As with any institution or facility, it is their choice on how their dolphins will be trained and raised. This is up to their own discretion and what they feel is best for their trainers and their animals. Sometimes it is a preference and other times it is the choice that seems best fit and the easiest for all involved.
There are five main types of training methods:
1) Direct Manipulation
2) Modeling
3) Targeting
4) Successive Approximations
5) Capturing
1) Direct Manipulation
This training method involves physical touching of the animal and moving the dolphin into the position you want them to hold and the motions they are supposed to go through. This is the least common of training methods simply because there is only so much maneuvering and manipulation that can be done with the dolphin the the water. They are not only in their own element there, but are large creatures that most behaviors they learn are complex. An example of this type of training would be when you want a dolphin to touch its rostrum (nose) to an object on the platform. You would station the animal and get its attention, physically push its nose down to the object (or toy) and bridge them with the blow of a whistle. The 'bridge' tells the animals that the task has been done correctly and is completed.
2) Modeling
This method of training is usually used by having the dolphin being trained watch another dolphin that has previously learned the behavior. They will imitate the other animals' behaviors once you teach them imitation on cue. To do this, a trainer would have a dolphin mimic a sound or movement they do and teach them a signal to do so.
3) Targeting
As previously explained, targeting is a method in which a trainer uses their hand or a target pole to "show" the dolphin what body part is to be moved and in which manner. The trainers use this target pole or hand to ask for a behavior and then quickly reinforce it. For example, to target an animal, one would use their hand to touch the rostrum of the dolphin. Then the trainer would take their hand away from the dolphin and move it in an up and down motion in order to get the dolphin to shake its head 'yes.' To say 'no' a trainer would simply move their hand or the targeting pole left and right.
4) Successive Approximations
This method is also known as shaping a behavior. To do this, small steps are taken that look like the desired behavior. From each new step that is learned, another piece of the behavior is added until it looks like the 'trick' the trainer is looking for.
5) Capturing
To 'capture' a behavior, a trainer would simply watch a dolphin behaving as it normally would in the wild. When a naturally occurring behavior occurs, the trainer will then bridge the behavior and reinforce the dolphin for accomplishing its goal. The signal for this behavior must all be paired with the bridge and reinforcement in order to call on the behavior in the future.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
What it takes to make it: at Sea World
Before you begin applying to positions at aquariums and zoos around the world, check out what is needed at Sea World to be a trainer..
Requirements:
-must be at least 18 years old
-prior animal training experience
-some type of experience public speaking or with communication skills
-experience working with animals
-SCUBA certified
-CPR certified
-academic coursework in zoology, marine biology, animal behavior or psychology
-swimming skills
-excellent physical health and the ability to lift 50 lbs.
Swimming skills are numerous and include, a 200 ft. freestyle swim, a 100 ft. underwater swim, and a free dive to the bottom of a 26 foot deep pool.
Note that: there are hundreds of applicants that apply each year to work at Sea World that are extremely qualified for the positions, however they only accept about 10 new hires per year.
MUST LOVE ANIMALS!
This is a given. Why would one want to spend all day every day at their job working with an animal if they do not have a love and appreciation for them, whether it be the animal itself or its intelligence? Training dolphins is a job that requires lots of hard work and patience and without a love for the animals, it would be easy to get frustrated and lack a relationship with that particular animal.
If at first you don't succeed, try another door.
What do I mean by this? Well sometimes certain positions are available only through moving up in a company. A large majority of the employees at Sea World working as an animal trainer had previously begun working there in another department. The staff put in their time, energy and love to the company and expressed their interest in moving to another position, therefore being hired based on past work experience there.
Another big aspect of a career at Sea World, their apprenticeship.
An apprentice is a must of each new hire at Sea World. This process could last anywhere from a year to a few years. Why? This is because Sea World would like to know that their employees know the ins and outs of their company. An employee may have prior experience working with and training dolphins, but each business does things slightly different. Their hand signals must be exact and are usually unique from other companies' so this takes time and practice. Learning an animal's personality and making a connection with them is a big reason this apprenticeship is so necessary because without the relationship between trainer and animal, performance level will be low.
