Tag: classes

Do you ever encounter dog training clients and colleagues who are stuck in their ways and challenge your advice?

I came across this article by Harvard professor Sendhil Mullainathan: Why trying new things is so hard. His explanation for reluctance to try new things is that, in  general, people don’t conduct experiments in their day-to-day lives. This got me thinking about this issue of being stuck as it relates to dog training. It’s one thing to be told there are better ways to train your dog, but quite another to discover it. How do you encourage people to try a new course of action?

These key points popped out at me.

Habits are powerful. We persist with many of them because we tend to give undue emphasis to the present.

I think this statement goes hand in hand with where you situate yourself. Are you mostly concerned about the dog? Or is this really about you? If you are expecting or promising instant results, then face it, this really is all about you.

It can be difficult to form a picture of what you want your dog to be like in the distant future, especially when coached to proceed mindfully –first with the foundational exercises, always considering the dog’s emotions, and all along calculating how you are going to get there. The present consists of mini iterations toward your goal. If you are in the habit of using harsh methods to arrive at your goal quickly, then you’re missing all kinds of opportunities for experimentation.

On the other hand, if your concern is primarily for the dog, and you are also attentive to what is happening in the present moment, then you can use your observation skills to decide if you need to try a new course of action. Observation skills come with practice; it is common to misinterpret canine body language. For example, to a skilled trainer, images of dogs posted as cute and funny can be absolutely horrifying.

Overconfidence also holds us back. I am unduly certain in my guesses of what the alternatives will be like, even though I haven’t tried them.

While many speculate about what leads to overconfidence, most agree on the outcome — these individuals focus on showing what they know or can do, and fail to pursue opportunities to learn and change. Do you know any  professional dog trainers who fall into this category? 😉

I act without thinking; I automatically grab bottles of Diet Coke as I wheel my cart by.

Sound familiar? As a dog trainer you see your client repeating cues and applying unnecessary force. They’ve lived with these methods for a long time, so it makes sense that they would persist. In dog training this stems from rote learning, aka a dog trainer telling them to “do it this way”.

An expert told me to jerk the leash to get my dog’s attention. I saw on TV that I should ignore my dog when I come home from work.

This type of advice is accepted without question by so many dog owners because they believe it must be good advice. Diet coke tastes good and has no calories, so that’s what I’ll buy!

What’s the takeaway?

What does this mean for our practice as dog trainers? An interest in conducting experiments is cultivated. Rather than transmitting what you think and know, ask questions of your clients:

What did you notice? Is that what you expected? Did your dog seem clear about what you were asking? How do you know? What do you need to do to prevent this behaviour from happening? What do you need to do to encourage that behaviour instead?

For me it highlights the benefits of integrating canine body language and observation skills into our curriculum, and to encourage exploration and experimentation through questioning.

For example, in my basic manners classes we practice weaving through cones evenly spaced across the room, one dog-handler team at a time. This comes after a few classes where we focus on foundation exercises and principles of positive reinforcement training — you know, the stuff that comes before the distant future 🙂 I provide two instructions:

1. Use your leash only for safety, and not for communication
2. Do what you need to do to keep your dog happy, engaged, and moving

We then share what we observed, and what worked and what didn’t for individuals. During this conversation I notice a shift from my dog pulls / only wants to visit other dogs, etc to what this is what I tried that worked (and why).

Try it!

A friend and dog trainer recently shared with me that she gets really stumped when it comes to planning for classes. She identified 3 main issues:

1. Going too deep into the theory — like way beyond what her learners want or need to know. This is common! We’re so passionate about our work that we go overboard.
2. Talks too much during class. This happens to individuals who are gifted with excellent verbal skills, and also to those who are worried about filling in the time. For both types, a detailed plan that predicts how much time to allow for each activity is really helpful.
3. The classes are fun but don’t always end up being what she had envisioned.  I look at it this way. It’s important to develop a plan but it’s also important to be flexible and responsive. And when things don’t go according to plan, you always learn something — sometimes you learn a better way to organize your class.

I have a new series of classes beginning this week, so I thought I would share a bit of my process as I go. I keep it very simple, but I do put a lot of effort into the planning. To get started I tackle these 3 things:

1. Big picture: What will the students learn? How will I know?
2. Build a syllabus, and use that as a handout
3. Session plan: for the first class, and perhaps sketch out the second class

I’ll outline #1 and #2, and write about the session plan in a separate blog post.

Big picture: What will the students learn? How will I know?

Asking what the students will learn might seem like an obvious question, but from my experience this is are often overlooked. You might have in mind that the dogs in the class will be taught some basic behaviours and manners, and perhaps the content you wish to share and how, but this doesn’t really get at what the students will be learning.

