Animal Behavior Conversations: The Podcast of The ABMA

Shane Gorbett, Board of Directors, The Animal Behavior Management Alliance
  • 4.9 (19)
  • PETS & ANIMALS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA) strives to spread knowledge throughout the animal care field to help enhance animal care through operant conditioning. Each episode we will discuss a topic in the world of animal care and break down the science of behavior change. To achieve this, the podcast’s host, Shane Gorbett, will interview fellow animal care professionals and experts from across the world to discuss all things training, behavior, enrichment, welfare, and much more! This podcast will be a great resource for all trainers. Let's talk some training and banter about behavior!

  1. APR 23

    77: Recap of the 2026 ABMA-IAATE Joint Annual Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States with Tzu Ying Lee, Tom Morath, & Brett Williams

    This episode, through daily live recordings, features a recap of the 2026 ABMA-IAATE Annual Joint Conference (March 30-April 2, 2026) hosted by Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio, United States. Each day of the conference, one of the presenters for the day discusses their presentation and other learning that impacted them.  Day 1: Brett Williams, North Carolina Zoo, United States Day 2: Tzu Ying Lee, Mandai Wildlife Group, Singapore Day 3: Tom Morath, Hawk Conservancy Trust & Nature’s A Hoot Podcast, United Kingdom If you are an ABMA member be sure to log in to AnimalProfessional.com to watch most of the presentations from the 2026 conference. For questions or suggestions about the podcast email abc@theabma.org.  To purchase Podcast Merchandise visit the ABMA online store at: https://www.sawdustandinkapparel.com/abma26 Let's talk some training and banter about behavior! 8:40 Day One Recap: Brett Williams, North Carolina Zoo  24:50 Day Two Recap: Tzu Ying Lee, Mandai Wildlife Group  36:00 Day Three Recap: Tom Morath, Hawk Conservancy Trust & Nature’s a Hoot Podcast

    49 min

  2. APR 9

    76: The Behaviors of Partnering for Success - A Live Panel Recording from the ABMA-IAATE 2026 Annual Conference

    This episode continues on "The Behaviors of..." series which dives into the people side of the animal care field. This episode, is a live panel recording from the 2026 ABMA-IAATE Joint Annual Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States with live submitted questions from conference attendees. The panelists discuss “The Behaviors of Partnering for Success” and give advice for both formal leadership and frontline staff.  Among other topics asked by the live audience, the panelists discuss what it means to be a good teammate, setting up systems for success, how to “disagree well”, and how leadership and staff can partner together for success. The panelist are Chris Jenkins (Virginia Zoo in Norfolk), Cinnamon Eubanks (Saint Louis Zoo - Forest Park Campus), Kit Lacy (Cascades Raptor Center) and Erin Katzner (World Parrot Trust).  For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠⁠⁠abc@theabma.org⁠⁠⁠  6:20 What does “Partnering for Success” look like in the animal care field?  10:55 What is the difference between avian and mammalian trainers?  16:25 From a leadership perspective, what does it look like to partner for success with your staff?  25:05 Advice for staff to have a discussion about partnering with their leadership on a project or initiative 33:30 Advice for when there is resistance to change because what happens now “works”  43:00 Advice for disagreeing well  51:35 Setting up a departmental system for success  1:00:10 Advice for leaders to define roles and staff to work within those roles  1:09:40 Advice when collaboration with a peer isn’t reciprocated  1:16:10 The behaviors of a good teammate  1:21:55 What changes or advancements are the panelists most excited for and how can leadership and staff work together to achieve that goal

    1h 28m

  3. MAR 5

    75: Enrichment - Where We're At and Where We're Going with a special guest panel of Nicki Boyd, Rick Hester, and Elly Neumann

    To commemorate the 75th episode of the podcast, a special guest panel discuss current progressive practices in enrichment and the future of innovative enrichment strategies. The panel consists of Nicki Boyd (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance), Rick Hester (Cheyenne Mountain Zoo & BehaviorWorks), and Elly Neumann (Jerusalem Zoo).  The discussion starts with looking to nature to inform enrichment and using that knowledge to create environments that are responsive to the animals’ experience.  Next, the panel discusses strategies for setting up an enrichment program for success.  The panel also answers listeners questions about aggression and the evolution of audio enrichment. The episode ends with looking towards the future with the role of animal personality in enrichment and innovative ways to implement a free operant strategy for enrichment.  Instead of a "Training Tale" to end the episode, each panelist gives their best advice for taking your enrichment to new heights. For questions or suggestions about the podcast or to ask any of the panelists a question email ⁠abc@theabma.org⁠ For more information on the ABMA’s virtual conference visit this link: ⁠⁠https://www.theabma.org/virtual-conference⁠ 4:35 Introduction to panelists  8:00 The focus on the animals’ experience and creating a new system  17:10 Updating the animals’ environment  24:10 How to look to nature to inform enrichment  26:40 How can we set up keepers for success when it comes to planning, implementing, and tracking enrichment  43:40 If an animal is displaying aggressive behaviors towards enrichment, can that impact the animal’s behavior outside of interactions with enrichment?  51:15  The role individual animal personality plays in enrichment  59:40 Free Operant Enrichment   1:07:45 The evolution of “audio” enrichment

