This episode Ari Bailey, Natural Encounters, Inc., discusses a topic that she will be presenting on at the IAATE Symposium titled “Get Out of the Way and Let Behavior Happen.”  The episode is a great conversation that focuses on recognizing when to fade out and when to implement specific tools such as baiting, prompts, target, etc.  Ari also gives advice on how to approach others with ideas on changing or trying something new in the training process.  The discussion finishes with Ari discussing how getting out of the way of the animal’s behavior can create more consistent and resilient behaviors and learners.   Stay tuned in for Ari’s very unique "Training Tale" about the origin story of a terminology for different sizes of peanuts.  For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠[email protected]⁠ and to contact Ari email [email protected] ⁠

For more information and to register for the ABMA virtual courses visit this link: ⁠https://www.theabma.org/behavior-management-courses⁠

To complete the podcast feedback survey visit this link: ⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/Rspt0Bk/abcpodcast2025⁠

Let's talk some training and banter about behavior! 

• 4:30 Introduction to Ari Bailey 

• 12:55 “Get Out of the Way and Let the Behavior Happen” 

• 21:10 How to recognize that it’s time to move on from an approximation 

• 30:30 Using baiting, targets, prompts in the shaping process 

• 42:00 Advice on how to approach teammates with moving to the next approximation 

• 46:10 How to approach teammates about “testing” something new 

• 53:00 How does this correlate to consistent and resilient behaviors? 

• 1:02:05 “Training Tales” 

This episode Dr. Susan Friedman, Behavior Works, provides some great learning and insights into a multitude of current topics surrounding the science of behavior change.  Dr. Friedman starts with discussing the Hierarchy of Behavior Change Procedures; what it is, how we can view it to provide optimal welfare to animals, and also the importance of antecedent arrangement and the environment to behavior change.  She also breaks down what it means and looks like in practice when we strive for most positive, least intrusive, effective intervention.  Dr. Friedman then gives a summary on the free operant approach to enrichment.  She finishes the discussion by diving into the concept of control by honoring the no and shaping the yes.   Stay tuned in for Dr. Friedman’s very unique "Training Tale" about plant learning.  For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠[email protected]⁠ and to contact Dr. Friedman email ⁠ [email protected] 

For more information and to register for the ABMA virtual courses visit this link: https://www.theabma.org/behavior-management-courses

To complete the podcast feedback survey visit this link: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/Rspt0Bk/abcpodcast2025

Let's talk some training and banter about behavior! 

• 5:10 Introduction to Dr. Susan Friedman and Behavior Works

• 19:25 Hierarchy of Behavior Change Procedures

• 27:00 Most Positive, Least Intrusive, Effective Intervention 

• 36:20 The importance of antecedent arrangement and the environment on behavior 

• 48:05 Free Operant approach to enrichment 

• 1:07:00 Honor the No, Shape the Yes

This episode, through daily live recordings, features a recap of the 2025 ABMA Annual Conference (April 27 - May 2 2025) hosted by Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas, United States. Each day of the conference, one of the presenters for the day discusses their presentation and other learning that impacted them. 

Day 1: Marie Filipek, Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park

Day 2: Heidi Moomaw, Charles River Labs

Day 3: Benjamin Fainsod, Jerusalem Zoo

Day 4: Matthew Nguyen & Li Shan Tan, Resorts World Sentosa

If you are an ABMA member be sure to log in to Animalprofessional.com to watch most of the presentations and panels from the 2025 conference. For questions or suggestions about the podcast email [email protected]. Let's talk some training and banter about behavior!

Here is the link to the podcast survey.  We really appreciate your feedback! https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/Rspt0Bk/abcpodcast2025 

Let's talk some training and banter about behavior!

• 5:10 Discussion of Conference Day 1 with Marie Filipek, Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park.  

