Class Recordings

Most of us initially learned about shaping as the process of reinforcing successive approximations. In fact, reinforcing small steps towards a final goal is one of the fundamental aspects of clicker training. Shaping is an incredibly powerful technique that enables trainers to teach even the most complex behaviors.

However, shaping has gained a reputation for being slow, difficult, and sometimes frustrating for both the dog and the trainer. But this doesn’t have to be the case! Often, shaping is portrayed as solely breaking down the behavior in isolation, leading to prolonged periods of waiting and hoping for progress to occur. It’s important to note that the behavior (B) is the component of the ABC contingency over which we have the least control. Instead, we have the most influence over the antecedent (A) and the consequence (C). When we shift the focus of the shaping plan to modifying the A’s and C’s, we can get the B we are looking for more efficiently and without tears!

Many trainers get stuck by thinking of reinforcement as a static entity. However, there are numerous ways to enhance existing reinforcers and even create new ones from scratch. By applying effective training principles and recognizing reinforcement processes as learnable skills, you gain greater control over the strength of your reinforcers and, consequently, enhance the power and efficiency of your training. This session aims to delve into the factors influencing the effectiveness of reinforcers and provide strategies for cultivating more robust reinforcement procedures. Please note: This course was originally presented at an in-person ClickerExpo and has been reimagined and reinvented for the LIVE environment.

Please note: This course was presented at ClickerExpo LIVE and DC 2023; the course content will be similar, but the training is LIVE so the experience will be unique and you’ll likely learn something new!

CEUs may only be earned by 2024 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants. Closed captioning is available on the full version of this course.

Given the limited time we have available for training in our daily lives, coupled with the unfortunate reality that dogs have shorter lifespans than we would like, it becomes crucial for our training sessions to be highly efficient and effective. It is a complete misconception that positive reinforcement training takes longer than traditional methods. When executed correctly, clicker training can teach behaviors just as quickly, if not faster. In this Dem-OH!, Hannah will delve into strategies for organizing your sessions in a manner that ensures efficient training without compromising the reliability of behaviors or, most importantly, your commitment to clicker training principles.

CEUs may only be earned by 2024 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants. Closed captioning is available on the full version of this course.

Training for long duration may not be your favorite thing to do. In fact, you may find it frustrating, even boring. Counting out seconds is tedious, and what if your dog makes an error in that last count before you click? Ugh! It’s easy to see why many trainers avoid training tasks that require duration.

The gold standard for increasing duration has been the process of incrementing time and delaying the click and treat systematically. But what if that wasn’t the only way to look at the problem?

Trainers themselves experience duration behaviors while they are training their dogs for longer responses. Trainers are likely to experience frustration as the increments get longer. Have you ever found yourself “keeping busy” while you wait for the timer to go off? Maybe you have looked at a magazine or rehearsed arguments in your head? There are many small behaviors (both visible and “private” behaviors) that fall into the category of “training” that are used as strategies to continue the duration of our own target behaviors until the criteria have been met. Is it possible to take advantage of that effect with the dogs’ behavior, too?

In this Dem-OH!, we will explore the possibility of building duration indirectly. We will deliberately shape smaller behaviors inside of a larger target behavior as a means of cultivating longer performances that still meet criteria. Please be prepared for a nerdy discussion and a ridiculous degree of detail.

CEUs may only be earned by 2023 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants. Closed captioning is available on the full version of this course.

Training for performance requires precise, reliable behaviors, but it is also important HOW a dog performs the behavior. It’s not enough to just DO the thing, the dog should do it with joy and enthusiasm. Clicker trainers care as much about how the dog feels about the training as the training itself.

Behaviors performed with a joyful attitude sounds great. How do you achieve that? You might have heard the suggestion to “build a positive CER,” but what exactly does that look like? How can we go about this efficiently? Some trainers hope that simply using a lot of food or toys in training will get the job done. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t.

In this Learning Lab, we will discuss exactly what a CER means in terms of practical dog training, including what to look for and how to harness it, specifically in the context of training for performance applications. We’ll combine the science of CER with what is already known about strategic reinforcement procedures to optimize training outcomes in terms of both precision and emotional state.

