SO glad to be returning to Utah for in-person seminars at the K9 Sports at the Barn in St George UT.
CONTACT: Polly – k9sportsbarn@infowest.com or Laurie (call/text) 435 632 7507
Friday – April 26th – Private & Semi-Private Lessons
SATURDAY, APRIL 27th
If Goldilocks Was A Dog Trainer: How to Help Dogs Find “Just Right” in Life & Training
The wonderful moment in a life shared with dogs occur when we can see that things are “just right” for our dog. Like Goldilocks sliding into a bed that’s not too soft, not too hard, we are glad when we see our dogs are enjoying life, able to learn, comfortable in the moment, and connected with us.
But those “just right” moments can be hard to find at times.
What do you and your struggle with? Is your dog a growing pup, an annoying adolescent, a recent rescue? Or maybe you are working on specific issues. This seminar is for you! Suzanne can help, even if your dog is:
- A shy Sally
- A loony Lacy
- A reactive Rex
- A worried Wally
- A fearful Fluffy
Whatever your experience – first time owner or long-time professional – Suzanne will give you new ways to observe and assess, as well as sensible solutions and practical information to help you and your dog create more of the “just right” moments.
Do we need different training equipment? Better treats? A new instructor? New techniques? Should we train more, or maybe less? Why is our dog still struggling even after so many classes? Will she grow out of it, or do we have a problem that needs help? Is it something we’re doing?
Most of all, what we want to know how to help our dogs when things are not “just right.”
Suzanne Clothier’s Relationship Centered Training (RCT) approach has helped dogs and handlers around the world with her humane and effective techniques. With her guidance, you will learn to channel your inner Goldilocks to learn what is too much or too little, what it look and feels like when things are “just right.”
Suzanne’s co-instructors will be selected demo dogs. Depending on the dogs, we’ll be diving into:
- The Think & Learn Zone
- Thrills or Chills? Helping Shy, Fearful, Anxious or Reactive Dogs
- Is It Me? Handler Habits & Communication
- Triggers & Thresholds
Join us for a fascinating day of learning from an internationally respected trainer. Suzanne’s work is grounded in science, balanced with heart and humor, and reflects a lifetime with animals.
(We promise there will be no porridge, hot or cold or otherwise. Also, no bears.)
SUNDAY April 28th
If/Then Mind Map: Creating A Guide to Solutions for Training & Behavior Challenges
No matter who you are, no matter how much experience you may have, sooner or later everyone faces a behavior, training or performance challenge. Sometimes, the solution is simple. You might even have an “aha!” moment reading your favorite dog publication or even a blog or Facebook post.
But sometimes, the solution is not obvious. Or the advice you get just isn’t working, or you feel uncomfortable with what people are telling you have to do. Maybe the training approach just doesn’t really fit your situation or your dog.
Now what? Many handlers blame themselves or the dog, not realizing that what’s needed may be a new way of looking at the issue.
Suzanne’s experience with many frustrated handlers led her to create the If/Then Mind Map which helps guide the user to a nuanced understanding of what’s really happening. Turns out the human mind is quite good at pattern detection, and organizing information in useful ways, even when there are many details to consider – IF we can gather the information we need in the right way.
Once we know what is really at work behind the behavior or training challenge, we can make better decisions about what we need to do. The dog might need new skills, or to improve existing skills, or management or support. The road map created with the If/Then Mind Map is unique to that dog, that handler, that relationship, and avoids the frustration and ineffectiveness of training recipes applied as if one size fits all.
Suzanne is famous for her problem-solving abilities and for thinking in nuanced, complex ways about how dogs exist within a rich matrix of intrinsic and extrinsic influences, and always in the context of relationships. If you’d like to improve your own ability to think in ways that create an organic road map to solutions, this is the workshop for you!
Using selected case histories, we will be exploring the multitude of factors at work for each dog and the presented behavior, training and/or performance challenges. This will be a hands-on experiential application of If/Then Mind Map. Using direct observation of the dog and input from the owner, participants will be creating their own If/Then Mind Map. Comparison and discussion help us understand what significant details add up to in terms of training triage, prioritization of which skills or issues need to be addressed and of course, which solutions will be helpful for this specific dog.
This workshop is ideal for anyone interested in learning a new approach that will help them uncover the framework for playing detective when faced with training, behavior and/or performance issues, and guide them to possible solutions.