When people discover that I have been a SeaWorld animal trainer for over 20 years, they almost always ask me about how we get the killer whales, dolphins, or sea lions to perform those spectacular acrobatics in our shows. In most people’s minds, it would seem, the entire focus of our animal training department is the development of show behaviors. In fact, I would argue that the most significant focus of our animal training process is in the development of husbandry behaviors.

What is a husbandry behavior? Simply put, any process which focuses on the daily, weekly, and/or long-term care of the animal falls under the category of a husbandry behavior. As a human, you likely engage in husbandry behaviors each day. Whether you are brushing your teeth, taking a shower, considering your diet, or visiting your doctor for an annual physical, you are taking steps to preserve or improve your health…husbandry behaviors!

Marine mammals in the care of people have been trained to assist in their own care for many, many years. Wild animals often mask symptoms of disease, for out in the wild, a slow, weak looking animal would be a prime target for any predator. This can make detection of illness difficult for veterinarians. Regularly scheduled examinations, blood sampling, and cultures at least gave vets a chance to find potential health problems before it became too late. Trainers began to find ways to assist the veterinarians, as well as make the procedures less stressful for the animals. Unrestrained blood draws, urine sampling, cultures, and body exams became training priorities for all of the mammals in our care at SeaWorld, as well as most other oceanariums around the world. Today, virtually every veterinary procedure can be trained -- from dental work and endoscopy to artificial insemination.