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8.7 Relationships and Goals 163

Ongoing assessment of how you are utilis­
VetBooks.ir animals can also benefit from designing a ing your facilities is important. An area, such
facility with consideration of the training that
might be necessary, as well as their behav­
ioural needs. It can be tempting to just hand as a chute or crate, that may have been iden­
tified initially as a training space for access­
capture, manipulate with body positioning, ing animals more safely may, by inadvertent
or simply ignore behavioural signs of distress changes in training techniques, begin to be
performed by smaller animals in your collec­ mildly or fully restraining or used to ‘trick’
tion, as it is often easier to do nothing rather animals to achieve compliance with training
than take the time to train behaviours. By goals. Although the team may feel the session
adding more complexity to the animals’ envi­ is positive because they are providing food,
ronment with visual barriers, or by training they may unintentionally also have other
behaviours such as stationing, shifting, or motivators at play. An animal’s participation
crating we can improve the management and in the training session is not entirely volun­
welfare of animals. An example of providing tary if they cannot move away or choose to
good conditions for a social group is illus­ not take part. It is wise for the team to fully
trated in the management of a group of recognise what is occurring during the train­
snowflake eels (Echidna nebulosi) in a shared ing session and how they use the facility.
small exhibit. One animal was growing a lot Overall, the facility design and use of the
bigger than the rest of the group because it facility needs to create a comfortable, safe,
dominated the other eels during feeding and confident setting for both the team and
times and ate larger amounts of food. The the animals. No facility should be considered
creative aquarium team made stations out of completely safe and teams always need to be
clear tubing set side by side for the eels to well trained in all safety precautions (see
swim into and to feed, unrestrained. This Chapter 13). Team members should be
provided the eels with equal opportunities to trained to work within the facility and have
feed. The result was a balance in food intake reasonable abilities that they are confident in
and eventually equal sized eels sharing the fulfilling. This will provide the ideal setting
enclosure. for making the best training decisions and for
No matter how beautiful or functional a animal learning.
new facility may appear, animals need to
have ample time and appropriate introduc­
tion to their new surroundings to be suc­ 8.7 Relationships and Goals
cessful. The goal is for the animals to be
comfortable and open to new learning The relationship and history that a team
opportunities and training in these areas. member has with an animal can be one of
Great care should be taken to assure that this the biggest factors that will affect the speed
is the outcome. Grandin et al. (1995) dis­ of the shaping process or the outcome.
cusses the use of animal facilities and how Maintaining a trusting relationship should
impactful the animals’ first introduction to it be a top priority when approaching every
is on future learning/training. If you have a interaction. In some cases, there is a need to
new animal arrive at your facility, restraining invest very little actual training time to
the animal in a chute in the barn as their first achieve some husbandry goals. Due to such
experience of their new facility may lead to a positive relationship between trainer and
long term and future issues with its comfort animal, it might be possible for a keeper to
in the barn. Strategically planning how your touch and palpate a fresh wound or even
animals will have positive interactions with give an injection to an animal they have
all areas of your facility, especially when they worked with for a long time. For example, in
first encounter them, will be beneficial for one situation a Malayan tapir (Tapirus indi-
the future of your husbandry programme. cus), after being scratched for a brief period,