Animal Trainers' Retreat: Training With Love + Science

A retreat in a sublime location, this event offers a relaxed mini conference-type learning opportunity and hands-on training experience. Regardless of where you are in your journey to be the best trainer you can be, this weekend has something to help you positively affect the lives of people and their animals. We have brought together a stellar lineup of some of the best trainers and presenters in the business to give talks and lead discussions on their latest research and behavior analytic-based training procedures. Kicking off the weekend is a panel discussion related to applied behavior analysis providing an overarching framework for training and welfare, and why some well-established practitioners pursue advanced study in the discipline. Following the panel discussion, informational presentations will be interspersed with applied learning interactions using the Portable Operant Research and TeachingLab (PORTL) and working with the animals of Lemon's Hope Sanctuary.

Our panel discussion will include Rick Hester, Director of Animal Care and Wellbeing at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado and Behavior Consultant with Behavior Works; Kiki Yablon, MA, KPA CTP, CPDT-KA, KPA Faculty of Kiki Yablon Dog Training and Behavior Works; Laura Monaco Torelli, KPA CTP/ Faculty, CPDT-KA, TAGteach Level 2 of Animal Behavior Training Concepts; Mindy Waite, Ph.D., MS, CAAB, CPDT-KA, Clinical Assistant Professor in Animal Behavior at Carroll University; Morgan Katz, MS, KPA CTP, Director of Behavior Services at MSPCA-Angell; Hannah McGee, MS, CBCC-KA, Behavior Manager at MSPCA-Angell; Debbie Jacobs, CPDT-KA, RBT, award-winning author and creator of the Fearful Dogs website and Facebook group of the same name; and Maia Nahele Owen, Ph.D., MA, KPA-CTP, of Behavior Explorer and the Victoria Stillwell Academy.

PORTL is an interactive tabletop game for learning about behavioral principles and phenomena, honing training mechanics, improving teaching skills, and conducting research. It is played using a collection of small objects, a clicker to select behavior, and small blocks as reinforcers. In addition to providing an experiential learning opportunity, PORTL is a lot of fun to play.

Animals at Lemon's Hope include horses, guinea pigs, sheep, a goat, rats and resident dogs. Teaching even simple behaviors to different species and individuals than those one typically works with builds a trainer's fluency in adapting and generalizing mechanics, reinforcement principles and teaching strategies, and deepens understanding. Your feed delivery, rate and criteria changes will vary by necessity.

The event will be hybrid in format, with both in person attendance and presentations, and remote attendance and presentations. Online attendance is for the talks only, which will occur throughout the weekend with breaks. Topics and schedule, which is subject to change, are listed in the Agenda.

Speakers will include:

Rick Hester, Director of Animal Care and Wellbeing, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Kiki Yablon, MA, KPA-CTP, CPDT-KA, KPA Faculty

Mindy Waite, Ph.D., MS, CAAB, CPDT-KA

Maia Nahele Owen, Ph.D., MA, KPA-CTP

Morgan Katz, MS, KPA CTP

Catja Pedersen

Ceus pending

Schedule subject to change

The animals here are rescued or rehomed from various situations. They are our best teachers. And such fun to work with, as shown in the video testimonial from one of our past attendees.

Another part of the applied experience at our retreats is playing the tabletop training game PORTL. This year, Hannah McGee, MS, CBCC-KA, Behavior Manager at MSPCA-Angell, will guide us through PORTL play so that the animal time and PORTL activities mirror each other.

Info: Those who immerse themselves in applied behavior analytic-based teaching and training experience it as an overarching framework that accounts for a holistic practice, that may take into consideration all aspects of behavior when designing training plans for an individual and their caretakers. We will examine how ABA provides this framework, what is radical about radical behaviorism and why that matters. We will also ask the question, why are accomplished trainers with successful practices and solid backgrounds getting advanced education in ABA? What are exciting recent developments in applied animal behavior analysis to be aware of that may expand understanding of how behavior works and the application of behavior analytic principles to produce better outcomes with our learners.

Info: This talk by Rick Hester, who has been working with Dr. Susan Friedman of Behavior Works on designing environments for animals that are rich in behavioral opportunities, will discuss in depth how to create meaningful environments for animals in our care. In many captive environments, animals are waiting to do things. They are waiting for people to provide them with activities. By focusing on behavior management with a free operant approach--setting up the environment so that animals may engage in a rich variety of natural activities at any point in their day without human intervention--they have the freedom to engage in a variety of behaviors, at the speed and frequency and with the repetition that they determine on their own. The animals are free to operate on their environment to gain outcomes. They are no longer waiting for people to provide activity. They can do it themselves, improving welfare through behavior.

Info: Dr. Mindy Waite will discuss recent research at her university on crate training and the use of calming caps. The calming caps study provides an interesting exploration of social validity, that domain of applied behavior analysis that delineates that interventions must be socially significant and appropriate, e.g., feasible, acceptable and ethical to consumers.

Info: Animal learner-trainer teams and behaviors to work on TBD.

Info: Kiki Yablon will explore the criteria for identifying "natural" reinforcement contingencies, when it's appropriate (or not) to incorporate such contingencies in our training, and how to manage the transition from food reinforcers to naturally occurring ones.

Info: Building on previous day's session.

Info: This talk by Morgan Katz will examine her master's research into separation anxiety.

Info: Decreasing "problem" behavior and preserving desired behavior (i.e. preventing decrease) are both central concerns for most of us working in the real world. Trainers say often when they implement a procedure and a behavior decreases "well, technically it’s punishment.” That line reflects a common confusion—treating the quadrants as if they are the whole analysis of behavior. However, many other processes might account for a decrease in response rates. Maya will examine seven hypothetical scenarios that all produce decreases in behavior using something the learner supposedly really wants (that's the lasagna in the title). Most are not punishment, only one plausibly is. The focus is on what would actually distinguish these cases in practice, and what evidence would help us identify the underlying process. The processes are not equivalent. Some produce more durable, flexible change than others—this is where a constructional approach becomes especially useful.

Info: Continuation from previous day's sessions.

Info: Presentation by Catja Pedersen.

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