ANIMAL WELFARE (Position Statements) Flashcards
AVSAB:
-American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour
-promote interacts with animals based on compassion, respect and scientific evidence
Reward training
*most advantages and least harm to welfare
-promotes interactions with animals based on compassion, respect, and scientific evidence
-use to train common skills and address unwanted behaviours
Aversive training:
-rely on application of force, pain or emotion or physical discomfort
-should NOT be sued
Training methods most effective when:
-training them what to do rather than punishing them for unwanted behaviours
Treatment plan for aggression, anxiety and fear:
-environmental management
-behaviour modification
-sometimes medication
Reward over aversive:
-long-term welfare
-training effectiveness
-dog-human relationship
Stress-related behaviours during aversive training (acute effects):
-tense body
-lower body posture
-lip licking
-tail lowering
-lifting front leg
-panting
-yawning
-yelping
Long term effects with aversive training:
-aggressive behaviour towards people and other dogs
-anxiety-related behaviours (avoidance, excitability)
Techniques for reward based training:
-verbal or visual cures
-clicker or verbal marker
-toys and treats
Techniques to be avoided in training:
-tools that involve pain
-imitation
-physical correction techniques
-flooding
Why avoid aversive training?
-increased anxiety
-increased fear-related aggression
-avoidance
-learned helplessness
Cortisol increase:
-positive emotional states (eustress)
-negative emotional states (distress)
Systemic desensitization:
-very gradual exposure to the stimulus in a way that dog is feeling safe all the time
Dominance theory:
-that animals misbehave because they are striving for higher rank
Dominance:
-relationship between animals that established by aggression and submission to determine who has priority access to multiple resources
Ex. subordinate males avoid mating when the dominant bull is around
Leadership vs. wanting dominance:
-being able to influence their pets to perform behaviours willingly
Problem of applying dominance theory:
-can cause use of punishment (suppress the aggression without addressing the cause)
-dominance-submissive relationships in wild through postures
-only lasts as long as they higher-ranking individual is strong enough to retain the rank
*antagonistic relationship
Behaviour modification and training should focus on:
-reinforcing desirable behaviours
-avoid reinforcement of undesirable behaviours
-stive to address underlying emotional state and motivations
‘alpha roll’:
-submissive roll
Most common cause of aggression in dogs:
-fear
Positive veterinary experience:
-promote calm emotions by encouraging awareness of the patients experience
*strives to prevent fear, anxiety and stress
Management of sensory input:
-clean, odorless rooms
-minimize noise
-no slip
-limit bright lights
First 3 months of a puppy’s life:
-sociability outweighs fear
Process of socialization:
-handled from birth (manipulation of body parts)
-expose to many different peoples, situations and places
-many car trips
-classes?
*positive reinforcement and consistent training
-make sure they spend time by themselves and not with the owner
-proper confinement training
Breed-specific legislation:
-ineffective
-can lead to false sense of safety
-prevent owners from giving their animals vet care and treatment
Most effective way to prevent dog bites:
-matching dogs to appropriate households
-early socialization
-appropriate training
-owner and community education
Dog bite stats:
-1 in 5 require medical attention
-average 27 deaths per year
Behaviour management in aggressive dogs:
-safety
-remove triggers
