Grab a warm mug of coffee or tea and join us for a virtual book talk series!

Looking for the latest techniques for managing reactivity or aggression? Join Emma Parson for an informal chat and Q&A as she delves into the latest Click to Calm methodology in her brand-new book (coming soon)!

Grab a warm mug of coffee or tea and join us for a virtual book talk series! For this Book Nook, dog sports enthusiasts will enjoy an informal chat and Q&A with Hannah Branigan as she takes you into the world of Awesome Obedience and her newest companion book, Awesome Obedience: The Field Guide.

Why Can’t We Be Friends: Dog & Cat Introductions☆

Laura Monaco Torelli

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Health & Wellness, Other Species, Science, Shelter & Rescue Work, Skill

Description: Ah yes, cat and dog politics. Navigating interactions between felines and canines can make you feel like you are spinning plates and hoping everyone remains safe. In some situations, owners unknowingly assume that the resident cat and dog will figure it out on their own with detrimental consequences.

This live Dem-OH! Session will take attendees through training tips that showcase creating a care plan, changing the environment to change behavior, benefits of creative reinforcement strategies, the use of competing reinforcers, application of data collection, and cue transfers. Set your plates down and take a break while we learn together!

This Dem-OH! Session will include time for Q&A.

New Perspective: Moving Away from Eye Contact - Live🗲

Emma Parsons

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Shelter & Rescue, Skill

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately six (6) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams should have a clicker, great treats, a bait bag, a collar, a leash, a target on the wall to focus on, a notebook and pen, a bottle of water, a food bowl, a shoe to tie, a bottle to put the cap on, an area in which they can walk about 5-6 steps with their dogs (if you need to switch directions, that’s fine!), and an interactive distraction in the room (like a television or another person to talk to).

Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate alongside the teams with their own animals from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That’s fine, too!

Description: Eye contact can become a huge contextual cue in just about every behavior that we teach dogs. Inadvertently, trainers watching the dogs all of the time can become a huge crutch for the dogs. What develops is a situation where dogs do not respond to the cue unless you are watching. For some behaviors it might not matter, but for others it can be downright dangerous!

Handlers of reactive dogs need their dogs’ behavior to be as reliable as possible. Trainers must be able to turn away from their dogs and partake in other activities like talking to someone else or signing a document.

In this fun and challenging Learning Lab, we will work on asking dogs for behaviors that we think are reliable, and testing to see whether or not eye contact is actually part of the behavioral context. We will also work on preliminary exercises so that the dogs are less likely to be hypnotized by our eyeballs!

During the training sessions, watch Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams go through the exercises with Emma coaching on screen and/or take this time to practice these exercises with your own dogs at home. In between, there will be time for Q&A.

Join Emma for this Lab and for a new perspective on training eye contact.

Animals In Control Extended: Let's Start with Start Buttons🗲

Eva Bertilsson & Emelie Johnson Vegh

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: Intermediate
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Competition, Skill, Teaching Others

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately six (6) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. The Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams need treats in small pieces, something to use as a station (a crate, a mat, etc.), and some objects for the dog to knock over/interact with.

Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate alongside the teams with their own animals from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That’s fine, too!

Description: What happens when you give learners the ability to direct the pace and progress of a procedure activity? What if a giraffe intentionally indicates through a lowered neck that he is ready for tactile work, or a child initiated the application of nasal-spay medication by flaring her nostrils, or a dog nodded her head as a “yes” for a teeter to go bang? These are all examples of trained “start-button” behaviors. Start-button behaviors provide greater control to animals over aspects of the training process, elevate the level of dialogue between animals and trainers, enhance the overall level of trust, and improve results. For all of those reasons, start buttons are integral pieces of Eva and Emelie’s training philosophy. Start buttons are applied in a wide variety of training contexts, including husbandry and veterinary environments, competition settings, and working-dog environments.

In this Learning Lab, Emelie and Eva let you experience what start-button behaviors are all about. The Lab will include lecture, demonstration, exercises for the Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams and for observers at home, and opportunity for questions and discussion. Eva and Emelie will be coaching six (6) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams through a series of exercises. Watch and listen in and/or use this time to work on the exercises at home with your dog.

Muzzle Tov! - Live🗲

Kathy Sdao

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Shelter & Rescue Work, Veterinary

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately five (5) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Dogs should understand the click/treat relationship. Handlers would benefit from having some experience with shaping. Equipment needed: a basket muzzle (preferably a Baskerville Ultra) that fits your dog; an empty clear plastic yogurt container (or cup) your dog can get his/her nose all the way into; canned dog food loaded into a plastic tube or a large syringe (alternatively, a spray can of soft food like squeeze cheese).

Attendees who are not part of the Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate alongside the teams with their own animals from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That's fine, too!

Description: We invest time ensuring that our dogs are comfortable wearing a well-fitted harness or collar because we consider this gear essential. Yet, we tend not to ensure that our dogs are comfortable wearing a well-fitted muzzle because this gear is optional, right? Or, muzzles are only for bad dogs? And, muzzles are ugly and stigmatizing? Well, no… Learn with Kathy why muzzle training is a gift we can give every dog.

At some point, most dogs will be in a situation where fear, pain, or uncertainty makes them more likely to bite (e.g., at the emergency veterinary clinic or in a novel social situation). An easy way of placing a barrier between the dog’s teeth and any nearby human or animal increases safety, opens up behavior-modification options, and helps everyone relax. Kathy will discuss specific training applications where muzzles are an asset, lead the practice of muzzle-acclimation exercises, share tips to overcome client aversion to muzzle use, and demonstrate how to avoid potential problems. Five participants will receive coaching from Kathy; everyone else can view the coaching, try the exercises off camera at home, and ask questions or simply sit back and take it all in as watching and learning from Kathy and your lab-mates.

Note: This is a special version of Kathy's popular ClickerExpo Lab, Muzzle Tov!

Dances with Horses - Moving at Liberty☆

Peggy Hogan

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: Intermediate
Topic: Equine

Description: Every year, more horse owners are looking at how to train their horse behaviors while at liberty. Teaching and training an animal to offer movement at liberty requires understanding of the desired movement, great observational skills, and the ability to train behaviors using shaping. Trainers also need an understanding of how to work safely to access different speeds (gaits), how to create separate movement of the front end and of the hind end, and how to use these base movement to create a variety of combinations.

Peggy Hogan loves training at liberty and, as part of that training, she loves teaching horses to "dance" with her. In this Dem-OH! Session you will see her work taking place live. Peggy, with the help of other excellent horse trainers, will demonstrate many useful behaviors that can be shaped; the process of shaping behavior, including the use of antecedent arrangements; and props and prompts to capture and shape movements. Peggy and her team will explore how behaviors can be arranged and combined as well.

How a horse negotiates what he does with his own feet and body depends on what he has learned, so the challenge for all trainers is the process of teaching and learning. This Session will benefit anyone who wants to learn techniques to reach the place where you and your animals are harmonious participants in the teaching/learning process. Join us and watch as Peggy and friends demonstrate how horses have learned complex moves through the power of shaping and ask your questions!

P.S. Get a head start! Some of the behaviors and complex movements that will be explored in this Demonstration Session are ones that Peggy showcased in this video.

