Boston had a particularly icy winter. The dogs and I are glad it's over! To celebrate, we're offering you a Spring Special: buy one clicker product and get 15% off on a second item of equal value or less. Call 1-800-47 CLICK and ask for the May Spring Special
With better weather we will all get outdoors more, and that means we will meet other trainers and dog owners…and clicker opponents. Australian clicker trainer Pat Robards has met plenty, even though her obedience students include several dogs that have earned perfect 200 scores in competition. Pat e-mailed me recently, "The dogs are poetry in motion and of course clicker trained; they are free shaped and sometimes targeted. But I still get...a lot of flak from traditional training clubs (sigh)."
Oh, those master arguers! It's usually stuff we've heard before; but still, it can sting.
Don't get sucked in; by arguing back, you reinforce arguing. Instead, pay attention to what that aggressive behavior is telling you. First, aggression usually comes from fear. They feel threatened; something about clicker training touched a nerve. Second, they're still relying on aversives; in fact they are using them on you, and as the tool of first choice! So you know they're not yet clicker trainers. Calm your nerves by reading On being a change maker. Then ignore the attackers and put your energies into helping people who are ready to learn.
Peggy Tillman's new picture book, Clicker Training Step by Step, is inspiring rave reviews. Here are some readers comments. It's a great present for that clueless pet owner in your family; or maybe a first step for that adversarial trainer you know! Here are some sample pages. Are you in a club or school? Take advantage of our discounts for group orders: 20% if you order six copies or more of a single title; 40% if you order over twenty copies! (but please call 1800 47 CLICK for these arrangements)
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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