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Re: Oh The One That We Do Not Name Resource Suggestions

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:36:39 -0000

Thanks for the mention! I appreciate it and am glad you found us.

Re: http://www.readburner.com/index.php?id=340788

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:05:38 -0000

Yikes! True, every time I don't carry my camera I wish I had.

Re: Transferring WordPress to a New Web Host: A Test in Patience!

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:47:41 -0000

Network Solutions and Go Daddy are not services I recommend. Most of my Word Press buddies use Host Gator and Dreamhost.

Over time, I've learned the hard way as well. One transfer lost me all my pictures! Somehow the backed up database did not have them.

Anyway, today I am super happy with my host. I was amused by your post but am glad to hear that someone else had challenges transferring.

When I had load problems my host actually moved me to another server--no problems since.

I also love their customer support which is better than many and I also hear from them quickly.

Re: Three Changes I Wish Facebook Would Make

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:44:29 -0000

I find a few things difficult too. For instance, on my fan page I could not comment back on photos because she was not a friend (or am I missing something here).

Getting to my pages is a pain too. Wondering why those cannot feed into where I can do one stop management and responses.

Re: Flea Control for Dogs and Cats all Year Round

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:25:59 -0000

Nicely done article. I'd just like to add that you can use non-toxic options such as diatomaceous earth to the interior and parasitic nematodes in the yard to make sure you eradicate fleas completely.

Usually a good rule of thumb is to retreat about every three weeks until and infestation is under control. It may take 8 weeks or longer depending on the situation but once under control--easy to maintain.

Also, if a pet is suffering from any of the flea complications mentioned, get the animal to a veterinarian right away--flea bite anemia which can be fatal to young or older animals so don't delay.

Re: Ginger Plays Doggie Hide and Seek (video)

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:11:25 -0000

Cute, I use what I call the "hide n' seek" game to teach come and use relays to establish the behavior between two people.

It is super fun for the animal and the humans. A couple of successful repetitions means that it is time to play...all super rewarding.

Re: Horses Having Fun

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 12:18:16 -0000

I am glad you talk about the social behavior aspect of the nipping. When working with any animal it is important to understand the social repertoires and natural history of the species to avoid any misunderstandings.

Nice snaps!

Re: What Do Animals Need?

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 12:10:58 -0000

In natural conditions (referring to exotic/wild animals) the only luxury they get is the ability to exhibit normal behavior.

People tend to believe they know what an animal would like or need but it really has more to do with the visitor than reality in a lot of cases--and for the facility managing the collection--whether exotic or domestic.

Although there have been good inroads into captive management of wild and endangered species. An exhibit that works for humans does not always work for the animal.

This would be a very long comment or post to get into indepth--plus the domestic management of many animals is horrible but people are more into the daily cost of eggs, meat, or milk versus the unseen care of the food source animals.

Case in point, a neighbor commented on my paying $3.50 per dozen for eggs from my neighbor when, in reality, a dozen of eggs from a humanely farmed situation in my area costs $4.50 or more from the grocery store.

I'd rather support the happy hens and help him with feed and know I am also getting a good product that supports their lives and is healthier for me.

She, on the other hand, will buy commercially produced eggs at $.99 a dozen. I've been by the commercial farms--they stink and are packed full of chickens.

Anyway, human suppositions are usually wrong about animals due to ignorance or anthropomorphisms.

If change is to happen than it needs to focus on helping domestic animals in a commercial environment and has to reach those people who also think there is nothing wrong with popular methods of training such as the infamous dog training show on Nat Geo.

Until those attitudes are changed--it is gonna be tough and although Temple Gradin has implemented a lot of change, people tend to take a list like the one you list and think it is realistic when if you really go back to basics and the real world--you have to question in what universe?

Also, when it comes to horses, it again goes back to the human model of what can make the most money in the space available, ease of management, and has little to do with what is good for the horse.

Again, I think the horse community is just now beginning to explore options that the dog training world discovered in the mid-1990s.

For the rest of us, we just shake are heads and are glad that at least people are interested enough now.

Re: Dog Whisperer Commentary: Chihuahuas From Hell 2

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:15:12 -0000

LOL I agree, ridiculous claim about "even a baby can be a pack leader"

Ugh.

