Bob Bailey Workshops
Legacy Canine Behavior and Training is Pleased to Announce:
Bob Bailey Workshops
Course I: DISCRIMINATION - 5 Days ($1300) - FULL
May 29-June 2, 2008
September 15-19, 2008
Course II: CRITERIA AND CUEING - 7 Days ($1600) - FULL
June 5-11, 2008
Sept 22-28, 2008
Course III: CHAINING - 5 Days ($1500) - Space Available
June 14-18, 2008
October 1-5, 2008
Course IV: TEACHING OPERANT CONDITIONING - 5 Days ($1500) - FULL
October 8-12, 2008
Sequim, Washington
LEARN THE PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING AND PRACTICE YOUR MECHANICAL SKILL ON LEGACY'S PATIENT AND FRIENDLY CHICKENS. WHEN YOU GO HOME, YOU CAN TRANSFER YOUR NEW SKILLS TO THE TRAINING OF YOUR OWN ANIMALS.
Bob Bailey is the head instructor for this operant conditioning (OC) course. These courses have the same content as the very popular Bailey and Bailey chicken training workshops in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Bob retired several years ago, but came out of retirement in October 2006 to teach these workshops.
- Click here for our Cancellation Policy
- Click here for a bio of Bob Bailey
- Click here for an article titled "How I Trained a Chicken" by Don Hanson, CPDT, BFRP (PDF file)
BACKGROUND, by Bob Bailey
Long ago, animal trainers learned their craft over many years as apprentice trainers, gathering knowledge and mechanical skills. Today, many trainers learn fundamental techniques while training their own animal subjects. Learning and teaching simultaneously, in our opinion, is not the best recipe for either learning or teaching. Trainers do have an option - use a training model that may be behaviorally simpler yet still sufficiently complex to teach basic training skills.
Animal training, regardless of methodology, is mostly a mechanical skill, involving considerable hand-eye coordination. The practice of applied operant conditioning, including what is popularly called CLICKER TRAINING, can be taught in the classroom using simple animals. Dolphin trainers, primate trainers, dog trainers, horse trainers, parrot trainers, raven trainers, and any other kind of animal trainer, experienced or novice, can improve their skills by the structured training of a simpler animal model - a chicken.
HISTORY, by Bob Bailey
The science and technology of operant conditioning are more than sixty years old. They began with B. F. Skinner in the 1930's. Operant conditioning is well understood. It can be taught to, and applied by, almost anyone. Keller and Marian Breland Bailey first applied the technology commercially in 1943. More recently, in the last decade, Karen Pryor, Gary Wilkes, Terry Ryan, and many others have popularized CLICKER TRAINING, which has become almost, but not quite, synonymous with operant conditioning.
WHY TRAIN CHICKENS? by Bob Bailey
We have found teaching with live chicken models can dramatically shorten the time it takes to teach the scientific fundamentals and the basic mechanical and timing skills needed for efficient training. With chickens, behaviors come and go swiftly, depending on the trainer's skill. Training results are fast because chickens learn and move quickly. We compress the days required to train most animals into minutes or hours of chicken training.
Chickens are simple birds, but they are cautious and not stupid. The chicken's very simplicity makes it an ideal model for teaching students the skills needed to shape behavior. The chicken seems dedicated to eating, avoiding being eaten, and reproducing, with very few diversions. This simplicity offers clarity when changing behavior. In addition, the chicken moves quickly, faster than most animals. It takes a quick and observant trainer to time a clicker correctly to coincide with desired behavior.
RELEVANCE TO SPECIALIZED ANIMAL TRAINING, by Bob Bailey
Many animal trainers express the opinion that training a particular kind of animal can be taught only by training that one animal species. While there may be some truth to this, it may also be true that the process of learning the basic principles of operant conditioning is not the same as applying those principles. In my experience, it is far better and faster to teach operant principles and training procedures using a subject with a more limited intellect and with few genetic behavioral predispositions - my favorite is a domestic chicken. Trainer mistakes produce their effects quickly in a chicken. A dog, a dolphin, or a chimpanzee, because of generally higher intelligence, may eventually learn what is wanted regardless of the skill demonstrated by the trainer. Thus, in spite of a trainer's failure to select the proper behavioral criteria and to reinforce at the proper time, higher animals will eventually "get it," although perhaps slowly and imperfectly. A chicken, under the same circumstances, would simply appear not to learn, or the behavior would be so slow in coming that it would be painfully obvious that there was a problem of trainer technique
PURPOSE OF BOB BAILEY OC CHICKEN WORKSHOPS, by Bob Bailey
These workshops are intensive and thorough introductions to applied operant conditioning, sometimes called applied behavior analysis. These workshops are designed for professional animal trainers or those training hobbyists who are serious about their pastime. The workshops are not designed for the pet owner wishing simply to teach his or her dog good manners. The student-trainer should be prepared to invest the time and effort needed to master simple yet challenging exercises. The workshops are at least 40 hours in length and are physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. Every workshop is packed with information and timed training activities. All workshops assume that the students are there to learn and will accept the demands of tight scheduling, coaching others (criticizing), and being coached (being criticized) by others.
