I will provide a lot of guidance on how to adapt the exercises so each dog can be successful.  

Working spots: 8

Course Outline:

• Your Dog is Yoda, You are Luke
• Lexicon of scent-detection terms
• Becoming an Odor Scientist
• Setting Hides and Testing Airflow
• Search Routines and Odor Considerations
• Preserving Your Dog's Confidence / Taking a Baseline

• Painting the Odor Picture
• Learning to Read Changes of Behavior
• Upwind vs. Downwind
• Exploring Containers and Containment
• Floor Surfaces

• Search--Locate--Report
• Corners and Clutter vs. Out in the Open
• Wall Surfaces

• Recap of How to Be an Odor Scientist
• Narrow Spaces With Wind
• Doors Open vs. Doors Closed
• Pooling

• Sun vs Shade
• Turbulence and Eddies
• Convection Currents

• Elevation--Exterior vs. Interior
• Suspended vs. Structure
• Ending on Confidence

The art of making a cue reliable is not the easiest task we have.  

Often, adding the cue is something we do in a rush, as we just want to get the response as fast as we can. Adding the cue, and making sure we have good stimulus control, is absolutely not the sexy side of dog training, and it does not make good videos to show our fellow trainers. Basically, if we do it right, it is kind of a long process and nothing super exiting happens while we do it.  

Unless.. We actually manage to see it for what it is - an investing in that behavior we have used so much time to teach. An investment, that we can get the interest from, as soon as we have taught he cue really well.  

So let´s bring the excitement back to the boring part, that adding a cue often can look like.   Often the dog will take the cue from the reinforcement history, rather than paying attention to what we say, and that ends up with us saying 1 verbal cue, and the dog doing a completely different behavior.   That is absolute normal and it makes perfect sense, as the behavior that has most recently been reinforced, is the the behavior that is most likely to happen again.  

Try cueing spin, spin, spin, sit, spin. It is very likely that the dog will just spin again when you say sit, if you haven't proofed your cue in every way possible.  

Many learners respond well to certain cues, in certain context, while they then look completely clueless in others.  

A very reliable "sit" cue can be tested to its breaking point, if we suddenly decide to say the cue in another context than usual. Although the response to "sit" is very reliable in front of handler and on the left side, the dog can seem completely confused, if we cue "sit" when it is on our right side, or 10 meters in front of us. Or even worse, behind us!   In this course, we will go through all the steps. From having the behavior offered off cue, to having a perfectly reliable cue, in all the situations we need it. We will work on proofing the cue, so that the dog will know the cue in every context.  

We will dive deep into the 5 steps of adding a cue and making sure, that the cue, and only that specific cue, is what prompts the behavior.   The goal is to make every cue have the effect off green light. We want our learner to respond, the same way we do, when we get to a green light.  

We will discuss:

• latency,
• how to structure a cue,
• how to chose a good cue
• and most important, when to add the cue!

This course is for you, if you want perfectly reliable cues, and are willing to put in the effort to get it.

Sign up now!

The art of making a cue reliable is not the easiest task we have.  

Often, adding the cue is something we do in a rush, as we just want to get the response as fast as we can. Adding the cue, and making sure we have good stimulus control, is absolutely not the sexy side of dog training, and it does not make good videos to show our fellow trainers. Basically, if we do it right, it is kind of a long process and nothing super exiting happens while we do it.  

Unless.. We actually manage to see it for what it is - an investing in that behavior we have used so much time to teach. An investment, that we can get the interest from, as soon as we have taught he cue really well.  

So let´s bring the excitement back to the boring part, that adding a cue often can look like.   Often the dog will take the cue from the reinforcement history, rather than paying attention to what we say, and that ends up with us saying 1 verbal cue, and the dog doing a completely different behavior.   That is absolute normal and it makes perfect sense, as the behavior that has most recently been reinforced, is the the behavior that is most likely to happen again.  

