Event Details

The focus of this course will be on operant training of laboratory animals – both as enrichment of the animal's daily environment and as a stress-reducing tool during daily management, procedures and interventions. The course participants learn the science behind habituation, operant and classical conditioning and should be able to subsequently apply this knowledge in practice. Emphasis is also placed on training planning, including evaluation of the prerequisites for the training and the establishment of criteria.

Course description and content

The course consists of lectures, theoretical exercises and demonstrations of practical training with zoo animals. The participants will not get to train the animals in Copenhagen Zoo. On successful completion of the course, participants are expected to be able to apply the principles and methods of operant training. They should be able to independently plan and carry out basic training of experimental animals using reward-based principles, including the correct use of the clicker or other conditioned reinforcers. The course concludes with a written assignment, which is submitted two weeks after the last course day. When the assignment has been approved, a course certificate is issued. Further, it is a prerequisite for getting the course diploma that the participant has participated in all three days.

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