Science and practice of animal learning and training

Description

Learning takes place constantly; it is not exclusive to training sessions whether we like it or not.

Even within sessions, animals are learning about many things beyond what we intend to teach them. When we train, how it feels, and how it is done are the most important things influencing their experience, relationships and activities with us.

It’s one thing to apply methods, theory and reinforcement, it's another to interact with full awareness of this delicate process where you are influencing the wellbeing and brain of another being.

What you will learn

• Apply the latest science for ethical and effective animal training
• Establish, develop or improve world-leading animal training programs
• Evaluate and review training programs in your facility, for all species
• Train with compassion and care for tasks like animal transport, veterinary procedures, routine care and more
• Support individual agency, choice and control throughout training sessions
• Improve the experience of animals both inside and outside of specified training sessions
• Consider training sessions from a formal and informal perspective, stepping outside what is measurable to explore what is meaningful for both animal and human learners

Impact of this training:

Influencing the brain of another being is complicated - so your skillset needs to be nuanced. You need to know how to think and respond in the moment, rather than just following a list of mechanical steps. This training puts care and compassion at heart, helping you create positive interactions, safe relationships and beneficial learning inside and outside of ‘training sessions’.