Karen Pryor Clicker Training Library

How to Teach Give: A Winning Recipe

Leah Roberts — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:10:00 -0500

By the time most dogs get to my classes, their owners have already taught them that when they get hold of something special, it's going to be taken away. Most of the time, the owners get upset, yell, and force the object out of their mouths. So, when dogs find that deliciously smelly dead squirrel in the yard, they are more likely to hide the squirrel under the couch than allow their owners to catch them with it.

Dog Trainers: Tools for Dog Bite Prevention Week 2008

Joan Orr — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:09:00 -0500

Dog Bite Prevention week is May 19-25, 2008. According to the Centers for Disease Control and the American Veterinary Medical Association, most dog bite victims are children, and most bites are by the family pet or another dog known to the child.

Behavior Boot Camp: A New Clicker Training Certification Program

Julie Shaw-Lewis — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:08:00 -0500

I had my first experience with animal training more than 20 years ago, with my own dog. I attended a traditional training class, which used a method I called "yank and thank." We waited for the dog to "get it wrong," then yanked on its choke collar and promptly "thanked it" by offering praise. This method makes as little sense to me now as it did then, but at the time I knew of no other options.

One Book Closes and Another Opens?

Karen Pryor — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Writing a book is like having a baby. There is never a convenient time to do it. It's much more work than you remember from last time. And it usually takes longer than you thought it would.

How to Tame Your Kitten, Clicker-Style

Joan Orr — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:00:00 -0500

From tiny tigers to diminutive panthers, all with entertaining antics and adorable little faces, kittens are one of the great joys of life. But young cats are not just charming; they can be formidable as well.

How to Train a "Crazy" Dog!

Laura VanArendonk Baugh — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:00:00 -0500

I like crazy dogs.

I like over-the-top dogs, dogs that come bounding in biting at their leashes (or anything else they can cram into their mouths). I like rambunctious, nutty, go-getters that exhaust their owners. Those are my favorite dogs to train.

Aggressive Dogs: Nature or Nurture?

Aidan Bindoff — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 06:00:00 -0600

"Aggressive dogs aren't born, they're raised that way."

How many times have you heard this statement? Have you ever wondered how much truth there is to it?

Can Cats and Dogs be Friends?

Joan Orr — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:00:00 -0600

"They fight like cats and dogs."

This saying reflects the commonly-held belief that dogs and cats just can't get along because they are natural enemies. People who share their homes with both species, or who have read The Incredible Journey, know that this is not true. Dogs and cats can form fast friendships. It is life experiences with members of the other species, and not an inborn animosity, that determines how cats and dogs feel about each other.

Like to Write? Enter Our Training Recipe Contest!

KPCT — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:00:00 -0600

Do you feel as comfortable with a pen as you do with a clicker? If you like to write, enter our training recipe contest. The winning article will be published here at clickertraining.com (including author byline and bio blurb with a link to your own website or other self-promotion). It's a great chance for you to show your stuff. The winner will also receive a $25 gift certificate to the clickertraining.com store.

Podcast: The Phoebe Chronicles IV: Phoebe Goes to School

Gale Pryor — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 03:00:00 -0600

A Change—and a Canary

Karen Pryor — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600

For six years I have been writing a monthly letter to you. In the beginning, back in 2002, "Karen's Letter" was usually about new products and events, but gradually I began using the letter to talk about the science of training, and about the impact of the new technology we are developing from that science.

Stepping on the Food: A Memo from Karen

Karen Pryor — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

You're training "leave it." You drop a bit of food, the dog lunges toward it, and you cover it with your foot. Are you just managing the environment, or is this negative punishment, taking away something desired?

Saving Jack: Clicker Training an Aggressive Border Collie

Renee Premaza — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 07:00:00 -0600

I'd like to tell you the story of my relationship with a 14 month-old Border collie. This dog was used to having his own way in life; he was dominant/aggressive and extremely hand-shy when I adopted him. If it weren't for the use of a little clicker toy, I am positive he would not be alive today.

What Makes a Reward Rewarding?

Kay Laurence — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:00:00 -0600

"Reward your dog." We've heard this many, many times in many formats. It takes a lot of experience to get the best from a reward—where the reward delivers everything the dog needs in order to offer the behavior again and again, with passion.