CEUs may only be earned by 2023 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants. Closed captioning is available on the full version of this course.

Join this discussion with moderator Emelie Johnson Vegh and panelists Eva Bertilsson, Hannah Branigan, Dante Camacho, Kamal Fernandez, Emma Parsons, and Michele Pouliot about the goals and challenges canine competition trainers face. Ready for lively discussion, unique perspectives, and the expertise of some of the best at what they do? Let’s Talk!

CEUs may only be earned by 2023 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants. Closed captioning is available on the full version of this course.

Are precision and enthusiasm opposites? Do you have to pick one to sacrifice? Hannah Branigan doesn’t think so! Precise criteria can actually increase motivation. Often trainers relax (or fail to set) specific criteria in an effort to be generous but end up with vague behaviors and a confused dog. Clear, specific criteria make it easier for both you and your dog to know exactly what to do to “win” the training game. Prepare to dig deep and get geeky in this Dem-OH! Session.

This advanced presentation is designed for the serious behavior nerd. In order to set clear criteria, you need to identify what a “perfect” behavior looks like. When you understand that movements result in the behavior, you can identify specific criteria and set up a training session to create the effect you want. Training your eye to see important nuances allows you to be more consistent with your timing and deliberate with your reinforcement.

Of course, a nice side effect to precise training is a high-scoring performance. Clicker training gives you the scalpel to shape behaviors to the exacting standards of the obedience ring by isolating specific muscle movements. Training for high levels of precision is meticulous and challenging, but it can also be fun! You can train for performances that are super-precise, super-accurate, and super-enthusiastic! This Dem-OH! will include time for Q&A too.

Please note: This course was presented at ClickerExpo LIVE 2022; the course content will be similar, but the training is LIVE so the experience will be unique and you’ll likely learn something new!

CEUs may only be earned by 2022 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants. Closed captioning is available on the full version of this course.

Join a discussion with moderator Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D. and panelists Hannah Branigan, Alexandra Kurland, Michele Pouliot, Ken Ramirez, and Kathy Sdao on how they view basic tools differently now that they are experienced trainers. Are you looking for lively discussion, unique perspectives, and the expertise of some of the most innovative “advanced” trainers? Let’s Talk!

CEUs may only be earned by 2022 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants. Closed captioning is available on the full version of this course.

It’s a common problem that the circumstances in which you train most of your behaviors are not the circumstances in which you need those behaviors to be performed. The more you train the same behaviors the same way in the same environment, the harder it is to perform those behaviors in new (and often harder and more important) situations. Whether you train for performance in the ring or in the vet’s office, your end goal is to build solid behaviors that you can count on when you need them most.

In this Learning Lab, we will explore ideas for building robust, reliable behaviors when it’s not easy to leave home. We’ll discuss when and how to add distractions without increasing the error rate and without putting precious behaviors at risk. We’ll also focus on specific, practical steps you can take in everyday training to teach resilient behaviors for the long run. Finally, we’ll discuss how best to maximize training opportunities away from home when you are able to take your sessions on the road.

CEUs may only be earned by 2022 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants. Closed captioning is available on the full version of this course.

Like many of us, Hannah Branigan started her career in pet-dog training because she had a dog, that was a pet, that had behavior problems. It was only much later and accidentally that she became involved in dog sports and performance.

On the surface, it may not seem like training “just a pet” and training for high-achieving performance applications have much in common beyond the basics. However, as Hannah’s training journey has continued she has discovered many parallels between the two worlds that have benefited her skills as a trainer. Experience working with pet-dog teams has enriched her sport-dog training, and vice versa.

Competitive sports can provide a structured framework for trainers to enhance and test their skills against a set standard, other teams, and their own past performances. Pet-dog training out in the “real world” is an opportunity to observe dog and human behavior in a wide range of (often, not ideal) conditions. When you overlap the two, patterns start to emerge.

In this Session, Hannah will explore what she has learned from working with pet dogs that has helped her performance training, and what she’s learned in competition that has improved how she teaches pet owners. Topics include designing efficient and effective training plans, working flexibly with reinforcement to get reliable carryover, working with human handler skills, distractions in the environment, and being thoughtful about antecedent arrangement.

