Karen Pryor Clickertraining - Click for Joy! Questions and Answers

How to Stop Unwanted Barking

Melissa Alexander — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 02:00:00 -0500

When you deal with barking, it's important to look at the whole situation. Barking is sometimes a symptom of another problem—for example, fear, boredom, or stress. If you fix the problem, the symptom will likely go away. However, if you simply treat the symptom, the problem will just manifest itself in a different way-one which may be worse! Treat the problem not the symptom.

Phoebe Chronicles On The Go!

KPCT — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:08:00 -0500

Heading to the shore? Print and pack The Phoebe Chronicles, beach reading for dog lovers everywhere.

Podcast: Why Isn't Clicker Training on Oprah?

Aaron Clayton — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 04:00:00 -0600

Listen to Aaron's podcast (available at the bottom of the page) to find out his reaction to the Dog Whisperer appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Read the original article here.

Podcast: Defining Common Ground

Melissa Alexander — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Melissa Alexander is the author of Click for Joy! Questions and Answers from Clicker Trainers and their Dogs, an unparalleled guide to the concepts of clicker training. She is also the moderator of ClickerSolutions, a popular online discussion forum.

Listen to Melissa's podcast to find out why defining common ground improves communication. Read the original article here.

Managing the Treat-Free Competition Ring

Melissa Alexander — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Q: How do I move from food treats to praise only?

Adding the Cue: An Excerpt from Click for Joy

Melissa Alexander — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0500

For two reasons: First, when the pup is learning the behavior, we want him to concentrate on the behavior. At that point, the cue is meaningless to him anyway—just another bit of "noise" to sort through. In the beginning, make learning easier on your dog by minimizing distractions, including meaningless cue words. Second, we want the cue to be associated with the final, perfect form of the behavior. If you add the cue in the beginning, you run the risk of having an unfinished version of the behavior crop up with you least want it to—like during the stress of competition—even though you continued to shape a more precise behavior.

ClickerSolutions: Clicking for Joy

Melissa Alexander — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 00:00:00 -0600

In February 2004, my book Click for Joy! received a Maxwell award from the Dog Writers Association of America for "Best Training or Behavior Book of 2003." The award itself is a heavy medallion, reminiscent of an Olympic medal. Writing a book is much like running a marathon, so I suppose an Olympic medal is fitting, but, in the case of Click for Joy, I think an Oscar metaphor is more apt. This book was a team effort, and there are many people to thank, including the thousands of people who are or have been members of the ClickerSolutions mailing list. Without ClickerSolutions, there would be no Click for Joy.

Which Book is Top Dog? Click for Joy! Named Top Dog Training Book of 2003

KPCT — Fri, 13 Feb 2004 11:22:58 -0600

New York, NY February 13, 2003--Which book should you get to train that new puppy or grown dog? Click for Joy!, by Melissa Alexander(Sunshine Books,2003),took home this year's coveted Maxwell Award from the Dog Writers Association of America for best book on dog behavior and training.

Click for Joy Foreword and Introduction

KPCT — Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0600

It was Karen Pryor who popularized the term and the practice of clicker training. Her 1985 book, Don't Shoot the Dog, captured the public's interest, and its appearance inadvertently led to a widespread assumption that clicker training was new. In fact, as Pryor herself explained in the introduction to her book, clicker training is based on the science and technology of operant conditioning and has been used since the 1940s.

Click for Joy! by Melissa Alexander Voted Best Training and Behavior Book for 2003

KPCT — Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0600

Click for Joy!, the question and answer book on clicker training, won the prestigious Maxwell Award for best book on behavior and training and also the DWAA's special award sponsored by Radio Systems for best training and behavior publication in book or other bound form.

Click for Joy! Nominated for Maxwell Award

KPCT — Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0600

Click for Joy! Foreword and Introduction

Robert Bailey — Sat, 02 Nov 2002 00:00:00 -0600

It was Karen Pryor who popularized the term and the practice of clicker training. Her 1985 book, Don't Shoot the Dog, captured the public's interest, and its appearance inadvertently led to a widespread assumption that clicker training was new. In fact, as Pryor herself explained in the introduction to her book, clicker training is based on the science and technology of operant conditioning and has been used since the 1940s.

About Melissa C. Alexander

Melissa Alexander — Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 -0600

During a Web search in 1998, she stumbled across clicker training and hasn't looked back since. Much of her early education came from the Internet, but as she began attending camps led by Bob and Marian Bailey, Sue Ailsby, and other positive trainers, she grew dissatisfied with mailing lists that frequently resorted to punishment to "fix" problem situations.

Click for Joy! Table of Contents

KPCT — Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 -0600

Click for Joy!

KPCT — Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 -0600

Everywhere dogs and their people gather, clicking - and questions about clicker training - can be heard. Now Melissa C. Alexander, moderator of the online discussion forum ClickerSolutions, has gathered clear and accurate answers for over one hundred commonly asked questions about clicker training in one essential reference.

Click for Joy! Samples

KPCT — Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 -0600

Click for Joy: Reviews

KPCT — Mon, 01 Jan 2001 00:00:00 -0600

"Click for Joy! makes the concepts of clicker training simple to understand and easy to apply. Recommended for anyone teaching or attending clicker training classes."
~Gerilyn Bielakiewicz, co-founder of Canine University and author of The Everything Dog Training and Tricks Book

Click for Joy: Publishers Note

Karen Pryor — Mon, 01 Jan 2001 00:00:00 -0600

If you're just starting out in clicker training, you've got lots of questions. And I bet I know what most of them are. They're the questions experienced clicker trainers and teachers hear over and over from clients, students, and friendsâ€¦ "Why can't I just use my voice?" "Will I always have to carry a clicker and treats?" "What if the dog doesn't do what I want?" "Help! My dog is afraid of the clicker!"