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.

"Watering" the dolphin

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.


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.