In recent years, there’s been a push to make dog training “science based”. Yet the reality is that data about the effectiveness of training and behavior modification protocols are scarce. As a busy trainer or behavior consultant just trying to help people with their dogs’ behavior and training issues you may think this has little to do with you. But you’d be wrong. From the first description (do you know the difference between a description and an interpretation?) of a pet’s behavior, the entire process of getting at the “why” of a behavior, devising, implementing and modifying training plans, and following up to monitor compliance and outcomes should be viewed as a “mini” experiment based on the scientific method. A systematic step by step plan to resolve a pet’s behavior problem based on this method is far more likely to succeed than a “try this, try that” approach. When you know how to gather data about behavior and behavior problems, you’ll be able to test your ideas about what’s motivating a behavior, and be able to employ data-based progress monitoring techniques that can improve compliance and help you know what to do when your plans aren’t working.

Sponsor: Animal Behavior Associates, Inc.

Speaker(s): Suzanne Hetts, Ph.D., CAAB,CVJ & Daniel Estep, Ph.D., CAAB

Contact: Tracey Metzler
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 Phone: 303-932-9095
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