Many modern trainers base their methods on the work of behaviorist B. F. Skinner and his scientific successors. As a result, methods using positive reinforcement and bridging signals are gaining popularity. Opponents claim that Skinnerian methods that worked well in the sterility of the lab are doomed to fail in our messy "real world", and they bring some anecdotal and statistical evidence to bolster their case. This presentation will surprise you as it examines this evidence and uncovers two common . . . and possibly disturbing . . .. threads running through both conventional training and modern operant methods. In the end, we will address the one question every trainer must ask himself/herself before training any animal.