CU Seminar Presenters Certificate of Attendance

CU seminars are in very high demand, and Leslie doesn't want to be away from home too much, so in 2009 Leslie will be offering a training program for professional trainers and sport instructors wishing to teach their own "introduction to CU" seminar. Certificates of Attendance will be given to participants. Over the course of several days you will learn:

• criteria for what types of working teams to accept, number of working teams and auditors allowed
  
• how to set up and manage the seminar space for an optimal experience
  
• what is covered in a CU seminar and why
  
• how to present the seminar (order of exercises and possible modifications, usage of video clips, etc.)
  
• answers to seminar FAQs

Prerequisites:

• candidates must have read the book and have some experience using the system with their own dogs and students' dogs
  
• candidates must be committed to following CU as a system and philosophy about how we relate to our performance dogs, rather than just using exercises from the book as separate pieces
• candidates MUST have experience with clicker training
• candidates MUST be currently working as professional dog trainers either full time or part time as club instructors
• candidates should have experience with at least one dog sport. if they are pet dog trainers only, they should have their CPDT title or be working towards it. for these candidates. Leslie will modify the seminar they learn to give to be a companion dog-oriented seminar.

You're welcome to bring your own dog to work. Leslie will also provide current students' dogs &/or dogs from the Philadelphia SPCA for you to work.

Note: All CU Seminar Presenters will need either to have their own dog totally comfortable with playing all the parallel games with the seminar dogs; or they will need to have access to a dog that can perform these activities. Example: when Leslie flies to give a seminar, she does not bring Snap along, so she makes sure in advance that a couple of relatively bombproof dogs will be provided for her to use in the parallel games. Usually instructors from the hosting club have dogs available for this purpose; often seminar participants will have an extra dog that is appropriate for these activities as well. Leslie usually ends up with more 'practice dogs' than necessary--two is usually enough, three is good too, so the dogs only have to do a few turns each.

It is also very helpful if the CU Seminar Presenter is able to demo various exercises (such as mat work, the "look at that" game, the "give me a break" game) with their own CU-savvy dog; if they cannot bring their own dog when traveling, they can use video clips from Leslie's upcoming DVD instead of live demo.

Leslie has decided to issue Certificates of Attendance rather than offering a formal certification process, which would require continuing education for program participants.

To be put on a list for more information as it comes please contact Leslie.