If you read the dog's body language you can see the ears are back, the mom is close, and Millan is present and controlling the behavior off camera. The chihuahua huddled at the back of the bed away from Millan and the baby is not a relaxed posture.

Re: Halter Training Success with Daisy and Gatsby

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:50:39 -0000

Great job! You know it is hard to know how fast some animals will progress but also very rewarding when they figure out that their behavior responses are why they are being rewarded.

Love the last caption, made me giggle!

Re: Your First Comment On This Blog

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 15:19:08 -0000

LOL but I LIKE lurking!

Re: 2010 Art and Science of Animal Training Conference

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:51:27 -0000

Wow what a great line up! Can't wait for more posts once you are feeling better!

Re: Kay Laurence: Assessing Your Animal Training Skills

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:48:54 -0000

One of the difficulties in managing animals when you have different trainers is the lack of consistency between criteria and skill levels.

When working with ethograms I also got into nuances for the training log/daily log but found most people did not pay close enough attention.

The lack of forward progress with some behaviors was directly due to the lack of clear measurable criteria.

I call it the trainer roadmap--how are you going to get where you are going if you have not defined the road to the destination AND clearly define the road signs along the way?

Re: Clicker Training Shoulder Targeting

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:56:35 -0000

The failure to discriminate issue comes up with animals who see the trainer as the SD. Show up and the animal will offer a string of behaviors it knows.

When working with elephants I found this to be the case with one of them who was highly responsive.

Consider setting up a cue for the dog to remain still and focus on you. Reinforce, "just being a dog" and 'standing still paying attention" then when you do introduce new behaviors, the animal will know how to focus and not see you as the SD.

Using a specific training target that does not resemble toys is also a good idea...LOL but at least she associates training with fun!

Re: Ken Ramirez: Animal Trainers Need People Skills Too!

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:34:12 -0000

There are so many animal trainers that are not good with people. I was one of them! Fortunately, early in my career, one of my mentors took me aside and said, "you are magic with animals but you suck with people--need to work on that to be successful."

Now, many, many years later (something like 30 years or so) I've had people comment on it. Now, personally I think it is an ongoing process but if you are going to be a professional than the human relating piece is a must.

Re: Steve Martin: Training Birds with Trust Accounts

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:49:59 -0000

At one time I was thinking of going to work for Steve Martin's group and toured the facility.

There are many great trainers out there and the nice thing is to see how things have changed over the years (I've been in the training field for over 30 years).

One of my first parrot training experiences was just to stand with my arm in the cage for ages attempting to get the Mealy Amazon to trust me.

All the other trainers were using food deprivation and forcing their animals to comply and it was hard to be the odd duck.

Then, one day the parrot just stepped onto my arm and the rest was a breeze.

He trusted me and that is something you cannot force. Also it is critical in training applications, especially if you are going into new environments or are in a precarious position.

When I founded my company the tag line used the phrase, "trust, respect, and understanding" and today it remains the foundation of my practices.

Training is a two way street and safer for all if you build a good foundation--whether you call it a bank account or not.

Re: 5 Ways to Reduce Social Media Distractions and Be More Productive

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 14:31:31 -0000

I dedicate two periods of time for social media interactions--early am over coffee and in the evening right before I shut down the computer.

If I have time or take a break, I will chime in now and again.

Most recently, I've started using tools to manage all my social media--cuts down a lot of time and makes monitoring things a lot easier.

Finally, I am selective of who I follow. It isn't that I am not interested but I'd rather focus on quality than quantity and be able to interact more.

Re: Lit Agent, Andrea Hurst Wants Writers with High Internet Presence - mediabistro.com: GalleyCat

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 13:17:53 -0000

I think those publishing industry employees/members who are on the active side of social media can understand and help move the entire industry forward.

Unfortunately, my personal experience is that many lag or are reluctant to move forward.

Re: Embracing the digital book — Craig Mod

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 09:08:16 -0000

I'm glad I stopped for a read. Last year I created an ebook but was really disappointed that all the color and layout would not work in the as-it-stands ebook model.

Instead I was excited about the possibilities--embedded or popout videos, color, photos and less restriction from the traditional book.

