For many people, training is little more than giving a cue, bridging correct performance of a behavior, and delivering a treat. For some, this is enough. With low expectations and the comfort that comes with avoiding mistakes, some people take weeks to train a simple behavior an animal can learn in one session. What’s missing here are the little things. Little things can ruin a session and little things can save a session. An inch too close, a bridge a millisecond too late, and a missed body language cue are just a few of the little things that can derail a training session. This presentation examines some of the most important “Little Things” that have big influences on creating productive training sessions.
As Bob Bailey once said, “training is simple, but it’s not easy.” In addition to the fine details of what makes highly skilled trainers successful, it’s also worth taking a closer look at where the behaviors that we train our animals fit into their care and management, and whether or not we’ve set these behaviors up to be reliable in the long-term picture of that animal’s life. What exactly does that behavior look like? What antecedent and consequence conditions are needed for this behavior to be a part of an animal’s life-long repertoire? And when we talk about a behavior, what does it mean when we say that an animal “knows it”? These questions and more will be examined in-depth via interactive case studies as we take a deeper dive into the details of creating successful training projects.
Join us as NEI TEC faculty members and our guests share and discuss their thoughts on the topics presented in the previous sessions. The panelists will answer questions presented to them by the attendees.
127 Conservation Way
Winter Haven, FL 33884
