KAY LAURENCE CLICKER WORSKHOPS AUGUST 2005

The internationally known clicker training expert, Kay Laurence from the UK, is visiting South Africa in August 2005 and will offer evening presentations and workshops in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. The evening presentations will demonstrate the power and scope of clicker training to larger audiences, while the workshops will be hands-on practical training sessions.

Clicker training is a modern, highly effective animal training method that encourages dogs to think rather than react and makes use of rewards instead of force or punishment.

This visit is kindly sponsored by Novartis Animal Health and Nestlé Purina and is being organised by the EduPet Humane Education Centre in Pretoria.

We would like to involve as many people in all the centres as possible, and request that this e-mail is passed on to anyone the reader may think could be interested.

Kay is well-known for her ability to clearly convey the practical aspects of clicker training to dog handlers. Her books and videos are sold worldwide and she is the publisher of the first and only clicker training magazine “Learning About Dogs”. She offers workshops all over the world and we are very lucky to have her visiting South Africa this year.

We would like as many South African dog handlers / owners as possible to benefit from Kay’s visit. We have secured valuable sponsorship and have planned Kay’s itinerary, but before we finalise the content of her workshops, we want to find out what the need is. This information will also enable us to determine the best possible fees for the workshops. We would obviously like to make these as affordable as possible.

If you are interested in attending Kay’s workshops, please let us know what your preferences in terms of workshop topics would be. Please indicate your first, second and third choices from the following, and your preferred centre (Pta, Jhb, CT, Dbn):

1. Clicker training for novices (please note – not raw beginners – if you have no clicker training experience, see the information about local courses below). This will include shaping and capturing behaviours, adding cues, changing cues, improving quality, getting reliability. Includes all disciplines e.g. obedience, agility, pet training, assistance, working dogs etc.
2. Clicker training for intermediate / advanced handlers: Developing advanced and accurate shaping skills; chaining, sequencing and complex behaviours; building training stamina and preparing for performance; performance training. Includes all disciplines as above.
3. Workshop for competitive obedience and ringcraft: Heelwork, retrieve with range of objects, recall, stays, tests for temperament, scentwork, ringcraft and polishing exercises.
4. Workshop for heelwork to music: Basic moves & cues, building fitness & flexibility, training stamina & concentration, advanced moves, distance work, complex moves, linking moves, putting a routine together, choosing music, presentation.
5. Clicker training for grumpy dogs: Not serious aggression cases, but suitable for dogs willing to start an argument. Handlers and dogs should have familiarity with clicker training.
6. Clicker training for shy dogs: Excellent resource fro rehabilitation work, veterinary work or ring shy dogs. Handlers and dogs should have familiarity with clicker training.

If you are interested in clicker training but have no current experience, we can help prepare you for Kay’s visit. EduPet is offering clicker workshops in Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban in April and June, apart from our normal 8 week courses at our facility in Pretoria. Contact us for more information, and for details of other clicker trainers in all the centres. If you offer clicker classes, in any centre, please let us know so that we can refer interested people to you.

Are you sceptical about clicker training? You are welcome to attend a free information & observation session at EduPet, or chat to our instructors at any of our workshops in the other centres. Contact us to arrange a meeting.

You are welcome to contact us with any queries. We are very excited about this and hope to share this wonderful opportunity with lots of dog people in South Africa!

Best wishes,
Quixi Sonntag

Contact details: quixi@mweb.co.za (Quixi Sonntag)
Tel 012 480 2008 (Helen Zulch)