To show off his long, super strong front flippers, Isaac has learned how to do a flipperstand. This is just what it sounds like—the seal equivalent of a handstand! Watch the steps Isaac and Justin went through to show you the incredible strength of fur seals (and that's just the front flippers!).





 Can you do a handstand? Try learning how to do one the way Isaac did!

-Lindsay

[new video coming soon...]

There are many different ways to train a behavior. Often a combination of approaches is good. It depends on how you and the animal you are working with interact and what is comfortable for both. I started training Cordova's flipper stand by asking her to touch her hind end to a target. After many trials and very little movement, I decided to give her something to put her hind end on. This didn't work very well. I should note that a great deal of time had been devoted to her keeping her hind end still for voluntary blood draws and vaccinations. Another idea was to ask her up onto something. Asking her up onto a step worked. I was able to touch her hind end as it came up with the target and reinforce the upward movement, but she still wasn't offering the upward movement to the target without the step. Cordova is an animal who enjoys being touched. I am now actually picking her hind end up trying to get her to brace her front flippers and support her weight up on them.

-Cheryl

subscribe