OBSERVERS (Alternate-status students)
The Baileys implemented the alternate-status student policy to reduce the probability and inconvenience of an odd-number of students in the class due to last minute cancellations. In each class one (1) alternate shall be allowed. The alternate shall be permitted to attend all lectures and watch all chicken activities and attend extra-curricular activities. The alternate-status student shall not train a chicken. The alternate shall not be included in the class photo, nor receive a completion certificate. The alternate is selected by invitation only. If a workshop registrant is a no-show, the alternate shall pay the balance due for the standard registration and be upgraded to registrant status. The fee to attend with alternate-status is one-half of the standard registration fee. The alternate agrees to upgrade if there is a no-show.
CHICKEN BEHAVIOR, CHICKEN HANDLING
Each student must physically handle and shape the behavior of two chickens. Most students experience few problems handling the chickens. However, chickens may occasionally peck a handler, especially some unskilled and hesitant handlers. Such pecks are generally not severe, being more of a surprise to the trainer rather than painful. An unskilled handler can incite and reinforce pecking, like most behavior, thus increasing both pecking vigor and frequency. Students should be prepared for the possibility of an occasional peck during the course of handling the chickens. Further, the student should accept that punishing the chicken for pecking is unacceptable and be willing to follow certain procedures to teach the chicken to not peck during handling.
WORKSHOPS OFFERED:
Course I: DISCRIMINATION WORKSHOP - $1300
Forty-hour (5-day) discrimination workshop introduces the fundamentals of training: MECHANICAL SKILLS, TIMING, CRITERIA, and RATE OF REINFORCEMENT.
OBJECTIVES: Teach the student fundamental principles and practices (timing, criteria, rate of reinforcement) of applied behavior analysis, mechanical skills, developing observing skills, training philosophy. This workshop is preparation for the Bailey Intermediate level workshops.
PREREQUISITES: Sufficient physical, mental and emotional capability to stand the rigors of a fast-paced, intensive workshop.
CONTENT: Students first develop mechanical skills by practicing handling the "tool" of chicken training, the feed cup with clicker attached. Then the student learns how to present food, first without the chicken, and then with. In successive steps, the student graduates to teaching the chicken to accurately peck at small paper targets. Correct timing of the clicker and observational skills are emphasized. The student learns how to coach others to train more skillfully. The student then teaches both chickens to discriminate between certain objects. There is then a shaping exercise demanding both decision-making and mechanical skills.
Course II: CRITERIA AND CUEING WORKSHOP - $1600
Fifty-six hour (7-day) Criteria and Cueing workshop makes sure the student understands and practices what we consider the training fundamentals and exercises good observational skills. You may take the introductory class at Legacy in Sequim and then be eligible to attend the next criteria and cueing workshop. That is, you can take both courses consecutively without a break. Those having completed the Discrimination workshop in Hot Springs or Sequim are eligible to register for this Criteria and Cueing workshop.
OBJECTIVES: Teach the student applied behavior analytic procedures; plan and institute simple training tasks, especially those involving shaping; evaluate behavior; allocation of training resources, including time; establishing a cue for already trained behaviors.
PREREQUISITE, NO EXCEPTIONS: Completion of the Discrimination (Course I) Workshop. Participation in Legacy's chicken and dog camps cannot be substituted for completion of Course I in Hot Springs in previous years or in Sequim in October 2006 or January 2007.
