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UID:981-1780531200-1780876799@kynology.org
SUMMARY:Incense and Irreverence Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Opportunity Barks\, The Farm\, Philadelphia\, Pennsylvania\n\n\n\nEssentials of Modern Dog Training – General Training Emphasis\n\n\n\nThis event will be appropriate for trainers working in a broad variety of disciplines\, including companion dog\, working dog\, and obedience dog training. If you haven’t seen how Leigh hosts an event\, then prepare yourself for an exercise in masterful organization\, impeccable taste\, good humor\, and nostalgic music — not to mention fresh fruit and little &%$#ing chocolates and stuff she puts out to make you feel at home\, and all loved and shit. As jaded\, disorganized\, and irreverent as Forrest and Stewart can be\, they loved the first Kynology/Opportunity Barks event and can’t wait to go back. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nProgram OverviewCourse SyllabusTravel & Logistics\n\nA Rare Gathering in Kynology\n\n\n\nHosted by Opportunity Barks | Featuring Stewart Hilliard & Forrest Micke\n\n\n\nMost seminars tell you what to do. This gathering teaches you how to look. \n\n\n\nBecause if you can’t see what’s in front of you\, it doesn’t matter how many techniques you’ve collected\, you’re still guessing. \n\n\n\nThis isn’t a mass-market\, sit-in-the-back-and-take-notes kind of thing. It’s small on purpose. A working room. Real dogs\, real people\, real-time decisions. The kind of place where things can get a little messy in the best possible way. \n\n\n\nOver four days\, we’re not trying to rush you through a checklist. We’re slowing things down enough that you can actually notice what’s happening\, and maybe catch a few things you’ve been missing. \n\n\n\nThe Room (and What We’re Actually Doing Here)\n\n\n\nKynology is the study of the dog as a whole system: science\, behavior\, instinct\, pressure\, communication\, relationship — all of it tangled together like it actually is in real life. \n\n\n\nNot neat. Not linear. Not polite. \n\n\n\nSo we keep the group small\, not to be fancy\, but so the work can breathe a little. So someone can ask a question and we don’t have to sprint past it. So a dog can do something unexpected and we can actually stay with it instead of pretending it didn’t happen. \n\n\n\nAnd just to be clear: the dogs aren’t props. They’re not demos. They’re the whole point. \n\n\n\nKynology provides the language for why this work matters. \n\n\n\n\n8 Working Spots: You and your dog\, in it for real.\n\n\n\nLimited In-Room Seats: Close enough to see everything\, whether you brought a dog or not.\n\n\n\nLivestream Auditing: For the behavior nerds watching from afar.\n\n\n\n\nWhy Four Days (Yes\, Four)\n\n\n\nBecause dogs don’t care about your seminar schedule. \n\n\n\nThey need time to settle. To show you who they actually are once the initial nonsense wears off. Patterns don’t show up on command\, and neither does understanding. \n\n\n\nSo instead of cramming information into a weekend and calling it a day\, we stretch it out. You’ll see something\, try something\, get it wrong\, adjust\, and then maybe\, maybe\, start to feel what you’re doing. \n\n\n\nThat’s the part that matters. \n\n\n\nWhat We’re Looking At\n\n\n\n\nHow instinct and drive actually show up\, not how we wish they would.\n\n\n\nWhat pressure is doing: when it helps\, when it confuses\, when it backfires.\n\n\n\nThat elusive thing people call “feel\,” which is really just paying attention at a higher resolution\n\n\n\n\nNo magic tricks. No scripts. Just better observation and better timing. \n\n\n\nThe Part People Don’t Plan For (But Remember the Most)\n\n\n\nSaturday night we’ll gather for dinner. Not as a formality\, but because once people stop “being in a seminar\,” the real conversations unfold. The off-script stuff. The stories. The questions you didn’t know how to ask at 2 pm. \n\n\n\nThat’s usually where things click. \n\n\n\nSchedule\n\n\n\nJune 4 – 7 (Thursday – Sunday): 9 am – 5 pm \n\n\n\n\nCoffee & Light Bites will be available each morning\n\n\n\nBYOL (Bring your own lunch)\n\n\n\nDinner on Saturday included\, for the conversations (and camaraderie) you didn’t know you needed.