ABC'S: ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

CONCERNS & SOLUTIONS

A Question & Answer Forum For Animal Professionals

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Welcome to the ABC's! Animal Behavior Concerns & Solutions is an animal behavior column written by animal behaviorist and animal trainer, Diana L. Guerrero. This section is dedicated to animal training techniques for all animals and pets, and topics related to operant conditioning and reinforcement. This page is dedicated to animal training techniques for American Black Bears (Ursus americanus). This bear behavior evaluation is for an American zoo. For pet training please visit the pet sections, see our pet behavior booklets in the shop, or click here for enrollment information for classes and teleseminars.

Clicker Training Program: American Black Bears
(Ursus americanus)

QUESTION
American Zoo. We would like to instigate a clicker training program with some animals slated to be relocated into a new enclosure. Should we start now or wait until they are moved? Can you give us any hints on starting this type of program?

BACKGROUND
The species involved are two American Black Bears (Ursus americanus). They have been at the institution for over four years and although they arrived as young cubs, they were never tamed. The current enclosure is a cage that requires that they be moved into a back area so that keepers can clean it. Historically the animals have had to be lured into the back but they can also be very uncooperative.

The new exhibit will provide separate den boxes for each animal and the keepers would like to begin a training program that would enable them to move the animals in when required. They would also like be able to provide enrichment within the exhibit several times a day. Additionally, they would also like to be able to shift the animals so that they can be housed in their night quarters each evening.

ANSWER
A clicker is a conditioned reinforcer. So, your question is really asking for information related to starting a conditioning program using a clicker or some other event marker to assist you in this type of training.

So, your tools can be a clicker, whistle, tone, or a verbal marker since all of these can be used as event markers. It is just a matter of preference. People can sometimes get confused with terms but all these items are known as conditioned reinforcers. For our purposes here the tool of choice can also be referred to as a secondary reinforcer or as a bridging stimulus (aka bridge).

When you begin to condition an animal, you will first teach the animal what a bridge means. It is a secondary reinforcer that signals that they were successful or on the right track in their performance. So to train this, if you are offering yummy tidbits, you pair the bridge with the presentation of the tidbit. After a number of repetitions, the animal will associate that bridge with the food. Food in this case is a primary reinforcer. When the association is made, the bridge becomes a secondary reinforcer. (Which is also why it is called a conditioned reinforcer!) Essentially the bridge is an IOU that food is coming and also is a signal that the animal responded correctly.

Many trainers simply use a verbal term (like "good") when training. Timing, voice inflection and developing consistency between trainers are some of the reasons why many institutions have moved away from the verbal marker. Although I have used clickers, I prefer to use a stimulus or signal that allows me to have my hands free.

For this reason, whistles are popular with many facilities. They can be hung on your neck and allow you to have your hands free. The Acme dog whistles are not as obnoxious as some of the sports or police whistles and can be adjusted to give out different tones or even the same one if that desired; the adjustments are simple to do. Having your hands free allows you to use targets, deliver the primary reinforcer, and other such tasks. It also can help you have with effective timing of the bridge. Marine animal trainers started using whistles since sound travels well both above and under water.

After you have trained the bridge and the animal understands that concept your next steps would be to begin the shaping behavior and later putting the behavior under stimulus control. I am not going to get into that here but a good consultant or the books by Pryor and Rameriz can help you understand a variety of concepts and applications regarding this type of training.

Ideally you will start your program as soon as possible! You might not be able to get as far as you would like before you make the move but beginning the training will assist you in the transition. You may experience a temporary backslide in behavior and performance after the change. If you do, don't worry too much --just back up into the previous levels where you can get success and then move back up again. This type of thing can happen when you add a bunch of new variables or when the animal enters into a more stressful situation.

Last fall I talked a bit about setting up a training program in a zoo. The same procedures will apply in this situation. Remember that implementing a good training program can be as simple or as complex as you or your facility wants to make it.

To develop an in-house program will require good planning and communication. Everything will need to function within the confines of established routines. Be sure that you have solid record keeping and consistency within it. It would be a good idea to develop a check list of behaviors with standard objective rating of criteria. Handwritten records are important but sometimes they can be too subjective. (A balance between the two would be ideal.)

Staff members that are assisting with the training should be able to adhere to consistency in training applications and receive a solid education about training concepts and principles. Additionally, the practical experience in applying those concepts and principles are invaluable.

The adaptability or sensitivity of the animals in your group and the new exhibit design are additional influences to consider and to troubleshoot. If your animals are sometimes uncooperative (as you have commented) you should make observations during your current interactions so that you can pinpoint why and develop a winning strategy so that you can set yourselves up for success.

Proper planning prevents poor progress. (or performance….…try saying that fast a few times!) To be successful you will need to pencil out how you are going to begin your program. Define your goals and develop the foundation upon which the rest of your efforts will stand.

Define some of the following:

•Who will be involved?
• Will there be a chain of authority and what will it be?
•What resources will be needed?
• How will you outline and set training goals?
•How long will it take to train a behavior and what steps will be needed to get it?
•How will you maintain consistency?
•How can you obtain and maintain clear communication between trainers?
•How will you monitor the progress and performance of the animals?
•Will this training program work in your current system or routine?
•What records will you need to keep?
•How can you design your training records to be efficient and accurate between subjective opinions?
•How will you gain additional skills?

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Most people will take about 30 days of consistent application in training to begin to drop old habits and acquire the skills needed for training. Remember to teach the animals the basics and then slowly teach simple behaviors so that they understand the process. Once they get it you can move forward pretty quickly. Good luck!

RESOURCES OF INTEREST

Chance, P. 1998. Learning and behavior. Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Kazdin, A.E. 1994. Behavior modification in applied settings. Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Mazur, James. 1997. Learning and behavior. Prentice Hall.

Pryor, K. 1999. Don't shoot the dog! Bantam Books.

Rameriz, Ken. 2000. Animal Training: Successful animal management through positive reinforcement. Shedd Aquarium Press. (1-888-Sea Stuff)

Are you a reader with a question? Be sure to submit it--and good luck in all your training endeavors!

About the columnist: Since 1978 Diana L. Guerrero has worked professionally with both wild and domestic animals. Guerrero has been affiliated with, and certified by, a variety of animal programs in the USA and Europe. Based in California, she writes, consults, and speaks. Information on her animal career programs, training courses, and her books {What Animals Can Teach Us about Spirituality (SkyLight Paths, 2003), Blessing of the Animals (Sterling, 2007), Help! My Pet is Driving Me Crazy (Guerrero Ink, 2007), Animal Disaster Preparedness for Pet Owners & Pet Professionals (Guerrero Ink, 2007)} can be found in this web site and in the shop. Questions for Guerrero should be submitted via the blog comments or membership forum.