Over the weekend I watched a DVD produced by Colorado horse trainer Jason Patrick. Although our philosophies and training techniques differ, I really enjoyed watching the DVD. He has a relaxed and easy going style, which seems to carry over to how he works with his horses. Jason Patrick is an innovator–willing to try new […]
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Books. DVDs. Conferences and clinics. Dog treats and toys. And more! In this section, you’ll find notes from conferences I have attended, as well as my opinions and reviews of all sorts of different animal training products. If you have a book, DVD, toy, or other type of product that you’d like to see reviewed on my site, let me know!
Giddyupflix: Rent Horse DVDs Online
It surprises me how many horse DVD rental services exist. I’ve written in the past about horseflix, but I know of at least several others. These services are like netflix, but with horse training videos. I recently switched from horseflix to giddyupflix.com. So far I’ve been much happier with giddyupflix. The wait times seem about […]
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 […]
Carolyn Resnick — The Waterhole Rituals DVD
I recently rented Carolyn Resnick’s DVD, An Introduction to the Waterhole Rituals, from horseflix. I learned about Carolyn’s methods from several friends. Carolyn advocates beginning the training process at liberty and working on developing a bond with the horse, rather than immediately teaching a set of behaviors. I think training at liberty is extremely valuable–it empowers […]
What is Stimulus Control?
Well established cues are under what is called stimulus control. The stimulus (cue) increases the chance that the behavior will occur because the animal has been reinforced for performing the behavior in the presence of the cue. But what does it really mean for a behavior to be under good stimulus control? Properties of cues […]
What Do Animals Need?
I’ve just started reading Temple Grandin’s lastest book, Animals Make Us Human. I’ve read other books by Temple Grandin, and enjoy her writing style and insight. In the first chapter, she talks about what an animal needs for a good life. This is an incredibly complex question, which has enormous implications for how we manage […]