Bonus Time with Debbie Martin and Theresa McKeon☆

Debbie Martin & Theresa McKeon

Course Type: Bonus Time
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Human, Teaching Others, Veterinary

Description: Experience more of your favorite trainers in this informal, open discussion. Bonus Time offers a unique window into the training minds of Debbie Martin and Theresa McKeon. Ask your questions or be a fly on the wall and listen to spontaneous and candid conversation about the use of behavior technology and its human applications, developing skill and knowledge useful in veterinary environments, teaching others—and anything else that comes up!

Stay tuned for sponsor events, opportunities to stretch your body and mind and so much more!

Let’s Talk Canine Sports☆

Hannah Branigan, Eva Bertilsson, Sarah Owings, Emma Parsons, Michele Pouliot, and Emelie Johnson Vegh

Course Type: Let's Talk! (Panel Discussion)
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Competition

Description: Join this discussion with moderator Hannah Branigan and panelists Eva Bertilsson, Sarah Owings, Emma Parsons, Michele Pouliot, and Emelie Johnson Vegh on the ins and outs, ups and overs, and throughs and backs of canine sport competition training. Ready for lively discussion, unique perspectives, and the expertise of some of the best at what they do? Let’s Talk!

Problem Solved!☆

Theresa McKeon and Chirag Patel

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Skill

Description: Have you heard the John Lennon quote “There are no problems, only solutions?” It may be true, but those solutions can be elusive. Beginner or expert, we've all had training challenges that left us stymied and thought, “It would be great to get another perspective on this problem.” Well, here is your chance!

Chirag and Theresa will collect a list of “training problems” from attendees and offer fresh perspective, new strategies, and solutions.

Whether the challenge is with training the animal or teaching the human, you can bring your list to this Dem-OH! Session. Let’s see if we can get that problem solved!

This Dem-OH! Session will also have time for Q&A.

The Art of Training Birds☆

Steve Martin

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Other Species, Science, Skill

Description: In so many ways, training birds is like training any other animal. However, when you work with an animal that can simply fly away at any moment, there are some parts of training that might require a bit more attention than they do working with an animal at the end of a leash or an animal confined in some way.

This Dem-OH! Session will focus on some of the nuances and often overlooked strategies that go hand-in-hand with the application of scientific principles to create reliable behavior and improved welfare. These strategies are used successfully with free-flight birds at the Natural Encounters ranch in Winter Haven, Florida.

Steve Martin and the training team at the Natural Encounters Training and Education Center will present a combination of live bird-training sessions and keynote presentations to explore some of the most important training strategies they use with a wide variety of birds. Some of the many topics covered in this Session include:

• Building trusting relationships
• Critical attention to antecedent arrangement
• Prompt shaping and the importance of fading prompts
• Empowering animals with control
• Clear and honest communication
• Giving animals a voice
• Creating motivation

Help your training of any species take flight with the Art of Training Birds.

This Dem-OH! Session will also include time for Q&A.

Puppy Start Right One-to-One: Private Lessons - Live!🗲

Debbie Martin

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: Foundation
Topic: Business, Teaching Others, Skill

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: Debbie will work with approximately four (4) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Dog participants can be any age, should understand the clicker as an event marker, should be comfortable being touched on the body and collar, and should be comfortable with people near the food bowl and with being touched while eating. It is not required, but teams might find it beneficial to have a helper for some of the exercises. Equipment/supplies to have handy during the Learning Lab include: treats; treat bag; clicker; flat buckle or quick release collar for the dog; 1 or 2 "novel" objects that do not have any positive or negative associations for the dog; a food bowl; and dog food.

Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate alongside the teams with their own animals from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That's fine, too!

Description: Are you interested in teaching Puppy Start Right preschool classes but have a business model based on private training? Do you have a client who cannot make it to your group puppy classes, or a puppy that has a medical condition? No worries! The Puppy Start Right curriculum can be modified easily for private lessons.

In this Learning Lab and Session combination, Debbie Martin will describe options for customizing the Puppy Start Right preschool program (or any group puppy socialization class) into one-to-one sessions, including how to approach a lack of puppy play time. The Learning Lab will also delve into implementing proper exposure to novel situations and demonstrate prevention exercises, such as teaching a puppy to enjoy having people around his food bowl or having his collar touched. Practice time and Q&A will be included as well.

You Can Never Do One Thing: The Path to Riding a Clicker Trained Horse, Part 1☆

Alexandra Kurland

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: Intermediate
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Equine, Health & Wellness, Shelter & Rescue, Skill, Teaching Others

Description: You’re introducing your horse to clicker training by having him touch a target. At the same time, you’re teaching him how to lead better and to work on a lunge line during a riding lesson. You’re also giving your horse a therapy session to help with his tendency to be stiff and a little lame on his left front. And you’re helping him stand better for grooming. Did I mention his inclination to bite at you and crowd into you when you lead him? You’re working on that, too.

This isn’t some crazy sci-fi version of multi-tasking. This is what happens when you pay attention to details. Even a lesson that is as seemingly simple as offering your horse a target to touch turns into so much more. He’s touching a target and you’re giving yourself a riding lesson - very fun!

How this is possible? To find out, join Alexandra Kurland as she takes you through the training steps that lead to riding. She will introduce you to Cooper, a German warmblood that is learning about clicker training.

In February of 2020, just before the COVID-19 lockdown, Cooper had a career change. He was purchased by Julie Varley, one of Alexandra’s long-time clients. He knew nothing about clicker training, so Julie had to start at the beginning—and that’s where you and this Dem-OH! Session come in. Alexandra and Julie will take you through a review of Cooper’s training. Step-by-step you will see what Cooper has been learning and why. Julie began with the six foundation lessons of clicker training. She used the new foundation skills to improve Cooper’s basic ground manners, such as standing well for grooming and picking his feet up for cleaning. Julie then introduced Cooper to liberty training and to lateral work. These new skills helped him overcome his initial fear of her indoor arena. Julie’s good training prepared him well for riding.

You can never do one thing. That’s the title of this Demonstration Session. Find out what it means as you see how small details add up to riding success, and ask your questions during Q&A.

Part 1 will focus on the foundation lessons and the ground prep. Part 2 on Sunday will take you to riding with the clicker.

Bonus Time with Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D. & Kathy Sdao☆

Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D. & Kathy Sdao

Course Type: Bonus Time
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Human, Science, Skill

Description: Experience more of your favorite trainers in this informal, open discussion. Bonus Time offers a unique window into the training minds of Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D. and Kathy Sdao. Ask your questions or be a fly on the wall and listen to spontaneous and candid conversation about behavioral science, the use of behavior technology and it’s human application, training skills, aggression and behavior management—and anything else that comes up!

There is a lot to absorb during three full days of ClickerExpo LIVE. Whether you plan to sit back and soak it all in, or actively train your animal, join in halfway through the weekend to stretch and reset for the upcoming courses. 

Didn't make it to all the Sessions you wanted at ClickerExpo? Want to re-watch your favorites after the event, or have access to speaker expertise anytime from anywhere? Video recordings of all Sessions are available to you for free for one year through our Video On Demand platform! Join us to learn more about how you can access your free videos as well as other special offerings!

