A wild animal can't be physically manipulated like a pet can. If a lion won't sit, it's a bad idea to try to push its back legs underneath it to give it the idea. These limitations force trainers to use their imagination, and the resulting methods can be useful to pet trainers as well.

One technique is to take a natural action and put a command to it. Laurie Thompson, biologist of primates and pandas at the National Zoo, says that this method is used to train the pandas in many behaviors, such as opening their mouths so that their teeth can be examined and extending their front legs for blood draws.

Rather than trying to force or elicit a particular movement, keepers simply ''capture'' the natural behavior by rewarding the panda when it opens its mouth on its own, and associate a word to the action.

If you're a dog owner, try this method to train your pup to urinate on command -- a useful skill when you're late for work or it's pouring rain. Simply choose a command, preferably a phrase you won't accidentally use in the living room, and repeat it every time the dog goes.

Don't use a food treat -- it may distract, and the comfort of an empty bladder is its own reward. It may take a couple of weeks of repetition but eventually when you say your command, the dog will start looking for a place to go.

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