Requirements:
-must be at least 18 years old
-prior animal training experience
-some type of experience public speaking or with communication skills
-experience working with animals
-SCUBA certified
-CPR certified
-academic coursework in zoology, marine biology, animal behavior or psychology
-swimming skills
-excellent physical health and the ability to lift 50 lbs.
Swimming skills are numerous and include, a 200 ft. freestyle swim, a 100 ft. underwater swim, and a free dive to the bottom of a 26 foot deep pool.
Note that: there are hundreds of applicants that apply each year to work at Sea World that are extremely qualified for the positions, however they only accept about 10 new hires per year.
MUST LOVE ANIMALS!
This is a given. Why would one want to spend all day every day at their job working with an animal if they do not have a love and appreciation for them, whether it be the animal itself or its intelligence? Training dolphins is a job that requires lots of hard work and patience and without a love for the animals, it would be easy to get frustrated and lack a relationship with that particular animal.
If at first you don't succeed, try another door.
What do I mean by this? Well sometimes certain positions are available only through moving up in a company. A large majority of the employees at Sea World working as an animal trainer had previously begun working there in another department. The staff put in their time, energy and love to the company and expressed their interest in moving to another position, therefore being hired based on past work experience there.
Another big aspect of a career at Sea World, their apprenticeship.
An apprentice is a must of each new hire at Sea World. This process could last anywhere from a year to a few years. Why? This is because Sea World would like to know that their employees know the ins and outs of their company. An employee may have prior experience working with and training dolphins, but each business does things slightly different. Their hand signals must be exact and are usually unique from other companies' so this takes time and practice. Learning an animal's personality and making a connection with them is a big reason this apprenticeship is so necessary because without the relationship between trainer and animal, performance level will be low.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Feeding Your Dolphin: Keeping Meals Nutritionally Sound
Typically, in captivity, dolphins are fed a variety of fish. Species include Mackerel, Smelt, Capelin and Herring. Due to the fact that keeping live fish on any marine mammal property is hard to keep up with, especially when a dolphin is eating anywhere from 25 to 35 pounds of food per day, the fish is frozen. This also aids in the ensurance of proper feeding of the dolphins and that they receive all of the food that was prepared for them. A nursing female dolphin can eat anywhere from double the original weight of food they eat per day.
In captivity, meals are often spread out over the course of the day and given to the animals during training sessions as a reinforcement. However, training sessions may get cut short depending on time constraints or the behavior of the animal during the session. The rest of the meal distribution is up to the trainer at this point, they can either save the meal for later so they can finish the behaviors or feed the rest of the food to the dolphin as this point.
The problem with frozen fish: most dolphins get their daily intake of water from their food. This water intake is drastically decreased due to the fish being frozen. They also lose little water because their skin is impermeable and they do not sweat like humans. How do trainers supplement this? With a process called "watering the dolphin." In the wild, dolphins get their fresh water straight from the food they eat, however the amount of fresh water that is obtained from frozen fish is greatly decreased. To supplement this, trainers will funnel water into the stomachs of the dolphins so that they may 'drink' and obtain fresh water. Because dolphins do not have the ability to 'drink' such as humans do, the funnel must be used to place down into the stomach and pour water into. This does not bother the dolphins as they have no gag reflex (the trachea and esophagus are separate) like humans and are trained to be comfortable over time with the process and to trust their trainers who do this procedure.
In captivity, meals are often spread out over the course of the day and given to the animals during training sessions as a reinforcement. However, training sessions may get cut short depending on time constraints or the behavior of the animal during the session. The rest of the meal distribution is up to the trainer at this point, they can either save the meal for later so they can finish the behaviors or feed the rest of the food to the dolphin as this point.