At this point you’re not thinking about how you will teach, you’re focusing on how you will know the students are learning. Think of it as describing how students will provide evidence of their learning.

The class series I’m preparing for is called “Dog Obedience” (not my choice for a name) and is aimed at dog owners who are new to positive reinforcement training. Here are my statements:

By the end of this series of classes you and your dog will be able to:

You	Your Dog
*   Deliver clear cues, and accurately mark and reinforce correct behaviours	*   Perform foundation behaviours on cue, such as Touch, Target, Mat, Sit, Watch, Down, Stay/Wait, Come
*   Interpret your dog’s body language and vocal communication	*   Offer behaviours to help you understand what you need to do differently
*   Describe the benefits of positive reinforcement training	*   Demonstrate that she or he is a willing partner in training
*   List the top 3 items that reflect your training progress	*    Give you a High Five for a job well done!

Notice that each statement focuses on what the learner will know or be able to do in a way that I will be able to assess their learning. In other words, I will know if learners have met these intended learning outcomes based on what I see and hear.

I also always include a reflective piece: I want individuals to be thinking about their own progress. Sometimes they don’t realize how far they’ve come until they articulate it. Also, reflection can help individuals to identify how they could have advanced more (for example, by practicing with their dogs between classes!)

Build a syllabus, and use that as a handout

A syllabus is where all the important overview and organizational bits and pieces are assembled. I write out a description (usually already done for promotion), expectations, responsibilities, schedule, and communication.  I also include the intended learning outcomes so the participants are clear what they are working towards. I keep this to one page, double-sided, and find people are more likely to read bullet points.

Here’s a snippet of what I’ve assembled so far, aside from dates and times:

Notes

• The first class is people only!
• Come early enough to carry in your supplies, organize your station, and give your dog a chance to settle in
• A typical class is 50 minutes, allowing 10 minutes for transition time in and out of the building, and individual questions
• The real learning for your dog happens between classes, so be sure to carve out time in your schedule to practice!

What to bring to class

• 4 to 6-foot leash
• Harness (preferable) or flat collar
• Mat (something easy to roll up and carry is best)
• Treats (small and chewy are best)
• Treat pouch or container
• Poop bags
• Chew, stuffed kong, or stuffy to soothe your dog (optional)
• A dog 🙂

What I will bring to class

• Clickers
• Water bowls
• Extra treats
• Paper towels and vinegar to clean up any accidents
• Class props, toys, materials 

Rules and Responsibilities

• Dog greetings happen outside only
• Pick up after your dog
• You are welcome to bring a friend to class to assist you
• Hold on to your leash at all times
• Always keep plenty of space between dogs (at least 10 feet), especially in doorways!
• You are responsible for your and your dog’s well-being. Feel free to take a break and get refreshments as needed

Communication

• Email me (sylvia@beingwithdogs.ca) I’m happy to answer your questions
• Websites:
  • roverandchubby.com
  • beingwithdogs.ca (coming soon) / fb.com/beingwithdogs
  • sylviacurrie.ca

I like to write about my dog training experiences. If you are not comfortable with your photograph being shared publicly, please let me know.

Course Learning Outcomes

(These are the statements of what the learners will be able to do by the end of the series, as listed above. I also add the following paragraph to reinforce that this series of classes is really to teach humans how to train; the dog’s skills are not assessed.) 

Dog training is much more than a checklist of skills and behaviours. I like to think of dog obedience classes as education for the caregiver – learning the principles and concepts that guide how you teach, and build a relationship with, your dog. What you learn about positive reinforcement training will open up endless possibilities, so even if we don’t get through the foundations list in this class series, you will be able to carry on to train many behaviours.

Themes

Each week I like to introduce a new theme, and draw attention to these topics throughout the class. Some theme examples that have been successful in past foundation classes include:

• Motivation
• Developing habits
• Benefits of foundation training
• Body language
• Ensuring success while increasing difficulty
• The good enough dog (with credit to Nancy Tucker)

What’s Next?

After working through these steps I have all the details I need to prepare a handout to distribute during the first class. Then I start sketching out what the 8 weeks will look like, including the sequence I plan to introduce concepts and skills. After that I get down to the details of each session. I begin with session 1, and possibly some of session 2, but I don’t get too far ahead in planning because I want to keep the process responsive and flexible; sometimes if everything is all laid out in front of you, you simply follow it.

This is all part of a big picture planning phase. In future articles I’ll drill down to  describe the process of developing session plans, and include some of the activities, resources and teaching aids I’ve found useful.