Q: I'm trying to teach my dog to sit, but she's not really getting it quite right. What should I be doing?
Dogs
Learning Opportunity of a Lifetime for Animal Enthusiasts
By KPCT on 09/01/2006Waltham, MA, September 5, 2006—ClickerExpo announces the 2007 season of its highly popular conference series for animal trainers at every level, from new dog owners to professional zookeepers. If you've ever wanted to know how trainers bond with orca whales, teach sea lions to play soccer, or train a dog to lie down quietly outside the local coffee shop while they sip a cup of java inside, then ClickerExpo is for you.
Jackpots: Hitting it Big
By Karen Pryor on 09/01/2006Jackpots!
A good thing? A bad thing? A nonexistent thing?
Let me tell you what I mean by "jackpot." I mean exactly what the casinos mean: a surprisingly big reinforcer, delivered contingently. The key is in the word, contingent. To reinforce a particular behavior, a jackpot has to appear, and be perceived by your learner, while the learner is doing that particular thing you want. Not afterwards.
Get Me a Drink!
By Melissa Alexander on 08/28/2006As a surprise for her husband, a list member wanted to teach their dog to retrieve a cold drink from the refrigerator. She was concerned that her dog wouldn't want to pick up the cold metal and asked the list for ideas. The list responded enthusiastically both with success stories from people whose dogs didn't mind picking up cold cans and with suggestions such as a foam insulating cover for the can and a cardboard six-pack carrier with just one drink in it.
Should You "Jackpot" Outstanding Responses?
By Melissa Alexander on 08/28/2006Do jackpots convey any additional information? That's what one list member of the OC-Assist-Dogs mailing list wanted to know. A jackpot is an extra special reward meant to tell the dog, "That was outstanding!!" It's usually an extra big treat or several smaller treats delivered one after another.
