Lots of news this month!
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PetCo stores love clicker training
Give a PetCo demo in your neighborhood store
Tufts Animal Expo to feature four full-day programs on clicker training
Tufts registration site and more info
Cat book clicking with dog owners
PetCo stores love clicker training
I have just come back from PetCo's huge vendor convention in Long Beach, California.
Sunshine Books president, aaron [at] clickertraining [dot] com (Aaron Clayton), and I met and talked with management from the 540 PetCo stores across the US, and from Canada's Petcetera chain. They are intrigued by clicker training. Our dog kits are selling well, and many of the managers told us they wanted to carry cat kits and replacement clickers as well. Some of the in-store trainers are already into clicker training. We were impressed by the enthusiastic response we got, and by the forward-looking, open attitude of upper management. This big operation represents a wonderful opportunity to widen the grass-roots base of clicker training.
Give a PetCo demo in your neighborhood
PetCo sales of clicker training materials around the country are especially good in Virginia, Missouri, California, New England, and Texas. Store managers were begging us for clicker training demonstrations for their store staffs. If you feel like spreading the word, speak to your local PetCo manager. A ten-minute lunch-time demo for your local store's staff can make them clicker-friendly; and they reach a lot of pet owners.
Tufts Animal Expo to feature four full-day programs on clicker training
The second Tufts Animal Expo will take over Boston's Hynes Convention Center on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday October 10, 11, and 12. This huge conference is aimed at veterinarians but welcomes all animal care professionals, with special low rates for trainers, shelter workers, and students. They expect over 6000 attendees. This year they are offering four full-day programs on clicker training and related topics, plus various clicker events.
Behavior Track, Thursday and Friday all day
Dr. Nicholas Dodman, author of ''The Cat who Cried for Help'' and ''The Dog who Loved Too Much,'' will chair two day-long programs of terrific speakers, including:
- Morgan Spector: ''Beyond the Dominance Myth: Training as Partnership''
- Alexandra Kurland, author of ''Clicker Training for your Horse''
- Catherine Crawmer, on clicking for exotic cats
- Karen Pryor on her new book, ''Clicker Training for Cats''
- Irene Pepperberg, trainer of the famous parrot, Alex, on cognition and behavior
- Dr. Alice Moon Fanelli on breed-specific behavior problems in dogs
Thursday afternoon: Meeting of the Minds
A group discussion on fixing behavior problems, with Dr. Dodman, Karen Pryor, and Brian Kilcommons. That should be interesting.
Thursday, Oct. 11. Humane Education track:
Dr. Lynn Loar, president of the Pryor Foundation, chairs a series of speakers on the topics of using clicker training with and by homeless and dysfunctional families, and other at-risk people; the relationship between animal abuse and child abuse; the effectiveness of educational programs; and the use of clicker training in shelters. I'll be doing the wrap-up talk for that track.
Friday, Oct. 12, Clicker Training workshops and book signings
Morgan, Catherine, Alex, Emma Parsons and I will be leading two half-day clicker workshops for veterinarians, shelter workers, and trainers. Afterwards we'll have a book signing in the Exhibit Hall.
To register or to find out more
I realize this is pretty late notice, but we did not get the final schedule ourselves until last Friday. If you are able to attend, it's going to be unique and very worthwhile. Registration for vet techs, trainers and other care professionals is $110 for a single day, $180.00 for all three days (For veterinarians it's $395 for the full program.) Go to www.tuftsanimalexpo.com for more details and registration information, or contact the conference headquarters:
PHONE: 508-887-4723 / 800 642-9429 FAX 508-887-4539
For late-breaking program news query us: emma [at] clickertraining [dot] com.
''Clicker Training for Cats'' scores with dog owners
Who's buying our new clicker book for cats? Well, yes, cat owners, of course, and the book itself has been nominated for several prizes at the 8th Annual Cat Writers of America Association Conference in November. But meanwhile, who else is snapping it up? People who already clicker train their dogs or horses, but never thought about trying it on the cat. Cats love it, and the relationship between person and cat becomes something quite amazing! Try it yourself! Click here for ''Clicker Training for Cats'' by Karen Pryor.
Karen Pryor is the founder and CEO of Karen Pryor Clicker Training and Karen Pryor Academy. She is the author of many books, including Don't Shoot the Dog and Reaching the Animal Mind. Learn more about Karen Pryor or read Karen's Letters online.
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