Animal Books & Pet Products

Reaching the Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What It Teaches Us About All Animals by Karen Pryor (ISBN 0743297768) is destined to be another animal training classic.

As with some of her past works (Don’t Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training, Lads Before the Wind, Karen Pryor on Behavior) this book takes complex training topics and chisels them down into easily understood concepts woven into a tapestry of story telling that is both engaging and compelling.

Although some people might expect this to be an “animal training book” it is not a “how to manual.”

This work is easily read and explains principles behind clicker training and behavior modification concepts and illustrates them through engaging stories.

Readers can also access videos of some of the animals and training sessions mentioned online by visiting the Reaching the Animal Mind website.

Rarely does a book entice me to read it all in one sitting but this one did–in fact I read it a few times.

I highly recommend it for not only dog training enthusiasts but also pet owners seeking who are seeking a different approach to communicating with their animals.

This book is something I would also encourage television dog training show addicts to read so that they can make the shift into modern dog training instead of following the long standing traditional methods.

Reaching Minds

This chapter begins by leading into a discussion about how animal training (as it traditionally has been done) is now obsolete since training technology has been refined.

It talks about how modern training methods enhance animal and human communication.

Karen Pryor’s experience with D’Artagnan (a wolf) made me smile because training wild animals is indeed different and the moment he figures out what she wants was a familiar experience I’ve shared with many an animal.

This chapter includes a succinct introduction to two schools of behavior science and the influential scientists, Konrad Lorenz and BF Skinner.

Also, if you are not familiar with Karen Pryor’s history, readers will get a good feel for her curiosity and willingness to explore from the very first pages.

It is true that you can train everything–and so I enjoyed Karen’s hermit crab training story because it illustrates the potential for enhancing the life of any animal.

She concludes this early introduction with an invitation that I think is quite fitting:

So here’s what I see. come and have a look. If you find it useful, good. I am pretty sure you will find it fun.

Shaping

Training dolphins and the nuances of dolphin training dominate this chapter.

One of the great things mentioned is how trainers have to consider the perspective of the animal when progress is slow.

So true–but many miss this important point.

She hits some other valuable points such as the fact that many novice trainers rely on food lures instead of shaping the behavior.

OR that some trainers fail to mark the decision of the animal to commit and only mark the action.

This is an important training nuance and I am happy to see it explained.

Training groups of animals, how raising criteria works, and cues/cuing are other topics discussed.

Communication

The “light bulb” moment in the ferret training story is a great one that illustrates how excited animal get when they realize that they have control over good things that happen.

If you have ever seen that from an animal you know it really is something, but if you haven’t, this story gives you an accurate picture and I am looking forward to seeing the video online!

But this chapter also gets into how to communicate with cues and how to shape behavior in your daily actions–such as at an animal shelter.

Some of the important concepts discussed here are the extinction curve, how to shape behavior, and the importance of assigning a cue.

Controlling misbehavior by putting it on cue and chaining behaviors are just a couple of the other topics in this section.

However, what I loved most was the story about the kids and their pony training.

Feelings

Karen Pryor continually hits topics of importance such as the fact that people miss (or misinterpret) what an animal is communicating or what the animal is conveying.

Here you’ll read some interesting observations but what I really liked is the section on Anecdotes vs Observations.

There is a lot of prejudice in the scientific community and I appreciate how Karen Pryor discusses the topic.

In addition, her “fish tale” gets the point across about how all animals can exhibit emotion.

Creativity

Even non-trainers will get great joy in reading about the creativity and games that dogs, fish, gorillas, and dolphins exhibit in the stories within this chapter.

It is my belief is that training gets animals to think in a different manner and that it sparks a variety of activities–each of the stories highlights those possibilities.

My favorite in this section is Karen Pryor’s discussion of Hardwired vs. Softwired.

She eloquently says, “It is a function not of intelligence, but of genes and evolution.”

There are more stories about animals who exhibit unique processes but what I liked seeing was the brief explanation between working predator and prey animals.

I’ve found the two to be vastly different from each other and Karen Pryor does a good job in discussing a little of this while illustrating that each has special dispositions in training.

Attachments

Unfortunately many people dismiss animal memory and friendships.

Here Karen Pryor gets into discussing those attachments, friendships, and social dynamics between animals.

When you read it I am sure you will recognize (or remember) similar stories from those animals you have known.

Fascinating stories studying schools of wild spotted dolphins dominate the content within this chapter.

