Reaching the Animal Mind

Karen Pryor is a behavioral biologist who, in the 1960s, helped run a marine park in Hawaii and trained dolphins to perform without any force. She discovered that a whistle, used to mark the precise instant a dolphin did the right thing, made learning faster and more joyful. Decades later, after her earlier book Don't Shoot the Dog, she turned these ideas into a training system for pets, using a small clicker instead of a whistle.

Here she tells the story of that journey and explains the method in plain language. The click acts like a camera snapshot, telling the animal exactly which action earned the reward. Because nothing is forced or punished, animals become eager, creative partners in the learning process. Pryor gives examples with dogs, horses and cats, and also tells stories of fish, birds and zoo animals. She reflects on emotions in animals, on why punishment backfires and on how the same principles can help with people. A companion website offers video clips and exercises.

Friendly, practical and eye-opening, whether you share your home with a puppy, a cat or a horse. About 288 pages in paperback.