Of mice and men: Improved welfare through clinical ethology
Just as health is characterized primarily by the absence of disease, welfare can be characterized partly by the absence of abnormal behaviour or behaviour problems. Consequently, just as treatment and prevention of disease improves health, treatment and prevention of behaviour problems can improve welfare. The purpose of developing a discipline termed [`]clinical ethology’ is to […]
Environmental influences on the expression of aggressive behaviour in English Cocker Spaniels
A group of ‘low’ (n = 217) and ‘high’ (n = 218) aggression purebred English Cocker Spaniels were compared in relation to demographics and owner interactions. Owners of ‘low’ aggression dogs were more likely to be: older (65 years +; χ2 = 18.753, P < 0.01) and more attached to their dogs (U = 20346, […]
Prevalence of behaviour problems reported by owners of dogs purchased from an animal rescue shelter
This study examined the prevalence of behaviour problems exhibited by dogs within 4 weeks of acquisition from a rescue shelter in Northern Ireland. One thousand five hundred and forty-seven people who had purchased a dog from a rescue shelter in Northern Ireland were sent a postal questionnaire designed to collect information on the behaviours exhibited […]
The day-to-day management of UK leisure horses and the prevalence of owner-reported stable-related and handling behaviour problems
While concerns regarding the day-to-day management of domestic horses have been raised in relation to behaviour problems and welfare, most published studies have focused on the management of performance horses and less is known about the routine management of leisure horses and the prevalence of behavioural problems within this population. The objective of this study […]