Griffo Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 This year 6 of us (5 DOLers included) did a course run by the one and only K9Force. It was on dog handling, training and aggression...as well as many other things. It was run over 4 months and we met once a month, but also had our own online forum too, for talk in between sessions and for our "homework". The course offered 2 dog owners the chance to have their dogs assessed and trained with K9Force, including programs etc. and it offered the 6 of us the opportunity to learn from one of the best by being an active part of this process. Basically K9 Force had never met these dogs before us so we all met them on the same day and thus were all exposed to the same information. We were shown all the correspondence K9 had received prior to the meeting of the dogs so we could have an idea of what to expect etc. As participants in this course, we were treated as fellow trainer by K9 and were able to handle dogs, give feedback, ask the owners questions, develop programs for the dogs etc. But we also received guidance by K9 Force throughout the process. Each session we had with K9, we spent a couple of hours with each dog and owner, handling the dog, teaching the owner how to handle the dog etc. We learnt how to fix common behaviour problems in dogs, as well as more in depth problems which need programs etc to fix. It had a strong focus on aggression (both dog to dog, and dog to human aggression), this being a major problem for many owners. We also learnt about dog's drives and how this can effect a dog's behaviour and how to overcome this. Over the 3 month course, these dogs turned from out of control "problems" to very well behaved members of their families. It was a great transition to see with both the owners and the dogs. And although both of the owners have plans for furthering their dogs' success, they both can not believe how far they have already come. K9 also organised 2 guest speakers for us. One being our very own Erny, who flew up especially from VIC. She was able to give us a another perspective on dog training coupled with some of her past experiences, she was a great speaker and shared some great information with us. One of the biggest things i took from Erny's talk is to not diagnose a dog over a forum/email/phone conversation etc. You really need to see and work with the dog to diagnose and program for it. The other guest speaker was a dog trainer all the way from QLD, Jane Harper. To me, she is the "never say never" dog trainer. She shared with us stories of her own dogs and their (horrifying) backgrounds. Jane works with the dogs that most people would have PTS. Through her we learnt that for one reason or another, some dogs do not exhibit "normal" dog body language. This can pose a huge challenge for trainers and owners, as we rely heavily on body language to read a dog. Despite this Jane never seems to give up, both with her own dogs and other people's. She has worked hard to take her own dogs to achieve their titles.... which is an amazing achievement, especially considering where these dogs came from. I could ramble on for hours about the course and how great it was, I was so lucky to be able to attend it. If anyone else is thinking about maybe attending a future course then i would very much recommend it. I can not believe how much knowledge i have taken away from it and how much more confident i am. I would just like to say a BIG THANK YOU to Erny and Jane for their input into our learning. You were both such an inspiration! But most of all i would like to thank K9Force :D for his huge effort into the organistaion of this course and his commitment to us and our learning over the past 4 months, and continuing commitment even now! I don't think you can put a price on a course like this or the information you get out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Rachelle - I am so jealous! The workshop sounds like an amazing experience. The other guest speaker was a dog trainer all the way from QLD, Jane Harper. To me, she is the "never say never" dog trainer. She shared with us stories of her own dogs and their (horrifying) backgrounds. Jane works with the dogs that most people would have PTS. Through her we learnt that for one reason or another, some dogs do not exhibit "normal" dog body language. This can pose a huge challenge for trainers and owners, as we rely heavily on body language to read a dog. Despite this Jane never seems to give up, both with her own dogs and other people's. She has worked hard to take her own dogs to achieve their titles.... which is an amazing achievement, especially considering where these dogs came from. Jane is wonderful, she helped me with Micha's dominance/aggression issues and even helped me with difficult Daisy. She is fantastic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonymc Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Rachelle, sounds like a fantastic course!!!!!The content sounds brillant.With Steve and Erny on the job the course was always going to be informative,enlightening and enjoyable!!!! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesomil Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Wow, that course sounds brilliant Thanks for sharing your experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moon Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 This year 6 of us (5 DOLers included) did a course run by the one and only K9Force. It was on dog handling, training and aggression...as well as many other things.It was run over 4 months and we met once a month, but also had our own online forum too, for talk in between sessions and for our "homework". The course offered 2 dog owners the chance to have their dogs assessed and trained with K9Force, including programs etc. and it offered the 6 of us the opportunity to learn from one of the best by being an active part of this process. Basically K9 Force had never met these dogs before us so we all met them on the same day and thus were all exposed to the same information. We were shown all the correspondence K9 had received prior to the meeting of the dogs so we could have an idea of what to expect etc. As participants in this course, we were treated as fellow trainer by K9 and were able to handle dogs, give feedback, ask the owners questions, develop programs for the dogs etc. But we also received guidance by K9 Force throughout the process. Each session we had with K9, we spent a couple of hours with each dog and owner, handling the dog, teaching the owner how to handle the dog etc. We learnt how to fix common behaviour problems in dogs, as well as more in depth problems which need programs etc to fix. It had a strong focus on aggression (both dog to dog, and dog to human aggression), this being a major problem for many owners. We also learnt about dog's drives and how this can effect a dog's behaviour and how to overcome this. Over the 3 month course, these dogs turned from out of control "problems" to very well behaved members of their families. It was a great transition to see with both the