What I Do 1st, 2nd, and 3rd With New Animals – Kayce Cover

We have an extremely efficient, user-friendly training system. SATS is so fast that most trainers are skeptical we actually train as quickly as we do. Don’t worry — we have receipts. If you’re passionate about animals, and you’re a “student of the game,” you’re likely to want to learn SATS and let it revolutionize your training. You’re also likely to love this process — and, at first, to feel a little overwhelmed by it. If that sounds like you, today is a gift with you in mind. I’m going to share my personal training path for starting a new animal in SATS — what I do 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. 1st: Work Over a Barrier I teach everything I can from outside the barrier first, including: Vocabulary Body parts Directions Positions Numbers Ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd) Names of other people or animals Names of locations Names of features (door, sink, bathtub, etc.) Names of activities Steps 2nd: I Move Into Proximity Once we’re working close together, I teach all the targets — and their hierarchy. There are 3 main types I start with (though there are more down the road). All three are called “Here,” or “Touch”: 2-finger target Pole target Station target And there’s a hierarchy to them: The 2-finger target takes precedent over the other two The pole target comes next The station target is third So when all three are present: finger > pole > station 3rd: Names, and Stretching Duration At first, all three targets simply call the animal to me — “Here.” Now, each one gets a second name of its own: Finger, Pole, and Station. Next, I start expanding target duration — the animal learns to wait, on target, until released. This is the very beginning of “stay,” “wait,” “stop,” and “place,” and it’s what makes cooperation with vets and groomers (and so much more) possible down the line. I build this using Cycles — progressing the wait from 1 instant, to 2, to 4, to 8, to 16, and on from there. Why I Train This Way Why start over a barrier? Less exposure Less distraction More efficient — for the reasons above, and because it’s fewer steps on the way to a trained behavior It protects the animal’s success It creates a habit of success Why vocabulary first? It’s incredibly useful It’s incredibly motivating to the animal It secures buy-in very quickly It’s safe to teach even while an animal is still in quarantine, or while a pup’s eyes are still closed It’s very fast, useful learning Why a hierarchy? It can save an animal’s life — and your frustration. Why two names for the targets? It reinforces that any target attached to me takes precedence over any target that isn’t. Submit a C

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