Ocean Park has been involved in husbandry training for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) for many years. Throughout these years of training, we have developed a wide scope of husbandry training for different cases, such as training for specialized medical procedures like ophthalmic examinations, dental treatment, and artificial insemination.
Learning can take place in two key states of mind: either in a state of active thinking, or a state of anxious reactivity. Keeping an animal thinking actively is fundamental to ensuring that their learning remains on a path of steady progress. One of the most common ways for an animal to become stressed and reactive is for them to not be succeeding on a consistent basis.