from think dog! to think lemur!...rom think dog! to think lemur! clare hamilton talks about her...

rom Think Dog! to Think Lemur! Clare Hamilton talks about her experiences and inspiration.. I have always been fascinated by how animals learn and I enjoy working directly with them on a one‐on‐one basis. During my years studying for a BA (Hons) in, ‘Animal Behavioural Management’ I was lucky enough to gain work experience assisting Sarah Whitehead at the Clever Dog Company dog training classes. Whilst gaining as much hands on experience as I could, I used my newly acquired skills for my first dissertation, comparing the learning abilities and cultural status of Kune Kune piglets versus puppies. I was hooked on clicker training and the positive results that came with it. I taught the pigs to walk with a harness, sit and stand on command and even to jump hurdles! Subsequently they became easier to handle and health check and their achievements gained much media attention. As soon as I became a member of the APDT, I began co‐running a branch of classes for the Clever Dog Company. This included puppy, beginners, agility and advanced classes; I also began visiting clients’ pets on a one‐to‐one basis. I was still hungry to learn more about training and behaviour and I undertook numerous courses with Alpha Education, read as many books as I could get my hands on and attended as many workshops and Masterclasses as my bank account would allow. During my spare time I was volunteering at a wildlife park, as I had previous experience with zoo animals from my student days, working with the college’s animal collection and supervising higher education students in animal handling and management. I was lucky enough to be offered a job at the wildlife park and was responsible for a range of small mammals, ungulates, birds and primates. Once again I put my training experience to good use and was able to train a variety of animals to ease handling and movement, as well as providing environmental enrichment. Examples include: Training our hand‐reared Axis Deer ‘Maggie’ not to jump up and ‘mug’ visitors. Target training our Berkshire Sow pig to walk to heel with me, so I could take her for morning walks around the park before it opened to the public. This helped to maintain her body weight, which significantly helped her arthritis. Training the Squirrel Monkeys to play catch. This kept them busy whilst I scattered their food and prevented them from stealing my pen from my pocket (their party trick), which they loved to hide and subsequently dismantle. Target training our Ring‐Tailed Lemurs so I could move them while minimising stress levels. Still eager to learn more, I completed a two year course in my spare time in ‘Advanced Zoo Animal Management’. I’m now also an experienced and qualified zoo keeper and have been lucky enough to work with big cats and train sea lions as well as a tutor for Alpha Education in dog behaviour and training. I don’t think that I shall ever stop wanting to learn and experience more and hope that my work with Alpha Education helps to inspire and encourage others to explore this fascinating subject. F Enrol on a course? Would like to chat? www.thinkdog.org or call 01753 856 780 Copyright, Sarah Whitehead, 2011. Alpha Education, PO Box 372, Windsor, SL4 4WH.

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Page 1: From Think Dog! to Think Lemur!...rom Think Dog! to Think Lemur! Clare Hamilton talks about her experiences and inspiration.. I have always been fascinated by how animals learn and

rom Think Dog! to Think Lemur! ClareHamiltontalksaboutherexperiencesandinspiration..IhavealwaysbeenfascinatedbyhowanimalslearnandIenjoyworkingdirectlywiththemonaone‐on‐onebasis.

DuringmyyearsstudyingforaBA(Hons)in,‘AnimalBehaviouralManagement’IwasluckyenoughtogainworkexperienceassistingSarahWhiteheadattheCleverDogCompanydogtrainingclasses.WhilstgainingasmuchhandsonexperienceasIcould,Iusedmynewlyacquiredskillsformyfirstdissertation,comparingthelearningabilitiesandculturalstatusofKuneKunepigletsversuspuppies.Iwashookedonclickertrainingandthepositiveresultsthatcamewithit.Itaughtthepigstowalkwithaharness,sitandstandoncommandandeventojumphurdles!Subsequentlytheybecameeasiertohandleandhealthcheckandtheirachievementsgainedmuchmediaattention.AssoonasIbecameamemberoftheAPDT,Ibeganco‐runningabranchofclassesfortheCleverDogCompany.Thisincludedpuppy,beginners,agilityandadvancedclasses;Ialsobeganvisitingclients’petsonaone‐to‐onebasis.IwasstillhungrytolearnmoreabouttrainingandbehaviourandIundertooknumerouscourseswithAlphaEducation,readasmanybooksasIcouldgetmyhandsonandattendedasmanyworkshopsandMasterclassesasmybankaccountwouldallow.DuringmysparetimeIwasvolunteeringatawildlifepark,asIhadpreviousexperiencewithzooanimalsfrommystudentdays,workingwiththecollege’sanimalcollectionandsupervisinghighereducationstudentsinanimalhandlingandmanagement.Iwasluckyenoughtobeofferedajobatthewildlifeparkandwasresponsibleforarangeofsmallmammals,ungulates,birdsandprimates.OnceagainIputmytrainingexperiencetogooduseandwasabletotrainavarietyofanimalstoeasehandlingandmovement,aswellasprovidingenvironmentalenrichment.Examplesinclude:

Trainingourhand‐rearedAxisDeer‘Maggie’nottojumpupand‘mug’visitors. TargettrainingourBerkshireSowpigtowalktoheelwithme,soIcouldtakeherformorning

walksaroundtheparkbeforeitopenedtothepublic.Thishelpedtomaintainherbodyweight,whichsignificantlyhelpedherarthritis.

TrainingtheSquirrelMonkeystoplaycatch.ThiskeptthembusywhilstIscatteredtheirfoodandpreventedthemfromstealingmypenfrommypocket(theirpartytrick),whichtheylovedtohideandsubsequentlydismantle.

TargettrainingourRing‐TailedLemurssoIcouldmovethemwhileminimisingstresslevels.

Stilleagertolearnmore,Icompletedatwoyearcourseinmysparetimein‘AdvancedZooAnimalManagement’.I’mnowalsoanexperiencedandqualifiedzookeeperandhavebeenluckyenoughtoworkwithbigcatsandtrainsealionsaswellasatutorforAlphaEducationindogbehaviourandtraining.

Idon’tthinkthatIshalleverstopwantingtolearnandexperiencemoreandhopethatmyworkwithAlphaEducationhelpstoinspireandencourageotherstoexplorethisfascinatingsubject.

Enrol on a course? Would like to chat? www.thinkdog.org or call 01753 856 780 Copyright, Sarah Whitehead, 2011. Alpha Education, PO Box 372, Windsor, SL4 4WH.

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