Relationship Centered Training

This seems pretty obvious. Yet, whatever you’ve learned about dog behavior, learning theory, training principles and techniques, chances are good that you need better tools for understanding the relationship itself.

Successful and humane training needs to include the relationship as the dynamic ground on which skills, behavior changes and improvements can take root. Both handler and dog contribute to the relationship. Both bring their needs, preferences, habits and personality to every moment of interaction.

The good training relies on knowing how to help the dog/handler team improve communication, minimize or eliminate conflict, and build the relationship in a way that meets the needs on both ends of the leash.

But how do you know which end of the leash to focus on? If you put your focus just on the dog, you’re left with purely transactional training, expecting the dog to learn and change no matter what the handler does or does not do. Focus solely on the handler without helping the dog learn new skills and responses is also ineffective. When you address the relationship as a whole, profound changes are possible.

This webinar provides an introduction to a powerful tool for understanding the dog/human relationship:  RAT™: Relationship Assessment Tool. Developed by Suzanne Clothier, RAT™ provides you with a new perspective on assessing and understanding of the dog/human relationship.

RAT™ provides a nuanced framework for assessing the dynamics of the dog/human relationship. While RAT assessments capture important information, they are rapid taking only approx. 5 minutes, and easy to do. The results provide a terrific jumping off point for meaningful discussions, customized training plans 

RAT™ can be used to:

• Assess what is contributing to behavior, training and/or performance challenges
• Identifying the strengths & weaknesses of the relationship
• Assess suitability for a purpose, such as therapy dog team, AAI/AAT
• Assess for best match adoptions or placements
• Identify handler skills (ideal for training staff & volunteers)
• Track changes and improvements over time

When you can clearly identify the strengths and weaknesses of any dog/handler team, you automatically make different decisions for that team. Discussions with the handler are targeted and framed in a way that helps them see the relationship in new light.

Practical and effective, RAT™ leads to Training Triage & Plan for a customized approach that addresses and supports the specific needs of that dog/handler relationship.