CONFERENCE PROGRAM
Seattle, WA & Washington, DC
ClickerExpo LIVE • January 24 & 25, 2025
Stay Tuned!
ClickerExpo LIVE features over 40 courses that are curated into 11 Tracks. Tracks are an easy way to locate all the courses we offer on the topics of interest to you! These courses are scheduled to avoid overlap, so you can attend all of the courses in a single Track without conflicts and have the freedom to participate in multiple Tracks.
Click on the name(s) of the track(s) below to see all the associated courses!
Pre Event - Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Let’s Talk: Training with the Newest ClickerExpo LIVE Speakers
Course Type: Let’s Talk! (Panel Discussions)
Skill Level: All Levels
Day 1 - Friday, January 24, 2025
Opening Session
Description: Join us as we kick off the incredible journey that will be ClickerExpo LIVE.
High-Performance Training
Expanding Skills
Service Dogs
Reinforcement Specific Markers
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: Intermediate & Advanced
Description: Does your dog leap forward to mouth your hand when you want to toss a treat, or step back anticipating a toy throw when you want them to take it out of your hand? Perhaps they seem “disappointed” when given a treat while you hold a toy in your other hand.
Reinforcement drives behaviors, right? Let’s make that reinforcement crystal clear for your dog by establishing specific marker cues for clean training loops. Imagine a verbal cue that clearly communicates what your dog is receiving and where and how to get it. And then another verbal cue that tells your dog the different thing they are getting and how to access it. There could be one cue for chasing a treat, another for taking a toy from your hand, yet another for chasing a toy, and one more for finding treats on the ground.
By teaching clarity in reinforcement cues, you can build behaviors with the appropriate arousal and movement that strengthen the behavior. No more struggling to maintain a calm, relaxed, down-stay while your dog expects the toy at any moment!
Moreover, you can use these marker cues to gauge your dog's focus in challenging environments. I like to test if my dog responds to their reinforcement cues before asking for complex sports behaviors or a recall around distractions.
Join Shade as she explores and demonstrates the fascinating concept of Reinforcement Specific Marker cues in this Dem-OH!
Teaching Others
Horses, Cats, Birds, and More
Holy Cow! Cow Training in the Field
Sarah Owings, Ken Ramirez, and Emelie Johnson Vegh
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: What happens when a long-time clicker trainer, specializing primarily in dogs, adopts a small herd of bovines? A new learning adventure begins! Targeting, offering behavior, and participating in medical care—just like zoo animals, cows are excellent learners. Join ClickerExpo faculty member Sarah Owings as she shares some of her current training projects with Pickle, Clover, Tati, and Ferdinand with real-time observations and coaching from Ken Ramirez and Emelie Johnson Vegh. Things we may explore: -How to arrange the training environment for clarity and safety -Bovine body language: how to recognize when an animal is comfortable in the training environment -How to test whether your marker signal is a salient secondary reinforcer -The Collaborative-coaching process using performance—feedback—revision -Plus, anything Sarah’s cow friends are interested in teaching us that day!
Shelters & Dogs from Shelters
Aggression & Problem Solving
A Reactive Dog Case Study: Behavior Change in a Shelter
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Shelters often house many dogs with behavoral issues, which not only stress the animals but also strain resources and burden staff, making these animals less suitable for adoption. Developing effective programs within shelter enviornments remains an ongoing challenge as shelters seek better solutions. This Session will present a case study on implementing behavioral change in shelter environments using a practical, positive approach despite less than ideal conditions.Through a compelling video case study analysis, we will explore the challenges of training in shelters and rescue settings, offering valuable lessons for shelters, rescue organizations, and trainers working with clients either at home or in their facilities.
Foundational Skills
Science, Please: The Bedrock of Clicker Training
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: Foundation
Description: Clicker training may seem easy—just reinforce what you want, ignore what you don't, and click and treat! Right? However, like many "simple" things, a lot goes into making it look easy; it requires a solid understanding of the science that is the bedrock foundation of clicker training as well as the techniques that move it from the lab to the real world
In this Session, we'll cover all this and more. This Session is one of our core foundational courses, a must-see Session for trainers new to positive reinforcement training or experienced trainers seeking a valuable refresher.
*This course was presented at a prior ClickerExpo. The course content will be similar, but the experience will be unique—and you’ll likely learn something new!
Shelters & Dogs from Shelters
Enrichment
Enrichment for Shelter Populations
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: This Dem-OH! showcases the nuances of applying an Enrichment Framework in shelter settings. Addressing the unique challenges of shelter environments, we explore strategies to effectively manage and enrich the lives of animals in group settings. From understanding the diverse needs and backgrounds of shelter animals to navigating resource constraints, this presentation equips behavior professionals with practical tools to maximize efficiency and efficacy. Participants will be able to see a real-life example of creating an enrichment strategy for a shelter in this live Dem-OH!. By the end of this Session, attendees will leave empowered with actionable insights and best practices to elevate the welfare of shelter animals through strategic enrichment interventions. Whether you're a seasoned animal trainer or new to shelter environments, this Dem-OH! offers invaluable guidance for creating enriching experiences that promote well-being and adoption success.
