We are thrilled to hear Kathy speak in depth about her world-renowned book Plenty in Life is Free. In this seminar Kathy will dive into questions such as: What if the secret to great dog training is to be a frequent “feeder” rather than a strong leader? A skilled reinforcer rather than a strict enforcer? Over the past two decades, countless dog trainers across the world have embraced the liberal use of positive reinforcement. Often accompanying this trend, however, is an underlying emphasis, inherited from more coercive models of dog training, that each human in the family must be the dog’s leader. But adopting the role of leader using what is known as the “Nothing in Life is Free” training protocol can result in stifling rules that constrain a person’s ability to share affection and attention with their dogs. This focus on human leadership puts the burden on dogs to “earn” their rewards rather than placing the primary responsibility on the humans to be generous, precise, creative “feeders” (i.e., reinforcers). Dr. Friedman will discuss The Learning Planet. Of all the many wonders of planet Earth, perhaps the most wondrous of all is the flexibility of all its life forms. The focus of this presentation is the extent to which earth’s inhabitants change their behavior based on experience, specifically consequences. This makes the blue planet truly the Learning Planet, a label that applies not only to animal behavior, but also genes, neurons, and even plant species.

Sponsor:Humane Society of Boulder Valley
Speaker(s):Dr. Susan Friedman and Kathy Sdao

Contact: Allison Hartlage
 Email: allison.hartlage@boulderhumane.org
 Phone: 303-442-4030
 Web: https://training.boulderhumane.org/training-class/an-afternoon-with-kathy-sdao-m-a-and-dr-susan-frie