Courses

All courses begin at 9 A.M. and end at 4 P.M. and are held indoors.

OBEDIENCE  INTENSIVE:
An introduction to Michael’s training system in theory and practice.

This course is a great stepping off point for anyone interested in our school, and is a prerequisite for many of our other courses.  It details all the fundamentals of our approach to obedience and the dog/handler relationship. This course thoroughly covers our reward based teaching systems, the use of verbal markers for communication, building behavior through luring and free shaping, the thoughtful introduction of aversives, and creating motivation in your dog through productive play.  There will be both a lecture/theory portion, covering the science of the training, and a practical portion, that puts the theory into play.  There are no prerequisites for this class. Students must bring a dog for the practical phase. 

Two weeks. Cost $1950

April 19th-30th, 2010
July 12th-23rd, 2010
October 18th-29th, 2010

PROTECTION THEORY AND PRACTICE:
SECTION ONE - PROECTION THEORY
SECTION TWO - DECOY CLINIC

This highly detailed course is unlike any other currently offered in this country.  It is broken into two sections. Each section is one week long, and they can be taken back to back or independently.

The first section covers the theory behind protection work from a training perspective.  We will discuss the various venues for protection work (police service, personal protection, Schutzhund/IPO, French/Mondio ring, KNPV, and Belgian ring) and how they differ in theory and practice.  We will define terms commonly used in protection work, and learn to apply them in practical situations, as well as examining the strengths and short-comings of “drive theory” as it relates to protection work.  We will discuss techniques for creating a strong protection dog and learn to read basic canine body language as it relates to this goal.   This course is a must for anyone doing decoy/helper work, and is highly recommended for anyone interested in protection sports, aggression in dogs, or canine behavior.

During this course I have made arrangements for friends to bring their dogs to demonstrate specific types of drive and character. The course will teach student trainers how to set up training programs for different types of dogs. Whenever possible, students' dogs that have the temperament and drive will be used to demonstrate training.

The second section is a purely practical education for the helper/decoy, in other words, this is the class where you learn to work dogs as a decoy/helper.  We will cover the mechanics of working a protection dog with both sleeve and bitesuit, techniques for working both upper and lower body dogs, and the differences between the various protection venues as it relates to helper/decoy work.  We will also cover, in detail, the physical techniques for improving a dog’s protection work.  Dogs will be available for students to work, but each student is also required to bring a dog that can do some protection work.

Michael Ellis' Opening Lecture in his School Course in Protection Theory	Michael Ellis' opening lecture in his one week school course titled Training Decoys
39:06	1:04:43

Each section is one week.  Cost $950 per section.

Section 1: Theory - May 3rd-7th, 2010

Section 1: Theory - July 26th-30th 2010

SPORT CLINIC

This course is the classic competitive sport seminar that Michael has been giving for nearly ten years.  While there will be some lecture, this course focuses on hands on problem solving and the development of training plans for competitive protection sport trainers (IPO and ringsports).  The clinics cover both obedience and protection each day. These clinics are for trainers actively competing, or planning to compete in the protection sports. Handlers must have attended at least one of our seminars or taken our Obedience Intensive 1. 

Each clinic is 3 days.  Cost $250

May 1st-2nd, 2010
June 12th-14th, 2010
September 10th-12th

ADVANCED OBEDIENCE INTENSIVE

This is the course for those trainers that really want to focus on the details. We will cover more advanced obedience behaviors (formal retrieve, competitive/focused heeling, jumps, scent discrimination, etc.) and learn the skills necessary to achieve greater precision in all our obedience work.  This class is for competitive trainers looking to add some new tools to their toolbox, pet dog trainers looking to advance their skills, or those trainers ready to break out of the beginner ranks. The class will entail some lecture and discussion regarding modern, reward based methods, building and maintaining motivation, and the thoughtful use of compulsion, but the bulk of the class will be hands on, practical work. Students must bring a dog for the practical portions.

One week.  Cost $950

March 15th-19th, 2010
June 7th-11th, 2010

PROPER USE OF THE ELECTRONIC COLLAR

The ecollar has become a popular and pervasive tool in modern dog training. Unfortunately there is very little in the way of behaviorally sound information available for those considering its use.  Many trainers mistakenly view the ecollar as the “bigger stick” of dog training. This course will dispel that myth and help trainers develop a sound understanding of learning theory and how it affects the use of electronic collars, as well as teach trainers to incorporate the use of this tool into primarily reward based training systems with minimal stress for the dogs. 

Two days.  Cost $325

March 1st-2nd, 2010
June 18th-19th, 2010

PUPPY DEVELOPMENT
TECHNIQUES FOR MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR PUPPY FOR WORK OR PET

This course is an in depth primer on rearing a puppy for success in any discipline.  It covers early critical socialization, “learning to learn,” shaping behavior, controlling environment to keep problems from emerging, proper play techniques (to maximize motivation), house breaking, and teaching manners without destroying a dogs motivation to work.  This course is designed for a variety of trainers, from active pet dog trainers to competitive obedience, agility, or protection sport trainers.  Learn to lay a solid foundation… it will pay off in the long run.  Students must bring a puppy for the practical portion.

One week.  Cost $950.