Two events: ClickerExpo & The Boston Tea Party
September 3, 2010 at 5:30 am 11 comments
*Update: I have registered for one day of Clicker Expo! I’ll be there on Friday! *
1. CLICKER EXPO
The more I learn about clicker training, the more I want to experience the magic of clicker training in action, in real life …not only on YouTube, and not only with Boogie (who is sort of at beginner level and can’t do complex behaviors)
I found this video of last year’s ClickerExpo on YouTube. Wow.
The next Clicker Expo is in January 2011, Newport Beach and I would love to go… Unfortunately for this novice aficionado, the $369 fee to attend the full 3 day event is ridiculously high. The minimum price of $240 to attend one day is still expensive.
$240…I could buy 2 pairs of shoes or spend 1 night at The Madonna Inn.
Looking at the big picture, I think that attending the ClickerExpo would help me (and Boogie!) make better choices in life, so please help me raise the funds by commissioning a portrait of your dog!😉
I think I will attend Day 1: Friday because there are more Foundation Level seminars…
I am interested in:
- Ken Ramirez: Aggression Treatment and Context
- Cecilie Koste: Foundation Station
- Kathy Sdao: You’re In Great Shape
- Kay Laurence: Microshaping
- Alexandra Kurland: Breakthrough
Aarrgh. Overlaps!!!
Who is going to ClickerExpo next year?
2. BOSTON TEA PARTY
Another event that I am excited about is the Boston Tea Party.
This year’s event is hosted by two rescue groups – Boston Buddies and Boston Brigade – and will take place in Temecula, wherever this is…
Boogie and I will be there!!! This is a free fundraiser meet-up event and there will be hundreds of boston terriers and their people. I can’t wait to meet Chopper the Biker Dog.
Here is the Facebook event page.
The Tea Party logo is a collaboration between the talented Brian Rubenacker and myself and you can buy it on t shirts! $20 each
Last but not least, here are some cute photos of Boogie and Butch (Christa’s). Nothing like a good treat to get these little doggies to sit patiently and pout at camera.
Entry filed under: Events, Rescue, Social stuff, Training.
Boogie's blog 
1.
barrie.lynn | September 3, 2010 at 7:34 pm
If you are going, definitely Kathy Sdao and Kay Laurence! But honestly? I did not find it illuminating or motivating really. I think going to one really good seminar is a better bang for the buck 🙂
Are you going to Grisha’s seminar with Patrica McConnell? THAT should be awesome!
2.
lili | September 3, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Hi Barrie, I would LOVE to go to the Patricia McConnell seminar but it’s coming up so soon and it means booking a flight to Seattle ASAP. I can at least drive to Newport Beach… It’s interesting that you didn’t find the ClickerExpo motivating. Was there anything that you enjoyed about it? I am definitely interested in the Kathy Sdao session having seen her video clips on YouTube.
3.
barrie.lynn | September 5, 2010 at 5:49 pm
I got the most out of Kay Laurence’s session and it was of course nice to be surrounded by people who are least in the same style of training but I found it extremely commercial which was a turn off for me and I am a weirdo clicker trainer who barely ever uses a clicker so it kind of drove me nuts that everyone was clicking constantly for everything because I think that dramatically lessens the impact of a very useful training tool 😦
4.
Susan Kennedy | September 4, 2010 at 2:56 pm
If you can possibly go to all three days of Expo go…especialyy if it close to you and you dont need to pay for hotel. This is an amazing gathering of the best of positive reinforcement training. It is an open accepting group…Bettillsson and Vegh are great too(focus is agility but it is great foundation training for any dog), also Fairweanter and Pouliot always have great training. I hope to be able to have you do a drawing soon of my dog that died last week.. Hope you make it. Love your blog!
Susan nad Luna the Flatcoat
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lili | September 4, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Hi Susan,
Thanks so much for your kind and encouraging words!
I wish I could afford the 3 days. There’s also the issue of finding a babysitter for Boogie for 3 days… I can’t bring him because he is reactive. I am sorry about your dog.
Take care,
Lili
6.
Words and Steel | September 5, 2010 at 5:24 pm
ooh, Temecula is only 40 minutes north of San Diego (lots of good wineries there, hint hint) and I would love to take Orby but he might not do well w/ so many other dogs (he’s still a bit leash aggressive but is wonderful off-leash). Hrm… wonder how I could swing this to make it work!
7.
lili | September 5, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Ooh, that’s far from L.A. and a long drive for Boogie! 😦
I took Boogie to last year’s tea party – yep, he was reactive towards all the dogs – so I didn’t walk around all that much. I hanged out in an area away from all the dogs amongst friends whose dogs Boogie already knows and is comfortable with (eg, Stinky and Mighty)
There was another reactive BT there and his owner carried him in her arms all day. Sigh. Yes, it’s complicated. The thing I worry about is other dogs charging at him. If they stay with their humans and mind their own business, Boogie is OK.
8.
Mary Hunter | September 6, 2010 at 2:58 pm
ClickerExpo is expensive, but I think it’s worth it. (Or at least worth going at least once, and then you can decide if you want to go again!)
Kay Laurence is absolutely excellent. Well worth going to clickerexpo just for her. 🙂
She is from England, so she does not do many events in the states.
ClickerExpo is great from a networking and meeting people perspective. I had a great time talking to people and chatting with people at meals, between sessions, etc. Definitely take advantage of this time!
I think there are ways to do clickerExpo more cheaply.
I stayed with friends last year in Lexington, so saved some.
I know plenty of people who share rooms with others. There’s usually chatter on some of the big clicker lists about people looking for roommates and roomshares.
Also, I think they have several volunteer programs–where you help out in either the gift shop or with organization and in exchange get to go to some sessions for free. Not sure exactly how it works, but it might be something to look into.
Barrie’s right, though, parts of clickerExpo (especially the huge store) seem pretty commercial. It’s worth going for all 3 days if you are going to go, though.
Also, I’ll plug the training conference that my school, the University of North Texas, puts on in February. If you’re willing to travel for a one day conference, you might be interested in it rather than ClickerExpo. It’s just 1 day, and is considerably cheaper than ClickerExpo. (Don’t quote me, but I think regular registration is $140.) Speakers will include Alexandra Kurland, Ken Ramirez, Kay Laurence and others. You can see info about the past 2 conferences on the website, more info about the 2011 conference should be up sometime this month.
http://orgs.unt.edu/orca/ASAT_menu.html
cheers,
Mary Hunter
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lili | September 6, 2010 at 4:43 pm
Thanks for commenting, Mary!
I am definitely looking forward to meeting people and networking!!! This is the main reason I want to go, and the second reason being that Newport Beach is only about 1 hour from where I live so I don’t need to book flights & accommodation. It’s a shame I can’t do 3 days… I want to save my money for other events (eg, Emily Larlham’s workshop that Grisha Stewart is hosting in Seattle) and I’ll look into the North Texas conference too. How exciting!
10.
Andre | September 6, 2010 at 3:58 pm
I hope you can go. I think 3-days for $369 is a steal. Of course, in absolute dollars $369 is a lot, but often I attend 1-day seminars that are nearly $200, so 3 days is like $600 of value to me. I have to fly to either Newport Beach or Chicago to attend this year… I may splurge and go to Newport Beach just to escape the cold.
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lili | September 6, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Hmmm….
In any case, if I go (one day or three days) – thanks for commenting, Andre. It’s nice to hear from trainers who are going. Look forward to meeting you all there!