Workshops & Seminars

Preparing for Your First Agility Trial with Sally Silverman and Lynsey Heffner

Friday, January 17, 6-8 pm

Description: Are you dreaming of being an agility star, or just getting your feet wet? Thinking about the sport but don’t know what is involved in competition? Please join us for a seminar.

It’s never too early to learn the answers to all those nagging questions—and the questions you didn’t even know you had!—about entering and competing in your first agility trial. In this seminar we will discuss the various venues, options for classes and levels to enter, getting your dog measured, what to bring, and other things you need to know to be prepared. Whether you are just starting in Agility Foundations, or thinking about entering your first trial, there will be lots of info to help you feel more comfortable with the process.

We'll cover information at a high level about the main organizations in our area –UKI, USDAA, CPE, AKC, and ASCA

We will NOT be working with dogs in this seminar, though quiet, well-behaved dogs are welcome to come and listen, too!

Cost: $30 for members, $35 for non-members.

Intro to Rally FrEe

Sunday, January 19, 10am-12pm

Requirements: Dogs must be able to work in a classroom setting.
Description: Interested in something new? How about Rally, with a twist? Sally Silverman and Tina Fitzpatrick are presenting an intro seminar on Rally FrEe, the sport that incorporates both.

Rally FrEe is defined as …"a unique sport combining trick behaviors of Canine Musical Freestyle with the format of Rally-Obedience.”

In the seminar, we will talk about the what and how of Rally FrEe, while giving participants a chance to try some of the moves that define the sport. We will aim to complete a short sequence.

Limited to 10 working spots, unlimited auditors.

Cost: Working spot $60 member, $75 non-member; auditor $20 member, $30 non-member.

Luring and Shaping Training Techniques—How to be a more effective trainer – with CJ Hazell

Sunday, January 26
12:00-2:00pm and 2:15-4:15pm

Requirements: Suitable for all dogs. No specific experience needed.
Description: When you lure your dog to teach a behavior is he just focusing on your hand and trying to get the treat? Or if you are trying to shape a behavior does your dog just start to throw behaviors at you so fast it’s hard to know just when to mark what you are looking for? There is more to luring than just putting food in front of your dog and shaping is more than just clicking and treating. Both methods are simple, but not easy to do well.

This is an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of both luring and shaping as teaching techniques. All training techniques have strengths and weaknesses and sometimes one is better suited than another to reach your goal. We will go over the mechanics of both luring and shaping and the situations where one might be better than the other to get you where you want to be. We will practice the basics of both methods and then use them to teach new behaviors to your dog. Come prepared to up your training game and have a lot of fun in the process.

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, February 2 OR 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

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