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Reaching the Animal Mind

On My Mind: Zoos Then and Now

What’s a good thing to do with a bunch of kids on a summer day? Go to the zoo! I’ve never gotten over my childhood love of zoos. I took my kids, and now I take theirs (you can share a memorable visit to the zoo with my grandchildren in Reaching the Animal Mind, Chapter 5, Creativity).

On My Mind: Reaching the Animal Mind Celebrates its First Birthday!

Reaching the Animal Mind (RTAM) came out exactly a year ago, in June of 2009. And wow, what a year it’s been!

Should You Use No Reward Markers? Examining the Debate

What is a No Reward Marker (NRM), and is it a useful tool or an awful mistake?

Should a good clicker trainer use an NRM, and, if so, when?

It’s out there, lurking. At times you feel it stalking just behind you. At last it springs as someone asks, “Why don’t you tell your dog it was wrong?”

The NRM debate has been reopened once more.

The debate arises in cycles, but next time you’ll be prepared for it, no matter how stealthily it creeps.

Fun with Rats

I loved Lucy

When I lived in the Pacific Northwest, I kept a brown and white pet rat named Lucy. She would come when called, so I could give her the run of the office. She was a delightful pet, cozy, chatty, and full of enjoyment of life. When I moved to Boston, I re-homed her with a neighbor’s little boy and he loved her, too.

Reaching the Animal Mind Awarded Best Training Book of 2009

Waltham, MA, January 23, 2010—Karen Pryor Clicker Training (KPCT) today announced that Reaching the Animal Mind has been named “Best Training and Behavior Book” by the Dog Writer’s Association of America (DWAA). The award was presented to Karen Pryor at the DWAA 2010 Annual Awards Banquet in New York City, an annual event that recognizes bodies of work that reflect DWAA’s mission—to encourage quality writing about dogs as athletes, competitors and, most of all, our beloved companions.