Choice-based Cooling

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It was a hot and humid day. I was feeling sluggish and the birds were, too. They always have water pans available to bathe in, but I wanted to try offering another cooling option. 

Carson the Red-tailed Hawk loves taking a shower in the rain, so wouldn't she like a little mist from a spray bottle on a hot day? Unfortunately, she has always been uncomfortable around spray bottles and flees from them whenever they come out. On this steamy day, I decided to try a different approach. What if I gave her the power to turn the spray bottle on and off?

I stepped in the mew and waited until she came close to me on the right side of the long perch. I sprayed a bit of water on her toes, then delivered a treat on the other side of the mew. I stepped back to my original position and waited. After a moment, Carson hopped back to the right side of the perch. The spray bottle turned on. This time she wasn't terribly comfortable and took a step to the side. The spray bottle turned off and I left a treat on the far side of the perch. Would she come back to turn the spray bottle on again? She hopped back for another spray and we continued the pattern back and forth several more times.

Carson learned that I would not spray her unless she returned to the right side of the perch. Similarly, she could make the spray turn off if she stepped away. And by resetting with a treat on the other side of the mew, Carson got to choose to get sprayed again. Giving her control over the situation and the ability to say, "no" actually made her more likely to participate and have fun!

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