In animal training, we sometimes hear about the threshold of tolerance, but what is the threshold of tolerance and how can we manage it?

It is a term that refers to the level or point at which an animal begins to show signs of stress or discomfort in response to a specific stimulus. This concept is crucial for understanding and managing an animal's behavior, as it allows us to identify the limits within which the animal can behave without showing significant frustration or discomfort.

As trainers or caregivers, we often encounter situations with our animals in our daily routines that present behavioral problems, and we may not always know how to solve them, or rather, how to begin developing a plan to improve or resolve them as soon as possible.

Daniela Stefany Mayorquin Moreno es médica veterinaria  Dipl.  ULS, coordinadora de entrenamiento animal de Bioparque Ukumarí, Pereira-Risaralda.

Dayro Alonso Palma Conda es zookeeper Élite del Bioparque Ukumarí en el área de Chimpancés. Pereira-Risaralda.

Elías Silva Revoyedo es promotor senior de Primates en el Zoológico de Cali. Colombia

Jorge Iván Sánchez Quintero es biólogo y entrenador animal, dueño y administrador de Mono Lanudo Pet Shop. Villamaria, Caldas, Colombia.

Jorge Iván Sánchez Quintero is a biologist and animal trainer. He graduated from the University of Caldas (Colombia) and has presented numerous lectures (as a speaker and lecturer) in Colombia and Latin America on conditioning and animal training for the welfare of animals under human care.

When it comes to training animals, as you know, there are different methods for modifying behavior. However, when dealing with unwanted behaviors, one possible strategy among the wide range available is through a concept known as extinction.

We can confidently state that nearly everyone who has worked with or observed animals for a significant amount of time has witnessed some form of aggressive behavior.