Don't Shoot the Dog Audiobook

This month's podcast is an excerpt from Karen Pryor's lecture Neuroscience and Clicker Training presented at this year's ClickerExpo. During the lecture Karen addresses many topics that she writes about in her new book Reaching the Animal Mind. One of the more popular topics, Click vs. Voice, is addressed in this podcast. Listen to the podcast to hear Karen present her research and results on this topic.

In this audio excerpt from Don't Shoot the Dog! The New Art of Teaching and Training, Karen Pryor explains the difference between a "command" and a "cue." Do you say "sit" before or after you teach the dog to sit? Is the dog trying to do something, or avoid something? And why do clicker trainers use cues, anyway?

"Karen Pryor has been a pioneer ... anyone who wants to be more effective in rearing children, teaching, or managing his or her own behavior will find her book very useful."
—B.F. Skinner

Karen Pryor is an author and a scientist with an international reputation in the fields of marine mammal biology and behavioral psychology. Through her work with dolphins in the 1960s , she pioneered modern, force-free animal training methods, and became an authority on applied operant conditioning —the art and science of changing behavior with positive reinforcement. She is a founder and leading proponent of clicker training, a worldwide movement involving new ways to communicate positively with pets and other animals. She is the author of several books, including Nursing Your Baby , a classic book for breastfeeding mothers that has sold over a million copies, and more than 50 scientific papers and popular articles on learning and behavior.

Is this audiobook read by the author?

Yes, the entire audiobook is read by the author, Karen Pryor. She has also added new commentary, only available in the audiobook.