High-Performance Training
Discover Rally Obedience
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Join Ayoka Bubar for an introduction to Rally obedience, a fun canine sport for all dogs! In this presentation, Ayoka will introduce you to the sport of rally obedience, explain the key training concepts needed to perform a beginner course, and demonstrate how to begin training these concepts at with your dog using various positive reinforcement techniques.
Teaching Others
Speak, Click, Achieve: Elevate Your Teaching with Communication Skills
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: It’s a well known truism that dog trainers often teach people more than dogs. Consequently, even with deep training experience and canine knowledge, the key to client success hinges on effectively communicating what you know to people. Without clear communication, clients and dogs end up frustrated and confused.
This seminar is for anyone who wishes to boost their confidence in communication skills. Drawing from 31 years of experience in the world of Speech Arts and Drama, Camilla is excited to share how clicker training concepts can help your public speaking.
Learn the technical mechanics of voice production, and how to use shaping to build your speaking confidence. You will learn to break down skills into easily practiced pieces that you can even practice in the car on the way to your clients!
Every conversation is an opportunity to relay information, and practicing these skills help us communicate clearly, quickly, concisely, and effectively, leading to more successful clients and confident dogs.
Horses, Cats, Birds, and More
Cooperative Care / Veterinary
We Know About Start Buttons: How About "Continue Buttons?"
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: Intermediate
Description: Cooperative care, choice, control, and Start Buttons have become hot topics, even in the horse world. In a dialogue with our horses (learners), a Start Button is a first step in that conversation, and Continue Buttons are the second.
In this Demo-OH!, Peggy Hogan will be joined by Dem-OH! helpers Anat Shalev and Monty Gwynne to demonstrate examples of how to broaden the conversation and deepen the collaboration.
One procedure might be developed by training a single "start" behavior that we then build upon, shaping and desensitizing behaviors along a continuum toward a final outcome. Starting with a neutral point, we gradually increase exposure while developing and reinforcing behaviors that signal to us that the animal is ready to "continue."
Another technique can be likened to a strand of beads. Each bead is a behavior or procedure that is trained separately, including start, continue, and stop signals, which are then assembled into a group. The "start" of the group of behaviors is also trained, and might be something like a chin rest. With all of these behaviors, the animal has also learned to present behaviors that can guide the handler to continue, stop, or pause the process.
Join us for a deeper dive as we demonstrate more examples of cooperative care for horses. Start Buttons are just the beginning.
High-Performance Training
Let's Talk: High Stakes Performance
Emelie Johnson Vegh, Ken Ramirez, Erin Lynes, and Shade Whitesel
Course Type: Let’s Talk! (Panel Discussions)
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Join this discussion about training dogs to perform consistently at high levels. This category includes working dogs in canine sports, scent detection, search and rescue, and a variety of other environments where performance matters. Emelie Johnson Vegh moderates the discussion alongside panelists Ken Ramirez, Erin Lynes, and Shade Whitesel. Let's Talk!
Cooperative Care / Veterinary
Nail Care Alchemy
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Nail care can be the most challenging routine husbandry procedure for pets. This Session will delve into the anatomy of the nail, including individual variations. A variety of techniques for trimming nails and training pets to willingly participate in nail care will be discussed and demonstrated via video. Often overlooked, a key component of the training process is teaching the caregiver fluency with the mechanics of nail care. A general but flexible framework for creating an individualized nail care alchemy for clients and their pets will be outlined and explored.
Aggression & Problem Solving
Beyond “Go To Mat” Doorway Greeting Training Solutions That Work
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Having a dog who barks and lunges when guests arrive can be incredibly stressful for both the guardian and the visitor. Not only is it embarrassing and uncomfortable, but it can also be dangerous. One of the biggest challenges in such situations is that they happen in a moment’s notice! There is the risk that the dog can knock someone over and cause injury, especially to the elderly or young children. It can also strain relationships with family or friends who no longer want to visit the home. However, with the right training techniques and commitment from the guardian, this behavior can be modified.
Emma’s approach to addressing home entry aggression is multi-faceted and tailored to each individual dog/handler team. In this presentation, we will explore a variety of solutions, ranging from simple management strategies to the implementation of more complex behavior chains.
Science & Applied Behavior Analysis
On the Shoulder of Giants
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Join Chirag and a special guest, as they take you on a journey through the works of behavioral giants such as B. F. Skinner, demonstrating their profound impact on our everyday work with animals and their caregivers. BUT... this is not just a history lesson! Be ready to take away lots of practical information to apply to your every day work and life.
Through carefully curated original video clips, Chirag will bring to life the pioneering ideas and discoveries of behavior experts from the past. Discover how their findings have paved the way for our understanding of emotions, aggressive behavior, and various ways to engage caregivers in animal training and behavior modification effectively.
