Rambo, M. 2011. Nonhuman primate positive reinforcement training: Flexible resource approach. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 777 (Abstract #P149).

In a review of current literature on positive reinforcement training, the majority of sources suggest that in order to produce results worthy of the time investment, training sessions must be held 2 to 3 times per week at regular intervals. We investigated the possibility of training animals at irregular intervals and frequency so that training could be accomplished while not impacting other time commitments and responsibilities. We trained one room of 12 singly housed, non-naïve, adult male cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis), investing 1.5 to 2.5 h per animal over a period of 21 mo. Training sessions lasted 5 to 10 min per animal, at varying times of day, from 0 to 3 times per week. All training took place in the animals’ home cages. The initial work involved conditioning the secondary reinforcer (a clicker device), taking an average 5 to 10 min per animal, and desensitizing the animals to the trainer (an individual the monkeys were unfamiliar with), which took 0 to 30 min per animal. Animals were then trained to station on a perch at the front of the cage when the trainer approached, move toward and follow a laser dot presented at locations inside their cage, move toward and follow the trainers’ hand presented at locations outside their cage, present body parts to the cage front, present hands and feet for initial nail trimming training, and to calmly present their collar at the cage door opening and allow pole attachment. Results of training included increased willingness to participate, decreased time to acquire new behaviors, improved quality and duration of learned behaviors, and less aggressive gestures directed toward the trainer and other monkeys. Our results show that positive reinforcement training can be successfully accomplished using an irregular training schedule.