About the Course
Modification of any problematic or unwanted behavior requires mechanical skill, knowledge of species-specific behavior, and experience with a variety of strategies and techniques. This course will provide opportunities for anyone who works with cats to gain all of that, and more. Each of the five weeks is packed with information that can be directly and immediately applied to a variety of cat behavior cases, from aggression to anxiety and from fighting to fear. This course was created for cat behavior consultants who are looking to take on more advanced cases, or cat lovers simply looking to teach cats specific skills. Content is relevant to anyone who works with cats in a professional, volunteer, or personal capacity.
| Date | Register |
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Course Begins: March 7, 2021 Duration: 5 weeks Instructor: Katenna Jones, ACAAB, CCBC |
Register Now |
Required Course Materials
- Access to at least one cat throughout the duration of the course that
- is social and friendly
- has not been previously, formally trained
- is food, touch, praise, or toy motivated
- Access to multiple cats is recommended as a “backup” in case your primary isn’t feeling well or isn’t in the mood to train
- Ability to record, trim, and upload videos with audio of cat training sessions
- Clicker (iClick recommended)
- Target stick (to be discussed in week 1, can be made or purchased – check out example here)
- Cat rewards (to be discussed in week 1)
Weekly Content
Week 1 – Tools, Techniques, and Targets
We begin this course with a review of various tools, techniques, and tips that can be useful when addressing feline behavior problems.
Week 2 – Improving Mechanical Skill
This week students will learn about setting criteria, adjusting rates of reinforcement, assessing progress, DRI/DRO/DRA, and more.
Week 3 – Building Toward Useful Behaviors
This week, students will learn how to take target training to the next level and begin teaching cats skills that can be applied to the real world.
Week 4 – Achieving Fluency
This week, students will learn to assist their cats in becoming fluent in the behaviors they have been working on throughout this course.
Week 5 – Critical Self-Assessment
This week, students will critically self-assess their work throughout this course to identify where they excelled, where they succeeded, and where they could have been done better.
Recommended Supplemental Materials
- What is My Cat Saying? Feline Communication 101 (Munera) DVD
- Understanding Cat Behavior (Roger Tabor)
- Clicker Training for Cats (Karen Pryor)
- Starting from Scratch: How to Correct Behavior Problems in Your Adult Cat (Pam Johnson-Bennett)
- Twisted Whiskers: Solving Your Cat’s Behavior Problems (Pam Johnson-Bennett)
Prerequisites
- Understanding of and ability to effectively marker train (any species)
- Understanding of and ability to effectively train “target” or “touch” (any species)
* Experience with cats not required
Class Schedule
This five-week course will begin on the specified start date. Students will have access to the course material for 60 days after the course ends.
Course Completion/CEU Requirements
Auditors must review all course material. This will be verified in the Learning Management System.
Full Students must complete the homework assignments and participate in forum discussions. Students should expect to spend an average of 4 hours per week on course material and viewing, depending on individual speed of learning and the week’s materials.
Registration Information
| Auditor | Full Student | |
|---|---|---|
| CEUs | 5.5 (CCPDT, IAABC, KPA) | 9.5 (CCPDT); 12.5 (IAABC, KPA) |
| Member Cost | $174* | $274* |
| Non-Member Cost | $199 | $324 |
*IAABC Members – log into your member account for the discount code
Online Course Cancellation Policy
- Full refunds available more than 30 days before program start.
- 50% refund available 16 – 30 days before program start.
- No refunds available 15 or fewer days before program start.
About the Instructor
Through her business Jones Animal Behavior, Katenna Jones provides private dog and cat behavior consulting services, group classes, and seminars at both local and national events. Katenna is the former Director of Educational Programs for the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, Animal Behaviorist for the American Humane Association, and Behaviorist and Investigator for the RISPCA.
She has been involved in animal sheltering and rescue since 2000, is a disaster responder, is author of Fetching the Perfect Dog Trainer: Getting the Best for You and Your Dog and has contributed to numerous local and national publications.
Katenna earned her Master’s from Brown University where she studied animal behavior, learning and cognition. She is an Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Certified Cat and Dog Behavior Consultant, and Certified Pet Dog Trainer.
She shares her RI home with her husband, two adopted cats, and adopted dog.
If you have questions, email us at courses@iaabc.org.
Kristina Spaulding, PhD, CAAB has a PhD in biopsychology – the study of the biological basis of behavior – and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist through the Animal Behavior Society. She specializes in stress and behavior, social cognition and emotion, positive welfare and the prevention and treatment of behavior problems in dogs. In addition to her academic background, she has been in the dog training and behavior profession since 2000. She currently splits her time between private behavior work and teaching other dog trainers and behavior consultants online and through seminars and conferences.
