Abstract:
The goal of this project was to determine the effectiveness of dog training classes provided by a student organization offered to members of the community at large. An eight-week Canine Good Citizen (CGC) class for dogs taking a CGC test upon completion of the class was offered. Using exit surveys, community participants and students ranked a series of items on a 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) Likert-type scale. Students (n = 9) indicated completion of the course provided a better understanding of dog training (mean = 4.7). Students exhibited an improvement in career skills such as communication and organization. Students showed assisting with the course allowed them to apply class content (mean = 4.0) and a desire for more hands on opportunities (mean = 4.6). The community dog handlers (n = 29) indicated that they felt the class improved their dog’s behavior (mean = 4.7), the university was providing a valuable service by offering the class (mean = 4.6) and that they enjoyed interacting with the students (mean = 4.2). Providing community dog training classes improved student learning and improved community awareness and support of the university’s companion animal program.
Key words: dog, training, experiential learning
 5 Lilienthal March13.pdf | [ ] | 690 kB |
