Fecha de publicación: 29/01/2009 Fuente: WIPO "royal booby" An automated animal return system for controlling animals, including dogs and other pets, and for automatically returning such animals to a predetermined containment area. The system uses positive reinforcement training so as to avoid the development of animal confusion and nervousness. The system includes a locator for determining the position of the animal relative to a reinforcement/reward zone, a command system for issuing a command to the animal when the animal is detected within a first boundary zone located beyond the reward zone, to encourage the animal to return to the reward zone, and a positive reinforcement system for providing a reinforcer to the animal when the locator system detects that the animal has returned to the reward zone from the first boundary zone in response to the command. The reinforcer may be an audible reinforcer or an edible reinforcer or both.