Enriched Animal Training

05/07/2025

07/06/2025

There are many new certifications out there now by organizations that didn't exist 30 years ago that charge hefty fees for them.

I'm proud to have attended this 2 year full-time program at an accredited college. It was the only one in the country at the time.

We slept on campus doing night watches, woke up early for 6 A.M. shifts to feed and clean before classes, spent most of our free time with the animals training and offering enrichment. Many students don't make it to the end and drop out early.

You won't see all the letters behind my name from these new organizations certifications because I do not believe in paying them hundreds and even thousands of dollars for them. I've got over 30 years of hands-on experience with both exotic and domestic animals which is worth more than any certifications by third parties.

I had a special interest with birds of prey and was a falconer. I worked for several years on TV and movie sets as an animal trainer. I have all the while been working independently with family dogs, helping people raise puppies and solving behavioral problems of older dogs. As a lifelong equestrian horses have always been my passion and I have expanded my services to include them. The horse industry desperately needs a shift to positive reinforcement training practices.

Learning to train exotics from the get-go, I got very good at using positive reinforcement methods because that is the only option. If we can train exotic animals in the zoo this way, there is no reason we need to use aversives with domestic animals. I am committed to using ethical training practices and educating others on how to do so as well. I am continually striving to understand animals better and to never stop learning!

29/05/2025

👏👏👏 "Aversive methods should not be used under any circumstances."

Okay, now let's do horses!

We are a group of Veterinarians, Veterinary Technicians, and Doctorate level Animal Behaviorists dedicated to improving the lives of animals and people through an understanding of animal behavior. Join us and discover how insight into animal behavior can strengthen the human animal bond and enhance....

26/04/2025

A great example of cooperative care training. It doesn't have to be just for exotic animals in captivity.

19/04/2025

Nobody regrets training a puppy early but most regret not training early. Puppy behaviors are predictable and preventable.

13/04/2025

Fear of hoses:

I'm working with a younger horse that came with a fear of the hose. He gets nervous every time his water buckets need filling, it's time to get rinsed off, or even if a hose is on the ground near the cross ties. This is no way for the poor guy to go through the rest of his life.

The first video is on day one. I'm trying to get a little before snapshot without stressing him out too much. You can clearly see with his body language and his snort that he is nervous.

The 2nd video is on day 2 of working with him. I had already introduced the short piece of hose on day one. What amazing progress! You can see that the positive reinforcement counter conditioning training is very relaxing by his dropping parts. 😉

My sessions with him are only 5 minutes per day. Stay tuned for progress updates.

17/03/2025

, Horses love them too!

03/02/2025

Looking for an indoor location to host off leash puppy socialization gatherings for puppies under 3 months old. Near RSM, Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano area. Send me any leads please! (Vets, office buildings, community centers, private businesses, warehouses, anything without carpeting that can be sanitized.)