Why study animal behaviour Flashcards
ethology
Science of Behaviour
Animal Ethology
The scientific study of animal behaviour especially as it occurs in a natural environment.
Applied ethology
The study of the behaviour of animals that are under some form of human management.
A growing scientific field that is helping to improve welfare of animals.
Behaviour
An activity or pattern of activities
Involves some action or response to a stimulus which initiates or triggers it.
Behaviour is the expression of the effort to adapt or adjust to different internal and external conditions.
Ethograms
Catalogue of typical behaviours that characterise a species (not an individual)
Analysing behaviours in domesticated species calls for a comparative approach.
Ex: understanding predatory behaviour in wolves or coyotes is used to help us understand behaviours in the domestic dog.
Natural selection
“Survival of the fittest”
Rewarded specific behaviours within a species.
Prey species are much more reluctant to exhibit pain than predatory species.
Implications for analgesia are: undermedication, not knowing anything is wrong until close to death, have little time to find out whats wrong
Beef cows – mothering ability
Types of behaviour
Reflexive
Instinctive
Learned
Complex
Reflexive behaviour
Simplest types of behaviour, usually involving a specific body part and mediated by the spinal column in response or reaction to an external stimulus.
Instinctive behaviour
More complex, primarily hereditary in origin
Often involving several actions in rapid sequence
Trail and error behaviour
Acquired through experience or “trial and error”.
In general,positive experiences increase the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated, and negative experiences decrease that likelihood
Learning expands on an animal’s instinctive behaviours
Observational behaviour
All animals, particularly the young, observe and imitate behaviours.
Ex. Calves watch cows approach and drink from automatic watering systems.
The calves imitate adults’ behaviour and are rewarded by water
Learned behaviours are the easiest to modify.
Complex behaviour
Include elements of reflexive, instinctive and learned behaviours.
Categories of complex behaviours include:
Agonistic “fight or flight”
Reproductive
Eliminative
Ingestive
Shelter seeking
Care-soliciting
Importance of behaviour to the vet tech
SAFETY
Ability to help “treat” or “modify” undesirable behaviours in patients.
To assist clients with behavioural issues
Understand how animals learn and use that knowledge to “teach” them more acceptable responses to a given situation.
Always remember that animals learn whether we are actively teaching them or not.
We have the greatest chance of modifying a learned behaviour.
We have very little influence on reflexive or instinctive.
Moderate success in altering complex reactions.
Goals as pet care professionals
Provide a good experience
Make the animal (and owner) better, not worse!
Behaviourally
Medically
Every interaction teaches the animal something.
Friend or Foe??
Able to guide and support the animal??
Low stress handling
When we use low stress handling when appropriate
Save time for future visit
Be safer for all involved
Reduces stress for animal, owner, and vet team
Creates stronger bond
