International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

to secure the guillotine door with a bolt and nut, detach the quillotine door cable, and move the
crate around for transport. For safety, the crate must be removed and the cable must be secured
up and well away from the otters after use. This method is useful when it is too dangerous for
trainers to go in with adult otters or too dangerous for them to place their hands near the otters.
See thermometer construction/extension and target construction under “Giant Otter Training at
Dortmund Zoo”.
Variety
Giant otters, like many other mammals can become easily bored or distracted during the training
session. It is therefore very important to vary the reinforcement and the behaviors that the
animal is requested to perform. It is also often helpful to introduce novel items (e.g. play toys)
and train new behaviors on a regular basis to keep the animals interest.
Basic Training
Training may often seem as a simple and straight forward process, but it can have many pitfalls
and problems. The proper application of operant conditioning principles requires a great deal of
expertise (Ramirez 2003). Karen Pryor’s book “Don’t shoot the dog” gives a simple
introduction to basic training principles and Ken Ramirez of Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium
combined her “10 Laws of Shaping” with his own explanations. The following excerpts are
quoted from Ramirez (2003):
1. Raise criteria in very small steps By using very small steps, you will set your animal up to
succeed
2. Train one criteria at a time This will keep the goals clear and not confuse the animal...
3. Vary reinforcement before moving towards the next approximation One way to
maintain a strong response is to assure that reinforcement is varied. There are many ways
of providing variety including varying the magnitude of reinforcement, type of
reinforcements or required varied duration or repetition of the behavior being trained...
4. Relax old criteria when introducing new criteria When an animal is being introduced to
something new, it is not unusual for the animal to fail to meet all previously learned criteria.
This is acceptable at first and will minimize frustration in your animal
5. Plan ahead Have a training plan in mind and know the short term and long term goals
6. Don’t change trainers in mid-stream In order to maintain consistency with the animal it is
not wise to have different individuals training the same behavior
7. If a plan doesn’t work, change the plan Training is a dynamic process, so don’t be afraid
to change the plan
8. Don’t stop a session gratuitously It is important to stay focused and not get distracted,
don’t end a session abruptly or the animal may get confused or frustrated
9. Regress when behavior deteriorates It is normal for animals to forget or get confused.
Taking a few steps back can refresh their memory and get them back on the right track
10. End on a positive note Training should always be fun. Avoid ending a session when an
animal is frustrated; try to end with success”.
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