Animal welfare and behaviour Flashcards
Concepts related to animal welfare
Feelings
Health
Needs
Stress
Freedoms
Ability to cope
Sentience
What does coping with imply?
Mental+physical stability
react + withstand
changes in environment
5 welfare needs
Environment
Diet
Normal behaviours
Housed with/apart
Protection from pain, suffering, injury & disease
Meaning of emotional adaptability
Relate emotions with experiences & changes in environment
Can alter responses to help them cope
Sentience meaning
Ability & awareness
Feel & experience emotions
Learn from exp.
Process & adapt to these experiences
Speciesism
Humans = superior to other non-humans
Only humans shld have rights & protection
Utilitarianism
All animals are equal
Advocated by Peter Singer
Sentience is the only important criterion
Animal rights position on using animals
Animals shld never be used for humans’ benefit
Morally wrong
Causes pain and suffering
Animal welfare position on using animals
Can be done for humans’ benefit
As long as it doesn’t cause suffering/ pain
Primary animal welfare legislation in Scotland?
Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) 2006
What 4 criteria for protected animals in primary act?
Vertebrate
Endemic to the UK
Under control of humans
Not living in a wild state
What is a prohibited procedure?
That can only be done by QP (e.g. VS)
Exclude medical surgical treatment
e.g. mutilation
Examples of secondary legislations
Prohibited procedures on protected Animals (Exemptions) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2017
Microchipping of dogs (Scotland) Regulation 2016
Possible repercurtions if someones doesn’t comply with Care Notice?
Repossession & removal of animal
Disqualification or seizure order
Fine
Prison
Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021
Secondary leg.
What are 2 things a breeding establishment needs before it can operate?
Satisfactory insepction by Local Authority
Licence issued
When do you need a licence to breed?
If breeding 3 or more litters during 12 month periods (dogs/cat)
If more than 6 litters under 12 mo. (rabbits)
For cats, what is the max amount of litters/ year?
2 litters per cat max per annum
4 Licence conditions for dogs
Min. 12 mo
Max. 8 yo
Max 1 litter/year
Max 6 litters/ lifetime
4 licence conditions for cats
Min. 10 mo
Max. 8 yo
Max 2 litters/year
Max 8 litters/ lifetime
4 licence conditions for rabbits
Min. 5 mo
Max. 6 yo
Max 4 litters/year
Max 16 litters/ lifetime
Microchipping regulations for licence holders?
Must microchip dogs and register their details
What is category 3 dog breed?
Identified by KC as part of their Breed Watch Scheme (highest concern - conformation - health & welfare)
4 welfare implications for puppies from puppy farms?
Increase mortality
More prone to health issues
Less likely to be vaccinated
Trauma possible if removed too young from mum
Lack of socalisation
2 examples of healthand welfare issues due to intensive dog breeding
Syringomyelia - CKC - Small skull size + cysts in spinal cord blocking spinal fluid
Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome - Pug - breathing issues
Why is ear cropping a welfare issue?
Infections
Painful/ time to heal
Affects communication
Affect temperament
Dogs behaviour: what do dogs do but not wolves?
Habituated to humans
Don’t eat prey they hunted
Barking even though adults (dogs remain juveniles - only young wolves bark)
How are dogs physically different from wolves?
Smaller brain to body mass ratio
Less powerful jaws
Compacted teeth
Come into oestrus twice as often
Dog behaviours that could be an issue
Digging
Howling
Greeting ritual
2 examples of behaviours linked to specific genes
Dopamine receptor gene - rage syndrome/agreesive issues in Cocker spaniels
Cadherin gene - canine compulsive disorder - Doberman
4 behavioural traits useful to match dogs and new dog owners?
