1 DAY - TWO WORKSHOPS! "Maddening to Maturity" and "I've Got Your Back"

SUN MORNING SESSION NOV 29 - 9 AM TO 12:30 PM

MADDENING TO MATURITY: Guiding Your Adolescent Dog to Adulthood

Despite all our frustration and endless jokes, here’s the truth: Teenage dogs are biological marvels. Did you know that under that sometimes goofy or maddening behavior is a brain busy producing more neurons? That adolescent brain is going through some amazing changes. With respect for the biological reality and with support, we can help guide our teenage dogs through the remarkable growth period that shapes the adult dog they will become.

Do you wonder where your once wonderful puppy went? And why haveve they turned into a sometimes maddening, unpredictable, maybe even out of control adolescent? 

Relax — you’re not alone. More than a few puppy class stars have gone on to be champion buttheads as teenagers!

For many dog owners, their dog's adolescence can be problematic. Even with a great start in puppyhood, many dogs hit adolescence and become frustrating, unruly, and simply maddening in some ways. While puzzling to many owners, this is a natural but poorly understood stage of development.

• Did you know that adolescence begins around 20 weeks of age?
• That a year old dog is roughly the equivalent of a 14 year human?
• That adulthood in the dog begins at 2-4 years of age?
• That the most annoying teenage dogs are often geniuses?

As dogs shift into adolescence starting around 20 weeks, new behaviors begin to appear. At first, we may just think they are a bit distracted or didn’t hear us. What the heck is going on, and what can you do about it?

Suzanne's Relationship Centered Training (RCT) approach focuses on three areas of the teenage dog’s life:

• The relationship with handler – connection, communication, support
• Social life - interactions with other people, dogs & animals
• Life skills - self regulation, cooperation, arousal modification

Working with your first teenage dog? Helping yet another adolescent rescue? Wish you had more options for your students and their adolescents? This workshop is for you! We will cover this and more:

• The teenage brain – sensitivity to rewards, to scary experiences, and to relationships
• Your role as the teenage dog’s guide to life
• Using the “Even though” umbrella for clarity & consistency
• Developing cooperation and good habits in everyday interactions
• Foundation RCT skills that last a lifetime

Whether you are raising your first teenage dog or have ridden this rollercoaster before, first time owner or a seasoned pro, this workshop provides a deeper understanding of this amazing phase of canine development.

You will walk away with practical advice on helping any teenage dog grow into a wonderful adult dog. The kind of adult dog that makes people say, “Oh, I wish I had a dog just like that!” while you smile and wonder if they knew him as a teenager.

This is a dog-free event! Please leave your dogs home so we can really focus on learning how to help them.

SAME DAY! Join us for the Sunday afternoon workshop (detail below), I'VE GOT YOUR BACK: HELPING THE REACTIVE, SHY & FEARFUL DOG. Save $$ when you register for both.

FEES:

• FROM MADDENING TO MATURITY only - $90.00
• FROM MADDENING TO MATURITY only - $50.00 Shelter/Rescue*
  
• FROM MADDENING TO MATURITY plus I'VE GOT YOUR BACK - both sessions for $170.00
• FROM MADDENING TO MATURITY plus I'VE GOT YOUR BACK - both sessions for $90.00 Shelter/Rescue*

*SHELTER/RESCUE DISCOUNT Staff & Volunteers: Special pricing for you - please take advantage of the scholarships out of true need, as they do come right out of Suzanne's own pocket. This discount is offered on the honor system.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER Suzanne Clothier is internationally respected for her positive and humane approach to dogs and our relationships with them. She developed Relationship Centered Training™ (RCT) to help promote healthy, respectful and joyful dog/human connections. The author of Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs (2002) and many other titles and videos, her innovative programs include Treat/Retreat™, the Enriched Puppy Protocol™, Reactivity Repair Kit™, CARAT™, RAT™, FAT™, as well as many RCT techniques, online courses and webinars. A trainer of trainers, she has taught on a broad range of topics throughout the US and internationally, and served as a consultant to major service dog schools. 2027 will be her 50th year as an animal professional whose experience and practical know-how has helped countless dogs and their people around the world. Learn more about her work at SuzanneClothier.com

