You'll enjoy listening to Karen's own podcast (available at the bottom of this page)—audio selections from her latest book, Reaching the Animal Mind.
Small Pets + Rabbits + Fish + Guinea Pigs + Rats + Ferrets
It's a Clicker Win-Win: Shelter Animals and their Volunteers
By Lynn Loar on 03/01/2009If you've ever had a rewarding experience volunteering, you know that it's not always clear who benefits more: the person donating their time and services, or the recipient. This is especially true when working with animals. That win-win scenario is exemplified in The Latham Letter article "A New Wrinkle in Animal-Assisted Therapy," written by Lynn Loar, Ph.D., LCSW, President, The Pryor Foundation and Ken White, President, Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA.
Top Animal Trainers Teach Trade Secrets to Everyone
By KPCT on 10/13/2008ClickerExpo announces the 2009 season of its highly popular conference series for animal trainers at every level, from new dog owners to professional zookeepers. If you've ever wanted to know how trainers bond with orca whales, teach sea lions to play soccer, or train a dog to lie down quietly outside the local coffee shop while they sip a cup of java inside, then ClickerExpo is for you.
Summer Fun
By Karen Pryor on 07/08/2008I've always been interested in play. Science doesn't explain it very well, or it's explained as something young animals do to practice future skills. But that definition doesn't cover every kind of play, and it doesn't explain why it's so much fun, so reinforcing in itself.
Stepping on the Food: A Memo from Karen
By Karen Pryor on 02/19/2008You're training "leave it." You drop a bit of food, the dog lunges toward it, and you cover it with your foot. Are you just managing the environment, or is this negative punishment, taking away something desired?