In this Session, you'll gain invaluable insights into the practical application of these timeless principles in your daily interactions with animals and their caregivers. Chirag will highlight real-world scenarios where these techniques and theories have proven successful, providing you with a rich set of tools to enhance your own practice.
Whether you are a seasoned animal professional or just starting in the field, this presentation promises to leave you inspired and equipped with fresh ideas to elevate your daily work with animals and their caregivers.
Don't miss this opportunity to stand on the shoulders of giants and discover how their wisdom can guide your journey towards becoming an even more effective and empathetic animal trainer.
*This course is new for ClickerExpo LIVE. A version of it was presented at a prior in-person ClickerExpo and has been reimagined for the LIVE experience.
Aggression & Problem Solving
Teaching Others
Step Into My Behavior Consultant Shoes: Managing Intra-Household Dog-Dog Aggression
Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: Advanced
Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: Everyone who chooses to attend this Learning Lab is welcome to participate through anonymous polling and Q&A. Prefer to sit back and observe? That’s fine, too! This Lab is for people; no need to have your dog ready—let your dog rest! The focus will be on trainer skills.
Description: Step into the role of a behavior consultant and prepare to engage your problem-solving skills in an exciting and interactive Learning Lab with Michael Shikashio. This Learning Lab invites you to delve into the captivating world of aggression cases, focusing on intra-household dog-dog agression.
Under Michael's expert guidance, you will gain valuable insights into the intricacies of intra-household dog-dog agression. Through the examination of several real-life case studies, you will have the opportunity to analyze and comprehend the complexities of aggression issues in depth.
Attendees will actively collaborate with Michael, navigating every critical step involved in addressing this type of aggression case. From the initial history-taking process to ensure a comprehensive understanding, to safety protocols and effective management strategies, and finally, to the implementation of appropriate behavior change techniques, this enlightening opportunity will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to tackle a wide range of intra-household dog-dog aggression cases.
*This course is new for ClickerExpo LIVE. A version of it was presented at a prior in-person ClickerExpo and has been reimagined for the LIVE experience.
Science & Applied Behavior Analysis
Accelerate your Training Through the Hidden Power of Cues
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: Intermediate & Advanced
Description: Cues are often discussed as something a trainer adds after shaping a behavior. However, behaviors are always “on cue.” This means our animals learn to offer certain behaviors in certain contexts or in response to certain events, even if we haven't trained these as cues. Moreover, cues tell our animals more than just what to do. Cues also tell the learner when to offer a behavior and provide information regarding the consequences following that behavior. For example, when a dog hears “sit,” the dog learns that sitting will be followed by a treat.
In this Session, we will discuss how cues work, different types of cues, and how to use this knowledge to accelerate your training. Guided by our understanding of cues, we will examine research and case studies on topics such as poisoned cues, corrections, stereotypic behaviors, managing unwanted behaviors, effective methods for reteaching behaviors, and more.
Expanding Skills
Cooperative Care / Veterinary
Who is Cueing Whom? Building Trust Via Animal-Generated Feedback Loops
Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: All Levels
Spotlight Spot Prerequisites:We will have approximately three (3) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Teams should have been training together for at least three months. To participate, you will need a snuffle mat or small bath mat to scatter treats, miscellaneous items the dog is not afraid of such as a washcloth, pen, paintbrush, kitchen spoon, a sealed dish of high value food that is easy to open, favorite tug toys or balls, and the dog's harness or collar.
Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate from home with their own animals, alongside the teams but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That's fine, too!
Description: Training sometimes has the illusion of being a one-way conversation. The trainer appears to be giving all the cues while the animal waits and responds. But what if we looked at this paradigm with a wider lens? In reality, there is a continual stream of cues flowing back and forth between trainer and animal all the time. Our animals cue us just as often as we cue them.
In this Learning Lab, participating teams will get to expand their conversational skills through observation, asking questions, and creating space for animal-generated feedback loops.
Depending on the needs of each team, explorations may include:
-How to build opt-in rituals around basic handling, husbandry, toy play, mild forms of resource guarding, and everyday training sessions
-How to take a trust baseline
-The Shopping Game--a game where the animal learns he can cue you
-Ask and Answer patterns
-How to repair trust even when something is a have-to
High-Performance Training
No Pool? No Problem! Dock Diving Skills You Can Train Anywhere
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Are you interested in dock diving but wonder how to train and practice skills without constant access to a dock diving pool? Do you live in a climate where dock diving is only available for only a few months a year, yet you want to maintain your dog's progress year-round? Or perhaps you have been competing in dock diving and are looking to achieve a new personal best? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this Dem-OH! is for you! In this Dem-OH!, you'll learn functional foundation skills, dryland strategies, and dock diving-specific fitness exercises—all things that you can practice at home, at your training club, or in your backyard to prepare your dog for success in future dock diving events! Throughout the Dem-OH!, Erin will include video clips of dock diving at the pool to demonstrate how these exercises relate to various areas of the sport. This Dem-OH! offers a unique opportunity to observe real-time dryland training for dock diving dogs. Erin will explain the objectives of each exercise and the rationale behind any adjustments made during the live training sessions to ensure success for every dog.
