Training Matters, located at 1104 Ames Hill Road in Brattleboro, Vermont, is pleased to offer occasional seminars, workshops and classes to introduce residents of Brattleboro and surrounding communities to the latest thinking on positive dog training and animal behavior.
These sessions are packed with interesting and practical dog training strategies and information for other companion animal owners.
- Former zookeeper and professional dog trainer Sara Matters covers topics ranging from basic manners and obedience training for dogs to animal behavior across species, from parrots to pigs. Future sessions may include:
- Basics of canine behavior,
- How animals learn,
- Operant conditioning in zoo animals and how it can work for your pet,
- How to keep your animals adequately stimulated when life gets hectic or the weather is lousy and why it’s important
Additionally, Training Matters hosts applied workshops and other educational seminars for animal training professionals and other animal care practitioners. Applied workshops cover topics like evidence-based enrichment provision and force free husbandry training. Informational seminars include topics such as the elements of applied behavior analysis that all trainers and animal care professionals should understand to do their best work, how to work with fearful animals, and the latest science on topics such as neuroscience and cognition.
Check back here periodically to find out about upcoming classes and events!
Covid-19 policy: We are proceeding with events in person as of August 2021. As a backup, we will have Zoom rain dates in case live events cannot proceed as planned. The Zoom-date, if you will, will be at the same scheduled time as the scheduled event, but will be held via Zoom. Partial refunds will be offered if that is the case.
Our facility is a large one, capable of holding up to 90 people under previous guidance recommending social distancing of 6′ between people. None of our events will be anywhere near this large. Our events are intimate, small, relaxed gatherings and we want to keep them that way. We require that attendees be vaccinated, boosted, and masked indoors. We will keep up with Covid restriction recommendations for gatherings and adhere to those. We are simply hoping to proceed as normally as possible at any given time.
Lemon’s Hope Sanctuary Fundraiser
Working With Fear, Aggression & Reactivity
Behavior, Learning and Training
Shortcuts and seeming magical methods inevitably produce flawed and unreliable behavior. Many of the animals we are responsible for teaching, don’t have time for interventions that rely on the use of guesswork or the current protocol making the rounds in dog training.
Animals who frequently display behaviors that we’d label fearful, aggressive, anxious or reactive require trainers who have a greater understanding of how to assess behavior and develop effective and humane interventions to give them skills, that without, can lead to a life of limitations, or euthanasia. Training is serious business, and at Lemon’s Hope Sanctuary, we take it seriously.
During this full day event you will be introduced to:
- An overview of how fear, stress and anxiety contribute to a range of behavioral and medical issues
- In-home management of challenging dogs
- Assessing the function of behaviors
- Linear vs non-linear contingency analysis
- How to develop operant and classical conditioning plans
- Reinforcement schedules
- Enrichment as intervention
Dates: March 4, 2023 9am-4pm EST
Location: 1104 Ames Hill, Brattleboro Vermont
Cost: Sliding Scale. (Trainers regularly pay upwards of $100 for this full day event. Any donation is welcome, just be sure to come, the information in this presentation is important for you to know.)
CEUs: CPDT 6 CEUs for trainers; 6 CEUs with IAABC, and 6 with KPA
Go to https://fearfuldogs.com/fundraiser/ to register.
Introduction to Mantrailing
April 30, 2023, 9:30 a.m.
Working With Fear, Aggression & Reactivity
Behavior, Learning and Training
Animals who frequently display behaviors that we’d label fearful, aggressive, anxious or reactive require trainers who have a greater understanding of how to assess behavior and develop effective and humane interventions to give them skills, that without, can lead to a life of limitations, or euthanasia. Training is serious business, and at Lemon’s Hope Sanctuary, we take it seriously.
During event you will be introduced to:
- An overview of how fear, stress and anxiety contribute to a range of behavioral and medical issues
- In-home management of challenging dogs
- Assessing the function of behaviors
- Linear vs non-linear contingency analysis
- How to develop operant and classical conditioning plans
- Reinforcement schedules
- Enrichment as intervention
There is also the opportunity to work hands-on with animals at the sanctuary on an optional second day. You will have the chance to put your learning into practice!
Dates: May 20, 2023
May 21, 2023 Additional day available for hands on training and instruction (previous day attendance required)
Cost: One day $125, two days $225
CEUs: May 20 CPDT 6 CEUs; 6 with IAABC; and 6 KPA
May 21 CPDT 6 CEUs for trainers, 2 CEU’s for behavior consultants; 3 CEUs with IAABC; 4 with KPA
Your instructor Debbie Jacobs, RBT, CPDT is known for her work specializing in the management and training of dogs struggling with fear-based behaviors. Her book A Guide To Living and Training a Fearful Dog, first published in 2007 continues to be a valuable and important resource for pet owners.
