It’s a quiet Saturday morning in my small coastal New England town, a perfect time to take a long walk on the beach with my dog, Sandy. With a cup full of coffee and a pocketful of Charlee Bear treats, there is no better way to start the day. As we set out for our walk, something in the distance steals Sandy’s attention. I get a sinking feeling that my peaceful morning is about to come to an abrupt end. Over the crest of the dunes on the other end of the beach, he comes into view—a handsome young goldendoodle, tail wagging and ready for action. “Sandy, stay,” I warn her. She gives me one last look as if to say “I’m sorry’ before she heads off in the opposite direction. “Sandy, come,’ I plead, but faster than a tail wag she bolts, kicking up sand in her wake. As I watch her tail disappear into the dunes, my frustration turns into despair. I feel the eyes of the other dog owners looking at me in sympathy. “She’ll come back,’ I assure them. Or maybe I’m just trying to assure myself.
Clicker Training Blog
Watch as an old dog learns a new trick!
By KPCT on 12/21/2009You'd think that all dogs just love to play with toys, but it's not true. Some dogs are scared of toys. With these dogs you have to teach them to play again.
Karen Pryor's harlequin poodle, Misha, is one. Misha's late canine housemate, Twitchett, ruled the toy kingdom at home and rarely let poor Misha get in his fair share of fun and games. So, toys haven't held much interest for Misha, and can sometimes really scare him.
Majority of Pet Owners Buy Presents for their Pals
By KPCT on 12/07/2009According to the Associated Press, 52% of pet owners plan to buy their animals a holiday gift—up from 43% last year. Many pets receive holiday outfits, special toys, and themed treats such as candy cane-shaped rawhide chews. Here at KPCT, we've already picked out a few holiday gifts for the special pets on our lists, including a Santa Loopie, Reindeer Toys, and a Hanukkah Gelt squeaker!
Costume Contest Winners!
By KPCT on 11/24/2009The winners of our Click and Treat Halloween Costume Contest are in and we have a winner! There were lots of great entries, but only one could win.
Variety is the Spice of Reinforcement
By Aaron B. Clayton on 11/13/2009One of the often-overlooked rules of reinforcement is to use a variety of reinforcers. The two key words in that sentence are variety and reinforcers.
We're all creatures of habit, so it’s easy to fall into a routine where the reinforcement is well...routine. I like sushi and reward myself with it at lunch, but offer it to me on the same day for dinner and I don't find that reinforcing at all!
So a key to successful training is to keep it interesting. Vary your reinforcers. You can mix up reinforcers in the same session. You can vary them from session to session.
Become a Fan of Karen Pryor Clicker Training on Facebook!
By KPCT on 11/12/2009Our fan page will inspire you, help you share tips and find other friends, and keep you up-to-date on special product discounts, events, and media. You’ll be able to talk with us, too, as the fan page will be updated frequently with new content and interactive discussions just for fans.
Help spread the benefits of force-free training—go to Facebook.com/clickertraining to become a fan today!
Gorilla gets his blood pressure taken, thanks to positive reinforcement training!
By KPCT on 11/11/2009Discovery News reports that the Zoo Atlanta has used positive reinforcement training methods to teach their gorilla, Ozzie, to accept the "Gorilla Tough Cuff". The Tough Cuff is a blood pressure cuff that was recently designed through partnership with the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Cardiac disease is the leading cause of mortality in male gorillas living in captivity, and this invention will help to monitor high blood pressure in older gorillas, which is a frequent precursor to Cardiac disease.
Click here to read the full article!
Most Popular Dog Costumes
By mark on 10/26/2009Are you planning on dressing up your dog, cat, or other pet for Halloween? Have you picked out or made the costume? We already have a good number of submissions for our costume contest, but there isn't one costume showing up more than others. After all your hard work getting your favorite friend ready for the fun festivities, be sure to take a picture and submit it to us. Enter the costume contest and you could win treats for your pet. All you have to do is take a picture of your pet dressed up in costume and then e-mail the picture.