Expanding Skills
Service Dogs
Training Cues: Use Them, Then Trade Them
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: Intermediate & Advanced
Description: When training most behaviors, handler cues and/or environmental cues for that behavior are created (intentionally or unintentionally). It might be a single cue or a combination of several “training cues”that prompt the goal behavior.
Training cues may be trainer movements, trainer words, location of reward, physical props (i.e., platforms, barriers, targets), physical location of training session, or specific sounds present. What most “training cues” have in common is the trainer’s goal of replacing (trading) those cues with the final goal cue for the new behavior.
Effective trainers anticipate using specific training cues and/or (during training) quickly become aware of training cues that will assist in developing the final behavior response. That awareness allows for timely modifications during the training process that fade all unwanted cues while progressing to the goal cues for a behavior.
An important skill for trainers to develop is to quickly recognize:
1) Which training cues will assist in gaining the goal behavior
2) Which training cues won’t be helpful and should be omitted ASAP
3) Of multiple training cues, in what order they should the be faded
4) When the learner is ready for a strong training prop to be faded
5) When the learner is ready for trading a goal cue for a training cue
Join Michele Pouliot in this Dem-OH! and improve your effectiveness in introducing goal cues quickly while avoiding problems when fading training cues.
Aggression & Problem Solving
Aggression Real-Time Consult: A Fly on the Wall
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: Intermediate & Advanced
Description: Become a “fly on the wall” as Emma Parsons, a seasoned dog rehabilitating expert with 25 years of experience, counsels a first-time client whose dog exhibits severe behavioral issues, including aggression towards humans.
The goals of this Dem-OH! consult extend beyond addressing the dog’s behavioral challenges. Emma aims to empower the client with the knowledge and tools necessary to become an effective and responsible dog guardian. Consistency, patience, and the application of positive reinforcement techniques are pivotal elements in this rehabilitation process.
Science & Applied Behavior Analysis
Say What You Do: The Wonders of “Technological Description”
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: Intermediate & Advanced
Description: Have you ever spent an hour or two listening to someone talk about how to help dogs, only to walk away with no idea what to do next? (Or have you ever been that teacher?) This talk will introduce dog trainers to a crucial concept from applied behavior analysis: technological description. Technological description is one of the seven “core dimensions” of applied behavior analysis—essential traits that define the field. Essentially, it means describing your procedures so clearly that an appropriately trained reader could replicate them exactly. In this Session, you will discover why this concept is important for conducting effecting behavior research and how it can help you communicate more clearly with clients and colleagues on a daily basis. You may be surprised to learn that many common ways of discussing training fail to meet this standard. (Spoiler: terms like ""clicker training” do not constitute a technological description!)
Foundational Skills
Stimulus Control, Duration, and Other Impossible Dreams
Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: Foundation
Spotlight Spot Prerequisites:We will have approximately six (6) dog/handler teams. The dog should have 4-5 behaviors on cue (perfect stimulus control is NOT expected!). Dogs should be comfortable with normal handling, and be able to work in close quarters with other dogs. You may participate with your dog or you may attend as an observer. Observers should not bring their dogs to the Lab.
Description: Join Laura Van Arendonk Baugh in an insightful exploration of stimulus control and duration. While these concepts may seem straightforward at first glance, they require a deeper understanding for effective training outcomes. In this course, Laura will unravel the complexities associated with these concepts, dispel misconceptions, and provide practical strategies to simplify and enhance their application.
Laura will demonstrate the interconnection between stimulus control and duration, highlighting how a comprehensive grasp of both concepts contributes to more efficient and effective training practices. Participants will learn to recognize the broader scope of these seemingly simple concepts and develop techniques to improve clarity for their animal learners.
Throughout the Learning Lab, attendees will have the opportunity to work directly with dogs, identifying gaps in understanding and developing improved skills in both stimulus control and duration. By the end of the Lab, participants will have acquired valuable habits and approaches to refine their training methods, ensuring better comprehension and performance from their animal companions.
Enhance your understanding of stimulus control and duration by joining Laura Van Arendonk Baugh in this important Lab designed for anyone learning the science and practice of animal training.
This is of one of our core foundational courses, designed for trainers new to positive reinforcement training or experienced trainers seeking a valuable refresher.
*This course was presented at a prior ClickerExpo. The course content will be similar, but the experience will be unique—and you’ll likely learn something new!
DAY 2 - Saturday, January 25, 2025
Teaching Others
Curiosity Saved the Cat: Turn Defensiveness into Client Collaboration
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: In this Dem-OH!, we're going to dive into why starting with curiosity is essential for helping our clients, their pets, and ourselves as trainers and behavior professionals. We'll discuss strategies for when we find ourselves getting defensive, when we feel our client putting up walls, how to craft an empathetic, efficient, and effective questions, and how we can return our focus to the pet. After all, we're all there to help the pet!
