Course Name

Play with Your Dog

Begins

2 January 2010

Teacher
Mentor

Kay Laurence
tba

Outline

Play is a wonderful way to develop your relationship with your dog, explore their personalities and develop a reinforcer of the very highest value.

Teaching fetch-and-go, tug and learn, sheep-balls, whippit rats or watch the mouse games develop our understanding of the innate behaviour in dogs. It needs to be fun for both participants, and safe.

Learn how to set rules for both players, keep the stimulation high and the arousal under control. Manage the energy and develop great communication.

No of Lessons: 3

Fee: £75 (£86.25 inc VAT)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

Saturday: 4-8pm GMT
2 Jan 2010, 23 Jan.

Next Course

tba

 Name

Learning About Border Collies

Seminar

16 Jan 2010

Teacher
Assistants

Kay Laurence
Speck, Dot, Quiz, Quick, Flink and Time

Outline

Many sports enthusiasts are choosing the multi-talented collie, or sheepdog, to partner them in a variety of activities. From Agility to Freestyle, from Obedience to Tracking, the collies will do their best to enjoy and fully participate in the training and competition.

We employ their inherited talents; such as supreme concentration, athleticism, mental and physical stamina and enthusiasm to learn and tailor these skills to our sport's requirements. In the same package other talents can interfere with the very skills we are trying to develop, such as over arousal, response to uncontrolled activity, using prey behaviours.

This seminar will explain about the "whole package" and learning to use ALL their talents to create a balanced partner. A critical part of developing a healthy collie is to teach relaxation and find the "off" switch.

Kay has successfully partnered many collies to success in Obedience, Trials, (Sheep and Working), Heelwork to Music, and shepherded with her team of collies. After breeding many litters over 30 years she has worked hard to understand how they process their learning and devised many practical techniques for getting the best out of each individual.

This seminar will only cover the instinctive herding behaviours of types Border Collies and Working Sheepdogs, it will not cover other herding breeds. The seminar will not cover training dogs to work sheep.

1 day

Fee: £50 (£57.50 inc VAT)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

Saturday: 4-8pm GMT
16 Jan 2010.

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tba

 Course Name

Microshaping

Begins

Feb 6 2010

Teacher
Mentor

Chris Bond & Kate Mallatratt
Elizabethanne Stevens & Maja Ogrizek

Outline

Microshaping is a termed coined by Kay Laurence in 2003. It encompasses the benefits of free shaping - where the dog self teaches under your guidance, and the precision that is often missing when you cannot lure. The aim of micro shaping is to maintain a 90-100% reinforcement rate on every behaviour through every step of the increasing criteria. This is as close as we can practically get to error-free learning.

In this course you will learn excellent observation skills and truly enhance your ability to break down the behaviour and build learning patterns.

You will require some understanding of clicker training and have experience free shaping behaviours.

No of lessons: 6

Fee: £131.90 (£ 151.70 inc VAT)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

Saturday: 4-8pm GMT
Feb 6, Feb 20, Mar 6, Mar 20, Apr 3, Apr 17

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tba

Course Name

Advanced Targets

Begins

16 Apr 2010

Teacher
Mentor

Kay Laurence
Kate Mallatratt

Outline

Developing your target teaching and shaping skills. Learning to plan a target schedule.

Advanced targets taught with precision, such as individual paws, watch this, retrieve and object placement. Teaching accurate discrimination of the associated actions and combining targets to teach complex behaviours.

Learning to practise with skill and energy, and developing a robust generalisation plan. Building the behaviour on target until the final cue.

You must already have experience teaching a target mat and target stick behaviour to join this course. 

No of Lessons: 4

Fee: £95.32 (£109.62 inc VAT)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

Friday: 2-6pm GMT
Apr 16, 30, May 14, 28

Next Course

tba

Course Name

Learning About Puppies

Begins

April 2010

Teacher
Mentor

Kay Laurence and Kate Mallatratt
Anne Bove

Outline

The essential learning any pup would benefit from and enjoy: learning their name, responding to basic cues around the house, teaching harmonious walks, social interaction with dogs and people, games and playtime. Respecting your house and learning to be left alone.

This course will also teach you about the development of puppies physically and mentally. How to ensure positive familiarisation, what is acceptable juvenile behaviour and what is not, nutritional needs, exercise, introducing grooming and handling, and energy management.

Suitable for puppies from 8 weeks up to nine months old, or if you are anticipating the patter of tiny feet as an excellent preparation ... and warning!