owners and the dogs. And although both of the owners have plans for furthering their dogs' success, they both can not believe how far they have already come. K9 also organised 2 guest speakers for us. One being our very own Erny, who flew up especially from VIC. She was able to give us a another perspective on dog training coupled with some of her past experiences, she was a great speaker and shared some great information with us. One of the biggest things i took from Erny's talk is to not diagnose a dog over a forum/email/phone conversation etc. You really need to see and work with the dog to diagnose and program for it. The other guest speaker was a dog trainer all the way from QLD, Jane Harper. To me, she is the "never say never" dog trainer. She shared with us stories of her own dogs and their (horrifying) backgrounds. Jane works with the dogs that most people would have PTS. Through her we learnt that for one reason or another, some dogs do not exhibit "normal" dog body language. This can pose a huge challenge for trainers and owners, as we rely heavily on body language to read a dog. Despite this Jane never seems to give up, both with her own dogs and other people's. She has worked hard to take her own dogs to achieve their titles.... which is an amazing achievement, especially considering where these dogs came from. I could ramble on for hours about the course and how great it was, I was so lucky to be able to attend it. If anyone else is thinking about maybe attending a future course then i would very much recommend it. I can not believe how much knowledge i have taken away from it and how much more confident i am. I would just like to say a BIG THANK YOU to Erny and Jane for their input into our learning. You were both such an inspiration! But most of all i would like to thank K9Force for his huge effort into the organistaion of this course and his commitment to us and our learning over the past 4 months, and continuing commitment even now! I don't think you can put a price on a course like this or the information you get out of it. Hi Rachelle, Sounds like a great experience. How often does K9force run these courses and how can you get involved in one of them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonymc Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Moon,why not send Steve a pm.He"s a pretty good fella and will soon advise you whats avalible. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Jones Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Nice one Erny....you came to Sydney without saying hello... . It sounds like it was a great course. I know K9 Force was looking forward to running the course and he spoke highly of all the attendee's and there dog training/problem solving skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 (edited) Nice one Erny....you came to Sydney without saying hello... . Well ..... hopefully I will be heading up that way again and we can arrange to meet up. Must admit - it was a very fast visit with a 2.45am start on the day. Boy, was I tired. And that K9 Force, he kept me up chatting until way into the early hours on the following day . Oh ..... and Jeff? The same goes for when you are down this way. I let you off the last time, remember? ;) Rachelle - thanks for posting and for your kind words. Glad you guys enjoyed and learnt so much from K9's course. I'm sure you will have collected a heap of valuable information to take with you wherever you go, whenever and whatever your doggie interactions might comprise of. Well done - you were a really great group and it was good to be surrounded by people so enthusiastic to learn. ;) Thank you also, Steve, for the invitation, opportunity and the hospitality. Edited October 22, 2007 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffo Posted October 22, 2007 Author Share Posted October 22, 2007 Yeah it was an excellent course and the amount of information which was covered was truly a mind boggle. Luckily K9 is making a video of it for us to look back on. Sounds like a great experience. How often does K9force run these courses and how can you get involved in one of them? I think he is going to run it again next year with a bit of a different format. Although he has run many workshops in the past, this course was the first he has ran of it's kind and we get a certificate to show our attendance from him. On his website you can register fro his mailing list which basically notifies you of any up and coming courses so you know first (before it is posted over the internet). Have a look at the bottom of this page and there is a note about how to get onto the list if you are interested. Must admit - it was a very fast visit with a 2.45am start on the day. With all the energy you brought into the room, you wouldn't have guessed you'd been up for that long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RL1 Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 We learnt how to fix common behaviour problems in dogs, as well as more in depth problems which need programs etc to fix. It had a strong focus on aggression (both dog to dog, and dog to human aggression), this being a major problem for many owners. We also learnt about dog's drives and how this can effect a dog's behaviour and how to overcome this. Over the 3 month course, these dogs turned from out of control "problems" to very well behaved members of their families. It was a great transition to see with both the owners and the dogs. And although both of the owners have plans for furthering their dogs' success, they both can not believe how far they have already come. . The other guest speaker was a dog trainer all the way from QLD, Jane Harper. To me, she is the "never say never" dog trainer. She shared with us stories of her own dogs and their (horrifying) backgrounds. Jane works with the dogs that most people would have PTS. Through her we learnt that for one reason or another, some dogs do not exhibit "normal" dog body language. This can pose a huge challenge for trainers and owners, as we rely heavily on body language to read a dog. Despite this Jane never seems to give up, both with her own dogs and other people's. She has worked hard to take her own dogs to achieve their titles.... which is an amazing achievement, especially considering where these dogs came from. : I think i need to meet these trainers.