How to Train Your Pet With Brain Science!

This class will teach students about Operant and Classical Conditioning through the application of pet training. Students should have a pet that they can practice the training techniques with. Each week students will watch a some videos introducing the training method and how to teach their pet. They will reply to the video about how they will train their pet using the training method. Three times a week a short video will be posted showing the students an example of the teacher training her pet. Students will be expected to practice training their pet every day of the week, and will reply to the thread to discuss how the training is progressing. Students should interact with each other and attempt to answer each others questions to solve pet training difficulties. Students should relate their training back to Operant and Classical Conditioning.

Week 1: We will learn what Classical Conditioning is, and how to apply it by clicker training a pet. Students will try clicker training their pets throughout the first week. Students will reply to the teacher's video to share their pet's progress. Students who have already clicker trained their pets can communicate with the teacher to find another trick they can teach their pet instead.

Week 2: We will learn what Operant Conditioning is, and how to apply it to pet training. We will learn to use rewards to teach our pet a new trick or command. Throughout the week students will practice the trick or command that they have chosen, and use rewards to encourage their pet's behavior. Students will comment on the teacher's video to share their pet's progress. Students can encourage each other, or help each other solve challenges that they come across.

Week 3: We will learn about shaping. We will learn how shaping can be used to teach our pets a more complex trick. Students will choose a trick to teach their pet, and will use shaping to help their pet learn. Students will write a training plan. They will comment in the classroom as to how the shaping is going. Students will help each other come up with solutions to any challenges they have when training their pet.

Week 4: We will build on our knowledge of shaping. Students will review Classical and Operant conditioning. Students will continue to work on training their pet using shaping. They may work on the same trick as during week 3, or move on to a different trick if their pet has mastered the first trick.