The next Classes Start NOVEMBER 3, 2023 

Animal Behaviour Apprenticeship - 2 

- Learning Theories: Dog cognition & research, intelligence vs. trainability, revisit operant & classical conditioning, social cognitive and attachment theories. Practical application of contingencies, motivation, antecedents, and ABCs. Applied applications of intermittent schedule, extinction, Premack’s Principle, conditioned reinforcers, timing, Conditioned Emotional Responses (CERs), offset conditioning, rules for CER execution, and CER applications. 

Book: course pack and Claudia Fugazza, DO AS I DO: USING SOCIAL LEARNING TO TRAIN DOGS (mandatory)

- Advanced Training: You will learn clicker training, differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviours (DRI), differential reinforcement of other behaviours (DRO), differential reinforcement of low rates of behaviour (DRL), and differential reinforcement of high rates of behaviour (DRH). Practical application of prompts & cues, capturing, shaping, chaining, prompt fading Cues (Sd), and adding cues. Temporal conditioning, recognizing competing CSs, single event learning, 

Book: course pack 

- Behaviour Modification: You will learn trainer intervention threshold, veterinary referral indicators, separation anxiety vs. attachment, management, exercise & mental stimulation, Konrad Lorenz and the hydraulic behaviour model, fear and aggression cases, and Dunbar’s bite scale. 

Book: Karen Overall, Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals (optional)

- Program planning: You will learn how to design sessions, classes, build a business plan, market your service, ethics, and professionalism, create an effective ad, and avoid burning out. 

Book: course pack 

- Homework: Teach clients to train their dogs, design and establish training plans, and assess and conduct two case files (with assistance), complete with session design and follow-up. 

- Training Classwork = Shape or chain a behaviour with an animal. Not species specific can be dog, cat, rat, or another animal. Design and establish a behavioural pyramid and training plan. 

- Teaching Methodology: I present the Animal Behaviour Apprenticeship in class with PowerPoint Presentations (.ppp). We will watch videos of group exercises and conduct ABCs. Overall the program is intended to develop the students applied animal training knowledge and intervention skills. I designed the course content to address all three VAK learning styles (visual, auditory, and kinetic).