01-16-2020, 01:46 PM
There's more than one question here.
Train or teach? Training is a catch all for directed instruction. Teaching is helping someone find things they already want.
Rewards? Is an orgasm a reward or a goal? The use of food definitely shows a lack of interest.
Instinct vs learned stimulation? Is it conditioning if you teach them signals other than in species pheromones to indicate a desire for sex or is it just good communication?
I think the most useful indication of the animal's feelings is how they use/extend what we teach them. When they add to a behavior that we taught, you have the very definition of active participation/consent. My stallion is a perfect example of this. I taught him early in our relationship that he could point to an itch and I would scratch it for him. The first time we had sex he needed a mare in heat on the other side of the gate to make it to completion. The third time he dropped out a semi-erection and pointed to it. The extension of pointing was all his idea.