Try cueing spin, spin, spin, sit, spin. It is very likely that the dog will just spin again when you say sit, if you haven't proofed your cue in every way possible.  

Many learners respond well to certain cues, in certain context, while they then look completely clueless in others.  

A very reliable "sit" cue can be tested to its breaking point, if we suddenly decide to say the cue in another context than usual. Although the response to "sit" is very reliable in front of handler and on the left side, the dog can seem completely confused, if we cue "sit" when it is on our right side, or 10 meters in front of us. Or even worse, behind us!   In this course, we will go through all the steps. From having the behavior offered off cue, to having a perfectly reliable cue, in all the situations we need it. We will work on proofing the cue, so that the dog will know the cue in every context.  

We will dive deep into the 5 steps of adding a cue and making sure, that the cue, and only that specific cue, is what prompts the behavior.   The goal is to make every cue have the effect off green light. We want our learner to respond, the same way we do, when we get to a green light.  

We will discuss:

• latency,
• how to structure a cue,
• how to chose a good cue
• and most important, when to add the cue!

This course is for you, if you want perfectly reliable cues, and are willing to put in the effort to get it.

Sign up now!

This is a course for you, if you want to work with your dog on getting a large behaviors repertoire, and rely on as little helping tools as possible.

In this course we will work with breaking down all the things you would like your learner to able to do, into single behaviors. We focus on developing multiple of the skills you and your learner need, to teach them exactly what you dream off. We do this by shaping and capturing behaviors, and we work with them off cue, to make sure we get the exact behavior.

The focus of this course is to get the learner started on offering behaviors. We will try to build a big repetoire of behaviors, so that our learners get creative and become an very active part of our training. If you want to start all the behaviors this course covers, there is going to be quite a lot of work - so be prepared for that.

The behaviors we will cover in this course are:

• Focus
• Targeting
• Sit
• Backing
• Heel position
• Recall
• Heeling
• Down
• Stand
• Stay
• Doggie-zen
• Hold it
• Release
• Bark
• Jump
• Search

Under each behavior box, there are several behaviors. We will go through a few of them, and you are always free to chose which behaviors you would like to focus on. We will also discuss the topics of:

• Off cue
• Fluency
• Doggie-zen
• Cues

Pocket it!

This course focus will be working without treats in hand and helping as little as possible, without leaving your animal frustrated.

We give the learner the highest rage of choice we can, and teach the learner to actively take part in the training. This will be part 1, where you get introduced to all of the behaviors, and then select 1 to work with from every box. 

In vol. 2, we will work more on fluency and adding variations to the behaviors. This course is suitable for you if you would like your dog to offer you more behaviors and like to shape them in the direction you want. If you already have all the above behaviors off cue, part 2 would be a suitable option for you.

This is a course for you, if you want to work with your dog on getting a large behaviors repertoire, and rely on as little helping tools as possible.

In this course we will work with breaking down all the things you would like your learner to able to do, into single behaviors. We focus on developing multiple of the skills you and your learner need, to teach them exactly what you dream off. We do this by shaping and capturing behaviors, and we work with them off cue, to make sure we get the exact behavior.

The focus of this course is to get the learner started on offering behaviors. We will try to build a big repetoire of behaviors, so that our learners get creative and become an very active part of our training. If you want to start all the behaviors this course covers, there is going to be quite a lot of work - so be prepared for that.

The behaviors we will cover in this course are:

• Focus
• Targeting
• Sit
• Backing
• Heel position
• Recall
• Heeling
• Down
• Stand
• Stay
• Doggie-zen
• Hold it
• Release
• Bark
• Jump
• Search

Under each behavior box, there are several behaviors. We will go through a few of them, and you are always free to chose which behaviors you would like to focus on. We will also discuss the topics of:

• Off cue
• Fluency
• Doggie-zen
• Cues

Pocket it!

This course focus will be working without treats in hand and helping as little as possible, without leaving your animal frustrated.

