An Open Letter to County Commissioners re: Consumer Transparency – the Methods Used in Animal Training, Care and Management Will Protect Pets, Their Owners, Local Residents and the Public at Large

by PPGWorld | Nov 13, 2017 | Advocacy, Animal Behavior, Business & Consulting, Learning Theory, Pet Guardians, Training

By Susan Nilson and Niki Tudge Introduction: The Importance of Transparency between Clients and Service Providers Frieden (2013) states that: “Free and open information empowers people to make informed choices and reduces the likelihood that misinformation or hidden...

So Tell Me What You Want, What You Really Really Want: Nine Ways Preference Testing Can Go Wrong

by Eileen Anderson | Aug 17, 2017 | Training

  What’s your favorite color? Do you prefer pie or ice cream? Which shirt do you like better: the striped one or the solid green one? Most of us have been asked our preferences since we were children. Sometimes we...

If You’re Loving It, Why Leave?

by Eileen Anderson | May 17, 2017 | Animal Behavior, Learning Theory, Training

Is “choice” a code word for negative reinforcement? It can be. Seems like that’s the context where I see it pop up the most. I’ve written a lot about choice. Two of my major points are: Many people are confused...

The “Choice” Challenge

by Eileen Anderson | Feb 23, 2016 | Training

Thanks to Debbie Jacobs and Randi Rossman for their input on this topic. Any weird conclusions are mine alone. I have come to believe that most of us who thought we were using “choice” as a reinforcer were mistaken. Wait! …

Not All “Choices” Are Equal

by Eileen Anderson | Jun 22, 2015 | Animal Behavior, Training

Shout-outs to Companion Animal Psychology for the post, The Right to Walk Away” which covers the effects of offering that particular choice in animal experiments, and encourages us to apply the concept to our animals’ lives. Also to Yvette Van...