Animal Training: The Art of Training and the Science of Behavior Change
In zoological facilities around the world the trend away from force and coercion has moved toward positive reinforcement training. Positive reinforcement training is now in use at almost every contemporary zoological facility. However, in this relatively young field of animal management and training how does a director, curator, veterinarian or supervisor know good training from average training or even bad training? Just because a person uses a whistle or a clicker and speaks in jargon that is difficult to understand does not make that person a good trainer any more than a person with a baseball bat is a good hitter. Both disciplines take education, practice and highly-skilled coaching to operate at the highest level.
Knowing the science of behavior change principals combined with the artful application of these principals is the foundation of extraordinary training. NEI has pioneered the art of training animals in zoological facilities. It began with free-flight birds, but for the last forty years NEI has empowered animal care professionals to provide better welfare, enrichment and training with every species in their facility.
Behavior Management Program Development
Formal behavior management programs are an essential component of animal care at zoological institutions, and we have years of experience assisting in their creation. The success of a behavior management program is highly dependent on staff training and program organization. In addition to staff coaching, we offer development of customized forms and documents, including (but not limited to):
- Staff role identification and expectations
- Training plan approval forms
- Training session documentation forms
- Behavior status and tracking report forms
NEI will work with your staff to develop a behavior management program that addresses the specific needs and objectives of your zoo. Since no two facilities are alike, our consulting services are tailored to your facility’s goals. We offer a wide variety of program packages and individual services, so facilities can custom-design the package that best pursues their objectives.
Educational Program Design and Development
One of the most important ways that we can reach our guests is through fun, exciting and engaging educational programs. Giving guests the opportunity to learn about animals in an intimate, up-close and personal setting sets the stage to create memories that last a lifetime and encourage conservation action.
Educational program design and development services include:
- Program development, implementation, and guidance in application
- Evaluation of current programs and curricula
- Development of training programs for program behaviors
- Evaluation tools to measure program effectiveness
- Audio/visual design concepts and implementation
Creating High-Performance Teams
The significance of staff training cannot be overstated; it is simply the most important component in the growth and development of a successful animal management program. We are committed to helping staff members learn the skills required to lead the zoological industry in animal care and management. We are also committed to creating effective high-performance teams that operate as a single unit pursuing a common goal.
Our staff training programs includes (but not limited to) these workshop lecture series:
- The art of training and science of behavior change
- Problem-solving
- Show and education program design and development
- Communication and team building
- Behavior and Enrichment Program development and support
- Individualized coaching and feedback
Husbandry
Positive Reinforcement training has an enormous impact on how animal caregivers work with and provide for their animals. Through training, animals can learn to accept a wide variety of different food items, cooperatively feed and decrease aggression with others in their group or exhibit, make better use of exhibits and increase their visibility, learn new motor skills, and increase their confidence with novel objects and situations. A training program can eliminate many if not all of the problems keepers often encounter when shifting their animals. In these, and many other ways, training is a timesaver and cost saver.
Medical Care
Teaching animals to participate in medical exams is one of the most dramatic benefits of positive reinforcement training. Animals can be trained with positive reinforcement to participate in such things as full body inspections, weighing, ultrasounds, x-rays, urine collection, injections, and blood draws. Training has been incredibly important in the reduction of physical and mental stress for animals taught to willingly participate in these necessary exams.
Enrichment
Enrichment is far more than tossing a toy or a plastic ball into an animal’s enclosure. Enrichment is creating opportunities for animals to use their senses and adaptations to “earn” a living, something sorely missing in most static zoological environments. Enrichment is providing animals mental as well as physical challenges and opportunities. It is giving animals power to make decisions and experience the consequence of those decisions. Enrichment should be about a program, not a particular experience that an animal might tire of in a few seconds.
Enrichment program services include:
- Development of formal program infrastructure
- Guidance in application
- Assessment of exhibits
- Development of customized forms and documents, including (but not limited to):
- Staff role identification and expectations
- Enrichment item/idea approval form
- Enrichment calendars/documentation
- Interpretive opportunities with enrichment experiences
Natural Encounters Inc., Training and Education Center (NEI TEC) is proud to also offer virtual consultation.
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