\n\n\n\n\nGetting Psyched? Click the COURSE SYLLABUS Tab (above) to get a taste of some of the topics we will cover during lectures\, discussion and live demonstrations. For more details on venue and location\, see the Travel & Logistics Tab \n\n\n\n\n\nJoin us for four days of in-depth conversation\, scientific analysis\, and practical work. The seminar will be split among lecture and theory\, demonstration and discussion\, and hands-on training with participants’ dogs. We will focus on core aspects of modern dog training\, including the application of functionally-defined aversive control. The ambience is intimate and the venue is small\, so slots are limited. Dr. Hilliard’s lectures will provide insights on topics such as: \n\n\n\n\nPavlovian Conditioning: The mechanisms of stimulus — stimulus learning and their relevance to dog training\, including inhibitory conditioning\, counterconditioning\, and the technical problem of extinction.\n\n\n\nInstrumental Conditioning: Essentials of response — consequence learning and practical applications.\n\n\n\nThe Contingency Square: A deeper understanding of the distinction between the valence (feels good or feels bad) of the stimuli we employ to train the dog versus the valence of the consequence the dog actually experiences\n\n\n\nPavlovian – Instrumental interactions: How Pavlovian-Instrumental interactions determine the effectiveness of training techniques\, and procedures used to “insulate” the target instrumental response from interference by embedded Pavlovian contingencies\n\n\n\nAversive Control: Distinguishing between aversive stimuli (those that are unpleasant for the dog to experience) and functionally-defined aversive control (defined by the effect on behavior)\, and understanding why the distinction is important for dog welfare.\n\n\n\nNegative Reinforcement and Positive Punishment: Mechanisms of negative reinforcement and positive punishment\, including the critical distinction between escape and avoidance\, and the importance of safety cues \n\n\n\nSignaling: The roles of secondary reinforcers and secondary punishers in dog training.\n\n\n\nDog Welfare: The truth about learned helplessness\, the nature of stress\, and why dog welfare should not be defined in terms of the presence or absence of stress\, but instead in terms of the dog’s ability to predict and control stress\n\n\n\nTraining Methodology: The Agency- Accountability Approach to dog training and how it provides for training techniques that are kind and fair to dogs\, ethically-defensible\, and consistent with scientific data on animal learning and animal welfare– while also providing real-world results for dog trainers\n\n\n\n\nGetting More Psyched? Click the TRAVEL & LOGISTICS tab (above) for venue details\, travel logistics\, accommodations\, etc. \n\n\n\n\n\nVenue Location\n\n\n\nOpportunity Barks is located in the Quakertown\, PA vicinity (event address provided after registration)  \n\n\n\nTravel\n\n\n\n\nPhiladelphia: ~1 hour\n\n\n\nAllentown: ~35 minutes\n\n\n\nPrinceton\, NJ: ~1 hour\n\n\n\nBrooklyn\, NY: ~2 hours\n\n\n\nWilmington\, DE: ~1 hr 15 min\n\n\n\nWashington\, DC: ~3 hr 10 min\n\n\n\n\nAirports\n\n\n\n\nAirports: Lehigh Valley (35 min)\n\n\n\nPhiladelphia International (55 min)\n\n\n\n\nWhere to Stay\n\n\n\nAnywhere around Sellersville\, Perkasie\, or Quakertown\, PA. \n\n\n\nHotels (about 15 min out):\n\n\n\n\nHoliday Inn Express & Suites — Quakertown\n\n\n\nQuality Inn & Suites — Quakertown-Allentown\n\n\n\nSpringHill Suites — Quakertown\n\n\n\nHampton Inn — Quakertown\n\n\n\n\nCabins/Camping\n\n\n\n\nLake Nockimixon Cabins\, PDF. More details about Lake Nocki Cabins\n\n\n\nTohickon Campground\n\n\n\nHomestead Family Campground\n\n\n\nRinging Rocks Campground\n\n\n\n\nMore details to come!\n\n\n\nIn-person Registrants will receive an email from Leigh several days prior to the event with more details and to prep working teams. For questions regarding venue location\, travel and accommodations\, please e-mail Leigh at leigh@opbarks.com \n\n\n\nGetting Even More Psyched? See REGISTRATION OPTIONS (below) to see details on registration options and how to nominate your dog as a demo dog. Note that registered students will be given access to pre-event resources. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Options\n\n\n\nSeminar Participant ($600 In-Person)\n\n\n\nFully immerse yourself in lectures\, discussions and live-demos\, with or without a dog. Unlike traditional seminars\, which prioritizes individualized attention to each dog-handler teams with little participation from other handlers and auditors who pay a nominal fee to passively listen in\, the hands-on demonstrations and training sessions with selected participants dogs will be inclusive of the entire group\, permitting everyone to ask questions and fully participate in the discussions\, learning the practical application of topics presented in the lectures by watching a multitude of dogs and scenarios. \n\n\n\nThe first 10 registrants will get $100 off (in-person) or $60 off (Virtual attendance). Discount will be reflected in ticket cost (below)\, if you do not see a price reduction\, then they have