Fear

Misinterpretation or missing what an animal expresses are discussed within these pages.

Reducing fear, successive approximation, and how giving an animal a cue for a behavior so it can push through resistance are just a few other important topics.

But the poisoned cue is the concept I thought would be very valuable to those working with shelter animals or animals trained by more traditional methodology.

Conversations

This is a great chapter that shares how the training dialog is exchanged between the human and the animal.

One of the reasons I enjoy training so much is that it enhances the communication between species.

Training novice animal is different from training veteran animals and Karen Pryor shares many stories (including those about an elephant, guinea pig, and cat) but the story about Josphine the dolphin is the one that made me laugh.

I’ve worked with some veteran animals that behaved in a similar manner–and anyone else who has done so will relate to the story as well.

Questions

If you had any questions on your mind about clicker training–you might find it here.

In a previous post I mentioned the Voice vs Clicker study and a discussion about it is included in this section along with some of the most common questions and confusing assumptions.

Discussions about praise, suppressing behavior, correcting mistakes and more will keep you glued to the pages.

The gems?

“Being “positive” is not the same as being permissive.”

and

“…while all punishment is aversive, not all aversive are punishment.“

Answers

When I read about the laughing rats in this chapter it brought back fond memories of the rats I had to train for “rat review” in college.

They were playful, fun loving and mischievous little guys and laughed a lot while they tried to get me to take a break from studying.

Anyway, I always love when I learn something new and if you do too–this is a chapter you will get a lot out of–from the science side of things.

The Amygdala Involvement and why the clicker is so powerful was that something new for me.

Now if you have ever encountered an animal that is afraid of the clicker or wanted to know about the nuances of cues, the different reinforcers, and more science behind training–this is where it is.

People

Coaching with a click is called Tagging and I have to say that I get a lot of laughs when I’ve clicked a human client–but some people get really worked up over it.

So, you’ll learn about how TAG (TAG is an acronym for Teaching with Acoustical Guidance.) helps people get comfortable with the process and learn how it is working to help athletes and autistic children.

Intention

Real life examples of cooperative behavior fill these pages.

Interesting stories about Peace Corps hostages, Brazilian dolphins and fishermen, Guide Dog training changes will keep your interest.

They all illustrate change that was brought about through positive reinforcement and will get you pondering.

Back Matter

Find Out More, Glossary, and Do it Yourself are great resources for those who want to find reference works and get deeper into the meanings of some of the terms included in Reaching the Animal Mind.

Exercises are included in the back for those curious enough to want to try a few things out with instruction.

Will clicker trainers and TAG teachers change the world one click at a time?

Time will tell.

In the meantime I recommend you order a copy of Reaching the Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What It Teaches Us About All Animals by Karen Pryor (ISBN 0743297768). It should be in stores by mid-June 2009.

One Nation Under Dog is an enthralling weave of story and facts penned by author Michael Schaffer. Schaffer is a journalist (and pet owner) based in Philadelphia who has done a fabulous job discussing a number of topics that will interest not only pet lovers but anyone who has wondered what the insanity is behind the current pet industry trends.

Just what is the pet industry?

Today it includes everything from old-fashioned products such as collars and kibble to newer trends such as veterinary acupuncture, specialty pet services (pet limos, pet nannies, animal coaches, etc) and holistic remedies.

Because I am active in the pet industry—it was no surprise to me that the American Pet Products Association reported growth of over $2 billion for 2008 with projections of $45 billion for 2009.

Fifteen years ago the annual amount spent on pets was a mere $17 billion which shows how things have changed for America’s 69 million pet-owning households.

Ultimately what the One Nation Under Dog says is that modern pet ownership has been transformed by our evolution into a less connected, lonelier society where four-legged companionship matters more than ever:

“The dog in the mohair sweater, it turns out, is less a symptom of a gilded age than a reflection of a lonelier one.”

One Nation Under Dog looks at the trends that have occurred through the phenomenon of “humanization,” which is that tendency to see domestic animals not as beasts but rather as furry members of the family. (In the wild animal world attributing human emotions and behaviors to animals is called anthropomorphism.)

Although I am family with the pet industry and watch trends, Michael Schaffer delved deeply into the subject from the perspective of a journalist and I was impressed at how he handled the many topics contained in One Nation Under Dog because it gave a lot of valuable information and history with story in a palatable manner.

Throughout the book he cites sources and statistics for each of the topics he explored and provides a comprehensive list at the end for those who want to delve deeper.

