Five Unique and Awesome Tricks!

Instructor:  Pamela Leland KPA CTP, CPDT-KSA

Course Description:  Teach your dog Five Unique and Awesome Tricks! This course will equip students with the skills needed to train tricks that range from moderate to challenging difficulty.  These Five Unique and Awesome Tricks can be found in many trick dog courses, Freestyle routines, and Rally-Free competitions.  Many components of these tricks can serve as foundation behaviors for other canine sports and Service Dog training.  Tricks #4 and #5 are more advanced and will take more time to train.  Your dog should be at a level of training to support these: they should be clicker savvy (marker savvy), have good focus, and a willingness to learn. For the For Credit option, you will need to send in videos of you and your dog demonstrating each of the five tricks for feedback and assistance from the Instructor.

The five tricks are: 

1.) Forward and Walkback Weaves

2.) Four Circle Moves Around the Handler

3.) Figure of 8 (without the handler)

4.) Back Around the Handler (challenging)

5.) Turn Back Thru (most challenging)

Goal:  After the successful completion of this course, students should be able to apply these training skills to other interesting and challenging behaviors.

Course length:  5 Lessons  (Approximately one hour each)

Prerequisites:

• Students should have a basic understanding of operant conditioning, shaping, luring, and reinforcement strategies.
• Students should understand how to use a clicker or verbal marker.
• The dog should understand and trust that a reinforcer follows the click/verbal marker.

Equipment needed:

• Target Stick or something similar like a long-handled spatula.
• Training gates (or an X-pen) that is long enough to be set up in a circle around the handler.
• Two cones or something similar (small upside down waste baskets would work.)
• A training platform (or something similar) that is long enough for a standing dog.
• For the For Credit/CEU option, students will need to send videos of you and your dog performing each trick to your Instructor.

Textbook:

“Five Unique and Awesome Tricks” by Pamela Leland.  Available on Amazon and Dogwise.

Assumptions:

• You and your dog are physically able to perform the tricks.
• You are tall enough, and/or your dog is short enough to move between your legs for the leg weave trick.
• You are motivated to learn!

Instructional Methods:

• A PowerPoint presentation covering each trick with supporting pictures, as well as a video of each behavior.
• A quiz at the completion of each trick for a total of five quizzes.
• A final exam at the end of the course.
• This is an entirely web-based course with no face-to-face meetings.
• You will work at your own pace within the time limit permitted for this course.

Homework:

Students will submit individual videos for the five tricks they’ve trained (for the For Credit option only).

What I expect from you: 

• Follow the steps taught for each trick. Don’t skip steps.
• Maintain momentum in working through this course.
• Get the first three tricks done early in the course because Trick #4 and #5 take more time to train.

What you can expect from me:

• Prompt reviews of the videos you submit within 24-48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays.)
• Responses to your questions, as needed.

Continuing Education Units:

CCPDT- KA-12.5 CEUs (5.00 Knowledge and 7.50 Skills) for trainers and 0 CEUs for behavior consultants
CCPDT- KSA-7.5 CEUs
IAABC – 7.5 CEUs
KPA – Pending

Course Cost –

For Credit: $200.00 USD (Choose this option if you need CEUs, a Certificate or Instructor feedback. Video homework will be required for CEUs and a Certificate of Completion)

For Audit:  $100.00 USD (Same content as the “For Credit” except there are no CEUs, certificate, nor homework videos required.)

Student Information:

Access to this course will expire in 6 months. Therefore, you have 6 months to complete this course from the date of registration.

You must also read and agree to the E-Training for Dogs, Inc. Standard Terms and Conditions prior to taking a course: Click HERE to read these. You will be asked when you register if you have read them and will not be allowed to take the course if you do not agree to the terms.

Please read our policy on refunds. Click HERE

Lauren Brubaker earned her PhD at Oregon State University. She received her B.S. from Utah State University, where she worked in behavior analysis and animal science labs. She then received a M.S. in Animal Science from Oregon State University. Her thesis focused on examining factors that affect the problem-solving abilities of canines. With over 10 years of professional experience working with a variety of species, as well as a lifetime spent with a family of animal lovers, she has extensive experience in animal training, welfare, and animal behavior research. At the Oregon State University Human-Animal Interaction lab, Dr. Brubaker studied animal cognition, learning, and welfare and works primarily with canines, felines, and equines.
She currently works as a Behavioral Research Scientist at the United States Government. She works with companies and government agencies on behavioral science research and data analysis and consult on matters related to psychometrics, study design, research techniques involving psychology, human and/or animal behavior, and behavior analysis.