CEUs may only be earned by 2022 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants. Closed captioning is available on the full version of this course.

Experience more of your favorite trainers in this informal, open discussion. Bonus Time offers a unique window into the training minds of Hannah Branigan and Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz. Ask your questions or be a fly on the wall and listen to spontaneous and candid conversation about training skills, behavioral science, competition—and anything else that comes up!

CEUs may only be earned by 2022 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants. Closed captioning is available on the full version of this course.

Are precision and enthusiasm opposites? Do you have to pick one to sacrifice? I don’t think so! Precise criteria can actually increase motivation. Often trainers relax (or fail to set) specific criteria in an effort to be generous but end up with vague behaviors and a confused dog. Clear, specific criteria make it easier for both you and your dog to know exactly what to do to “win” the training game. Prepare to dig deep and get geeky in this Dem-OH! Session.

This advanced presentation is designed for the serious behavior nerd. In order to set clear criteria, you need to identify what a “perfect” behavior looks like. When you understand that movements result in the behavior, you can identify specific criteria and set up a training session to create the effect you want. Training your eye to see important nuances allows you to be more consistent with your timing and deliberate with your reinforcement.

Of course, a nice side effect to precise training is a high-scoring performance. Clicker training gives you the scalpel to shape behaviors to the exacting standards of the obedience ring by isolating specific muscle movements. Training for high levels of precision is meticulous and challenging, but it can also be fun! You can train for performances that are super-precise, super-accurate, and super-enthusiastic!

CEUs may only be earned by 2021 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants.

Build connection, confidence, and motivation through the power of behavior chains in a competition context. Sequence your performance behaviors to teach the dog that reinforcement outside the ring is totally worth the performance inside the ring. We will discuss the advantages of back-chaining, when it can be helpful, how to use it for ring prep, and how to train for situations where the sequence of behaviors may vary. This Learning Lab is applicable for any sport where you are limited in how and when you can reinforce.

Goal: To set up a reinforcement station (like food at your chair/crate), move the dog into a different space (like a ring), perform a continuous chain of behaviors (like a performance), and then exit to the reinforcement.

During this Learning Lab, you will learn about training principles, see the exercises demonstrated, and have a chance to work through the exercises yourself and ask questions. You will get the most out of this Lab if your dog is already fluent in the specified foundation behaviors.

CEUs may only be earned by 2021 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants.

Join this discussion with moderator Hannah Branigan and panelists Eva Bertilsson, Sarah Owings, Emma Parsons, Michele Pouliot, and Emelie Johnson Vegh on the ins and outs, ups and overs, and throughs and backs of canine sport competition training. Ready for lively discussion, unique perspectives, and the expertise of some of the best at what they do? Let’s Talk!

CEUs may only be earned by 2021 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants.

Experience more of your favorite trainers in this informal, open discussion. Bonus Time offers a unique window into the training minds of Hannah Branigan and Emma Parsons. Ask your questions or be a fly on the wall and listen to spontaneous and candid conversation about aggression and behavior management, training skills, teaching, competition— and anything else that comes up!

CEUs may only be earned by 2021 ClickerExpo LIVE registrants.

Join a live, wide-open discussion of canine sports with a panel of top-level trainers and authors who compete in and/or coach Obedience, Freestyle, Agility, and Nose Work.

You’ll get the backdrop and backstory on great triumphs and failures, learn how these experts navigate roadblocks and what they think about “winning,” and what principles of great training are applicable across sports. Maybe we will even hear what these veteran participants and coaches really think about the judges!

This Session is unscripted and uncensored, so no topic is off the table. Listen in on the lively discussion between Eva Bertilsson, Hannah Branigan, Aaron Clayton, Sarah Owings, Emma Parsons, & Michele Pouliot.

We all want a dog that leaps into every training session with enthusiasm—focused, ready to work, and actively engaged in the learning process. Engagement is a sexy term in the dog world these days. But what does it mean? What does it look like? More importantly, how do you get it?

In this Session, we will operationalize the concept of engagement and discuss strategies to cultivate engagement in your dog so that you can initiate training sessions as effectively and efficiently as possible. Help your dog get into “training mode” quickly working at home or on the road.

