S.A.T.S certified
 

S.A.T.S. Syn Alia Training Systems

Syn is short for synergetic – working together towards the same goal - and Alia is short for Alliance.

Starting point of SATS is to conclude a respectful alliance on a voluntary basis, this way the combination man – animal becomes more than the sum of its components.
SATS stands for a positive training method, characterised by mutual communication (from man to animal and from animal to man), which means that feedback is both given and received, and the animal is forced as little as possible.

SATS therefore is not just a technique that is convenient when training animals. It also represents a new, fresh look on the intelligence of animals and on the way in which man and animal can work and live together.

This training technique was developed 20 years ago by an American woman named Kayce Cover. She has obtained a vast experience as trainer and keeper of mainly exotic animals living in captivity. These animals too had to have medical check-ups, which wasn’t always easy. For this reason she developed a training technique that puts no pressure on the animal and makes the animal cooperate voluntarily. The animal learns to cope with his emotions. In the years that followed Kayce has refined the technique, and made it accessible for anyone who would like to work with it.

In Holland there are only 9 S.A.T.S.-certified trainers at the moment. Petra and her assistant Henny are part of this select group.

An enormous advantage of this technique is that hardly any food or toys are used. By using food or toys dogs can become very exited. When a dog has a behavioural problem he will almost certainly have a heightened adrenaline level. Using food or a toy (which is customary with regular behavioural therapies) may heighten this level even further and will in fact have a negative effect on the therapy.
With this new way of training without food the animals become quiet and calm, they are able to focus and are cooperative. Aggression and boisterousness diminish. By using the training elements from this technique the learning process is accelerated and the usual training period can be reduced with 25 – 75%.

The elements

The training technique consists in several elements:

  • A signal that gives the dog the information that he is doing well (=Bridge)
  • A fact where the dog must be (=Target)
  • Learning to be relaxed (=Conditioned relaxation)
  • Perception Modification – modifying the perception of the animal, like changing fear into acceptation. The animal learns to cope with his (negative) emotions.

S.A.T.S. is a remarkable way of working that we integrate entirely into our courses and that we apply when possible in the behavioural therapy.

For more information about SATS you can visit Kayce Cover’s website: www.synalia.com

The SATS-group is working on a translation of their website in Dutch.

What does S.A.T.S. cost?

Click here if you want to sign up for S.A.T.S.


more info? call: 0180-318609 or email: info@hondenschoolpetradriesen.nl