Training With Kayce

Loose Lead Walking Three parts Concept: Loose vs Pull Bridge: Feedback, Interrupt (signal of change) Cycles Note we travel in circles, not in a line (as in: Not in a trajectory to get somewhere); Why? Why not? When to change? What is the main, repetitive challenge of this behavior? Have we conquered this? Podcast kcetu.podbean.com (Tue early am for commuter download) Blog https://synalia.com/subje...

Neuroscientists tell us that by the time we are in our 30's, our behavior is over 90% conditioned responses, meaning that we move through 90% of our lives on autopilot, not really aware of what we are doing or how we are doing it. Find out how this makes SATS a unique system of teaching and training. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1sUttfSz7s&feature=youtu.be

Description This week is a bit of a break.  No training, no resources, no outlines.  Just this announcement of what I am trying to accomplish.  Some of you are really working to put the material to work.  Hurrah. I don’t know how long I will continue in this vein.   I’ve been doing this for about eleven weeks now.  I have a series of training videos to illustrate the things we have been discussing...

Practice applying the concept of the Intermediate Bridge, until you are proficient and comfortable so that you can use this powerful tool to turbocharge your training.     Rules, Tools, Fools, Drools Rules:   When teaching: Cue…Immediately start IB, leading to TB (Terminal Bridge)   You can drop it at any time, as the animal gains proficiency and confidence   When you see hesitation: Immediately r...

It's very useful to name body parts.  In general, I name every body part I touch, and I work at touching all of them.  I do this by simply pressing the surface of the body part, speaking the name, and bridging - wait an instant - move to the next body part.  I often cover 5-13 body parts in a few minutes.  I will repeat body parts as I stroke or massage the animals and recontact the body parts - s...

Complex, risky behavior - lots of things can go wrong, there can be pain and blood involved. However, it’s necessary, and your animal’s feet will suffer if you don’t keep up on nail trims. I am working on a series of nail trim videos to share. One of my first nail trims went very well, with very little training. However, at the end of the trim, we see the behavioral cost of not preparing a dog suf...

Kayce Cover introduces the "intermediate bridge" (IB) — a continuous vocal support signal (rapid "good, good, good…" roughly every 1/8 second) that confirms moment‑to‑moment progress toward a cued behaviour, faster and more precise than a clicker. Usable across species and from distance, the IB speeds responses, accelerates learning, encourages innovation and self‑correction, reduces errors and ma...

Kayce Cover distinguishes between teachers (knowledge transfer), and trainers (reliable on‑demand performance) and how leadership(service‑oriented influence), and highlights that effective communication, and motivation boost all roles. Drawing on extensive experience in animal‑training and training of students and volunteers, Kayce stresses ethical, adaptive methods (avoid coercion), and training...

We have an extremely efficient and user friendly training system. It is so fast to train via SATS that most trainers are skeptical that we actually train as fast as we do. Don’t worry, we have receipts. If you are passionate about animals, AND a ‘student of the game’, you are likely to want to learn SATS - to revolutionize your training. You are likely to love this process. You are also likely to...

Ask permission before touching an animal's body. It's simple and respectful and you would want it too. There are 4 easy steps. I also describe what the 'permission position' looks like, and what to do when you don't get permission.

Kayce Cover explores the concepts of the "Keep Going Signal" or, KGS, versus the "Intermediate Bridge," or IB, in animal training. The Intermediate Bridge, introduced in the early 90s, is a reinforcer, conditioned with food. It provides immediate and continuous feedback, as the animal progresses correctly through a behavior. It helps animals feel secure and understand their progress towards a the...

Tonight, (2/21/26) a near miss accident leaves me relieved but embarrassed, and grateful that my injury was not severe. It wakes me up to the fact that life is risky - especially for animal trainers, and we need to carefully plan and prepare. I share a few stories to push the point home. Also, when we are injured, we need help. We often cannot assess the damage and risk, by ourselves.

