It all began weeks ago while I was waiting for my daughter to get out of her tumbling class. I was chatting with a mother I had just met about our families. She was new to the area, so I didn’t find it that odd when she suggested that we set up a play date sometime. My daughter, Anna, is very outgoing, which makes her a popular pick for play dates. I said that I thought Anna would enjoy a play date with her daughter, and she said, “Daughter? I wasn’t talking about our kids. I’m talking about a play date for our dogs!”
Clicker Training Blog
Cluck, Cluck, Click! Martha Stewart Meets Coco the Clicker Trained Chicken
By KPCT on 04/08/2010Coco is a celebrity. Tens of thousands view her webcam each month for the chance to get a glimpse of her. She has dozens of public appearances under her wing, and is a frequent mentioned in blogs. She even recently starred on a popular television talk show. But when she is not strutting her stuff in the public eye, Coco prefers to make herself at home in the backyard of a small Massachusetts farm.
Why I Taught An Old Dog a New Trick
By Julie Gordon on 03/08/2010It’s been over 10 years since we brought home our retired racing greyhound, Sydney. And over the years, she has learned a lot of things. She’s learned that the family cat is not a lure, the house is not a track and, even though it’s at nose-level, the kitchen counter is not an all-you-can-eat buffet. At age thirteen, some may think she is done learning. You’ve heard the old adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Any trainer knows that this simply isn’t true. With positive reinforcement training you can teach a dog of any age just about anything. In this month’s featured podcast, Karen Pryor talks about how she used tips from the new book Agility Right from the Start to teach her 10-year-old German poodle Misha to overcome situations that once frightened him. But why train an older dog?
What Sea World has Taught Us
By KPCT on 02/25/2010We at KPCT are deeply saddened by the death of Sea World Trainer Dawn Brancheau. It is a very unfortunate accident that has left many wondering how can something like this ever happen. The argument that this should never have happened is misguided.
KPA Grad Laura Monaco Torelli in the news!
By KPCT on 02/17/2010Laura Monaco Torelli, a Chicago-based graduate of Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) and Animal Training and Behavioral Consultant for Niabi Zoo, made headlines this week when Quad-Cities Online featured a story on the Niabi Zoo's clicker training program. An excerpt from the article:
Reaching the Animal Mind wins best training book of 2009
By Julie Gordon on 02/15/2010Karen Pryor was surrounded by heartfelt applause on Valentine's Day when she accepted an award for her latest book, Reaching the Animal Mind. The award was presented at the Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) Annual Awards Banquet in New York City, which recognized the best dog-related works among 200+ nominees in more than 50 categories. Karen received a Maxwell Medallion for best training and behavior book for 2009. The DWAA award was presented to Karen on the heels of Bark Magazine's "Best & Brightest" which honored those whose contributions have helped reshape the world of dogs and our understanding of it.
Little Joe the Gorilla gets flu vaccine, thanks to clicker training!
By KPCT on 02/11/2010Great article in the Boston Globe about how the Franklin Park Zoo uses positive reinforcement met
Dog Debarking? No Way
By Julie Gordon on 02/08/2010Like most greyhounds, my 13 year-old greyhound, Sydney, has a quiet, gentle soul. But boy, can she bark! She barks when she wants to go out and she barks when she wants to come in. She barks when she’s happy and she barks when she is bored. I admit, it can be irritating, particularly at 5am when I want to relish that last hour of sleep before my alarm sounds. But would I consider permanently silencing her so that I can get that last hour of sleep? No. So what to do?
