When ever "fans or historians" are asked "did they do anything besides drive animals to seats or do pyramids, one lioness, that's right one, is referenced as an example of great training feats. Two or 3 dozen animals and if you can get one to roll over and sit up, and later in it's life, when it goes menopausal and grows a main to walk a rope that is supposedly an example of training. This is the "standard" we have been up against in the industry for decades. The response has been to do "gentle" training and feed them large chunks of meat to do the same lame behaviors. Again I suggest it wasn't the process of training that is inhumane, it is the practitioners and the standard that the industry has set.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
This is referenced to young trainers as "the standard"
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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9 comments:
Wade,
in your opinion, what should a new trainer in the field strive for?
Amy,
To do exciting action things, that have never been done before, not that we understand physically what an animal can do. Excite them with the animals physical ability's, don't bore them with "poses". The majority of animal acts are fast paced, and we question why they are tired of cage acts.
Wade
Wade,
If you took away the big cats and replaced them with house cats, you would have alot of uninterested people. The problem is, domestic cats can be just as stubborn as bigger cats. The trainers rely on the animal's size and the fact that it is wild, to entertain the audience. The only problem, is where do the trainers go with these unpredictable animals? An angry elephant can be just as deadly as an angry Tiger, the only difference is how we are conditioned as a society.
Amy,
If a proper animal is chosen (physically/mentally) instead of what is the cheapest or free, and are handled proper from the very beginning(the foundation or start of a performing animals life is the most important) and then handled proper after they are trained(almost as important as the foundation), the chances of them going bad are remote. The more aggressive an animal, the easier it is to train. Timid animals or spoiled animals are very, very difficult.
Wade
Wade,
I guess my cats wont be doing any shows anytime soon. Spoiled rotten they are.
Thanks again for the insight.
Amy,
I read your blog. Nice review of RBBB, very fair and balanced. Except the bullhook comentary, but that is just from reading to much from the radicals on the other side (the ones on the circus side are just as bad or worse) I am sure they worked the elephants with bullhooks there, you just couldn't see the hook. There is nothing wrong with a bullhook, if it is used properly. The circus never tried explaining that a bullhook should work the same as spurs on a horse, instead they just covered the hook part with leather fringe,,,lol.
I also noted you are from Seattle, I was raised in Puyallyup, and went to Jr High in Tacoma. Most of my family works either at F.S.A. or Seattle Tribune.
Anyway, just wanted to compliment the review of RBBB.
I think exactly the same about the frisbee dogs.
Casey,
FSA? My uncle works as a salesman there. His name is Gordy Taylor. Was telling Wade about the Puyallup Fair last week. Am planning on going this weekend in the rain. Lovely Seattle weather. Told Wade Ringling really should look into these elephant ears since they would probably sell better than the cotton candy and snow cones, plus they're a little bit more filling.
Dogs can do so many different things, why show something you can flip the channel on for? I always liked those acts where you had the acrobatist guy and the dog would walk around him like barrell.
- Amy
Yeah I got an Uncle John Hill who is the GM at the Olympia warehouse for FSA and two cousins working as forklift drivers. I sadly spent a little time "lumping" trucks for them,,,lol,, before my circus career took off,,,lol. Have a great time, it is the best fair in the USA.
Wade,
This is an elephant ear
http://lftrt.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/elephant_ear.jpg
My mom makes me buy her one every year, bring it home, and by the time it gets to herit is cold, but shestill eats it. Thats how scrumdiddliumptious this wad of fried dough, cinnomin, and sugar is. Plus, how can ringling go wrong with the name "Elephant Ear"
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