about

The fourth Modern Ethical Training (MET) Conference is about to welcome the leading experts from around the world once again.  Join us, too!

On the 9th and 10th March 2024, top experts from the USA and Europe are going to share their methods, approaches and tips. You can then rewatch the conference for six months as it is going to be recorded.

Viewers from 29 countries joined the MET Conference before. Our common aim is a better and more ethical life with dogs.

speakers

Program

saturday

Lenght: 2 hours 30 minutes (including 30 minutes Q & A part).

You will learn:

  • the main approaches to animal training

  • using radio-guided cameras in dog training and how it changes the way of training dogs for complex tasks

  • bridge signals (reward signals), their meaning and effective use during training

  • dogs’ scent detection abilities

  • combining latest training tools and technology for detection dog training

  • proofing the detection dog training

About the presentation:

What does the future of animal training look like? Simon Prins has been using cutting-edge technologies and exploring what they can bring in both special operations and regular training for years. Are you a fan of new technologies in dog training? Then you will be thrilled to watch his presentation. Simon will describe the newest trends in animal training in correlation to his incredibly interesting work with detection and police dogs. Practical use in regular training will, however, be emphasized.

We will talk about various gadgets and software that can revolutionize the training methods. The most effective way of using bridge signals to enhance understanding and obedience in dogs will also be focused on, as well as the scent wheels and line-ups and their role in training detection dogs. If you’re curious about what’s new in specialized training and what you can use in your everyday life, you will get your answers.

Lenght: 2 hours 30 minutes (including 30 minutes Q & A part).

You will learn:

  • what affects the degree of dogs’ tartar formation

  • the science of various tooth-cleaning methods

  • what can happen if we don’t pay enough attention to our dogs’ teeth

  • if various dietary supplements or mouthwashes can actually miraculously help you avoid brushing your dog’s teeth

  • if it is good to use home ultrasonic tooth cleaners

  • what is better for your dog’s teeth – BARF method of feeding or kibble

  • what aspects of handling to focus on while tooth brushing

About the presentation:

Do you know that feeling when you have not brushed your teeth for just one day? Not really pleasant, is it? That’s because of tooth plaque. The food residual together with saliva and bacteria create an often invisible film, which is the first step of tartar. Did you know that even your dog can have tartar? The Slovak veterinarian Jana Radošovská will give you detailed information about how to take care of your dog’s teeth.

Why is it important to remove tartar? Isn’t it enough to regularly give your dog bones or dental treats to chew on? What about the dogs’ ancestors? Nobody brushed their teeth. And why should we avoid the dog grooming salons that do dental hygiene without anesthesia? If you are interested in answers to these questions, don’t miss this presentation.

Lenght: 2 hours 30 minutes (including 30 minutes Q & A part).

What will you learn?

  • how to set a musculoskeletal-system-friendly environment and home

  • how to alter your routine care and manipulation, the most common negative effects on the musculoskeletal system that Veronika sees in her practice

  • the development of your dog – from puppy to senior through the prism of the musculoskeletal system

  • how to deal with movement, degree and structure of training load

  • games and video demonstrations for holistic training sets, supporting the right posture and musculoskeletal health

About the presentation:

Prevention is always better than dealing with a problem. In her presentation, Veronika Uhlířová will focus on the way a dogs‘ environment should look like in order to help them grow and their musculoskeletal system be healthier.

We will talk about the home we share with our dogs and the care routine we give them, we will also concentrate on the details that could (after weeks, months and years of happening) affect the musculoskeletal system of our dogs in a negative manner. Veronika will present ideas and inspiration of how to alter the habits and environment so that they help the dogs‘ health.

From puppy to senior, we will discuss the dogs‘ life stages while focusing on the development, growth, maturity and aging of the musculoskeletal system. That way we will be able to recognize how we can support our dogs‘ physical health. The influence of sex hormones and cycle will also be addressed, especially in relation to female dogs. Veronika will lead us through the movement phenomenon as well as the movement that is natural for canines and that should therefore be fundamental for our activities.  

How to spot anything that is off in a body that you are not physically in? You will know what to notice in your dog’s posture during a regular day. Veronika will offer preventive care tools to help you detect and treat deviations from the equilibrium of all musculoskeletal system components.

