BEAR FAQs | Shelter Dog Play!

You got questions? We got answers!

What is BEAR?

BEAR stands for Behavior and Enrichment Academy & Resources.

BEAR is a two-year comprehensive hybrid program that covers all

things shelter behavior. Learning is chunked out into Phases –

BEAR Necessities, BEAR Fundamentals, Advanced BEAR Concepts,

and Leading with BEAR. Each phase combines five months of

rigorous online learning with an in-person four-day workshop

that solidifies the concepts you’ve learned.

What does BEAR cost?

Each five-month online phase costs $300 and each in-person

workshop costs $800, not including travel, lodging, and food

expenses. You can pay as you go, purchasing one piece at a time.

When you plan out your budget, please keep in mind that for each Phase, you must complete each in-person workshop within 18 months of completing the on-line portion!

I work in a shelter – I don’t have that kind of money! What do you suggest?

We get it. Our direct education team is entirely volunteer run to ensure that we keep our costs and barriers to access as low as possible. We believe that continuing education is critical to not only your career trajectory, but your wellbeing at work. It’s time to invest in yourself!

Many shelters have some funds set aside for continuing education – talk with your leadership to see if some or all of your learning costs could be subsidized by your employer.

I have already taken some SPA classes. Can I test out of any BEAR coursework?

Yes! If you have taken our CORE on-line or CORE hybrid courses before, you have effectively tested out of BEAR Phase 1 on-line. That’s a $300 savings!

What can I expect to gain by signing up for BEAR?

Think of BEAR as a two-year on-the-job mentorship. You will learn concepts and skills directly related to your work in sheltering, just in time to apply them and build good habits.

Specifically, BEAR covers:

Ethical approaches to animal training and welfare
Evidence-based training methods
Canine and feline communication and behavior
Facilitating healthy dog-dog play
Safe, low-stress, and defensive handling
Shelter animal enrichment
Shelter models
Considerations for making efficient and humane pathway decisions
Building a behavior volunteer program
Bringing behavior knowledge to all aspects of the shelter
Supporting the community that surrounds your shelter
Coaching, leading, and teaching your colleagues
Leading with accountability, with or without authority

In addition, all of SPA’s courses incorporate a rigorous feedback loop into the learning process. As you progress through BEAR, you will be assessed on your skills – through writing assignments and video submissions – and provided with kind, constructive feedback targeted to maximize your ability to positively impact the animals in your care. You’ll also have the opportunity to have your work reviewed by several different members of the education team. Receiving constructive feedback from diverse perspectives is an incredible asset of our educational programming, unmatched by any other education providers in this field.

Who will I learn from?

Our direct education team is highly credentialed and brings diverse experience from inside and outside the shelter world. Learn about our team here!

How do I get started?

Wait, I still have questions!

We still have answers. Send your questions to mara (at) shelterdogplay (dot) org!

See you in the next BEAR cohort!!