Natural Humanship vs. Conditioned Response

Having so many animals in training sets you up for an interesting phenomenon. You might try new things out, but you give them up and keep searching for a better way when they take too long. Hey, admit it, if you try something and it works really well, what are the chances that you will do it that way from now on??? That's humans ability to learn from positive reinforcement. Now what if you try something and everything goes wacky and suddenly you feel your life imperiled? You gonna try that again??? That's punishment.

Do my animals ever use negative reinforcement on me?... only a few of the smarter ones have mastered it. Zekey the ancient donkey has it down to a science. Comes over seemingly wanting to be scratched when I am cleaning the stalls. He positions himself between me and the wheelbarrow no matter where I turn. Then I go open the gate and let him out in the yard to graze. He just is enough of a pest that I am still feeling affectionate for the old guy but not so much that I just chase him off with the rake. He gets what he wanted from me.

Cisco understands humans even better. He understands that humans have certain innate predispositions that can be manipulated to satisfy equine whim. Humans like to stand close by and scratch. This is inherited behavior that most all simian (ape-like) animal will do. Cisco knows that if he wraps his neck around a human all warm and fuzzy like, it will completely disarm the human's aggressive tendencies and they will stand and scratch for longer times. Cisco is a HumanWhisperer.