Just a reminder! FDSA classes for the December term start today, so don’t forget to sign up if you’re interested in taking something. I will be teaching my “Normal, Or Not?” class again this term, all about behavior problems in dogs. Topics covered include:

– Distinguishing normal vs. abnormal behavior

– The difference between training issues and pathological behavior problems (and why it matters!)

– How medical issues can impact behavior

– Common behavior modification techniques and how they work

– The role of management in the treatment of behavior issues

– Behavior meds and how they work

– Prognostic factors to consider (what kind of outcome to expect?), and understanding what realistic goals might look like for a particular problem, depending on severity

Silver-level students will be able to ask questions and participate in class discussion about the material we’re covering, and will also have homework questions to respond to each week which are intended to help you think about how the class material might relate to situations you’ve experienced with your own dogs. Bronze-level students have access to all the course material and discussion forums – they just aren’t able to ask questions, or be actively involved in discussions.

This is a six-week online class open to anyone who has an interest in behavior problems in dogs, so feel free to join if you want to! If you have any questions about the class format or how it works, you can always comment or shoot me an email, and I’ll do my best to answer.

The registration page is here, with all the details including a sample lecture, full class syllabus, etc.