A new class released, Thinking Like a Dog Trainer-Part I, is a well-organized, clearly written course designed to help the dog trainer understand the language used to describe the theory behind operant learning (learning theory) and, most importantly, how to recognize what they are seeing when they observe behavior during training.

Dog trainers, no matter which method they use, all have the intention of either teaching a new skill to a dog, or changing/shaping a behavior already in place. The concepts, theories and terminology are a common discussion amongst trainers. Terms are tossed around on a regular basis, yet, not everyone will agree on their definitions, much less be able to identify them when they see them. How important is it to be able to understand the theories of learning and when and when not to use them? My opinion is that it is very important!

Take a scenario:
A 6 month old Spinone Italiano is learning to point birds. She points whenever she makes scent in the field. When her owner sees her point, she starts walking toward where the pup is pointing to flush the bird. As soon as the Spinone notices the owner coming up, she races in and flushes the bird herself. The owner wants her to stay pointing (steady) until the owner flushes the bird. So, the owner takes the puppy home and rewards her for standing and remaining on a wooden platform in the yard. She ups the difficulty daily by making it harder to stay on the platform by moving further away, throwing favorite toys at varying distances from the puppy and always treating when the Spin stays on the board. Eventually she even takes a bird out into the yard, far away at first, moving closer, and eventually flushes it and it flies away… the Spin is rewarded for staying on that board, even in the presence of a bird. Now she takes her out to the field, first with the board and a “set up” bird. Then in the field taking the board away and the Spin now stays on point even through the flush of the bird. What is happening here? What are the theories, concepts, and terms that went into such a plan of shaping behavior/learning this new skill of “steady through the flush?” All of this is without even touching the dog.  See if you can identify the following in the above scenario.  Which ones are or are not being used in this plan? Do you have enough information to correctly respond to each of the below?

• Was Operant or Classical Conditioning used? Or both?

  

• Who is the trainer(s)?
• Who is the learner?
• Was positive reinforcement used and when?
• Was negative reinforcement used and when?
• Was positive punishment used and when?
• Was negative punishment used and when?
• Was extinction used and when?
• What is the primary and secondary reinforcer (if any)?
• Was capturing used?
• Was differential reinforecment used?

Could you do it? The Thinking Like a Dog Trainer course will teach you how to do this correctly. It is not easy. However, these concepts are important to understand and to, most importantly, recognize when you should or should not apply or use them. Many people do not even know how to recognize them even when they are doing them. “Thinking Like a Dog Trainer” and understanding when and why certain theories should be, or are implemented (or not) is the foundation for good dog trainers and in creating a behavior change/new skill with reliability and no negative unintended consequences. Check out the “Thinking Like a Trainer” course taught by Sue Alexander, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KSA, CABC.

As usual, this course is available “OnDemand” and 100% online. It is about two hours in length (depending on how fast the learner “learns”) and taught by Sue Alexander, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KSA, CABC. It has our typical rich mode of delivery using lecture, video demonstrations, quizzes, and a written assignment. Thinking Like a Dog Trainer-Part 2 (coming soon) will take the definitions and understanding learned in Part 1 and have the student apply operant theory to their training plan and make their training more effective and efficient.

Do you need an Attestation Form signed?
We provide a process to have this done online.

Are you studying for the CBCC-KA Exam? Awesome!
Save on study courses by purchasing packages.

CBCC-KA Exam Packages

“WHICH PACKAGE SHOULD I CHOOSE?”
We get LOTS of calls on how best to study for this exam. My first advice is to go here and download the  CBCC-KA 2023 Candidate Handbook. READ IT. ALL OF IT.
The CBCC-KA exam is an in depth, extremely broad study of canine behavior and behavior consulting. YOU must know how to identify behavior, make a plan to modify it, AND work with both dogs and the humans they live with. Two completely different things. I wish there was ONE course that would provide you with the education you need, but we at E-Training did not feel one Instructor could adequately provide you with the knowledge you need, so we broke it down and have various Instructors who each excel at the content area they teach.

