A Weekend for the Dogs | Karen Pryor Clicker Expo
Met some new friends today at the Karen Pryor Clicker Expo in NY… check out the bowls of “candy” clickers. Many options, even clickers that fit on your finger like a ring. I personally have been using my voice for years. It’s the best clicker as you always have it on you ☺️
I traveled all the way to Tarrytown NY by myself and was pleasantly surprised at how open and kind the dog trainers are and welcoming to newbies like myself at the Clicker Expo. They are happy to talk about what they do. It’s inspiring to be around like minded kind hearted trainers that all understand that training dogs with positive reinforcement is truly wonderful ❤️ and I am excited to share that gift of gentle training to local dogs and their people back home in Maine.
You know you’re at a Clicker Expo for dogs when the parking lot has cars with logos of dog businesses plastered on the sides. Day 3 was such a great last day of lectures and labs.
I learned a lot these past 3 days (and ate the most delicious food 😋!!). I especially enjoyed watching the Learning Labs as dogs and their people demonstrated how to (fill in the blank)…
Overall the clicker expo was very very well organized, from the opening lecture encouraging everyone (all 550 of us from countries all over the world, dog lovers) to mingle and to talk dogs and be respectful of others.
Many lectures to choose from. The lectures on giving animals choice (from a scientific point of view) was great information, Pattern Games, Cup on a Stick (Emma Parsons), Trick Classes in the learning lab with the fun, famous and funny Melissa Millett (from Canada), to zoning into Cues with Mary Hunter (also a horse clicker trainer), creating and implementing Behavior Chains, and there was a lot of referencing Skinner throughout the whole event.
I found the Environment and Enrichment talk from Rick Hester, who studies how to and implements ways to help zoo animals lives become more enriched through studying and changing the environment, was really fun. He shared stories of beaver habitats and penguins. There was a very informative and thoughtful roundtable discussion on how to approach aggressive dogs and how to help their people.
One of my favorite talks was from Bonnie Brambee (Braincamp) talking about building resilience and the nervous system of the dog from multiple angles. She talked a lot about pressure and stress. These topics are genially discussed in the horse world and I found it so easy to relate to. She talked about how movement helps decompress the nervous system (same in horses) and how the brain is always dealing with conflict resolution and how we as trainers can effect the placidity through the training methods to help the brain change over time to a calmer state. Love that.
There were so many more fabulous lectures from professional animal behaviorists and then the final closing speech from the wonderful Ken Ramirez, sharing so many touching stories of working with lions and Beluga whales. His scientific and emotional sharings touching the heart. His work with a team of animal behaviorists working on a 10 ish year project to rerouting elephant paths (that have been established for generations) to avoid being poached is astounding. Thank goodness we have people on the planet that care.
This weekend not only reaffirms to me how animals are our healers and how our roles in working with them shapes communication and connection so deeply, but also it’s truly something I love. I appreciate the opportunity to have been able to attend such a wonderful expo. Look forward to attending another one in the future.