Join Ellen and the Dem-OH! participants as they work through prompts from real cases to demonstrate what it looks like to navigate the terrain of client communication when things take us by surprise. By honing our ability to ask incisive, empathetic questions, we dismantle barriers of defensiveness, paving the way for meaningful collaboration and mutual understanding.
Science & Applied Behavior Analysis
Aggression & Problem Solving
Enrichment
Data-Based Problem Solving for Trainers
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: Intermediate & Advanced
Description: As trainers, we generally understand that keeping track of data can assist us in monitoring our progress and assessing the efficacy of the training we have implemented. While we understand the logic of this approach, we are often unsure of how to implement it in real life. Carving out the time to collect data and being uncertain of what data to collect can make us abandon the idea altogether. Ken has always approached training from a practical perspective, without a scientific background or knowledge regarding effective data collection. However, as he looks over his career, Ken’s use of data stands out as one of the reasons for his success. Ken will review a wide variety of case studies and share how and why he chose to collect data and how it impacted the long-term results of many of his training projects and initiatives.
Expanding Skills
Service Dogs
From Oops To Opportunity: Constructive Error Management
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: Advanced
Description: In any training program, errors are an inevitable part of the learning process. How trainers respond to these errors can significantly impact the progress of the training. In this Session, Eva invites participants to explore effective strategies for handling errors constructively, ensuring they become valuable learning opportunities rather than stressful setbacks.
Make Friends with the Errors: Embracing mistakes as part of the training journey and turn them into opportunities for growth and learning.
Constructive Set-Ups: Creating training environments that are conducive to helpful error handling if and when mistakes do occur.
Trainer Preparedness: Having a plan for error handling rather than improvising allows trainers to respond to mistakes with confidence and consistency.
Managing Errors in the Moment: Practical tips for handling errors gracefully, maintaining a positive training atmosphere, and keeping both the trainer and the animal focused and on task.
Component Skills for When Things Go Wrong: Equipping both trainers and learners with essential skills and strategies to handle errors effectively in the moment, ensuring a smooth continuation of the training session.
Creative Use of Information: Utilizing insights gained from errors to refine training techniques and improve overall outcomes.
This comprehensive approach to error handling enhances the effectiveness of training programs and fosters positive and productive trainer-learner interactions. Attendees will leave this Session equipped with practical tools and confidence to manage errors in their own training sessions, turning potential obstacles into opportunities for growth and deeper understanding.
High-Performance Training
Teaching Others
Distraction Training for TRAINERS! Wait, What? - Sports Edition
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: Intermediate
Description: As good dog trainers, we work systematically and methodically through the challenges that stand in the way of fluent performance, including both routine environmental and novel distractions. However, our dogs aren’t the only ones involved in the training process—we are, too, facing similar challenges! Join Emelie Johnson Vegh as she helps break down, examine and solve the “distractions” that hinder us from becoming the trainers and competitors we want to be in various situations and sports. This Dem-OH! builds on the session that Emelie presented at ClickerExpo in Portland 2024, but is now completely geared for the dog-sport trainer. Gain a comprehensive understanding of how distractions affect trainer behavior and begin building your own toolbox of skills to effectively manage them. Join Emelie to pave the way for a successful canine sport season! *This course is new for ClickerExpo LIVE. A version of it was presented at a prior in-person ClickerExpo and has been reimagined for the LIVE experience.
Cooperative Care / Veterinary
Cool Tricks for Cooperative Care
Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: All Levels & Foundational
Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately four (4) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Animal handlers should have an understanding of positive reinforcement training, a pet willing to eat, train, and offer behaviors ""on demand"" and not bothered by being on camera. It will also be helpful to have a wide variety of rewards available. Sara will reach out to Animal/Handler Teams with specific prop requirements closer to the event.
Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate from home with their own animals, alongside the teams but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That's fine, too!
Description: Cooperative care makes caring for your dog safer, less stressful, and more consistent for you, your pets, and anyone else involved. However, teaching pets the behaviors needed for cooperative care can intimidate even the most well-intended trainers and pet guardians (injection training? Yikes!). Then, your social media feed shows you perfection in finished behaviors that seem so out of reach. Don’t be daunted by the process! Sara McLoudrey is here to show you how cooperative care skills can be fun to learn, practice, show others, and blend into every day life. Cooperative care need not be “chore-full.” It should be joyful, for everyone involved!
For Sara, the road to cooperative care success is paved with fun skills, silliness, and “trick-style” behaviors that reinforce the learning process for clients and their pets. Just because the training is fun, it does not mean Sara does not take learning or these behaviors seriously! The techniques taught in this Learning Lab work for preventive care and pets with a history of aggression—Sara’s specialty!
Join our Cool Tricks for Cooperative Care to learn how to make serious progress with your cooperative care skills using some seriously fun training!
Aggression & Problem Solving
Enrichment
Enrichment for Fear, Anxiety, and Aggression
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: Intermediate & Advanced
Description: We often emphasize the importance of setting up enrichment plans tailored to meet the needs of the animal learner in front of us.
