ABC'S: ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

CONCERNS & SOLUTIONS

A Question & Answer Forum For Animal Professionals

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Welcome to the ABC's! Animal Behavior Concerns & Solutions is an animal behavior column written by animal behaviorist and animal trainer, Diana L. Guerrero. This section is dedicated to animal training techniques for all animals and pets, and topics related to operant conditioning and reinforcement. This page is dedicated to clarifying a marker training question. Clicker training, bridge and target training are training tools that have been used as proprietary terms in training businesses. For pet training please visit the pet sections, see our pet behavior booklets in the shop, or click here for enrollment information for classes and teleseminars.

Clicker Training Animals: Terms & Tool Questions

Question
Do you have any experience with Bridge & Target Training as opposed to Click & Treat Training? If so, do you feel that one method has more benefit than the other?

Answer
Your questions refer to proprietary terms used in the marketing of training businesses. Click & Treat® is a trademark and the phrase, "Bridge & Target Training" has been used to market a business that is supposed to be "beyond behavior modification." Each phrase refers to the work of an individual and I don't feel that one is better or more beneficial than another.

Good trainers are always looking for new tools but too many people think the current training trends are really new innovations--but they aren't really that new at all. Animal training techniques go back a long way. Unfortunately people in different animal industries don't seem to know the lineage of progression. I equate this to the fact that different animal industries don't often encounter papers or share the techniques of others. Many also use different terminology to describe the same behaviors and training methods.

Over time, new names are coined for similar (or the same) techniques and there lies the difficulty. Often, when I think I've found something innovative, a little digging reveals that it has already been proposed. Nuances can be the differentiating factor and where (or if) you publish. However, timing is everything and innovation means nothing unless there is receptivity to it.

The underlying question you asked refers to clicker training, or more correctly-clicker usage as a "marker" in training. The bridge is a marker and the target is a communication tool used within the training program. Good training programs all require superior communication skills, timing and the understanding of training methodology. An aptitude for training also helps. I believe it is an aptitude that some individuals have and others don't. You also need the interest and motivation to progress.

The first notes I have regarding positive training methodology go back to the innovative Hagenbeck family (Germany) in the 1800's. However, progression toward clicker usage and positive reinforcement methods has roots from within the scientific community--when Fred Skinner coined the term, "operant conditioning" in 1938. (I'm not discounting Pavlov and Classical Conditioning here; I believe the question relates more to operant techniques.)

Skinner's students, Keller and Marian Breland used clickers for training (circa 1943). They formed Animal Behavior Enterprises (ABE), and moved the technique from Skinner's laboratory into the working environment through commercial work. They provided classified work for the government, and were hired by corporate entities such as Sea World, Busch Gardens, and Taft Broadcasting to develop training programs.

On a parallel field, domestic animal training used other techniques. Domestic animals are bred selectively to be tolerant and cooperative in their behavior. The popularized hands-on method for dogs (circa 1944) used choke chains and other aversive techniques. The goal was to quickly train dogs and get them out on the war field. Today those methods still endure.

Unlike circuses and other performance facilities, zoos were still reluctant to interact with their captive animals and adhered to a "leave them alone they are from nature" philosophy. Many contracted circus trainers or private handlers to conduct their shows. So, the most notable progression came from within the marine mammal field.

Two of the most prominent individuals included Kent Burgess, who served as ABE's Director of Training for over 10 years and who then went to Sea World to serve as the first Training Director, and Robert (Bob) Bailey who was the US Navy's first Director of Training and joined ABE in 1965. Bailey served as Research Director and then General Manager. He subsequently married Marian Breland many years after Keller Breland passed away.

Karen Pryor began using marker based teaching and training techniques about the time she encountered Bob Bailey in conjunction with her work at Sea Life Park, Hawaii. The marine mammal community thrived using the techniques. But the current popularity of marker based training techniques (commonly referred to as clicker training) within the general public only gained popularity after the 1984 release of Karen Pryor's highly successful book, "Don't Shoot the Dog."

Coincidentally, the interest in training coincided with the introduction of animal enrichment techniques and zoos began to focus on the mental health and management of their animals through both techniques. The awareness really began to pick up steam around 1987 when Pryor began to conduct seminars on the topic and escalated in the early 1990's when she and Gary Wilkes popularized the clicker training method within the dog training community.

Also in the 1990's, an individual named Kayce Cover began to promote an animal training business and published articles on intermediate bridges and related topics. What you see now is a new burst of interest triggered by recent appearances (2003-2004) at professional venues.

Training tools and techniques are constantly adapted for use by individuals. What you need to do is go into the tool box and get what you need, find what works for you, discover what you are comfortable with and define your style. The more you read and learn, the better you will be.

Are you a reader with a question? Be sure to submit it--and good luck in all your training endeavors!

About the columnist: Since 1978 Diana L. Guerrero has worked professionally with both wild and domestic animals. Guerrero has been affiliated with, and certified by, a variety of animal programs in the USA and Europe. Based in California, she writes, consults, and speaks. Information on her animal career programs, training courses, and her books {What Animals Can Teach Us about Spirituality (SkyLight Paths, 2003), Blessing of the Animals (Sterling, 2007), Help! My Pet is Driving Me Crazy (Guerrero Ink, 2007), Animal Disaster Preparedness for Pet Owners & Pet Professionals (Guerrero Ink, 2007)} can be found in this web site and in the shop. Questions for Guerrero should be submitted via the blog comments or membership forum.