CONTENT: Most real-world training requires quick decisions based on constantly changing behavioral criteria. Planning and implementing rapidly changing reinforcement contingencies, commonly called shaping, is the core of this workshop. The use of rapid rate of reinforcement is introduced as one means to extend behavior over time and distance. Students develop rapid decision-making skills by teaching chickens to pull on rubber bands and weighted objects, maneuvering or progressing from point A to point B, and retrieving objects. We call these kinds of complex responses non-discrete, as opposed to a very clear-cut response, such as a simple peck. To reinforce a non-discrete response, the trainer is required to set definitions and criteria and judge in real-time when contingencies are met. A trainer must not only determine whether or not to reinforce, but also deliver the reinforcement on time and in the right place; to click for action and feed for position.
Most useful behaviors are controlled or cued in some way, i.e., a behavior occurs when and only when the handler wants it to. The second major objective of the CRITERIA & CUEING WORKSHOP is to teach effective ways of establishing cues. Behaviors are trained and then placed firmly on a selected cue. When time allows, the cueing and criteria exercises are combined. Sometimes well-established, already cued beahviors are tied to new cues, an exercise in extinction. Sometimes cues are used to initiate events, while other cues are used to maintain strength of behavior-continuing signals or tertiary reinforcers.
Course III: CHAINING - $1500
Forty hour (5-day) workshop.
OBJECTIVES: Plan and implement training programs. Budget trainer resources (reinforcements, time, etc.). Evaluate the strength of already trained individual responses. Train a behavioral chain.
PREREQUISITE, NO EXCEPTIONS: Completion of the DISCRIMINATION and CRITERIA & CUEING workshops.
CONTENT: Students evaluate their chickens' behavior. Based on the evaluation, the student then trains, assembles and demonstrates a moderately difficult chain of behaviors. Emphasis is placed on attaining behaviors quickly, and with the least expenditure of resources, and then sustaining or maintaining these behaviors in a chain.
See below for registration information.
Course IV: TEACHING OPERANT CONDITIONING - $1500
Forty hour (5-day) workshop.
OBJECTIVES: To teach the art and skill of directing the activities of others, and to follow the instructions of others. To teach giving simple, clear, effective instructions to another trainer. To teach how to accept direction from another trainer and carry out those instructions with minimal distortion.
PREREQUISITE, NO EXCEPTIONS: Completion of the DISCRIMINATION, CRITERIA & CUEING and CHAINING workshops.
CONTENT: Students are assigned behaviors to train. Students are not permitted to directly handle or train their own chickens. The teacher-student's partner (the trainer-student) trains the teacher-student's birds under the direction and supervision of the teacher-student. Trainer-students are required to follow explicitly the directions given by the teacher-student. Roles are then reversed, and the teacher-student becomes the trainer-student and vice-versa.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BOB BAILEY'S WORKSHOPS
PATIENT LIKE THE CHIPMUNKS
We suggest that all students view the Bailey and Bailey video PATIENT LIKE THE CHIPMUNKS before attending the workshops. This is not a prerequisite. The video will be shown at the beginning of the Introductory workshop, however you can obtain your own copy from Bob Bailey at http://www.hsnp.com/behavior.
RECORDING THE WORKSHOP
The students may record (audio or video) the workshop for their own use, not for commercial purposes. The recording process must not interfere with the workshop in any way.
MEALS AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR (SOCIAL) ACTIVITIES
Lunches are group get-togethers where we all share training experiences. There will be non-meat options for lunch. Other than providing non-meat options, we cannot accommodate special dietary requirements. There is one scheduled evening meal included in your registration fee with a non-meat option. There is also an optional evening meal (delivered pizza of assorted toppings) get-together, where there is an open floor discussion of animal training. Bring videos (tapes or DVD), and let's hear of some of your accomplishments.
VENUE, DOGS
The workshops are being held at the Legacy Training Center in Sequim, Washington. Bob Bailey does not permit pet dogs in the chicken training area.
Coming from out of town? Click here for information on traveling to and lodging in Sequim!
CEUs
Courses are approved for 32 CPDT CEUs pending. If you would like CEU documentation from other organizations, please let us know in advance.
Registration Information
Please contact the Legacy office, info@legacycanine.com, to register for the Bob Bailey workshops. To register for Course III, please be sure you meet the pre-requisites and you provide us with the date and location that you took Course I and Course II. You will be notified by e-mail whether you have/have not made it into the class. Please note, we are not maintaining a waiting list. Announcements of future chicken training workshops conducted by Terry Ryan will be made on our website and on our mailing lists.
We are indebted to the late Marian Breland-Bailey for all that she taught us.
- Terry Ryan and the Legacy Staff
