Page 175 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

8.2 Starting Assessment 147

VetBooks.ir ported decisions that were made, even when measurable plan for moving forward. These
plans should include very clearly identified
the whole team was not present. They valued
consistency in the actions delivered to the ani­
Your initial plan may be focused on laying the
mals above their own individual desires. This expectations of who will do what by when.
team and the red river hog were able to make groundwork for your programme, and may
quick progress with their training programme include elements such as reviewing records,
and were always setting new goals. Not only observing current behaviour, reviewing rele­
did the high trust enable this team to meet vant literature on such things as the species
their goals, they were able to tackle any chal­ that will be trained, facility design, and/or
lenge that came up that would have crippled a training techniques.
low trust team.
You may also find that some members of
your team are introverts and may have differ­ 8.2.4 Facing Resistance
ent wants/needs for sharing information than Resistance to embracing a training pro­
other team members, as teams are often gramme can stem from a variety of sources,
dominated by extroverts. It may level the including considering the act of training as
playing field if you send out questions for the being manipulative and changing an animal’s
team to ponder ahead of time, allow members wild state, thinking that training creates a
to share their ideas before a meeting on note situation of poor animal welfare due to food
cards or discuss ideas in small groups before a deprivation or use of aversive techniques, or
larger team meeting. These techniques may that training takes up too much time in the
provide a platform for all team members to day. When encountered with this resistance,
feel they have a voice. Cain (2012) discusses do not react to these statements of concern
introversion personality preferences. It is an in haste or with closed mindedness, even if
excellent book that provides insight that may you strongly believe a counter‐perspective.
allow you to tap into your team’s problem You must remember that everyone has dif­
solving and creative potential in new ways. ferent life experiences that they bring to the
The point is, when seeking everyone’s table. One person’s definition and history of
opinion and buy‐in, you may need to adjust training may be very different from your
your leadership style to meet the needs of own. Engaging in discussion about these
your individual team members and listen to fears and what is intended in developing a
their ideas. If you take a ‘I’m the leader and training programme and how success will be
we’re doing it my way’ approach with your measured can be helpful, as it can alleviate
team, they may make an effort to appear some fears and will allow people to talk
engaged with the training programme in openly about them.
your presence, but it will not likely ‘stick’ Discussing the potential positive animal
when you are not there. You want everyone welfare implications of training can be an
on the team to feel that they have a vested asset to the development of a training pro­
interest in the success of the training pro­ gramme. Understanding how animals’ behav­
gramme and the only way to do that is to iour and the team’s behaviour can be shaped
have them feel the sense of ownership that can open people’s minds to understand that
comes with helping to build the programme animals in our care are always learning and
from the ground up. responding to their environment, regardless
of whether you have a formal training pro­
gramme in place or not. As a leader, it is your
8.2.3 Moving Forward
job to create environments for both the ani­
Based on the team’s initial feedback regar­ mals and the team to be successful. For some
ding your training vision for the training people who are resistant to formal training,
programme, you will need to develop a recognising all of the training they are cur­