27 Feb Rethinking Animal Training: How We Can Move Beyond Linear Analysis
If you’ve spent any time in the world of animal training, you’ve probably heard a lot about operant conditioning—reinforce what you want, ignore or replace what you don’t. But what if there’s a better way? A way that doesn’t just focus on controlling behavior, but instead builds a more adaptive, confident, and engaged learner?
This is where we start to rethink the foundation of our training. Instead of focusing on linear behavior models—where every action is met with a consequence that either increases or decreases its likelihood in the future—we look at what’s actually maintaining a behavior in the first place.
The Problem With Behavior Replacement
When training animals, the typical model often assumes that if a behavior is undesirable, the best approach is to replace it with something else. If a parrot is screaming for attention, we might teach them to whistle instead.
But what if the real issue isn’t the behavior itself, but the underlying reason why the bird is behaving that way? What if the screaming isn’t just about attention, but lack of skills on how to find equal reinforcement value in the environment? What if stepping into the crate isn’t just about reinforcement, but about whether the bird truly understands and feels safe in the process?
When we simply swap one behavior for another, we often miss the bigger picture. And if we ignore what’s actually reinforcing the original behavior—whether it’s space, safety, or autonomy—then we’re not truly addressing the root of the issue.
Assessing the Critical Contingency: What Is the Animal Actually Asking For?
Instead of asking, “How can I get this bird to do what I want?” we ask, “What does this bird actually value?”
One of the biggest breakthroughs in my training came when I realized that food isn’t always the most important motivator. I worked with an ornate hawk-eagle who had almost no training history. The standard advice? Pair my presence with food so that she’d associate me with positive reinforcement.
But she wouldn’t eat in front of me. Not a single bite.
So I sat there for 12 minutes, watching her just hold onto the rat I had given her, not eating. And then it clicked. She didn’t want the food – I was missing the actual reinforcer. What she really wanted was for me to go away.
So instead of forcing the interaction, I started shaping her behavior with distance. She looked at the food? I stepped back. She shifted toward it? I gave her more space. I let her control the session, and over time, she started building trust. She learned that her actions influenced the environment in a way that felt safe to her.
Expanding an Animal’s “Skill Set” Instead of Assuming We Know What the Bird Wants
When animals have very few skills—especially those who have lived in restrictive environments or have been trained only through rigid reinforcement schedules—they often struggle with problem-solving.
A parrot that only knows how to step up or go back in a cage doesn’t have a lot of tools to navigate the world. A falcon that only flies for food doesn’t have a broad enough set of experiences to adapt when conditions change.
That’s why I focus on expanding skill sets, not just reinforcing isolated behaviors.
Instead of asking, “Does this bird step up?” I ask, “How many different things can this bird confidently do?”
- Does the bird have affiliative behaviors, like relaxed tail wagging or preening near a trusted trainer?
- Can the bird approach on their own, or do they always need to be coaxed?
- Do they engage with enrichment?
- Can they accept handling or care in a way that gives them choice and control?
When an animal has a broad skill set, they have more ways to interact with their world. That means they’re less likely to fall into extreme avoidance, aggression, or frustration-based behaviors.
So Where Do We Go From Here?
This isn’t about throwing out reinforcement-based training—it’s about making it better. It’s about understanding that motivation isn’t just about food, and behavior isn’t just about consequences.
When we shift our mindset from reinforcing behavior that we want to developing more skills that benefit the animal overall, we create animals that aren’t just well-trained, but resilient, engaged, and capable of adapting to the world around them.
And that’s when training stops being just about using food to achieve a behavior—and starts being about true, meaningful communication. These last few weeks we have been working on degrees of freedom with our new Andean condor with various training sessions. We can see the change happening right in front of us, and we can’t wait to share more with you!
Want to learn more about how we apply these techniques?
At Avian Behavior International, we use progressive, science-backed training methods to build trust and create positive relationships between birds and humans. Whether you’re working with a parrot, a raptor, or another intelligent species, understanding their individual needs is key to long-term success. Get 2 weeks FREE inside the Avian Behavior Lab, and start upgrading your training skills today!