    1h 24m

  4. 11/26/2025

    74: The Behaviors of Leadership at Any Level - A Live Panel Recording from the ABMA 2025 Virtual Conference

    This episode continues on "The Behaviors of..." series which dives into the people side of the animal care field. This episode, is a live panel recording from the 2025 ABMA Virtual Conference with live submitted questions from conference attendees. The panelists include leaders at all levels of animal care from keepers to curators to executive directors which give a holistic view and advice on what leadership can look like at any level in the animal care field. The panelist are Chris Jenkins, Clint Lusardi, Darren Minier, Julie Grove, Missy Lamar, Sandy Jabas, Shea Eaves, Stephanie Joe, Torianna Green, and Trelle Dandridge. Instead of the traditional "Training Tales", to end the episode the panelist provide their "Leadership Resource List" which can be found at the end of this episode's description. For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠⁠abc@theabma.org⁠⁠ 4:40 Introductions to the panelists and what does leadership mean to you?  22:45 Approaching management to encourage someone to take on a responsibility so that other coworkers feel motivated, seen, and heard  33:30 As a leader, when growing and supporting a newer leader that struggles with communication and tone, how do you best allow them to practice those skills without damaging relationships  52:20 What are the challenges of leading your peers and how do you overcome those challenges?  59:15 What advice do you have for a leader to hold their team accountable so that they are raising the team up to a higher standard instead of brining the higher achievers down to a lower standard?  1:04:20 What does it look like when a leader creates “a safe environment”?  1:09:25 What advice do you have for those who are leading amongst their peers?  1:26:20 How do you work around the thought of “You’re not my boss” when you are trying to be a leader at any level  1:33:10 For those who do not have the authority or responsibility of changing disciplinary action plans for a larger organization, what are some small changes we can make in our teams in order to model “Just Culture”  1:40:00 “Leadership Resource List”  “Leading Without Authority” by Keith Ferrazi  “It’s Your Ship” by Captain Michael Abrashoff  “Crucial Conversations”  “Just Culture”  “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott

    1h 44m

  5. 11/06/2025

    73: Pets For Vets - ABMA's 2025 Premier Sponsor

    This is a very special episode where we highlight ABMA’s 2025 Premier Sponsor: Pets for Vets with the organization’s founder and executive director Clarissa Black.  Clarissa starts by discussing how the organization was formed, what the organization does, and their very important mission.  She then gives information on how trainers can get involved with the organization and the process for applying for a pet while sharing some incredible and life-changing success stories.  Clarissa finishes the conversation by giving advice and learning into the world of therapy pet training and examples of some of the incredible training that is accomplished.  Stay tuned in for Clarissa’s "Training Tale" of teaching her puppy appropriate social interactions using a stuffed panda bear. If you would like to see a picture of Bear, the dog who inspired Clarissa to develop Pets For Vets, check out ABMA's social media channels! For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠abc@theabma.org⁠.  To contact Clarissa email cblack@petsforvets.com and to learn more about Pets for Vets and how you can get involved visit https://petsforvets.com/ 3:10 Intro to Clarissa Black  6:30 Overview and mission of Pets for Vets  10:20 How to get involved as a trainer  11:30 Success Stories  16:00 The process of choosing the specific pet for each veteran  18:50 How to apply for a pet  20:10 How to start your pet training journey  25:20 Lessons learned from zoological training that apply to pet training  30:35 Difference in training with animals that share our (home) environment  32:34 Nightmare training and other examples of training with therapy pets  38:55 Reciprocal expression and perception of behavior  45:05 Common challenges when training therapy dogs and other pets  51:00 “Training Tales”

    55 min

  6. 10/23/2025

    72: Getting "Unstuck" in Training with Ryan Cartlidge, Animal Training Academy (ATA)

