What’s the best way to train an animal? What about the best way to teach a human to train an animal? How can we use the science of behavior and learning to develop better training practices? In this section you’ll find lots of articles and information about the science of animal training, research that has been done on animal learning and behavior, and information about teaching people.
I visited one of my clients last Friday to do some lessons at her barn. When I arrived, her three baby goats were enjoying some fresh air outside the barn. However, for their safety, we needed to get the goats back in the barn, before we started our lessons with the horses. But, the goats […]
I have some exciting news today! During the last part of 2022 and the beginning of this year, Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and I were busy with a writing project. And, the article we were writing is now published! The article, which is titled “The PORTL Laboratory,” was published earlier this month in the journal Perspectives […]
Happy Birthday, B. F. Skinner! Yesterday, March 20, was Dr. B. F. Skinner’s birthday. In honor of Dr. Skinner’s birthday, I shared the following quote on my Stale Cheerios Instagram account and Facebook page. Skinner writes: “The implication that learning occurs only when errors are made is false.” This quote comes from his 1968 book, […]
Behavior multiplies. Let me explain what this means. When you have a well-designed shaping program that is appropriate for your learner, behavior change can happen exponentially. Imagine you are teaching your horse (or dog or other critter) to walk next to you without a leash or lead rope. On the first day, you may start […]
Want to improve your training sessions with your horses, dogs, or other animals? Start by practicing without your animal! What is a dress rehearsal? In my Shaping Skills Workshop courses, I encourage my students to do dress rehearsals without their animals before their training sessions. Here’s how to do a dress rehearsal: Step 1: Get […]
Sometimes, our animals engage in behaviors that just seem really odd. You may find yourself shaking your head and thinking, “Why would my dog (or horse or parrot or other pet) ever do that??” (Alternatively, you may find yourself thinking the same thing when you are looking at a behavior that your co-worker, spouse, child, […]
