Workshops & Seminars

Agility Games Workshop! with Sally Silverman

Friday, February 21, 6-9 pm

Requirements: Dogs must be able to do all obstacles (we can use channel weaves if necessary).
Description: Don’t fear the games! Snooker and gamblers are two of the most popular agility games, and the two that often cause dread in the minds of competitors. But fear them not! They are both fun and rewarding. In this evening seminar we will talk about what both of these games are about, study a map and consider strategies, and then run the courses. No prior knowledge of the games is required, but dogs must be able to do all the equipment (we can use channel weave poles if necessary.

Cost: $70 for members, $85 for non-members. Limit 8 working spots. Auditors can come to learn the games and watch the fun. $20 (member)/$30 (non-member) per auditor.

Garrett Dyer Nosework Seminars

Saturday, March 8, 9am-4pm: Finish! But are you? (lecture & working sessions)

Handlers are quick to call finish when they have achieved their goal of locating the known number of hides. But what factors do you use to determine when to call finish when presented with the 'unknown number'? Have you found yourself relying on a single factor in deciding when to call finish? Have you ever missed hides that impact your confidence? Have you ever caused your dog to false alert because of your beliefs? This workshop will use trial-style scenarios to challenge handler/dog teams to assess search areas, develop quick strategies, and make decisions to call finish and build confidence.

Sunday, March 9, 9am-4pm: Separating the Signal from the Noise (lecture and working session)

We spend many hours teaching our dogs to love Nosework. The game is supposed to be fun and stimulating and to strengthen the working relationship between the dog and the handler. However, in our attempts to navigate through all the information obtained from training sessions, trials, opinions, and training methods, all the noise disrupts communication between the dog and the handler. The disruption in communication leads to stress, conflict, and a breakdown in performance.
This workshop is designed to "separate the signal from the noise" and focus on the dog in front of you by improving communication between dog and handler that provides clarity by working through a range of challenging search scenarios that are appropriate for the dog's level of training.

Cost: $230 for members, $250 for non-members, $40 to audit.
Limited to 10 working teams, with unlimited auditors.

They will be held at the Lords New Church
1725 Huntingdon Rd, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006

Training Techniques: The Versatility of Targeting! – with CJ Hazell

Sunday, March 9
12:00-2:00pm and 2:15-4:15pm

Description: Most of us are familiar with teaching hand targets, or having our dog touch our hand and even paw targeting, which is really all a High Five is. There are so many other types of targeting and an infinite number of ways to use them. Targeting can focus on your dog using a specific part of their body or on targeting a specific object like a target stick or a floor mark. This workshop will focus on how to teach different kinds of targets and how to use them for teaching other behaviors. And we will also learn how to fade a target so it isn’t needed anymore. Targeting is probably the training technique I use the most.

Some kinds of targeting we will cover are different ways to use a hand target and foot target for teaching other behaviors. Following a target stick is a foundation skill for teaching other behaviors, especially for small dogs. We will introduce a chin target and how to use it for cooperative care as well as some fun tricks. Eye line targeting, or targeting something just with their eyes, is a great way to teach your dog to look directly at a camera when you take pictures and is a must if you aspire to animal acting. Targeting the top of the muzzle into your hand is great for teaching tooth brushing, and hip or shoulder targeting can be used for teaching your dog to cooperate in health care for shots or to teach some really fun tricks.

Cost: $45 for members, $55 for non-members. Limit 8 working spots, unlimited auditing. $15 per auditor.

Mental Resilience for the Competition Dogs - Handling Edition - with Bobbie Bhambree-Wirkmaa, CBDC, CPDT-KA, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant

Sunday, March 23

9am-4pm with a one-hour lunch break

Requirements: 1) Taken the Mental Resilience seminar with Bobbie at Y2K9s OR 2) Currently works with Bobbie privately OR 3) Attended any Brain Camp seminar or webinar
Teams should be able to run short sequences of jumps and tunnels. There will be no contacts or weaves.

Description: In this seminar, you will:

• Apply all concepts from Bobbie's other workshops into Novice-level sequences
• Teams will be coached individually and we will fill the resilience gaps based on what each team demonstrates

Limited to 10 working spots. Auditing unlimited.
Cost: $190 for members, $220 non-members, $45 auditors

Play Your Way to Good Manners - with Sarah Westcott

Saturday, April 5
Advanced Level: 10am-1pm
Level 1: 2-5pm

Description: Dogs learn best when they enjoy the task at hand.
Play Your Way to Good Manners, based on the award-winning book of the same name, co-authored by Sarah Westcott, and Kate Naito, approaches your dog's manners training as a collection of cool tricks, exciting sports moves, and interactive games. Sarah will show you how to apply techniques from canine sports, games, and trick training to a positive-reinforcement manners program that you and your dog can easily follow.

The seminar covers:

• Impulse control indoors, outdoors, and around distractions
• Coming to you, even in the park
• Polite leash walking
• Tricks and games to encourage good manners

Sarah Westcott is the owner and Head Trainer of Doggie Academy and founder of the Brooklyn Dog Training Center in NYC. She is active in agility, competing nationally as well as in Europe. She teaches agility at UDog Agility and Kruisin Kanines in PA. Sarah has also participated in tricks, disc dog, rally obedience, sheep herding, dock diving, barn hunt, freestyle and lure coursing. Sarah's dogs have put their skills to work having been featured in several tv shows, commercials and print ads.

Limited to 8 working spots. Auditing unlimited.
Cost: $95 for members, $110 non-members. Auditors $35.

Ring Stressed! Live Seminar – with Laura Bussing

Unleashing the Potential in Stressed Performance Dogs

Two dates: Saturday, April 19 or Sunday, April 20

9am-5pm with a one-hour lunch break

Competing in Agility? This is for:

• Dogs that stress up (over-aroused with focus issues)
• Dogs that stress down (shutting down, slow)
• Dogs doing OK - you want to know how to avoid stress
• Dogs not competing yet - you want to stay ahead of the curve

How great would it be to erase competition stress in your dog? A highly popular seminar for dogs that are sniffing, going slow, visiting ring crew, worried, disengaged, or unmotivated. This seminar has made a positive change in hundreds of agility dogs. The neurobiology of stress is complicated, but Laura breaks it down so it's easily understood. Her famous "Recipe for Change" involves a global approach to reducing stress through many creative strategies. Are you ready to step to the line with a focused, driven and happy dog?

Is stress negatively impacting your dog's performance? It's estimated that 50% of all performance dogs experience too much stress in the ring. This cutting-edge class is for dogs who are sensitive to triggers in the environment. Physiological change occurs causing a stressed up or stressed down reaction. Signs are: check-out, get worried, sniff, shut down easily, barking, spinning, goes slow, flying all over the course, over-arousal or not performing in the ring as well as in training.

Is your dog currently doing OK? It's actually easy for any dog that is competing to go from being OK in the ring to NOT OK! For young dogs not competing or for dogs that are doing well, this is your opportunity to learn how to handle your dog's emotional well being in the chaotic competition environment. Mental Preparation for Competition Dogs!

What will you learn in the Seminar/Class? You will divide your time between lectures, reviewing lessons and training dogs. You'll learn how to identify and manage triggers with Threshold Management. You'll learn how to keep your dog in it's thinking brain through innovative strategies to increase their comfort level in the ring setting, manage their arousal level and maximize their potential. The goal is to build and maintain Canine Mental Resilience.

Cost: $175.00 members, $200.00 non members. Limit 8 working spots.
Unlimited auditors: $70 members, $100 non members