Antecedents

Sometimes Otto the Great Horned Owl chooses not to step on my glove. As the trainer, it's my job to try to figure out why. Animal trainers use an ABC framework to analyze behavior:

A: Antecedent (what happens before the behavior?)

B: Behavior (what does the animal do?)

C: Consequence (what happens afterward?)

The antecedent is arguably the most important part of the equation. Without certain elements in the environment, the behavior won't happen. If I don't keep ice cream stocked in my freezer, I won't eat it!

One antecedent that I track carefully with our raptors is their weight. If Otto's weight is too high, he won't be interested in training. If his weight is too low, he may be too desperate for food to pay attention to training. I try to keep him at a perfect Goldilocks weight where he is hungry enough to work, but not too desperate.

Another antecedent that influences his weight and willingness to work is the weather. He may have been the perfect weight yesterday, but if it was an especially warm evening he may not be as interested in food today. Or a sub-zero night can help him be more motivated to hop on glove for a tidbit.

So if Otto doesn't step on my glove, I think through the whole antecedent. Was his weight too high? What was the weather like last night? Was there a loud noise that startled him? Was he distracted by a bird flying by? Was I wearing a different hat? In our next training session, I can set up a new antecedent to see if that helps. Each session is an experiment!