Dragons, Unicorns, Chimeras, and Clickers: How To Train Your Fantastic Beasts

By Laura VanArendonk Baugh CPDT-KA KPACTP

How are animals trained in a zoo for the most endangered species of all?

Join Marian and Ana as they travel through a zoo full of magical, mythical creatures, where good training allows for better care of the animals as well as safety for the trainers and public education. Learn about positive reinforcement with some of the most fantastic beasts ever seen—and then try the same techniques with your pets at home!

Laura VanArendonk Baugh is known internationally for her animal training and behavior work and is the author of the bestselling training books Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out and Social, Civil, and Savvy. In this book for young readers and novice trainers, she combines her training skill with her fantastic fiction for a fun, easy-to-grasp introduction to clicker training.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Æclipse Press
• Release date: Dec 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781631650161

Book preview

Chapter 1

Marian parked her car and hurried inside to her office. She expected a visitor today.

Her office was more of a workshop, really. She had a computer tucked safely in the corner, but the rest of the horizontal surfaces were covered with all sorts of things: a stick with a big rubber toy on the end, a hula hoop, a three-ring binder full of notepaper all covered with notes, a bunch of clickers and whistles in bright colors. On the wall was an enormous whiteboard, full of neat charts and scribbled reminders.

Marian picked up a refillable marker and went directly to the whiteboard. The first column in the big chart said UNICORNS at the top. The left-hand side showed a series of lessons, the first of which said TARGETING. Marian nodded. I should check in with the unicorns first.

There was a knock at her door. Excuse me? called a woman with glasses and a big smile. My name is Ana. I called about doing a story on the zoo and how you train the animals?

Oh, yes, come in! Marian waved her inside and tried to clear a space for her on one of the chairs. You’re doing a feature article, aren’t you?

That’s right. Most people don’t know about the training that’s done, and this is such an unusual zoo that everyone will want to read about what you’re doing here. You must have really unusual tricks to train!

Marian smiled. Actually, most of our training isn’t for tricks, it’s to help us take better care of the animals and make sure they’re healthy and happy here.

Ana uncapped a pen and began to make notes in a red notebook with a penguin on the cover. I thought training was all about tricks! Tigers jumping through hoops and seals balancing balls on their noses.

Those are sea lions, Marian said. Sea lions have long, flexible necks, while seals have short flippers so they can’t sit upright. But no, all of our training is useful to the animals. Are you ready to learn about what we’re doing here?

I am! Let’s go!

Marian picked up her favorite tools—a big treat bag with an opening that snapped shut, a phone camera, and a red clicker—as well as a small notebook where she kept track of what all the animals were learning, and set out into the zoo with Ana beside her.

Chapter 2

The zoo where Marian worked wasn’t like most zoos. Most zoos had similar sorts of exhibits, showing lions and penguins and bears and walruses, with signs to help people learn about the animals and how to help protect them in their natural habitats.

When Marian and Ana stopped at the first exhibit, it wasn’t for bears or penguins.

Marian led Ana around the big enclosure full of trees and grass and opened a hidden door. All the zoo exhibits, like exhibits at other zoos, had a back area that wasn’t available to see, where the animals could go when they didn’t want to be so near the public and where the keepers and trainers could work with the animals if they needed to treat them for an illness or practice their training. Marian was here for training.

Hello, Orlando! she called. I’ve brought someone with me!

Orlando waved. Hello, Marian! I’m just preparing their treats now.

Marian and Ana came to the table where Orlando was sorting flowers into different piles. He put all the violets together, and the daffodils together, and the dandelions in another pile. The dandelions are their favorite, he said, so we can use them for special reinforcement.

Marian nodded approvingly. I’m sure it’s a help to know which are the best treats. This is Ana. She’s writing an article about how we care for the animals here at the zoo, and in particular the training.

Ana held out her hand to shake. It’s nice to meet you, Orlando. Thank you for letting me come to see what you do. I’m really looking forward to learning today.

Orlando grinned. So are my animal students.

Marian looked at his chart on the wall. Who are you training first today?

I thought I would bring in Harper. She’s been very excited about her training sessions.

Harper was a tall dappled-grey unicorn, with streaks of teal in her spiraling horn and hints of darker peacock blue and green in her mane. She came trotting into the training pen as soon as Orlando opened the gate. She glanced at Ana and then ignored her, because Ana was standing back a little distance from the fence with her notebook, ready to record what she saw. Harper looked from Orlando to Marian and back, anxious to begin training.

Show me how her targeting is, please, said Marian.

Orlando put a sticky note on the fence’s top rail, and Harper looked it for a moment. Then she pawed the ground with a sharp, glistening hoof and snorted. After a moment, she turned and trotted around the training pen, tossing her head so that her mane floated in the air. It was beautiful, but Marian knew she was frustrated.

Orlando looked apologetic. I’ve been trying to get her to put her horn on the sticky note, he said, pulling the paper off the fence. "We had to stop using the first target I tried, a tennis ball