Training Methods

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.

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.