<p>There was a wonderful piece today in the NY Times. A woman who wrote a book about a school for trainers of exotic animals applied some of the techniques she learned to her husband. </p>
<p>“I listened, rapt, as professional trainers explained how they taught dolphins to flip and elephants to paint. Eventually it hit me that the same techniques might work on that stubborn but lovable species, the American husband.”</p>
<p>The article is very entertaining, and I like the techniques she recommends. I even gave it to my husband and asked him to use the techniques on me (I prefer them to the ones he uses now in his constant efforts to “improve” me!)</p>
<p>I’ve been training the dog using positive training (the method described in the article) for 2 years now with great results. I started training the kids using positive training about 1 1/2 years ago and the results have been good. (It’s hard to tell how much is just that I yell at them less.) The kids also like the part where sometimes I give them gas money just because they’ve been helpful or nice. (My husband was already perfect. Sort of.)</p>
<p>The author of the article leaves out the most important aspect of positive training, though–the intermittent rewards. Las Vegas is an incredible example of intermittent training rewards… sometimes you get no reward, sometimes you get a little reward, sometimes you get a jackpot. A weekly paycheck just doesn’t have the same impact as the jackpot.</p>