If you CAN, I would highly recommend Package #1. If you are short on time and funds, I would take Package #2 “For Audit” or Package #3 “For Audit.” Why do I suggest this…because of the weighting of the test…meaning that between the Consulting Skills and Applied Behavior Analysis, 84% of the questions will be in those topic areas.

The Certification Examination for Professional Dog Trainers – Knowledge Assessed is weighted in approximately the following manner:
Consulting Skills & Best Practices 43%
Applied Behavior Analysis 41%
Ethology, Body Language, Observational Skills 10%
Health, Development, Life Stages, Anatomy and Physiology 6%

Attestation Statement form signed.

The CCPDT requires, IN ADDITION to (1) a 300 hour Behavior Log, (2) a signed and on file CCPDT  Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics, (3) a signed and on file Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive (LIMA) Effective Behavior Intervention, and, (4) your application fee and application submitted in the required time window. (SEE ALL requirements here: How to Become a CCPDT Certified Behavior Consultant.)

We will sign the Attestation Form for you if the signing Instructor has determined, through the following video requirements, that “to the best of your knowledge and belief the candidate has successfully demonstrated a positive relationship with clients, including the safe handling of dogs, in the candidate’s role as a dog trainer or canine behavior consultant.” (from the CCPDT).

Four CBCC-KA Exam Study courses packages available:

Package #1

All CBCC-KA Exam study courses:

• Applied Behavior Analysis
• Consulting Skills and Best Practices
• Health, Development and Life Stages
• Ethology, Body Language and Observational Skills 
• Anatomy, Physiology and Biology
• Scientific Method

Plus:

• Understanding Canine Behavior
• Becoming a Behavior Consultant, the Human in the Middle

For Credit:
$2,290.00 USD

Payment Plan (Subscribe): $578.00 monthly for 4 months.

For Audit:

$1,213.00 USD

Payment Plan (Subscribe): $308.00 monthly for 4 months.

PAYMENT PLAN. Access to all courses is not granted until all payments are made. Access will be limited to 3 courses per month.
NOTE: CREDIT VS. AUDIT – “Credit” includes Instructor guidance, required homework and CEUs for IAABC or CPDT-KA. “Audit” is the same course content with no Instructor guidance, homework or CEUs.

Package #2

• CBCC-KA Exam Study Course: Applied Behavior Analysis
• CBCC-KA Exam Study Course: Consulting Skills and Best Practices
• Understanding Canine Behavior
• Becoming a Behavior Consultant, the Human in the Middle

For Credit:

$1,380.00 USD

Payment Plan: $355.00 monthly for 4 months.

For Audit:

$758.00 USD

Payment Plan: $195.00 monthly for 4 months.

PAYMENT PLAN. Access to all courses is not granted until all payments are made. Access will be limited to 1 course per month.
NOTE: CREDIT VS. AUDIT – “Credit” includes Instructor guidance, required homework and CEUs for IAABC or CPDT-KA. “Audit” is the same course content with no Instructor guidance, homework or CEUs.

Package #3

• CBCC-KA Exam Study Course: Applied Behavior Analysis
• CBCC-KA Exam Study Course: Consulting Skills and Best Practices

For Credit:
$630.00 USD

No payment plan available.

For Audit:

$360.90 USD

No payment plan available.

NOTE: CREDIT VS. AUDIT – “Credit” includes Instructor guidance, required homework and CEUs for IAABC or CPDT-KA. “Audit” is the same course content with no Instructor guidance, homework or CEUs.

ALA CARTE Study Courses

CBCC-KA Exam Study Course – Applied Behavior Analysis

CBCC-KA Exam Study Course – Consulting Skills and Best Practices

CBCC-KA Exam Study Course – Health, Development and Life Stages

CBCC-KA Exam Study Course – Ethology, Body Language and Observational Skills 

CBCC-KA Exam Study Course – Biology and Anatomy

Scientific Method

Understanding Canine Behavior

Becoming a Behavior Consultant, the Human in the Middle

Please read our policy on refunds. Click HERE