• 12:15 Discussion of Conference Day 2 with Heidi Moomaw, Charles River Labs

• 35:10 Discussion of Conference Day 3 with Benjamin Fainsod, Jerusalem Zoo

• 53:15 Discussion of Conference Day 4 with Matthew Nguyen & Li Shan Tan, Resorts World Sentosa

This episode was a live panel recording at the 2025 ABMA annual conference in Galveston Texas hosted by Moody Gardens.  The expert panel consisted of Tim Sullivan - Brookfield Zoo, Elly Neumann - Jerusalem Zoo, Nicki Boyd- San Diego Zoo, Anaka Nazareth - National Aquarium, and Chris Jenkins - Natural Encounters Inc.  The panel’s theme was “The Importance of Behavior in Modern Animal Care” with questions submitted in real time from the conference attendees. The panel discussed a wide range of topics ranging from the growth of the role behavior plays in welfare to the evolution and next steps in enrichment, to advice on getting buy-in for change. In the absence of a “Training Tale” for this episode, each of the panelists utilize their years of experience to provide their “Animal Behavior Advice”. For questions or suggestions about the podcast or to get in contact with the panelists email ⁠[email protected]⁠. Let's talk some training and banter about behavior!

This episode Steve Martin, President and CEO of Natural Encounters, Inc., discusses training on a continuum by moving away from coercion and towards genuine choice. Steve starts the episode by giving a review of the concepts of choice and… control with some practical examples.  The discussion then turns to breaking down behavioral degrees of freedom, genuine choice, and coercion with many more great practical examples. The episode ends with Steve outlining that real-world animal training requires us to train on the continuum but always striving towards providing genuine choice in order to enhance an animal’s welfare.  Stay tuned in for Steve’s motivation and emotional "Training Tale" about a trainer from a show at the Singapore Zoo.  For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠[email protected]⁠ and to contact Steve email [email protected]⁠ Let's talk some training and banter about behavior!

• 3:45 Introduction to Steve Martin 

• 9:25 Review of Choice and… Control 

• 18:55 Degrees of Behavioral Freedom

• 28:20 Free Choice

• 30:35 Genuine Choice

• 44:05 Coercion 

• 56:15 Training on the Continuum

• 1:04:15 “Training Tales”

This episode Mel Paynter and Alyse Stitt, Georgia Aquarium, discuss motivation in the context of animal behavior and training.  In part 1 of this two episode discussion Mel and Alyse discuss what motivation is, what it looks like in practice, and give some o-fish-ally great examples from the many aquatic species that they work with in the Ocean Voyager habitat at the Georgia Aquarium.  They both dive deeper into breaking down and discussing some of the numerous stimuli and events that can affect motivation.   The discussion finishes with their advice on how to productively and effectively use motivation as a tool in our training toolbox and not as a label.  Stay tuned in for Mel and Alyse’s “Training Tales” that focus on how the fish they have worked with have taught them and changed their perspective. You can also learn more information about the 2025 ABMA annual conference by visiting www.abma.org For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠[email protected]⁠ and to contact Mel and Alyse email [email protected] or [email protected] Let's talk some training and banter about behavior! 

3:25 Introduction to Mel Paynter and Alyse Stitt

8:15 Overview of Ocean Voyager habitat at Georgia Aquarium 

10:15 Definition of Motivation 

13:45 Definition of Motivating Operations 

Affects on Motivation: 

17:10 Food and Enrichment 

24:00 Breeding/Courtship 

34:00 Social Structure/Situations 

39:50 Environment

43:35 Weather/Seasonality

45:00 Learning History 

47:50 Animal’s physical ability to do something

48:50 Previous access to resources

50:35 Differences in motivation among individuals 

59:25 Advice for using motivation productively and effectively, not as a label

1:05:35 “Training Tales”

This episode Shane Gorbett, Philadelphia Zoo and host of the podcast, discusses and breaks down fading. Shane first discusses examples of what fading looks like in practice and how we can apply the artful application of the science of behavior change in order to know when and how to fade.  Shane also discusses the challenges of fading too quickly, too slowly, or not at all.  Stay tuned in for Shane’s "Training Tale" about Nile crocodile crate training and the importance of paying attention to the communication that we provide to animals.  Visit www.theabma.org for more information and for questions or suggestions about the podcast or to contact Shane, email ⁠[email protected]⁠ Let's talk some training and banter about behavior! 

5:35 Introduction to Shane Gorbett 

14:10 Definition of Fading and Examples 

25:10 Fading to change a behavior’s cue. 

28:00 How do we know when to fade? 

31:50 What happens if we fade too quickly? 

