One of the most important things to have in a successful animal act is absolute attention and concentration from the animals. It is important that they all sit, and wait until they are called so that they respond instantly, and do not have to be forced or woke up in order to start and complete the next behavior/trick. This photo should illustrate the attention, respect and eagerness all students will show to a great teacher.
Friday, June 20, 2008
For Adam, Casey, and all young animal trainers
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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5 comments:
Nor does it matter they be cats, bears or horses without the attention and concentration there would be no great acts. They are great because of the precision and attentiveness to detail by the trainer. Their work is their pride and they accept no less than that what they strive for, there is no room in their volcabulary for "that's good enough, no one knows". The trainer knows and if he does not, than he needs to go back to square one and look to see how the greats accomplished their decipline and than attempt to better them... never accept"it's OK"
Madame Col.,
What you are looking at here is an act that is from the "country of the best of the best." Authors of the book, as it were. If we leave them alone so as not to offend the public, we reduce ours selfs to a joke or a caricature of the former self. Because of the lack of standards, and/or qualifications many truly do not know how to correct/fix with out hammering. This is the end result of not know what to do, so just leave them alone.
Wade
Wade - I have mentioned in the past that animal "savvy" has skipped my kid's generation in our family. Here is a classic example of what I mean. My wife instantly noted the slouching, inattentive cats and the risks associated with having some cats already in a "ready to spring" posture. My son was working out how much power the lights would draw!!!!!!
Steve,
The animals, with all due respect, if not standing are laying down. As the seats are too small to accommodate the whole body and they have dropped their feet down to the ground. If they were any were near ready to pounce they would have their weight shifted to the hind quarters/hips. If their services are required they will leisurely walk to the required behavior. The ones standing will look around and wonder which Rajah he is calling before they saunter to the assigned position. I am assuming one main animal does the bulk of the act and that is the one laying to the right closest to the front, her seat being out of position in front of the pyramid. That's the easiest place to bring a cat from, by a right handed person in a "props in the middle" act. The second easiest place is on the left side first seat closest to the exit door.
I don't know who this chap is, so I assume it is not an American act, yet oddly the seats are set in an American style of act. Possibly trained by an American for a European which cause great confusion for most, and vise versa. It is the reason why some acts with 5 behaviors will last a half hour, and some acts with 15 behaviors will be over in 10 minutes. Are they ready to go, and are the going when they are called.
You are lucky "savvy" skipped a generation in your family Steve, and now I know who to blame because my son has a "supposed double dose." I love him dearly and hope I am as "animal savvy" as him some day.
Speaking of "savvy", an individual who has owned many animals for many years, and shall remain nameless, told me one time when I pointed out that 4 animals were laying down with their front feet hanging in an act that it was genetic. When I responded with, "WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" He "enlightened" me by responding that "their mother did it for years, and their 3 sisters do it in another act." When I asked, "why don't their 2 brothers do it in my act", he blinked took a breath and replied, "it skipped a generation." That's a true story you can put in your "animal savvy" book Steve. I started one years ago, containing about 4000 pages titled, The Expert Numbnuts Book of Pick an Excuse. There is one suitable for every occasion. Tested and Proven.
Regards to your family mate.
Wade
Wade - I will always defer to your knowledge of tigers as I have trained so few of them. But for lions those seats are plenty big enough for them to be sitting up properly and paying attention. With lions, the cats with the front feet on the ground are ready to "go" [at you] if they so choose and have a split second advantage because of their position. The body positions of these cats does not indicate that they are about to do so but, even if they are not about to "go', they could be "anticipating' the trainer's wishes which can also be awkward at times.
All in all, those cats are more relaxed than I would be working them!
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