Go to https://fearfuldogs.com/events/to register.
Mini Seminars with Sara Matters and Debbie Jacobs
Short, single-session and single-topic seminars conducted by Debbie Jacobs and Sara Matters reviewing training and management solutions to common behavioral issues pet owners face. The goal is to increase owner understanding of how to handle specific behavior concerns as well as how to tackle behavior issues generally using humane, science-based methods. Check here periodically to see if a new one is scheduled.
Training Essentials:
Essential behaviors to teach your dog and when to use them
March 11, 2023, 5 p.m.
There really are just a few behaviors that are essential for most dogs to learn and for dog guardians to understand how to teach.
The essential behaviors are:
- Recall—coming when called
- Attention to person
- Walking on a long line
- Wait at doorways
- Keeping feet on the ground
This is an informational seminar for dog guardians (no dogs) on how to teach these essential behaviors to your dog. To register, email Sara@mattersdogtraining.com. Cost will be $25.
Event Recordings
Understanding Your Rescue Dog: Why they do what they do
This seminar focused on the difficulties adopters of rescue dogs often face. Adopters learned what they need to know about their dog’s behavior to make life easier for dogs and humans alike. Debbie Jacobs, CPDT-KA, RBT and fearful dog specialist, provided expert help on addressing safety hazards for dogs and their owners. Cost is $25. Email sara@mattersdogtraining.com to receive an invoice and make payment.
An Introduction to Fear-Based Behavior Across Species
With Debbie Jacobs, CPDT-KA, RBT; Michelle Martiya, equine trainer; Katenna Jones, ScM, ACAAB,CCBC, CDBC, CPDT-KA; Emily Strong, CDBC, CPDT-KA, SBA
This event was held via Zoom in February of 2021. The focus was on how we address fear-based behavior challenges in multiple species to provide a deeper understanding of the challenges professionals face and how they handle them. Species discussed were dogs, horses, cats and birds. The event was two hours in length. Once the recording is purchased, Training Matters will send a link to access the recording via the email address associated with the payment. There may be a delay as this is not an automated process. Cost is $25. Email sara@mattersdogtraining.com to receive an invoice and make payment.
POSTPONED UNTIL ?
Husbandry for Healthy Pets: Hands on, force free training for every dog care professional
Marie-Claude Desbiens and Yanick Dion, CDT
August 14, 15, 16, 17, 2020
Even before recent advances in fear free handling of companion animals took off with the popular online programs offered through Fear Free, Marie-Claude Desbiens and Yanick Dion of L’Art au Poil Ecole in Quebec were introducing groomers and veterinarians around the world to restraint and force free grooming and medical husbandry of dogs and cats. Watching Marie-Claude and Yanick, and professionals trained by them, work with animals is not just fear free, it is delight-full.
Now L’Art au Poil is extending this training to all animal care professionals and dedicated pet parents. Experienced trainers are blown away by groomer Marie-Claude and trainer Yanick Dion’s husbandry training skills as well as Marie-Claude’s grooming process, and her in-depth knowledge of the biology of healthy canine hair and skin. At a recent training retreat, trainers likened watching Marie-Claude work with dogs to going to church.
Training Matters will share Marie-Claude and Yanick’s expertise in this hands-on workshop for trainers, veterinary professionals, shelter workers, groomers, breeders, day care providers and pet sitters. While working with dogs and/or cats, attendees will get practice with force-free husbandry essentials, including grooming and medical procedures, and how to quickly train animals to behave fearlessly and confidently when being brushed, clipped, bathed, getting nails trimmed, having blood drawn, receiving injections, even having their temperature taken! The emphasis will be on health-physical and behavioral-and hygiene. This workshop will extend whatever you may have learned from an online program and give you the experience of applying it with live animals under expert guidance. This is a rare offering.
Marie-Claude and Yanick’s former professional students have valued the improvement in their practices after training with them. Students’ businesses improved as did the students’ enjoyment of their work. Dedicated pet owners and breeders are encouraged to join us. Stop stressing out about routine grooming and medical care requirements for your dogs. Learn what you can do at home safely and successfully with your pet, saving time, money and worry. This workshop will pay for itself in no time!
CEUs for trainers are pending.
style=”font-size: 16pt;”>
