How do we teach behaviors when training animals and how do we associate cues with these behaviors? How does a dog or horse (or cat, goldfish, parrot, roommate, child, employee, etc.) learn a cue for a behavior? What’s the best way to create a solid association between a behavior and a cue, even when distractions […]
Laurie Luck’s Smart Dog Blog
I’ve found a new blog that I really like. It’s the blog of Laurie Luck, a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and Karen Pryor Certified Training Partner. She also has a M.A. in psychology and is the Vice President of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. She’s recently blogged about two topics that are near […]
Free Online Clicker Training Short Course
Norwegian dog trainers Morten Egtvedt and Cecilie Koeste (of Canis Clicker Training) offer a free 7 day online class that covers the basics of clicker training. I’ve seen the course advertised online before, but didn’t know much about it. From their website, “Morten is a trained biologist with a degree in psychology and Cecilie, also […]
Anticipation and Announced Rewards
Animals like knowing that something good is coming. Think about how excited children get when they know a reward is coming–the kid squirming in his chair 5 minutes before the final school bell rings or the anxious child 2 days before Christmas. Expectations and anticipation can make rewards even more exciting than they might be […]
Waterhole Ritual 1: Sharing Territory
Sharing Territory: When we sit in one spot, we become a curiosity. I’ve recently watched Carolyn Resnick’s DVD, “An Introduction to the Waterhole Rituals,” which discusses the 7 rituals she uses to develop a relationship and begin training a horse. The first two rituals focus on establishing a bond with the horse and are invaluable […]
Some Recent Photos of Shiloh
Shiloh is a young dun QH gelding who I’ve been playing with at the rescue where I volunteer. He spent 90 days at the beginning of this year with a local trainer who mainly uses the Parelli program. He is curious, but shy, and prior to training, he was incredibly skeptical of people. The trainer […]