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BH190: Adolescent Minds and Manners

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BH190: Adolescent Minds and Manners

Course Details

In dogs, adolescence starts anywhere between 6 and 12 months and typically ends somewhere between 18 months and 24 months, but can extend until much later in some dogs. Adolescence is accompanied by physical changes, endocrinological changes, and neurological changes. During this phase there can be significant changes to motivation, preferences, energy levels, ability to focus, emotion regulation, impulse control, and decision-making skills.

For some dogs adolescence is a stage that may go almost unnoticed as they make a seamless transition from puppyhood to adulthood, but for others we see BIG behavioral changes. These changes may affect life skills and/or they may affect aspects of our sport-based training.

Being aware of the changes our dog may experience during this developmental phase allows us to be proactive with our training and management. Small adjustments we make at this time in our dog’s life can help our dog to emerge into adulthood as a confident, capable, relaxed, and well-rounded individual.

This class is shared between Julie Daniels and Sharon Carroll.

* Julie will be presenting a wide range of practical games/exercises that have been specifically selected to build skills needed during this phase. Julie will be able to adapt these games to suit robust and enthusiastic dogs as well as those that require further confidence boosting.

* Sharon will be presenting a wide variety of theory topics related to adolescence, as well as a "handler's choice" practical component. The "handler's choice" component will include options for addressing specific existing unwanted behaviors, as well as options that are more related to developing general life skills such as ignoring distractions and remaining “clear headed” in a variety of environments.

Although this class has many topics targeted toward sport dogs, the overall contents of this class is highly relevant for pet dogs too.

Gold spots will be best suited to any dog aged between 6 months and 2 years, however due to the delayed maturity in many breeds / lines / individuals the content of this class may still be beneficial for much older dogs.

  

Teaching Approach 

Julie Daniels’ component:

Julie will release content daily during her 3 weeks of the class; this content will include a wide variety of practical exercises / activities / games.

The content is presented in written form with videos to support practical exercises.

During the practical work Julie will be helping the gold students to build their dog’s skills, while continually assessing their dog’s emotional state. The overall goal being to build cooperation without coercion.

Food treats will be used during the training. Kibble is commonly used rather than high-value treats, but this may be adjusted to suit individual dogs if needed. Due to the structure of the exercises, food is preferable to toys for many of the practical activities.

 

Sharon Carroll’s component:

During her three weeks of the class Sharon will release written topics in two blocks each week: one block at the start of the week and one block mid-week.

The content is presented in written form, with the occasional diagram or chart to support the written information. Practical activities may be supported with short video demonstrations, these may include audio voice-over but are always supported with a detailed written description.

The practical component will be a “handler’s choice” focused on behavior modification (i.e. shifting existing unwanted behaviors towards more desirable / appropriate alternatives). There will be an option for "improving skills for ignoring distractions" for those teams not requiring help with specific behavior modification.

 

General Information:

All students are encouraged to follow along with the Gold and Silver students’ forums to get the most benefit from this class. This is where all students can see the practical components applied in a real-life setting with appropriate adjustments made to suit the needs of each individual dog and handler.

This class is heavily focused on providing increased understanding of why our adolescent dogs perform the behaviors they do. Much of the learning is concept based, with full opportunity for in-depth discussion for all students on the class Facebook page, and for Gold and Silver students in the Discussion Forum.

Julie DanielsInstructor: Julie Daniels

Julie Daniels (she/her) won her first award for writing in the fourth grade, and she was training dogs long before that. Today Julie Daniels is one of the foremost names in dog agility in the United States.  She was one of the early champions of the sport and helped many clubs throughout the country...(Click here for full bio and to view Julie's upcoming courses)

Sharon CarrollInstructor: Sharon Carroll

Sharon (she/her) has been a professional animal trainer for 30 years. She has been both a presenter and trainer in a range of animal shows, and currently operates, a dog training and behaviour consulting business based in Newcastle, Australia. (Click here for full bio and to view Sharon's upcoming courses.)

Syllabus

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Week 1 - Sharon Carroll

 Canine life stages.

The adolescent brain.

What drives behavior?

Competing motivators.

Common behavior changes during adolescence.

An overview of emotions.

Fear responses during adolescence.

An overview of arousal.

Potential issues with food during training.

Training the reward event.

 

Week 2 - Julie Daniels

Empowerment Games of PUSH

Happy Place is Real

Using Long Lines - Freedom and Choice with a Safety Net

Name Games - It's not a Recall!

Food Drop Games for Aggression Prevention

Clarity - Exercises for Clean Mechanics

Marker Cues for Reinforcement Delivery

Mat Work - Down and Chill

Luring without Coercion

 

Week 3 - Julie Daniels

Empowerment with Substrates

Wanna Trade Game

Whiplash Turn for Automatic Check-In

Movement Games - Motion and Emotion

Stationing to Fluency

Games with Environmental Reinforcers

The Curiosity Principle - Value for Novelty

Start Button Games

 

Week 4 - Sharon Carroll

Behavior inconsistency in adolescence.

Recalls during adolescence.

The role of habit formation.

Reactivity (driven by instinct, emotion, or prior learning).

Behavior around unfamiliar people.

Behavior around other dogs.

Behavior changes associated with sex hormones.

Behavior changes in response to human touch and restraint.

Aggressive responses during adolescence.

 

Week 5 - Sharon Carroll

 The role of habituation.

Effective management.

Self-management versus handler management.

The relationship between Distraction / Managment / Training.

Exercise and enrichment.

Factors that affect the accuracy and reliability of cued behaviors.

Potential issues with group classes and competition settings.

A systematic guide for responding to lack of handler focus.

