Training is enrichment - and beyond

Westlund argued that positive-reinforcement training should be viewed as a form of environmental enrichment in its own right, not merely a husbandry convenience. She described how training sessions provide cognitive challenge, predictability, control and positive interaction, engaging animals' problem-solving and giving them agency over events. The paper made the case that teaching animals to participate voluntarily in their care reduces stress and improves welfare while also enabling better veterinary and management procedures. It is widely cited in the cooperative-care movement, supporting the integration of training into routine animal management. For big cats, it frames voluntary behaviours such as target-following, shifting and presenting for injection as both welfare-enhancing enrichment and practical husbandry.