ACEing Reactivity:
How ACE can help your reactive or sensitive dog
This online workshop introduces you to the incredible world of Animal Centred Education or ACE. ACE is an integrated approach to animal education and well being. It will teach you to see your reactive dog in new ways and will give you tools to help them to relax and calm. It provides the perfect context for genuinely choice-based training and will change your dog's emotional state. ACE starts from the premise that our dog's physical, emotional and behavioural responses are inextricably linked and takes a holistic approach to helping our dogs.
This workshop, led by ACE Instructor, Janet Finlay, will teach you how to get started with ACE Free Work and detailed observations, how to integrate engagement, leading and handling within ACE, and how to take ACE techniques out on the road with your reactive dog. It will provide a general introduction to ACE with particular application to working with reactive and sensitive dogs.
It will last 4 weeks and will be the equivalent of a 2.5-day face-to-face workshop. You will need to commit 4-5 hours a week to the workshop. 50 ACE credits towards ACE accreditation will be awarded to everyone who participates and completes the workshop.
The workshop will be limited to 30 participants to ensure a workshop feel and will be supported by qualified ACE Associate Tutors to make sure everyone gets the help they need.
You will learn
- how to set up and start using ACE Free Work, the essential components and how to adapt it to the needs of your individual dog.
- how to become a "dog detective" and spot signs of discomfort, tension or pain in your dog, that may be contributing to their reactivity.
- how to engage with your dog in new ways that enable you to listen to each other more effectively.
- how to introduce equipment appropriately and to lead your dog without tension and conflict.
- how ACE changes your dog's emotions and provides relief from fear, frustration and stress.
- how you can begin counter conditioning your dog to triggers within ACE without leaving your home.
- how to incorporate reactivity training into ACE so that your dog always has meaningful choices.
- how to take ACE techniques out on the road with you to provide a way to calm and relax your dog on walks.
"Janet's courses and knowledge have really helped me be a better, more confident owner. I have learnt so much. Thoroughly recommended."
- Kathryn Carter
How will the online workshop work?
This workshop will run entirely online. There will be two live sessions a week on a Sunday evening (UK time) and a Thursday evening (UK time). These will be recorded for anyone who can't attend live. There will be practical exercises to do each week with your dog and a private Facebook group where you can share videos and get feedback on what you have been doing.
Everyone who wishes will get individual feedback in the group on the equivalent of two 5-minute videos a week from the workshop team but you can post as much as you like and are encouraged to discuss each other's videos as this will help your learning.
The Sunday session will present the topic for that week and outline the exercises. The Thursday session will highlight and discuss some of the videos that have been shared that week and answer questions.
You will also receive a full video-based course on ACE which will supplement the live sessions.
You will have life-time access to the materials and the Facebook group. The latter will be archived two weeks after the end of the workshop but content will still be available to view.
About your instructor
Dr. Janet Finlay has been working professionally with dogs for more than 15 years and is an Animal Centred Education (ACE) Instructor, a Tellington TTouch Practitioner 3 and an accredited dog trainer with the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (01046). She also has more than 20 years experience in higher education and is a qualified coach for people.
Through her business, Canine Confidence, Janet specialises in working with the guardians of reactive dogs. She teaches internationally and runs a number of successful online programmes. Her recent book, Your End of the Lead, outlines her holistic approach to helping with reactivity.
Janet lives with her two dogs Martha and Otter in Northumberland, where they can often be found exploring the wonderful beaches.
All our ACE Online Workshops for 2020 are now full. If you would like to be notified about dates in 2021 or if a place becomes available please leave your name and email here.