Coffee with the Critters

We are continuing our conversation on empowering animals.

We’ll look at how purposeful enrichment can help animals that find people, proximity, or touch stressful and how confidence can keep growing between training sessions. Join me to learn what hesitation looks like and how to design enrichment that encourages exploration, choice, and success.

Confidence is not something we demand from animals. It is something we teach.

We’ll look at how fear can show up in different ways, why labels can limit what we see, and how training can help animals move from avoidance to participation through clarity, predictability, choice, and reinforcement.

Before we label an animal as aggressive, stubborn, anxious, hormonal, difficult, or “just being bad,” we need to understand what the behavior is doing for the animal and what the animal may be learning from us.

In this live-stream, we will take a powerful look at the definition of a label, and explain why using them hinders changing behavior concerns.

Behavior problems do not happen for no reason.

Before we label an animal as aggressive, stubborn, anxious, hormonal, difficult, or “just being bad,” we need to understand what the behavior is doing for the animal and what the animal may be learning from us.

In this live-stream, we will take a powerful look at why behavior matters, how animals learn from their environment, and why we may accidentally reinforce the very behaviors we are trying to stop.

Lara answers followers questions about behavior, training, and enrichment!

In this live episode of Coffee with the Critters, we’re breaking down what it actually means to build calm behavior, not suppress it.

We’ll explore:

• Why many behavior concerns are actually regulation problems

• The difference between suppressing behavior and teaching calm

• How to identify and reinforce observable calm behavior

• What to measure if you want calm to become reliable

If you’ve ever struggled with reactivity, overstimulation, or an animal that “can’t settle,” this conversation will change how you approach it.

After 20 years working with animals across species, one issue shows up again and again:

Motivation is misunderstood.

When behavior doesn’t happen, people assume:

• the animal is stubborn

• the animal isn’t interested

• the animal “knows it but won’t do it”

But behavior doesn’t happen because we want it to.

It happens because, in that moment, it is worth it to the animal.

In continuation of celebrating 13 years in business, our next episode of Coffee with the Critters will be discussing Reinforcement History.

• Every behavior an animal exhibits carries a history.

• Behavior continues because it has worked before.

• Reinforcement leaves a history.

• That history shapes what animals do next.

In continuation of celebrating 13 years in business, our next episode of Coffee with the Critters, we'll be discussing Data Collection.

People believe they understand behavior.

But very few people are measuring it.

If you’re not measuring behavior, you’re guessing.

When you evaluate behavior, are you collecting data?

Part Two to Lara’s throwback episode from 2023! Listen as Lara delves deeper into Positive Reinforcement.