If you?ve ever said, “I love my dog, but I wish he would…” then Charm City Dogs? workshop might be the place for you. The Creative Dog Workshop teaches owners how to inspire creativity in their dogs.
Using operant conditioning, in which rewards are used instead of punishment, the workshop consists of theory-based activities and introductions to new objects.
“This seminar shows owners how clever and intelligent their dogs are, and how much fun it can be to have the dog be a part of the learning and training process,” said Carolyn Stromer, the daycare manager for Charm City Dogs. “It also opens up the possibilities of the behaviors you can train. Once the dog learns the way of being creative, there?s a whole new world of what you can do with them.”
Stromer said that the workshop has attracted plenty of out-of-town owners. “It?s exciting to us, because we get a chance to take them out and really explore Baltimore, and see what sort of a dog-friendly city this is.”
The two-day workshop is an opportunity to participate in a roundtable-training atmosphere.
“Any sort of operant conditioning builds confidence, both for the dog as an individual and for the training team of the dog and owner,” trainer Lauren Bond said. “It also keeps things really fresh. Doing ?sit? over and over again gets boring, but this way, the dog tries new things and meets new challenges.”
Emily Kinnaird, a small-animal veterinarian in Charlottesville, is bringing her 30-pound mixed breed dog, Martini, to the workshop to soothe the dog?s anxiety around new things.
“This gives her a chance to go to a hotel and experience elevators and an urban environment,” she said. “My ideal result for Martini is to see her relax in a fun environment. Learning new tricks isn?t as important to me as helping her to interact in a new situation and help her be comfortable in learning new skills.”
Richmond resident and dog trainer Leann Harris hopes to learn more about shaping and clicker training for her 6-year-old rat terrier, Tide. “In traditional dog training, you have the dog on a leash, and you pull the leash to give the dogscues about what you want him to do. In clicker training, you are trying to let the dog think, to be creative, to become operant,” she said. “It allows the dog to sit and figure out what you want him to do, instead of jerking him around.”
IF YOU GO
Creative Dog Workshop
WHERE: Charm City Dogs, 401 N. Gay St., Baltimore
WHEN: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Sunday
TICKETS: $85 to $220
