Lecture 12

Question 1

Where to touch on dogs and cats?

3pt

Answer 1

• Cats like by stroked between eyes and ears and chin
• Dogs don’t like being patted on top of the head, neck or muzzle (under the chin OK)
• Dogs don’t like being held by the collar

Question 2

What kind of location should you have for low stress?

6pt

Answer 2

• The hospital should be a calm, relaxing place.
• Have separate dog and cat waiting areas - Cats should not be placed on the floor
• Provide many visual barriers within each section.
• Provide treats / toys
• Consider having clients wait in their vehicles and not in the waiting room
• Remove the “scary signals”

Question 3

How can Veterinary staff or the owner make fear and anxiety worse?

4pt

Answer 3

• Physical punishment / raised voices can increase fear and elicit aggression
• Quick movements without warning
• Force and excessive restraint
• Dogs punished for growling stop warning before they bite

Question 4

What happens with veterinarians that work with horses?

9pt

Answer 4

• Higher risk of serious injury than firefighters and police officers
• Will suffer an average of 8 injuries during their career – Most in 1st 5 years in practice
• Limited understanding of learning principles
• Science-based behaviour modification techniques not used
• Dangerous situations handled by chemical / physical restraint
• Did little to resolve fear-based behaviour
• Produced dangerous escape responses
• Failed to address the horse’s emotional state and the environment
• Owners are less likely to call the veterinarian

Question 5

Describe horse behaviour

4pt

Answer 5

• Open plains prey species
• Evolved to perceive and react to emotional states
  —Especially fear, alarm and anger of conspecifics and other species in their environment
• Release of pressure is rewarding
  —negative reinforcement
  —Pressure on a lead or reins
  —Flight distance
• Rewards: food (e.g., clicker training,) touch and voice
  —Positive reinforcement

Question 6

How do you address the horses needs?

3pt

Answer 6

Monitor for relaxation
* When relaxed, less unwanted behaviours occur

Monitor for early signs of fear and anxiety
* Stop and consider changing approach

Creating a relaxing environment
* Calm clinic horse
* Open, non-confining areas
* Exam and treatment rooms separate
* Natural lighting
* Prevent from seeing other sick or scared horses
* Firm, stable flooring
* Avoid dark or shadowed areas
* A view (turn out pastures)

Question 7

How do you modify a horses behaviour?

4pt

Answer 7

• Habituate and Systematic Acclimation to Novel Objects and Situations - How will they be handled and what will they be exposed to?
• Avoid Flooding
• Reinforce desired behaviours and avoid reinforcing unwanted behaviour
• Avoid punishment