Customize Your Own Event
We have presented specialty workshops and seminars for training clubs, zookeepers, camelid breeders, behavior analysis groups and TAGteach enthusiasts. We’ve conducted events for working dog agencies, in-service meetings for school teachers and corporate team building workshops. We’ve even hosted a family reunion chicken training vacation!
A variety of topics can be planned as a public service to your community, continuing education for your members or employees, or as a fund-raiser for your organization or charity.
We’ll help you design a custom seminar or workshop
Choose from the topics below or suggest one of your own.
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Coaching People to Train Their Dogs (two-day minimum)
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Training Games to Increase Fluency of Core Behaviors
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The Toolbox for Building a Great Family Dog
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Canine Body Language
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Lateral Thinking
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S.O.C.I.A.L. Puppy
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Pet Dog Enrichment Ideas
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Ramifications of Using Aversives in Training
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Fifty Ideas for a Calm Quiet Classroom Learning Environment
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Improve Your Clicker Training Skills
Detail descriptions of the above topics will be provided upon request.
Terry’s most frequently requested workshop and seminar topics
Custom Chicken Camps
The behavioral principles taught in our Custom Chicken Camps can be applied across professions. No training experience is necessary for participants in a chicken camp. Trainer skills, communication skills, coaching skills and more are highlighted in these workshops. Workshop topics can include:
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Selection, identification and effective marking (use of bridge) of training criteria
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Reinforcement - rate, schedule, value, delivery, quantity, 80% rule, Premack Principle
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Criteria Selection and Identification - what do you really want?
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Umwelt - how individuals acquire, process and store information differently
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Goal Setting
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Task Analysis - breaking it down, instructional formatting, training plans
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Data Collection and record keeping
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Lateral thinking techniques
Coaching People to Train Their Dogs
How to Conduct Effective Training Classes
(2-7 Day Depending on Topic Selection)
This course is a good foundation for new instructors, whether involved with pet, competition or 4-H classes; it is based on Terry’s book by the same title. A version of this topic is great for experienced instructors as a forum for exchanging ideas, combating instructor burnout, or just seeing what’s new or different.
Information includes people skills and class organization. Tips to structure classes for the specific needs of your community are included. A variety of orientation strategies will be discussed.
Should dogs attend the first class session or not? Instructional formatting—what are your objectives and goals, how do you measure your success? Should your course be time or goal driven? Should you offer one-skill classes? How about “levels” classes? Are drop-in modules better than linear classes?
We’ll get into the art of listening, learning to observe, effective communication and learning styles, We’ll work on lateral thinking and critical thinking exercises, depth and breadth of knowledge, criteria for selecting training techniques and equipment. We’ll learn about TAG (Teaching with Acoustical Guidance) protocols for human instruction. Utilizing your training area to the maximum, traffic control strategies, effective use of assistants, and options for last class activities will be covered. Hear about helpful organizations and networking opportunities.
Games People Play... To Train Their Dogs
Training Games for Class Instructors
(Variable)
This one of the most frequently requested workshops. The dogs can get in on this one! Training games can be presented as frequent 10-minute breaks in the seminar or a two-day event of its own. It’s all about training exercises designed to increase fluency at core behaviors while having fun.
Each game features “A Coachable Moment” – practical tips for instructors. It can be formatted to include resources for instructors applicable to any type of classes.
Presented in more than ten different countries, it’s recently been featured at Clicker Expos. A book by this title was published January 2017 featuring 90 of these games.
How & Why We Changed Our Puppy Classes
(2-3 Hours)
This seminar is suitable for the general audience, instructors, veterinary staff and humane shelter providers.
The onset and offset of critical periods in a puppy's development are many and varied. Emerging research on puppy brain development Has shown important variables in individual puppies.
Legacy’s “Your S.O.C.I.A.L. Puppy” menu of exercises reflects this new knowledge and is helpful and compatible with the AKC Star Puppy program.
It’s important that puppies in your community have access immediately to thoughtful, safe classes and not wait “until the next puppy class.” A “menu" of learning experiences is presented as a twice-a-week ongoing drop-in class.
Turning Possibilities Into Probabilities
Aka “When Good Dogs Dog Bad Things.”
(Variable)
One of the most frequently requested workshops. Terry interprets the science of dog behavior and training into easily understood skills for both the pet owner and instructors.
First explored will be the four foundation blocks upon which a more specific behavior modification program can be built. Those blocks are: Health, Environment, Communication, Management. Then a menu of eight minimally invasive principles to remodel a “problem” dog will be presented.
Using these principles, we'll break into small groups and work through problem profiles taken spontaneously from the audience.
Lateral Thinking
(2 Hours)
Presented at Clicker Expos: Terry has taken concepts learned at lateral thinking workshops and adapted them for our use for behavior and training problems.
The interactive presentation includes Dr. Edward De Bono’s “Six Hats Method of Thinking.” We’ll do random word association and other exercises to become more creative in our thinking. We’ll work through real case histories to come up with brand new ideas for old problems.
This segment is best if done along with “When Good Dogs Do Bad Things.”
The course touches on all subjects deemed necessary for pet dog trainers by the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers. Except for extended courses, your own dog does not attend this course. Option: Training principles can be taught with chickens or with games among the students. Class experience can involve visiting community dogs.
Testimonials
"I recently passed the CPDT-KA exam and wanted to tell you how much I took pleasure in reading "Coaching People to Train Their Dogs"... I have recommended it to trainer friends who will take the test next year as their #1 resource."
-Dee Launder, CPDT-KA
“I’ve learned to appreciate people more...Even though I am still working them so hard I am able to get that smile on their face.”
“This is beneficial for any company that has to train people to do things; it streamlines the idea of teaching and understanding.”
“It’s really opened my eyes, there is a lot more to know about dealing with people…."