all been claimed. \n\n\n\nWorking Spots ($165 upgrade)\n\n\n\nThose who would like to participate with their dog in the hands-on demonstrations must first register for the event (purchase a ticket) to reserve your spot as a seminar participant. After purchase\, submit 1 – 2 minute video clips (rather than one very long video) of a training session showcasing your dog working in a busy\, unfamiliar environment. Video clips should show your dog interacting with multiple rewards\, including food\, different types of toys\, and bites on equipment (if appropriate for your discipline). The objective here is to make sure that the dog can function well in a seminar context and that in-seminar work will promote learning for all seminar participants\, including your dog. \n\n\n\nSubmit links to your video (hosted on YouTube\, Vimeo\, etc) to events@kynology.org. Videos can also be submitted directly through WhatsApp (email us for that number). Once you are approved\, you may reserve a spot for your dog by purchasing a working spot upgrade. Note that submission does not guarantee approval\, and there are no refunds on seminar tickets if your dog is not approved (we want to fill the room with those who want to learn with the community and not just those who wish to work there dogs individually). \n\n\n\nVirtual Participation ($365 Livestream)\n\n\n\nCan’t make it in person but really want to be there? We are offering a LIMITED number of Livestream seats. Are we professional Livestreamers? No. Will you get to follow the fun and the chaos and get to participate in the group chat and occasionally get “behind the scenes” fun with the behind the scenes people? Yes. \n\n\n\nAnd in trade for the occasional technical glitch (and because we appreciate you and that not everyone learns at the same rates)\, EVERYONE in the room\, whether virtual or in-person\, will receive 2 weeks access to recordings after the event. Note that we are doing this to give you all an opportunity to catch anything that you missed and not stress about frantically capturing notes. We intend this to be a live event for people “in the room” (in person or in virtual simulacra) rather than purchase of a pre-recorded event. \n\n\n\n\n\nALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT? Login prior to purchase to expedite the process.  \n\n\n\nAccount Login\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIMPORTANT: Be sure to add your name and email to the attendee collection form during checkout to receive event updates and access to recordings.
URL:https://kynology.org/event/incense-and-irreverence-seminar/
LOCATION:Opportunity Barks\, Quakertown\, PA\, 18960\, United States
CATEGORIES:Seminar
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261029T090000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20261031T170000
DTSTAMP:20260904T221755Z
CREATED:20260815T221848Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T221755Z
UID:6557-1793264400-1793466000@kynology.org
SUMMARY:Kynology Down Under: Science and Modern Dog Training (Event #1)
DESCRIPTION:Pro Dog Training\, 1/2D Indwe Street\, West Footscray\, Victoria \n\n\n\nKynology is packing its bags and heading to Australia! This is the first of three unique educational events hosted by our collaborators at Pro Dog Training at their facility in Melbourne\, Victoria. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLink to Pro Dog Training to Register\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nScience and Modern Dog Training\n\n\n\nJoin us for three days of detailed lecture and deep discussion about the ways in which behavioral science informs modern methods for dog training. The intended audience is all Australasian kynologists — dedicated students of dog behavior\, learning\, and training\, who want to fully engage their minds when they train\, and when they discuss dogs. Topics will be relevant to companion dog and sport\, police\, and military working dog disciplines\, but should also interest any fancier who is thoughtful about dogs\, behavior\, and training. \n\n\n\n We’ll discuss Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning in depth\, and the ways these fundamental learning processes interact to produce good training — and the ways these interact to turn our training session into a bloody $%@ing dumpster fire. We’re going to address head-on the controversies about aversive control\, stress\, and the ethics of dog training\, picking up along the way a deep understanding of learned helplessness and why it has a lot to do with top-tier dog training — but not for the reasons that force-free ideologues may try to tell you.  \n\n\n\nWe’ll also unpack the nuts and bolts of stimulus control and secondary reinforcers and punishers\, along the way clarifying the contingency square we’re all taught but never quite understand the way we’d like to. \n\n\n\nThe objectives of the event are to help participants:\n\n\n\n\nLearn the science they need to make up their own minds about the important issues in dog training\n\n\n\nUnderstand on a deep level why certain procedures work well\, and why some procedures that seem to make perfectly good sense always wind up biting them in the ass\, and how to independently analyze their own work to get better results\n\n\n\nArticulate and also — when necessary — defend their personal ethical positions and technical dog training approaches when speaking with clients\, colleagues\, and councils or politicians\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTickets & Registration\n\n\n\nKynology is packing its bags and heading to Australia! This is one of four unique educational events hosted by our collaborators at Pro Dog Training at their facility in Melbourne\, Victoria. For details and registration go to prodogtraining.com.au/upcoming-events/dr-stewart-hilliard \n\n\n\n\nEvent #1: Science and Modern Dog Training (Oct 29 – 31) — Open registration\n\n\n\nEvent #2: Crash Course in Dog Reactivity (Nov 1) — Open registration\n\n\n\nEvent #3: Civil Aggression in Sport\, Police\, and Military Working Dogs (Nov 3 – 4) — Invite only\n\n\n\nEvent #4: Science and Training of Detector Dogs (Nov 5 – 6) — Open registration\n\n\n\n\nTickets for the first two events are open to anyone who wants to learn more about dog behavior and training\, and can be purchased from ProDog separately or in combo at a discounted rate.The civil aggression workshop is by invitation only. Sport\, police and military working dog agencies interested in joining this event should contact Pro Dog Training directly to inquire. \n\n\n\n\nLink to Pro Dog Training to Register\n\n\n\n\nQuestions about the seminar content? Email us at events@kynology.org. Questions about tickets\, payment\, or logistics on the ground in Melbourne go to Pro Dog Training directly. \n\n\n\nRead Dr. Hilliard’s full biography »
URL:https://kynology.org/event/kynology-down-under-science-and-modern-dog-training/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261101T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261101T170000
DTSTAMP:20260904T221949Z
CREATED:20260815T221917Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T221949Z
UID:6559-1793523600-1793552400@kynology.org
SUMMARY:Kynology Down Under: Dog Reactivity Crash Course (Event #2)
DESCRIPTION:Pro Dog Training\, 1/2D Indwe Street\, West Footscray\, Victoria \n\n\n\nKynology is packing its bags and heading to Australia! This is the second of three unique educational events hosted by our collaborators at Pro Dog Training at their facility in Melbourne\, Victoria. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLink to Pro Dog Training to Register\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDog Reactivity: A Crash Course\n\n\n\nA one-day intensive course in thinking about and remedying undesirable emotional responding (think fear\, aggression\, and predation) by dogs when on leash and any way they show up in life. Although the main focus will be companion dogs\, the course is relevant to work dogs as well because “drivey” work-bred dogs are at high risk of developing reactivity problems. \n\n\n\nWe’ll briefly touch on counterconditioning\, differential reinforcement of other/alternative responses\, systematic desensitization\, the role of aversive control\, and the relative strengths and risks of Pavlovian conditioning-centered vs instrumental conditioning-centered approaches to the problem. \n\n\n\nThen we’ll do as much practical work as time and dogs allow in one day\, including evaluation\, formation of training plans\, and initial steps for implementation and then revision of plans. As always\, discussion and practical applications will be supported by the three pillars of practical efficacy\, welfare (dog\, owner\, and community)\, and ethics. