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Over the last twenty years, many dog trainers have made
efforts to increase their use of positive reinforcement while
minimizing their use of painful or anxiety-provoking
punishments. This evolution toward a more humane approach to
modifying behavior has far-reaching impact on dogs and
trainers alike. But when we opt to avoid using “sticks” to
motivate our dogs, we must make a commitment to become SMART
about the use of “carrots” – positive reinforcers.
Trainers who understand the science and practical applications
of behavioral reinforcement gain the ability to be more
creative and less coercive.
The acronym SMART stands for “See, Mark and Reward
Training”; it summarizes the fundamental sequence of behaviors a
trainer performs when using reinforcement effectively. We’ll
discuss in detail each of these core skills – observation of
the animal’s behaviors, pinpointing the desired behavior
with a meaningful marker signal, and providing powerful
rewards.
Through use of lecture, demonstrations and video, this
seminar will explore all aspects of positive reinforcement:
types, frequency, timing, placement, use of conditioned
reinforcers, creation of new reinforcers, schedules of
reinforcement, satiation, the use of distractions as
reinforcers, and what reinforcement cannot accomplish.
Day
1
Brief review of operant conditioning
Operant conditioning as analogous to natural selection
Carrots and organic gardening: why choose positive
reinforcement?
Unconditioned vs. conditioned reinforcers
Behavioral markers as the fulcrum
Using +R to shift the behavioral distribution curve
Creating new reinforcers
Preserving existing reinforcers: satiation, inadvertent
chaining
Reinforcement timing
Day
2
Reinforcement frequency & schedules of reinforcement
Seeing behavior: setting your filter
Maximizing reinforcement opportunities; minimizing the need
for punishment
What if the environment offers better reinforcers than you
have?
Limits of what reinforcement can do
Behavioral economics and the “reinforcement package”
Placement of reinforcers
Choosing types of reinforcers
What about punishment?
WAYS TO PARTICIPATE:
This
is a non-working seminar. Some locations may allow for well
behaved dogs to attend on a 6' leash. Check the bottom of this
page for rules and the specific
location page for more details.
Continuing
Education Credits:
13 CEUs for CPDTs
12 CEU's for IAABC
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Early bird registration is available according to location. Registration ends 5 days prior to the event.
Click on the location links
at the top of this page or below to get specific information,
including tuition, for the location of your choice.
You may pay for tuition by:
Personal or Bank Check
-
Paypal - using your account or opening a new account
-
Visa,
MasterCard or Discover - through our secure payment information
page or by contacting the office by phone or fax and providing
your credit card information
Complete payment information will come up on the screen after you complete registration.
General Payment Information
If the seminar does not meet the minimum
(35 participants) and must be cancelled, currently registered participants will be refunded the full amount without penalty. Please familiarize yourself with the Registration/ Refund Policy and the Waiver before signing up.
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 As a graduate student at the University of Hawaii in the 1980's, Kathy was part of a team that trained dolphins to solve complex cognitive puzzles. These dolphin "mind games" were part of intensive research into how animals think and process language. After receiving a master's degree in experimental psychology, she was hired by the U.S. Navy to train dolphins for applied open-ocean tasks.
Kathy Sdao has earned a living as a full-time animal trainer for the past
21 years, first with marine mammals and now with dogs and their people. Kathy was a marine mammal trainer at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington. There she expanded her training skills by working with beluga whales, walruses, sea lions, polar bears and otters. Years later, Kathy and another zookeeper left their jobs to create Tacoma's first dog daycare facility, Puget Hound Daycare. This is where Kathy began teaching group classes for pet owners.
Since leaving Puget Hound in January 1999, Kathy has been lecturing nationally on operant conditioning, sharing her passion for the science of training, and the awesome power of clicker training she has experienced with so many species. She is a dynamic instructor with infectious enthusiasm that will keep you on the edge of your seat! In 2004, her speaking engagements include presenting “Know Way, Know How,” a three-day workshop hosted by Dogs of Course, Karen Pryor’s “ClickerExpos” and the Association of Pet Dog Trainers annual conference.
At home in Tacoma, WA, Bright Spot Dog Training’s services include: teaching private lessons to dogs and their owners, consulting with families about their “difficult” dogs, coaching novices and professionals to cross-over to clicker training and chaperoning doggie field trips to local parks. She also has trained animal actors, written for The Clicker Journal and the APDT Newsletter, served as a subject matter expert for the Delta Society's Service Dog Education System, conducted rat-training camp for Terry Ryan's DogSense, instructed at Dogs of Course’s Instructor Training Course and appeared as the "Way Cool Scientist" on an episode of Bill Nye the Science Guy!
As
a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Kathy is available for private lessons and classes, day and evening workshops, coaching for instructors who want to bring clicker training to their students, and consultations for behavior issues through her business, Bright Spot Dog Training.
Kathy lives with her two rescue dogs; Effie, a sweet and intense foxhound and Nick, an Aussie-cross that came to her with serious aggression issues.
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This
is a non-working seminar.
However, well-behaved,
quiet, friendly dogs may be allowed to attend on a
6' leash depending on the location. During all demonstrations
your dog may need to be crated in the back of the room or put
in your car as a courtesy for the dogs demonstrating. You are
completely responsible for making sure your dog does not
create distractions or disrupt the seminar. Aggressive or
disruptive dogs will be asked to leave the seminar without
refund if the owner misses the seminar.
Please
leave your dog home if you are not 100% sure he/she can be
crated quietly away from you during the demonstrations.
Check
with the specific location before planning to bring a dog to
the seminar.
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