Atlas Assistance Dogs

Our Team Facilitators change lives every day! Learn about this exciting program that gives you access to courses and mentorship completely for free. Opportunities to work hands on or virtually with clients and to raise puppies for people with disabilities are available across the US. Highlights of our professional Training Academy will also be discussed.

Bait and Switch: Advanced Luring Skills Expanded🗲

Michele Pouliot

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: Intermediate
Topic: Competition, Shelter & Rescue Work, Skill, Other Species, Teaching Others, Veterinary

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately four (4) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams should have a solid foundation in clicker training skills, as well as numerous rewards of a size and consistency that can be easily managed in one hand (e.g., can hold 5 to 10 rewards in one hand without spilling during training - dispensing one at a time).

Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate alongside the teams with their own animals from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That's fine, too!

Description: The use of luring in clicker training has long been a controversial topic, inciting a range of opinions. A decade ago, it was not unusual to hear statements like “using lures is not clicker training.” Many clicker trainers believe that lures are problematic, in that lures become required cues for responses and distract learners from awareness of their behavior. Other clicker trainers claim that lures allow you to prompt desired behavior quickly, making the training process much faster.

This Learning Lab will demonstrate that both opinions are accurate! The general focus of the Lab will be on learning to apply lure techniques in harmony with clicker training and on avoiding the problems that can occur with ineffective use of lures. There will be considerable emphasis on advanced lure handling skills for the trainer. Advanced luring skills offer the ability to direct a learner’s specific body parts in precise directions, something that is beneficial for training a variety of positions and behaviors.

Learn with Michele how subtle differences in the location of lures and the timing of dispensing lure rewards can advance training. Food lures will be omitted thoughtfully as visual cues evolve. As lures are omitted, effective timing of the click will continue the training progress of the behaviors.

This Learning Lab mixes presentation, video demos, and live training sessions. We will follow the progress of four (4) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams during the training sessions. All attendees are welcome to train their own animals from home off camera during working sessions as well! There will be time for questions, too. (We hope to lure you in!)

The Conditioned Emotional Response: Is it Really as Sexy as it Sounds?☆

Lindsay Wood Brown

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: Advanced
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Competition, Science, Shelter & Rescue Work, Skill

Description: The idea that we can create new emotional responses, and even change negative emotional responses into positive ones, is very appealing. In behavior-change work, it sounds inherently essential. When Lindsay first learned about the Conditioned Emotional Response (CER), she thought it was the sexiest scientific term she had ever heard. Later, when she studied CERs in graduate school, well, it was still super sexy to her. Lindsay followed up all of that sexy CER education with a career as an applied behaviorist, working to craft behavior-change plans for dogs living in animal shelters. Creating “a positive CER” was the shiny linchpin of many of those counter-conditioning plans. However, when she deconstructed the plans that stalled out or failed altogether, that same positive CER appeared to be the reason the wheels fell right off the train. Why?

Could the emphasis on changing emotions be a barrier to progress? We spend inordinate amounts of time conditioning a happy response to some stimulus and then find ourselves back at square one if real-life conditions change abruptly. How can we prevent a DS/CC plan from stalling out? Why do we see problem behaviors resurface after intervention? Might it be that with only an ambiguous inference of emotion to go on (the tail is wagging, the body is wiggling, the dog looks happy!), we run smack into limitations of counter-conditioning? What can we do about it? What do we need? It may be time to jettison the CER in favor of a clear operant contingency as the critical component of a successful counter-conditioning plan.

Let’s explore through lecture and live examples how to shift the lens through which we view DS/CC intervention, get out of the CER trap, and create a stable path forward.

This Dem-OH! Session includes time for Q&A.

Deep Impact III: Husbandry at Home for Real-World Applications 🗲

Laura Monaco Torelli

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: Intermediate
Topic: Health & Wellness, Skill, Science, Veterinary

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately six (6) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Spotlight Team members should have basic, intermediate, or advanced training skills and be able to work their dogs effectively in a distracting environment with props nearby. Animals should be familiar with and comfortable with basic targeting and general body tactile (head, ears, eyes, mouth, torso, paws, legs, tail). The animals should also be familiar and comfortable with a variety of grooming and veterinary props (scale, resting a body part on an elevated surface, capped needles, nail trimmer, presence of and sound of a dremel, scent of ear cleaning solution, basket muzzle, gauze, nail file boards, etc.). Laura Monaco Torelli will email Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams simple training tips to help prepare for this Lab.

Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate alongside the teams with their own animals from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That’s fine, too!

Description: This popular hands-on Learning Lab is back with a new chapter! What makes this a unique experience is that our guests join us virtually from the comfort of their home environments. Husbandry is a part of the everyday interactions with the animals in our lives. Since owners serve as eyes and ears for the veterinary teams, it is what we observe and teach at home that set up the environment for success when we take it on the road.

Laura will cover a broad range of husbandry topics including, but not limited to, injection training; eye, ear, and paw care; and blood-draw preparation tips. Plus, we will take a closer look at what defines consent under specific environmental conditions. Learn how to set and quickly adjust criteria for husbandry behaviors, as well as how to observe canine and handler communication to gauge the dog team’s comfort level and readiness for the next step. Our Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams will receive live coaching from Laura, while other attendees can watch or practice along at home. Laura will add demonstrations with her own dogs to supplement the learning.

The flow of the virtual Learning Lab will be:

• Set-up, explanation, demonstration, and instructions
• Working and practice time for Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams and for other attendees in the audience
• Feedback and coaching for Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams, which other Attendees can listen to and absorb
• Q&A

Let’s bring husbandry goals to the next level as a team!

Alone and All Right: Separation Anxiety's Myths and Solutions☆

Terrie Hayward

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: Intermediate
Topic: Health & Wellness, Science, Skill, Teaching Others

Description: Separation anxiety is a debilitating condition for dogs and caregivers, often confining both to home for weeks, months, and years. Join Terrie for this Dem-OH! Session as she explores the myths about separation anxiety and dives into protocols that work and answers attendee questions. You will observe a virtual consult as Terrie works to transfer skills related to criteria setting and body-language interpretation and addresses appropriate thresholds.

Terrie will discuss the options for and advantages of remote separation-anxiety training. Through a written outline and via a virtual client session, Terrie will share a comprehensive approach to helping clients deal with this stressful situation. Terrie will also address the isolation concurrent with separation anxiety and talk about client support and empathetic approaches, vital to establishing a working relationship with clients dealing daily with issues associated canine separation anxiety.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Start Button - Live🗲

Peggy Hogan

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Equine

Description:  As positive reinforcement trainers, we search continually for ways to create partnerships with our horses. However, there can be a huge difference between simply gaining an animal’s cooperation and giving the animal true choice! “Start Button” behaviors are behaviors that are taught to an animal partner to direct the pace and progress of other behaviors or procedures.