But how does an enrichment plan work when the learner faces unique challenges like fear, anxiety, and aggression? Is enrichment alone sufficient to address maladaptive behaviors? Moreover, are these challenges always indicative of maladaption? Join Emily as she delves into a nuanced discussion on differentiating between adaptive and maladaptive behaviors. We will also explore how that distinction informs our process as we work through an enrichment framework to improve the welfare and well-being of pets with special behavioral needs, as well as support the families who love them.
Building on our previous discussion, we'll explore additional considerations and specialized approaches necessary for learners exhibiting these complex behaviors. With the help of our Dem-OH! teams, we'll practice these concepts so you can acquire practical skills to integrate into your practice.
Expanding Skills
Service Dogs
Liquid Training: Chaos or Contingencies?
Eva Bertilsson and Chirag Patel
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: Intermediate
Description: Could the best training sometimes not even feel like training at all? Join the dynamic duo of Chirag and Eva as they delve into the concept of a fluid (or liquid) training style.
It might look like chaos, but is packed with ABC contingencies. A multitude of decisions are being made at a fast pace, moment by moment, and with simultaneous considerations of a wide range of factors.
What is going on underneath the surface? What are the advantages of a liquid training style? And when might a more tightly structured, linear approach prove more beneficial? Join Eva and Chirag as they explore these questions and discover how your training can benefit when you "go with the flow".
High-Performance Training
The Most Important Concept In Nose Work You’ve Never Heard Of: Stimulus Control
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Nobody likes hearing the dreaded “NO” from a judge during a nose work search. Disappointed at losing a title or points, sometimes we accuse our dogs of “lying” when they indicate in the wrong place. In this Dem-OH!, we will explore how to proactively prevent false alerts based on the science of behavior, rather than blame.
Stimulus control occurs when an organism behaves in one way in the presence of a given stimulus and another way in its absence. If we think of birch, anise, clove, and cypress as discriminative stimuli or odor cues, then knowing how to get reliable stimulus control on those cues is key in avoiding false alerts. A false alert happens when a dog cues off the wrong environmental factor—handler movement, dog slobber on a box, or pooling odor. Clarifying and isolating the odor cue from all other environmental cues early on in a dog's training is the best way to set that dog up for consistent success throughout their career.
Unlock the science behind “trust your dog.” Stimulus control is the most important concept in nose work you’ve never heard of!
*This course is new for ClickerExpo LIVE. A version of it was presented at a prior in-person ClickerExpo and has been reimagined for the LIVE experience.
Shelters & Dogs from Shelters
Games of Choice: Remarkable and Reachable Ways to Improve the Welfare of Shelter Residents
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Choice and agency are more than just the latest catchwords in the world of animal welfare. Giving animals a sense of control in situations where they are exposed to potential triggers can have significant and desirable effects: it can reduce the stress associated with those triggers, inhibit future fear conditioning, and facilitate the extinction of fear-related behaviors. Given these benefits, it makes sense for shelter teams to have animal care practices that prioritize building agency. Best practice recommendations for shelter animal care include both “choice of environment” and “choice of interaction” as ways to promote shelter animal welfare. Environmental choice is commonly obtained by providing larger enclosures with multiple compartments, resting surfaces, perches, hiding spots, and other amenities. Choice of interaction typically refers to an animal’s choice of whether or not to interact with a human caregiver or shelter visitor, although specific recommendations on how shelter residents can exercise this choice are limited. This Dem-OH! introduces games designed to empower shelter animals to demonstrate control over day-to-day interactions with humans. These activities are accessible to beginner trainers, resource-friendly, and offer fascinating insights into the preferences of individual learners. At the end of this Dem-OH!, participants will be able to: -Identify the benefits of adopting a choice-based approach to interactions with humans. -Incorporate several agency-promoting training games into enrichment and behavior modification plans for animals, whether in shelter or elsewhere.
Aggression & Problem Solving
Shelters & Dogs from Shelters
Let's Talk: Problem-solving and Aggression
Juliana DeWillems, Eva Bertilsson, Emma Parsons, Michael Shikashio, and Emily Strong
Course Type: Let’s Talk! (Panel Discussions)
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Join this discussion on problem-solving and animal aggression with moderator Juliana DeWillems and panelists Eva Bertilsson, Emma Parsons, Michael Shikashio, and Emily Strong. Don’t miss the lively discussion, unique perspectives, and the expertise of these authorities on aggression. Let’s Talk!
High-Performance Training
Science & Applied Behavior Analysis
When Reinforcers are Socially Mediated: Lessons from Herding
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: Intermediate & Advanced
Description: Social reinforcement—where the reinforcer involves the behavior of another being besides your learner—is tricky, especially when you're not the one delivering that reinforcement! Squirrels and deer run without asking you first, other dogs bark back without your permission, and neighbors bend down to pet that leaping, wriggly puppy. While we often experience the powerful effects of social reinforcement ""in the wild,"" creating effective plans to utilize or prepare for it can be challenging. After all, how do you change behavior when you don't directly control its maintaining reinforcer(s)?
