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Please note: Our workshops are not designed as a group behaviour consultation - if you would like help for your dog with a particular behaviour issue, please contact your local behaviourist or trainer.

Accredited dog trainer, Heather Stevens, and her specialist team run workshops and events where you can find out all about Canine Functional Characters. These were first observed by Dr Gordon Haber, the noted wolf specialist, who studied them for over 40 years in Alaska. Dr Isla Fishburn has taken this knowledge a step further and identified nine functional characters in our dogs.

Functional characters explain the social interactions and dynamics of any group of dogs and reveal why they behave in a particular way in various environments and situations, and around certain individuals. They also explain why some individuals are continually nervous or timid, or act like a bull in a china shop! Others may be hard to keep weight on or are very aloof and keep themselves apart from family members. And others may appear to pick on or bully other dogs continually.

The individual functional characters are Guide, Defender, Peacekeeper, Follower, Observer/Alerter, Lone Individual, Overseer, Nanny/Guardian, Hunter.

GUIDE

A self-preserving individual who is the “go-to” in any social group. They are good problem-solvers and need plenty of mental stimulation. On page 39 of the book “Beyond the Breed”, there is a brilliant story of the self-preserving nature of a Guide.

DEFENDER

Usually the chunkiest pup in the litter and are also good problem-solvers. They can be clumsy individuals and are extremely fearless. They support the Guides in a social group.

LONE INDIVIDUAL

Large personal space bubble and small social network. My own LI has only one friend that he will play with both indoors and outside – she is a Peacekeeper. Lone Individuals can be mistaken for Guides as they both have a small social network and do not like people or other dogs in their personal space.

OBSERVER

These are life’s “worry warts” and resemble meerkats with their “look-out” mannerisms. They would be the ones to alert their social group to potential danger. Observer pups needs very careful socialising, but should not be wrapped in cotton wool!

OVERSEER

Oh heck!! These are the eccentrics of a social group – the Quality Control Managers! They check-in with other individuals as to their ability to do the “job” of their FC. For example, an Oversee may “test” a Guide to discipline or lead, or “test” a Defender to defend. They are often seen as the ones that pick on other dogs, and this is called “testing”.

PEACEKEEPER

Very appeasing individuals as they diffuse bickering and attract attention to themselves to promote calm in the group.

FOLLOWER

The “stand-by” crew! These are usually lazy individuals and can often take a long time to learn something. They can range from small, unconfident dogs, to very confident and a similar size to Defenders. Their job in a social group is to help Defenders defend and Hunters hunt etc. They are not good problem-solvers!

HUNTER

Nimble and fast, these individuals can often be very hard to keep weight on. They are very movement-focused and can be extremely busy individual with a huge “to-do” list!

NANNY/GUARDIAN

This is an associate character of any of the above and is not seen in an individual until usually the age of about 18 months. If you have an older dog that really comes to life when you bring a puppy home, the chances are that you have a Nanny/Guardian.
 
 

Our Functional Character Workshops help you to determine your dog’s functional character, giving you a deeper understanding of them and their interactions with other dogs.

Heather and her team work with groups of dogs “at liberty” and in a controlled and safe environment to give them space to reveal their true functional character. This allows our human workshop attendees the chance to observe canine communications and watch functional characters in action.

Anyone who encounters dogs in any way will benefit from our workshops – dog owners, dog walkers, trainers, behaviourists, vets and vet staff, rescue centres and rescue charities, and breeders.

There are many benefits of attending a workshop. Previous attendees have told us that they now see their dog in a new light and have a greater understanding of them and why they act the way they do around certain individuals.

Others have told us that “learning about functional characters was a revelation!”, and “it was the missing part of the puzzle”, and also “it helped to explain individual behaviours and how they lived as a group”.

Beyond the Breed Functional Character Workshops are run by Heather Stevens, qualified dog trainer, and her team of dog professionals and enthusiasts, all open and willing to learn more and to share existing knowledge.

Workshops are fun and informal, and you can attend either as a spectator (without your dog) or as a handler (with your dog or dogs). All places are limited, and early booking is advised.

We may work with large or small groups of dogs, depending on those attending but initially dogs are assessed individually before we start adding to a group. The safety of all attendees, both human and canine, are of prime importance at all times throughout our workshops.

Heather Stevens, qualified dog trainer, and the rest of the The Beyond the Breed Event Team organises one-day workshops every two months at Richmond in North Yorkshire. We also organise and host weekend events at Richmond throughout the year with a variety of first-class teachers and trainers.

If you would like to run a Functional Character Workshop for your club or group, please contact us to discuss how we can best help you facilitate a one-day workshop or a weekend of workshops. Please contact The Event Team on mobile 075555 06456 or email woof@beyondthebreed.co.uk

To book onto a Functional Character Workshop at Richmond, North Yorkshire, please contact The Event Team for a Booking Form. We are on mobile 075555 06456 or email woof@beyondthebreed.co.uk

Or please head over to the “Workshops” section of our website and scroll down the page to find the relevant booking forms.

For National and International workshops, please contact the local organiser for their paperwork or click on the link provided in any of our social media posts.

Attendance fees vary according to the group hosting the workshop and the location.  Workshop fees are usually displayed on all flyers and social media posts, and also the booking form.

Richmond workshops require one booking form, which can be emailed to you on request.

National and International workshops require the completion of a booking form from the organiser, which may or may not be the BTB Events Team.

All workshops require handlers to complete a questionnaire for their dog(s) prior to the workshop date.

Every workshop attendee receives a workbook at the start of the workshop for note taking etc.

If you have any questions, please contact The Event Team at woof@beyondthebreed.co.uk

A programme of the events and timings of the workshop or weekend will be emailed to all attendees on receipt of their completed booking form and payment, together with a list of what you will need to bring with you for your workshop.

Please note:
Our workshops are not designed as a group behaviour consultation – if you would like help for your dog with a particular behaviour issue, please contact your local behaviourist or trainer.

We are hosting a Functional Character workshop on Sunday 7 April in Richmond, North Yorkshire however this workshop is now full.

Our upcoming workshops with places available are:

Sunday 9 June at CentreBarks, Richmond, North Yorkshire – bookings to woof@beyondthebreed.co.uk

Saturday 29 at Cumbria Canine Services, Cleator, Cumbria – bookings to admin@cumbriacanineservices.co.uk

Sunday 30 June at Cumbria Canine Services, Cleator, Cumbria – bookings to admin@cumbriacanineservices.co.uk

Sunday 14 July at Wetherby, West Yorkshire – bookings to woof@beyondthebreed.co.uk

Sunday 8 September – PROFESSIONALS ONLY – at CentreBarks, Richmond, North Yorkshire – bookings to woof@beyondthebreed.co.uk

Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 October at Paws and Play Gundogs, Wardlow, Derbyshire – bookings to pawsandplay1@gmail.com

November workshops will be uploaded shortly

Please contact The Event Team if you are struggling to find a Booking Form. We are on mobile 075555 06456 or email woof@beyondthebreed.co.uk