Marine Biology

Now that you have ample time to devote to improving your relationship with your spouse, there are ample ways of going about it. One woman discovered a technique in the most unconventional of places: SeaWorld.

Amy Sutherland, author of What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love and Marriage spent long hours observing the relationships between killer whales, dolphins and their trainers and picked up a few tricks to use at home on her husband, Scott.
"It just dawned on me that if it worked on every kind of animal under the sun, well, we're animals too," Sutherland said.
The technique is quite simple. If your spouse exhibits a certain behavior like leaving dirty dishes in the sink or breaking wind under the covers, simply ignore it. However, if he or she does something you approve of like doing the laundry or picking up a six-pack of your favorite beer, throw them a big stinky fish. Just kidding, but give them a reward like a kiss or a compliment.

Sutherland's technique also has benefits for the trainees. She says that in order to it to work, the trainers must eliminate nagging, or addressing a certain point over and over again. It doesn't work with the sea mammals and it won't work with the homebound ones either. It might sound like a radical technique, but now that you're living in your empty nest, you have an opportunity and the time to try all sorts of new things with your partner.

Now that your kids are gone, are you willing to try new techniques to improve your relationship with your spouse? [Fox]