The first week of Novemeber, I went down to MA and worked as a Team Leader at the BAT 5 Day Instructor's Course. There were trainers there from all over the globe and as far away as Japan! Grisha Stewart has created a tough certifcation process and even people who attended the course did not pass the hands on part and did not get certified. There is no rubber stamping here. To read the qualifications, check the web site at www.functionalrewards.com
Myself and the other local Team Leader both took Grisha's very first BAT 2 day course 3 years ago. I see BAT as the missing link in helping problem dogs, and I have had much success both with my own,foster, and client's dogs. I took the written test on the last day and PASSED! WOOT!! I look forward to helping more dogs and their people with aggression and reactivity issues. Freeport trainer Lisa Walker was in my group and she and I are the state's first CBATIs.
Professional Dog Trainers Receive Dog Reactivity Training Certification
Nov 26, 2012 December Downeast Dog News
Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on linkedinShare on printShare on emailMore Sharing ServicesShare Professional Dog Trainers Nancy Freedman-Smith and Lisa Walker Receive Dog Reactivity Training Certification .
One of the most common dog training issues is over reactivity, often leading to stressed-out humans who euthanize or re-home those dogs because they don’t know how to find help. Now owners of aggressive or fearful dogs in Mid-Coast and Southern Maine can be assured of a trusted dog training coach.
Lisa Walker of Freeport, and Nancy Freedman-Smith of Portland, are among the first twenty dog trainers to meet the strict requirements to become a Certified Behavior Adjustment Training Instructors (CBATI). Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) is a low-stress, non-aversive technique for working with problem dog behaviors such as aggression, fear or frustration.
BAT was developed by Grisha Stewart, MA, CPDT-KA, KPACTP, as an efficient rehabilitation technique to help her own fearful dog, Peanut. Stewart recently created the CBATI designation after BAT gained rapid international popularity, prompting repeated requests for referrals for dog trainers and behaviorists to expertly apply BAT to help families with dogs that cower, bark, lunge, growl or bite.
“As requests poured in for recommendations for trainers with BAT experience, I realized the importance of developing a certification process,” says Stewart. “The CBATI gives dog owners the confidence that they are working with a trusted dog training professional—a person who understands how to teach others how to use BAT, works well with clients, and has significant experience working with reactive dogs.”
The certification process requires a four-hour BAT video case study, a written exam with essay questions, a commitment to the principles of progressive reinforcement training, and a minimum of 200 hours of experience training dogs using force-free training techniques.
A dog-friendly method for rehabilitating and preventing reactivity in dogs, BAT works by helping dogs learn socially acceptable ways to deal with the things that scare or upset them. Instead of barking, lunging, or snarling, dogs learn to use “cut-off” signals like head turns and ground sniffs to communicate to their handlers that they are uncomfortable.
BAT is not just a way to prevent or rehabilitate problems; it also teaches two-way communication, which builds a more powerful relationship between people and their dogs. As professional trainers, Lisa and Nancy love the way BAT empowers their clients and their dogs, and makes situations that have been stressful for both, much more positive. Since they have had great success integrating the BAT methods with their clients as well as with their own rescued, reactive dogs, they jumped at the chance to improve their skills and become certified.
Lisa and Nancy welcome your questions and can be reached at:
Lisa Walker, CPDT-KA, CBATI
Center for Canine Excellence
(207) 653-0993
lisa@centerforcanineexcellence.com
www.centerforcanineexcellence.com
Nancy Freedman-Smith, CBATI
Gooddogz Training
(207) 671-2522
Gooddogz1@aol.com
www.Gooddogztraining.com
Myself and the other local Team Leader both took Grisha's very first BAT 2 day course 3 years ago. I see BAT as the missing link in helping problem dogs, and I have had much success both with my own,foster, and client's dogs. I took the written test on the last day and PASSED! WOOT!! I look forward to helping more dogs and their people with aggression and reactivity issues. Freeport trainer Lisa Walker was in my group and she and I are the state's first CBATIs.
Professional Dog Trainers Receive Dog Reactivity Training Certification
Nov 26, 2012 December Downeast Dog News
Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on linkedinShare on printShare on emailMore Sharing ServicesShare Professional Dog Trainers Nancy Freedman-Smith and Lisa Walker Receive Dog Reactivity Training Certification .
One of the most common dog training issues is over reactivity, often leading to stressed-out humans who euthanize or re-home those dogs because they don’t know how to find help. Now owners of aggressive or fearful dogs in Mid-Coast and Southern Maine can be assured of a trusted dog training coach.
Lisa Walker of Freeport, and Nancy Freedman-Smith of Portland, are among the first twenty dog trainers to meet the strict requirements to become a Certified Behavior Adjustment Training Instructors (CBATI). Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) is a low-stress, non-aversive technique for working with problem dog behaviors such as aggression, fear or frustration.
BAT was developed by Grisha Stewart, MA, CPDT-KA, KPACTP, as an efficient rehabilitation technique to help her own fearful dog, Peanut. Stewart recently created the CBATI designation after BAT gained rapid international popularity, prompting repeated requests for referrals for dog trainers and behaviorists to expertly apply BAT to help families with dogs that cower, bark, lunge, growl or bite.
“As requests poured in for recommendations for trainers with BAT experience, I realized the importance of developing a certification process,” says Stewart. “The CBATI gives dog owners the confidence that they are working with a trusted dog training professional—a person who understands how to teach others how to use BAT, works well with clients, and has significant experience working with reactive dogs.”
The certification process requires a four-hour BAT video case study, a written exam with essay questions, a commitment to the principles of progressive reinforcement training, and a minimum of 200 hours of experience training dogs using force-free training techniques.
A dog-friendly method for rehabilitating and preventing reactivity in dogs, BAT works by helping dogs learn socially acceptable ways to deal with the things that scare or upset them. Instead of barking, lunging, or snarling, dogs learn to use “cut-off” signals like head turns and ground sniffs to communicate to their handlers that they are uncomfortable.
BAT is not just a way to prevent or rehabilitate problems; it also teaches two-way communication, which builds a more powerful relationship between people and their dogs. As professional trainers, Lisa and Nancy love the way BAT empowers their clients and their dogs, and makes situations that have been stressful for both, much more positive. Since they have had great success integrating the BAT methods with their clients as well as with their own rescued, reactive dogs, they jumped at the chance to improve their skills and become certified.
Lisa and Nancy welcome your questions and can be reached at:
Lisa Walker, CPDT-KA, CBATI
Center for Canine Excellence
(207) 653-0993
lisa@centerforcanineexcellence.com
www.centerforcanineexcellence.com
Nancy Freedman-Smith, CBATI
Gooddogz Training
(207) 671-2522
Gooddogz1@aol.com
www.Gooddogztraining.com
