B3006 You’re Not the Boss of Me: Decoding Demand Barking
3 WEEK CLASS - Barking can be so annoying — especially when you know your dog is asking for something and you are not in the mood to give it to them. Barking at the start line of an agility course, barking for food, barking to make you throw the ball, and any other kind barking where the dog seems to be saying “I want it now!” can be a real struggle to address.
Course Details
By the way, demand behavior is not limited to demand barking (or to dogs). Demand behavior can include any behavior any animal -- cat, dog, horse, parrot, etc. -- does to attract notice so that you (or another animal in your household) do something for the animal. Common examples of demand behavior include pawing at you, stamping the ground to make a loud noise, and grabbing things you want left alone.
Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the demand behavior -- no matter what it looks like! This class will give you the tools you need. So join Irith Bloom for a three-week dive into demand barking, why it happens, and — most importantly — how to reduce it!
NOTE: Since this is a three-week class, only demand behavior will be addressed. If you are not sure if what you are seeing is demand behavior, please reach out to Irith before registering.
Teaching Approach:
Lectures will generally be posted at the beginning of the week. Each week's lectures will include practical tasks for students to work on. Some lectures will be provided as both video presentations (for those who prefer watching a video) and in a text format (for those who prefer to read lectures). Replies to student posts will include observations, tips, and suggestions for what to add or adjust.
Gold and Silver students will get personalized recommendations from Irith that may include material that is not in the lectures. Students are therefore encouraged to read all the Homework and Discussion threads to ensure a more complete understanding of the topic.
This course will also have a TA, Sara, who will be assisting students in the Bronze forum. Sara has worked with Irith on classes before to great acclaim.
Syllabus
Most of the topics listed here will be addressed more than once during the course. This will both help you internalize what you learn and deepen your understanding of each of the topics.
- Types of barking (broad overview)
- Identifying demand behavior in your companion animal
- Stress and its impact on demand behavior
- The role of management in addressing demand behavior
- The benefits of agency in addressing demand behavior
- Examining and analyzing demand behavior in context
- Identifying and teaching useful alternative behaviors
- Improving communication without giving into every request
Practical activities will include:
- Relaxation exercises
- Arousal modulation exercises
- Agency-increasing exercises
- Teaching better ways for the animal to ask for things
- Establishing "not now" and "sorry, but no" signals for the human to use
Prerequisites & Supplies
Instructor
Irith Trietsch Bloom
Faculty
Irith Bloom (she/her) finds joy in helping people teach with kindness while developing choice-rich environments for their companion animals. ...
Registration
Gold
$149
Available seats: 10
- Access to all lectures and homework forums discussion
- Read all posted questions and answers
- Watch all posted videos
- Post general questions to discussion forum
- Submit written assignments
- Post dog specific questions
- Post videos (unlimited)
- Receive instructor feedback
Silver
$99
Available seats: 15
- Access to all lectures and homework forums discussion
- Read all posted questions and answers
- Watch all posted videos
- Post general questions to discussion forum
- Post dog specific questions (video only)
- Post videos (up to 2)
- Receive instructor feedback
Bronze
$49
Available seats: Unlimited
- Access to all lectures and homework forums discussion
- Read all posted questions and answers
- Watch all posted videos