Another amazing day at the wildlife center with Kelly Schaaf and Rob Carmichael. The talented training team is doing fantastic with the red and Arctic fox training. Today Kelly showed me the harness behavior with Spartan (Arctic fox) and she reinforced him while I brushed out some of his beautiful white winter coat to help reveal his darker summer fur. Another spotlight on team work and collaboration with this spectacular crew and animals. Thanks again!
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#wildliferescue #wildlifeeducation #wildliferehabilitation #arcticfox
#explorethejoyoflearningtogether
Wildlife Discovery Center
Lucia decided to stretch out on the scale after her weigh in. She is the sweetest bear cub!
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#heartcats #rescuecats #husbandryathome
#explorethejoyoflearningtogether
This is our submission for this week’s #KPCTtrainingchallenge
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*Step 1: Observe behavior
*Step 2: Capture behavior
*Step 3: Add a visual cue
I’m so happy that both our girls jumped in to help demonstrate in this short video!
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#heartcats #rescuecats #sisters #husbandryathome #explorethejoyoflearningtogether
Resilience round update: Hopping into the new year with a fun and personally meaningful short video update with our young pup, Vito. His first year in this world threw him some medical curveballs. We’ve been working hard with our spectacular veterinary team to slowly approximate a thick positive reinforcement history in various scenarios for various procedures. While waiting for a vaccination, we brought his new trick on the road. His first ever “Boop!” behavior (push a drawer or cabinet closed) in an exam room! You can hear the veterinary team cheering on a dog in the treatment area, as can Vito. Weaved in basic stationing, attention to handler, and tons of affection to cheer on my own boy. Vito is another extraordinary animal teacher in my life. I’m truly grateful to be his human and help guide us BOTH to a bright future of good health for him together. Keep on booping, sweet treasure! 🧡
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#heartdogs #resiliencerounds #explorethejoyoflearningtogether
As promised, here is the edited video from Santino’s mass aspiration procedure that was done two weeks ago. We are truly grateful that the results came back as benign for both masses around his anal area. He enjoyed cheese on the front end while he offered his reverse clownfish trick as Dr. Coloumbe got busy with the needle on his back end. At the end of the procedure, I had to apply gentle duration pressure with gauze to help minimize bleeding. Way to go, Sweet Santino. We are so proud of you and relieved for the good news!
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#husbandryathome #practicemakesprogress #heartdogs #teamwork
#readysetforgroomerandvet #explorethejoyoflearningtogether
We’ve been working on approximating her layout position parallel to our body for close proximity and tactile games. Looking good, sweet Deenie. I want to nibble on you!
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#husbandryathome
#explorethejoyoflearningtogether
What does scotch tape have to do with paw care? Apparently a lot and quite the valuable tool for veterinary professionals. Sweet Vito developed red skin irritations deep in his paw pads. So we headed to our veterinarian two days ago to assess the cause. Dr. Coulombe brought out scotch tape to acquire a smear sample to then place under the microscope and determine if this is a bacterial or fungal infection. Vito was generous enough to allow this unexpected procedure to occur paired with generous amounts of treats. But now that I know what this specific procedure looks like, we brought the game back home to practice.
First step: I introduce/place the tape prop on my skin = treats.
Second step: I place the tape prop on the mats around him = treats.
No tape inside his sensitive paw pads yet. We’re letting the topical ointment and oral antibiotics kick this bacterial infection in its teeth. Day two of his treatment plan, and he’s looking and feeling fantastic. Training fun with tape! Who knew?
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#husbandryathome #explorethejoyoflearningtogether
Deenie’s horizontal layout behavior up against my legs is coming along beautifully. This specific position within close proximity to the handler for various tactile procedures has numerous benefits. Looking good, sweet Deenie!
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#husbandryathome
#explorethejoyoflearningtogether
Resilience Round #5:
Voluntary blood draw procedure
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Round 1: Vito was running out of the lobby to get outside to create space from the veterinary team. A few emergency visits established aversive and punishing associations in this environment. He wouldn’t let anyone touch him. Our boy was yelling for help, and his team listened.
Round 5: this morning we progressed with the our training plan. He is on deck for a blood sample soon. This short video clip was edited down to showcase a few of the multiple successive approximations taken to move forward at Vito’s pace. Our veterinary technician, Nataly, is simply fantastic and progressed to holding off the right rear leg vein, wipe with plain gauze, gentle pressure with a capped butterfly needle, then body tactile on his back (a favored place for a good scratch).
