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Handlers wear sock puppets resembling the target species, and interact via the puppet while the human face pretends to be ignoring the action. If the animals imprint on the puppet, it stops existing when the handler takes it off, and the nearest alternatives are live animals of their own species.

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Is that confusing or damaging to the animal?

Do they perceive the "stops existing" as dying? Should the handler remove the sock puppet out of view of the animal?

Not a biologist, but I've always found my dog interesting if I step on him by mistake. He barks and snaps at my shoes, trying to attack them. Stops if I take them off, and it doesn't alter his relationship with me in any way. It's like the shoe on me is a distinct animal from the shoe off me, and neither of them is related to me in any way.

Which kind of dog? Mine are curious when I get new shoes or clothes but seem to appreciate that this related to my fur deficiency.

West Highland Terrier. And yeah, he's curious about clothes, but footwear stepping on him seems very different.

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