FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

This year at ClickerExpo, courses are labeled into Themes. Themes are an easy way for you to locate all the courses we offer on the topics of interest to you! Our largest Themes—Expanding Skills and Expanding Minds, the beating heart of ClickerExpo—help you determine which courses to take.  

• Mix and match. Unlike other conferences, you are not locked into any Theme! Your registration is open-ended, so you can participate in courses from as many Themes as you like.  
• Choice, simplified. Themes are a convenient way to navigate the many course choices at ClickerExpo and to easily find the courses that match your areas of interest. Filter by Theme and see the titles, descriptions, faculty, skill level, and schedule of all the courses in that Theme.

Find your Dream Themes. There are 10 Themes at ClickerExpo. See the list below and go to the Program page to begin filtering by Themes.

Expanding Skills: Designed to expand your repertoire of skills, these courses showcase innovative approaches, refinement of techniques, new protocols, or new perspectives. These courses assume a solid working knowledge of R+ training and are frequently cross-referenced with another, even more specific, Theme.

Expanding Minds: Deepen your understanding of training and behavior change science and practice. These courses showcase innovative perspectives, amplify new angles, create new connections and amplify nuance.  These courses assume a solid working knowledge of R+ training and are frequently cross-referenced with another, even more specific, Theme.

Aggression & Behavior Management: These courses are for trainers working with behavior issues including, but not limited to, management of reactivity and aggression.

Solutions for Common Challenges: These courses provide  innovative solutions for specific, commonly encountered, and persistently difficult-to-solve training and teaching challenges.

Behavioral Science: These courses look at building training knowledge and skill through the lens  of applied behavior analysis and behavioral science. 

High-Performance Training: These courses help build the skills and knowledge needed for performance in environments where outcomes are measured and results matter—whether on stage, in the ring, or in the field.

Cooperative Care/Veterinary: These courses focus on skill development and knowledge useful in husbandry and medical procedures,  both at home and in veterinary environments.

Shelters: These courses address the issues common to shelter environments and rescue work.

Teaching Others: These courses help build the skills and knowledge for being a  more effective and more satisfied teacher of others, including clients and colleagues in individual, group, and online settings.  

Office Hours: These are open Q&A sessions with Faculty and Speakers.

Yes! We have seven distinct course formats.

Backstage Pass

A dynamic on-stage, real-time live training demonstration from several of the ClickerExpo Faculty and Speakers working with attendees’ dogs and possibly attendees as well. Volunteers can participate spontaneously or pre-arranged, depending on the course. The Backstage Pass includes demonstrations, presentations, and audience Q&A, with each focusing on a distinct training objective.

Key Conversations

On-stage discussions between two Faculty members on important topics within the training community. Engage in audience Q&A sessions and delve into thoughtful dialogues focused on specific themes that will enrich your training mindset and journey.

Learning Lab

Learning Labs offer a unique opportunity to work with your dog, work on your skills, or observe others working with dogs, all while being guided by the experienced ClickerExpo Faculty and Speakers.

• Some Learning Labs are meant for you to work with your dog. Those Labs have limited Dog/Handler Team spots for $19.95. You must pre-register for any Dog/Handler Team spot in a Learning Lab before arriving at ClickerExpo, as space is limited.
• Others are meant to develop your skills and are for humans only, as indicated in the course descriptions. There are limited Participant Learning Lab spots that also require pre-registration to reserve a spot to get one-on-one coaching from ClickerExpo Faculty and Speakers. These spots cost $9.95.
• All other human only Learning Labs and Observer spots in Learning Labs are open to all who would like to attend, no pre-registration is required.

We recommend taking a close look at the Learning Lab descriptions to figure out which ones are which! Remember, no pre-registration is necessary to observe!

Let’s Talk! (Panel Discussions)

Delve into a specific topic in a moderated discussion with a panel of speakers gathered together on our virtual stage, with time for audience Q&A. Ready for lively discussion, unique perspectives, and the expertise of those who are the best at what they do? Let’s Talk!

Office Hours 

An informal open Q&A between attendees and two or more of the ClickerExpo Faculty and Speakers. Dogs are welcome and can become part of the conversation.  Come with your questions about training, science, or whatever is on your mind at ClickerExpo.

Session (Conference Lecture/Sessions)

Dive into a topic through a dynamic presentation that incorporates lecture, videos, and PowerPoint. Some Sessions may also include opportunities for audience participation.

Symposium

Short presentations on a single topic by multiple faculty members, followed by a moderated discussion exploring differences, similarities, and distinctions.

Topics are chosen for this format when skilled trainers have diverse approaches to an important process, objective, technique, or concept important to R+ training.

In the ClickerExpo Chicago conference program, course types are listed within each course box directly under the speaker.

Our Chicago program features 49 learning choices through up to five  simultaneous courses and multiple formats all day, every day. Unless otherwise noted in the description, the course is new!

There are a very limited number of Chicago 2025 courses that were presented in prior years. For these courses, the content will be similar but the presentation will be updated and the experience will be unique—and you’ll likely learn something new!

Learning Labs provide an opportunity to work with your dog or to observe others working with dogs under the tutelage of the ClickerExpo Faculty and Speakers.