Start buttons are integral to a training philosophy that seeks to give more true choice and control to animals during training or practice. It is applicable in a wide variety of contexts: from medical procedures and husbandry behaviors to training sessions of any movement behavior. The training process encourages horses to enter into a type of dialogue with the trainer and helps the trainer become even more aware of what is being communicated through a horse’s body language

In this Dem-OH! Session, Peggy Hogan and friends will demonstrate various ways of teaching horses to a) communicate to the trainer that they give permission to proceed or b) indicate that they are ready to participate in an activity or procedure. The Session will also include time for Q&A and a demonstration of the next step: teaching an animal how to signal an invitation to continue.

Join Peggy and learn how to teach horses to make requests safely and how to give horses robust ways to communicate their wants and needs. Ready? On Your Mark, Get Set, Start Button!

Bonus Time with Ken Ramirez and Melissa Millett☆

Ken Ramirez & Melissa Millett

Course Type: Bonus Time
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Other Species

Description: Experience more of your favorite trainers in this informal, open discussion. Bonus Time offers a unique window into the training minds of Ken Ramirez and Melissa Millett. Ask your questions or be a fly on the wall and listen to spontaneous and candid conversation about training animals of various species—and anything else that comes up!

Join Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty and team as they share the various ways that you can continue your education through courses and opportunities offered by KPA. We will give you a peek at our Dog Trainer Professional program and share the adjustments we’ve made in response to Covid-19. We’ll also explore a variety of other options for those who are already certified trainers or just starting their training journey! Explore options like Dog Trainer Foundations, Puppy Start Right for Instructors, and Shelter Training & Enrichment as well as advanced, specialized courses like Michele Pouliot's Freestyle Training and Ken Ramirez' Concept Training. This presentation also includes the opportunity to ask the KPA team questions so that you can start planning your learning journey!

Sponsored by KONG

Decompress during a ClickerExpo LIVE break by tuning into Donkey Cam and watch as donkeys at The Ranch go about their day. They may be engaging in enrichment by interacting with a KONG Wobbler, eating, or sleeping, but it will be fun to check in on them.

Working with Shy or Skittish Animals - Live!🗲

Ken Ramirez

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Equine, Other Species, Shelter & Rescue Work, Science, Skill, Veterinary

Description: Trainers are often faced with the dilemma of working with an animal that is uncomfortable around people or reluctant to participate in sessions. How do you deal with that, and where do you start? What strategies are the most effective at drawing an animal out of its shell and gaining its trust? Do the strategies differ from working with fearful or reactive animals or is it really the same thing? Why do some trainers focus on operant solutions while others focus on respondent solutions? Does it matter? What is the most effective approach to help the animal?

Ken will share his perspective on this topic by looking at various case studies in which he took different approaches, with each unique case in settings as varied as the zoo, the shelter, and The Ranch. He will share why each case required a different strategy, but also point out several common tools needed for each case. During this Dem-OH! Session, Ken will work with his alpacas and demonstrate live examples of the skills and steps he talks about in this lecture. There will be time for Q&A too.

Note: This is a special ClickerExpo LIVE version of “Inside Their Shells: Working with Shy or Skittish Animals,” presented at ClickerExpo 2020 in Seattle.

Pattern Power: Learners Control the Game 🗲

Leslie McDevitt

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Other Species, Shelter & Rescue Work, Science, Skill,  Teaching Others

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately six (6) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams should have the following items handy during the lab: a clicker; treats; a chair; dog bowls, or paper plates, as many as you have available; a stuffed animal, if available; and a human helper, if available.

Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate alongside the teams with their own animals from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That’s fine, too!

Description: Join Leslie in this Learning Lab to explore the Pattern Games from her latest Control Unleashed book, Reactive to Relaxed. These games create a “safety net” of predictability that will help your worried dog process information about the environment from a place of confidence. Your dog will be empowered to direct his own counter-conditioning procedure using a Start Button behavior that can start or stop the Pattern. The games are simple to learn, easy to customize for any situation, and very effective in building your dog's confidence.

During training sessions, Leslie will be coaching six (6) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams through the games. Watch and listen in and ask questions and/or use this time to work on the exercises at home with your dog.

But It’s a Cat: Acclimating and Working with Your Cat in New Environments☆

Melissa Millett

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Other Species

Description: It's about time! Historically, ClickerExpo has been a bit dog-centric but, finally, cats have a chance to be on center stage... even if it is a virtual center stage! Join Melissa Millett and friends as she demonstrates the challenges, joy, and depth of training cats. Cats love the mental stimulation of adventures, as well as training and performing, if they are exposed properly (early or late)! Melissa (and her cat and human friends) will demonstrate how to introduce cats to adventures, training, and performing properly, with particular attention paid to the most vexing challenges, such as: acclimating your cat to new environments, exploring and performing with cats (tricky, as they will often hide, freeze, or decline to perform), and learning to leash train, crate train, and socialize both young kittens and older cats.

In this Dem-OH! Session, learn with Melissa how the environment you create can be critical to your cat’s success. See travel set-ups that allow you to take your cat with you. The cat-cam is on and so is Melissa. Join in! P.S. to all of you dog lovers (soon to be cat lovers): socialization of cats is not the same as for dogs!. There will be time for Q&A too.

Let’s Talk Consulting☆

Aaron Clayton, Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D., Theresa McKeon, Dr. Christopher Pachel, Kathy Sdao, and Michael Shikashio

Course Type: Let's Talk! (Panel Discussion)
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Business, Human, Science, Skill, Teaching Others

Description: Join this discussion with moderator Aaron Clayton and panelists Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D., Theresa McKeon, Dr. Christopher Pachel, Kathy Sdao, and Michael Shikashio on the intricacies and impact of consulting. Ready for lively discussion, unique perspectives, and the expertise of some of the best consulting specialists? Let’s Talk!

V-PORTL: Your Virtual Portal for Learning to Play PORTL☆

Mary Hunter

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: Foundation
Topic: Teaching Others, Skill

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately four (4) Spotlight Participants. Each Participant should have a “standard PORTL kit.” If you do not have a standard PORTL kit, click here for an alternative list of items. Each active Participant will also need another person available for the duration of the Lab, someone who is willing to play PORTL with you. To play PORTL, you will need an uncluttered tabletop space, approximately two feet by two feet. Your video camera should be zoomed in so that we can easily see the hands and arms of each person as well as the PORTL objects in between. We do not need to see your faces. Please test your camera set-up before the Lab, so that we don't lose valuable time. We also ask that Spotlight Participants log into the Lab 15 minutes early so that we can work on camera placement to allow viewers to see you playing the game.

Attendees who are not Spotlight Participants can still follow along from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That’s fine, too!

Description: What does it take to be a great shaper? What is the best way to practice and improve your skills? How can you try out new ideas or techniques without frustrating your animal learners?

This Learning Lab will introduce you to one tool that can help you accelerate your shaping skills. PORTL (the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab) is a table-top game played with a collection of small objects and a clicker. PORTL provides a structured curriculum of exercises to teach you about shaping and other behavior-change principles.

Through a series of videos, demonstrations, and hands-on exercises, you will learn the basics of PORTL and even have the opportunity to utilize it to shape several behaviors and ask questions. You will experience the power of PORTL and leave this Lab eager to play more of the PORTL game with your friends and clients.