The problem with frozen fish: most dolphins get their daily intake of water from their food. This water intake is drastically decreased due to the fish being frozen. They also lose little water because their skin is impermeable and they do not sweat like humans. How do trainers supplement this? With a process called "watering the dolphin." In the wild, dolphins get their fresh water straight from the food they eat, however the amount of fresh water that is obtained from frozen fish is greatly decreased. To supplement this, trainers will funnel water into the stomachs of the dolphins so that they may 'drink' and obtain fresh water. Because dolphins do not have the ability to 'drink' such as humans do, the funnel must be used to place down into the stomach and pour water into. This does not bother the dolphins as they have no gag reflex (the trachea and esophagus are separate) like humans and are trained to be comfortable over time with the process and to trust their trainers who do this procedure.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Training: A breakdown of steps
One of the biggest mysteries of animal behavior is the actual breakdown of steps a trainer would take in order to teach a behavior to an animal. Each animal species can require a different technique in order to train the animals, but the most common one used for dolphins is operant conditioning and positive reinforcement. First, let's start with some definitions...
Operant conditioning: modifying the animal's behavior by providing it with (in our case positive reinforcement. The animal learns that a consequence arrises because of a behavior that occurs.
Positive Reinforcement: A reward given to the animal to strengthen the behavior to happen in the future. In the case of dolphins, it usually comes in the form of food, toys, rub downs or energetic attention from a trainer.
There are five major aspects to training a behavior:
1) Hand signals
2) The target
3) A whistle
4) Rewards
5) Time-outs
Hand Signals:
In the video above, the trainer demonstrates a basic hand signal in the beginning, for the dolphin's attention, and then for the dolphin's nose to follow his hand movement so that the guests may pet the dolphin.
Hand signals are important aspects of training. These are the swift, easy hand movements made by a trainer to tell the dolphin which behavior the trainer wants them to do.
Targets:
Targets are the trainer's friend in that it can A) be any object and B) shows the dolphin how and where to execute a behavior. For example, a buoy attached to the end of a pole is used as a target. The dolphin is shown (by touching the buoy to the mouth/nose) that the trainer wants the nose to be the body part that moves first. Then, the trainer will move the buoy in a circular motion which tells the dolphin to spin in a circle.
The whistle:
This one is more straight forward, the trainer will blow the whistle in order to tell the dolphin that not only has the behavior been done correctly, but to end the behavior as well.
Rewards:
The rewards given to the dolphins ensure that a behavior will occur again. The dolphins learn that if they do what a trainer wishes them to do, they will get something they love in return. In most cases, the reward is food and trainers use feeding and training time synonymously. However, the rewards do sometimes need to be changed up for monotony purposes. Therefore, the dolphins receive toys such as basketballs or hula hoops, an animated response from a trainer or a pet from a trainer.
These rewards can also differ based on the personalities of the dolphins. Some like the attention from trainers while others prefer food.
Time-outs:
These are less of a negative thing and more of a neutral response to an incorrect behavior. Typically what occurs during a 'time-out' is that the trainer will turn around and ignore the animal for approximately 5 or more seconds. This allows for both animal and trainer to think about what went wrong during the training process.
All training aspects begin with targeting. In the very beginning, when a dolphin is young and learning, they are taught to target their rostrum (or nose) to the buoy simply by having the trainer place it to their nose, blowing the whistle, and rewarding them. This process will be repeated several times until the connection is made. To test the process, a trainer will then place the buoy several inches above the nose and see if the connection is made, if it was, the dolphin will move out of the water towards the buoy and touch their nose to the it. From there any other behavior can be taught because of the incredible intelligence of dolphins and their capability to mentally jump from one step to another.
Operant conditioning: modifying the animal's behavior by providing it with (in our case positive reinforcement. The animal learns that a consequence arrises because of a behavior that occurs.
Positive Reinforcement: A reward given to the animal to strengthen the behavior to happen in the future. In the case of dolphins, it usually comes in the form of food, toys, rub downs or energetic attention from a trainer.
There are five major aspects to training a behavior:
1) Hand signals
2) The target
3) A whistle
4) Rewards
5) Time-outs
Hand Signals:
In the video above, the trainer demonstrates a basic hand signal in the beginning, for the dolphin's attention, and then for the dolphin's nose to follow his hand movement so that the guests may pet the dolphin.
Hand signals are important aspects of training. These are the swift, easy hand movements made by a trainer to tell the dolphin which behavior the trainer wants them to do.
Targets:
Targets are the trainer's friend in that it can A) be any object and B) shows the dolphin how and where to execute a behavior. For example, a buoy attached to the end of a pole is used as a target. The dolphin is shown (by touching the buoy to the mouth/nose) that the trainer wants the nose to be the body part that moves first. Then, the trainer will move the buoy in a circular motion which tells the dolphin to spin in a circle.
