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The Clicker Trainer: Remembering Wendy Schnipper Clayton

A note from Karen Pryor:

Clicker training is not just about training; it’s about living. When we teach clicker training, we want to see clicker skills “generalize,” become so ingrained that the first thought, in any situation, is to think, “How do I use reinforcers here?” instead of reaching for the punishers automatically.

This shift in perspective can change the way clicker trainers act. Newcomers to ClickerExpo often remark at how amazing it is to be in a large group where nearly everyone is calm and friendly. I think the absence of ire makes us all feel safe, even the dogs (who lie down and go to sleep). 

Karen Pryor and ClickerExpo Faculty on Steve Dale's Pet World

 Karen Pryor, Ken Ramirez, and swedish agility authorities Eva Bertilsson and Emelie Johnson Vegh discuss clicker training in this Petcast by pet columnist Steve Dale.

Podcast: Excerpt from the ClickerExpo 2011 Panel Discussion

This month's podcast is an excerpt from the panel discussion at ClickerExpo 2011 in Newport Beach, California. During the discussion, top-level trainers and ClickerExpo faculty shared their views on various training questions This podcast addresses a popular training topic: what should you do immediately after your dog makes a mistake during training? Hear from Ken Ramirez, Kathy Sdao, Michelle Pouliot and more as they present their thoughts on this important topic.

To Agility and Beyond! Agility Right from the Start One Year Later

Agility can be a fun sport for anyone. That is the premise behind Agility Right from the Start, celebrating its first birthday this month. Praised for adding needed clarity to the application of clicker training to agility, the book by Swedish agility experts Eva Bertilsson and Emelie Johnson Vegh has taken the agility world by storm.

Its comprehensive approach and focus on good handling has made Agility Right from the Start a must-have resource for both the beginner and the most accomplished competitor. Many agility participants describe the book as the only agility resource they’ll ever need. But perhaps what is most significant about this book is that the foundation skills that Bertilsson and Vegh outline not only apply to agility, but to all dog sports—and to everyday life. What kind of foundation training are we talking about? Training that uses positive reinforcement and that focuses on building behavior step-by-step. This type of training is not only key to creating a happy and confident team, but is the invaluable recipe for getting any behavior you want—right from the start. 

Promoting Positive on Television: An Interview with Victoria Stilwell

Imagine a household where dogs rule the roost, where out-of-control canines call the shots while their owners are left in the dog house.