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTickets & Registration\n\n\n\nKynology is packing its bags and heading to Australia! This is one of four unique educational events hosted by our collaborators at Pro Dog Training at their facility in Melbourne\, Victoria. For details and registration go to prodogtraining.com.au/upcoming-events/dr-stewart-hilliard \n\n\n\n\nEvent #1: Science and Modern Dog Training (Oct 29 – 31) — Open registration\n\n\n\nEvent #2: Crash Course in Dog Reactivity (Nov 1) — Open registration\n\n\n\nEvent #3: Civil Aggression in Sport\, Police\, and Military Working Dogs (Nov 3 – 4) — Invite only\n\n\n\nEvent #4: Science and Training of Detector Dogs (Nov 5 – 6) — Open registration\n\n\n\n\nTickets for the first two events are open to anyone who wants to learn more about dog behavior and training\, and can be purchased from ProDog separately or in combo at a discounted rate.The civil aggression workshop is by invitation only. Sport\, police and military working dog agencies interested in joining this event should contact Pro Dog Training directly to inquire. \n\n\n\n\nLink to Pro Dog Training to Register\n\n\n\n\nQuestions about the seminar content? Email us at events@kynology.org. Questions about tickets\, payment\, or logistics on the ground in Melbourne go to Pro Dog Training directly. \n\n\n\nRead Dr. Hilliard’s full biography »
URL:https://kynology.org/event/kynology-down-under-dog-reactivity-crash-course/
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261103T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261104T170000
DTSTAMP:20260904T221741Z
CREATED:20260815T222435Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T221741Z
UID:6580-1793696400-1793811600@kynology.org
SUMMARY:Kynology Down Under: Civil Aggression in Police and Military Working Dogs (Event #3)
DESCRIPTION:Kynology is packing its bags and heading to Australia! This is the third of three unique educational events hosted by our collaborators at Pro Dog Training at their facility in Melbourne\, Victoria. This event is by invitation only\, and is closed to the general public. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLink to Pro Dog Training to Register\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTwo days’ focus on a core aspect of training biting dogs for sport or service– understanding and working with social aggression. In lecture\, we will focus on the ethology of working dog training and the traditional Raiserian model of predation vs aggression\, but also the operant realm of stimulus control of bite intent. Thus we’ll examine desirable aggression as a training objective through both ethological and also behavior-analytic lenses. Practically\, Dr. Hilliard will zero-in on demonstration and teaching of the neglected art of civil agitation. Stewart will first evaluate participant dogs for social aggression\, thresholds\, and agency under social stress\, and then transition (with care) to instructing a small number of selected participants in using modulated social threat to induce a constructive level of stress\, and movement to convert emotional barking to instrumental barking and install resilience and agency under pressure. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTickets & Registration\n\n\n\nKynology is packing its bags and heading to Australia! This is one of four unique educational events hosted by our collaborators at Pro Dog Training at their facility in Melbourne\, Victoria. For details and registration go to prodogtraining.com.au/upcoming-events/dr-stewart-hilliard \n\n\n\n\nEvent #1: Science and Modern Dog Training (Oct 29 – 31) — Open registration\n\n\n\nEvent #2: Crash Course in Dog Reactivity (Nov 1) — Open registration\n\n\n\nEvent #3: Civil Aggression in Sport\, Police\, and Military Working Dogs (Nov 3 – 4) — Invite only\n\n\n\nEvent #4: Science and Training of Detector Dogs (Nov 5 – 6) — Open registration\n\n\n\n\nTickets for the first two events are open to anyone who wants to learn more about dog behavior and training\, and can be purchased from ProDog separately or in combo at a discounted rate.The civil aggression workshop is by invitation only. Sport\, police and military working dog agencies interested in joining this event should contact Pro Dog Training directly to inquire. \n\n\n\n\nLink to Pro Dog Training to Register\n\n\n\n\nQuestions about the seminar content? Email us at events@kynology.org. Questions about tickets\, payment\, or logistics on the ground in Melbourne go to Pro Dog Training directly. \n\n\n\nRead Dr. Hilliard’s full biography »
URL:https://kynology.org/event/kynology-down-under-civil-aggression-in-police-and-military-working-dogs/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20261105T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20261106T170000
DTSTAMP:20260915T113751Z
CREATED:20260915T113748Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260915T113751Z
UID:6720-1793869200-1793984400@kynology.org
SUMMARY:Kynology Down Under: Science and Training of Detector Dogs (Event#4)
