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Is your dog smarter than a hermit crab?

The Importance of Precise Feedback – or, “Stupid Human, You’re Doing It Wrong”

    I experienced a little reminder today of why we try to practice “clean” training – clicking without extraneous movements, words or signals that distract the dog or telegraph that a treat is coming. It’s important that the clicker be the most salient signal that reinforcement is on its way; otherwise, our training becomes less precise as the dog begins listening for the rustle of the treat bag or watching for our hands to move instead of paying attention to when we click. A clicker-savvy dog can also become very frustrated or confused if they aren’t getting the feedback they need.

    On TAGteach and Skill-Building

      This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series CT for Shooting

      Okay, I was a bit slow to adopt TAGteach when I first encountered it in the early 2000s, but I’ve caught on, and I’ve been applying it more and more in my life. Sometimes I use TAGteach principles without the actual tagger (clicker), simply because that’s what I have to work with, but even without a key tool the principles still work. A marker can be many things, not just a clicker, and even with no marker (or instructor) at all, the concepts can be turned to Focus Points instead of TAGpoints and used the same way.

      I’ve used clicker-less TAGteach backstage at a major performance event and with kids on the verge of losing it. And last weekend I had a reminder of how very useful TAGteach can be for myself.

      The Importance of a Client History

        Day 26
        (Photo credit: Sylvia Currie)

        I told this story over lunch at the last ClickerExpo, and it occurred to me that it might make a good blog post.

        Years ago, a woman approached me. “Are you the trainer here?”

        Surf’s Up! TAGteach without a TAGteach instructor

          Following the amazing-as-always ClickerExpo, I headed southeast to join friends and family for a Caribbean vacation. It was delightful; home was 4 degrees Fahrenheit when I left for San Francisco, where the rainy 60s felt lovely, and 80 degrees on a sandy beach felt positively euphoric.

          And I learned to surf.

          Laura feeds Tiki at the Oakland Zoo

          ClickerExpo San Francisco: Day 0

            It has to be Day 0, you see, because ClickerExpo doesn’t even properly start until tomorrow….

            First off, KPACTPs had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at Oakland Zoo and see some amazing training. We were asked not to share photos or video — not because of anything they needed to hide, because honestly we saw fantastic work and entirely humane by the highest of animal care standards — but because they’ve had instances of images being circulated with attached incorrect information, and once out there it’s darned hard to correct. I can respect that, so you’ll just have to take my word for it that the work with the bull elephant was some of the most impressive targeting work I have seen.

            Laevatein and her new dinosaur toy

            All Pets Want for Christmas

              All Pets Want for Christmas Blog Hop

              What does your pet want for Christmas?

              We asked Shakespeare and Laevatein, who agreed to provide this guest post. You’d do well to read it; how often do you get to see a dog write in iambic pentameter? (That will be Shakespeare, of course.)

              And down below you’ll find a Linky for the related blog hop and a contest for a $50 gift card. Check it out!

              young Laev with Kongs

              Busy Days and Lazy Days

                young Laev with Kongs
                “Stuff them! STUFF THEM!” A young Laevatein with Kongs

                We lead human lives in a human world, and nowadays that means computers, phones, etc.

                Dogs don’t get that.

                This candy is not for eating! — Part 3

                  This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series This Candy Is Not For Eating
                  English: The US version of the Smarties candy.
                  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

                  Now that Halloween has passed, kids (and adults) all over the country are digging through bags of loot. Some candy is definitely preferred over others. Now might be a good time for a good candy blog post.

                  So, remember that fantastically foul candy which made a better punisher than reinforcer?  Things aren’t always so black and white…!