I’ve been reading Karen Pryor’s first book on training, Lads Before the Wind. Written in the 70s, it’s her personal account of how she learned the principles of operant conditioning and positive reinforcement training by training dolphins in Hawaii. Her park was one of the first to do this, and the book is filled with […]
Which comes first, the behavior or the cue?
This post is part of a series of several posts on cues. When teaching a new behavior, we have control over when we introduce the cue. Many clicker trainers advocate getting the behavior before ever introducing the cue. Here’s a bit about each teaching method. (more…)
Overcoming Fear and the Power of Cues
This post is part of a series of several posts on cues. I recently watched one of Alexandra Kurland’s DVDs, Overcoming Fear and the Power of Cues. It was a fascinating look at positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, desensitization, fear and cues. Learn more about the DVD or purchase it on Alexandra’s website. Horseflix subscribers can […]
Waterhole Ritual 2: Saying Hello
I’ve been discussing Carolyn Resnick’s 7 waterhole Rituals. (Read more about Carolyn here.) The second ritual, Saying Hello, deals with how we approach and greet our horses, especially at the beginning of the relationship. Many people are incredibly unobservant of their horse’s body language. They barge in with halter and lead, get the horse, and then […]
Training is a Mechanical Skill
Much of training is an art. However, mechanical skills are a huge part of training and can make the different between a decent trainer and a great trainer. It’s tough to be a great trainer if you’re still struggling with basic mechanics. Holding a lead rope or leash while trying to manage a clicker and […]
Check Your Verbal Cues
This is part of a series of several posts on cues. I wrote last week a bit about what a cue is and common stimuli that can be used as cues. Often, we try and teach our pets verbal cues. But how well does your dog (or cat, parrot or pony) recognize your verbal cue […]