Bonus Time with Peggy Hogan and Alexandra Kurland☆

Peggy Hogan & Alexandra Kurland

Course Type: Bonus Time
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Equine

Description: Experience more of your favorite trainers in this informal, open discussion. Bonus Time offers a unique window into the training minds of Alexandra and Peggy. Ask your questions or be a fly on the wall and listen to spontaneous and candid conversation about equine training—and anything else that comes up!

Stay tuned for sponsor events, opportunities to stretch your body and mind and so much more!

At the Saturday night Social Event, mix your favorite drink, kick back, relax, and join our faculty members for cocktail hour! Attendees will be assigned to a room with one of our incredible faculty members for casual conversation about training, life, and everything in between.

Pick one of the two Social Events during registration. The Friday and Saturday night Social Events are free, but pre-registration is required. Spots are limited!

Innovation Through Collaboration: What’s New at the Zoo☆

Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D.

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Health & Wellness, Other Species, Science, Skill, Veterinary

Description:Helen Keller said, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." These wise words reflect our experience collaborating with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to improve animal welfare through innovative training programs. In this Lab, Animal Behavior Programs Manager Rick Hester and applied behavior analyst Susan G. Friedman, Ph. D., invite you to observe their live behavior consultations with zookeepers teaching giraffes and penguins to be active participants in husbandry and medical care. We will need your help collecting data, so be sure to bring your clipboard! There will be time for Q&A too.

Teaching With Science and Kindness☆

Chirag Patel

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Other Species, Science, Skill, Teaching Others

Description: Many trainers entered the profession because of their love of animals, but realized quickly that the responsibilities of most trainers involve lots of work with people, clients or colleagues. Too often expertise developed working with animal behavior goes out the window; trainers seek another method or psychology when they have an amazing toolkit in their pocket!

Gone are the days when trainers aimed for client compliance. Instead, trainers strive for client participation and a team approach. Join Chirag as he examines the topic of working with human behavior using kindness and behavior analytic principles. This Dem-OH! Session will include audience exercises and opportunities to ask questions.

"Look At That": The Game That Changes Conversations☆

Leslie McDevitt

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Competition, Science, Skill, Teaching Others

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately six (6) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams should have a clicker; treats; some type of station for the dog, such as a mat, bed, blanket, or platform; at least one neutral everyday object or stuffed animal to be used as a visual target; and a human helper, if available.

Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate alongside the teams with their own animals from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That’s fine, too!

Description: Look At That, or “LAT,” is perhaps the most popular of the counter-conditioning games to come out of Leslie’s book, Control Unleashed. Learn how this game has evolved over the years and catch up with the latest understanding about how and why it works. Learn to use the game to teach your dogs and clients’ dogs how to be a Reporter instead of a Reactor! Watch your dog increase his confidence about navigating a stressful world as you and he learn this uniquely conversational tool together. This Learning Lab will include time for Q&A too!

You Can Never Do One Thing: The Path to Riding a Clicker Trained Horse, Part 2☆

Alexandra Kurland

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Equine, Health & Wellness, Shelter & Rescue Work, Skill, Teaching Others

Description: You’re introducing your horse to clicker training by having him touch a target. At the same time, you’re teaching him how to lead better and to work on a lunge line during a riding lesson. You’re also giving your horse a therapy session to help with his tendency to be stiff and a little lame on his left front. And you’re helping him stand better for grooming. Did I mention his inclination to bite at you and crowd into you when you lead him? You’re working on that, too.

This isn’t some crazy sci-fi version of multi-tasking. This is what happens when you pay attention to details. Even a lesson that is as seemingly simple as offering your horse a target to touch turns into so much more. He’s touching a target and you’re giving yourself a riding lesson - very fun!

How this is possible? To find out, join Alexandra Kurland as she takes you through the training steps that lead to riding. She will introduce you to Cooper, a German warmblood that is learning about clicker training.

In February of 2020, just before the COVID-19 lockdown, Cooper had a career change. He was purchased by Julie Varley, one of Alexandra’s long-time clients. He knew nothing about clicker training, so Julie had to start at the beginning—and that’s where you and this Dem-OH! Session come in. Alexandra and Julie will take you through a review of Cooper’s training. Step-by-step you will see what Cooper has been learning and why. Julie began with the six foundation lessons of clicker training. She used the new foundation skills to improve Cooper’s basic ground manners, such as standing well for grooming and picking his feet up for cleaning. Julie then introduced Cooper to liberty training and to lateral work. These new skills helped him overcome his initial fear of her indoor arena. Julie’s good training prepared him well for riding.

You can never do one thing. That’s the title of this Demonstration Session. Find out what it means as you see how small details add up to riding success, and ask your questions during Q&A.

Part 1 focused on the foundation lessons and the ground prep. Part 2 will take you to riding with the clicker.

Writing SMART Shaping Plans: A Component Skills Approach☆

Mary Hunter

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Skill, Teaching Others

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately six (6) Spotlight Participants. Mary will provide handouts for the Spotlight Participants to print out in advance.

Attendees who are not Spotlight Participants can still follow along from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That’s fine, too!

Description: Expert trainers spend as much or more time planning their shaping sessions compared to actual training time. The planning process includes much more than just writing a list of steps. The trainer selects certain props and pieces of equipment strategically, decides how to arrange the physical environment, develops a reinforcement strategy, runs through potential problems that may arise, and much more.

In this Learning Lab, you will learn how to craft a shaping plan by breaking a complex behavior into components. You will practice identifying the actions and movement cycles that make up a behavior, designing an optimal training environment, and picking a starting point to set up an animal for success.

In addition to examples and case studies, this Lab will include guided practice exercises. Spotlight Participants will work in small groups, allowing for collaboration, discussion, and instructor support. You will also learn how to use worksheets and checklists that will help after the Lab as you continue to practice and improve your planning skills.

During the lab, the audience can watch Spotlight Participants practice crafting shaping plans with Mary coaching. They will also be able to follow along with their own copies of the worksheets and handouts. This will be an interactive session, with plenty of time for discussion and Q&A.

Bonus Time with Dr. Christopher Pachel and Laura Monaco Torelli☆

Dr. Christopher Pachel & Laura Monaco Torelli

Course Type: Bonus Time
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Health & Wellness, Shelter & Rescue Work, Veterinary

Description: Experience more of your favorite trainers in this informal, open discussion. Bonus Time offers a unique window into the training minds of Laura Monaco Torelli and Dr. Christopher Pachel. Ask your questions or be a fly on the wall and listen to spontaneous and candid conversation about developing skill and knowledge useful in veterinary environments, optimal health and wellness practices, aggression and behavior management, shelter and rescue environments—and anything else that comes up!

Fika is a very important part of Swedish culture. It's a chance to rejuvenate over coffee, cordial, cakes, cookies, or if you are very ambitious, all 7 types of pastry. Prepare for your fika in advance and enjoy the break with Eva Bertilsson and Emelie Johnson Vegh virtually. Set your notebook aside, pour your favorite beverage, and fill your tummy all while socializing with the dynamic duo Eva and Emelie!

Click here for more information about Swedish fika. Before this Fika Break, put on some Swedish tunes and prepare your own fika. Recipes below!