Can we reverse engineer beautiful heeling? When you see a team moving together in sync, heeling looks almost like a dance. Flashy, top-scoring heeling requires fluent understanding of the position combined with complex movement skills that allows dog to seamlessly adjust his body to stay in position as the handler moves. Are dogs born with the floaty, animated gait that makes their heeling so flashy, or can we train it? (Spoiler: We can train it!)

In this presentation, we will deconstruct the complex behavior of precise heeling, analyze the differences between an adequate performance and a breath-taking one down to the atomic level. Then we will isolate the component behaviors that are needed and develop a plan to teach them so that we can optimize any dog’s movement and skills and bring that team closer to the magical ideal.

Please note: This Session was recorded in 2019; content presented in 2020 may vary slightly. 

Discriminative stimuli signal that certain reinforcers will be available if you behave in certain ways. Without these cues, behavior would be spraying out like water from a leaky faucet. Cues gain their strength to signal behavior because they lead to reinforcement. In the traditional paradigm, when a learner offers a different behavior than the one that was cued, extinction follows (i.e., reinforcement is withheld). As a result of this double contingency (reinforcement or extinction), cued behaviors increase and un-cued behaviors decrease. However, given the use of extinction, learners can experience detrimental side effects from a too-lean schedule of reinforcement.

Recently, some trainers have questioned the necessity of using extinction to put a behavior on cue. Their alternative strategies include training in pairs, training in highly varied contexts, training a default or standby behavior, and allowing cues to develop from the shaping process itself. In this presentation, Hannah Branigan, Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D., Alexandra Kurland, & Sarah Owings team-teach and review the traditional approach for getting a behavior under cue control. After that, they share their innovative procedures to boost your signal strength, reduce extinction fallout, and make sure your learners can “hear you now.”

The new 2019 TeamTaught format brings together a small team of ClickerExpo speakers to present distinct perspectives on a single theme. In this Session of TeamTaught, we will discuss the art and science of shaping—and why both excellence in practice and agreement in principle often seem elusive.

For example, there is confusion about the definition of shaping. How is shaping different from capturing, free-shaping, and scanning? Can prompting be considered part of a shaping plan? How does environmental management fit into good shaping? There is even confusion about how to begin the shaping process, particularly for novice trainers. 

Watch Hannah Branigan, Alexandra Kurland, Ken Ramirez, Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, and Laura Monaco Torelli discuss these and other questions that make shaping both alluring and elusive.

Danger… rabbit holes ahead…

Without question, use of an event marker improves training communication between dog and trainer. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! If we consider the reinforcement procedure as a behavior itself (Hey, Dr. Premack!), we can pair specific cues with those reinforcement procedures, and those cues will act as event markers.

We know that how we deliver the reinforcement (treat, toy, or real-life reinforcer) affects the behavior, and we can use that knowledge to our advantage. Whether we deliver the treat slowly by hand (baby-bird style), or toss a ball, or send a dog to do an outrun, each of those events can act as a reinforcer on the preceding behavior and have drastically different effects on the final product. But how does the dog know what to expect? By strategically planning our reinforcement procedures/behaviors and putting them on cue, we have more flexibility in training plans. We can manipulate arousal levels and emotional states, and utilize Premack’s principle to build the desired behavior efficiently and practically.

Please note: This Session was recorded in 2018 under the title The Orient Express: Get Your Training Sessions on the Fast Track; content presented in 2019 may vary slightly.

Have you ever trained something into a behavior accidentally, and then wished you could go back in time and undo it? Me, too. But we can’t go back.

Whether it’s a squeak as the dog moves into heel position, a foot shuffle on a stand stay—or maybe you’ve trained your dog to nose-then-paw on a paw target? Sometimes “junk” behaviors get reinforced accidentally as part of a goal behavior; often, this is not realized until after the fact. Are those little quirks permanent? What can you do to get rid of them? In this Session, we talk about how those unwanted behavior creep into training sessions and discuss strategies and tips to remove them without losing that enthusiasm valued so highly in clicker-crazy dogs.

Please note: This Session was recorded in 2018; content presented in 2019 may vary slightly.