Positive sheepdog training is a prime, emerging resource for these complex, socially-mediated reinforcement scenarios. The intricate long chains of interactions between sheep, handlers, and dogs are perfect examples of the power of social reinforcement. Innovations in positive herding techniques are resulting in elegant, cooperative performances of sheepdogs. These strategies advance the possibilities of positive herding, and provide a crucible to hone our skills using social reinforcement. Morever, their applications extend beyond herding. They can help you build those same responsive, complex performances in response to various sources of social reinforcement, not just sheep.
Explore what makes social reinforcement a powerful catalyst for fabulous performances, why it merits explicit consideration and preparation in dog training, and how positive sheepdog training techniques can foster a partnership that thrives even when you can't control the ultimate reinforcer—be it sheep, squirrels, or even your spouse.
Foundational Skills
Service Dogs
Not Just for Service, Anymore: “Service Dog” Behaviors That Change the Game for Every "Pet Dog" Household
Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: All Levels
Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately three (3) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Teams should have been training together for at least three months. To participate, you will need a variety of treats and food-puzzle toys that the dog will eat/engage with readily. Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate from home with their own animals, alongside the teams but without faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That's fine, too!
Description: In this Learning Lab, we’ll explore how behaviors typically associated with service dogs can serve as a blueprint for a range of valuable skills in pet dog households. By considering the skills taught to service animals and the methods of teaching them, we can better choose what and how to teach our pets. Identifying, planning, and teaching these behaviors commonly associated with service dogs can establish a solid training foundation for our pets.
Horses, Cats, Birds, and More
Recall in Three Dimensions
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: In this Dem-OH!, attendees will delve into the dynamic thinking required for training a bird to recall. Attendees will have the opportunity to observe Peter training diverse individuals and species, each with unique learning histories, towards achieving a flying recall. Discussions will cover the ideal characteristics of recall, options for criteria in shaping plans, methods to assess physiological fitness related to criteria, strategies for maintaining reliability in unpredictable environments, and effective reinforcement delivery. Get ready to soar to new heights!
Expanding Skills
High-Performance Training
Training Show-Stopping Canine Behaviors
Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level:Intermediate & Advanced
Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately three (3) working spots Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. The ideal team is one who is already working on a variety of tricks at home, and is looking for advice and input from Melissa. Melissa asks that the spotlight teams come prepared with 3-4 of the behaviors already being worked on with questions and issues in mind. One behavior will be selected to work through during this Lab. Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate from home with their own animals, alongside the teams but without Faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That's fine, too!
Description: Following on the success of her ClickerExpo Learning Lab "Meow Mix: Training Complex Cat Behaviors", Melissa returns with a Learning Lab focused on complex dog behaviors! Practicing in real-time with spotlight teams, each with different strengths and personalities, you will witness problem-solving as it happens.
Building and maintaining complex routines, working multiple dogs, and teaching new behaviors, there will be a blend in this "edu-trainment" Lab!
As the icing on the cake, we will finish with an "Ask Me Anything" portion, where Learning Lab participants can request behaviors and tricks they are working on with their dogs for Melissa to troubleshoot on the spot!
Foundational Skills
Science & Applied Behavior Analysis
First Contact: The Hierarchy as a Scaffolding for Teaching and Learning Fundamentals
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: All Levels & Foundational
Description: This talk is designed for participants at various stages of their professional journey, including beginners starting out in animal training and experienced professionals who teach beginners. Utilizing the ""Hierarchy of Behavior-Change Procedures"" as our framework, join Susan as she demonstrates her distinctive approach to teaching foundational concepts and strategies. Throughout the Session, participants will have the chance to practice each learning objective while exploring topics such as the ABCs, functional assessment, the four consequences, and schedules of reinforcement—all within the context of the least intrusive principle. *This course is new for ClickerExpo LIVE. A version of it was presented at a prior in-person ClickerExpo and has been reimagined for the LIVE experience.
Cooperative Care / Veterinary
Behavioral Pharmaceuticals! You Have Questions, I Have Answers
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Questions, questions, and more questions! Many important details influence when, why, and how to use pharmaceuticals within a behavior modification plan. If you're the prescriber, you likely already know the answers to these and other common questions. However, what if you're the behavior consultant, the foster caregiver, the shelter manager, or a pet parent? People in those roles may not have the responsibility for making prescribing decisions, but they still need to know about safety risks, monitoring for side effects, which observations to report back to the prescriber, and so much more! Bring your questions to this presentation and we'll get through as many as possible in the time we have available!
