Classes
There are new classes in the works based on student request. Check back soon! If you would like to have a class scheduled in your area, please contact me, as I am always looking to bring this information to a wider geographical area around Chicagoland. I need a minimum of 10 students to set up a class in any of the Chicagoland area.PRINCIPALS OF LEARNING AND BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION IN ANIMALS (For All Species)
This is the core course that will form the foundation for all other courses and workshops on training. This course will help you develop an understanding of how animals learn and through this information then help you solve behavioral problems as well as preventing future problems.This course is often the only one many people need to solve common behavioral problems and develop the relationship they always wanted with their pet.
As a shorter alternative to this course go to the Workshops page and take a one day workshop. It will cover basic principals, we will not have as much opportunity to practice the principals but it will still give you a good overview of behavior and training.
This class is for caregivers of ANY species of animal, large or small. Did you ever want to understand and train your cat, dog, rabbit, ferret, rat, hamster, mouse, hedgehog, parrot, chicken, tortoise, lizard, fish, alpaca, llama, goat, horse or pig or any other animal? Does your pet have a behavior problem or two you would like to solve? Are you a new pet owner that wants to start off on the right foot? Then this class is for you!
The course will cover:
Developing a clear and effective communication with your pet could also save you 100's of dollars in vet bills and damaged property in the future.
The teaching style is a combination of lecture, video, in-class exercises and learning games. This course will be taught in 3 weekly sessions of 3 hours each. The class fee is $110.00 which includes all course materials. *If you would like to have a class scheduled in your area, please contact me.
Next Scheduled Class: Next scheduled class will be February 2012, dates are not yet set.
*Animal Professionals: If you are an employee or volunteer of a veterinary clinic, rescue organization, zoo, shelter or animal control organization, select 'Animal Professional' when registering to receive a discount! (Animal Professional Status will be Confirmed)
This class is for caregivers of ANY species of animal, large or small. Did you ever want to understand and train your cat, dog, rabbit, ferret, rat, hamster, mouse, hedgehog, parrot, chicken, tortoise, lizard, fish, alpaca, llama, goat, horse or pig or any other animal? Does your pet have a behavior problem or two you would like to solve? Are you a new pet owner that wants to start off on the right foot? Then this class is for you!
The course will cover:
- The principals of behavior and how ALL animals learn
- What your part is in the shaping of your pet's behavior
- How to become an acute observer of animal behavior
- How to develop strategies for changing your pet's behavior and tools for preventing future unwanted behavior - you will have the opportunity to work on a specific behavior problem your pet may already have.
- How to use positive, effective and empowering training techniques that can be used with any species of animal
- How training and environmental enrichment can improve the health of your pet
Developing a clear and effective communication with your pet could also save you 100's of dollars in vet bills and damaged property in the future.
The teaching style is a combination of lecture, video, in-class exercises and learning games. This course will be taught in 3 weekly sessions of 3 hours each. The class fee is $110.00 which includes all course materials. *If you would like to have a class scheduled in your area, please contact me.
Next Scheduled Class: Next scheduled class will be February 2012, dates are not yet set.
*Animal Professionals: If you are an employee or volunteer of a veterinary clinic, rescue organization, zoo, shelter or animal control organization, select 'Animal Professional' when registering to receive a discount! (Animal Professional Status will be Confirmed)
INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED TRAINING (Live Animals)
This is a 1.5 hour, 4 week course where you bring your pet to the training facility to train.
Behaviors we work on include:
Please contact me if you are interested in this class. These classes are set up according to student interest. We need a minimum of 4 students to set up a class.
TRAINING VIA VIDEO (No Live Animals)
This is a 1.5 hour 4 week course appropriate for those species of animals or those individuals that would not meet the criteria for a group class. For instance, tortoises or ferrets may not always do well being able to focus on training in a strange environment therefore the time would not be well spent at the training facility. You will then have the opportunity to video tape training sessions during the week which will then be viewed by the students at the weekly class. Video cameras will be available for rent if you don't have one. It will be a great opportunity to problem solve as a group regarding training of a variety of species of animals. If there is a large enough group of people interested in one species, an individualized species video class can be set up.
