Catalogue Search | MBRL
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
{{itemTitle}}
71,985
result(s) for
"Animal training."
Sort by:
Reaching the animal mind : clicker training and what it teaches us about all animals
After thirty years of training creatures both tame and wild, Karen Pryor, pioneer in the field of no-punishment animal training, presents what she knows about teaching animals and what they in turn have taught her. Pryor's clicker-training system is a safe, effective way to modify and shape behavior. Karen can teach anyone to train animals with a cheap, plastic, handheld clicker, rewarding wanted behaviors and ignoring the unwanted. No leash-jerking. No pushing. No smacking. Animals quickly learn that one behavior gets them a reinforcing click and a bit of food, while undesirable behaviors get them nothing. Given the choice, animals quickly focus on what works and abandon what doesn't. Pryor explains the science behind her system, how it works and why it works, and its applications for teaching humans as well.--From publisher description.
Book
Animal-centric Care and Management
The concept of the 3Rs (Refinement, Reduction and Replacement) has been used as a framework for improving the welfare of laboratory animals for the last half century. By establishing an animal-centric view on housing and management, this book takes Russell and Burch’s definition of Refinement as “elimination of inhumanities” and goes further. Rather than fitting animals into experimental conditions, it encourages readers to adjust conditions to better meet the behavioral, emotional, physical, and physiological needs and preferences of the animals. The team of expert authors, from the fields of laboratory animal science, ethology, biology as well as animal training, provide ideas for creating housing conditions and handling procedures that induce, to the best of current abilities and knowledge, a long-term positive state of mind in the animals under our care.
This book is written for animal caretakers, animal health technicians, researchers, animal facility managers, laboratory animal veterinarians, or anyone who engages in work with living experimental animals or is interested in the continuous improvement of laboratory animal welfare. This interdisciplinary guide will act as a catalyst, resulting in multiple viewpoints and fields collaborating to optimize laboratory animal welfare.
eBook
On the potential of agentic workflows for animal training plan generation
Effective animal training depends on well-structured training plans that ensure consistent progress and measurable outcomes. However, the creation of such plans is often time-intensive, repetitive, and detracts from hands-on training. Recent advancements in generative AI powered by large language models (LLMs) provide potential solutions but frequently fail to produce actionable, individualized plans tailored to specific contexts. This limitation is particularly significant given the diverse tasks performed by dogs–ranging from working roles in military and police operations to competitive sports–and the varying training philosophies among practitioners. To address these challenges, a modular agentic workflow framework is proposed, leveraging LLMs while mitigating their shortcomings. By decomposing the training plan generation process into specialized building blocks–autonomous agents that handle subtasks such as structuring progressions, ensuring welfare compliance, and adhering to team-specific standard operating procedures (SOPs)—this approach facilitates the creation of specific, actionable plans. The modular design further allows workflows to be tailored to the unique requirements of individual tasks and philosophies. As a proof of concept, a complete training plan generation workflow is presented, integrating these agents into a cohesive system. This framework prioritizes flexibility and adaptability, empowering trainers to create customized solutions while leveraging generative AI's capabilities. In summary, agentic workflows bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and the practical, diverse needs of the animal training community. As such, they could form a crucial foundation for advancing computer-assisted animal training methodologies.