• Cinnamon Buns
• Chocolate Short Bread Cookies
• Chocolate Balls

Sponsored by Pet Tutor

Decompress during a ClickerExpo LIVE break by tuning into Alpaca Cam and watch as alpacas at The Ranch go about their day. They may be engaging in enrichment using a Pet Tutor Smart Training Feeder, eating, or sleeping, but it will be fun to check in on them.

Hand Sanitizer and Bully Sticks. When Possession is 9/10ths of the Law☆

Michael Shikashio

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: Advanced
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Science, Teaching Others

Description: Resource guarding in dogs is one of the most common types of aggression; cases of resource guarding are among the most common issues for which clients reach out to a trainer or behavior consultant for help. Watch Mike work live with a number of cases modifying guarding behavior. He will also describe the safety precautions and behavior-change strategies being deployed. There will be time for Q&A too. Stay tuned for more details on these cases. Join Mike for this exciting Dem-OH! Session brought to you live. (BTW, bring your own hand sanitizer!)

Learn more about two cases before the session!

• Comet
• Maxwell

Fear Not! Utilizing Positive Reinforcement Training to Reduce Fear and Increase Welfare☆

Meg Dye

Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Health & Wellness, Other Species, Science

Description: Improving animal welfare by reducing fear and distress is a guiding principal in animal welfare frameworks such as the Five Freedoms and the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement). This Webinar will explore how positive reinforcement training (PRT) can improve an animal’s welfare by eliminating fear in previously fearful or unfamiliar situations. By changing the demand of “You will!” to a dialog of “Will you please?”, PRT can counter-condition an animal’s perception of a previously aversive event, build a trusting relationship with a trainer, and convey respect for each individual learner. Examples of using training to decrease fear will be highlighted with video clips from the Duke Lemur Center and will include removing an infant from a mom to be weighed, working with a lemur that is in an unsecure area unexpectantly, preparing lemurs for non-invasive research, and using PRT as an alternative to handling with small nocturnal mouse lemurs. There will be time for Q&A too.

Living Room Games that Supercharge Scent-work Skills☆

Sarah Owings

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: Intermediate
Topics: Competition, Skill

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately four (4) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Dog participants need to be on odor (not food) and able to consistently seek out odor independently. Equipment that Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams will need to have available include: a sturdy colander the dog can fit his/her head in comfortably; earthquake putty or painter's tape; one magnetic tin with scented Q-tips; a magnet board or surface like a dishwasher; miscellanious magnets and fridge clutter; 6 ORT boxes; 6 Tupperware containers with holes in the lids or electric junction boxes; 10 socks; a portion of your dog's meal (to be fed over odor in the colander); high-value treats; a clicker.

Attendees who are not part of the Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate alongside the teams with their own animals from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That's fine, too!

Description: Bring the thrill of nose work right to your living room with simple games that supercharge three key scent-detection skills: pinpointing source, staying at source, and tuning out irrelevant stimuli to reliably indicate at source.

• Colander Games
• Stick It ’Til I Click
• Is this Relevant? Shell Games With Distractions
• Clutter Walls
• 3D Sourcing
• Beyond the Box Drills
• Handler Randomizer

Clicker training provides the nose work team with fabulous learning tools. A marker signal gives instant feedback, letting your dog know exactly when he or she has located the highest concentration of source odor correctly. This level of clarity minimizes guessing, fringing, and false alerts. Adding variety to your regular nose work training via fast-paced targeting and shell games boosts reinforcement history for nose-to-source behavior exponentially. The deeper the reinforcement history, the more reliable and enthusiastic your nose work partner will be.

All games can be adapted to fit different training methods, both natural and trained indications, and different reinforcement strategies. Come have some fun! There will be time for Q&A too.

You Are Not Uncoordinated! (Just Not Fluent—Yet.) - Live🗲

Laura VanArendonk Baugh

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: Foundation, Intermediate
Topic: Other Species, Skill, Teaching Others

Description: Technique is critical to efficient and effective training. On the surface, clicker training is simple! Just click and hand out a treat. How hard can it be? But when you start considering accurate timing, balancing a leash or lead, carrying and picking out those treats, a target stick, walking… suddenly there are late clicks, slow or dropped treats, inaccurate target placement, and a host of other “coordination” issues that slow or frustrate simple training. The nuances of split-heartbeat timing and value-added treat delivery are easy to explain but require a lifetime to master—don’t they?

Trainers typically spend far more time discussing theory and application than the basic mechanics of operating a clicker, leash, treats, target stick, treat bag, poop-bag dispenser, and verbal or visual cues all at the same time. This can leave clients—or trainers themselves—feeling overwhelmed and always a half-step behind. It can frustrate animal learners when timing is imprecise or reinforcement late or confusing.

But the art of handling the clicker and lead rope at the same time is not limited to a few masters! These skills are merely fluencies to be learned and there are tips to make them easier. If you have ever tried to help a client who is fumbling with a clicker and a leash, or if you have ever wished for an extra hand to avoid clicking when the leash goes tight, or if you just want to be sure your timing and rate of reinforcement are as precise and effective as you can make them, come to this interactive Dem-OH! Session with Laura and be ready to play along! To play along, it will be helpful to have a number of items handy, including a clicker, treats, treat bag, target stick, leash, and two 6-sided die (you can borrow them from a Monopoly game), among other things. To see the full list of items, click here. You will practice methods of holding multiple pieces of equipment without accidentally clicking, ways to hold a leash more comfortably and more securely, and techniques to keep your clicking and delivery clean in any training situation. There will be time for Q&A, too. With Laura, the undisputed queen of the annual treat-tossing accuracy game at ClickerExpo, you'll soon feel like a contender, too!

Linked Together: Creating an Effective Mentor Program☆

Laura Monaco Torelli

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Health & Wellness, Other Species, Science, Skill, Teaching Others

Description: We have all been there at some point in our career. That place where passion to learn coincides with exciting opportunities to work in close proximity with animals. A successful mentor program outlines a framework that implements standard operating procedures and sets the stage for a safe learning environment for both the handlers and the animals. This live Dem-OH! Session will bring attendees up close and personal within the volunteer and internship programs involved with wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. Join us for a special look and learn how reptiles, raptors, and foxes support our mentorship program as animal ambassadors with the Wildlife Discovery Center in Illinois. There will be time for Q&A too.

Bonus Time with Leslie McDevitt, Chirag Patel, and Lindsay Wood Brown☆

Chirag Patel, Leslie McDevitt, and Lindsay Wood Brown

Course Type: Bonus Time
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Science, Shelter & Rescue Work, Skill, Teaching Others

Description: Experience more of your favorite trainers in this informal, open discussion. Bonus Time offers a unique window into the training minds of Leslie McDevitt, Chirag Patel, and Lindsay Wood Brown. Ask your questions or be a fly on the wall and listen to a spontaneous and candid conversation about aggression and behavior management, shelter and rescue environments, behavioral science, training skills, teaching others— and anything else that comes up!

Join Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) faculty and team as they share the various ways that you can continue your education through courses and opportunities offered by KPA. We will give you a peek at our Dog Trainer Professional program and share the adjustments we’ve made in response to Covid-19. We’ll also explore a variety of other options for those who are already certified trainers or just starting their training journey! Explore options like Dog Trainer Foundations, Puppy Start Right for Instructors, and Shelter Training & Enrichment as well as advanced, specialized courses like Michele Pouliot's Freestyle Training and Ken Ramirez' Concept Training. This presentation also includes the opportunity to ask the KPA team questions so that you can start planning your learning journey!

