SED 101 - Animal Behavior & Selection of Service Dogs Lab

This is an introduction to techniques for animal training with a focus on owner-trained service dogs. A service dog is one specially trained to perform a task or work that aids a person with a physical or emotional disability, thus allowing them more freedom to live more independently. The course will cover basic psychological principles of operant conditioning used with animal training. There will also be hands-on opportunities for basic dog training that require the application of operant learning techniques. The optional lab will have two main components. The first component will be training qualified dogs to prepare them to be certified as therapy dogs. The second component will be helping train a service dog for a specific task to assist its disabled owner.

Credits: 1