Trainability
Housetraining
Affection towards family
Aggression to family
Behavioural characteristics of neonates
Rooting reflex (no thermoregulation)
Suckling reflex (to find teats)
Olfactory imprinting
Head bobs up and down
7 groups of dogs
Gundogs
Working dogs
Herding dogs
Hounds
Terriers
Companion Toy
Companion utility
Transitional period - dogs
2-4 weeks
Eyes opening 10-16 days
Startle response
Anogenital licking by dam stops
Movements more coordinated
Start social play
Best socialisation period for dogs
6-8 weeks optimum
Puppies lose natrual relaxed emotional state after 12 weeks
For social attachments 14-49 days
Human socialisation - 7-12 weeks
Juvenile period in dogs
12 weeks - 6 mo
Raised leg urination
Inappropriate behaviour
Flight instinct period - 4-8 months
May begin to show interest in females (4mo)
Adulthood
6-12 mo (breed dependent) - up to 24 mo in larger breeds
Reduce level of play and interactions
How does learn?
Habituation & sensitisation
Associative learning/ classical conditioning
Trial & error/ Operant conditioning
Observational learning
Habituation definition
Waning of a response to an event/ stimulus that has no consequences or purpose
Classical conditioning
2 unrelated events become connected
4 quadrants of operant conditioning
Positive reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Positive punishment
Negative punishment
Positive reinforcement
Positive reinforcement is when your dog receives a reward that encourages them to repeat a behavior we like.
Negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement is when something your dog dislikes is removed as a reward, to encourage them to repeat a behavior we like.
Positive punishment
Positive punishment is when something your dog dislikes happens to discourage them from repeating an unwanted behavior.
Negative punishment
Negative punishment is when something your dog likes is taken away to discourage them from repeating an unwanted behavior.
Habituation definition
Learn to ignore a stimulus that doesn’t serve any purpose
Example of innate behaviour vs learned behaviour in cats
Suckling reflex vs using a cat flap
Facial expression of cat when nervous and uncomfortable
Large dilated pupils
ears turned out to sides
What can purring indicate in a cat?
Contentment or pain
Example of cat behaviour learned through operant conditioning?
Being in a cat carrier
Main life stages of cats
Neonatal
Early socialisation
Late socialisation
Adolescence
Adult
Senior
Neonate period in cats
0-2 weeks
Eyes open by 14 days
Cannot thermoregulate
Early socialisation in cats
3-8 weeks
Milk + solids
Start play
Start using litter
Late socialisation in cats
9-16 wk
Solid foods
Playful
Adolescence in cats
17 wks - 1 yo
Less payful
Sexual maturity
Examples of stereotpic cat behaviours
Inappropriate elimination (middening, soiling, spraying)
Fear aggression
Redirected aggression
Normal behaviours for horses in the wild
Herd hierarchy
Grazing
Socialising & interacting
Reproducing
Impact that domestication has had on normal behaviour
Being stabled
Being ridden
Diet changes with potential health repercutions
Roaming restricted
Non-selective Breeding
How can domestication have impacted horses?
Increased stress
Dietary problems
Respiratory problems
Stereotypic behaviour
Life stages of horses
- Foal: 0-12 months
- Weanling: weaned = ca 6mo
- Yearling: 12 mo
- Filly (female): 12mo – 4 yo then Mare
- Colt (Male): 12 mo – 4 yo then Stallion/ Gelding
Sleep requirements for horses
2-5 hours/day
Slow wave sleep - standing up or lying down
REM sleep - only need 30 mint
Acoustic signals in horses
- Neighs – when separated
- Nickers – encourage to come near
- Squeal – defensive threat
- Snort – degree of alarm
- Groan soft – discomfort/ fatigue
- Roar – extreme arousal, threaten severe physical violence
2 learning processes for animal training
Classical & operant conditioning
Reinforcement vs punishment
Increase likelihood of wanted behaviour vs decrease likelihood of unwanted behaviour
What method can be used if dog is reactive to firework?
De-sensitisation and counter-conditioning
5 approaches used in enrichments
Sensory
Occupational
Social
Physical
Nutritional
Purpose of using occupational enrichment?
Stimulate cognitive development & physical exercise