Please contact me if you are interested in this class. These classes are set up according to student interest. We need a minimum of 4 students to set up this class
APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS DROP-IN GROUP
This is a monthly drop-in group where you can bring a behavior problem and through the use of applied behavior analysis (which we learn in Principals of Learning an Behavior Modification in Animals) we can work on possible solutions as a group. Any species of animal can be discussed. Because the principals for behavior modification are the same for all species, this will be a great opportunity to hone your behavior problem solving skills and improve the relationship with your pet! Learning to solve your own pet's behavioral problems could save you 100's of dollars in behavior consultation fees, veterinary bills and damaged property replacement!
Please contact me if you are interested in this class. These classes are set up according to student interest. We need a minimum of 4 students to set up this class.
AGILITY CLASSES!
What great fun it would be to start some agility classes for animals! There are already agility groups in the U.S. for rabbits and some rodents and you could join the fun! This would be a live training class and would limited to one species at a time. Animals would have to meet the same criteria as noted under the intermediate and advanced training classes above. This could be a class covering a specified time or be a drop-in class.
Please contact me if you are interested in this class. These classes are set up according to student interest. We need a minimum of 6 students to set up this class.
DISCOUNTS - I provide discounted fees for some classes to individuals who are either volunteers or employees of the following:
This is a 1.5 hour, 4 week course where you bring your pet to the training facility to train.
Behaviors we work on include:
- Husbandry behaviors which allow you to perform nail or wing trims, give medications and examine the animal's body without strong restraint
- Behaviors to keep your pet safe such as recall to you, stationing in a place in the cage when it is opened, and getting on your hand without biting
- Behavior modification training to decrease loud vocalization, biting and destruction of the household
- FUN behaviors that are mentally and physically enriching such as agility type activities, retrieving, "dancing", and many others
- Be able to go into a carrier willingly
- Be able to stay in the training area (i.e. not fly at or attack another member of the class either animal or human)
- Have had a health check by a veterinarian in the last 3 months
- If appropriate for the species, have specific vaccinations for that species (ask about the species you are interested in)
- If appropriate for the species, have blood testing for communicable diseases (ask about the species you are interested in)
Please contact me if you are interested in this class. These classes are set up according to student interest. We need a minimum of 4 students to set up a class.
TRAINING VIA VIDEO (No Live Animals)
This is a 1.5 hour 4 week course appropriate for those species of animals or those individuals that would not meet the criteria for a group class. For instance, tortoises or ferrets may not always do well being able to focus on training in a strange environment therefore the time would not be well spent at the training facility. You will then have the opportunity to video tape training sessions during the week which will then be viewed by the students at the weekly class. Video cameras will be available for rent if you don't have one. It will be a great opportunity to problem solve as a group regarding training of a variety of species of animals. If there is a large enough group of people interested in one species, an individualized species video class can be set up.
Please contact me if you are interested in this class. These classes are set up according to student interest. We need a minimum of 4 students to set up this class
APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS DROP-IN GROUP
This is a monthly drop-in group where you can bring a behavior problem and through the use of applied behavior analysis (which we learn in Principals of Learning an Behavior Modification in Animals) we can work on possible solutions as a group. Any species of animal can be discussed. Because the principals for behavior modification are the same for all species, this will be a great opportunity to hone your behavior problem solving skills and improve the relationship with your pet! Learning to solve your own pet's behavioral problems could save you 100's of dollars in behavior consultation fees, veterinary bills and damaged property replacement!
Please contact me if you are interested in this class. These classes are set up according to student interest. We need a minimum of 4 students to set up this class.
AGILITY CLASSES!
What great fun it would be to start some agility classes for animals! There are already agility groups in the U.S. for rabbits and some rodents and you could join the fun! This would be a live training class and would limited to one species at a time. Animals would have to meet the same criteria as noted under the intermediate and advanced training classes above. This could be a class covering a specified time or be a drop-in class.
Please contact me if you are interested in this class. These classes are set up according to student interest. We need a minimum of 6 students to set up this class.
DISCOUNTS - I provide discounted fees for some classes to individuals who are either volunteers or employees of the following:
- Veterinary clinics
- Rescue organizations
- Shelters or animal control organizations
- Zoos