Developing and Maintaining a Program
Today, animal training programs are goal-oriented in their design and integrated into how animals are managed on a day to day basis. A well-executed training program should involve a solid framework, staff training, and most importantly, effective leadership.
Isolated training events do not constitute an institution wide-program. Simply identifying a staff position (e.g, Enrichment and Training Coordinator) does not constitute a program. Whether your institution has had a training program or is just developing one, it is important to review all facets of the program on a regular basis.
The importance of developing a philosophy
The base of an institution’s training program should start with the development of the philosophy. A clear vision of a philosophy provides stability, continuity, and long-term guidance to your animal training programs. A well-defined philosophy can help an institution remained focused on their goals. The development of the philosophy should involve input from all partners involved in the program (e.g., animal care staff, veterinarian, nutritionist, and scientists). Your philosophy should be the foundation on which your program is based. Here is our Behavioral Husbandry Philosophy.
Creating roles and expectations
The creation of individual roles and expectations for your animal training program is crucial to the overall productive function and success. When roles and expectations are clearly defined, staff can understand, respect, and value the unique contributions of each role and utilize those partnerships to achieve greater results. All roles in your institution should recognize that the overall success of the animal training program is a function of everyone’s responsibility. Teams function most efficiently when members share a common understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities. A lack of clarity among staff regarding roles and expectations is one reason a training program can fail. A team is most successful when they are working together to accomplish their mission, goals, and objectives while upholding their philosophy. There is better communication and greater productivity with less confusion, disappointment, and frustration. We have included our staff’s commitments and specific roles each partner plays in our training program under the tab “Our Program.”
Developing a framework
When designing a training program it is important to follow a process that provides a road map to the destination. A process or framework can be used to develop and maintain a training program at a zoo or aquarium. The goal of a framework is to provide zoos and aquariums with various concepts to consider in developing a training program. There is no simple standardized approach to training; each facility needs to design a process that works best for them. The S.P.I.D.E.R. framework, developed at Disney, is outlined in the “Our Program” tab. We outline how we use the framework to best fit our facility’s needs.
Setting Goals
Setting behavioral goals for your animal collection will be based on the needs of your institution. Husbandry and medical needs should be the priority in the development of behavioral goals. These goals should be made in partnership with animal care staff, veterinarian, nutritionist and scientist. Here is an example of our Goal Setting Questions.
Maintenance of a program
Once a training program has been developed, in order to maintain its success, all aspects of the program should be reviewed on a regular basis. This includes review of documents such as philosophy, roles, and goals. Review of processes and procedures with staff is necessary to ensure they are being utilized, utilized properly, are efficient, and meeting the needs of teams. Courses taught to staff should be updated on a regular basis, making sure they are current with scientific practices and current topics in animal training industry. Conducting surveys with staff is one way to learn the needs and areas for improvement within the program.