Have you been hearing the word “constructional” a lot lately? There is a reason for that! The animal training community is evolving, and it is extremely exciting. It has a lot to do with a different way of looking at behavior change that is known as "the constructional approach". My special guests this episode are Sean Will and Maasa Nishimuta from the Constructional Approach to Animal Welfare and Training, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free services to individuals and...

My special guests this episode are Dr Jesus Rosales-Ruiz and Mary Hunter. As hosts of the Art and Science of Animal Training Conference, they bring together behavior scientists and animal trainers to inspire both communities and elevate the conversation. The theme of the most recent conference was negative reinforcement. In this podcast we revisit this topic and so much more. Our discussion of negative reinforcement meant more exploration of Constructional Aggression Treatment (C.A.T). Jesus...

Constructional Aggression Treatment, also known as CAT, first debuted in the animal training community in 2007 when Kellie Snider made the procedure the focus of her thesis. Since then it has been fine tuned, practiced, applied and successfully replicated countless of times with a wide variety of species. Kellie and I discuss what inspired her studies and why it is such an important procedure for improving animal welfare. We also get into the mechanics of practical application and some points...

Do you have a feeling something you are doing or would like to do could improve animal welfare? Have you thought about collecting data, evaluating your results, and publishing it so others can benefit? My guests in this episode are Dr Eddie Fernandez and Rickey Kinley. They share how zoos can participate in scientific studies to improve animal welfare. They give great tips on how to establish crucial relationships, what is required to conduct a study, how studies can be accomplished with one...

Working with marine mammals is often identified as the dream job for many pursuing a career in animal training. Although I personally went a different direction to learn about training, I have had a number of good friends gain their training chops working with marine mammals. My guests in this episode are colleagues from my early days in the zoological field who became seasoned pros working with a variety of marine mammal species as well as many other animals. Andy Ferris and Maggie Gonio...

Whether you work with great apes or not you have to listen to this episode! Here is why. This episode is all about making a difference. It is also a great reminder that everyone has the power to make changes that can have a tremendous impact on animal welfare. As you listen to this episode, I encourage you to think about the similarities to training a new behavior. It all starts with what you can do now and how you can build upon that beginning. My special guests Emily Ellison of Cameron Park...

I am often reminded of all the incredible things animals and training brings to the world. My guest this episode is the perfect example. You are going to love this fascinating interview with zoologist and engineer Dr David Lentink. David has merged his passion for nature and technology to study flight. He runs the Bio-Inspired Research and Design (BIRD) Lab at Stanford University. We discussed training various species of birds, training in wind tunnels, examining exquisite details of how...

Many animal caregivers seek veterinary advice when their animal is showing undesired behavior. In some cases underlying health issues can be contributing to behavior problems that need to be addressed. However there may be other factors to consider that require the services of a veterinarian who specializes in behavior. Veterinary behaviorists are board certified and specially trained to advance behavioral health in many different ways. My special guest this episode is Dr. Valli...

Are you absolutely convinced your dog loves it when you talk to him? My special guest is behavior analyst Dr Erica Feuerbacher. She explores questions like this and more. Her research has looked at whether dogs prefer petting over praise and what consequences function best as reinforcers. In this fun interview we discuss the many things that have been learned from studying dog behavior. We also discuss the questions that remain to be answered. We touch on belief systems that can cloud our...

No matter what your role is when it comes to animal care, at some point you will likely encounter a situation that will cause you to examine the space in which the animal lives. It may be a behavior problem. It may be the opportunity to redesign an enclosure. It may be changes to your animal collection. It may be that your space is not addressing your needs or goals. Or you may have the opportunity to design something completely new! What would you want to know to be successful? I had the...

Elephants have captured the hearts of mankind for centuries, including the heart of Gerry Creighton, Operations Manager for Dublin Zoo and Elephant Care Consultant. As a consultant, Gerry has traveled the world bringing innovation, backed by science to create elephant programs that thrive. Gerry looks to the ethology of the species for inspiration and creating opportunities for elephants to learn from elephants. However implementing this requires a different approach to day-to-day care, herd...

Discover how veterinary professionals, trainers and animal caregivers are working together to make fear free medicine a reality for avian patients. Every detail from what you can do at home, to how the patient is welcomed into the clinic, as well as what happens in the exam room is taken into consideration. While training in advance is certainly recommended, you will discover training is just one part of the strategy. Exotic animal veterinarian Dr Alicia McLauglin and parrot behavior...