Last but not least, dogfitness will be mentioned. You will get to know the basic principles of work safety and creating a training lesson, why the right posture is important and how you as a dog owner can affect it. Together, we will go through video demonstrations for home practice that will lay the basis for further training.

Lenght: 2 hours 30 minutes (including 30 minutes Q & A part).

You will learn:

  • how to set a dog up for success working in real-world distraction-filled environments

  • how to improve many important behaviors, including dog recall

  • how to set up a distraction training in a way that leads to success 

  • the importance of using distractions that you can control 

  • how to teach your dog to expect the unexpected 

  • how to teach dogs to choose to work in the face of distractions.

About the presentation:

In the working dog world, Ken’s clients are skilled trainers who have been successful, training the target behavior required (explosive detection, search and rescue techniques, guide dog skills, etc.). But it is beyond that point is where they get into trouble; the training outcomes fall below the accepted standards, and no one is happy. That’s when they call Ken.

Ken has found that his clients’ primary challenge is moving the behavior into the real world and dealing with the distractions that real life throws their way.

It is in these situations where some trainers have relied on punishers to prevent the animals from reacting to distractions and help keep them on task – but the fallout from the use of aversive tools has become increasingly clear so trainers are looking more and more for positive alternatives. But even skilled trainers in the field, committed to using positive reinforcement-based training solutions, can struggle with this transition.

In this seminar Ken will share how he teaches better stimulus control through the gradual exposure to unique and changing environments. Ken has successfully increased the effectiveness and reliability of working dogs all over the world. A similar process has also been used to improve husbandry training in the zoological community.

Teaching animals to expect the unexpected and improving stimulus control through systematic desensitization can revolutionize day to day training in so many professional contexts.

sunday

Lenght: 2 hours 30 minutes (including 30 minutes Q & A part).

In this presentation you will:

  • learn what resilience is and why it’s important for dogs  

  • discover what it takes for dogs to live in a human world

  • explore the relationship between resilience and stress

  • investigate what it means to ‘bounce back’

  • understand the importance of sleep and quiet time

  • build fluidity and coping skills

  • play resilient building games and activities 

  • find out what it takes to be a resilient human

  • discover how BRAVE can help build resilience in all dogs 

About the presentation:

Both figuratively and literally, dogs move towards things that make them feel safer, and being resilient is a key ingredient for dogs to live their fullest, richest, most rewarding life possible by our side. Despite its importance to a well-balanced life, resilience is often overlooked in the dog world. Helping dogs build resilience depends on understanding how they perceive the world, identifying their needs and finding successful strategies to help them cope.

Join renowned pet behavior expert Victoria Stilwell as she shares actionable tips for how to increase your dog’s resilience. Whether you’re an aspiring dog trainer or just someone who shares your life with dogs, this presentation will provide insightful value and some new ways of building the strongest, most mutually-enriching relationships with our dogs.

Lenght: 2 hours 30 minutes (including 30 minutes Q & A part).

This presentation will cover:

  • what is meant by “drive”, what it looks like, and how to measure it

  • qualities of an effective reinforcer for practical training

  • factors that influence motivation and enthusiasm in training

  • strategies to increase the value of reinforcement that DON’T include deprivation or withholding resources from the dog

  • applying the principles of good shaping and training with loops to build motivation and intensity

About the presentation:

It is a popular misconception that “drive” is something your dog either was born with or he wasn’t – a fixed quantity determined solely by genetics. Unfortunately, viewing drive as a fixed and unalterable characteristic limits our training potential by suggesting that energetic and enthusiastic behavior is unattainable for certain teams. And that couldn’t be further from the truth!

There is so much that modern trainers can do to enhance, modify, or even manufacture effective training reinforcers to build motivation in any dog from Malinois to Maltese. When we treat the reinforcement process as a set of skills that can be learned and trained to fluency, we have the ability to strengthen your reinforcers as you would any other behavior! Perhaps even more importantly, treating reinforcement and drive this way means we have options to increase motivation without depending on techniques based on frustration or deprivation.

Lenght: 2 hours 30 minutes (including 30 minutes Q & A part).