Kayce Cover, a professional animal trainer, shares insights on managing animal stress and emotions, highlighting the shift from entertainment-focused training to prioritizing animal welfare. She warns about the dangers of stress-related issues, such as capture myopathy, and emphasizes the importance of calm interactions. Cover teaches self-relaxation techniques for animals and acknowledges the com...

If you want a great career as a trainer, you might benefit to remember to grant power and choice to your animal collaborators.  In particular, here are 5 things to keep in mind, to keep you successful... and safe!   Recognize the sovereignty of the animal, and ask permission before touching or acting on his body.   Allow the animal all the control it is safe to give.  Self direction is a huge moti...

Renew anew anew - Lew is working on developing SATS materials, and Joseph and I are collaborating on the podcast again, and we are excited to bring you new kinds of content.  I’ll still cover basic training and dog and horse training, but we will add more content specific to the care and management of exotic animals.  There will also be more technical information.  Spoiler alert, dog training IS r...

Have a new puppy? Kayce's back with her new series Puppy Prep! Today, she discusses the essentials of raising a puppy with timelines in SATS. How to start with a young pup and turn them into a confident and cooperative adult dog. 

Every new pup has to go through their first vet visit. It can be a stressful experience but with SATS we can lower that stress to zero! It can take as little as two minutes to prepare your pup for an injection. Find out how on today's podcast with Kayce Cover.

Join Kayce as she introduces Lew, a new professional who is dedicated to mastering SATS and helping Kayce to get the word out. Today, they welcome listeners back after a long time away and then discuss the value of SATS in a world that often underestimates the intelligence of animals. 

APE BT: 5 things to keep in mind when approaching animals for the first time - all animals 1) Approach 2) Perceptional appropriateness 3) Energy 4) Body language 5) Touch Hmmm... a bit rambling, tonight. That happens to me sometimes around 3 am, but I am wanting to start this conversation and I'll be honing this as we tease it out a bit. Please join the conversation and add to the comments. I am i...

No matter how you train, at some point you need to move an animal from the protected training area to the real world, whether that is on exhibit, in the show ring, or on the street. At that point, you need to consider your safety back up equipment (and skills!), and make sure that all are protected. This is crucial when you work with dangerous dogs (or other animals).   Copyright 2024 Kayce Cover,...

2024 7 18  Scott Thomas, Marcia Davey, Kayce Cover  discussing training issues, history and technique   This will happen again next month, 2nd Thursday of the month:   Thursday, August 15, 2024 EDT US   Be there or be square. https://training-with-kayce.newzenler.com/live-webinar/what-is-the-state-of-our-art-let-s-start-the-discussion/register

Perception Modification is an amazing process, which empowers trainers to solve many of the most difficult training issues with a single protocol, in a matter of hours - or sometimes even minutes! But Perception Modification is the tip iof the iceberg. Here's a checklist: Are you - 1) effectively using dopamine to reinforce the behavior goal? 2) reliably getting buy in leading to self-management?...

Let's explore the use, and need, for punishment in animal training, highlighting its role, and definition, in operant conditioning. Let's talk about the rules of engagement, and the imperative of being judicious, correct, and fair, in applying this tool. And how are trainers supposed to learn these things if 'punisher' is a four letter word?

Talking about Perception Modification - the need, development, and nature of this work. And let's talk about changing the life of animals who are afraid of fireworks.  Change  your animals understanding, change his life and empower him to cope and thrive.  Tonight's boring fireworks video:    https://youtu.be/itpM67N47Bo Special price to help you get-it-done: https://training-with-kayce.newzenler....

Let's talk Perception Modification and the breakthroughs it brings - such as the story of world-class criminal, Mishka, who found her passion in SAR work and was certified in two months, turbocharged by SATS! Join us for a three-day live class where you can bring animals for hands-on training sessions. This is a live teaching and coaching event.  Recording stops at 22:04. Link to Monday event: htt...