Zoom Education Class #1 

A live Zoom call with other class participants led by Rebecca (the trainer)

Curriculum:

• A look at the 4 quadrants of Operant conditioning 
• A deeper dive into the science of positive reinforcement & how to relate it to your training
• A look at Pavlov’s experiment & how we can apply it to our dogs
• Types of reinforcers for your dog & how to use them most effectively in your training
• Learn how to use the mechanics of clear communication when delivering a treat to your dog
  • Marker word or bridge (you will use this in training all behaviour)
    • how it works and how to use it in training 
    • How to hold your hands & steps to clear delivery of a treat
• Discuss setting expectations around training your dog
  • The 3D’s of training (distraction, distance & duration)
  • How to set up the environment & your goals for training success
  • How to and when to increase criteria while training 
  • Efficient training session structure  
  • What might change in your training based on your dogs age, breed or life experiences 
  • What a typical walk might look like 
  • What generalization looks like (when your dog “knows” a behaviour in most situations)
  • Taking care of your mental health 
  • Go home with a simple training exercise to do with your dog
  • Q & A

Zoom Education Class #2 

A live Zoom call with other class participants led by Rebecca (the trainer)

Curriculum: 

• A brief refresh of last class’ topics
• What is counterconditioning & desensitization 
• When & how will you use counterconditioning & desensitization (methods of training)
• Reading dog body language
  • Talk about signs to look for & signs that could be misleading
  • Look and discuss examples
• What is the difference between luring and capturing (methods of training behaviours)
  • How to and when to use each of these training methods
  • Examples of both
• How to add a cue to a newly learned behaviour
• How to change a cue for a behaviour that exists
• Examples of adding and changing a cue 
• Go home with a simple training exercise to do with your dog
• Q&A

Class with other guardians (no dogs) 

In-person class led by Rebecca (trainer)

Curriculum: 

• Meet & greet other dog guardians 
• Practice the mechanics of delivering a treat
• Practice tossing treats with games
• Practice using your marker word with games
• Practice creating a detailed training plan for a behaviour 
• How to properly and safely use a long line for recall and leash walking
• Practice long line skills
• Q&A

The following classes will use techniques & practices learned in previous sessions to teach basic behaviours to your dog.

Basic skills class #1 

In-person class with your dog led by Rebecca (trainer)

Curriculum:

• Loading the marker word
• Find a treat on the ground
• Up/Down Game
• Following a lure
• Default stand
• Lie Down
• Lie on a mat
• Release word
• Q&A

Basic skills class #2 

In-person class with your dog led by Rebecca (trainer)

Curriculum:

• Review last week’s lesson
• Dog behaviour check-in (practice assessing the dog’s behaviour in class) 
• Add duration to lie on a mat 
• Name game
• Hand target
• Follow a target
• Recall to hand target
• Desensitization to body handling 
• Q&A

Basic skills class #3 

In-person class with your dog led by Rebecca (trainer)

Curriculum: 

• Review last week’s lesson
• Dog behaviour check-in (practice assessing the dog’s behaviour in class)
• Add more distance to recall to hand target
• Add low level distractions to lie on a mat
• Leave it & take it with a treat
• Dog standing in heel position 
• Dog moving in heel position 
• Release & return to heel position
• Q&A

Basic skills class #4 

In-person class with your dog led by Rebecca (trainer)

Curriculum: 

• Review last week’s lesson
• Dog behaviour check-in (practice assessing the dog’s behaviour in class)
• Add more distractions to lie on a mat
• Add distance to moving in heel position
• Playing tug properly and safely 
• Drop it with a toy
• Wait at a boundary or “stay”
• Long line recall skills with your dog (weather permitting)
• Q&A
• Graduation ceremony 🙂

Q&A Support Zoom Call #1 

A live Zoom call where class participants discuss & ask questions to the trainer to help their ongoing training. 

Q&A Support Zoom Call #2 

A live Zoom call where class participants discuss & ask questions to the trainer to help their ongoing training.

Q&A Support Zoom Call #3 

A live Zoom call where class participants discuss & ask questions to the trainer to help their ongoing training.