Zoo Workshop
Training at the Zoo, with Lara Joseph
The Animal Behavior Center
Lara Joseph
Professional Animal Behavior Consultant & Trainer
Member of:
Here’s what you’ll get!
- two full days of training at the zoo
- side-by-side training and guidance with Lara Joseph
- hands-on training with a variety of species
- off-contact, protective-contact, and full-contact training
- auditing spots available
Registration is offered first to our members, and then to the public. Once we open it up, you’re encouraged to register as soon as you can. Our first one sold out in less than a week!
Workshop Dates:
June 13-14, 2020
Here’s an example of what you'll learn!
About the Zoo Workshop
We can fine-tune our understanding of behavior and use of positive reinforcement through training multiple species and species we’ve never worked with before.
We will be training a wide variety of animals, multiple animals at once, working individually with animals and as a group. Some of the species we have to work with will be bears, lemurs, giraffe, primates, bobcats, wolves, parrots, coatimundis, and so much more.
Some of the topics we will apply in our training and discussions are: rates of reinforcement, understanding behavior through target training, recall, luring, fading prompts, working with over-bonded animals, resource guarding, off-contact training, protective contact training, reinforcer effectiveness, identifying motivation, creating motivation, creating conditioned reinforcers, understanding behavior through training applications, the matching law, recall, and a lot of shaping.
This workshop is always offered first to those in our Membership Programs. Once registration is open to the public, you will see the opportunity to pay and reserve your spot. If you want to attend this workshop, you must have a basic understanding of positive reinforcement. Lara will help you work on the rest.
For information on travel and lodging click here.
Pricing
There are two options available for the Zoo Workshop
Working Spot – $700/person for both days
(5 spots per workshop)
- Interaction and training the animals via off-contact, protective-contact, and full-contact training
- Side-by-side training, guidance, and observation with Lara Joseph
Auditing Spot- $400/person for both days
(5 spots per workshop)
- ability to observe working registrants training with Lara Joseph
- ability to ask questions between training sessions and during breaks
Cancellation policy: Full payment is needed to reserve your spot. If you need to cancel, you have 30 days prior to the workshop to do so. After 30 days, your payment will be refunded if we can find someone to fill your spot
What people are saying about Lara's Zoo Workshop!
Gifted trainer Lara Joseph has designed the Zoo Training Workshop to offer students of animal behavior and training an unprecedented learning experience: to safely work with a wide variety of species of zoo animals, large and small, predator and prey, in public and behind the scenes. Lara teaches developing trainers the importance of having a sound understanding of the scientific principles of training followed up with the practical application of these principles. During the Zoo Training Workshop, Lara’s expert guidance and support provides trainers with a truly unique and highly valuable opportunity to exercise their timing, mechanics and problem-solving skills, through working with species they may have only dreamed of training!
Shaune Whaley
aspiring animal trainer
Training along side Lara Joseph really helped polish my training technique as well as added valuable information to strengthen my training skills. It was a beneficial experience to be able to apply what I learned through the memberships in a controlled environment with someone by my side to guide me if I had any questions. I highly recommend attending one of Lara’s zoo workshops if you’re interested in challenging your training, experiencing new situations and animals to work with, and/or interested in becoming an animal behavior consultant using applied behavior analysis.
Melanie Canatella
zoo workshop
Experiencing Lara’s zoo workshop is exactly that, an experience. It’s something that can’t be replicated in a video or podcast or blog. You have to be there in person to be exposed to an array of species, having personal and immediate feedback on your techniques and seeing the progression that takes place in such a short period of time. Not only with your skill sets but with the amazing animals we worked with as well. Regardless of your species focus this workshop provides growth and refinement in so many areas such as target training, recall, timing, husbandry, medical prep and more. My skills in positive reinforcement have improved drastically through this intimate and hands-on experience. I’m thankful to have been a part of this great workshop and would recommend it to anyone interested in growing their skills.
Joanna Camburn
zoo workshop
Working with Lara Joseph is always an incredible learning experience. This zoo workshop and hands on experience is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to take their training skills using ABA and positive reinforcement to another level. I highly recommend it.
Sylvia Koczerzuk
zoo workshop
The Zoo Training Workshop was an immersive and unforgettable experience. Lara Joseph guides you through an exciting two full days of training a wide variety of species ranging from hoof stock, primates, wild cats, and so much more. It was a challenging but encouraging workshop where I experienced things I never thought I could, all while feeling safe and and receiving one-on-one attention throughout the process. You will start to form bonds with the animals in just two short days and learn how responsive animals can be to positive reinforcement training, all while learning and using the basics of applied behavior analysis. I highly recommend this workshop whether you’ve been training animals your whole life, or maybe just starting out. It was truly an amazing experience!
Amanda Cagna
Zoo Workshop
