Learning, motivation, and social interaction in modern dolphin training

Yumi Shimozato

Dolphin training is widely practiced in zoological facilities for performance, husbandry, research, and daily management, yet many of its practical principles remain insufficiently formalized in the scientific literature. This Perspective aims to provide a citable academic framework for modern dolphin training by synthesizing trainer-based practical knowledge within established concepts from learning theory and animal behaviour. Major components of modern dolphin training include reinforcement-based learning including shaping, social interaction and observational learning, and exploratory and play-like interaction. Cooperative husbandry training is also considered a welfare-oriented practice that enables voluntary participation in medical and management procedures. By organizing practical training knowledge within an academic framework, this Perspective aims to bridge the gap between field-based expertise and scientific description and to provide a foundation for future work on animal welfare, comparative cognition, and applied animal behaviour in socially complex species.