Training Tip - A Look at Methods for Teaching Behaviors to Dogs This issue’s training tip is contributed by Julie Hill of Mandeville, Louisiana, who has enjoyed much success with her All-American Dog, MACH Up and Running a Mile a Minute CD MX MXJ MJB MXF. Julie has a master’s degree in geophysics and worked […]

Learning Objectives Students will understand that all people have rights and describe the importance of them.   Grade Levels 3-5   National Council for the Social Studies Standards 6-Power, Authority, and Governance   Materials Needed Copies of the Bill of Rights (one for each student)   Lesson Introduction Ask your students if they know what […]

Learning Objectives Students will research several historic dog figures that changed society forever and will create educational podcasts to showcase the information to listeners. *Note: This is a multi-day lesson.   Grade Levels 9-12   National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies Theme 2: Time, Continuity, and Change   Common Core English Language Arts Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.4 […]

Agility is a fun and challenging sporting event for both dogs and handlers. An agility course includes obstacles such as jumps, tunnels, and dogwalks. If you don't want to purchase your own agility obstacles, here's how to make your own with items that you probably have in your home. If your dog enjoys this jump […]

You're getting a new puppy! This is an exciting time, and it's easy to daydream about all the fun things you'll do with a dog in your life. There's a lot you can do in preparation to make sure that your puppy's introduction into the household goes smoothly. It starts by creating some house rules […]

Training Plans and Development Overview How Training Frequency Impacts Learning Lemonade Starting with an 8 week old pup The Play Ideas Video Assessment versus training Play is Pay!!! Putting it all together Content versus Context Raising Criteria in Odor Recognition Stuff Creating Behavioral Pathways Training with Food Machines A Puppy named Task Possession, possession, possession! […]

Egg hunts are a springtime tradition, but don't let kids have all the fun! Create an egg hunt for your dog for a simple, fun scent game your pup will love.

How many tricks does your dog know? Once your dog knows a few different tricks you can start to put together a small routine. Trick routines are a great...

The Icelandic Sheepdog's roots go back more than a thousand years. About 1,100 years ago, Norse settlers sailed west across the Norwegian Sea to Iceland. These seafaring pioneers set about creating a new Scandinavian country on the otherwise uninhabited island. Among the cultural touchstones they brought from Norway were the Nordic language and a taste […]

This article appeared in the May issue of the American Dental Association (ADA) News. In the photograph, Dr. Alan Golden, Elysia Yriarte and Natalia Caraballo smile for the camera while petting Flossie, a dental therapy dog, and her half-sister Lexa, a dental therapy dog-in-training. By Kimber Solana, ADA News At the Golden Pediatric Dentistry & […]

Learning Objectives Students will demonstrate an understanding of cellular respiration as it relates to dogs and create a model representation.   Grade Levels 9-12   Next Generation Science Standards HS-LS1-7: Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the […]

Learning Objective Students will interpret numerical expressions without solving them and write simple expressions.   Grade Levels 4-5   Common Core Standard CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.OA.A.1 Use parentheses, brackets, or braces in numerical expressions, and evaluate expressions with these symbols. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.OA.A.2 Write simple expressions that record calculations with numbers, and interpret numerical expressions without evaluating them.   Materials […]

At this year’s AKC Detection Dog Conference, I was asked to create a scoring rubric for the weekly assessment records. You can find it on the webpage under the Records tab, along with the link for submitting your weekly records. This is adjustable based on the participants needs, but it should serve our purposes.

The detection dog capable of working undistracted from its task in any environment is a very rare dog. European vendors selling dogs to the United States government, with many years of experience, often have an acceptance rate under 50%. In a government supported breeding program for detection dogs, the acceptance rate was under 20% for […]

Questions about Bar Graphs Learning Objectives Students will solve simple put-together, take-apart, and compare problems using information presented in a bar graph. Grade Level Grade 2 Common Core Standard CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.D.10 Draw a picture graph and a bar graph (with single-unit scale) to represent a data set with up to four categories. Solve simple put-together, take-apart, […]

https://youtu.be/bzZLj6dLX-M   Many people ask, why can’t I just throw the ball and create play? The answer is that you can, but it all too often leads to problems. Most people that want to throw for a reward will quickly add many rules to otherwise fun and easy play. The dog must heel or sit […]

The English Setter is a medium-sized sporting dog of sweet temper and show-stopping good looks. It is one of the AKC’s four British setters created to work on the distinctly different terrains of England, Ireland, and Scotland.

From Norway’s rocky island of Vaeroy, the uniquely constructed Norwegian Lundehund is the only dog breed created for the job of puffin hunting. With puffins now a protected species, today’s Lundehund is a friendly, athletic companion.

Understanding reinforcement in detection dogs Play is pay!!! Training with food machines Creating behavioral pathways Let's talk about food reward An Economy of Resources Generalization versus specialization Self reward/self discovery  

1. Understand the end goal for a detection dog. This is where behavior assessments and statements of work for purchase are very important (more info available on the website). 2. Use the educational resources on this website. – The blog is short snippets of information that should inspire questions via email or via the Face […]

Learning Objectives With support from the teacher, students will organize, represent, and interpret data. Students will ask and answer questions about the total number of data points and how many are in each category.   Grade Levels K-2   Common Core Standard CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.MD.C.4 Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and […]

  The American Kennel Club created the Foundation Stock Service® (FSS®) to answer the needs of today's rare breed fanciers. The Foundation Stock Service® is an optional record-keeping service for all purebred breeds not currently registrable with the American Kennel Club. Originally the Foundation Stock Service (FSS) program was used to bring in breeds such […]

At this year’s AKC Detection Dog Conference, I was asked to create a scoring rubric for the weekly assessment records. You can find it on the webpage under the Records tab, along with the link for submitting your weekly records. This is adjustable based on the participants needs, but it should serve our purposes.

Below you will find recording links and resources for webinars that aired in 2022. Once you click the recording link, you will be asked to enter your name and email address in order to access the recording. Webinar Topic Recording Link Resources AKC DDTF Webinar Series: 6-9 Month Puppies, Getting Started Right for Detection Work […]

Learning Objectives Students will learn about how the environment can affect canine health.  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the importance of proper diet and exercise in dogs, as it can positively or negatively affect specific traits, such as weight.   Grade Levels 3-5   Next Generation Science Standards 3-LS3-2: Use evidence to support the […]

The PETS Act requires that household pets and service animals are included in any emergency preparedness operational plans by state and local authorities.

Learning Objectives Through the analysis of a variety of sources, students will learn about the history of guide dogs and how the program has evolved over the years.   Grade Levels 9-12   National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies Theme 2: Time, Continuity, and Change Theme 8: Science, Technology, and Society   ELA/Literacy Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.9 […]

In July 2024, The AKC Board of Directors voted to establish a policy to require all professional handlers and agents listed in dog show catalogs to successfully complete the Stewards of Children® training from Darkness to Light once every three years effective January 1, 2025. This action followed the AKC Board of Directors’ adoption of […]

[accordion] [accordion_panel title="Problem and Solution Lesson for Grades 1-2"] Problem and Solution in Sashi the Scared Little Sheltie Learning Objectives Students will identify problems and solutions with a fiction text. Grade Levels 1-2 Common Core Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in […]

1. Understand the end goal for a detection dog. This is where behavior assessments and statements of work for purchase are very important (more info available on the website). 2. Use the educational resources on this website. – The blog is short snippets of information that should inspire questions via email or via the Face […]