This was a really fun trip. My sister Kate works with a great training team at the Creature Conservatory to reduce stress and make vetting safe and fearfree for the animals. The facility does a really nice job providing enrichment to the animals. They take in animals that were previously pets, animals born into captivity that could not be released, and some that need special housing due to injuries. I didn't realize that clicker training could be used with so many different animals. I watched Kate and Kim use clicker training with a coyote, cougar, and woodchuck.

This video shows clicker training they've used with Harper the cougar to train her to sit very close to the protected contact vetting barrier to receive a rabies shot. I would love to see the steps it took to get her to the point where she's at with training. Once Kim says "hip", Harper walks up and sits next to the bars. Then, with her hip pressed up to the bars, she gets a slight pinch to mimic the feeling of receiving a shot. After the pinch, the "click" tells her that she has completed the behavior and a treat is tossed to the other side of the room. That way she can decide if she still wants to participate and walk back up to the bars. Feeding away from the barrier in this method gives the animal an opportunity to consent to continue the vetting.

I really suggest checking out the Creature ConservatoryiIf you live in the Ann Arbor area. They do tours where you can learn about these animals and how to help preserve them in the wild.

www.catastrophicreations.com