Patricia McConnell Seminar

[skittledoo]

I decided to put this in the training forum since it's training related.

I want to eventually earn my CPDT and be a professional dog trainer. I mainly want to focus on dogs with behavior issues which is why training Bamm with his reactivity has been such an amazing help at teaching me how to work with dogs with behavior issues. Eventually I want to start getting experience with other behavior issues, but for now I have Bamm to help me gain some knowledge.

I'm love all of Patricia McConnell's books. I've learned so much about understanding dogs emotions and reading their body language through Patricia McConnell's writings. Anyways... I just am totally stoked about this and no one at work cares so I thought I would share it with you lol...

Patricia McConnell is hosting a training seminar out here in November and I'm totally signing up for it. I think this will be a great opportunity for me to learn new things from her and to meet tons of other trainers and new upcoming trainers in the area. I'm hoping to find the chance to actually meet and talk with her, but who knows with how busy some of these seminars can get sometimes.

I'm just really excited... and obviously can't contain it.

If anyone is interested in going... the website that you can register on is
http://www.dreamdogproductions.com/id14.html

[adojrts]

That is awesome. If you can register early, sometimes its amazing how fast these seminars fill up.

[jess2416]

oh wow.... i would love to go to something like that,,,

[borzoimom]

I am a licensed certified dog trainer but I love her her methods. I wish I could go to a seminar she was doing.

[cinnamon]

I understand why you are so excited----I'd be signing up asap if she was doing a seminar near me.

[skittledoo]

I am a licensed certified dog trainer but I love her her methods. I wish I could go to a seminar she was doing.

you can still go. I know a few certified dog trainers that will still be attending. It's going to be in Woodbridge, VA

[lizzybeth727]

If you are certified, most certification programs require earning a number of CEUs, which you can earn by going to seminars. Just because you're liscensed and certified certainly doesn't mean you have nothing to learn from Patricia McConnel!

On a related note - I understand how stoked you must be about this seminar, I just registered for an aggressive dog seminar by Emma Parsons in August (http://www.servicedogs.org/waystohelp/donations/parsons_workshop_form.html). Can't wait!

[skittledoo]

Emma Parsons is amazing as well in my opinion.

This will be my first seminar and I'm really excited. I'm hoping to get a chance to meet more trainers in my area and talk to them about how I can really get myself plugged in. I think part of the requirements for obtaining your CPDT is that you have to have 300 training hours and 75% of that has to be as a head trainer. I need to figure out how to get myself plugged in so that I can start obtaining those hours and maybe learn from other trainers in the area. I have quite a few books already on the recommended reading list from the CPDT handbook and I've been studying dog training like crazy and working with Bamm.

I'd really like to go to school as well for some sort of animal behavior degree, but I don't think there are any in this area? I'd have to check and I'd have to finish out at the community college here and transfer. I know you don't need an animal behavior degree in order to obtain your CPDT, but... since I want to focus on dogs with behavior problems I think it would be beneficial and extra knowledge for me if I took some classes in understanding animal behavior.

Also... I heard that the CCPDT program is adding an additional exam part that specifically deals in behavior issues. Does anyone know if this is true?

[lizzybeth727]

I've heard a rumor that it might include a practical exam sometime in the future, and also that there might be different levels - like for general trainers and then maybe more advanced or more specialized trainers.

There are some MA and PhD programs for applied animal behaviorists, but I don't know where they are. Maybe you could look into that if you want to be a behaviorist.

[LuvsDogs]

You'll enjoy it immensely. I saw Patricia McConnell when she was in Sydney 5 or so years ago. I've been going to seminars since 2000 & you get a lot of new information from each one.

[skittledoo]

That's so awesome. I'm already keeping an ear and eye out for other upcoming seminars, but this one is one I really can't wait to go to. I'm hoping I can go ahead and register next payday so that I know for sure I'm in.