Q: Tell us about the first animal you trained.
A: The first animal that I trained was a Siamese beta fish. It was a beautiful blue and I was twelve. He learned to swim through the loop of my thumb and index finger wherever and whenever this “loop” appeared in the aquarium.
Q: Was there a particular dog/animal in your life that was your most important teacher?
The first dog that was 100% trained with a marker and reinforcement was an English cocker spaniel, Penny. She learned new things so quickly and easily, and she understood concepts. I remember telling Penny when she was about six or eight months old how impressed I was that she was so smart, “even smarter than Kate.”
