Clean Run - January 2013 - 46

You ha ve to enjoy being with the animals and not expect it to be cool or easy all the time, and cert ainly not glamorous.
Such jarring is similar to the action of predators such as birds and monkeys, and it sets off the wasps’ defenses. The wasps become aroused—alert and vigilant—and are ready to fly off the nest and sting a potential intruder. Until they calm back down, which takes several minutes, trying to teach them a new odor is not practical. They are too aroused to learn. We all know that dogs see squirrels and go bananas, and what’s crucial for preventing that from derailing a training session is allowing the dog’s resulting high arousal to diminish before expecting the dog to be able to learn once again. You have to enjoy being with the animals and not expect it to be cool or easy all the time, and certainly not glamorous. Laura was once in a penguin exhibit during public hours when things went wrong for her. The penguins were in breeding season, and she was taking care to avoid all nests, with the result that she was very near the water. Regrettably, she slipped and she (without a wetsuit) and her bucket of fish were immersed in freezing cold water. Her training friend and colleague was too busy laughing (along with all the aquarium guests) to help her out of the water at first. When Laura finally stood to face the aquarium guests, there was not much she could do except take a humble bow. Karen once fell on ice while training a dog, and the fall was so horrendous that while she was in the air, she saw her feet silhouetted against the night sky and had time to think, “This is really going to hurt when I hit,” before smacking the icy ground. Of course, that was not as embarrassing as the time that she was dealing with an escapee from the Insect Zoo where she worked. Nobody looks cool chasing a praying mantis! Our love for living creatures is broad, and we bring that biophilia with us to our dog training. We also bring skills and perspectives from our work with a range of species. A special place in our animal-loving hearts contains Marcello the puffer fish, as well as canids, cats, insects, primates, birds, snakes, and all the creatures we have trained and from whom we’ve learned so much. D

Karen B. London, Ph.D. is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Certified Professional Dog Trainer and an Adjunct Faculty in Northern Arizona University’s Department of Biological Sciences. She writes “The London Zoo” newspaper column and is the author of five books on canine training and behavior. A lover of all animals, she’s especially fond of dogs, humans, social insects, sea otters, eyelash vipers, sea lions, and Vermillion Flycatchers. Laura Monaco Torelli is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Faculty with Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training and Behavior. She has trained various species of aquatic and terrestrial exotic animals with the John G. Shedd Aquarium, San Diego and Brookfield Zoo. Laura is currently staff with Chicagoland Veterinary Behavior Consultants. Her appreciation and admiration for all species inspires her to continue learning and understanding their unique adaptations. 46 Clean Run | January 13

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Clean Run - January 2013

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