Legacy Canine - Chicken Camps by Terry Ryan

Chicken Camps by Terry Ryan

“On-the-job experience is often the first means of education for animal trainers: “Learning and training simultaneously has the potential to weaken the effectiveness of both. There are better ways.”
- Marian Breland-Bailey

These four-day workshops will be taught by Terry Ryan and staff at the Legacy Canine Behavior and Training Center in Sequim, Washington.

Using chickens as a training model, each course will focus on different principles of classical and operant conditioning. These camps are taught along the lines of, and with encouragement from, Bob Bailey of Animal Behavior Enterprises. The new curriculum includes the direct application of the course work to dog training.

WHY DOG TRAINERS SHOULD TRAIN CHICKENS.

Trainer’s are not “bonded” to their chickens. Chickens do not have big brown eyes. Trainers do not have bad (or good!) chicken training habits because they’ve never trained a chicken before, thus avoiding the baggage often taken to dog training workshops. You will not be showing your chickens at the next performance event, nor will you be taking them home, so there is no pressure on what will happen in the future. You probably do not have a library full of chicken training books and DVD's to influence you, much less televisions shows on chicken training.

Training a chicken is a stretch and a boost to your mechanical skills. The average chicken is faster than the average dog, giving you a chance to improve your coordination and timing.

Chickens will freeze or fly away if they don’t like the way you are training them. Unlike dogs, you will know immediately if you are taking advantage of a chicken or pushing too hard too fast. Chickens don’t give their trainers a second chances as often as our dogs do.

Read what Don Hanson, former president of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, has to say about chicken training.

Read about the process!

WHY DOG TRAINERS SHOULD READ "THE MISBEHAVIOR OF ORGANISMS?"

Keller and Marian Brelan determined that "...the behavior of any species cannot be adequately understood predicted, or controlled without knowledge of its instinctive patterns, evolutionary history, and ecological niche." Read this breakthrough paper!

THE HISTORY OF LEGACY’S CHICKEN TRAINING CAMPS

Legacy has been hosting dog training camps since the 1980’s. In the old days the camps had 120 participants, many from overseas. Terry decided that a convenient on-site training model should be provided for people flying in and unable to bring their dogs. For several years Legacy campers trained rats in Skinner boxes. In the early 90’s Ingrid Kang Shallenberger (Sea Life Park) and Terry Ryan, began using bantam chickens as training models at Legacy camps. The students rotated several times a day among various instructors and topics. The “other” species section was a popular rotation enjoyed for many years by Legacy campers. In 1994 Terry asked Marian Breland-Bailey and Bob Bailey to share their years of animal training experience with Legacy campers. For several years Marian and Bob taught the chicken unit at Legacy Camps. Terry has included chickens in her current instructor’s courses “Coaching People to Train Their Dogs” and conducts one-day “Poultry in Motion” chicken training workshops. Bob Bailey retired in 2008 from teaching his continuing education series of U.S. based chicken training workshops.

THE CHICKENS

Legacy has a resident flock of standard Leghorn chickens. Each student will have two chickens to handle and train using a clicker and food pellets. Students will work in pairs, taking turns training their own chickens and coaching their partner.

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT

Legacy obtains CEU approval from The Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers (CPDT). Proof of attendance is provided to CPDT. If you belong to another professional organization, Legacy can provide you with the documentation needed for CEU approval. This process needs to be done in advance of the workshops.

DISCOUNTS FOR KAREN PRYOR DOG TRAINER ACADEMY GRADUATES

If you are a Karen Pryor CTP and/or KP Faculty Member, you will receive a $60 discount for each Legacy Chicken Camp you complete in 2010 or 2011. Please contact jenni@legacycanine.com for your $60 discount code. The discount program runs from 1/1/2013 - 12/31/2013. Discounts cannot be combined with any other special offers or promotions unless noted otherwise.

DISCOUNTS FOR CPDT MEMBERS

CPDT members are eligible for a 10% Tuition Discount. Please contact jenni@legacycanine.com for discount code information before you register for Chicken Camp. The discount program runs from 1/1/2013 - 12/31/2013. Discounts cannot be combined with any other special offers or promotions.

