I.Q. Zoo- More than just training animals for entertainment

Many who visited Hot Springs,Arkansas, have fond memories of the I.Q. Zoo. The exhibits featured animals trained by Keller and Marion Breland Bailey. When I started researching I didn't expect to find much about the I.Q. Zoo. How wrong I was.

I remember seeing these trained animals on the East coast where I was raised. I visited Atlantic City, New Jersey, and the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. Both places had trained animals. I was fascinated to see a chicken beat human players at Tic Tac Toe. I never did figure out how it was done.

The Brelands trained all kinds of domestic and exotic animals using rewards for training. Dogs and cats were actually trained by contract for the military. Marion Breland Bailey was believed to be the first person to train a cat, not the easiest task, for use in TV commercials.

The Brelands developed the first dolphin training manual. The same techniques are still in use today. They had a hand in training some of the dolphins for Marineland, Florida, one of the first parks of its kind.

The back of each of the animal postcards reads:

This performing animal demonstrates a brand new method of animal training. The animal has been trained by animal psychologist Keller Breland, at Hot Springs, Arkansas. Breland’s animals learn by the reward system. No punishment is used. Once trained, they never forget and will happily perform for anyone. These educated animals are nationally famous. They have been featured on television and in Life, Popular Mechanics, Reader’s Digest and other national magazines.

There is actually a website dedicated to the I.Q. Zoo. It is hosted by Robert C. Bailey and the University of Central Arkansas. They have photos, videos and articles posted about the animals and their trainers. 

There are lots of links to explore if you are interested in learning more about the I.Q. Zoo. The APA (American Psychological Association) has a page dedicated to the I.Q. Zoo. It was here I learned that Eddie, the Jack Russell Terrier from Frazier was trained by Marian Breland Bailey. Robert Bailey was Marian's second husband. Keller Breland died of a heart attack in 1965, 10 years after opening the I.Q. Zoo. Marian and her second husband Bob continued and expanded the training until her death in 2001.For more information:

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2008/09/animals.aspx

http://www3.uca.edu/iqzoo/iqzoo.htm

http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2538

https://www.uakron.edu/chp/abe/the-iq-zoo/