{"id":76,"date":"2020-03-14T17:49:32","date_gmt":"2020-03-14T16:49:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zoosnippets.com\/?p=76"},"modified":"2021-03-10T22:24:45","modified_gmt":"2021-03-10T21:24:45","slug":"building-an-animal-training-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zoosnippets.com\/post\/building-an-animal-training-program","title":{"rendered":"Building An Animal Training Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Training an animal is one thing but building an actual training program with a specific system is another. There are many details we have to think about to make a program work within a zoological facility. A program doesn\u2019t start with the animals but with the zoo itself. A well organised management team with modern thinking is a necessity to be successful. If the management team doesn\u2019t believe in the pros of training there will be difficulties from the outset. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This guest article is written by Peter Giljam – Zoospensefull<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If the management team is on board, we have to look into the knowledge and skill set of all the zookeepers within the zoo and their understanding of animal behaviour and training. To make sure everyone is on the same page it is advisable to make training courses to present to the keepers in your zoo. Keepers with a better understanding may find it easy and for some it\u2019s a completely new concept but it is important that all the keepers will have taken and understood your training basics and terminology. This way you can ensure all staff have an understanding of what is expected as a minimum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Each department with in the zoo will have its own goals to reach. But before we move into training goals, we have to first think about the welfare aspect of animal training. The main goal of any training project should have a welfare benefit to the animal. This means that we have to look into which reinforcer to use and if it is suitable for them. At the start the main focus should be which methods will we be using. Our belief is that we should always use operant conditioning, with the emphasis on positive reinforcement, this will have the highest welfare benefit to the animals we work with. This decision on which training strategy you will use is and should be made by the management team. The reason being that we need to work the same way across the entire zoo. If we are all on the same page we have a higher chance of helping, motivating and inspiring each other. Science is the same but the animals are not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you reach this point you are already over half way to a successful program. Having the management on board and having a philosophy in place puts the zoo in a strong position where we become part of the modern zoo. Animal training is not a luxury, it is a necessity to give the animals in our care a higher welfare standard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are 3 important driving factors when selecting our training goals. The first one is regarding proactive medical care and working with the veterinarians, to understand which procedures would best help them and the animals. Another factor is around how to educate the visiting public, usually through a presentation or public demonstration. The last factor and possibly the most important one, we will be training for our own efficiency. <\/p>\n\n\n\nStart building a training plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The main goal of any training project should have a welfare benefit to the animal<\/q><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n