BAT helps animals gain confidence and social skills. BAT is a natural method that creates an emotionally safe interaction with minimal intrusion. BAT is especially useful when the “triggers” for frustration, aggression, or fear are living beings, for example when dogs bark at or bite other dogs or people.

Here are some benefits of BAT 3.0, which I explore further in my BAT 2.0 book, DVDs, and online resources.

• BAT effectively teaches social skills and helps dogs and humans live in community.
• BAT will give you a way to walk your dog that is more like a meditation or dance than a battle.
• BAT nurtures security and trust between the dog and their human family.
• BAT is humane  (for professionals – BAT lives in the least intrusive parts of the LIMA hierarchy. [Learn more here])
• BAT gives animals agency, i.e., maximum control of safety and other significant events in their lives.
• BAT arranges safe scenarios where animals can socialize naturally and interact with dogs, people, etc. in socially acceptable ways.

Here’s a video with an overview of BAT 2.0:

Some free resources to get you started:

• Survival Skills for Real Life (this isn’t BAT, but it’s helpful for keeping your dog out of trouble in day-to-day life until the training can make a more significant change to the dog’s resilience.
• Recall cue
• BAT Leash Skills – practice wandering walks without a trigger
• BAT set-ups (See the BAT Basics PDF)
• Learn about Secure Attachment Family Education

Once you have the leash skills down, you can do a BAT set-up. I highly recommend learning BAT more in depth before trying it from these resources.

BAT Set-Ups in Brief: Follow your dog on a loose leash. Any direction is okay, except for straight at the trigger (the being or object your dog would bark at).

Tip: If your dog begins to walk toward the helper in a focused way, slowly bring him to a stop. Wait for him to observe the trigger and decide to move on again.

If you see any signs of increasing stress, you can call your dog away or calmly kneel down hold the harness to offer emotional support (if it’s safe for you to do so and your dog finds it comforting).

More info on BAT is available as a printable PDF on my handouts page.  Look for handouts on BAT Basics, BAT Leash Skills, and BAT Troubleshooting. Those are all about BAT 2.0. They’re still accurate, but BAT 3.0 adds more more to it.

How Do I Learn More? This page is just a brief intro to BAT. If you really want to use or teach this technique, please dig into these resources.

• You can learn about BAT 3.0 in my webinar Intro to BAT 3.0 or if you’re already familiar with 2.0 and just want a short update, check out the Evolution of BAT 3.0 webinar.
• BAT 2.0 book is still valid even with 3.0 existing.
• Empowered Animals video series, focusing on BAT and including other tools: Streaming or DVD set.
• Webinars – including the Evolution of BAT and Intro to BAT 3.0 (2023)
• BAT Pack – bundle of courses and information on my academy website.
• Here’s a list of All online BAT courses.
• Find a Certified BAT Instructor (CBATI).
• I ship fabulous custom-made round long leashes worldwide and also the new Leash Belay kits.