Behavior Training Buddies?

Today I had the pleasure of a long talk about training with another animal professional who was my college buddy at one of the animal behavior training programs I graduated from.

We’ve kept in touch on and off through the years and he is one of the few people I can get really get into the nitty gritty discussions about behavior & training.

He trained dolphins in the open ocean for about twenty years but today works with dogs and is actually studying to enter into a new career.

Over the years we have passionately discussed our most difficult cases, our frustrations and our successes.

This most recent conversation blossomed when he asked me about a particular challenge and I began asking questions.

Later he said, “It is such a pleasure talking to another trainer who gets it. Most others just jump in with recommendations or advice–but you get it.”

Most people want answers, but to get the answers, you have to ask questions.

You see, in order to solve an animal behavior training problem, it involves much more than just giving a pat answer to solve the problem because you are dealing with a living creature. Things are a bit more involved than a quick fix.

In ideal situations it is necessary to assess the animal, the environment, the trainer(s), the animal’s history and the social environment.

However, since I’ve been in my career with animals for so long, I’ve found that if I can get my questions answered, I don’t always have to be onsite.

Now, when I say that it is more involved that a quick fix, I am not saying that some problems cannot be solved quickly, but to really extinguish a problem and prevent it from escalating (or coming back), it is a more involved process.

Some people miss the art of animal training while others miss the science of animal training.

Then there are those that cling tightly to the science of it and believe that it is all the same.

Hogwash. The reality is that it is a blend of art and science.

Anyway, we eventually got to discussing the differences between skilled trainers and those who aspire to be.

This came up because his case involved someone who had been around a lot of animals for a long, long time.

Plus, during this time she has been training dogs. However, despite her extensive time investment and work with a large number of animals, she still is not very sophisticated and sadly, not too savvy about training.

Now I pondered over this before in the lens people see animals through but just why most people cannot identify the nuances of animal communication is a mystery to both of us.

Part of this is due to the fact that we have been in the field for so long, but the big quandary is over why so many “professionals” don’t get it either.

So just what is it that makes some people better than others in their chosen field?

• Is it aptitude?
• Is it passion fueled motivation to acquire the skills?
• Is it something that can be learned?
• Is it sheer numbers of animals trained?
• Is it diversity of species or breeds trained?

It would be great if those questions could be answered, yes. Sadly, that is not the case.

Some trainers get attached to specific tools or methodologies and cling tightly to them rather than experiment and progress.

Others find some new marketing angle and introduce it as something new, but truth be told, I have not seen much new in the animal training field for quite some time.

Most people cannot distinguish between a trainer who is great and someone who is simply adequate.

Anyway, here is a formula I was given just last week:

Talent + Knowledge + Experience = Proficiency (aka Skill or Strength)

It reminded me of something I often say, “Anyone can train but not everyone has talent…”

In any case, that is what I think gives someone an edge over others.

Now I’ve written my thoughts on some of this before, so you might also like to read how animal training is like piano playing, but I want to ask you, What makes one trainer good and another great?

Please share your opinion in the comments.

Photo Credit: Marion Doss

Before the day begins with the rescue group here in the desert, I’ve been heading over to the neighbor’s for a visit. The veteran ranch dog has always been hopeful that I will take her.

So, I finally did. But the thing is, she is really a brat and manipulates people to no end.

And, as most people do, the neighbor obliges her every subtle request and so spends a lot of time petting her. If left unchecked, the dog gets more and more pushy as a result.

As a trainer I hate that, but the neighbor has no idea that he is reinforcing bad behavior. All he is aware of is that the dog and he are interacting and it is mutually rewarding for both him and the dog.

Personally, I want the dog to relax instead of being pushing, panting, and pacing.

When I require good behavior, the neighbor gets miffed. But he also thinks the dog doesn’t have much of a brain, and she does.

In fact, she has his number and gets him and a lot of other people to do what she wants.

Pets are really good at human behavior. They watch intently and then learn how to make their demands known–and most people oblige those demands.

Now in this case what has happened on the ranch is that people think this dog’s barking is cute. So, she barks all the time when someone appears, looks at her, or talks to her.

The humans have become the cue for barking. And the dog now barks inappropriately at just about everyone and everything.

I bet you can identify a few problem behaviors when YOU become the cue because you are reinforcing something.

Think about that a minute.

Now, I recently wrote about Cheyenne (Clicker Training Adventures & The 20 Minute Wonder) and wanted to share a little tidbit about the brainy little dog.

Part of her retention was due to the fact that “mom” would show off Chey’s schooling to any kids that came into the store. The difference was that her little dog would go through all her behaviors at once instead of doing what was asked.

It is a performance free for all.

This chaining of behaviors can happen when the animal is reinforced incorrectly, or when the pet parent doesn’t require a consistent behavior response.

In training a sequence of behaviors intentionally, we call it a behavior chain. One behavior is linked to another so that the performance is seamless.

I tend to like to keep an animal on its toes and vary performances but when you teach a chain, you usually start by outlining what you want and training the last behavior in the sequence first. Then you teach the behavior that comes before that one, and then the one that comes prior to that one, until you get to the beginning behavior.

The end result is that when you ask for the first behavior, the animal goes through the whole chain in sequence.

What happens in most pet households is that people get so excited that the animal is doing something when they ask, that they reinforce any response versus the one that is requested.

The attention is reinforcing and eventually the person or situation becomes the cue (or discriminative stimulus aka SD) for the behavior(s).

This links the behaviors together so that when the person appears, or asks for a behavior, the animal goes through all those they know at once.

When I worked at a world famous zoo, one of the elephants would rapidly perform all of her behaviors when a trainer appeared. The trainer was the cue to run through her repertoire.

In this case, I had to train her to pay attention but also to stand still and focus on what was being asked so that I could extinguish that behavior chain.

She enjoyed performing so much that she enthusiastically presented all she could at once–but the reality was also that it wasn’t clear to her what was required by the trainer. It just was not clear and most novices would accept what she offered.

So, if you ask an animal for a behavior and he or she responds with all they know, or a specific sequence, or when you simply appear on the scene and the animal offers a behavior or sequence–this could be what is happening.

Now, I am sure you have some stories. So please share them in the comments. Have you had this happen to you or have you seen animals that go through a bunch of behaviors at once? What are your thoughts on this topic?

Photo Credit: Anjuli