Join Jamie Popper, KPA-CTP, CCFT from Blue-9 Pet Products for this interactive demonstration! 

 

Empty Pockets, Full Connection: Preparing for No Reinforcement in the Ring☆

Hannah Branigan

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: Advanced
Topic: Competition, Skill

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately four (4) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Teams will need a bowl or dish to use as a “zen bowl” as well as a way to divide their space on camera with a gate of some kind. This does not need to be a formal ring gate; two chairs, or any type of homemade gate, will work fine. You simply need a way to define an entrance from one part of the space to the other. We will be using a zen bowl in these exercises. All Teams must have a formal “zen bowl” already trained and under stimulus control. Teams will also need a fluent hand touch, and at least three other behaviors that are fluent and under stimulus control. These three behaviors can be very simple behaviors like stand, sit, down, etc.

Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate alongside the teams with their own animals from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That’s fine, too!

Description: Build connection, confidence, and motivation through the power of behavior chains in a competition context. Sequence your performance behaviors to teach the dog that reinforcement outside the ring is totally worth the performance inside the ring. We will discuss the advantages of back-chaining, when it can be helpful, how to use it for ring prep, and how to train for situations where the sequence of behaviors may vary. This Learning Lab is applicable for any sport where you are limited in how and when you can reinforce.

Goal: To set up a reinforcement station (like food at your chair/crate), move the dog into a different space (like a ring), perform a continuous chain of behaviors (like a performance), and then exit to the reinforcement.

During this Learning Lab, you will learn about training principles, see the exercises demonstrated, and have a chance to work through the exercises yourself and ask questions. You will get the most out of this Lab if your dog is already fluent in the specified foundation behaviors.

Love It!: Effective Non-Food Reinforcement - Ken Ramirez

Ken Ramirez

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: Intermediate
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Competition, Equine, Other Species, Science, Skill, Veterinary

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately six (6) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Handlers must be experienced learners. Dogs should be clicker-savvy, have a robust behavioral repertoire, and regularly and effectively use toys or play as a reinforcer. Dogs should have a good stationing or other default behavior. They should also have fluent behaviors that can be done easily while working in front of their handlers, such as targeting, sit, down, spin, paw, and bark. Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams will need at least five of these behaviors to be trained fluently. The animal should also eat readily.

Attendees who are not part of the Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate alongside the teams with their own animals from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That's fine, too!

Description: The effective use of non-food reinforcers is a critical skill that all trainers will likely use or need at some point in their training careers. Non-food reinforcers are extremely useful, but they require both an understanding of their role in training and a well-thought-out training approach.

This Learning Lab and Session combination focuses on how novel stimuli like clapping and verbal praise become reinforcers. Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams will have the opportunity to start training novel stimuli as reinforcers and gain valuable insight from Ken about how to maintain the strength of these unique reinforcers. Observers and Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams will all gain valuable tips and strategies for making non-food reinforcers more effective. The Lab will include some example demonstrations, including a step-by-step demonstration of how to teach new reinforcers to an animal, and time for Q&A.

Chill out! Working with Clients on Mat-Relaxation Techniques☆

Dr. Christopher Pachel

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: Intermediate
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Skill, Veterinary

Description: Tension, stress, and hyperarousal are common obstacles for the successful treatment of fear, anxiety, and aggression problems in dogs. Teaching a dog how to truly relax, both physically and physiologically, can be a helpful foundation exercise with widespread applications. This Dem-OH! Session will introduce a variety of ways to condition a reliable relaxation response using techniques that can be applied to many different temperaments and learning styles.

Together we will explore different methods of teaching relaxation skills. We will navigate the issue of arousal secondary to the use of food reinforcement while conditioning relaxation, differentiate relaxation from station or “place” training, and advance relaxation skill for learners (both canine and human) of varying skill levels.

Video and live examples will be provided to illustrate key points that maximize the success of this technique. Practical applications for incorporating this exercise into treatment plans for a variety of behavioral diagnoses, such as noise phobia, resource guarding, and leash-reactive behaviors, will also be covered.

From Fierce or Fearful to Friendly: A Shaping Program for Dogs, Cats, Horses & Beyond☆

Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz

Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: Advanced
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Equine, Other Species, Science

Description: Fearful and aggressive behaviors are generally regarded as respondent behaviors. That is, they are triggered by the environment and are considered natural reactions to certain antecedent conditions. Owners often consider these responses to be behavior problems when their pets engage in excessively fierce or fearful behaviors.

To address these undesirable behaviors, trainers often rely on some variation of respondent condition, such as desensitization or counter-conditioning. The focus of these techniques is on changing the animal’s emotional state and reaction to the trigger. Other common procedures try to shape an alternative calm response directly using food or other positive reinforcers.

Fearful and aggressive behaviors may also be seen as successful operants that are captured and maintained by negative reinforcement. That is, engaging in the behavior leads to distance from or the removal of something that the animal finds aversive. For example, a dog learns that when he growls, strangers go away and leave him alone. This view offers an alternative approach to treatment.

This Webinar will show how distance can be used as a reinforcer to shape friendly behaviors that replace fearful or aggressive behaviors. This webinar will include time for Q&A.

Games People Play... to Train Their Dogs☆

Terry Ryan

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Human, Skill, Teaching Others

Description: Terry Ryan likes to think of a dog training instructor as a tour guide. What makes traveling fun is having someone by your side to explain the new place you are visiting. A good tour guide readily interprets a foreign language and shares information that makes unfamiliar sights and strange customs fascinating. The best guides make new situations interesting and adventuresome; travelers are left wanting to see and learn more. When you are coaching people to train their dogs, you can simply drive them from Point A to Point B, or, like a good tour guide, you can make it a worthwhile, enjoyable experience.

This Demo-OH! Session is for people looking to augment their skills for coaching people to train their dogs. Watch Terry teach four people and dogs in real time via game-type exercises. Questions will be answered during periodic Q&A breaks. Topics that will be covered include:

“Yikes, I Missed It”
Eye-hand coordination practice

“Advanced Training Is Just the Basics Done Well” - Ken Ramirez
Fluency games to strengthen dogs’ foundation skills

“I Tried Everything”
Really? Lateral thinking exercises for creativity in trainers

Terry's emphasis will be on demonstrating how to achieve proper instructional formatting and effective coaching, all disguised as fun. What's more fun than fun with games? Join Terry and learn to teach games that people can play to train their dogs

You are welcome to play along with Terry off-camera, but this is a people-only Session so let your dog play elsewhere! Instead of your dog, bring a pad of paper, pen, clicker, two small bowls, and some training treats. Have on hand a toy animal of some sort. If you do not have a toy, draw eyes and a mouth on a tissue box! If you want to be crafty, enter “Folding a Towel Animal” in your search engine! Or, just pretend to have an animal with you.

