Back from my travels…

Whew, it was a long 11 days, but I learned so much! First, I started at the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) 15th Annual Educational Conference. Over 1,000 trainers gathered in Louisville, KY, to exchange ideas and learn about the latest research in the field.

Then I was off to Chicago, IL, to attend a retreat for faculty of the Karen Pryor Academy. I am so impressed with the other faculty, as well as with the program and the high standards they are setting. If you're interested in learning more about clicker training and how to become a dog trainer, you should think about enrolling in the Academy. You can come to my Academy sessions in Columbia, MD, starting in January 2009!

As you can see from some earlier posts, I had the most fun at the Shedd Aquarium with Ken Ramirez. We got to meet a California Sea Lion named Ty (who was just as cute as Ty Pennington!), saw some fantastic aquarium life, got up close and personal with Tahoma, a majestic Red-Tailed Hawk, and of course got to see the Shedd Aquarium Pet Show!

Then, it was off to Boston where I earned certification in TAGteach.

What is TAGteach? TAGteach is a revolutionary science-based technology that enables educators and coaches to teach efficiently and helps students learn effectively. TAG is an acronym for Teaching with Acoustical Guidance. The focused, positive nature of this method yields immediate and stunning results that are clearly evident to teachers, students and parents.

It was another fantastic experience, and yet another tool I can use to help teach dog owners how to teach their own dogs how to behave.