IMO many current problems stem from the more traditional publishing thought process. My last editor made me send things through the mail--not electronically.

I've watched how the publishing industry has changed--normally it is slow to do so. However as new technology mores forward I think it is going to be exciting to see what happens.

But, as someone who works on a screen most of the day, I prefer hard copies of books.

And just what is that process when I print out something and see it differently?

Re: The greener office

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:13:48 -0000

I did some marketing work for a local office that was going paperless. At first it was a nightmare because people printed everything but ultimately when you teach people to scan into a PDF or use some of the time management tools--it is awesome.

I like in a small community that is so ecologically retarded that it is scary. It isn't every sophisticated and few people recycle.

In today's state of the environment anything you can do to help is awesome and so good on' ya!

Re: On Leash Aggression: There’s Always a Warning

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:20:13 -0000

I teach people to watch for the critical distance--the distance at which the dog tenses or begins to show the very early signs of aggression and then to back off and being work there.

The biggest challenge many people have is the failure to identify not only the triggers but also the distance at which is at the lowest level or the non-reactive distance.

Re: Reading Your RSS Feeds Is Not a Job

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:37:49 -0000

I use the list function for my RSS reader and scan the headlines for items that might be of interest or useful.

Periodically I clear many from the list--especially if I have been skipping them regularly. I tend to check my feed readers (I have different ones for different topics) a few times a week according to a schedule and then when I have a moment or two of free time.

It keeps me current, gives me ideas, and helps me keep up on trends or to spot ones.

Re: Is it Just Me or Am I Being Called the Cesar Milan of Dog Nutrition?

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:31:03 -0000

Great summary. I was involved with a progressive clinic (as a behavior/training associate) in the mid-1990s and we had a raw diet pet food nutritionist (plus holistic vet, etc) and were considered heretics.

Today there are a lot of options and it boils down to not only health but what you will do to maintain your pet's health.

I've fed raw, cooked and commercial diets. Today there are a lot of commercial options (including raw) so it is not as much of an issue to feed what might be best for your pet like it was 10-15 years ago.

When you get into the history of pet food it is very revealing and yes, it is a big, big market.

It used to be that recommendations were trusted but that is hard any more with sponsorships and endorsements that are tied to financial rewards.

Glad to see someone tackle this topic...and good luck with the Cesar Milan label--you know he has his named licensed to pet food now too!

Re: An Elephant Never Forgets (Ever?)

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:52:22 -0000

I find it amusing that everything has to be quantified before people will believe it and don't think there is an easy answer here for a number of reasons.

For instance, animals I've worked with from the past have remembered my 10, 15, 20 years and longer.

While some want to equate that to specific triggers, depending on the situation, I have no doubts that they do.

When it comes to task acquisition and long term retention, it does vary because the animals have different cognitive skills and health and physical influences do come into play as you point out.

But also, what seems clear to the trainer is not always what is interpreted or experienced by the animal.

Also, as you noted, just because the animal grasps a concept in one location does not mean that it will transfer easily to another location or context.

I know you've been through different parts of my site but there is a column where I talk about moving forward before a behavior is stabilized and similar challenges also occur when you take an animal from a low distraction (familiar) area into one of higher distraction.

In the last group of elephants I worked there were so many inconsistencies in handling and clarity that sometimes it was necessary to break the behavior back down into small steps and very distinct SDs.

The animals knew the behaviors but it was the failure on the part of the trainers to differentiate or clearly identify what was required or asked.

Finally, I've trained elephants a couple of times in my lifetime and have to say that it was very gratifying to be greeted with great enthusiasm after an absence of several years. <g>

Re: Does this bird know his colors?

Ark Lady (Diana L Guerrero) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 21:01:25 -0000

I am not certain that the raven actually learned to distinguish the 'color' because the trainer always presented the pin with the same hand/arm and mostly presented it in the same positioning.

When doing a trial, I would look to establish the correct choice by using different objects of the same color and not necessarily the same shape.

Also, when training an animal you have to be careful about inadvertently cueing the animal with body movement, presentation, and more diligent about making sure variables are introduced.

Thanks for the link Mary and I am always happy when you drop by. I've been a bit remiss about venturing out even though I do have you in my reader!