DESCRIPTION:Kynology is packing its bags and heading to Australia! This is the fourth and final of three—NOW FOUR—unique educational events hosted by our collaborators at Pro Dog Training at their facility in Melbourne\, Victoria. \n\n\n\nPro Dog Training\, 1/2D Indwe Street\, West Footscray\, Victoria \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLink to Pro Dog Training to Register\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJust Say No! — Science and Training of Detector Dogs\n\n\n\nAngel Landrau and Dr. Stewart Hilliard\n\n\n\nThis will be a two-day crash course designed to introduce detector dog operators (both amateur and professional) with the basic theoretical and practical knowledge they need. Dr. Hilliard will lead on theory\, and Angel Landrau (MSgt US Air Force\, Ret; previous MPC Teams Training Advisor for the US Army Special Operations Command\, and current MWD consignment evaluator for the 341st Training Squadron) will bring his completely original approach to practical work. The course is organized around already-trained dogs—evaluating their accuracy and specificity on operations\, identifying their weaknesses\, and on-the-spot interventions and training plans to address those weaknesses. The orientation of this course is unconventional: In addition to the creating ”tuned” control of the dog’s alert and indication (or CoB and final response) by trained odor\, we emphasize methods to test for and eliminate false responding controlled by distractor odors\, masking odors\, and other stimuli. In order to be accurate\, operational detector dogs have to correctly say “No\, my trained odor is not here” far more often than they have to correctly say “Yes\, my odor is here.” This is why our motto is “Teach your dog to just say No!” and we will demonstrate procedures to assess how good your dog is at saying No and also improve this critical ability. Other unconventional ideas we introduce will include: a) Rewarding indication responses with random rather than continuous reinforcement; b) assessing the reliability of the dog’s alert versus the indication (which one provides the handler with the best evidence?); c) teaching the dog to be a specific discriminator rather than a non-specific “feature detector;” and d) isolating search training (long-duration sniffing and searching) from alert/indication training\, so that handlers can adjust the number of hides they place in training to reflect operational conditions\, rather than placing hides– far too frequently– just to reward their dog for search behavior. This seminar will be geared for K9 operators from law enforcement and military\, but also welcomes trainers and handlers from private industry or sport training\, depending on the venue. \n\n\n\nProgram Overview:\n\n\n\nWe will focus on core knowledge that trainers must have in order to understand detector dogs\, and produce accurate and reliable real-world K9 detection performance. We will welcome handlers of any kind of detector dog—narcotic\, explosive\, sport\, or conservation dogs\, etc. This event will be more practically-oriented than standard Kynology events\, perhaps ⅓ lecture and theory and ⅔ practical work and training. Number handler-d0g teams will be limited to eight\, obersvers wil be limited to the size of the venue. Dr. Hilliard’s lectures will provide essential knowledge on the following topics: \n\n\n\n\nPavlovian Conditioning: Essentials of stimulus — Stimulus learning\, and what exactly is odor recognition?\n\n\n\nInstrumental Conditioning: Essentials of response — Consequence learning and practical applications to detection.\n\n\n\nAlert vs indication — How do you know when your dog has encountered target odor? What is your best evidence on operations and for the courts?\n\n\n\nSignal detection theory — The dog as a signal detector\, and the effect of asymmetric reinforcement schedules for hits vs correct rejections\n\n\n\nStimulus control of detection responding — Generalization and discrimination\, blocking\, overshadowing\, latent inhibition\, sensory pre-conditioning\, and relative validity– Why detection training goes right when it goes right\, and why it goes wrong when it is a dumpster fire\n\n\n\nControl by target (trained) odor — “Tuning” the detector dog’s generalization curves for accurate detection of real-world targets \n\n\n\nControl by non-target and other stimuli — Minimizing the influence of odors and other stimuli\, especially the odors of delivery devices and other big &%$#ing technical problems\, to prevent misses and false responses\n\n\n\nHandling options for improving search behavior\, improving accuracy when detecting\, localizing\, and indicating trained odor\, and decreasing false responding.