37:35 What happens if we fade too slowly? 

39:05 What happens if we never fade at all? 

42:55 “Training Tale”

This episode Tricia Dees, the second vice president of the ABMA, continues on with the discussion from Episode 59 and goes deeper into primary/unconditioned and secondary/conditioned reinforcers.  Tricia gives some common examples of primary/unconditioned and secondary/conditioned reinforcers but also talks about how individual preference plays a role in determining what is actually a reinforcer for each individual.  The discussion then turns to why and how we can condition a reinforcer and the importance of watching the animal’s behavior to ensure that a conditioned reinforcer maintains its effectiveness. Stay tuned in for Tricia’s “Training Tale” about how she used learning from a presentation at an ABMA conference about zebra training with an otter. You can also learn more information about the 2025 ABMA annual conference by visiting www.abma.org For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠[email protected]⁠ and to contact Tricia email [email protected] Let's talk some training and banter about behavior! 

4:05 Introduction to Tricia Dees 

6:10 Definition of a Primary/Unconditioned Reinforcer 

8:50 Definition of a Secondary/Conditioned Reinforcer 

11:50 Are primary and secondary reinforcers the same for every individual in a species? 

19:25 Why would we condition a reinforcer? 

22:00 Example of how to condition a reinforcer and how to tell if it is an effective reinforcer

30:45 How to tell if a conditioned reinforcer has lost its effectiveness as a reinforcer 

36:30 “Training Tales” 

Welcome back for the first episode of 2025!  This episode Shawna Spencer, Coral World Ocean Park, dives deeper into breaking down reinforcers and punishers.  This episode is full of examples and practical applications.  Shawna starts with a brief introduction to primary and secondary reinforcers before listing examples of common reinforcers and punishers.  The episode finishes with a discussion about how reinforcers can change over time and how to tell if something is no longer a reinforcer for an animal.  Stay tuned in for Shawna’s two doggone great “Training Tales”, one featuring dog training in German.  You can also learn more information about the 2025 ABMA annual conference by listening or visiting www.abma.org For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠[email protected]⁠ and to contact Shawna email [email protected]⁠ Let's talk some training and banter about behavior! 

3:20 Introduction to Shawna Spencer 

13:10 Information about the 2025 ABMA Annual Conference in Galveston, Texas 

19:50 Definitions of Reinforcers and Punishers 

23:05 What can be a reinforcer or punisher 

25:10 Definition of Primary Reinforcers

25:45 Definition and application of Secondary Reinforcers

34:10 Examples of common reinforcers 

42:10 Examples of common punishers

52:35 If something is a reinforcer will it always be a reinforcer?  

57:40 How to tell if something is no longer a reinforcer?  

1:01:00 “Training Tales” 

This episode Jose Bello, Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment, discusses superstitious behavior. Jose starts with breaking down what it means for a behavior to be superstitious and examples of what that looks like in a practical application.  Next, Jose educates about the “potential danger” in labeling behaviors as superstitious and how taking the blame away from the animal and placing it on us as the trainers, can give us a better understanding of what is accidentally reinforcing or punishing a superstitious behavior. The episode ends with a discussion and a reminder that all behavior has function and how that mindset can help trainers and teams have a cohesive understanding of superstitious behaviors.  Stay tuned in for Jose’s o-fish-ally great "Training Tale" about a guest’s reaction to water kenneling fish.  For questions or suggestions about the podcast email [email protected] and to contact Jose email J[email protected] Let's talk some training and banter about behavior! 

7:00 Introduction to Jose Bello 

10:05 Definition and practical application of superstitious behavior 

14:55 What does it look like if something is accidentally reinforced? 

16:15 How to identify a superstitious behavior? 

19:10 What is the potential “danger” in labeling a behavior as superstitious? 

21:25 If there is a “potential danger”, should we still call behaviors superstitious? 

23:50 How can having extra communication about superstitious behaviors arising from accidental reinforcement help with any labels that may come with the term? 

25:50 Advice for recognizing that a behavior has been accidentally reinforced and isn’t just “something the animal always does” 

28:05 Recognizing what is actually the reinforcer(s) or punisher(s) for a superstitious behavior?  

29:30 All behavior has function

33:45 “Training Tales”