    This episode Ryan Cartlidge, Animal Training Academy, discusses how to get “unstuck” in training. Ryan starts the episode by operationalizing what getting “stuck” in training may look like and the process of thinking “How do I get unstuck?”  Ryan breaks down this process into three steps 1. Building a tool kit of knowledge 2. Having the Courage to Act and 3. Having the Systems for Learning in place. Throughout the entire episode Ryan details multiple tactics and learnings that can assist in getting unstuck such as understanding reinforcement systems, videoing your training sessions, utilizing flowcharts, and so much more!   Stay tuned in for Ryan’s very unique "Training Tale" in which he was the learner. For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠abc@theabma.org⁠ and to contact Ryan and to learn more about Animal Training Academy connect with the organization in any way below:  Email >>>  Website >>> www.atamember.com Instagram >>> https://www.instagram.com/animal_training_academy/?hl=en Facebook >>> https://www.facebook.com/animaltrainingacademy/ If interested follow the link to a free month of ATA.  Sign up for 30 free days of ATA membership and then after that time period, you can roll into a full membership. >>> https://atamember.com/thanks-for-subscribing/ 6:20 Introduction to Ryan Cartlidge  12:35 Information about Animal Training Academy  16:00 What does it mean when we feel “stuck” in training  25:10 Starting the process of thinking “How do I get unstuck”? 32:50 Building a tool kit of knowledge and skills 1:00:40 Having the courage to act 1:15:10 Having the systems for learning in place  1:27:45 “Training Tale”

    1h 38m

  7. 09/18/2025

    71: The Behaviors of a Unified and Supportive Team - Part 2 with Dave O'Connell, Bearizona

    This episode continues on "The Behaviors of..." series which dives into the people side of the animal care field. This episode, which is a continuation of episode 29, Dave O’Connell, Bearizona, discusses “The Behaviors of a Unified and Supportive Team”.  The biggest takeaway from the entire episode is that one of the most important behaviors of a supportive team is the ability to talk with another.  Through talking with one another we are able to create shared team goals, disagree in a productive and positive manner, give and receive growth minded feedback, and provide effective corrective feedback.  Dave discusses that the behaviors of effective feedback include being timely, being specific, and being kind.  Dave finishes off the learning by talking about the behaviors of creating supportive and growth-minded team culture. Stay tuned in for Dave’s  "Training Tale" about how the Bearizona team continues their learning journey through “Lunch and Learns”. For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠abc@theabma.org⁠ and to contact Dave email dave@bearizona.com For more information on the ABMA’s virtual conference visit this link: ⁠https://www.theabma.org/virtual-conference⁠ To submit an abstract for the ABMA 2026 annual conference visit this link: ⁠https://www.theabma.org/abma-annual-conference 4:50 Introduction to Dave O’Connell  13:25 Creating shared goals  20:50 How to disagree well?  25:20 The behaviors of a team with a growth mindset  29:30 Giving and receiving constructive, growth-based feedback  41:20 Giving effective corrective feedback?  47:25 Advice for approaching leadership with feedback and suggestions?  55:15 The behaviors of a team with a unified and supportive culture 1:03:00 “Training Tales”

    1h 13m

  8. 08/27/2025

    70: Chaining & Behavior Chains with Justin Garner, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

    This episode Justin Garner, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, provides some great learning on behavior chains and the process of chaining.  Justin starts by breaking down the process of chaining while giving practical application examples.  The discussion then dives into how a behavior chain works and dissects what it means for each behavior in the chain to serve as both a discriminative stimulus and a conditioned reinforcer.  Justin then explains the difference between backward and forward chaining and why it is recommended to utilize backward chaining.  The discussion ends with advice on preventing behavior chain breakdown and an explanation on the difference between shaping and chaining.  Stay tuned in for Justin’s  "Training Tale" about a team and a mob of macropods reaching new heights in training.  For questions or suggestions about the podcast email ⁠abc@theabma.org⁠ For more information on the ABMA’s virtual conference visit this link: https://www.theabma.org/virtual-conference To submit an abstract for the ABMA 2026 annual conference visit this link: https://www.theabma.org/abma-annual-conference To complete the podcast feedback survey visit this link: ⁠⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/Rspt0Bk/abcpodcast2025⁠⁠ 1:30 Upcoming ABMA offerings  5:35 Definition and practical application of chaining and behavior chains 15:30 Backward chaining  22:35 Forward chaining  26:15 Recommendation to utilize backward chaining 31:15 Advice on preventing behavior chain breakdowns  33:50 The difference between chaining and shaping  38:50 “Training Tales”

    43 min
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4.9
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About

The Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA) strives to spread knowledge throughout the animal care field to help enhance animal care through operant conditioning. Each episode we will discuss a topic in the world of animal care and break down the science of behavior change. To achieve this, the podcast’s host, Shane Gorbett, will interview fellow animal care professionals and experts from across the world to discuss all things training, behavior, enrichment, welfare, and much more! This podcast will be a great resource for all trainers. Let's talk some training and banter about behavior!

Information

  • Creator
    Shane Gorbett, Board of Directors, The Animal Behavior Management Alliance
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    77
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Shane Gorbett, Board of Directors, The Animal Behavior Management Alliance
  • Show Website
    Animal Behavior Conversations: The Podcast of The ABMA

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