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.
As some of you know, in addition to my animal training business, I also teach as an adjunct professor at the University of North Texas in the department of behavior analysis. This year, for the second time, I’m teaching an upper-level undergraduate behavior analysis course called “Building Skills with Behavioral Technology.” I taught this class […]
I admit it. I’m addicted to KONGs. Even though I have only one dog, I own a dozen KONGs. The classic KONG is one of my favorite dog toys. It’s also the toy that I most frequently recommend to my dog training clients. Not only do KONGs have a multitude of uses, they are also […]
In March 2015, I attended the 7th annual Art and Science of Animal Training Conference in Denton, Texas. This post is part of my notes from the conference. For the rest of my notes from the conference, please visit this page. Most of the animal trainers I know, both professional trainers and people training their […]
This summer, I will be giving two workshops that involve a little game called PORTL. Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, Kat Dignan, and I will be giving the first workshop on May 22 in San Antonio as part of the Association for Behavior Analysis annual convention. Then in June, Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and I will be giving […]
I’m always looking for ways to make my rats’ lives more interesting. They have so much curiosity and energy and get bored pretty easily! I often give them enrichment puzzles at dinnertime, such as hiding their food in toilet tissue rolls. This makes dinner last longer and provides additional mental stimulation. However, after reading the […]
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. I was looking back through Murray Sidman’s […]
