Amy Sutherland is a Boston-based writer whom I first met when she called to interview me during the writing of her book, Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World's Premier School for Exotic Animal Trainers, about the training program at Moorpark College in California. I knew that Moorpark uses Don't Shoot the Dog as a required text and that the students they turn out are eagerly hired by zoos and oceanariums, so I was glad to talk to her.
When Amy's book came out, the New York Times gave it a great review. Then the Times published Amy's lighthearted article about what she learned, following the trainers around at Moorpark, that helped her get over nagging her husband and improved their relationship: "What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage." Wow, what a huge media reaction! One reporter told me that Amy "shocked the entire world."
Amy has since appeared on the Today show and has a new contract for a book based on the article. She and her husband Scott, an editor at the Boston Globe, came to ClickerExpo in Newport. Amy and I are now friends and have lunch together sometimes.
We're delighted to be selling Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched on our website. It's a great read even for non-trainers—and a good birthday present for relatives who "don't get" clicker training. Click here to order.
We've blogged about this book, too—read the post, and let us know what you think.
"What if you had all the pet animals you ever imagined: your own sea lion, monkey, toucan, cockatoo—and maybe also the dog of your dreams? Now, thanks to author Amy Sutherland, you can spend a year following the Moorpark students for whom that's daily life. Share the hard work and the deeply affectionate care that goes into being a modern professional in the zoo world...and marvel at the science that enables them to communicate with an animal—any animal—in a whole new way." —Karen Pryor
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