Can animals recognize shapes? As Ken Ramirez demonstrates frequently, they can! But why teach shape discrimination? Training an animal to discriminate between different shapes is not only mentally stimulating, but the behavior can be a useful tool for many situations—particularly when there are multiple animals in a training space. By assigning each animal a unique shape, or what Ken calls a “name target,” the animal comes to understand which location to train at, reducing competition and creating a more orderly environment.

For many animals, cold winter climates, the pandemic, or recovering from an injury often results in less exercise outdoors, leading to stress, anxiety, and depression (just as it does for humans!) Fortunately, you can still provide plenty of exercise for your animals with games and activities you can do inside your home—no matter the species!