Please note: This session includes approximately 1:20 of lecture followed by a 40 minute audience Q&A.

Is shaping for duration as simple as just waiting to reinforce longer behaviors? I don’t know about you, but that has not been my experience!

Well beyond a boring sit-stay, there are many situations where we want to train our dogs to perform a particular behavior for an extended amount of time, but this process often leads to frustration on both the part of the learner and the trainer. This Session will explore the different forms that duration can take in our training depending on the behavior in question and examine why it is sometimes so darn hard to train.

We will look at how the entire behavior cycle influences the behavior being trained, and why we are best served by setting our criteria so that we are always training “clean” units of behavior. We will look at examples and techniques that allow us to set up our training sessions to minimize frustration (in both trainer and learner!) while increasing duration of the behavior.

This video is no longer available for purchase. We encourage you to view more recent offerings on this topic.

Can we reverse-engineer beautiful heeling? When you see a team moving together in sync, heeling looks almost like a dance. Flashy, top-scoring heeling requires fluent understanding of the position combined with complex movement skills that allow the dog to adjust his body seamlessly to stay in position as the handler moves. Are dogs born with the floaty, animated gait that makes their heeling so flashy, or can it be trained? (Spoiler: We can train it!)

In this Session, Hannah Branigan deconstructs the complex behavior of precise heeling and analyzes the differences between an adequate performance and a breathtaking one. Learn how to isolate the component behaviors that are needed and develop a plan to optimize any dog’s movement and skills and to bring a team closer to the magical ideal.

This video is no longer available for purchase. We encourage you to view more recent offerings on this topic.

Hearing the click, many dogs will orient toward the source of the reinforcement—their handler. But this isn’t always what you want. For example, if you are setting up a dog for the next iteration of a behavior, you may want the dog to get reinforcement away from you. The most common way to solve this type of issue is to deliver reinforcement elsewhere. Toss the treat over the dog’s head or away to the side, or move your own position. These solutions get the job done, but there may be a price. Dogs can show signs of confusion or stress as they figure out what they need to do to find the reinforcement. These methods are also inefficient. Imagine that during your work day someone moved the coffee pot three times a day, each time to a different place. At the very least, you’d lose time hunting for the coffee, and you might get a bit cranky (if you did not lose your mind altogether). But, if I told you where to find the coffee pot as soon as you got up to get your cup, you’d be a happy camper and much faster getting back to work. The goal would be to orient you toward the reinforcement quickly in order to save time and reduce frustration.

You can achieve the same results with your training. Simply train cues to tell dogs where to expect their reinforcement. For example, start with a simple two-part distinction: one cue for “dog coming to the food source” and another cue for “food source coming to the dog.” If you think “Room Service” and “Take Out,” you start to get the idea. Join Hannah to learn the power of, and procedure for, adding cues for reinforcement orientation to your training practices. The journey to excellence is long. Get to where you are going faster with the “Orient Express.”

This video is no longer available for purchase. We encourage you to view more recent offerings on this topic.

Have you ever trained something into a behavior accidentally, and then wished you could go back in time and undo it? Me, too. But we can’t go back.

Whether it’s a squeak as the dog moves into heel position, a foot shuffle on a stand stay—or maybe you’ve trained your dog to nose-then-paw on a paw target? Sometimes “junk” behaviors get reinforced accidentally as part of a goal behavior; often, this is not realized until after the fact. Are those little quirks permanent? What can you do to get rid of them? In this Session, we’ll talk about how those unwanted behaviors creep into training sessions and we will discuss strategies and tips to remove them without losing that enthusiasm valued so highly in clicker-crazy dogs.

For a winning (or even qualifying) performance in the ring, you need accurate, precise behaviors, but you also need those behaviors to be highly reliable. You can’t just train until the dog gets it right; you need to train until he can’t get it wrong!

In this Session, we will explore the process for building robust, reliable behaviors. This process goes beyond simple distraction-proofing. What you need is complete understanding, flawless communication, and core skills that are so strong as to be automatic. We will discuss what training steps produce super-fluent, unstoppable behaviors. We will also cover when and how to add distractions without increasing the error rate and putting precious competition behaviors at risk.

Please note: This Session was recorded in 2017; content presented in 2018 may vary slightly.  

