Seminar met Dr. Eduardo J. Fernandez
Postponed to februari 2026. New dates will soon be published.
Eduardo J. Fernandez received his Ph.D. in Psychology (minors in Neuroscience and Animal Behaviour) from Indiana University and hisM.S. in Behaviour Analysis from the University of North Texas. Much of hispast and current research involves the behavioral training and welfare of zoo, aquarium, and companion animals. He is currently a Senior Lecturer of Applied Animal Behaviour & Welfare in the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Adelaide (Australia).
During this weekend we offer an in depth program that is taught by Eduardo J. Fernandez to the students at the University of Adelaide. This seminar is for anyone who wants to take their training skills to the next level. We will combine science with practice. We will not only delve into behavioral science and learning theory, but we will also learn how to translate this into practice. How can you improve the quality of life of an animal with training, environmental enrichment and behavioral management?
LIFE – Least Inhibitive, Functionally Effective
The purpose of this 2 hour talk is to establish a new framework for a force-free training philosophy. We will talk about the history of people ethics, animal ethics and animal training. We will discuss the ethics of training procedures based on whether they are intrusive or aversive.
SEAL theory-meets-practice
Eduardo teaches the SEAL course (Science of Enrichment and Animal Learning) to his students at the university. This is your chance to learn from the best and become a better trainer.
This course will introduce students to the principles of the science of behaviour known as learning theory. The philosophical system known as behaviourism that underlies this area of study will be explored, with a focus on the application of behavioural principles (applied behaviour analysis) to animal training, enrichment, and welfare practices and procedures.
Students will learn techniques for utilizing the principles of behaviour (i.e., respondent and operant conditioning) for the management of animals, as well as the benefits of incorporating learning principles into animal training, environmental enrichment, and behaviour management practices. The course will cover the general field of learning theory as it is practiced across a variety of animal settings, as well as how behavioural principles are derived from basic research on the experimental analysis of behaviour (EAB) and incorporated with the natural history and ethological underpinnings of animal behaviour.
Course content
- Introduction to applied behaviour analysis
- Measuring behaviour
- Planning behaviour research
- Contingencies and schedules
- Creating new behaviour
- Decreasing behaviour without punishment
- Assessment and intervention
- Ethics and welfare
- Enrichment – history and definitions
- Enrichment – theory and practice
When?
February 2026
Postponed to februari 2026. New dates will soon be published.
Location
De Schildkamp
Leerdamseweg 44, 4147 BM Asperen
The Netherlands
www.schildkamp.nl
You can book a hotel room here as well.
Registration for 2026