\n\n\n\nHandling options for improving motivation and establishing multiple “levels” of motivation for different detection tasks\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTickets & Registration\n\n\n\nKynology is packing its bags and heading to Australia! This is one of four unique educational events hosted by our collaborators at Pro Dog Training at their facility in Melbourne\, Victoria. For details and registration go to prodogtraining.com.au/upcoming-events/dr-stewart-hilliard \n\n\n\n\nEvent #1: Science and Modern Dog Training (Oct 29 – 31) — Open registration\n\n\n\nEvent #2: Crash Course in Dog Reactivity (Nov 1) — Open registration\n\n\n\nEvent #3: Civil Aggression in Sport\, Police\, and Military Working Dogs (Nov 3 – 4) — Invite only\n\n\n\nEvent #4: Science and Training of Detector Dogs (Nov 5 – 6) — Open registration\n\n\n\n\nTickets for the first two events are open to anyone who wants to learn more about dog behavior and training\, and can be purchased from ProDog separately or in combo at a discounted rate.The civil aggression workshop is by invitation only. Sport\, police and military working dog agencies interested in joining this event should contact Pro Dog Training directly to inquire. \n\n\n\n\nLink to Pro Dog Training to Register\n\n\n\n\nQuestions about the seminar content? Email us at events@kynology.org. Questions about tickets\, payment\, or logistics on the ground in Melbourne go to Pro Dog Training directly. \n\n\n\nRead Dr. Hilliard’s full biography »
URL:https://kynology.org/event/kynology-down-under-science-and-training-of-detector-dogs-event4/
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20270204T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20270206T170000
DTSTAMP:20260816T221259Z
CREATED:20260816T202138Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260816T221259Z
UID:6625-1801731600-1801933200@kynology.org
SUMMARY:Kynology Europa: Science and Modern Dog Training
DESCRIPTION:Kynology returns to its roots in Europe\, homeland of working dog breeds\, working dog training\, and the science of Ethology. \n\n\n\nJoin Dr. Stewart Hilliard at KynoTec GmbH in Payerstetten\, Austria for three days of intensive lecture and deep discussion about behavioral science and modern dog training. The intended audience is kynologists– dedicated  students of dog behavior\, learning\, and training. Topics will be relevant to any thoughtful trainer of companion dogs\, sport\, police\, and military working dogs\, or hunting dogs. We’ll discuss: \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe mechanisms of Pavlovian S – S conditioning (including Pavlovian inhibition) and instrumental R – S conditioning; the ways S – S and R – S learning processes interact to produce effective dog training\, and the ways they can interact to produce misbehavior and turn our training session into a $%!@ing dumpster fire. \n\n\n\nThe nature of reward and signaled reward\, the processes of sign- and goal-tracking; the role of dopamine neuromodulation\, and the differences between liking something\, wanting it\, and being reinforced by it\n\n\n\nThe essentials of aversive control\, including the mechanisms of negative punishment\, positive punishment\, and negative reinforcement\, the transition from escape responding to avoidance\, and the importance of safety signals\n\n\n\nThe ethics of dog training– The learned helplessness effect\, the critical factor of subjective control\, and data and theories of stress and welfare; the concepts of beneficial stress\, and instrumental agency and choice agency\, and the issues surrounding moral standing\, animal welfare\, and ethical accountability  \n\n\n\n\nThe objectives of the event are to help participants: \n\n\n\n\nMaster the behavioral science they need in order to understand the mechanisms of modern dog training\, and formulate their individual positions on the critical technical and ethical issues in kynology\n\n\n\nUnderstand on a deep level why certain procedures work well\, and why some procedures that seem to make perfectly good sense work poorly\, and analyze their own work to get better results\n\n\n\nArticulate and also – when necessary– defend their individual ethical positions and technical dog training approaches when speaking with clients\,  colleagues\, and policy-makers.\n\n\n\n\nWe’ll have fun with this and there will be plenty of $%!@ing cussing\, because nothing unites Americans and Europeans in these times of……..er………misunderstanding…….like the Seven Words of that Great American thinker\, Mr. George Carlin.   \n\n\n\nThree days\, 12 lectures\n\n\n\n\nDay 1 – Pavlovian Conditioning\, Instrumental Conditioning\, Misbehavior\, Reinforcement Theory\n\n\n\nDay 2 – Contingency Square 1\, Aversiveness\, Negative and Positive Punishment\, Negative Reinforcement\, Contingency Square 2\n\n\n\nDay 3 – Learned Helplessness\, Stress & Welfare\, Agency & Accountability
URL:https://kynology.org/event/kynology-europa-science-and-modern-dog-training/
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