The Mercer County Dog Training Club will sponsor a training and shelter dog seminar, featuring renowned obedience trainer Sue Sternberg.

Ms. Sternberg, who has a broad background in the handling and training of dogs, will lead the two-day seminar for pet trainers and instructors. She will deal with puppy and dog behavior, possession and aggression, how to tell if a dog will bite, defensive handling and dog and human training.

Nanci Takash, the local club's training director, said the educational seminar will teach people about aggressive dogs and how to evaluate them more clearly by demonstrating with aggressive dogs from shelters in Erie and Pittsburgh. These are dogs that usually can't have collars put on or objects taken from their mouths.

"Sternberg will demonstrate which dogs will bite and where on the body it will bite you," Mrs. Takash said. "She'll do live demonstrations with these unknown dogs. She does this better than anybody."

Mrs. Takash said Ms. Sternberg uses an assessarm, a fake hand on a pole used for dogs. The device is mainly used for aggressive dogs that would "really want to bite your hand off rather than let you put your hand into their food."

"With any dog you should be able to put your hand into their food bowl and feed them some of the kernels from your hand or pretend to eat them and not get bit," Mrs. Takash said.

Using the assessarm, Ms. Sternberg desensitizes aggressive dogs so that someone can touch their food bowls or take objects from their mouths.

Mrs. Takash said many owners are to blame for aggressive behavior in their dogs and that is why it's important to train humans and their pets.

"We promote dog and human training. It's really not the dog at fault, but the people who have owned it. Many people don't like to admit that they are the ones who have made the dog the way it is," she said.

Ms. Sternburg lectures around the country to animal shelters and dog trainers on all aspects of working with shelter dogs, handling skills, dog training, instructing and behavior.

She began her career as a dog control officer in rural Massachusetts and developed her obedience training skills at the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in New York City. She now owns a boarding kennel, a dog training and behavior center and an animal shelter.

She has written many booklets and produced videotapes, targeted for animal shelters and breed-rescue groups, addressing topics such as enhancing adoptions, lowering stress levels in kenneled dogs, evaluating temperament and improving the overall well-being of shelter dogs and aggression. A selection of books, videos and toys will be available for sale.

Seminar participants will view films, learn clicker training for dogs and learn about defensive dog handling.

The seminar starts at 9 a.m. April 6 and continues April 7 in Hermitage Fire Department Station 3 on Maple Drive. Registration deadline is April 1.