Welfare by the ear: comparing relative durations and frequencies of ear postures by using an automated tracking system in sheep
Given the increased interest in animal emotional reactions for assessing welfare, indicators for such reactions are sought. Ear postures and movements have been found to be promising indicators of emotional states in sheep and other animals. The manual recording of ear postures, however, is very time consuming and possibly prone to a degree of inaccuracy […]
Sound analysis in dairy cattle vocalisation as a potential welfare monitor
In modem farming there is a growing demand for innovative tools gathering and analysing information concerning the herd, as well as individual animals. In Precision Livestock Farming (PLF), technology continuously measures various variables as activity, food intake or oestrus activity, thereby supporting farmers in monitoring his livestock. Sound analysis has shown to be useful as […]
Stress level evaluation in a dog during animal-assisted therapy in pediatric surgery
Animal-assisted interventions are associated with positive effects on human psychological and physiological health. Although quality standards in animal-assisted interventions appear to be high, only few investigations have focused on potential welfare implications in therapy dogs. In the present study, we monitored behavioral measures and heart rate in a therapy dog that participated in animal-assisted therapy […]