Four years ago I made the decision to study dog training with the best of the best — Kay Laurence. She is a world renowned dog trainer, well known for her innovative and creative techniques, and recipient of the Edward L, Anderson Jr award, which recognizes individuals who have translated scientific evidence into practical training. I first met her when I attended a Clicker Expo conference, where she was a faculty member. Her teaching style was so engaging, I left the conference knowing I wanted to learn more from her.
The course, called TAKL (Trainer Accredited by Kay Laurence), took three years to complete. We were required to meet 37 competencies during this time, write training plans, document our findings, and video record our progress. Lessons were released every two weeks, with the year divided into quarterly sessions. At the end of each quarter we completed an ILA (Individual Learning Activity), which tested our knowledge and competency by writing our evidence to meet the criteria for that time frame. How we accomplished this was up to us.
It was taught entirely online, using Moodle. This allowed us to meet as a group and discuss topics, ask questions and test our findings together. Our first lesson was about food delivery patterns — which sounds simple, but I quickly learned, was not! In Kay’s course, simple behaviours carried out to a high standard are valued more than complex or sport behaviours, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy.
At the end of our 2 years of study, we were required to compile a portfolio of what we learned. This was an arduous task, but as the old saying goes, if you can’t explain it, you don’t understand it! We had one year to complete this and I needed all of that time to do it. My final portfolio consisted of 50 videos and 258 pages satisfying all 37 competencies. I logged 624 hours talking on the phone about training with my sister, Sylvia Currie. I think we covered it all! I learned so much from this course and will be forever grateful for having the opportunity to do it.