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 We learnt how to fix common behaviour problems in dogs, as well as more in depth problems which need programs etc to fix. It had a strong focus on aggression (both dog to dog, and dog to human aggression), this being a major problem for many owners. We also learnt about dog's drives and how this can effect a dog's behaviour and how to overcome this. Over the 3 month course, these dogs turned from out of control "problems" to very well behaved members of their families. It was a great transition to see with both the owners and the dogs. And although both of the owners have plans for furthering their dogs' success, they both can not believe how far they have already come. . The other guest speaker was a dog trainer all the way from QLD, Jane Harper. To me, she is the "never say never" dog trainer. She shared with us stories of her own dogs and their (horrifying) backgrounds. Jane works with the dogs that most people would have PTS. Through her we learnt that for one reason or another, some dogs do not exhibit "normal" dog body language. This can pose a huge challenge for trainers and owners, as we rely heavily on body language to read a dog. Despite this Jane never seems to give up, both with her own dogs and other people's. She has worked hard to take her own dogs to achieve their titles.... which is an amazing achievement, especially considering where these dogs came from. : I think i need to meet these trainers.. Rotty - Jane is the trainer I recommended to you. Even if she can't help you she is worth meeting, she is a great lady and very knowledgable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frieda Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 All I can say is that I am so envious. Sounds like you enjoyed the course and learnt at the same time Rachelle. Sigh....I just live so far from things and courses like this. I will just keep reading, reading, reading. Any recommendations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winterpaws Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 I'm with Jeff tsk tsk Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steph & Bam Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 We learnt how to fix common behaviour problems in dogs, as well as more in depth problems which need programs etc to fix. It had a strong focus on aggression (both dog to dog, and dog to human aggression), this being a major problem for many owners. We also learnt about dog's drives and how this can effect a dog's behaviour and how to overcome this. Over the 3 month course, these dogs turned from out of control "problems" to very well behaved members of their families. It was a great transition to see with both the owners and the dogs. And although both of the owners have plans for furthering their dogs' success, they both can not believe how far they have already come. . The other guest speaker was a dog trainer all the way from QLD, Jane Harper. To me, she is the "never say never" dog trainer. She shared with us stories of her own dogs and their (horrifying) backgrounds. Jane works with the dogs that most people would have PTS. Through her we learnt that for one reason or another, some dogs do not exhibit "normal" dog body language. This can pose a huge challenge for trainers and owners, as we rely heavily on body language to read a dog. Despite this Jane never seems to give up, both with her own dogs and other people's. She has worked hard to take her own dogs to achieve their titles.... which is an amazing achievement, especially considering where these dogs came from. : I think i need to meet these trainers.. Rotty - Jane is the trainer I recommended to you. Even if she can't help you she is worth meeting, she is a great lady and very knowledgable! And I will vouch for the amazing difference in Micha too, he is a credit to you Husky and your hard work has really paid off!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 I'm with Jefftsk tsk Erny : Oh oh ..... It really was a rush trip ........ honest guys. Makes note to self .... stay longer and catch up with Jeff and Winterpaws next time ... I'd like to do that, actually :D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Jane Harper. Helped me with my viz!! She's terrific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K9Pro Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 K9: Thanks Rachelle for the kind words... It was really a great course for me too, I was pretty amazed at the level these students rose to in such a short time, & the difference THEY (not me) made to the dogs was nothing short of amazing! I did design the course to be short which meant that everyone was under pressure to accomplish success in a small amount of time, & they really never were anything but positive & enthusiastic. I set up a yahoo group so that we may all discuss the current learning curve of the dogs & update & modify the programs as the dogs progress. Other than the two dogs I set as their learning benches, I gave them other cases (note form) I am working on to diagnose & prepare a strategy to work with, this was their homework... Just like every other step, they performed very well... We also had a day set aside for handling, in which 4 other dogs were brought along so that I can discuss the use of tools, techniques etc.. Jane (Harper of Qld) & Judi (Pro K9 Victoria http://prok9.com.au/) were kind enough to donate some of their time for my students, making the interstate trip & giving a talk for us that was not only educational, but entertaining as well... It was great for me too spending time with some friends in the industry.. I feel that whilst aggression itself is a complicated & difficult concept to grasp, the people that attended this course came out surprisingly on top of their game... I asked people from a few places, here included (http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...=free+behaviour) & (http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?show...=free+behaviour), to donate two dogs for this course. I was inundated & ended up chosing two dogs, both with aggression issues. First I would like to say that the owners of these dogs were very committed & very positive about this course, always willing to work with us & allow us to work with their dogs. I have been in contact with them all the way & will continue to stay in contact with them to ensure their dogs stay on the straight & narrow. It was a real pleasure for me to watch the bond between these dogs & their owners improve continuously throughout this course, & watch the guys doing the course really enjoy creating this bond... Both dogs were chosen as they were far from simple cases, in fact one dog was human aggressive to the point that some students were hesitant to work with him, not that I blame them... Within minutes he was in their control & working beautifully... It was really something to behold... Great students, great dogs & great owners made this an easy task for me to get such rave reviews... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seita Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Why can't you be in QLD K9? I'd love to do something like this!!! Sounds like it was fantastic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve K9Pro Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 K9: Now were did you meet me? I suspect it WAS in Qld.... , & its seems I am coming back according to Rom lol.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paganman Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 K9 Force Ive been told that a couple of years ago you came down to Victoria and did some private consultations over a week or so. Any chance that youll be doing this again at any time in the near future? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now