You will learn:  

  • the science behind each of the more popular aggression treatment protocols

     

  • under what conditions each is best used

  • critical considerations when choosing a protocol for their own training

  • the advantages and disadvantages of each tool

About the presentation:

Dealing with reactive dogs, handling aggression, and working through problems with highly sensitive animals can be a challenge for even the very best clicker trainers. Over the years, many creative trainers have presented various alternatives to handling aggression and reactivity problems.

The explosion in the number of approaches, combined with an array of new nomenclature, is often confusing for trainers seeking to choose an approach for themselves or to recommend to others. Today, some of the most discussed approaches include, but are not limited to, Counter Conditioning, Constructional Aggression Treatment (CAT), Click to Calm, Behavioral Adjustment Training (BAT), the “Look at That” game (LAT), and a host of others. How do these varied treatment approaches compare? What common or distinct scientific principles are being employed? Are certain plans better for certain situations than others?

This Session is designed to help you sort out the choices. It will explore the science underlying the approaches, look at their known efficacy, and help you see what these approaches share, as well as their differences, so that you can make informed choices. Attendees at this Session will also learn to ask the right questions and listen/look for thoughtful answers to be well-prepared when the next approach makes its way forward.

You can watch recordings of each presentation for 6 months.
The time is in 24 hour format. Open each presentation for more details. The schedule may still change.

in a nutshell

  1. 6 great trainers will talk about their experiences, give advice and practical solutions.
  2. Over 18 hours of expertise and advice for the daily life of dog lovers and professional trainers.
  3. You can watch the lectures live on the day of the conference or at any time during the following 6 months.
  4. MET conference 2024 has been approved by CCPDT and IAABC organizations. If you are CCPDT certified, there are 18.5 CEUs available. If IAABC certified, there are 18 CEUs available.
  5. You can listen to the lectures of Czech trainers in the original version or access a high-quality translation in English, so that you do not miss a word of expertise!
  6. Gain practical procedures with proven results.
  7. No waiting and commuting – enjoy the conference from the comfort of your couch with your dog partner by your side.

pricing

The conference will take place on 9 and 10 March 2024.

Ticket sales will start soon.

FAQ

Don’t worry, it’s nothing complicated. When you make your purchase, you‘ll need to enter a password that you can then use to log in to your new user account at any time. There, you can find the live broadcast on the days of the conference. After the end of the conference, you will also find a recording of it under your user account for a period of six months.

You will need a internet connection and a computer. Of course, you can also sign up via your tablet or phone.

We wanted to have longer lectures to really learn something. We don’t just want to slide on the information surface. 

Therefore, we have prepared three to four lectures for each day, after which most guests (according to their technical capabilities) will answer your questions. The average time per lecturer will be two hours. That simply cannot be taken away in one day.

The MET conference is organized by a Czech Republic team led by coach Robert Zlocha, who sits in the moderator’s chair. In addition to helping dog owners and their furry friends in Prague, Robert travels around the world to educate himself. He is a participant in international conferences and intensive training sessions with professionals in the field of dog training. You can learn more about Robert on his website.

Petra Kejklíčková takes care of the second presenter’s microphone and communication with the public. She got into modern ethical training thanks to her reactive dog. In addition to co-organizing the conference, Petra also deals with marketing.

The technical side is managed by a professional streaming team of eight people, and translated from Czech to English and vice versa by a team of interpreters with extensive international experience. Altogether there is almost 20 people working on the MET conference.

The conference is held in Czech and English. We work with experienced interpreters whose work was very popular during the first year. 

We want you to have access to all information without a language barrier. So you can listen to the speakers fully in English if you want.

If you are CCPDT certified trainer, there are 18.5 CEUs available. When ordering the conference ticket, there is a box where you enter your CCPDT 7-digit number. After the conference finishes, we will provide the number to CCPDT.

If you are IAABC certified, there are 18 CEUs available. When ordering the conference ticket, there is a box where you select that you are a IAABC member / credential holder and you want to obtain CEUs. 

You can find the MET conference enlisted here (click on the organization name):

The recordings are available to participants for 6 months, during which time they can return to the lectures indefinitely. 

After this period, the recordings are no longer available and cannot be purchased retrospectively.

If you did not receive a confirmation email or had another problem, send us a message to fetch@metconference.com and we will resolve it.

