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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.

    Training a Dog to Wear a Muzzle

      I ran into Chirag Patel at ClickerExpo last year. He showed me a Baskerville muzzle and asked what I thought of the design. “I’d like to try it,” I said. “I’m thinking of making a video on muzzle conditioning.”

      “I have one,” he said. “Have you seen it?”

      I hadn’t. And I soon realized there wasn’t a need for me to make another one.

      Laura on ground laughing as Laev rolls on back

      Laura’s Coming to Wisconsin! 2-Day Clicker Workshop

        Laura laughing with Laev being silly
        Dog Training is serious. Always very serious.

        We interrupt this blog for a word from our sponsors!

        I’ll be in Wisconsin in a couple of weeks for a Core Clicker Seminar, a two-day hands-on intensive workshop for beginning to intermediate trainers and handlers. This is, if I say so myself, a pretty good training seminar. 🙂 And there are still a few working (and auditing) spots open!

        Daily Cues

          A small but elegant gate to a meadow path.
          Not our actual gate. I wish we were this rural-England classy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

          Our house is surrounded by a five-foot fence, and we drive through the gate each time we enter or exit.  The effort of stopping the car, getting out to open the gate, pulling through, getting out to close the gate, and then driving on might seem tiresome, but it’s become a part of our routine.

          Laura on ground laughing as Laev rolls on back

          Laev Throws Me a Bone

            I was sorely tempted to skip Schutzhund practice tonight, after my last post, but I went.  And it was a good thing I did.

            (Long post, so here’s the summary — 300 Peck rocks, Laev nearly breaks my neck, and I am happy about it all.)

            Is your dog smarter than a hermit crab?

            Forget Fifth Graders… Is Your Dog Smarter Than A Crab?

              I recently had someone tell me, “Clicker training works for your dogs, but my dog is too stupid to learn. She can’t even figure out how to walk down the stairs; there’s no way she could learn to do tricks. She’s just dumb.”

              Think your dog isn’t bright enough to train? Keep reading.

              clickers

              Back from Clicker Expo!

                Clickers used for clicker training Taken by Elf
                (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

                I’ve just returned from Clicker Expo, and every year it’s the same — I come away feeling excited, energized, and full of the recognition that I’m really a slacker.