Animal Behaviour and Welfare

Instructor

Dr. G. A. Lozano
Office: Across the student lounge
Phone: (345) 745 3199 ext. 4007
email: glozano@smuvetmed.com

Course Description

Behaviour can be studied and understood from several complementary perspectives: causation, function, evolutionary origin and adaptive significance. I know about evolutionary implications, causation, physiological mechanisms, ecological functions, and theoretical considerations underlying all behaviour, and I hope that you will lend your expertise from species with which you are most familiar. I will start with an introduction to the basis of animal behaviour and attempt to provide a general framework before dealing with some specifics about the normal and some abnormal behaviour of pet and food animals, and finish with the philosophy and science (but not legislation) relevant to animal welfare and why the study of behaviour is relevant.

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My philosophy.- A university course can be a joyful and fruitful yet challenging exchange of ideas, or a bitter battle between the desire for grades and the need to maintain standards. I prefer the former and I will do my part to make it so; I hope you will do likewise.

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Whenever possible I will emphasize comprehending concepts, not memorizing facts, so the ability to memorize vast quantities of information will only get you half way there. You must know the facts and understand the concepts such that you are able to recognize them in different situations and apply them in new and unexpected ways. You will be tested on your ability to extrapolate, deduce, integrate, estimate, conceptualize and hypothesize.

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Schedule 

Lectures: Tue, Thu 9:30-11:20
Office Hours: Thu 12:00-14:00 (by reminder)

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Consider lectures to be a scheduled, moderated, conversation between me and you (singular you), during which I will be the moderator and I will be doing most of the talking (but not ALL, please participate). It does not matter to me if you are there in person, but if you are, you must also be there in spirit, and not reading the paper, chatting online or studying for another course. Other forms of disruptive behaviour (e.g., repeated tardiness, cells phones, noise, conversations that do not include me, etc.) will not be tolerated either. Mentioning this to members from this fine institution is completely unnecessary, right?

PLEASE ask questions in class, and if there is a specific issue please come talk to me; do not wait until you are failing miserably. In addition to the official office hours, I will be available any time, in or out of the office, except for the 24 hours preceding a quiz, test or exam. Grade haggling and complaints will take place ONLY during official office hours. 

 

Resources

Useful books, in order of usefulness

Fraser, A. F. and Broom, D. M. 1997. Farm animal behaviour and welfare. CABI publishing.

Houpt, K. A. 2004. Domestic Animal Behavior for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists. Blackwell Publishing. Hardback, ISBN: 0813803349. (a 1998 version is also available)

Appleby, M. C. and Hughes, B. O. 1997. Animal Welfare. CABI Publishing.

Blackshaw, J. K. 1986. Notes on applied animal behaviour (pdf).

Overall, K. L. 1997. Clinical behavioural medicine for small animals. Mosby, Inc.

Spedding, C. 2000. Animal Welfare.  Earthscan Pubs. Ltd.

Carbone, L. 2004. What animals want. Oxford University Press.

Landsberg, G., Hunthausen, W. and Ackerman, L. 2003. Handbook of behavior problems of the dog and cat. Elsevier Saunders.

​… and many other papers and books, as they might come up during our discussions.

 
Interesting journals (which the library should have)

Journal of Veterinary Behavior.- A new journal specifically dealing with this emerging field.
Advances in the Study of Behaviour.- A yearly, invited journal/book highlighting currently exciting topics in the field.
American Veterinary Medical Association.- or AMVA, A veritable wealth of relevant information, including their two main journals: JAVMA and AJVR.
Animal Behavior Society.- ABS is the North American version of ASAB - together they publish the journal “Animal Behaviour”.
Applied animal behaviour science.- Official Journal of the International Society for Applied Ethology, a journal reporting on the applications of behaviour to domestic of managed animals. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. – or JAAWS, a little more of an activist magazine than a scientific journal, but still interesting to read.
Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology.- (used to be) the premier journal on behavioural ecology until ISBE came along.

 

Interesting web sites

Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.- The equivalent to ABS across the pond, actually older than the society here.
Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.- CVMA, not to outdone, the Canadian version of AVMA.
International Society for Behavioral Ecology.- The difference a "behaviourist" and a "behavioural ecologist" is nebulous, but I suppose the latter examines behaviour more along the lines of ecology and evolution, rather than psychology or neurology. A while back a group of behaviourists felt strongly enough about it to create their own society with their own journal: “Behavioral Ecology”.
Purdue University… Applied behaviour and welfare site, with lots of information and links.
IVIS.- International Veterinary Information Service (IVIS) website provides free access to original, up-to-date publications organized in electronic books each edited by highly qualified editors, proceedings of veterinary meetings, short courses, etc.
UC Davis.- Companion animal behaviour program.

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Grading and Exams

Complex knowledge does not come in isolated chunks, so exams will cover all previously covered material, not just the material covered since the previous exam, or the last month, or the last week. Except as dictated by official university polices, there shall be no make-up exams; after all this is veterinary medicine, not cosmetology.
 
Quiz                             10 points (4rd week)
Test 1                             15 points (8th week)
Test 2                            20 points (12th week)
Presentations/projects/assignments/participation    15 points (throughout the term)
Exam                             30 points (last week)

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Academic Honesty
This is a course on behaviour, not specifically ethics, so I shall not pontificate, but I will urge to be aware of the relevant regulations and the consequences of breaking them.

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​​For the background photo, I could not decide among Henry Bergh (1813 - 1888), who founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Tom Regan or Peter Singer, who dedicated themselves to the idea of animal rights, or Niko Tinbergen, Karl von Frisch, and Konrad Lorenz, who established the field of animal behaviour. Instead, I went with a smiling doggie.