We give the learner the highest rage of choice we can, and teach the learner to actively take part in the training. This will be part 1, where you get introduced to all of the behaviors, and then select 1 to work with from every box. 

In vol. 2, we will work more on fluency and adding variations to the behaviors. This course is suitable for you if you would like your dog to offer you more behaviors and like to shape them in the direction you want. If you already have all the above behaviors off cue, part 2 would be a suitable option for you.

  Behavioral health is a crucial aspect of the life of our animals: the ability to control the environment, the outcomes of our behaviors. We behave to get the result in our world. Can you imagine a life without that possibility?  This course focuses on teaching this skill to our animals. We will build a clear communication between you and your animals. Empowering your dog by adding consent behaviors to his repertoire.   We will learn to make observations, take data, analyze our training session based on that data and adjust our learning process to help our learner.  

[embed]https://vimeo.com/493125104/540599d54b[/embed]

Trust is a construct.  

However, the way we interpret and experience this construct is fundamental to our lives, our relationships, and our ability to learn. We all know the sting and disorientation when someone betrays our trust, when our expectations or needs are not met, when we feel unsafe or unsure of what is about to happen, when we feel judged, penalized, or a loss of control over outcomes.  

Although the laws of learning never change, gone are the days when training an animal is merely about the narrow suppression or construction of behavior. At the core of this exciting teaching and learning revolution, modern trainers are asking questions about trust. “What does trust look like for the animal I am working with?” “What is the measure of that trust?” “Can trust be measured?” “Under what conditions do I see trust occur?” Above all, what every enlightened practitioner wants to know is: “How can I build a strong trust account with the animals in my care?” And, “How can I repair trust when I’m forced to take a withdrawal?”  

In this course, we will take a deep dive into what it means to “operationalize” trust in our day to day lives with our dogs (or any species with whom we spend our time). We will be asking lots of questions, putting aside our human assumptions, and doing our best to listen to what the animals tell us trust means to them.  

COURSE OUTLINE: Premiums will be invited to pick topics that resonate most powerfully for them. In the interests of unhurried learning, I will also offer a Trust Code Pt. 2 for further study if there is enough interest.  

Areas for Exploration:

• Defining trust: what does it look like?
• Taking a trust baseline
• The ABCs of trust
• Building trust with antecedents
• Filling your dog’s emotional cup
• Reinforcement patterns that invite YES
• Portable safe spaces
• Power of daily rituals
• Happy husbandry stations
• Working with extinction: “not now” and S-delta cues
• From commands to cues to questions
• Ask and answer communication for maximum trust
• Expanding degrees of freedom in training
• Play and possession
• Stimulus control on toy cues for clarity and safety
• Even in Australia: getting through the hard stuff and how to repair trust afterwards

Dogs' olfactory abilities amaze us and what they manage to do with their noses is truly astounding.  

Nosework is a sport that uses most natural, amazing dog’s abilities and develops them into perfection.  

Nosework is one of the greatest dog sports, making its way to the top most popular canine activities. Inspired by working detection dogs searching for narcotics, explosives, nosework makes it available for everyone. Dogs are searching for essential oils hidden in vehicles, interiors, water, exteriors, and containers and they love it!  

“No limitations” This sport is for everyone!  

It is a perfect activity for old, retired, or disabled dogs who want to stay in shape but can’t be physically challenged. Aggressive dogs are welcome too! Pure breed, crossbreed, old, young, slow, fast - it doesn’t matter what type your dog is!  

During the course we focus on:

• what is nosework; rules reading
• classically conditioning odors
• building solid alert behavior using clicker training
• introducing discrimination between hot and cold objects
• introducing various odor holders
• introducing cardboard boxes
• generalization

Nosework is the perfect way to bring out the best in your dog and develop their natural abilities. Join us and let your dog have fun while learning something new! Sign up now and unlock the hidden potential of your dog!

