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Mary Hunter and her horse Apollo


On this site I share stories of my animal training adventures, information about the science of animal training and behavior, and tips and advice to help you improve your training.

Join me as we explore the best training strategies for creating fast learning, effective communication, and enthusiastic, willing animals.

If you’re new to Stale Cheerios, I recommend that you start by visiting this page to learn more about Stale Cheerios and that you visit my Top Posts page.

~Mary Hunter

Recent posts from the StaleCheerios blog

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Chewie’s Diary Week 86: Muddy Chewie!

By on October 2, 2026 in Chewie’s Diary

Fall is here! Our hot, hot summer and drought are finally over. Chewie and I are both happy about the cooler temperatures and rain. Chewie, as well, is quite pleased about rolling around in the damp dirt. Chewie takes a roll in the dirt Muddy Chewie! This week, we’ve starting expanding Chewie’s stay behavior. Up […]

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Chewie’s Diary Week 83: Tambourine target

By on September 11, 2026 in Chewie’s Diary

Chewie looks at and listens to the tambourine Earlier this week, Chewie and I spent some time playing with a small tambourine! We’ve spent a lot of time exploring new and interesting objects, including various objects for Chewie to stand on. (You can check out the exploration sessions tag to read about some of our […]

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Chewie’s Diary Week 82: Markers as cues (video)

By on September 4, 2026 in Chewie’s Diary

Last week, I did a webinar for Animal Training Academy about the topic of multiple markers. (The webinar replay is available for ATA members on the Animal Training Academy website.) Positive reinforcement trainers often use a clicker as a marker. However, many other types of auditory and visual signals can also be used effectively as […]

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