Training With Kayce

Episode 27: Training Demos

Working in zoos, it was really difficult to find training time. I solved that problem by centering our public demonstrations on real-time training sessions. This is not for the faint hearted, but it is also seldom boring, and the audience LOVED it. Here's the podcast.

Episode 26: Cost of Repetition

The Cost of repetition  To a background of cicadas and crickets, we explore the effect of repetition during training.  Repetition can be due to requests to repeat a step during training, or during presentations, or even when we ask a question but keep repeating it, as if the animal did not answer it.

Episode 25: Perception Modification, Much more than CC or Desensitization

Perception Modification is a suite of tools which lead animals to be able to self manage in the face of triggers, usually in 15 hours or less (per issue).  The fact that these animals become self managing hugely boosts their success in life, regardless of the expertise of their owners, handlers or subsequent trainers.

Episode 24: 3 Essential Targets

Bridges, both the Terminal and the IB, and the 2- finger target are the first three things we teach, in SATS.  This gives us the basis of our communication system, and takes less than one minute.  What to teach next.  Kayce recommends teaching the pole target and the station target next, along with their hierarchy. ' Hierarchy?'  I hear you question.  This very important stay takes just a minute or two to teach, and sets an important precedent that can safeguard your targets and your animals from that point forward.  

Episode 23: Exploit Your Audiences!

When you bring your audience on as partners in your training, it can really help your training program and your institution, and it hugely enriches the experience of the audience and the animals.  Kayce talks about some of the ways she has included the audience in training.

Episode 22: Road to Animal Professional part 2

After a sudden ending of our last conversation, Joseph and Kayce continue to talk about creating the career - and the life - that you want.  And yes, Kayce does tell a bit more about dolphins taking over the audience.

Episode 21: Road to Animal Professional Part 1

Kayce and Joseph talk about Joseph's career goals and preparation.... and more.

Episode 20: 3 steps in mind - Stop

It’s important to know what you are going to communicate to your animal partners, BEFORE you are standing before, realizing you are not ready - yet.  But it’s not hard to get organized and start being a world class communicator.  Let’s talk about how much prep to do before training, the use of breaks, and reviews, and how these steps will effortlessly build your fluency.

Episode 19: Process Not Product

Trainers can slow their own progress by pushing too hard.  We tend to go too long, and get too focused on our training products (nail trimming, collecting blood, Getting a long down stay...).  Let's talk about it!

Episode 18: Allure of SATS

Let's talk about how animals love to learn when we share information and are generous with feedback and respect.  We will listen in on two videos where two horses each stop grazing to participate in training - that the allure of SATS!  Also, I share the story of meeting Sera for the first time.