Art and Science of Animal Training Conference Notes

The Art and Science of Animal Training Conference is held each year near Dallas/Fort Worth Texas. It was originally organized by the ORCA students at UNT and they are still actively involved in the event. If you want more information about the conference, you can visit the conference website.

2020

ASAT Conference 2020: Alexandra Kurland – Shaping on a point of contact

ASAT Conference 2020: Barbara Heidenreich: Exotic animal training: The constructional approach to addressing extreme fear and aggressive behavior

ASAT Conference 2020: Dr. Jesus Rosales-Ruiz – C.A.T. Rules

ASAT Conference 2020: Dr. Joe Layng – Coercion without aversive stimuli

ASAT 2020: Dr. Paul Neuman and Dr. Philip Hineline – What the textbooks don’t tell you about negative reinforcement.

2019

ASAT Conference 2019: Ken Ramirez – Common Trainer Errors: How to avoid them and why we make them

ASAT Conference 2019: Barbara Heidenreich – Training to Improve Welfare of Orangutans in Borneo

ASAT Conference 2019: Alexandra Kurland – Listen

ASAT Conference 2019: Hannah Branigan – Close the Loop: Training reinforcement as behavior

ASAT Conference 2019: Emily Larlham – Sculpting the Cue

ASAT Conference 2019: Dr. Jesus Rosales-Ruiz: Cues in Context

ASAT Conference 2019: Steve White: LOOK OUT! It’s a runaway chain: The how and why of problem chains.

ASAT Conference 2019: Dr. Joe Layng: Sequences of behavior: They are not always chains.

ASAT Conference 2019: Dr. Alliston Reid – From Behavior Chains to Behavioral Skills: Animals learn more than previously expected.

2018

ASAT Conference 2018: Ken Ramirez on “Problem Solving

ASAT Conference 2018: Dr. Julie S. Vargas on “B.F. Skinner’s Discovery of the Operant and of Shaping.”

ASAT Conference 2018: Barbara Heidenreich on “Exotic Solutions to Exotic Animal Problems.”

ASAT Conference 2018: Emily Larlham on ” Using multiple markers to prevent mixed messages.”

ASAT Conference 2018: Steve White on “Keep Going Signals.”

ASAT Conference 2018: Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz on “How Movement Cycles Can Improve Your Shaping.”

ASAT Conference 2018: Ken Ramirez on “No Reward Markers (NRMs): Science and Practice”

2017

ASAT Conference 2017: Jesus Rosales-Ruiz – Premack and Freedom and Ken Ramirez – Teaching an Animal to say “no” (March 2017)

ASAT Conference 2017: Dr. Jesus Rosales-Ruiz: “Conditioned Reinforcers are worth Maintaining“ (March 2017)

ASAT Conference 2017: Dr. Paul Andronis: “Adjunctive Behavior, So What Else is Going On?” (March 2017)

ASAT Conference 2017: Barbara Heidenreich: “Maintaining Behavior the Natural Way“ (March 2017)

ASAT Conference 2017: More on Premack (March 2017)

ASAT Conference 2017: Dr. Peter Killeen on “Skinner’s Rats, Pavlov’s Dogs, Premack’s Principles.” (March 2017)

2016

ClickerExpo 2016: Kay Laurence, “Hocus Focus: Helping your dog determine what’s important (April 2016)

ClickerExpo 2016: Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, “The Quadrant Quandry: Clarity and Perspective on an Icon (April 2016)

ASAT Conference 2016: Steve Aibel on “Learning to Bond” (March 2016)

ASAT Conference 2016: Ken Ramirez on the “Conservation Connection – Training to Save Wildlife (March 2016)

ASAT Conference 2016: Mary Hunter on “Good and Not-So-Good Paths to Learning” (March 2016)

ASAT Conference 2016: Kay Laurence on “Communicating Through Silence” (March 2016)

ASAT Conference 2016: Ken Ramirez on “Bubble Rings and Beluga Whales” (March 2016)

ASAT Conference 2016: Dr. Iver Iversen on “Selection and Creation Processes Involved in Shaping a Novel Behavior: Method and Theory” (March 2016)

ASAT Conference 2016: Alexandra Kurland on “Feel- Art or Science?” (March 2016)

ASAT Conference 2016: Kay Laurence on “Micro-shaping” (March 2016)

ASAT 2016: Dr Joe Layng on Emotions (March 2016)

2015 and prior

These notes are not as detailed, but there were some great presentations so it’s worth taking a look if you are interested in one of the speakers.

The Art and Science of Animal Training Conference 2012. In March 2012, I attended this one day conference and this articles has my notes and comments on the material presented.

The Art and Science of Animal Training Conference 2013.  This year’s conference was on February 2 and the speakers included Dr. Susan Schneider, Bob Bailey, Phung Luu, Steve White, Alexandra Kurland, Kay Laurence and Ken Ramirez.

The Art and Science of Animal Training Conference 2014.  This year’s conference was on March 22, 2014. The speakers were Dr. Jaak Panksepp, Bob Bailey, Phung Luu, Steve White, Alexandra Kurland, Kay Laurence and Ken Ramirez.

The Art and Science of Animal Training Conference 2015.  This year’s conference was on March 14, 2015. The speakers were Dr. Stanley Weiss, Bob Bailey, Phung Luu, Steve Aibel and Al Kordowski, Steve White, Alexandra Kurland and Ken Ramirez.