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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

Improve your timing by clarifying your criteria for reinforcement

By on February 14, 2023 in Concepts and Terms

You’ve just started a training session with your animal learner.  Your animal does several great reps of the behavior you’re teaching. Click and treat! Then, your animal does something you hadn’t anticipated.  The behavior isn’t quite the same as your goal behavior… However, it’s pretty darn close to the behavior you want…  You freeze! Should […]

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what-is-good-timing-clocks

Training fundamentals: What is good timing?

By on February 7, 2023 in Concepts and Terms

Clicker training seems easy. You just click when the desired behavior occurs.  However, it’s important that you click at precisely the right time.  Experienced animal trainers understand the importance of good timing. If your clicks are often too early (or too late), you may accidentally reinforce the wrong behavior.  If your timing is inconsistent, you […]

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