6-8 Flashcards
Stimulus
Any environmental event or condition that can influence behavior
Latent behavior
A slow or sluggish response to a cue
Window of opportunity
Creating a set period of time in which reinforcement is available on
Four rules of stimulus control
1) The behavior always occurs immediately upon the presentation of the condition stimulus (cue) i.e. the dog sit when it is asked to.
2) The behavior never occurs in the absence of the stimulus (during a training session the dog never sits spontaneously)
3) The behavior never occurs in response to some other stimulus (if you say lay down the dog does not offer sit instead).
4) no other behavior occurs in response to the stimulus (when you say sit the dog does not respond by laying down or jumping up and licking your face)
Transferring stimulus control
Establishing a second cue for a learned behavior.
Three primary reasons for training
Physical exercise, mental stimulation, cooperative behavior, fourth primary reason entertainment and education
Secondary reasons for training
Research, assistance, work i.e. plowhorse, recreation
The Cambridge comparative study
The study was done in London in the 1970s the goal was to use the study findings to shut down the traveling circus is in the country at the time. The hypothesis was that zoo animals would be healthier than circus animals. What they found was circus animals were a better weight and more physically fit then zoo animals, the circus animals more were more alert, the circus animal showed little or no stereotype behavior. One of the main findings was that training was the single most important aspect of improving the condition of animals.
Free contact
A training situation where the trainer and the animal have equal amounts of access to the training area. This can be the most dangerous training situation because it offers a little or no protection.
Semi protected contact (modified free contact)
A training situation where the trainer is partially isolated from the animals, many times through some type of restraint. There still can be a high degree of contact between trainer and animals.
Protected contact
A training situation where the trainer is virtually protected from the possibility of injury by the animal. Contact (if any) is usually made only with a portion of the animals body and usually it is pressed into a barrier (i.e. mesh, bars, offense) or threw a dart port or window.
Key components to a good show
Start big and end bigger be professional be prepared be on time be honest be able to improvise have a good timing use entertainment to extend the attention span of the audience be yourself