Bonus Time with Michele Pouliot and Laura VanArendonk Baugh☆

Michele Pouliot and Laura VanArendonk Baugh

Course Type: Bonus Time
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Competition, Skill, Teaching Others

Description: Experience more of your favorite trainers in this informal, open discussion. Bonus Time offers a unique window into the training minds of Michele Pouliot and Laura VanArendonk Baugh. Ask your questions or be a fly on the wall and listen to spontaneous and candid conversation about training skills, teaching others, competition—and anything else that comes up!

Sponsored by KONG

Decompress during a ClickerExpo LIVE break by tuning into Donkey Cam and watch as donkeys at The Ranch go about their day. They may be engaging in enrichment by interacting with a KONG Wobbler, eating, or sleeping, but it will be fun to check in on them.

Let’s Talk Aggression☆

Ken Ramirez, Lindsay Wood Brown, Leslie McDevitt, Dr. Christopher Pachel, Emma Parsons, and Michael Shikashio

Course Type: Let's Talk! (Panel Discussion)
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Aggression & Behavior Management, Other Species

Description: Join this discussion with moderator Ken Ramirez and panelists Lindsay Wood Brown, Leslie McDevitt, Dr. Christopher Pachel, Emma Parsons, and Michael Shikashio on the complexities of animal aggression. Ready for lively discussion, unique perspectives, and the expertise of some of the best authorities on aggression? Let’s Talk!

Unlocking Enthusiasm: Precision and Clarity for a Confident Performance☆

Hannah Branigan

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: Advanced
Topic: Competition, Skill

Description: Are precision and enthusiasm opposites? Do you have to pick one to sacrifice? I don’t think so! Precise criteria can actually increase motivation. Often trainers relax (or fail to set) specific criteria in an effort to be generous but end up with vague behaviors and a confused dog. Clear, specific criteria make it easier for both you and your dog to know exactly what to do to “win” the training game. Prepare to dig deep and get geeky in this Dem-OH! Session.

This advanced presentation is designed for the serious behavior nerd. In order to set clear criteria, you need to identify what a “perfect” behavior looks like. When you understand that movements result in the behavior, you can identify specific criteria and set up a training session to create the effect you want. Training your eye to see important nuances allows you to be more consistent with your timing and deliberate with your reinforcement.

Of course, a nice side effect to precise training is a high-scoring performance. Clicker training gives you the scalpel to shape behaviors to the exacting standards of the obedience ring by isolating specific muscle movements. Training for high levels of precision is meticulous and challenging, but it can also be fun! You can train for performances that are super-precise, super-accurate, and super-enthusiastic!

This Dem-OH! will include time for Q&A too.

In Balance, Fit, and Confident☆

Lori Stevens

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Health & Wellness, Skill

Description: Being in balance physically and emotionally is a direct contrast to being over-excited, reactive, and stressed. Helping dogs find and maintain balance requires a certain amount of strength along with focus and precision in both movement and stillness. This work offers dogs a strong foundation to build upon. It also allows the dog to alternate between sports/other high-energy activities and comfortable, less energetic activities and exercises like standing or relaxing. Many dogs gain significant confidence, as well as self-control, as a result of training fitness foundations, balance, proprioception, and movement exercises. As a bonus, dogs generalize their new confidence in previously challenging real-world situations.

This Dem-OH! Session will include live demonstrations of training balance, proprioception, movement, and foundation fitness exercises. We will discuss how our own balance, positioning, breathing, and training mechanics affect our dogs. We will discuss how particular exercises have helped with generalizing confidence as well as both the behavioral and physical aspects of building confidence and finding balance through this work. Case studies will be presented. There will be time for Q&A too.

Come join our discussion of this exciting and important topic.

For those who want to follow along, you'll want to have the following equipment handy: yoga mat or rubber flooring; anti-slip material (lightweight) as used on shelves or under rugs (this will be used on the books and platform); and 2 platforms or books of the same thickness (1-3 in./2.5-7.5 cm and large enough for two paws). Also, 1-4 poles, up to 2" (5 cm) high that will fit in cones or can be taped with painters tape to the floor or to short cans, could also use a mop and/or broom to step over. 

Cat Trick Training: Sense of Humor Mandatory (Just kidding! Cats enjoy work, too)☆

Melissa Millett

Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Other Species, Skill

Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately six (6) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. (In this Lab, we are looking for cat/handler teams.) To participate, you will need to have the following items available: a cat; various HIGH-VALUE treats (chicken, tuna, salmon, lick sticks); a mark (roughly 8 inches wide); a large mark (roughly 20 inches); flat shoes; a target stick; and a stool (optional).

Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate alongside the teams with their own animals from home, but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That’s fine, too!

Description: Cats are spending more time indoors than ever before. (Why? They have come under scrutiny for killing large numbers of wildlife, but cat owners are also concerned for cats’ safety from other animals, poison, disease, and cars.)

But indoor environments can have plenty of stimulation! Though they are often thought of as “untrainable,” cats love to work as much as dogs. Many cats need for mental stimulation and most really enjoy learning!

In this very first cat-centric Learning Lab at ClickerExpo, Melissa will take participants and observers through the underlying principles of training cats (hint: make it FUN!) and then share many tricks: mark, target, spin, jump into my arms, weave, giddy up (walk on my feet), jump through my arms.

Finally, cats have a chance to be on stage. When cat fame calls, don’t ignore the meow. Join Melissa for this Learning Lab. There will be time for Q&A too.

Coaching Clients & Students Online☆

Veronica Boutelle & Gina Phairas

Course Type: Dem-OH! Session
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Business, Teaching Others

Description: As many trainers are learning this year, coaching students and clients online successfully requires a particularly well-developed set of instructional skills. In this interactive Session, Veronica and Gina of dogbiz break down those skills and offer you a chance to explore and practice the skills across three themes—preparing, teaching, and assessing.

Preparing: You’ll learn simple, effective ways to help your clients and students prepare to get the most from their online learning experience with you. Teaching: You’ll come away with concrete ideas for teaching the human rather than the dog—something our industry has long aspired toward! Assessing: You’ll learn powerful ways to determine how your students are progressing when you can’t share physical space with them. Come ready to collect dogbiz’ favorite teaching tips and expland your skills! There will be time for Q&A too.

Bonus Time with Sarah Owings and Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz☆

Sarah Owings & Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz

Course Type: Bonus Time
Skill Level: All Levels
Topic: Skill, Science, Competition

Description: Experience more of your favorite trainers in this informal, open discussion. Bonus Time offers a unique window into the training minds of Sarah Owings and Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz. Ask your questions or be a fly on the wall and listen to spontaneous and candid conversation about training skills, behavioral science, competition—and anything else that comes up!

Stay tuned for sponsor events, opportunities to stretch your body and mind and so much more!

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many of us to rethink how we work with clients. Following a brief wrap-up of the conference, attendees will get an inside look at three unique training projects where remote consults was necessary, including beluga bubble-ring training in Japan, dolphin behavior-chain training in Cuba, and, most recently, elephant-migration training in Africa. In November of 2020, Ken was scheduled to be in Africa to implement the third year of his elephant-migration training project. COVID-19 prevented him from travelling in person, but the project continued using virtual technology. The result was another remarkably successful season. You won’t want to miss this timely and inspiring wrap-up to your ClickerExpo LIVE experience.