Kay Laurence - Learning About Dogs

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In this episode, Kay Laurence and Sue McGuire dive into the belief that one should teach a dog to look at handlers in the eye.  For years, trainers were told to teach "Watch Me" as a way to make sure the dog was paying attention to the handler. This forced focus comes at a cost. Are there other ways to know if your dog is ready and able to receive a cue? This episode is one of many to come that will tackle "dog training musts" as pure fallacy.
There are better ways to teach dogs to seek cues. Here is an article and information on classes about cue technology.

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When teaching a behavior, we want to surround the stimulus with an environment that encourages success, not error. As a part of teaching  of behaviors to our dogs, we should prepare a range of events to "fade-in." In this episode, Kay Laurence and Sue McGuire discuss the practical use of the "Fade In" protocol. This idea was documented more than 50 years ago as part of the concept of "errorless learning."
Article https://www.learningaboutdogs.com/the-fade-in-protocol/

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A strong understanding of cue technology when engaging with our learners is of  paramount importance. Kay Laurence and Sue McGuire discuss the process in which our dogs can be  provided clarity during the teaching process if we, as handlers and teachers, are aware of what we are "saying" while teaching. This episode is one in which we strongly recommend listening to a few times because the subject is meaty! 
Here is a link to the online course of Cue Technology.

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In this episode, Kay Laurence and Sue McGuire continue a discussion about what it means to do "clean training." The topics include how to plan for the behaviors you plan to train and making a decision on what to train. But before any behavior is taught, a comprehensive profile of the behavior should be completed. The profile will help trainers answer whether the behavior is a "benefit to the dog."
Here is a link to the online course for Clean Training. 

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Clean Training is about really clear communication and self-awareness with a dog's cues, precision marking, a focused and very effective reinforcement process. A Clean Trainer has the ability to adapt the environment to meet their learner's needs. Clean training naturally develops the learner's confidence, a perpetual joy of learning and a strong sense of achievement for both participants.
Here is a link to sign up for the Clean Training course.

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This episode continues the conversation between Kay Laurence and Sue McGuire about the elements of Clean Training. Can you, as a handler, pace the learning to suit the dog's needs? This about putting value on the process of learning over outcomes.
Here is a link to sign up for the online course on Clean Training.

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What does it mean to have a strong ethical foundation when you are a teacher of dogs? We toss around words like "positive reinforcement" trainer, but what does that really mean beyond the label. In this episode, our premier episode, Kay Laurence and Sue McGuire talk about what it means to be an ethical trainer. We discuss how ethics can change based on a trainer's individual skills and education. It's a place we should be starting all of our discussions. Having a strong ethical foundation provides the framework on which we practice the art of teaching dogs.

MORE READING: https://www.learningaboutdogs.com/ethics-in-dog-training/