Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome!

    • Message from the Instructor - Welcome!

    • Course Structure
  • 2

    A Discussion about reactivity

    • Reactivity in Dogs

    • Establishing Realistic Expectations

    • Identifying when to manage or modify a behaviour

    • Body language of fear in dogs - a small poster

    • Counter-Conditioning and De-sensitization

    • Why using only positive-reinforcement techniques is crucial

    • Useful training tools for reactive dogs

    • Keep training sessions short

    • Be selective about who you choose to work with a reactive dog

    • Why are dogs reactive?

    • The physiology effect

    • The Stress Bucket - What is it?

    • De-sensitization, Counter-Conditioning and Thresholds

    • Why we need this information

    • Management of the reactive dog

    • Let's talk about punishment

    • Discussion on Reactivity
  • 3

    Foundational Concepts

    • Ditch the Bowl - What Do We Mean?

    • Ditch the Routine - What Do We Mean?

    • Use a Head Collar?

    • How To Introduce The Head Collar

    • Introduction to Event Marker Training

    • Turning on the Event Marker Word "Yes!"

    • Video Demo - Turning on "Yes!"

    • What Counts as a Reward?

    • Reinforcer Ideas

    • Food Fun Games - Creating MORE Reinforcers Through Food Play

    • Video Demo - Food Fun Games

    • Toy Motivation

    • The 2 Toy Switch Game

    • Things to Remember When Training Your Dog

    • Summary on Foundational Concepts - update video?
  • 4

    The Calmness Triad

    • Introduction to the Calmness Triad

    • What is the Calmness Triad? - a discussion

    • Boundary Games

    • Introduction to Release Words - "Break!"
  • 5

    Week 1 - Let the training begin

    • Goals for this week

    • Boundary Games - The Next Layer of Learning

    • The Attention Game

    • Demo Video - Attention Game (What it Will Eventually Look Like With Practice, building duration)

    • D.M.T.

    • The SuperBowls Game - Intro

    • Name Game

    • FIND IT

    • Hand Targets

    • Intro to Middle

    • COLLAR cue

    • Impulse Control with Food

    • Kapow / Chase Game
  • 6

    Alternative Exercise options - for those days your dog SHOULDN'T go for a walk

    • Discussion of why we need alternative exercises

    • Mental enrichment

    • Food-Stuffed Kongs, Food Puzzles & Treat Balls - GWEN - adjust layout

    • How to Stuff a Kong and Make it Progressively More Difficult for Your Dog

    • The 3 stages of Stuffing a Kong

    • Slow Feeders

    • Snuffle Mats & Snuffle Balls

    • Licky Mats

    • Scatter Feeding Indoors or Outdoors

    • Egg cartons and cardboard box puzzles

    • Plastic bottles or containers

    • At-Home K9 Fitness Program

    • The Whip it! Game

    • The Canine version of Equine Lunging

    • Decompression walks
  • 7

    Week 2 Training Games and Concepts

    • Week 2

    • Discussion

    • The Calmness Protocol - promoting more relaxation

    • Boundary Games - Name it

    • D.M.T. - Review

    • DMT - a deeper look

    • Find it! - Review

    • Name Game - adding distractions

    • Attention Game - adding distractions

    • Impulse Control with Food

    • The Faith Game

    • The SuperBowls Game - Review

    • Hand Target

    • Middle - the next progression

    • Magic Hand - Intro

    • COLLAR with step backwards

    • Door Manners

    • Two Feet UP
  • 8

    Week 3 Training Games and Concepts

    • Week 3

    • Building distance to LEAVE the dog on the Boundary

    • Ninja feeding - next progressions

    • Impulse Control with Food

    • Hand Target

    • The Faith Game - Review

    • Middle

    • COLLAR - increasing distance

    • Magic Hand - the next progression

    • Walking through doors politely - next challenge
  • 9

    Week 4

    • Week 4

    • Boundary Games - building criteria

    • Boundary Games - SENDING to the bed

    • The Mouse Game with LEAVE IT

    • Hand Target

    • The Cone Game

    • Demo Video - Magic Hand - adding gentle rocking - bump to wk 4

    • COLLAR - moving with pressure

    • Door Manners with WAIT

    • Figure 8 walking - Introduction

    • Demo video - Figure 8 Walking - Stage 1 - update with DM version

    • Demo video - Figure 8 walking - stage 2 - update with DM version

    • Middle - what it looks like when fully trained

    • Preparing for outings

    • De-sensitization schedule - One year goals
  • 10

    Boundary Games - next progressions

    • Boundary Games - building criteria

    • Boundary Games - SENDING to the bed

    • Knocking on the door and sending to the bed

    • Intro to answering the door
  • 11

    Hand Targets - next progressions

    • Hand Target
  • 12

    The Mouse Game - Next Progressions

    • The Mouse Game - intro to owner standing up

    • The Mouse Game - take 1 step away

    • The Mouse Game - take several steps away

    • The Mouse Game - walking past the pile of food on the floor

    • The Mouse Game - Real Life version
  • 13

    Magic Hand - next progressions

    • Magic Hand - standing up

    • Demo Video - Magic Hand - what it will look like once your dog learns it
  • 14

    Real-life Casual Walking

    • Burton - casual walking
  • 15

    Course conclusion

    • Where to go from here?