Training a Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) for Voluntary Foot Radiographs at Dubai Safari Park
When 0.1 Reticulated Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) began displaying signs of lameness and a persistent swelling of the front left pastern joint, an operant based training program was created for front foot radiographs to diagnose and better manage lameness. Using a protected contact set up, behaviour was shaped using a positive reinforcement procedure. A series […]
The effects of operant training on blood collection for domestic cats
The impact of operantly training domestic cats to accept jugular blood collections in a dorsally recumbent (novel) position was assessed. Cats were assigned to one of three groups: Group 1 (N = 14): no training, traditional jugular blood collection; Group 2 (N = 17): trained in novel position but traditional blood collection method used; Group […]
Training giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) for front foot radiographs and hoof care
For a large herd of reticulated giraffes, a mainly operant-based training program was created for front foot radiographs and hoof trims in an effort to diagnose and better manage lameness. Behaviors were shaped in a restricted contact set-up, using a positive reinforcement procedure to teach a series of mastered cued behaviors. This training was used […]