The S.P.I.D.E.R. Framework

The S.P.I.D.E.R. Framework was developed by Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment Animal Enrichment Program to set goals and help maintain a consistent process in animal training and enrichment.

Here at The Big Bad Project, we utilize this framework because it ensures that we’re thinking through our enrichment and training programs in order to do what is best for the animals in our care. When we talk about training, we’re not talking about teaching our animals how to roll over or spin around to be cute, we’re talking about specific behaviors that are either species-appropriate (like scent rolling or foraging) or work towards behavioral goals for voluntary medical procedures. When we ask for our animals to “sit”, it is for a designated purpose – for medical procedures, for safety purposes, etc.

So what exactly does S.P.I.D.E.R. stand for?

S is for Setting Goals. Setting a goal involves learning the natural and individual history of a species and clearly identifying behaviors we want to train. This step alone can be fairly complicated and has a lot of moving parts.

P is for Planing. This is specific to creating a training plan that helps us (as trainers) think through the steps in the training process. It provides us with an opportunity to modify things like shaping techniques, reinforcers, cues, and resources needed.

I is for Implementation. After the above two steps, it is time to execute the plan that has been developed. Trainers will actively work on shaping an animal’s behavior towards the end goal.

D is for Documentation. Trust us, we have a LOT of documentation happening behind the scenes. We keep written logs from our trainers as well as record a lot of interactions with our animals to go back and examine, keeping track of progress and noting any possible issues along the way.

E is for Evaluation. The reason we keep such thorough documentation is to evaluate our sessions through logs/videos and change course if needed. Sometimes changing course is because we notice missed opportunities upon video playback, other times it may be inconsistencies between two separate trainers.
R is for Re-Adjustment. Although this is the last step, it can be taken at any point throughout the process. We do this all the time, from re-adjusting our goals/intentions during a training session to re-adjusting the way we document our sessions.