Did you know that a survey for the American Animal Hospital Association (2001) revealed that 83 percent of pet owners call themselves their animal’s “mommy” or “daddy?”

I knew it was high but didn’t realize it was that significant.

In a recent article he wrote why even non-pet oriented types should care about the trends:

“It’s a phenomenon that should also matter to those of us who don’t make a living operating doggie day spas. In an atomized era, the growing amount of time and money we collectively spend on pets is an indication of how much we thirst for community, leaning on animals for support once provided by other humans. And the specifics of how we treat those pets no longer just reflect what we think is appropriate for animals. From the popularity of pet antidepressants to the rise of pet-custody divorce settlements, the way people interact with their pets says a great deal about two-legged society.”

What I enjoyed about the One Nation Under Dog was that it took a look at the expanded idea of family (with pets) through history. Most people lack that perspective and I liked how he used different strategies to illustrate the trends.

For instance, he contrasted the advertising differences from the 1920s (a woman outside strolling with a dog) with ads spanning from then until present day. By the end of the century the ads showing animals now had them relocated into the home on the bed.

Did you ever wonder what drives the changes we are seeing?

Schaffer’s research reveals that baby-boomer empty-nesters have transferred their nurturing to animals–which is why the humanization has grabbed hold so strongly.

Some of the changes include:

Pet food has moved from corporate agricultural by-products and fillers to more health oriented organic lines.
Pet training has moved from traditional methods developed during the early 1900s to a model that focuses on positive reinforcement.
Enrichment and socialization is seen as important to the well-being of animals instead of an after thought.
Petcentric legal practices focus on the intrinsic value of the pet versus the “value of the property” and tackle the nuances of pet custody in divorce and pet trusts.
Veterinary medical specialty certification numbers that have doubled since 1980.
Social networks specifically for pets and their people that help create social support and friendships.
Pet accessory lines that mimic the human accessory lines.
Pet loss bereavement groups exist and the pet death industry is growing quickly.

One Nation Under Dog is divided into thirteen chapters with the traditional front and back matter:

From Dog House to Our House tells a little bit about Michael’s pet owning experience and the touches on a few of the topics found throughout the book with a nice summary of the history behind pet keeping.

The $43 Billion Dollar Fur Baby delves into the world of the pet industry trends and products.

Man’s Best Friendster explores the world of pet networking and pet parties.

It’s Me and the Dog discusses the controversies arising over an emerging pet-friendly world including dog law, dog wars, and animal disaster response.

Trading Up gets into the world of pet fashion and boutiques where you can get a peak into Pet Fashion Week and what that is all about.

Hip Replacements and Health Plans shares some intimate details behind one furry family member’s procedures while exploring the current status of veterinary specialty care and pet health insurance.

Breeding the Perfect Beast looks at the world of dogs as commodities. Get a glimpse at puppy mills, the (fabled) hypoallergenic pet, a rent-a-pet program, private breeders, adoption centers, and dog shows.

Legal Beagles is a quick view into the new legal issues concerning pets such as the pet food recall, damage claims, pet custody, and pet estate law.

Toy Town shares the stories of a couple of pet industry products—including the story of how my favorite pet industry guy, Joe Markham came up with the idea for Kong.

The $100,000-a-Year Dog Walker? This chapter talks about the new services available in the pet industry such as specialty groomers, dog walkers, and pet chauffeurs.

Trick or Treat discusses the current types of animal training and the industry icons that have influenced the dog training world and if you didn’t know the history behind the training trends this is a good chapter to read.

From Alpo to Omega-3 Fatty Acids reveals the history behind pet food trends and looks at some of the different options available to pet owners today.

It Takes a Village to Raise a Puppy is an overview of the pet care world as related to class structure, education, and touches on the no-kill movement.

The American Way of Pet Death explores pet bereavement, the pet death industry, and related topics such as the origins of the infamous Rainbow Bridge poem.

Our Pets, Ourselves is a summary of many of the points found throughout the book but the statement I liked the best was:

“Pets, and how we treat them, are a public reflection of our deepest individual values.”

Well said…and the book is well done.

I highly recommend this book not just to animal lovers or pet enthusiasts but to those who simply don’t understand the fascination surrounding pets today.

Purchase One Nation Under Dog: Adventures in the New World of Prozac-Popping Puppies, Dog-Park Politics, and Organic Pet Foodor pick up a copy from booksellers online or in your community.