Course Details
Motivation matters, but with high-drive dogs, reinforcement can sometimes become a problem. In this session I will explore the common pitfalls such as when rewards are either too exciting, not exciting enough, or competing with stronger reinforcers like scent or chase. I will demonstrate how to build food value into drills using techniques like Premack, and how to regain flexibility when reinforcement gets sticky.
Whether your dog is refusing food because they’re fixated on a retrieve, you’re struggling to create stillness without frustration or your rewards are so exciting your dog struggles to function, this session will give you practical solutions in making reinforcement work for you and your dog.
About the Instructor:
Jane Ardern (she/her) BSc (Hons), KCAI (WG), Dip.CABT is a UK-based dog trainer and behaviourist who specialises in working and performance dogs. Jane combines academic qualifications with years of practical experience, both in the classroom and knee-deep in muddy fields with her spaniels.
In 2016, she was named Kennel Club Dog Trainer of the Year. She’s a Kennel Club Accredited Instructor in Working Gundogs, an Assessor for the UK Gundog Club, and a full member of the APDT UK.
Jane holds an honours degree in Canine Behaviour and Training from Hull University. She later returned to teach on the foundation degree.
She runs WaggaWuffins Canine College, offers positive gundog training, and created Smart Pup, a puppy training subscription box. Jane is also the author of Mission Control – How to Train the High Drive Dog, and regularly speaks at events across the UK.
Jane shares life with eight working cocker spaniels and is passionate about helping people channel excitement, arousal, and drive into functional, ethical training.
