In 1990 I began my training career with pinnipeds for public presentations, interactive programs, and advanced husbandry behaviors. Due to the sea lion facility being zoo based, the opportunity arose to consult in other areas of the zoo that had training needs and thus initiated a zoo wide training program.

I was able to teach keepers to train a variety of zoo species utilizing operant conditioning techniques from simple shifting to complex behaviors in order to cooperate in their own medical care. I quickly became passionate with the ability to teach keepers how to provide the best possible care for their animals which includes shifting animals on/off exhibit or from one enclosure to another as well as to perform medical behaviors from body part presents to advanced behaviors such as blood collection and hand injections. This was a challenge initially as the training with various zoo species in a protected contact setting is quite different from training a seal or sea lion where they are able to physically interact with you. Protected contact was a novel concept to me and means there was now a barrier between you and the animals (eg. fencing, mesh).