Teamworks “Chicken Camp”
A Clicker Training Seminar for Dog Trainers
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SIGN UP HERE! LIMITED NUMBER OF SPOTS AVAILABLE!
One of the best ways to become a better trainer is to train a different animal. Chicken camp is a concept first introduced by Bob Bailey and Marian Breland-Bailey in the 90s. The idea is to remove all the emotional baggage that comes with dog training…and just work on timing, criteria, and rate of reinforcement. Chickens have very fast reaction times,and are easily frustrated by a low rate of reinforcement. Suffice to say it is a humbling experience…but after you have trained a chicken, you will become a much better dog trainer! Most people think chickens aren’t very bright, but chickens actually have a very keen ability to discriminate colors and shapes. Using a clicker, you will get to teach two different chickens a basic discrimination behavior, as well as some chicken “Agility” obstacles. Past camps have been approved for 3 CBCC-KA CEUs and 21 Skills CPDT-KSA CEUs, and 27.5 CEUs for IAABC. Camp will start Friday night 6-9pm with a lecture on operant conditioning. Saturday and Sunday 9am-4pm will be coached training sessions with an emphasis on “think, plan do”. Sunday will conclude with each participant doing a demonstration of behaviors taught. Participant $250. Auditor spots also available for $100. Deposit of $50 is non-refundable unless spot can be filled from the waiting list. Limit 10 Participants.
Between 1999-2004, I was fortunate enough to attend four week-long camps with Bob and Marian in Hot Springs Arkansas, and it was an incredibly helpful and educational experience for me as a trainer. Here is a video of chickens I taught to do “agility“. Back in 2005, I got chickens and we held 3 successful camps at Teamworks, with Bob Bailey’s blessings and coaching. In 2018, I got another batch of chickens and we did 8 camps. Now, I’ve decided to do weekend camps again, with a new batch of chickens. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to refine your clicker skills! Michele Godlevski
Please email Michele if you have a group of at least 6 people interested in attending a chicken camp.
Chicken Pre-Training Updates
- Baby Chicks Being Handled
- Juvenile Chicks Learning to Approach a Hand Extended Toward them
- Teaching Chickens to Eat from a Measuring Cup
- Chickens Up on the Table
- Clicker, Then Cup Presentation
- Novel Object in Environment – 1
- How to Pick Up a Chicken
- Novel Objects – 4
- Targets – 1
- Aug Update – Targets
- Oct Update – Classical Conditioning to Camp Conditions
- FULL PLAYLIST OF CHICKEN CAMP PREP VIDEOS
June 2024 Chicken Camp Pictures and Videos
June 2023 Chicken Camp Picture
November 2018 Chicken Camp Pictures and Videos
Michele Godlevski, Certified Behavior Consultant, is also available to give dog behavior seminars. Please contact Michele by email.
January 2019 Chicken Camp Pictures
February Camp Pictures
February 2020 Chicken Camp
Note: Our chickens are purchased from Little Birdie, a local hatchery that is an NPIP certified hatchery. The hatchery vaccinates the chicks before sending them home. They are brought to our home when they are 2-7 days old and raised as a flock, without any other birds being introduced. The chicks are hand-raised and handled daily, to ensure they are as comfortable being held by people as possible. We take many precautions during camp, including providing hand sanitizer, masks, and not allowing food in the training room. Here are CDC recommendations regarding avian flu, in case you have concerns. Our chicks are fed organic food, but they are treated with medication as baby chicks and given diatomaceous earth as a parasite preventative as adults.