CHICKEN CAMP DESCRIPTIONS

TARGETING AND DISCRIMINATION

Exercises include observing and recording behavior on a simple ethogram.The student's understanding of the concepts of applied behavior analysis will be developed. We’ll practice mechanical skills with special attention to timing and eye-hand coordination. Lessons include systematic desensitization, capturing a behavior, shaping a behavior and the use of targets. Students will work on a three or four-component discrimination. The pros and cons of extinction as a learning tool will be discussed. Effective coaching techniques to aid your training parter will be addressed. No experience required.

Four Days $600.00 = Trainer / $300 = Observer

Special May Discount Price $480 through May 20, 2013!

May 27, 2013 - May 30, 2013

Register Now for Targeting and Discrimination May 2013

CRITERIA AND CUEING

We'll work on planning training tasks and reinforcement criteria. Students will practice making quick decisions based on rapidly changing behavioral criteria. We will work on improving observation skills. Students will work on stimulus control (cueing) of simple behaviors. We;ll explor a variety of effective cueing techniques, appropriate ways to install cues, and the use of cues as reinforcers.

Prerequisite: Completion of Poultry in Motion, or Targeting and Discrimination

Four Days $600.00 = Trainer / $300 = Observer

Special May Discount Price $480 through May 20, 2013!

June 1, 2013 - June 4, 2013

Register Now for Criteria and Cueing June 2013

Typical Day At Camp

Activities start at 9:00 AM and end at 4:00 PM each day, except the last day which ends at 3:30. Lunch is served from 12:00-1:00 at the training center. Other than providing a non-meat options, we cannot accomodate special dietary requirements. A ten-minute break will take place approximately every hour. Morning and afternoon snacks will be provided. Water, soft drinks, tea and coffee are available all day.

About 50% of the coursework is hands-on-training with chickens. Interactive exercises, power point, lecture and video comprise 30% of each day. The remaining time is Q & A and application of the chicken exercises to dog training. Legacy's library of over 500 books, videos, and dvd's will remain open for students during lunch hours.

DOGS

Chickens are not happy when predators are nearby, therefore dogs are not permitted at these workshops.

Trainer or Observer? What's the difference?

Trainers' participation includes work with a chicken.

Observers participate in every other aspect of this workshop.

What are the benefits of Observer status?

Participate in all the lectures

Participate in all training that doesn't include the chicken (like mechanical skill drills)

Intimately observe all the hands-on chicken training

Interface with students/faculty throughout entire course

Contribute to discussions and Q&A

Networking

Perfect for the trainer/handler/supervisor allergic to birds

Perfect for those students who learn best by listening/watching rather than 'doing'

Cost is 1/2 regular tuition

Cancellation/Refund Policy - Important Please Read

When your register for one of our chicken camps you will be asked to read and agree to our Cancellation/Refund policy. The general terms of the cancellation policy are stated below. If you have any questions about this policy please contact us BEFORE you register for one of our chicken camps.

Cancellation/Refund Policy

If you choose to cancel your registration for one our chicken camps, please notify us in writing (e-mail, fax, letter.) Cancellations received no later than 45 days before the first day of the chicken camp will receive a refund of 50% of the paid registration fee less a $75 processing charge. Cancellations received no later than 30 days before the first day of the chicken camp will receive a refund of 25% of the paid registration fee less a $75 processing charge. NO refunds will be issued for cancellations received less than 30 days before the first day of the chicken camp. This policy is without exception.

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We are indebted to Bob Bailey and the late Marian Breland-Bailey for all they have taught us.
- Terry Ryan and the Legacy Staff

“The science and technology of operant conditioning are more than sixty years old. They began with B. F. Skinner in the 1930's. His graduate students, Keller and Marian Breland-Bailey first applied the technology commercially in 1943” - Bob Bailey.

“Training is an art, a science and a mechanical skill.” - Bob Bailey

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