Facility Design
A properly designed animal facility will:

A facility that works well for the animal and for the caretaker will have a large positive impact on the training program. Training in a facility where the animal feels comfortable will take much less time, and the behavior will be much easier to maintain. For example, a large American crocodile will shift from one area to another  more easily in water than on land. Also, a keeper that feels safe in a well-designed facility will not inadvertently reinforce charging or aggressive behavior by flinching in response to the animal’s rapid approach. A keeper working with an ape through a large gauge mesh barrier understandably  will be wary and react when the animal moves suddenly. This type of interaction can actually encourage the animal to be grabby and aggressive.
Many facilities are not initially designed to facilitate safe interaction between the animal and the keeper. Facility modifications may be necessary and  can range from complex to simple, expensive to inexpensive.

Here are a few examples:

Above: Tiger training off  exhibit using a "meat stick" to more safely deliver a food reward during a training session. 

In her book, Thinking in pictures, Temple Grandin (1995) describes how even well designed facilities can be "mis-used" if the animal caretaker is not sensitive to an animal’s behavior and needs (see Chapter 8 - A cow’s eye view). A good animal facility only  will work well if the animal care staff understands the animal’s behavior, is responsive to the animal’s needs, and consistently upholds the established training philosophy. Keepers/trainers that think that working with animals is a contest or test of wills, or that there are "winners" and "losers" during the training process, will not maximize the potential for a good training program or provide the best care possible for those animals.

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