THE BUSINESS END OF THE LEASH
Cultivating Curiosity and Problem-Solving
Elevate your classes with curricula that delivers
By Veronica Boutelle , MA , CTC
A re you stuck in a ‘ same old , same old ’ teaching rut ? Do your
classes often finish with fewer students than you started with ? Or do students fail to sign up to the next class you offer ? If your rates are competitive , your class feedback is positive , and you have a solid reputation , you may be wondering where things are going wrong . An often-overlooked area is the class curriculum itself .
Curriculum design is an art , and as dog trainers we often focus on the performance of the dogs , rather than on the human learners . You may have dogs performing an amazing array of behaviors by the end of each class , but if the human isn ’ t able to apply this success in the real world , their interest will likely fade . After all , dogs and their humans live in the real world , not the classroom .
The key to creating great classes is focusing less on dog behavior outcomes and more on human decision-making and real-life impact . No matter how much fun students are having , no matter how much they like you as an instructor , no matter how brilliantly their dog behaved in class , if they don ’ t see useful change in their own lives with their dogs they ’ re less likely to return .
If you can produce results which manifest in the outside world , you ’ ll also make selling your classes a lot easier . When advertising your offerings , focus on the benefits . Don ’ t just list skills and topics covered ; tell people how your training will help them . Will your class make taking their dog out more enjoyable ? Will it make life at home calmer and more manageable ? Will they finally be able to enjoy a day without their new puppy biting their ankles ? If your classes are feeling a little ‘ meh ’, now might be the time to reflect and reconsider their structure . So how do you create a class curriculum that gets people raving and coming back for more ?
Behavior doesn ’ t exist in a vacuum Avoid teaching behavior just to teach behavior . Everything you teach should be built around a real-life purpose . Trick training may be ‘ just for fun ’, but what other benefits may be associated ? How might it impact the relationship between dog and human , and could some of those tricks be used in specific contexts ?
Imagine you decide you want to teach a solid ‘ down stay ’ in your class . If successful , this is exactly what the client gets — a dog able to hold a ‘ down stay ’ in a classroom . If this is where the teaching ends , it ’ s not all that useful . But if the client learns what motivates and distracts their dog , as well as how to read the environment , they ’ ll be equipped to make good decisions and set their dog up for success anywhere .
What might this look like ? Perhaps your client likes to visit their local cafe each morning as part of their daily walk . It ’ s a sunny day and they ’ d love to sit outside to enjoy their coffee with their dog . A client taught with a decision-making approach would scan for potential distractions and problems in the environment . They would consider how enjoyable this will be for their dog , and where an optimal sitting location might be . Is it reasonable to ask for a ‘ down stay ’ or would a calm stand be more realistic to start with ? If they do ask for the ‘ down stay ’, how will they reinforce this behavior and how often ? Would it be wise to get the coffee in a takeaway cup , in case they need to make a quick exit ?
Rather than just trying that ‘ down stay ’ they learned in class and being frustrated when it doesn ’ t go as planned , the client has learned how to assess their dog ’ s comfort level and chance of success . This helps them to face challenges with more confidence ( and be really glad they attended that fabulous class with you !). To achieve this , they have had to learn a number of skills : Situational awareness , real-life problem-solving , and to work at their dog ’ s level .
Scaffold the learning To teach clients these more nuanced skills , learning needs to be broken down into segments , with a focus on teaching autonomy and problem-solving . This is known as scaffolding , in which teachers assess prior knowledge , break down tasks , model skills , and gradually withdraw support as students gain competence . The aim is to empower learners to gain skills independently . A bit like fading the prompt in dog training .
As your human and canine students pick up a new skill , you can then create opportunities for them to apply this to new situations . If you taught your students to capture a ‘ sit ’ using a clicker , for example , ask them how might they use this same technique to teach a ‘ down ’? If you describe some body language signals indicating stress in dogs , rather than continuing to list these , ask students if they ’ ve observed any examples in day-to-day life with their dog .
As their proficiency and decision-making improves , you can create bigger and more complex challenges for your students , and start integrating real-world scenarios . Depending on your area and options , you could make these real , such as a trip to a local park , or pretend , such as a mock cafe setup . During these scenarios students will be asked to make decisions based on their previous learning , just like the previous client wanting to have a coffee at their local cafe .
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