Join our facebook group Modern ethical dog training to discuss about the conference and other topics and follow us on Instagram

We need to process and upload the videos from the conference first. It’s a lot of data and a lot of videos that will keep us busy for a while. 

The recording will therefore be available within a few days after the conference. We will let you know via social media and email. After that, you will have unlimited access to the archive for six months. You can find it under My Account.

We were honored to host speakers as:

USA: Jean Donaldson, Mike Shikashio, Malena DeMartini, Grisha Stewart, online course from Emily Larlham (Kikopup), Bob Bailey, Leslie McDevitt

United Kingdom: Chirag Patel, Kay Laurence

Norway: Turid Rugaas

France: Cristina and Aurelién Budzinski

Hungary: Ádám Miklósi

Australia: Jennie Harvey

The Czech Republic: František Šusta, Radka Spudilová, Robert Zlocha, Nicole Vošvrdová, Martina Klimešová, Martina Vondráková, Lenka Blachová, Eliška Pavetta Šuhaj

Slovakia: Júlia Bukovinská

Modern and Ethical Training.

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MET conference 2023 is running right now!

…left until the conference kickoff.

Program of the MET conference 2023

Times are stated in GMT / UTC +1 time zone (Prague, Czechia). Link to the time converter HERE.

%MET_PRAGUE_TIME%

SATURDAY

  • 09:00 – 11:50 Kay Laurence: Does This Benefit the Dog?
  • 11:50 – 11:55 Bonus video
  • 11:55 – 12:30 Pause (35 minutes)
  • 12:30 – 14:40 Eliška Pavetta Šuhaj: Canine enrichment
  • 14:40 – 15:00 Pause (20 minutes)
  • 15:00 – 18:00 Lenka Blachová: Dog Meeting Etiquette
  • 18:00 – 18:15 Pause (15 minutes)
  • 18:15 – 20:15 Leslie McDevitt: “Look at That” and “LATTE”: Counter Conditioning Games to build Confidence

SUNDAY

  • 09:00 – 11:00 Kay Laurence: Management of training / Cue Technology
  • 11:00 – 12:00 Pause (1 hour)
  • 12:00 – 14:30 Ádám Miklósi: Social Hierarchy and Dominance in Dogs
  • 14:30 – 15:00 Pause (30 minutes)
  • 15:00 – 17:00 Leslie McDevitt: The Power of the Pattern: Pattern Games in Control Unleashed
  • 17:00 – 17:30 Pause (30 minutes)
  • 17:30 – 20:10 Bob Bailey: A Brief History of Animal Training from the Perspective of Dr. Robert E. (Bob) Bailey
  • 20:10 – 20:20 Final word and information about the headliner of the MET 2024

Program MET konference 2023

SOBOTA 

  • 9:00 – 11:50 Kay Laurence: Je to pro psa přínos?
  • 11:50 – 11:55 Přehrání bonusového videa
  • 11:55- 12:30 Přestávka (35 minut)
  • 12:30 – 14:40 Eliška Pavetta Šuhaj: Enrichment pro psy
  • 14:40 – 15:00 Přestávka (20 minut)
  • 15:00 – 18:00 Lenka Blachová: Etiketa psího setkávání
  • 18:00 – 18:15 Přestávka (15 minut)
  • 18:15 – 20:15 Leslie McDevitt: Podívej se na“ a „LATTE“. Kontrapodmiňovací hry pro posílení sebedůvěry

NEDĚLE

  • 9:00 – 11:00 Kay Laurence: Management nebo trénink a poté Technologie signálu (Cue technology)
  • 11:00 – 12:00 Přestávka (1 hodina)
  • 12:00 – 14:30 Ádám Miklósi: Sociální hierarchie a dominance u psů
  • 14:30 – 15:00 Přestávka (30 minut)
  • 15:00 – 17:00 Leslie McDevitt: Síla “Pattern games”
  • 17:00 – 17:30 Přestávka (30 minut)
  • 17:30 – 20:10 Bob Bailey: Stručná historie výcviku zvířat z pohledu Dr. Roberta E. Baileyho
  • 20:10 – 20:20 Závěrečné slovo a představení hlavního řečníka MET 2024