Ever wonder how a puppet show (The Ugly Guppy) aqua-star is born (er, hatched)? Read on...

Well, not exactly. We will train the fish in the tank where they live plus a smaller training tank.

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All training for The Ugly Guppy employs the reward-based positive reinforcement methods of Operant Conditioning.

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How cute is THIS face? 

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Mango Smoothie is making progress with her Hoop trick.

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 I think Check In is a better term than Stay for the pre-trick behavior I've taught, since I really only expect the fish to wait briefly in one spot in the tank. I won't work too hard on duration or on getting the behavior in other places, as one would do with a dog.

Many of the behaviors I'm teaching my fish are explained in Dean and Kyle Pomerlau's R2 Fish School Training Kit. This brilliant fish training package includes clear instructions, well-constructed props, and a delightfully effective feeding wand. The kit utilizes sound operant conditioning practices to train fish in concise steps easily understood by novice trainers. The kit also provides a great foundation upon which more advanced trainers like me can expand to create complex training scenarios.

I highly recommend this product as well as the Pomerlaus' Fish School web site. Check it out!

Now that Mango Smoothie understands the basic structure of training, I have begun teaching her to swim through a hoop.

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In spite of the vagaries of today's housing market, both Ricky and Mango have upgraded to spacious new homes.

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