The whistle:
This one is more straight forward, the trainer will blow the whistle in order to tell the dolphin that not only has the behavior been done correctly, but to end the behavior as well.
Rewards:
The rewards given to the dolphins ensure that a behavior will occur again. The dolphins learn that if they do what a trainer wishes them to do, they will get something they love in return. In most cases, the reward is food and trainers use feeding and training time synonymously. However, the rewards do sometimes need to be changed up for monotony purposes. Therefore, the dolphins receive toys such as basketballs or hula hoops, an animated response from a trainer or a pet from a trainer.
Time-outs:
These are less of a negative thing and more of a neutral response to an incorrect behavior. Typically what occurs during a 'time-out' is that the trainer will turn around and ignore the animal for approximately 5 or more seconds. This allows for both animal and trainer to think about what went wrong during the training process.
All training aspects begin with targeting. In the very beginning, when a dolphin is young and learning, they are taught to target their rostrum (or nose) to the buoy simply by having the trainer place it to their nose, blowing the whistle, and rewarding them. This process will be repeated several times until the connection is made. To test the process, a trainer will then place the buoy several inches above the nose and see if the connection is made, if it was, the dolphin will move out of the water towards the buoy and touch their nose to the it. From there any other behavior can be taught because of the incredible intelligence of dolphins and their capability to mentally jump from one step to another.
Monday, March 5, 2012
History of Dolphin Training: Why do we train animals?
Training animals, dolphins in particular, has two main reasons; one is to ensure proper caring and feeding the dolphins, and to show the way animals can connect with humans and to educate the public about these animals in order to work on conservation.
Reason 1: Ensuring proper animal husbandry
Naturally, there are things that dolphins do in the wild that are going to be different when in captivity. For one, when they eat in the wild, the majority of their water consumption comes from their food. The major difference between that and captivity is that dolphins are fed frozen fish and a lot of the water naturally found in the fish is gone. To compensate for this loss, husbandry staff need to "water" the dolphins or place a funnel and tube into their stomachs and give them fresh water using the tube/funnel system. The dolphins do not have gag reflexes and this does not harm, nor bother them in any way. However, in order to accomplish this task, trainers must establish a connection with the animals through training and allow them to be comfortable with the task through numerous training steps.
Another important reason that we train dolphins is for medical reasons. When a dolphin needs a checkup or shots from a veterinarian, it can be scary for them. Through the training, a trainer can accomplish a dolphin lying still on a mat, making the procedure much less stressful. Even though training helps in the process, the biggest aspect of getting these procedures done successfully and worry-free, is due to the relationship between dolphin and trainer. Without a doubt, training from a patient and kind person will always build a relationship that is trusting from the dolphin's perspective as well as the trainers. A lot of aquariums and programs keeps the trainers and dolphins paired so that this relationship can be built.
Reason 2: Educating the public
It goes without showing that many people do not know much about wildlife. This also means that sometimes, when you don't know about things, you tend to care less about them. If you know little and care less about the plight of dolphins and whales, the possibility of your interactions with them in the wild may be harmful to them. It seems harmless, but feeding animals in the wild only strengthens their attachment to humans, making them more likely in the future to go up to people and be friendly. In some cases this could lead to them getting hurt or even hunted.
Reason 1: Ensuring proper animal husbandry
Naturally, there are things that dolphins do in the wild that are going to be different when in captivity. For one, when they eat in the wild, the majority of their water consumption comes from their food. The major difference between that and captivity is that dolphins are fed frozen fish and a lot of the water naturally found in the fish is gone. To compensate for this loss, husbandry staff need to "water" the dolphins or place a funnel and tube into their stomachs and give them fresh water using the tube/funnel system. The dolphins do not have gag reflexes and this does not harm, nor bother them in any way. However, in order to accomplish this task, trainers must establish a connection with the animals through training and allow them to be comfortable with the task through numerous training steps.
 |
| "Watering" the dolphin |
 |
| Lying still on the mat for a check-up |
Reason 2: Educating the public
It goes without showing that many people do not know much about wildlife. This also means that sometimes, when you don't know about things, you tend to care less about them. If you know little and care less about the plight of dolphins and whales, the possibility of your interactions with them in the wild may be harmful to them. It seems harmless, but feeding animals in the wild only strengthens their attachment to humans, making them more likely in the future to go up to people and be friendly. In some cases this could lead to them getting hurt or even hunted.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Welcome!
