At a glance
The seminars on Nov. 15, Feb. 22, and April 18 will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Pioneer Center. Each will include video tutorials, demonstrations with live dogs, training plans, and other supporting materials.
For any dog owners looking to improve their canine’s behavior, the Center for Community Education and Training at Alfred State will be hosting three more seminars this school year to help with just that.
All seminars will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Pioneer Lounge in the Pioneer Center. Each will include video tutorials, demonstrations with live dogs, training plans, and other supporting materials.
The instructor, Kelly Cottrell, CTC, is an honors graduate of the renowned Academy for Dog Trainers, and has presented seminars, videos, and workshops on training and behavior modification, and has helped countless guardians live peaceably with their dogs. The first seminar, “Impulse Control and Focus: Teaching Dogs that Patience Pays,” was held Sept. 20.
The next course is titled “Reactive Dogs in the Real World: Beyond Training Set-ups,” and will take place Nov. 15. This session addresses dog reactivity, and will teach participants about group classes that are appropriate for reactive dogs, taking training out of set-ups and into the real world, structured dog-dog greetings, maintaining focus amid triggers, diversifying reinforcers, and much more.
“Enrichment and Play: Channel Your Dog’s Intrinsic Needs,” is the title of the second seminar, which will be held Feb. 22. In this event, participants will learn how to channel their dog’s intrinsic abilities into appropriate outlets. Examples include scent games, work-to-eat options, the rules of tug and other predatory games, dog-dog play, agility for fun, training as enrichment, and more.
The final seminar, “From Guarding to Giving: Teaching Dogs that Resources Aren’t Scarce,” will take place April 18. In a natural environment, guarding valuable resources such as food, toys, bones, and sometimes even owners is a highly adaptive trait for dogs. This seminar will teach attendees prevention exercises, the genetic underpinnings of resource guarding, management strategies to prevent the problem from getting worse, step-by-step training plans with demonstrations, teaching a solid “drop it” cue, how to use recall as an alternative to guarding, and more.
“Alfred State is a leader in the animal care sector, offering high-end training seminars for shelters, rescue groups, animal care professionals, as well as the community,” said Wendy Dresser-Recktenwald, senior director of Human Resources and the Center for Community Education and Training. “We are fortunate to have an expert like Kelly Cottrell travel here to Alfred State to offer the training programs for people in our area. This particular training program will benefit dog owners and professionals alike.”
The cost of each course is $70, which includes a light breakfast and lunch. For more information and to register, contact the Center for Community Education and Training at 607-587-4015 or ccet@alfredstate.edu.