Introducing Dogs to a New Baby

Aidan Bindoff — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 05:00:00 -0600

Q: How should I introduce my two dogs to our new baby?

What is Microshaping, Anyway?

Kay Laurence — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

This month I'm welcoming a guest author to the Letter from Karen, British clicker training innovator Kay Laurence. Please enjoy this wonderful discussion of what Kay has dubbed "microshaping."—Karen Pryor

New Year's Resolutions, Clicker-Style!

Aidan Bindoff — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 11:00:00 -0600

When you make your New Year's resolutions this year, why not include your dog? Popular resolutions such as "get more exercise" can easily include the family pet, and many spiritual, personal growth, environmental, and philanthropical goals can include your best friend, too. Here are our top 7 ideas for including a favorite canine in your New Year's resolutions.

Training Your Dog to Recognize a Smoke or Fire Alarm

Virginia Broitman — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 10:00:00 -0600

Reacting appropriately to the sound of a smoke or fire alarm is an important skill to teach a dog, especially a Service Dog assisting a person with a hearing impairment. Pet dogs can also be taught to recognize these alarms, and to alert owners who are such heavy sleepers that they would not wake up on their own.

Energetic, Anxious, or Reactive Dog? Try the Calm-O-Meter Method

Aidan Bindoff — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 09:00:00 -0600

Wouldn't it be great if your dog came with a big dial on his or her back that told you exactly how anxious, frightened, or excitable he or she was? Wouldn't it be awesome if you could turn this dial and calm your dog?

Podcast: Kindness First

Melissa Alexander — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 08:00:00 -0600

Listen to Melissa's podcast (available at the bottom of the page) to find out why putting kindness first is a start to improving your behavior. Read the original article here.

A Holiday Treat from Karen

Karen Pryor — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

My next book, Reaching the Animal Mind, will be published by Scribner in the fall of 2008. Here's my Christmas present to you: a story from the book.

Clicking in Scandinavia: Norwegian Champions

Miranda Hersey Helin — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Morten Egtvedt and Cecilie Køste, two of the newest ClickerExpo faculty members, are a married training team from Norway. The pair were early adopters of clicker training and are Scandinavia's leading authors on this technology. Morten and Cecilie have been top European competitors in obedience, tracking, and agility. Their clicker training school focuses on using clicker training to win in competition; teachers and students from their school are not just top clicker trainers, but also top-notch competitors in European dog-related sports. Morten and Cecilie edit and publish a full-color magazine on dog training, and publish and sell Don't Shoot the Dog, as well as many other clicker titles in Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, and Finnish. Recently we spoke with Morten and Cecilie about their background and success.

Holiday Hide and Seek with Your Dog!

Aidan Bindoff — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Experienced dog owners and trainers often note that every dog needs a job. A dog with something meaningful to do rarely gets himself into trouble.

Hunting for clothespins is a task that is easy to teach, and gives your dog the opportunity to solve a problem and complete a significant job. Once the behavior is trained, it's something you can do every day without breaking a sweat or putting aside much time, yet your dog will work really hard and will finish the exercise happy and satisfied.

Holiday Safety Tips from Doggone Safe

Joan Orr — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Family gatherings at a relative's home are the source of fond memories for many. But, the family dog may not enjoy these events as much as the rest of the family. Noise, confusion, and changes in routine are stressful for dogs. Even a normally calm and docile pet may become agitated enough to bite under the extreme circumstances of a boisterous family celebration. Supervision may be lax if each adult thinks that another is watching the children, and children are the most likely victims of dog bites in this situation.

2007 in Review: Building the Power of the Click

Aaron Clayton — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 12:11:41 -0600

In a business article I wrote for this website in 2005, I noted that clicker training needs to become popular with the mainstream, to be the people's choice. One of the central tenets of that proposition must be raising the goals that pet owners have for their relationships with their dogs. If pet owners are bogged down by what could be called a culture of obedience, they are saddled with low expectations for interactions with their pets. And, if they have low expectations, in most cases they don't need something special. "Any ole" training method can get a dog to perform a down.