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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!

        TAG! I’m It! (self TAGteach for skiing)

          Skier carving a turn off piste
          This is not me. Not quite. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

          I mentioned in a recent post that I would share again the story of my learning to ski. It’s a great example of contrasting traditional instruction versus TAGteach and the resulting… results. It’s also kinda humorous, because it features me tumbling tail over teakettle down a snowy slope more than a few times, and that’s never not funny. Enjoy!

          The Exploitation of the Mind

            Today’s riddle: How is a 5-year-old human like a spotted hyena? (Aside from eating habits and destructive potential!)

            dive bomber pushup

            Getting My Butt In Gear And Into Shape — Training Myself

              This entry is part 1 of 2 in the series Behavior Training & Physical Training: OC for Fitness

              One of the toughest things about being a behavior professional is that one doesn’t have many excuses. When I do something stupid, I can easily identify it and the triggers (if any) and a way to avoid it the next time by choosing an alternate behavior instead. That doesn’t mean I will, but it means I can, and then I can feel a bit stupid again for failing to choose the better behavior.

              It also means I know better than to feel bad about a past decision instead of simply focusing on new behavior. But, y’know, the cycle repeats.

              Right now, though, I’m applying my professional knowledge with good results, and I’m blogging here to keep up my motivation and, maybe, help someone else do something similar!

              our lovely gate, courtesy of Jezroc Metalworks

              What a Blind Dog Sees, Part 2

                This entry is part 2 of 2 in the series What A Blind Dog Sees

                Part 1 covered Inky’s uncertain backstory and roller coaster of health issues.  Today, we’ll talk about how we’ve trained through blindness, and what we’ve learned about obedience, perception, trust, and control.