Course Details
“Hey Mom, are you watching?”
We already know you’re your dog’s biggest fan, but your ability to help your dog be as confident as they can be is only as good as your observation skills! Ready for a 6-week immersion class in reading the dog in front of you? And what use would this skill be without putting it into practice with some training designed to bring out confidence in your pup?
This class will help you develop a keen eye for reading your dog’s confidence level every step of the way! This is not a behavior modification class that addresses specific ‘triggers’ but it will help your dog grow in confidence and develop your own skills in reading your dog.
Feelings are based on our perception of the events or situations surrounding us and with our dog friends, they communicate their feelings using body language and actions. Therefore, it is important that we, as their caretakers and handlers, be aware of and understand body language and to interpret why they are doing what they are doings so we can not only help them feel safe when needed, but also to interpret the times when they are feeling comfortable and more confident!
We’ll begin by identifying your dog’s overall confidence level and come up with strengths and weaknesses. Then we’ll create a holistic approach using the elements of Safety & Security, Social Support, Physical, and Mental Well-Being, including choosing appropriate decompression outlets that will be determined by each dog and their unique preferences (Hint: some dogs prefer more active decompression than the popular sniffing-based methods).
In this class, you will also learn how to create predictability in reinforcement strategies, and our interactions and expectations with them in daily life and during training sessions.
Allowing for agency during the learning process is key to helping your dog become more confident. Equipped with your stellar body language-reading skills, you and your dog will have fun building confidence by ensuring they are not put into situations that could be detrimental to the process.
There will also be an introduction to various games including the two-bowl game and movement puzzles, and the dopamine box.
Anyone wanting help with their own dog or simply to get better at reading and interpreting body language of dogs in their care through house sitting, training, sheltering/fostering will benefit from this class. This class will be appropriate for reactive and fearful dogs, but also dogs who are confident in one area but less confident in others. Puppies, adolescent dogs, and adult dogs are welcome!
Teaching Approach
Information outlined in the syllabus will be detailed in a lecture and when appropriate will include photo or video examples. There is a lot of information presented and it may not apply to each of you and recommendations will be given based on the individual. The initial focus of the course is to help you identify what your dog is ‘saying’ and how to interpret it to best help them in developing more confidence through clarity, predictability and training games and exercises.
Forums will be checked twice daily, and all posts will be responded to by me in detail with or without video support before you post again.
Instructor: Karen Deeds, CDBC Karen Deeds, is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). She is the co-owner of Canine Connection in Ft. Worth, TX with her husband, Bob Deeds, a retired Federal K9 Handler on Texas Task Force I....(Click here for full bio and to view Karen's upcoming courses)