This is also an ideal course for people who teach puppy class.

No of Lessons: 6

Fee: £131.90 (£ 151.70 inc VAT)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

tba.

Next Course

tba

 Course Name

Teaching Modifier Cues and Concepts

Begins

May 2010

Teacher
Mentor

Kay Laurence
Kate Mallatratt

Outline

Modifier cues are the “adverbs” we use to describe more specific functions of the behaviour. Instead of “paw”, a modifier of “left”  would indicate more information. “Left” can then be used to modify a variety of other activities - fetch the “left” toy, turn to your “left” etc. We can modify higher or lower, faster or slower, largest or smallest.

Dogs are absorbing concepts all the time, we just need to recognised how that happens. This course will also cover visual match to sample, odd one out and mimic.

Participants must have completed the Microshaping course.

No of lessons: 6

Fee: £131.90 (£ 151.70 inc VAT)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

to be confirmed

Next Course

tba

Course Name

Targets and Basic Shaping

Begins

May 2010

Teacher
Mentor

Kate Mallatratt
 

Outline

Basic shaping and teaching targets are part of the core skills of clicker training. Developing good skills and understand is essential if you wish to move to more advanced techniques.

This course will teach you target behaviours to a mat and a target stick: with precision, accuracy and  through error-less learning.

Learn exactly what target can do, how your learn will respond, the benefits of using targets. Begin the disciplines of planning, assessment and journalling to  make effective progress.

No of Lessons: 4

Fee: £95.32 (£109.62 inc VAT)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

tba
 

Next Course

May 2010

Course Name

On Cue

Begins

Spring 2010

Teacher
Mentor

tba

Outline

Clicker Training is one of the most powerful forms of communication and teaching. It allows us to build  learning across all species that is reliable, strong and fluent. But without effective connection through the cues these exquisitely taught behaviours can be lost.

Learn how to put a behaviour “on cue”. The range of cues we can use through touch, visual signals, objects, environments, locations, activities and sound. Strengthen the learner’s connection of the cue to the behaviour and build high levels of response. Use cues to change emotions and as reinforcers themselves.

No of Lessons: 4

Fee: £95.32 (£109.62 inc VAT)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

tba

Next Course

September 2010

Course Name

Preparing for CAP1 & 2 Assessment

Begins

Spring 2010

Teacher
Mentor

tba

Outline

Learn how to prepare your skills and achievement for assessment under the Learning About Dogs CAP scheme.

Progress through this course will give you an excellent basis to self assess your strengths and areas that may need development. Learn how to present your clicker training competency as clear and strong evidence for the assessor. You must have basic clicker training skills in place before participating. Read the criteria for assessment.

The course covers the criteria for CAP1 & 2 and an opportunity for video assessment with USA Assessor Chris Bond.

No of Lessons: 2

Fee: £50 (£57.50 inc VAT)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

tba

Next Course

 CAP 3 May 2010, CAP1 & 2 Sep 2010

Course Name

Training Youngsters for Sports and
Rehabilitation

Begins

Autumn 2010

Teacher
Mentor

Kay Laurence
Susanne Stramm

Outline

All our dogs are pets first and sports dog second. But there is a different and very specific program to develop a youngster that you want to share your hobbies with.

Advancements in training have produced dogs with multi-careers in Freestyle, HTM,Trials, Obedience, Agility etc, but all need the same foundation skills.

This course will cover teaching focus, mental stamina,  physical strength and agility, environmental familiarisation. You will learn how to analyse the behaviours required with precision and power, preparing your dog for the highest standards. Learning how to develop reliability and preparing for performance. Using reinforcement effectively and building for duration and intense focus.

You must be prepared to bring good knowledge of your chosen sport to the course from study, observation or previous experience.

This course is also suitable for youngsters in need of a structured learning programme.  Ideal for rehabilitation. A solid foundation in basic learning skills and developing trust, security and partnership. Desensitisation and counter conditioning as as important for stressed, uncertain or anxious dogs as for competition and working dogs. All need to be able to focus and reject environmental cues to be able to function and perform. Development of the individual to meet their needs, self confidence and flexibility. Puzzle solving , analysis of the task in hand and assessment are equally important to working dogs as well as dogs in need of rehabilitation

No of Lessons: 6

Fee: £131.90 (£ 151.70 inc VAT)

ClassRoom Time
Dates

Fridays: 4-8pm GMT
tba

Next Course

September 2010