The Syn Alia Series on Animal Training VOLUME I: AN INTRODUCTION TO BRIDGE AND TARGET TECHNIQUE by Kayce Cover, B.S. Animal Science Assistant Editor Jenifer Zeligs Hurley, Ph.D. Copyrighted text and logo of Syn Alia Systems ; no reproduction without written permission; email [email protected] Copyright November 1991, Kayce Cover 1st Revision August 1993, 2nd Revision January 1996 Copyright January 1996 Kayce Cover Revised January 2000, Copyright January 2000 Kayce Cover Syn Alia Animal Systems 1719 D Kingston Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23503 757-630-2000 [email protected] Copyrighted text and logo of Syn Alia Systems ; no reproduction without written permission; email [email protected] This revised manual is dedicated to the excellent trainers who are working toward being certified by Syn Alia. Copyrighted text and logo of Syn Alia Systems ; no reproduction without written permission; email [email protected] Volume I: INTRODUCTION TO BRIDGE AND TARGET TECHNIQUES - TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction....................................................7 Chapter One:. The Basics of How to Train Any Kind of Animal...............8 Two Requirements Increasing Your Significance Chapter Two: The Bridge and Target..................18 The Bridge - Time........................................ Four Aspects............................................. Pinpoint Instant in Time................................ Bridge the Gap Between Completion and Reinforcement..... Secondary Reinforcer.................................... Increase Trainer's Significance......................... The Target - Location.................................... Four Aspects............................................. Pinpoint a Critical Location............................ Focuses the Animal's Attention.......................... Foundation of All Motion Based Behaviors................ Forms a Cooperative Attitude............................ Chapter Three: How to Train...............................................25 The First Signal, the "Bridge"........................... Teaching the Bridges..................................... The Target............................................... Teaching Your Animal to Target........................... Basic Targeting Skills................................... Targeting on the Target Pole, or Extension............... The Remote Target or Target Station...................... Target Hierarchies...................................... The Power of the Target................................ Introduce Concepts....................................... Fix Broken Behaviors...................................... Direct Feedback from the Animal.......................... Recognize a Point of Behavior.......................... Demonstrate Willingness to Cooperate................... Connecting the Dots...................................... "Comfortable Animals"................................ "Uncomfortable Animals".............................. Completing the Target Concept.......................... Copyrighted text and logo of Syn Alia Systems ; no reproduction without written permission; email [email protected] Chapter Four: Planning Behaviors.........................................39 Distractions and Parameters......................... Planning Behaviors....................................... Define the Behavior...................................... Goal................................................... Limits................................................. Analyze the Behavior..................................... List the Components by Priority........................ Chapter Five: Analysis of Behaviors.............................43 The Target Point......................................... Components............................................... Modules.................................................... Behavior................................................... Behavioral Chain......................................... Time and Frequency....................................... Comparison of Bridge and Target with Other Communication Systems.......... Revised Chain Axiom...................................... Chapter Six: Creating the Global Training Plan..................50 Stress Management - the Time Line................. Lifetime Behavior Priority List.......................... Identify and List Essential Behaviors.................... Analyze and Group the Components of the Essential Behaviors.............. Prioritize the Components of the Essential Behaviors..... Integrate the Components into the Time Line.............. Chapter Seven: The Individual Training Session............................53 Make a Single Point........................................ The Longer Session......................................... General Suggestions ...................................... Vary Type, Length, Difficulty and Order.................. Keep Session Concise..................................... End With a Success....................................... Chapter Eight: The Training Transaction...................................56 Appendix I: Terminology and Usage, by use......................60 Appendix II: Working Notes.....................................70 Appendix III: Terminology and Usage, by alphabetic order.......77 Copyrighted text and logo of Syn Alia Systems ; no reproduction without written permission; email [email protected] Appendix IV: Working Outline..................................85 Appendix V: Rules of Thumb....................................87 Appendix VI: Five Alternative Training Methods: .........88 Copyrighted text and logo of Syn Alia Systems ; no reproduction without written permission; email [email protected] Introduction: The Syn Alia Series on Animal Training presents "AN INTRODUCTION TO BRIDGE AND TARGET TECHNIQUE," a guide to the easiest, most efficient way to teach animals. Scientists have worked to improve our understanding of how to train animals and communicate with them, making great inroads in the past 100 years. Professional animal trainers have tested and refined scientific theories in the field, developing our understanding even further. We are now working on two-way communication, allowing and encouraging animals to communicate directly to us, rather than just giving them signals to obey. When I was employed at the University of Maryland, I conducted a literature search to see what had been written about these techniques. More specifically on what had been written about the use of the target, versus just a bridge or a food lure for training, or a comparison of target training with the rather amorphous process of "shaping". After looking at about 4,000 papers from agricultural, biological, medical and psychological data bases, I found nothing describing this technique in scientific literature. There is also virtually nothing available in popular press. Hence, I wrote this manual, to try to document these techniques and explain what we know about how and why they work. My qualifications for this task are that I have been a research and development trainer of exotic and domestic animals for about 20 years, having trained and rehabilitated animals for research and special applications, such as helping people, participation in research, or working in theater and entertainment. I have had the delightful challenge of teaching monkeys to help handicapped people, pigeons to guide the sightless, chickens to be the sole stars of a wild-west show, cows to tell scientists if they wanted food or a five-minute date with a bull, pigs to voluntarily stand while we stuck them with a 4-inch needle in order to collect blood, sea lions to breathe on cue, bears to come into transfer cages for examination.... I have implemented training and demonstration programs at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park, the University of Maryland, and a number of private zoos and ranches. My animals have entertained two presidents and their wives, numerous foreign dignitaries, governors, legislators, scientists, celebrities, audiences at the Kennedy Center and numerous other theaters and events, and more than 2.5 million visitors and audience members at educational demonstrations. However, my most significant contributions were related to protecting the quality of life, the health and the dignity of the many wonderful animal friends and colleagues with whom it has been my privilege to work. It is time that this technique be available to all animal people - scientists, animal trainers, and pet owners. Many animals that are not effectively trained by more traditional methods and end up being destroyed could be saved. The family life of pets and owners can be happier and easier. We can safeguard the health of animals by reducing the necessity of anesthesia and teaching the animals to cooperate in their own health care and management, and by teaching them to understand what is going on in the world around them, so that their stress is reduced. We can heighten the quality of our communication and working partnerships with our animal colleagues, whether for obedience, equitation, search and rescue, or other specialty work. I firmly believe that the introduction of these techniques into the general human/animal community will revolutionize animal training as most people know it today, and drastically redefine what we expect of human/animal partnerships in all arenas. If you are an animal caretaker, owner, researcher, trainer or lover, who wants to employ the most humane and efficient training methods known, this manual is for you.