I was talking to someone about what it means to be trained. The whole conversations started because I am going to get a gecko and I meantioned, "Wouldn't it be cool if I trained my gecko?" And the person I was talking to laughed and said I wouldn't be able to train a reptile. I told him about how zoos have trained crocodiles to do various behaviors like go from one enclosure to another. He then told me, "Thats not training. They are only doing it for food. When that animal doesn't work for food, then it is no longer training." Under my meak definition, it just means behavior that has been modified and now responds under a cue.
I was abashed at his response. Even dogs work for rewards. I told him as such. He said that he tells his dog to sit and his dog sits without need for a reward. I told him that, "Yes, but your dog must be getting some sort of reward or else the behavior would break down." He agreed, but that he didn't use food, that his dog could work without food, and therefore that was training. He said that I may be able to 'condition' a reptile to do a certain behavior, but I wouldn't be able to train it.
I continued to argue, stating that even trainers that work with dolphins use food. He rebuttled. So, what does everyone else think? What does it mean to be trained?
