Science Sunday posts are short posts about the science of animal behavior and training. They often feature a quote or a passage of text. Spend a moment today thinking about the ideas in the post. As always, you can share your thoughts or questions in the comments section. “What is a concept? This is another […]
Tag Archives | discrimination
Creative Cues: Texture cues for blind dogs
Recently I posted about how platforms, pedestals and mats can be helpful during training new behaviors to our animals. These items give the animal a target to go to, which can reduce errors and lead to faster learning. (Click here to check out that post.) This post led to some interesting discussions on facebook with […]
Does this bird know his colors?
Alright readers, here’s a challenge for you. Check out this youtube clip below of a raven, who is being trained to peck at a yellow bowling pin. He has two choices–peck yellow or peck blue. If he pecks the correct pin, he receives a bit of food as a reward. If he pecks the incorrect […]
Alex and Me: Our Knowledge of Animal Intelligence
I recently finished reading Irene Pepperburg’s most recent book, Alex and Me. When Irene Pepperburg first started working with Alex, many people scoffed and laughed at her. Parrots were thought of as “bird brains.” While it might be possible to teach them to repeat back answers to simple questions, the bird wasn’t actually “thinking” or […]