 

Week 6 - Julie Daniels

Empowerment with Spatial Pressure

Choice and Control - Teenagers Using Stations to Communicate

Nosework - Building Optimism through Choice, Control, and Independence

The Role of Latent Learning and Time Off

From Whiplash to Automatic Recalls

Using Pattern Games to manage Challenging Environments

Self-Control Games - Putting the Thinking Brain to Work

Taking Turns - Eager Patience

The Broccoli Principle - Developing Teamwork and Resilience as a Game

 

Prerequisites & Supplies

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There are no prerequisites for this class. Julie will be teaching stationing skills and long line work, so students will want to have a mat or dog bed or cot, plus some sturdy raised platform of any kind. Long lines can be any strong material and at least 15 feet long (not a flexi lead). Students will also be asked to find various materials around the house or yard to serve as soft and hard substrates. Creativity and an open mind is encouraged!

 

Sample Lecture

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 Sharon's Sample Lecture

Topic 5.3 Effective management

“Management” is a term used to describe any strategy that stops an “undesirable” behavior from occurring. Below is a list of common examples:

  • Leashing a dog before guests arrive can be used to stop our dog from jumping up on guests,
  • Blocking access to front windows may prevent dogs from barking at passing people / dogs / bicycles / cars, etc.
  • Safety gates can be used in a home to stop two dogs from physically interacting (e.g. to avoid altercations, or when one dog is recovering from an injury and hence we don’t want the two dogs running/playing together).
  • Barriers can be used to block access to “valuable resources” or entry points. This can prevent altercations between dogs in a multi-dog home.
  • Confining dogs to a quiet area of the home (e.g. in a crate, x-pen, or behind a closed door) can be useful for helping our young dog to rest/sleep/relax in a busy household.
  • Installing an additional fence inside a boundary fence creates extra distance between neighboring properties and can prevent fence running/fighting.
  • Ensuring no items are left on benches can prevent a dog from accessing items via counter-surfing.
  • Giving a long-lasting treat or chew toy to a dog to prevent frustration (and associated behaviors) during a period of confinement.
  • Using a long line when out walking can prevent our dog from engaging in unsafe or inappropriate behavior (that could occur if off-leash in the same area).
  • Avoiding placing our dog in situations that are beyond their current skillset can prevent the rehearsal of inappropriate, unhealthy, or unsafe behavior. Leaving an area as soon as our dog indicates they are struggling is also a management strategy that prevents the rehearsal of undesirable behaviors.

“Management” typically requires us to become involved ahead of time but may also be initiated at any time we recognize a problem. The actual intervention often involves physical control (e.g. a leash, long line, a safety barrier, a crate, etc.), but may include blocking a particular sense (e.g. using a visual barrier to block visual input, or using ear protection to block auditory input, etc.). On some occasions management incorporates the use of a previously trained behavior (e.g. stationing, or a cue to turn to us, or a strategy that helps our dog to leave an area with us).

Any strategy that stops the performance of an “undesirable” behavior could be labeled as management. However EFFECTIVE management includes two additional criteria:

  • The strategy needs to prevent arousal from escalating to non-beneficial levels (or assist in reducing arousal back from non-beneficial levels).
  • The strategy should not simply result in a switch from performing one “undesirable” behavior to a different “undesirable” behavior.

 

Examples - 

Issue: Our dog is over-aroused and is lunging and barking at other dogs in a class setting.

Ineffective management: We place our dog in a crate, however our dog continues to bark and/or spin/pace in the crate.

Examples of effective management options:

  • We help our dog to get to a distance where they can stop the lunging/barking. Initially we continue to rapid feed, or do treat scatters, or treat drops, or cue simple behaviors with a high rate of reinforcement. As arousal comes back down, we gradually reduce our input/interventions and allow our dog to manage themselves at that distance.
  • We place our dog in a crate or on a cot at a suitable distance, but we remain engaged with our dog and actively implement arousal lowering strategies (e.g. talking with them, giving them treats, giving then access to a long-lasting food item, etc.). We remain engaged with them until their arousal is back to a beneficial level and they are once again able to manage their own arousal/emotions/behaviors.

 

Issue: Our dog struggles to remain in control of their own arousal/emotions/behavior when guests arrive. This results in them jumping on our guests, and/or running around our house, and/or mouthing us or our guests, and/or redirecting onto our other dog/s.

Ineffective management: We place our dog behind a safety gate which prevents access to our guests and our other dog/s. Although our dog can no longer engage in those specific behaviors, our dog continues to bark/whine and/or spin/leap/pace behind the barrier.

Examples of effective management options:

  • We train our dog ahead of time to be comfortable remaining in a more distant area of the house that provides visual blocking, and we place our dog in that area with a long-lasting chew treat ahead of our guests’ arrival.
  • We keep our dog with us and on-leash during the arrival of guests (and potentially during the entire visit). We focus as much attention as is needed on helping our dog to remain at a beneficial arousal level (using treats, verbal interaction, chew toys, etc.).

 

When we implement EFFECTIVE management, we are preventing the rehearsal of specific inappropriate / unsafe / unhealthy behaviors, but we are also ensuring that our dog isn’t rehearsing a different but equally inappropriate / unsafe / unhealthy behavior. We are also ensuring that our dog isn’t being exposed to unhealthy levels of arousal or experiencing prolonged intense emotions.

 

 Julie's Sample Lecture

 Coming soon!

 

Testimonials & Reviews

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A sampling of what prior students have said about this course ...

New class for the April 2023 session.

Registration

Next session starts: April 1, 2024
Registration starts: March 22, 2024
Registration ends: April 15, 2024

Registration opens at 10:00am Pacific Time.

BH190 Subscriptions


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Tuition $ 260.00 $ 130.00 $ 65.00
Enrollment Limits 11 25 Unlimited
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