08 How Do You Know if Behavior is Fluent?

Animal Training Fundamentals with Barbara Heidenreich

​Fluency may seem intuitive ….on the surface. In behavior terms it is currently defined as the fluid combination of accuracy and speed that characterizes competent performance, in other words doing the right thing without hesitation. However doing the right thing in real life application can involve many different measures. In this podcast Barbara Heidenreich discusses what criteria to measure to evaluate whether a behavior is being presented with accuracy. The benefit of measuring is that it highlights what aspects of the behavior have been successfully trained and what particular aspect(s) still need work to achieve fluency. Barbara shares examples relevant to both zoo and companion animal trainers. Visit the episode webpage for video examples from the podcast.