One of the speakers at the conference (forget who, now!) used a similar analogy involving google maps.

Their point was that if you don't know where you're starting, it's hard to have a clear plan about where you're going!

Which reminds me, I could do a better job about writing shaping plans and having clear criteria. Something I want to work on this year.

Mary

Maybe a good topic for some sort of survey or discussion–I'd be interested to hear how others keep records as well.

I love watching video clips of Kay and her students. Very good trainers and very good understanding of how to train. I have one of her books which I've enjoyed, I'm tempted to buy some of her DVDs as well!

I'd love to hear more about what you've learned from her materials sometime.

Mary

And so many times trainers punish or scold when the animal misunderstands.

When working with ethograms I also got into nuances for the training log/daily log but found most people did not pay close enough attention.

The lack of forward progress with some behaviors was directly due to the lack of clear measurable criteria.

I call it the trainer roadmap–how are you going to get where you are going if you have not defined the road to the destination AND clearly define the road signs along the way?

I can totally recommend Kay's stuff. I am working through her Perfect Foundation clicker course with my dogs and it is excellent. It is what she bases her CAP on, and is a very well written and explained course for anyone wanting to start clicker. Even though I've been using clicker a while, it is certainly refining my skills and understanding.