AZ Dog Smart Academy Courses

Students will work with a variety of equipment, dogs, and training methodology. Participants and dogs will engage in handling skills and practical applications that lead to better focus, faster learning, and lasting results. Some prior knowledge of dog training is helpful, and participation in our canine fundamentals class is a great foundation. This course is part lecture, part hands-on training with your dog.  If you don’t currently have a dog, we can provide one for you to work with while in class.  This class is a pre-requisite for Clicker 201.

Week 1 — Learn the science behind the process
What is a reward, really?
Types of rewards.
How and when to reward.

Week 2 — Can a new trainer and an old dog learn new tricks?
Hands on application and skills

Week 3 — Planning ahead for success in your training
Teaching your dog to experiment

Week 4 — Can my dog learn this?
Creating a new behavior from start to finish

Week 5 — Helping a shelter dog
Apply what you have learned

Week 6 — Having fun training new behaviors
Use what you have learned!

This class consists of 6, 90-minute sessions.

Lesson 1 and 2: Use Students’ own dogs Realistic Goal Setting
• Proper tools (bait bag + proper leash + appropriate collar/halter)
• How to hold a leash
• Understand canine body language
• Talk with dog during exercises/build a team
• Remedial “socialization” if necessary
• Adequate physical and mental stimulation
• Behavior log to see progress Five Foundation Behaviors
• Terminal Bridge – “Yes!” or clicker
• Hand Targeting – “Touch”
• Cued Eye Contact – Automatic eye contact for modification of leash reactivity/aggression
• Turn Away – “Let’s Go”
• Back Away – “Leave it”

Lesson 3 – Socialization
• Review and determine if Foundational Behaviors have been trained to a fully functional level and any other contributing environmental/medical factors have been dealt with
• Practice begins, such as practicing with other dogs present
• Look for subtle body language cues and understand their meanings
• Utilize tools that help prevent telegraphing emotion down the leash, steering or tightening

Lesson 4 – Off-site training using 5 Foundation Behaviors and Socialization skills

Lesson 5 – Additional skills when training someone else’s dog
• Ask history and behavior
• Is this dog nervous, scared reactive to other dogs and people?
• What are this dog’s motivators?
• Will this dog crate?
• Be observant of equipment currently on the dog
• Communication with client about their dog

Lesson 6 • Written test is presented after practical test.

This nine-hour course contains six 90-minute classes.

Class 1: • Welcome and overview • Definition of a good instructor and professionalism • Understanding learning styles • Roadblocks to verbal communication • How to communicate challenges in a class • Checking for comprehension

Class 2: • Listening skills: passive, active and acknowledgement • Use of you and I • Dealing with the talker, late and angry students • Practicing listening skills

Class 3: • Reinforcement of good behavior • The training class • Plan curriculum • Scenario analysis and demonstrations

Class 4: • Key concepts with student discussion • Demonstration of learned skills and concepts • Assignments provided for presentation in Class 5

Class 5: • Presentations to an actual student and dog • Discussion of each presentation

Class 6: • Review.  Written test also required.