You must register for Dog/Handler spots and a few of the Participant spots in Learning Labs before arriving at ClickerExpo, as space is limited. We recommend that you choose Learning Labs when you register in order to have the widest choice. Spots sell out quickly!

• There is a $19.95 fee for each Dog/Handler spot in a Learning Lab.
• There are some Learning Labs for humans only - a chance to let your dogs rest! Be sure to read course descriptions fully. Note that some of the Participant spots in the humans-only learning labs, where you get one-on-one coaching from Faculty and Speakers, are $9.95. These spots require pre-registration as spots are limited. 

You will see other human-only Labs in our Conference Program that are open for all who attend to participate. These Observer spots do not require pre-registration and are complimentary. Please read the descriptions carefully! Some Learning Labs have prerequisite courses and prerequisite notes with requirements for participating Dog/Handler teams and Participant spots. Learn more in the FAQs below and be sure to read the course descriptions fully.

There are limited Dog/Handler and Participant spots in Learning Labs that require pre-registration to get one-on-one coaching from the presenter(s). There is a maximum of 2 Learning Lab spots per registrant for these spots.

• Dog/Handler spots are $19.95 and allow you to get one-on-one coaching from the Faculty and Speakers with your dog.
• Participant spots are $9.95 and for humans only to allow you to get one-on-one coaching from the Faculty and Speakers. 

There are some Learning Labs where anyone who attends can participate. No pre-registration is required and you will be addressed as a group instead of one-on-one with the Faculty and Speakers.

Make sure to read the course descriptions and Learning Lab prerequisites notes fully.

Prefer to simply observe? That’s fine too, and no pre-registration is required in that case. You may attend an unlimited number of Labs as an observer but seating is limited, so make sure to get to your preferred courses early to get a seat.

We're glad you asked! We have a handy video that shows you how to add the Learning Lab Spotlight Spots to your agenda in registration. (Click here to play the video below.)

You do not need to pre-register to observe or to participate in human-only learning labs.

A few Learning Labs are based on concepts presented in a preceding Course. Labs that are linked to these prerequisite courses have "In Action" in their titles; and the corresponding course will be listed as a prerequisite for the Lab. Note that the prerequisite course is only a requirement if you are a participant in the Lab, but Lab observers are strongly encouraged to attend the Session as well.

Learning Lab Faculty and Speakers assume that participants have attended the prerequisite Session, if there is one. Please do not register to participate in a Lab if you do not plan to take the prerequisite course.

There are other Learning Labs that are not directly linked to a prerequisite course; these Labs offer great exploratory learning opportunities.

You will see that Learning Lab descriptions have Prerequisite  Notes, which include skills, equipment, necessary requirements, and more that speakers will expect those that sign up for the Dog/Handler and Participant spots to have/have available during the Learning Lab. Please be sure to check the prerequisite notes before registering for one of these spots..

Additionally, ClickerExpo is a new environment for many people and dogs. Generally, dogs participating in learning labs should already understand the click/treat relationship, be comfortable with normal handling, and be able to work in close quarters with other dogs. Learn more about how to make sure your dog will be comfortable on our Bringing a Dog page.

No. You can either register for an available Learning Lab or join the waitlist for one that is full. 

Here's how the waitlist works:

• As attendees change their schedules, spots open up.
• When a spot opens up and you are on the waitlist, you will be notified by email in the order you joined the waitlist.
• To add the Lab, see the question see Section 3: View/Modify Registration.
• You will have 12 hours before the next person on the waitlist is notified. Details will be provided in the email.

**Please Note: Being on the waitlist does not guarantee you the next available spot. When a spot opens up, you will be notified in the order you were waitlisted, and new registrants will be able to register, but only the first to do so will be added. After you are notified, if you do not register within the time stated, you will be removed from the waitlist if you have not chosen to register for the open spot. We encourage you to add events@clickertraining.com to your email contacts to ensure receipt of all emails.

**Learning Lab limits will still apply when you are notified of an open spot. If you choose to add a lab you have been notified of, but have reached your limit, you will need to modify your schedule.

• Sessions, Panels, Symposiums, Key Conversations, Backstage Passes, Office Hours, and observing Learning Labs are open seating, so you can register for the conference without knowing your full schedule! As always, seating for these courses will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. While it is unlikely that a room will reach capacity, it is possible. If a room is full, you’ll be able to choose another, fantastic course during that time period.
• You must reserve Dog/Handler and some Participant spots in Learning Labs ahead of time.

Registration for ClickerExpo Chicago includes access to all three days of courses. To view our full program, visit the Chicago program page.

If you're unable to attend all three days, we also offer options for 1- and 2-day registration. For detailed pricing, please visit the Chicago registration page.

Additional offerings—such as meals, Learning Labs working spots, the new Podcast recordings, and exciting evening activities—are available for purchase separately. You may select these options during the registration process.

If you registered before October 31, you received a code to get 50% off ClickerExpo LIVE (virtual) registration. If you register on or after November 1, you'll receive a code to get 25% off ClickerExpo LIVE (virtual) registration.