Maine Dog Training Company is proud to sponsor a variety of seminars, lectures and working sessions from the best trainers and speakers from across the country and around the world. Our seminars offer an opportunity for dog trainers and dog owners alike to learn from the best on a variety of subjects from dog sports to problem solving to building a better relationship with your dog. Join MDTC and learn along with us!
What is covered This 5 day seminar will include lecture and hands-on opportunity in puppy imprinting and development, bite and grip development, detection fundamentals & learning theory. All working participants will have hands on training with chickens, puppies and their own dogs. Completion Certificates will be issued on the last day of class
This course is designed around two classroom lectures covered the first two mornings, with as much practical application as we can fit in. Our first lecture is on Operant and Classical Conditioning, the foundation of what our training methods and principles are based on. Learning the fundamentals of Operant and Classical Conditioning is vital for success in our training system. During this lecture, we also discuss Behavior Shaping. During the Operant Conditioning lecture you will learn: - How animals learn through the four quadrants of Operant Conditioning - How to correctly use classical conditioning to prepare the dog for marker training - How to properly motivate the dog for training - How to achieve engagement before training can begin - Drive theory in training - The use of deprivation in training - Reward VS Reinforcer - Timing of reinforcement - Superstitious behaviors - Primary / Secondary Reinforcers - Reinforcement schedules - Stimulus control - How to use a “skinner box” - Successive approximation - Back chaining - Behavior economics - Techniques to improve your timing and reading the animal During the practical application, students will learn how we shape behaviors with chickens in color and shape discrimination. Chickens make excellent training models for shaping behaviors due to their speed and the fact that they cannot be trained using force or aversive methods. This will help the student make huge improvements in his timing. The concept of color and shape discrimination with a chicken is very much the same as the concept of odor detection with a dog. The second lecture is on Odor Detection. We see many dogs who have a solid understanding of target odor, but who have not been properly proofed off of many different distractor odors. This leads to false indication problems. We also see many dogs that are not taught independent searching, but rather rely on handlers to lead them to the source for “odor confirmation,” rather than true odor detection. In the Odor Detection lecture you will learn:
- How to apply the concepts of classical and operant conditioning in teaching correct odor detection work - The fundamentals of training an odor detector dog based on timing, criteria, and rate of reinforcement - How to begin odor work as young as 1-day old - Training tools and techniques to develop accurate and reliable detector dogs - How to teach dogs to ignore all distractor odors with no punishment - The importance of hunt drive in a detector dog and how we utilize it - How to teach a focused Trained Final Response (TFR) with marker training - How to teach a dog to search a pattern independently of his handler - The importance of drive building with a detector dog During the practical application, students will learn how to begin odor detection with a 7-week old puppy. They will learn how to teach the puppy to recognize one target odor, ignore many distractor odors such as food and toys, and perform a consistent search pattern. Students will also work with their own adult dog on odor imprinting, proofing off distractor odors, and general detection problem solving. We will also briefly discuss proper canine selection. The degree of our success in dog training is greatly dictated by starting with the correct type of dog for the job required. Many dogs are genetically limited to the point of not being suitable for the type of work we are trying to train them to do. Having a thorough understanding of proper dog selection will keep you from fighting the uphill battle of trying to train a dog that is not genetically cut out to perform to the standard set forth by the mission requirement. The third lecture is on drive building and grip development. A common problem we see way too often is a dog that has been rushed too quickly in training and is asked to fight before he has learned to properly bite. In addition to this, we see decoys that lack the skill required to teach dogs to first bite correctly, and then fight correctly. We work to teach students how to work their puppies so the puppy has total confidence in his ability to control the fight with the man. He must learn a proper fighting skill set, and have a winning mindset in order to dominate and control a man.
In our Drive Building & Grip Development lecture you will learn:
How to develop drive and teach proper gripping technique throughout all stages of young dog development
The role of the handler during bite work
The role of the decoy during bite work
How to teach the "out" through non-reinforcement without any conflict
How to teach the dog the path to always winning the fight
During the practical application, students will learn how to correctly reinforce proper biting technique. They will learn how to teach the puppy the way to control the adversary by applying and relieving pressure (stress) at the critical time to communicate to the dog that his behavior controls the fight.
When Wednesday October 23rd-Sunday Oct 27th Starting at 9am each day/ending around 5:30pm
Cost $500 full 5 day audit spot by check, Mail to address below $510 full 5 day audit spot if paid by credit card
$125 per day audit spot paid by check only (please let us know what day(s) you are attending) All spots must be prepaid!! No day of registrations will be accepted!! Limited auditing spots. FULL Payment is needed to hold spot
Please read our policies at the bottom of the page!
We are so excited to have Kjersti coming back this winter!
Kjersti will take 10 working teams each day from puppies and newbies to the sport to seasoned dogs & competitors. These two days are all about YOU!
Wherever you are in your training, Kjersti has an eye and skillset to make you better! From focus heeling to dumbbell retrieve, creating and maintaining engagement to problem solving complex obedience problems ...she has the ability to read the dog and the handler and know exactly where to take you.
If you are just starting out in sport this is a perfect opportunity to learn some great foundation skills that you can work on all winter long!
Please join us for this fun and friendly 2 day seminar for intense learning, laughs and spending time with good dog folks.
Cost: Working spot (2 day) $325/ for both days or $175/one day Limited to 10 working teams each day!! Audit: $150 for both days or $90/one day Limited to 10 auditors a day
About Kjersti: Kjersti grew up in North Norway surrounded by mushing and hunting dogs. She got her first doberman when at 16 years old and started training formal obedience, Norwegian working dog programs & IPO. She worked her male dobe to IPO3 SCHH 3 & female to IPO1 FH ZTP. Kjersti went on to German Shepherds and her female Huldra who is also the foundation bitch for her breeding kennel, went on to earn an IPO3 and has competed in several regional and national championships. Her daughter Ailo earned her IPO 3 at 2 1/2 years old and both mom and daughter showed together at USCA Nationals in California, both Handler,Owner Trained.
Kjersti had a great opportunity when she met Federico of God War Malinois in Alaska and his dog Amigo. Amigo came to NH to live with Kjersti and went from a dog with zero training to an IPO3 in just 14 months. Together they competed in multiple championships including the Working Dog Championships, American Working Dog Federation, New England Regionals, American Working Malinois Association Nationals, where he landed on the podium twice, 3rd place in 2016 and 1st place in 2017. Amigo & Kjersti also competed at the FMBB in 2017, 2018 for the World Championship, where she finished and showed very well.
Kjersti also trains and title dogs for other people and have mainly been concentrating about IGP, but more recently, started in PSA. She finds PSA to be a fun challenge and Amigo has already earned his first title. Between her own dogs and clients, she places about 15-20 titles a year.
Seminar Policies
Payments Checks made out to "MDTC LLC" and mailed to:
Amanda Stearns MDTC Seminars 65 Orchard Rd. Cumberland, ME 04021
Refunds FULL PAYMENT is needed to hold your spot, with a reasonable date for cancellations to be determined in your confirmation e-mail. There will be an administration fee for cancellations made after a specific date. It is the attendees responsibility to read their confirmation e-mail carefully.
Filming Filming is only allowed at the permission of the seminar presenter.
Other Information Attendees are responsible for bringing their own chairs. To keep our costs low, we will offer coffee, water and light snacks. Each seminar will have lunch options which will be noted in your confirmation e-mail