  [s3mm type="video" files="videoplayback.mp4" /]  

Course syllabus:

Week 1:

Lesson 1 – Welcome and Introductions

Lesson 2 – What is nosework?

Lesson 3 – Nosework International and methods we use

Lesson 4 – Samples preparation and handling odor

Lesson 5 – Cocktail or not to cocktail?

Lesson 6 - Classical conditioning of odor

Lesson 7 - Hand touch  

Week 2:

Lesson 8 – Tic-tac!

Lesson 9 – Precision

Lesson 10 – Duration  

Week 3:

Lesson 11 – Cue for alert behavior

Lesson 12 – Handler's movement    

Week 4:

Lesson 13 – Competing stimulus

Lesson 14 – Various holders  

Week 5:

Lesson 15 – Location of the holder - variations

Lesson 16 - Discrimination  

Week 6:

Lesson 17 – New locations

Lesson 18 - New locations

Lesson 19 - Cue for the search

Target sticks, target mats, sticky-notes, hand target, chin target, shoulder target.. The list of targeting training is long.   Have you ever been thinking about how you can get the maximum result, out of working with targets in your sessions? Then this is the course for you.   One of the most important things, when working with targets and target behaviors, is to have a plan.   Awareness is key and enables you to make the most out of every single repetition, where you are using the help of the target.   Targets, in most cases, are helping to teach a new behavior, to add duration in behaviors, to teach directions or to be able to groom/care for your animal in the most respectful way, while you are both still kept safe.   Some of the specific targets and ways of using targeting, that we will learn about in this course, is:

• Directional targets - send aways etc.
• Position targets - position changes - locked front legs or hind legs
• Platforms - accuracy in positions
• Duration targets - keeping absolutely still with duration
• Husbandry targets - Targeting with distractions
• Bodypart targets - shoulder, chin, nose, hind leg. Which of the dog's body parts, touches you, and where?
• Target mats - to get the dog to a specific place/direction
• Target sticks - Moving the dog around, close to the handler
• Hand target - An important part of the release and a perfect reset behavior
• Target transfer - Teaching the dog to close cabinets, turn off the light, or whatever behavior you would like
• Sticky notes  - The easiest tool to fade

  Apart from learning about that, we will also talk about some of the pitfalls and great advices, when working with targets.  

• Successful fading of the target - when and how
• When is the target a final cue or part of the final behavior
• When is targets a good idea
• The ideal time to present a target
• What does it look like
• Careful criteria setting and why it is especially important

  This course is suitable for everyone that is interested in using target as a help in their training and minimize the food lures.   For premium participants, it is recommended that your dog has tried some of the target variations before. The big goal in this course is to be able to smoothly evaluate the session as it plays out, and have the skills to fade the target in the fastest way, without risking a breakdown of the behavior.   I can´t wait to target those target talks!   Catja x  

Target sticks, target mats, sticky-notes, hand target, chin target, shoulder target.. The list of targeting training is long.   Have you ever been thinking about how you can get the maximum result, out of working with targets in your sessions? Then this is the course for you.   One of the most important things, when working with targets and target behaviors, is to have a plan.   Awareness is key and enables you to make the most out of every single repetition, where you are using the help of the target.   Targets, in most cases, are helping to teach a new behavior, to add duration in behaviors, to teach directions or to be able to groom/care for your animal in the most respectful way, while you are both still kept safe.   Some of the specific targets and ways of using targeting, that we will learn about in this course, is:

• Directional targets - send aways etc.
• Position targets - position changes - locked front legs or hind legs
• Platforms - accuracy in positions
• Duration targets - keeping absolutely still with duration
• Husbandry targets - Targeting with distractions
• Bodypart targets - shoulder, chin, nose, hind leg. Which of the dog's body parts, touches you, and where?
• Target mats - to get the dog to a specific place/direction
• Target sticks - Moving the dog around, close to the handler
• Hand target - An important part of the release and a perfect reset behavior
• Target transfer - Teaching the dog to close cabinets, turn off the light, or whatever behavior you would like
• Sticky notes  - The easiest tool to fade

  Apart from learning about that, we will also talk about some of the pitfalls and great advices, when working with targets.  