Hi guys!
This blog's purpose is to show those interested in becoming dolphin trainers just what it takes to get there. It will also give readers a peek into what the day-to-day work consists of for these marine mammal lovers. As much as I love dolphins and want to become a trainer, I know there are those who oppose the idea and feel as if these animals shouldn't be in captivity. There is a lot of information out there regarding any and all topics 'dolphin' but I will explore all sides and opinions of the field in order to give a well rounded, personal opinion on the topics.
This blog's purpose is to show those interested in becoming dolphin trainers just what it takes to get there. It will also give readers a peek into what the day-to-day work consists of for these marine mammal lovers. As much as I love dolphins and want to become a trainer, I know there are those who oppose the idea and feel as if these animals shouldn't be in captivity. There is a lot of information out there regarding any and all topics 'dolphin' but I will explore all sides and opinions of the field in order to give a well rounded, personal opinion on the topics.
 |
Best.
Work Hard, Study Harder: Animal Behavior Schooling
Nowadays, a large majority of young adults follow the trend of attaining a college degree. There are even older adults who are already established that go back to school in order to receive a better education and get a new job. Degrees are looked upon highly and are a norm in today's standards. However, there will always be some careers that do not necessitate their employees to have an education, animal behavior happens to be one of these careers. While an education definitely helps, it is not always the all-important requirement for some positions in the field of animal behavior.
A degree in Animal Behavior will not only give you a background knowledge and idea of what to expect in your future career, but can help open up new opportunities for you to choose from. There are many different schools and course paths to choose from, so you must not only choose the school because you like it, but because you like their 4 year plan for a major in Animal Science or Animal Behavior. Some schools focus more on certain species of animals, and others have more broad courses. You can also choose from a university or online school, as the Animal Behavior Institute is online. In choosing Animal Behavior, as with any other major, there are both required courses and electives. I've listed classes below to give a general idea of the amount of work that goes into a college degree in Animal Behavior/Science.
Required Courses:
Animal Minds and Emotions, Animal Enrichment, Animal Training and Animal Behavior, Biology, Chemistry, Animal Physiology, Animal Reproduction, Animal Nutrition, Genetics, Organic Chemistry, and Calculus
Electives:
The Human Animal Bond, Behavior and Training of Marine Mammals
Receiving degrees in the areas of Biology and Animal Sciences tend to be credit intensive majors and minors, therefore leaving little room to take classes for pleasure in a four-year college plan. They require one's full determination to the courses and to studying. So one must make sure that this is the right choice for them because if they are not fully committed to a future here, the effort will not be there.
A degree in Animal Behavior will not only give you a background knowledge and idea of what to expect in your future career, but can help open up new opportunities for you to choose from. There are many different schools and course paths to choose from, so you must not only choose the school because you like it, but because you like their 4 year plan for a major in Animal Science or Animal Behavior. Some schools focus more on certain species of animals, and others have more broad courses. You can also choose from a university or online school, as the Animal Behavior Institute is online. In choosing Animal Behavior, as with any other major, there are both required courses and electives. I've listed classes below to give a general idea of the amount of work that goes into a college degree in Animal Behavior/Science.
Required Courses:
Animal Minds and Emotions, Animal Enrichment, Animal Training and Animal Behavior, Biology, Chemistry, Animal Physiology, Animal Reproduction, Animal Nutrition, Genetics, Organic Chemistry, and Calculus
Electives:
The Human Animal Bond, Behavior and Training of Marine Mammals
Receiving degrees in the areas of Biology and Animal Sciences tend to be credit intensive majors and minors, therefore leaving little room to take classes for pleasure in a four-year college plan. They require one's full determination to the courses and to studying. So one must make sure that this is the right choice for them because if they are not fully committed to a future here, the effort will not be there.
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