SUN Nov 29 AFTERNOON SESSION 1:30 - 5 pm

I've Got Your Back: Helping Your Anxious, Shy or Reactive Dog

Do you wish you and your dog could just enjoy life instead of worrying about strangers, barking, lunging, wanting to run away, or even acting aggressively? Above all, would you like to know why does your dog act like this, and how to help?

There is a confusing assortment of dog training advice out there. Use lots of treats. Don’t use treats. Don’t let them get away with it. Let them grow out of it. How do you know what to try? How do you know if it’s working?

This workshop will provide practical advice to help you help your dog. While we do not have any magic wands, you’ll learn:

• How anxiety and fear affect learning
• The contributions of temperament and experience
• What are the triggers, thresholds and recovery time

We’ll explore some commonly encountered myths about fearful & shy dogs:

• “She’ll get over it” – Why this approach can backfire so badly
• Why providing comfort to an upset dog is the right response
• “If they can eat, they’re okay!” The myth of the Ben & Jerry response

Helping your fearful, anxious, shy or reactive dog is not just about teaching obedience or doling out a lot of cheese. While we do teach skills and are generous with rewards, there is so much more:

• Recognizing your dog’s preferences, limits, triggers and resilience
• Being your dog’s support system – how your actions, body language & responses create safety and clarity for your dog
• RCT Skills to build confidence, self regulation and connection
• Creating the right size world for your dog
• Adjusting expectations to meet your dog’s reality

Above all, this workshop – like everything Suzanne teaches – will help you strengthen your relationship, build trust and help your dog (and you!) gain new confidence. Practical tips help you make the meaningful changes that support your dog and help shape the right size world, one that is comfortable and free from distress or overwhelm.

It may be your own dog that needs help. Maybe you work with shelter dogs or rescues who need support? Or perhaps you are a professional looking for new ideas on helping your clients and their dogs. Whatever your experience, join us and find out why Suzanne’s seminars are popular, prlactical and deeply grounded in almost 50 years of experience.

SAME DAY! Join us for the Sunday morning workshop, FROM MADDENING TO MATURITY: GUIDING YOUR ADOLESCENT DOG TO ADULTHOOD. Save $$ when you register for both. See details below.

This is a dog-free event! Please leave your dogs home so we can really focus on learning how to help them!

FEES:

• I'VE GOT YOUR BACK only - $90.00
• I'VE GOT YOUR BACK only - $50.00 Shelter/Rescue*
• I'VE GOT YOUR BACK plus FROM MADDENING TO MATURITY -both sessions for $170.00
• I'VE GOT YOUR BACK plus FROM MADDENING TO MATURITY plus I'VE GOT YOUR BACK - both sessions for $90 Shelter/Rescue*

*SHELTER/RESCUE DISCOUNT Staff & Volunteers: Special pricing for you - please take advantage of the scholarships out of true need, as they do come right out of Suzanne's own pocket. This discount is offered on the honor system.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER Suzanne Clothier is internationally respected for her positive and humane approach to dogs and our relationships with them. She developed Relationship Centered Training™ (RCT) to help promote healthy, respectful and joyful dog/human connections. The author of Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs (2002) and many other titles and videos, her innovative programs include Treat/Retreat™, the Enriched Puppy Protocol™, Reactivity Repair Kit™, CARAT™, RAT™, FAT™, as well as many RCT techniques, online courses and webinars. A trainer of trainers, she has taught on a broad range of topics throughout the US and internationally, and served as a consultant to major service dog schools. 2027 will be her 50th year as an animal professional whose experience and practical know-how has helped countless dogs and their people around the world. Learn more about her work at SuzanneClothier.com