Exploring heifers’ perception of ‘positive’ treatment through their motivation to pursue a retreated human
This pilot study investigates dairy heifers’ perception of ‘positive treatment’ by a human (stroking and brushing) through a test of appetitive motivation. The hypothesis was that positive treatment by a human results in heifers pursuing a human to seek further positive treatment. Thirty-seven dairy heifers were assigned to either minimal human contact or positive treatment […]
Pet dog management practices among a representative sample of owners in Victoria, Australia
It is often assumed that pet dogs experience better welfare than livestock production animals because many owners consider them to be members of the family and, collectively, spend billions of dollars on them annually. However, this assumption is not based on scientific evidence, and a scientifically validated tool for assessing the welfare of companion dogs […]