Teaching Others
Gender Identity and Why it Matters
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: This interactive workshop focuses on gender identity, the language we use, and opportunities to practice—all through the lens of dog behavior professions. When we work with pets, we work with people, and people have a variety of identities and experiences. Supporting people enables us to fully support their pets and work towards the best outcomes possible. This workshop aims to clarify language, build skills, and prepare you to better support the families you work with. Activities will involve reflection and skill-building in a supportive environment. While our examples are tailored for dog behavior professionals, the content is beneficial for anyone interested in learning more! No matter your background, we would love to have you join us! Learning Objectives: Participants will: 1) Discriminate between gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, and sex assigned at birth. 2) Identify inclusive alternatives to common problematic terms. 3) Recognize the impact of using inclusive language. 4) Identify at least one change to enhance inclusivity.
Horses, Cats, Birds, and More
Expanding Skills
Bridging the Gap: Translating Dog Behavior Skills to Cat Cases
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: Intermediate & Advanced
Description: In homes with dogs, there's often a cat companion in need of support and management. As dog behavior professionals, you have a unique opportunity to help!
This lecture will explore common cat behavior challenges, from excessive vocalization to scratching furniture, and provide practical solutions using positive reinforcement techniques. Discover how principles from dog training can be adapted to cats, bridging the gap between species.
We'll also delve into creating cat-friendly spaces and meeting their physical and mental needs through enrichment to enhance their well-being. Join us to expand your skills and better support the feline companions in your clients' homes.
Cooperative Care / Veterinary
Successful Approximations for Low-Stress Grooming: Expertly Meeting the Dog's Needs!
Course Type: Dem-OH!
Skill Level: All Levels
Description: Join us as we craft a roadmap to successful approximations for low-stress grooming. We will discuss why a single strategy does not fit every animal and why multiple approaches are sometimes ideal for grooming and handling. In this Dem-OH!, we will walk you through various options to develop the best skill set for the dog in front of you. We will talk with a former Groom Team USA member about the importance of identifying and building behaviors from the start to help dogs feel more comfortable with grooming. Together, we will review and demonstrate cooperative behaviors that contribute to successful grooming experiences.
Shelters & Dogs from Shelters
Games of Choice - In Action!
Course Type: Learning Lab
Skill Level: All Levels
Prerequisite Session: Games of Choice: Remarkable and Reachable Ways to Improve the Welfare of Shelter Residents
Spotlight Spot Prerequisites: We will have approximately four (4) Animal/Handler Spotlight Teams. Animal/Handler Teams should have a basic understanding of mark and reward training. Animal/handler teams can include non-dog species (handler must be human). Teams will ideally be comfortable working together in a remote training environment. Teams should have several relatively quick, non-taxing behaviors that can be offered automatically as reinforcers are available (minimum 3 behaviors). It’s helpful, but not necessary if teams have practiced targeting objects with nose/paw/beak. Teams will need to have handy a variety of possible reinforcers: multiple food reward types, and multiple non-food rewards. Attendees who are not part of an Animal/Handler Spotlight Team can still participate from home with their own animals, alongside the teams but without Faculty feedback. Prefer to sit back and observe? That's fine, too! To participate in this Learning Lab, you are expected to attend the prerequisite session (Games of Choice: Remarkable and Reachable Ways to Improve the Welfare of Shelter Residents).
Description: There are numerous benefits related to giving animals a sense of agency over a wide variety of situations in their lives, even ones that seem relatively minor to us humans. For example, increasing agency can facilitate skill-building, boost reinforcer value, and reduce stress in circumstances where stressors are less predictable and controllable.
This Learning Lab is a hands-on follow up to the Dem-OH! exploring simple training games designed to build more opportunities for choice in the lives of animals. Instead of relying on their handlers to be able to anticipate their preferences by reading their body language, Learning Lab participants can directly bring about their preferred consequences with their actions. Originally intended for use in shelter residents, these games have a wider application for use with a variety of species in different learning environments.
Animal-handler teams will watch step-by-step demonstrations of the games presented in the Dem-OH! and will have a chance to practice at home, with live, one-on-one feedback. The group will learn together creative strategies to increase opportunities for empowerment in our animal partners.
Teaching Others
The Easier Way: Accelerating Client Success Through Antecedent Arrangement
Course Type: Webinar
Skill Level: Intermediate
Description: Positive reinforcement trainers typically focus on the behaviors they want and the reinforcement offered for those behaviors. However, this approach often overlooks a significant opportunity for influencing behavior change: antecedent arrangement. In a world where quick fixes are often promised, considering antecedent arrangement can yield immediate behavior changes for clients. By examining how the environment impacts a dog’s behavior, trainers can pinpoint areas where modifying the antecedents will increase or decrease certain behaviors. Positive reinforcement techniques can then be applied to build new, more desirable habits with the dog. In this presentation, Juliana will examine common client challenges and how antecedent arrangement can be leveraged to address those scenarios. Whether it's optimizing the client’s home environment, selecting the appropriate training setup, or refining reinforcement delivery between sessions, Juliana will explore how antecedents can either support or hinder training efforts. Additionally, Juliana will provide strategies for persuading clients about the importance of antecedent arrangement in their dog training journey.
Closing Session
Description: Join Ken Ramirez as we wrap up ClickerExpo LIVE.