(2009) Reaching the Animal Mind

Pryor, K. (2009). Reaching the Animal Mind:
The Clicker Training Method and What it Tells Us About Animals. NY: Scribner. 272 pp.

Reaching the Animal Mind, the new book by Karen Pryor, is not one that I've yet read, but it's on my shopping list. I want to highlight it since it's been very recently released, and was featured this morning on ABC's Good Morning America (where you can find an excerpt and a video clip of Karen using a clicker to teach a puppy a targeted behavior in less than five minutes).

If you're not familiar with her background, Karen is the author of a VERY popular book on behavioral shaping through positive reinforcement, Don't Shoot The Dog: The New Art of Teaching and Training, that really changes how to think about teaching your dog, cat...whale (!)...and even family members by REWARDING what you WANT them to do vs. PUNISHING them for doing what you DON'T WANT (aka, "shooting the dog") and how using rewards-only teaching can lead to more rapid and relaxed learning, and a happier learner and teacher!

Reaching the Animal Mind seems to be a substantial expansion on that theme with more examples using clickers, exercises to try, and in the case of people, the example of TAGteaching (TAG=Teaching with Acoustical Guidance).

Besides the practical considerations, Karen Pryor is also an engaging, humorous and humane author--if the past is any predictor, this WILL BE a "good behavioral read".

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More about the author and Reaching the Animal Mind:

• Karen Pryor's website on Reaching the Animal Mind
  Packed with info to preview: excerpts, author bio, exercises to try yourself, related research and comment papers, and video clips.
  
  
• Animal Training Guru Explains Her Tried-and-True Tactics
  June 16, 2009 [write-up and video]
  Good Morning America (ABC)

• Q & A with Karen Pryor and excerpts at Simon & Schuster
  

For further reading and study

• Pryor, K. (1999). Don't shoot the dog: The new art of teaching and training. New York: Bantam
  
  
• TAGteach International
• TAGteach blog
  
  
• Vargas, J.S. (2009). Behavior analysis for effective teaching. NY: Routledge.
  Pages on teaching using accoustical guidance: 12-13, 101, 140, 182-186, 196, 204, 310.
  

Happy reading.

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The posts are just thoughts about books that I have enjoyed, or think might be of interest, but tastes are individual and I can't vouch that any of these will be your cup of tea. Please accept my apologies in advance for any disappointments, and my pleasure if you also enjoy the described book. Cheers.

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