Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich Barbara Heidenreich

Amy Phelps is truly a pioneer in giraffe training. In this episode she shares the inspiring history of training giraffes. This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from someone who was there from the beginning, training behaviors for the very first time that have now become standard in the industry, such as training voluntary hoof care. You will get to hear the origin story of the firehose barrier so commonly used today, and its pros and cons. What is also significant is that Amy’s journey has progressed and continues to evolve. She shares exciting advances that have allowed her teams to expand far beyond a handful of behaviors. Amy also shares tactics to move past “doing things to giraffes while they stand there and tolerate it” and why this is so important to supporting assent-based training programs. This interview is packed with useful information for trainers of all species, not just giraffes. I am confident you will enjoy learning from Amy as much as I did.
Recommended Citation:
Heidenreich, B. (Producer/Writer). (2023, September 3). The History of Giraffe Training with Amy Phelps. [Audio Podcast] Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich. https://animaltrainingfundamentals.com/podcasts/the-history-of-giraffe-training-with-amy-phelps/

The information I share is frequently inspired by the work done in real life creating behavior change. This episode is no exception.  During a recent zoo consultation data collection was essential to address a behavior challenge. Our observations revealed some very interesting results which led to refinements in our intervention. So much so, that we reached our goal in two minutes in our second training session! In this episode I cover reasons to consider collecting data for animal training. I also cover what information is helpful to collect, as well as how much information is beneficial. I provide options for how to take data, where to enter it for future reference, and several resources to help use the data to develop interventions and/or reach behavior goals. Listeners can find links to additional resources on the episode webpage.
Recommended Citation:
Heidenreich, B. (Producer/Writer). (2023, August 20). The Details are in the Data [Audio Podcast] Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich. https://animaltrainingfundamentals.com/podcasts/the-details-are-in-the-data/

This episode was inspired by my own personal journey addressing some discomfort over a much-anticipated upcoming event. While helping myself become more relaxed, I was reminded of some parallels in my work with animals. The word uncomfortable can mean different things to different trainers. Therefore, I cover some common scenarios that trainers may describe as uncomfortable for animals. This might be cooperating in certain medical behaviors, or holding positions for duration, or doing behaviors in new environments.  This also requires describing observable measurable behaviors that can give trainers information that an animal might be uncomfortable. Most importantly, I cover some strategies to consider to prevent or address discomfort. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode and the real-life examples that illustrate the behavior science and its application.
Recommended Citation:
Heidenreich, B. (Producer/Writer). (2023, August 12). This is Uncomfortable...... [Audio Podcast] Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich. https://animaltrainingfundamentals.com/podcasts/this-is-uncomfortable/

The recently published article Increasing Socially Significant Behaviors for Children with Autism Using Synchronous Reinforcement by Stordahl et al. (2023) has inspired this episode. Synchronous reinforcement, episodic reinforcement, conjugate reinforcement, and demand functions can all play a role in animal training. I explore these different reinforcement options and how they are applied, how they are different, and when one strategy or combination might be better than another. Listen to this episode to learn how these reinforcement tactics can help you achieve your training goals. 
Recommended Citation:
Heidenreich, B. (Producer/Writer). (2023, July 30). Reinforcement Tactics. Different Types, What They Look Like, and How You Can Use Them. [Audio Podcast] Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich.https://animaltrainingfundamentals.com/podcasts/reinforcement-tactics-different-types-what-they-look-like-and-how-you-can-use-them/

When innovative ideas emerge in the animal training world it can spark conversation. For some it evokes behavior change, for others not just yet, and maybe not ever. When there is resistance to emerging ideas, it can be frustrating for those who have been reinforced by changing their behavior. But as we will examine, resistance can be a very rational response. In this episode we look at some of those barriers to new information in animal training. I also share various ways to address those challenges so that trainers can more easily access reinforcers that can be gained from embracing emerging views in animal training. And finally, I delve into many of my own personal “growing pains” and strategies I have used to facilitate learning new concepts and their application.

Are you convinced your animals love it when you talk to them? Or perhaps it is the opposite, maybe it seems like your words mean absolutely nothing. In some cases, it may feel like your voice is helpful and in other cases it may seem like talking to them only made things worse. How can this be? In this podcast I cover a variety of scenarios and explain how talking can impact training in desired and undesired ways. I explore the behavior science behind what we observe so you can decide what will best help you get desired results with the animals in your life.
Recommended Citation:
Heidenreich, B. (Producer/Writer). (2023, July 8.) Pros and Cons About Talking While Training [Audio Podcast] Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich. https://animaltrainingfundamentals.com/podcasts/pros-and-cons-about-talking-while-training/