• Successful fading of the target - when and how
• When is the target a final cue or part of the final behavior
• When is targets a good idea
• The ideal time to present a target
• What does it look like
• Careful criteria setting and why it is especially important

  This course is suitable for everyone that is interested in using target as a help in their training and minimize the food lures.   For premium participants, it is recommended that your dog has tried some of the target variations before. The big goal in this course is to be able to smoothly evaluate the session as it plays out, and have the skills to fade the target in the fastest way, without risking a breakdown of the behavior.   I can´t wait to target those target talks!   Catja x  

Training is a skill we need to learn.

Teaching animals is not magic, nor common sense. It's a combination of science and practical skills we need to master.

Don't worry if you don't know where to start!

I have prepared this course for you. I will guide you through the foundations of training. Step by step journey for anyone wishing to learn more!

Too often, we end up in a position of being teacher and learner at the same time, because we hadn't had a chance to work on our mechanics, clicker skills, delivery patterns before we started working with our learners.

This course is a compendium of knowledge and practice for animal trainers. Focusing on the scientific approach to animal training we will cover ABA (applied behavior analysis) principles and how they resonate with what we do with animals, we will cover the mechanics and techniques of teaching behaviors!

It's a perfect place to start your training journey, but it is also an appropriate course for more advanced students who want to geek in the depths of thoughtful training. Get ready for discussions, practical exercises, and thorough insight into the animal training world.

Throughout six weeks of online learning, we will cover:

• clicker training mechanics
• skills for the trainer
• errorless learning
• chaining
• adding stimulus control to behaviors
• luring
• shaping
• structure of training session
• concept of fluency
• frustration and errors
• raising criteria
• moulding
• concept of loopy training
• planning your training session

  This course is a must-have for anyone interested in diving into the depths of scientific dog training. If you want to be the handler your dog deserves - join me for six weeks of great learning.   In this course, you can work with multiple animals within the weekly time frame (twelve minutes of video submission per week). This course is multispecies friendly! You can join with any animal you wish!   To take this course as a Premium Member you need to finish Attention Please first (as Premium or Auditor)   [s3mm type="video" files="handler.mp4" /]   Course syllabus: Week 1 Lesson 1 - Welcome and Introductions Lesson 2 - Education of choice and science. Lesson 3 - Basic terms Lesson 4 - Behavior and its contingencies Lesson 5 - Consequences Lesson 6 - Marker cues Lesson 7 - Behavior profile Lesson 8 - Luring   Week 2 Lesson 9 - Handler’s technique Lesson 10 - Strategies Lesson 11 - Moulding by contact     Week 3 Lesson 12 - Shaping Lesson 13 - Cue for shaping - explored Lesson 14 - Outcome versus result. Does it matter? Lesson 15 - Examples of shaping Lesson 16 - Frustration   Week 4 Lesson 17 - Handler’s technique - helper Lesson 18 - Moulding by the environment Lesson 19 - Schedules of reinforcement Lesson 20 - Fading out Lesson 21 - Fluency   Week 5 Lesson 22 - What about emotions? Lesson 23 - Antecedent Arrangement Lesson 24 - Cues Lesson 25 - Error Lesson 26 - Raising criteria   Week 6 Lesson 27 - Structure of the training session Lesson 28 - Behavior chains Lesson 29 - WTF? Lesson 30 - Poisoned cues    

Building upon skills we covered in stage one, we will continue our preparation for exams. ORTs and first trials.   Our primary focus will always be precise and clear training loop and clarity in search criteria.   We will start where we left with stage 1 and focus on:

• start line routine
• introducing search patterns
• duration of search behavior
• handling
• building clarity in cues during search pattern
• generalization of locations
• task analysis of searches
• basics of scent theory
• increasing complexity of puzzles
• planning your own training

  Start here - Nosework stage 1: https://tromplo.com/course/nosework-stage-1-13/   https://youtu.be/h4P0nELgnE4   Course syllabus: Week 1 Lesson 1 - Welcome and Introductions Lesson 2 - Baseline Lesson 3 - Chains in nosework Lesson 4 - ABCs of the search Lesson 5 - Start line routine Lesson 6 - Our variables Lesson 7 - Aging Lesson 8 - Introducing search   Week 2 Lesson 9 - Introduction to scent theory Lesson 10 - Inaccessible v. accessible Lesson 11 - Introducing exteriors - boxes on the road  Lesson 12 - Introducing exteriors - single hides Lesson 13 - Duration of the search   Week 3 Lesson 14 - Handler's job Lesson 15 - Vehicles - introduction Lesson 16 - Adding complexity to the search Lesson 17 - Change of behavior Lesson 18 - No visual cues   Week 4 Lesson 19 - Vehicles - cold vehicle Lesson 20 - Exterior Progression Lesson 21 - Vehicles - handling Lesson 22 - Cues in nosework   Week 5 Lesson 23 - Duration of the search part 2 Lesson 24 - Crazy handler Lesson 25 - Adding complexity to the search part 2   Week 6 Lesson 26 - Reducing the strength of the odor Lesson 27 - Panning Lesson 28 - What if?

Before we start teaching our learners complicated behaviors and advanced concepts, we need to teach them how to learn. This course focuses on building one of the most important skills our dogs need in training; focus.  

But hold on a second! What is FOCUS? What does it look like? Is it tangible? How do I know I have it?  

Throughout six weeks of online learning, we will answer all these questions and much more. We will operationalize attention, define focus contingency. You will learn how to build an errorless training session, how to define your learner's focus, how to measure it and how to add layers to your work.  

Based on my experience, the majority of time caregivers, handlers experience issues in training, is when they have not taught the attention contingency. Our "focus bubble." We can't teach anything if our animals don't have the necessary skills of how to learn.  

If your dog looks around, sniffs, doesn't respond on cue, looks at you when should be working at a distance, engages with everything in the environment, but yourself - this course is just perfect for you.   Join me for six weeks journey!

Learn about:

• how to start the training session
• how to end the training session
• focus behaviors operationalized
• clean focus loops from the start
• wait for cue behavior
• building easy to more complex training scenarios
• training loops
• backward chaining
• antecedent arrangement
• trainer's mechanics
• multiple exercises for building focus behaviors

Course syllabus: Week 1:

Lesson 1 – Welcome and Introductions

Lesson 2 – Definition and concept of focus

Lesson 3 -  Acclimation

Lesson 4 - The rules apply both ways

Lesson 5 - Outline of the course

Lesson 6 - Delivery checkpoint

Lesson 7 - Marker cues

Lesson 8 - Start of the training session  

Week 2:

Lesson 9 - The end of the training session

Lesson 10 - Response to cue

Lesson 11 - Don't call your dog  

Week 3:

Lesson 12 - ABCs

Lesson 13 - Catch me if you can  

Week 4: Lesson 14 - Extinction

Lesson 15 - Wait for the cue

Lesson 16 - Sandwich style  

Week 5:

Lesson 17 - Backward chaining

Lesson 18 - Break

Lesson 19 - Altogether

Week 6:

Lesson 20 - Did someone mention competition?

Lesson 21 - Competing stimulus - distractions

Lesson 22 - The end, or the new beginning?  

This course is a prerequisite for Let Me Want It.

In this course, you can work with multiple animals within the weekly time frame (twelve minutes of video submission per week). 

This course is multispecies friendly! You can join with any animal you wish!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5AXY6MUiYs&feature=youtu.be