Course Details
True engagement with a dog is not built on control but on connection. It arises from the conversation, and the enjoyment of social connection, where attention is shared, communication is mutual, and both partners are seen.
This presentation will examine what it means to be with your dog, not just train them. Together, we’ll reflect on engagement as a relational state rather than a performance, and explore the role of social connection in cultivating focus, responsiveness, and shared joy.
You’ll learn why letting dogs look and sniff is in line with your engagement goals, why letting it fade is better than cuing its opposite, and how to respond to what they tell you.
At the heart of this conversation is the idea of two-way communication, where dogs are not simply learners but are partners in dialogue. Let’s slow down, tune in, and see your dog not just as a student, but as a co-communicator. Because at its best, engagement isn’t something we ask for, it’s something we share.
About the Instructor:
Dr. Amy Cook is an Applied Animal Behaviorist, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant with the IAABC, a longstanding professional member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), and was one of the first trainers nationally to become a Certified Professional Dog Trainer through independent evaluation.
Dr. Cook received her Ph.D. in Psychology from UC Berkeley, with her research focusing on the dog-human relationship and the impact that social support can have on stress. Dr. Cook is the founder and creator of the Play Way, a therapeutic approach for resolving behavior issues in dogs through social interaction and dog empowerment, and she is a popular instructor for the online school The Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, where she also teaches a course in active management games for dogs, and in a play-based approach to resolving sound sensitivity.
She has been training dogs for 30 years, and has specialized in the rehabilitation of shy and fearful dogs for over 20 years. Amy has worked for the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society, the San Francisco Animal Care and Control, has provided behavioral evaluations for shelters and rescues throughout the Bay Area of California, and was a member of the anti-cruelty team for the ASPCA, working in triage sheltering and rehabilitation for large rescue cases.
Amy gives seminars all over the country and is a frequent conference presenter. She also competes in sports with her dogs, and has titled in Competition Obedience, Rally, Agility, Barn Hunt, and Nosework.