Is lesson-planning confusing and stressful for you? It doesn’t have to be!

Trainers usually know what they want to teach the dogs, but often get stuck accounting for the human portion of the equation. To be effective, all three pieces of the learning team must work together: dog, handler, and instructor. With that many variables and moving parts, planning ahead can mean the difference between a screaming success and a total disaster.

But writing lesson plans for class is about as unsexy as it gets. It’s difficult and boring, and nobody ever compliments you on your amazing lesson plans. (Are you sold yet?) But by applying solid clicker training techniques, we can break down the skills you need to build efficient, effective, and well-organized lesson plans. (And have fun!) What we call triple-planning helps you create lesson materials, as you map out what you, your students, and their dogs will be doing at every step.

This Session combines learning and practice to make your job easier and your clients more successful through the triple-planning method! You won’t just listen, you will DO IT! Learn to organize your content efficiently and how to create a plan to get your client involved and participating effectively. Receive concrete tips you can take home and start using in your business Monday morning!

You will leave this Session:

• able to reach clients’ “pain point” successfully
• having experienced the triple-planning process as the learner
• understanding how to apply the triple-planning method to your own group classes and private instruction
• able to apply shaping principles to an improved triple-planning lesson of your own creation

Come plan with Laurie and Hannah and experience how satisfying—dare we say fun?—lesson-planning can be!

Clicker training the retrieve is the way to go, of course, whether for business or leisure. But what about when things don’t go as planned? Sometimes, despite best efforts and intentions, the dog just doesn’t follow the recipe! Why is it not working, and how can we fix it?

This Session will look at the common problems encountered training retrieve behaviors, such as:

•Reluctant dogs—“I only open my mouth for food.”

•Dogs that actually avoid the dumbbell—“Oh no… not that thing again!”

•Overly enthusiastic dogs that chomp and chew—“OMG! DUMBBELL! GIMME!”

•Dogs that play “keep away” with the retrieve item—“Mine! Mine! Mine!”

We will peel away the layers of this complex behavior chain, identify complicating factors, and diagnose weak links. We will also explore strategies to problem-solve even the most challenging retrievers!

The word precision has somehow become synonymous with “boring,” but this is a misconception! We can have our cake and eat it, too. Obedience is a precision game where our dogs’ behaviors are judged down to the inch. Clicker training gives us the scalpel to shape behaviors to the exacting standards of the obedience ring by isolating specific muscle movements. While training for high levels of precision is meticulous and challenging, it can also be fun! We can train for performances that are super-precise, super-accurate, and super-enthusiastic!

Prepare to dig deep and get geeky in this Session. This advanced presentation is designed for the serious behavior nerd. We will identify what a “perfect” behavior looks like for competitive obedience purposes. Using the magic of slow-motion video, we’ll break down that behavior into specific movements, and examine the physiological basis of those movements. When we understand that movements result in the behavior, we can identify specific criteria and set up a session to create the effect we want. Learn to train your eye to see important nuances. We’ll look at shaping plans that give us the precision we need for high scores, while keeping the speed and enthusiasm we want.

A fluent heeling team is a thing of beauty. A dog and handler moving in sync, appearing to read each other’s minds, is like a dance. The performance may look magical, but there is nothing mystical about it. Heeling is a complex behavior chain that follows the same Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence contingency of any other learned behavior.

In this Session, we will demystify heeling and, in the process, find out why it’s just like any other trick. We will break down the necessary skills and behaviors into achievable components. We will examine thoughtful selection and delivery of reinforcement to teach each of these component skills efficiently.

Depending on the sport, our cues are often limited by the rules. We will learn to use our cues “legally” and creatively. As you will learn, strategic cueing of this nature allows us to subsequently fade the cues for a seamless performance.

Training with Precision and Live Demonstration

In this episode, Ken Ramirez and Hannah Branigan explored how to use precision in training to achieve complex behaviors, how to backchain a flawless retrieve, build duration, generalize between objects, and problem-solve when things go sideways. Check out the live demo of teaching how to put the lotion in the basket (!), as well as generalizing a target.

Special Guest: Hannah Branigan 
Originally aired: June 18, 2020