Journal Article
Zoo animal learning and training
Comprehensively explains animal learning theories and current best practices in animal training within zoos This accessible, up-to-date book on animal training in a zoo/aquaria context provides a unified approach to zoo animal learning, bringing together the art and science of animal training. Written by experts in academia and working zoos, it incorporates the latest information from the scientific community along with current best practice, demystifying the complexities of training zoo animals. In doing so, it teaches readers how to effectively train animals and to fully understand the consequences of their actions. Zoo Animal Learning and Training starts with an overview of animal learning theory. It describes the main categories of animal learning styles; considers the diverse natural history of zoo animals; reviews the research undertaken which demonstrates ultimate benefits of learning; and highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches. It also shows how the direct application of learning theory can be integrated into zoo animal management; discusses how other factors might affect development; and investigates situations and activities from which animals learn. It also explores the theoretical basis that determines whether enrichments are successful. Provides an easily accessibly, jargon-free introduction to the subject Explores different training styles, providing theoretical background to animal learning theory as well as considerations for practical training programme - including how to set them up, manage people and animals within them and their consequences Includes effective skills and 'rules of thumb' from professional animal trainers Offers commentary on the ethical and welfare implications of training in zoos Features contributions from global experts in academia and the zoo profession Uniquely features both academic and professional perspectives Zoo Animal Learning and Training is an important book for students, academics and professionals. Suited to senior undergraduate students in zoo biology, veterinary science, and psychology, and for post-graduate students in animal management, behaviour and conservation, as well as zoo biology. It is also beneficial to those working professionally in zoos and aquaria at different levels.
eBook
The language of horsemanship : how to speak \horse\
Will help a rider use the knowledge of equine characteristics to initiate communication and create successful interaction in a way the horse can understand.
Book
Dogs produce distinctive play pants: Confirming Simonet
Identifying meaningful vocalizations in nonhuman animals can help explain the evolution of human communications. However, non-speech-like sounds, including laughter equivalents, are not well studied, although they may be meaningful. In this pilot study we investigate whether dogs perform a domain-specific pant during play by capturing vocalizations and behaviors during three interactions: training, play, and rest. Sixteen human and dog dyads participated in a session that included all three interactions in the same order: training, play, rest. During these sessions, each partner wore wireless microphones that transmitted to a receiver and digital recorder, while a standalone digital camera captured video of the interactions. A one-way ANOVA demonstrates that dogs do perform a domain-specific \"play pant,\" which was almost completely absent during training and rest. These vocalizations mostly co-occurred with play behaviors (e.g., play bow) or tickling and cuddling. These preliminary findings suggest that a laugh-like play pant is used by dogs during play; future research should explore other interspecific acoustic signals as derived from conspecific signals and having communicative function.
Journal Article
Train your horse for backcountry riding : a comprehensive guide for getting beyond the round pen
Many clinicians offer strong instruction in building a relationship with the horse but too often exclude safety concerns and teaching the skills necessary for safe and fulfilling use in the backcountry. They don't show students how to tie up a horse's foot should you have to restrain him to pull porcupine quills, and they don't teach basic knots and hitches. Enter Dan Aadland, a seasoned equestrian and breeder who shares expertise gained from riding backroads and teaching clinics. Aadland first teaches students to understand the natural impulses of the horse and how to stay safe, a method he calls?survival horsemanship.? He then moves on to training both horse and rider in the basics of trail riding, including saddling, mounting with control, trail savvy, types of trails and obstacles, domestic and wild animal encounters, and staying cool in stressful situations.
Book
Training Petting Zoo Sheep to Act Like Petting Zoo Sheep: An Empirical Evaluation of Response-Independent Schedules and Shaping with Negative Reinforcement
Shaping through differential reinforcement of successive approximations to a target response has been a cornerstone procedure for the training of novel behavior. However, much of how it has traditionally been implemented occurs through informal observation, rather than any direct, systematic measurement. In the present study, we examine the use of response-independent food schedules and shaping for increasing approach and contact behaviors in petting zoo sheep. In Experiment 1, a fixed-time (FT) 15 s food schedule was used to effectively increase approach and contact behaviors in one sheep. In Experiment 2, negative reinforcement in the form of removal of the presence of a trainer was made contingent on the successful completion of approximations within a shaping procedure and later switched to food rewards. A changing-criterion design was used to empirically examine the effects of the shaping procedure during each step of the program. The result is one of the first studies to demonstrate the utility of using negative reinforcement within a shaping procedure to successfully intervene on approach/avoidance behaviors in an applied animal setting.
Journal Article