To be honest, I choked up with some happy emotions after we wrapped up today’s session. Vito has so much to say about his environment via his body language. He’s maturing into adolescence and continues to be a brilliant teacher. I’m trying to keep up!
Thanks to our wonderful veterinary team at West Loop Veterinary Care for listening to both of us.
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#resiliencerounds
#husbandryathome
#explorethejoyoflearningtogether
West Loop Veterinary Care
Insight Animal Behavior Services, PC
“Sit! You’re fine! Sit. Sit. You’re FINE! SIT!”
That’s a common and unfortunate situation around scales and dogs at the veterinary clinic. The handler is yelling louder while treating the dog’s equipment like a steering wheel. And here’s the thing. No one is actually fine. The vet staff, handler, and animal are all stressed for a variety of reasons. And the dog is yelling louder for help via his/her canine communication strategies. It’s time to listen.
This brief video showcases our team effort today to help our sweet Vito. He’s smack dab in the middle of canine adolescence and could also be within the second fear period that dogs’ experience during canine development. Rather than ask him for calculus equations, me, the front desk/vet team, and Vito kept the math equations very simple. 1+1 = what does Vito want to offer? Head to the ground to sniff while he acquires valuable environmental information.
This was our third pass through the lobby from outside. The first two rounds, Vito stopped walking into the clinic. We kept offering space as a reinforcer. This video was our final pass today. We immediately provided space from the scale as an added reinforcer while we strolled right back outside. Whew! So many delectable scents for this young hound to enjoy. Many thanks to veterinary technician, Amber, and the team at West Loop Veterinary Care for slowing our handler roll with Vito. He’s telling us all he needs to help create this adventure as “Weigh Too Much Fun.”
Thanks for all that you teach us, Vito. We’re listening!
~Vito (11 months) 🧡
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#rhodesianridgeback #canineadolescence #teenagedog #patience #positivetraining #caninecommunication #dogfearperiods #scale #spaceasareinforcer #sniff #voluntaryweights #veterinaryvisits #weightoomuchfun #readysetforgroomerandvet #husbandryathome #animalcare #animaltraining #vettips #dogtips #trainingtips #animalteachers #explorethejoyoflearningtogether
Have an extra jump rope? Why not integrate that prop into your husbandry at home games? Team Deenie worked on our layout position with stethoscope and ultrasound positions today. She is seriously adorable and so smart!
#husbandryathome
#explorethejoyoflearningtogether
Insight Animal Behavior Services, PC
“Let’s hear it for Team Otis!”
This 35 second video is the highlight of my day. Our second session included advancing our foundation behaviors with increased distractions in the veterinary clinic lobby. A lovely complement of capturing and shaping behavior with Otis in the driver’s seat for what he was comfortable enough to offer. Drive on, Team Otis. I’m just along for this amazing ride!
West Loop Veterinary Care
Sweet Deenie is advancing on her layout behavior for body exam approximations. From the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail, she is 100% adorable!
Insight Animal Behavior Services, PC
This is a short clip from our summer camp in Sweden posted by Agneta Eriksson. Thank you for joining us, and for sharing your handsome pup (Assar). He is an excellent teacher that helped put our initial training plan for the chin rest behavior into practice. Please keep me updated about your progress, Agneta. Miss you and the other teams already!
"Weigh me! Weigh me!" Okay, sweet Luca. We hear you. Weigh to go (wink!).
Cotton-top tamarin Voluntary Weight
"Getting to Know You."
Taking the time to learn about animals in our care equates to successful outcomes in our training partnerships with them. Back in 2009, I was invited to help consult for a zoo. One goal was to help the trainers create a training plan for their 1.1 Cotton-top tamarins for various voluntary husbandry behaviors. We set the stage to help increase their comfort level by knowing they are an arboreal species. They feel safe when elevated in their environment.
A perch on the scale to help with comfortable footing and balance. Delicious wax worms that can be eaten away from the scale while high up in their tree canopy. The choice to follow the target offered by the trainer. These are just a few of the excellent plans these talented trainers came up with. Oh, yes. There are also conure vocalizations singing in the background of this multi-species habitat. Beauty all around.
