The document discusses the author's experience attending a clicker training expo with their service dog Penny. Some key points: - The author has 16 years of experience raising puppies but wanted more formal training in positive reinforcement/clicker training. - Attending the expo was beneficial for both the author and their partner to learn more about clicker training from experts. - They decided to bring Penny along even though she is still fearful since she is very attached to the author and unfamiliar places. The multi-day expo provided Penny with new experiences staying in a hotel and waiting to go outside.

1. Adventures in Puppy Raising: Things
are Starting to Click – Part 1
I have beeninvolvedinpuppyraisingforalmostsixteenyearsnow andoverthose yearsIhave been
able to watchthe evolutionof dogtraining.WhenIfirststartedraising,itwasfor Guide Dogsfor the
Blind,andonlythe “difficult”puppieswere putona foodrewardprotocol.Now all theirpuppiesare
beingraisedwithpositive reinforcement.The lastbabypuppywe raisedforthemwasin2013, and
theirprotocolswere thatfoodrewardswere usedforeverypuppyforonlycertaincommandsand
thenusedforotherthingson an individualbasis.Ineverreallygothelplearningthe insandoutsof
positive reinforcementtraining.Ihadsome ideafromworkingwithone of myfirstpuppyraising
leadersonthe side,andfromlearninghow toshape certainbehaviorsforourGDB puppies,but
nothingformal.SowhenItook onPennyandBrigadoon’sprotocol of positive reinforcementand
clickertraining,Iknewitwouldbe a learningexperience.
My onlyexperience workingwithclickertrainingadogwas teachingourcareer-changeddogEli fun
trickslike wave,roll over,highfive,crawl,spin.He lovedthe clickerandlearnedthingsreallyfast
withit.But eventhoughIhad successfullytaughthimwithaclicker,Iwasstill verymucha novice at
trainingPennywithit.Iunderstoodthe basicconceptsof how to dothings,butI still hadso much
more to learn.That bringsme to our latestadventure withPenny,whenMattand I attendedthe
KarenPryor ClickerExporecently.
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2. I knewthatI neededmore trainingwithclicker,andunfortunatelywe are toofaraway from
BrigadoonService Dogstoget regularassistance inpersonfromthe trainersthere.Iknew aboutthe
ClickerExpobecause some of myformerpuppyraisingleadershave gone andDenisefrom
Brigadoonhadtoldus about itas well.Ifeltlike Mattand I wouldreallybenefitandshouldgothis
year.I neededsome more clarificationandtrainingandMattreallyneededabetterintroductionto
clickertrainingingeneral.Everythinghe knew aboutitwasfromme,andI probablywasn’treally
readyto teach anyone onthissubject.Sooff to the Expowe went,and boy,am I gladwe did!
We decidedtoonlygofor twoout of the three daysof the expo.I knew fromattendingveterinary
conferencesthatatthese eventsalotof informationisgiventoyouina veryshortamountof time.I
wantedtomake sure we didn’tgetinformationoverloadandwe couldretainwhatwe learned.Ialso
debatedwhetherornot to bringPennyalongwithus—afterall havingapuppywithyoucan be very
distractingandher needsalwayscome first.
Aftergoingbackand forth aboutbringingPenny,Idecidedthatshe shouldcome.Justbefore she
startedherheat cycle lastmonth,Pennystartedbeingfearfulof peoplethatshe didn’tknow very
well andevenpeopleshe doesknow.Eventhoughthathasgottenbettersince hercycle has
finished,she isstill waryandnotcomfortable with some people.The onlytime Pennyhasbeenaway
fromus was back inSeptemberwhenshe spentacouple of daysat Brigadoonand since thenshe has
grownveryattachedto me andmore waryof people thatshe doesn’tknow.Iknew thatIcouldn’t
justleave herwithanyone,she neededtobe withsomeone whowouldunderstandthatshe wasstill
havingsome nervoustendenciesandwhowouldbe able tohandle her.Mostof the people Iwas
comfortable askingtowatchherwouldbe attendingthe expoaswell.Istill feel likethisfearfulness
ispartiallyhormonal andhope itlessensasherhormone levelscontinue tochange.
BringingPennyalongwasactuallyhelpful forher.Thisisthe firsttime she hashad multiple dayswith
us,just one-on-one,withoutreallyhaving interactionswithotherdogs.Yes,there were alotof other
dogsat the expo,butshe didn’tinteractwiththem.She hada lotof firstsonthistrip.
Thiswas herfirsttime stayingina large hotel where she couldn’tjustwalkoutthe doorand have a
convenientpottyspot.Ourroomwasat the endof a longhallwayonthe thirdfloor,soshe had to
walkdownthe hallway,waitforan elevator,ride the elevator,walkthroughthe lobby,andthenout
the door to the designateddogrelievingspotsetupbythe hotel.Itdoesn’tsoundlike much,but
whenyourbodyhas beenaccustomedtojustholditin the morningfora shortwalkdownthe stairs
and outside,itcanbe reallyhardto holdit that long.
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dog, hearingdog, mobilitydog, psychiatric service dog.