The eye of the trainer*

In The Eye of the Trainer, Ken Ramirez brings to life the power of positive reinforcement training to build trust and transform lives.

Ken is one of the most creative, cogent, and effective animal trainers in the world. His positive reinforcement training principles and practices are studied, replicated, and applied in settings as diverse as conservation efforts with elephants on the African plains, canine search and rescue in Texas, oil-disaster recovery for sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico, butterfly training in England, and animal shelters in Chicago.

In this inspiring, heartwarming, and hopeful series of essays chronicling his 40+ years of global exploration and observation, Ken shares not only the intriguing personalities of the animals that shaped his life, but how their unique challenges influenced his training choices, philosophy, and worldview.

A must-read for anyone who lives with, studies, or works with animals, Ken’s training wisdom, principled guidance, and practical advice call us to see the world through his eyes. Ken’s world is one where great training transforms the shy animal into the confident one, the aggressive into the calm, and the mistrustful into the trustful—and even the unsupportive boss into an ally.

See the world better. See it differently. See it through The Eye of the Trainer.

"As close to sitting around the campfire with Ken Ramirez as most of us are likely to get, this exceptional book offers readers the opportunity to hitch a ride on the heart and mind of one of the most compassionate and influential trainers of our time. With touching candor and wicked training skills, Ken deftly navigates what is most important about being a teacher: an endless capacity to put the learner first." 

- Susan G. Friedman, Ph. D., Professor Emeritus Utah State University