Newsletter – December 2011 2011January/February 09

Learning About Animals was set up to provide information and promote interest in the welfare and behaviour of animals. The aim is to bridge the gap between professionals  & scientists working with animals and the public.

If you have any suggestions for future events or if you would like to be considered to be a speaker please contact me.

I am also a qualified equine behaviourist and run consultations in Surrey and the Home Counties.  For more details please visit the relevant section of the web site.

EVENTS LIST

HORSES:  Series of six evening classes in equine behaviour
Six evenings every Thursday from January 19th - 1st March 2012
Held at the Holistic Horse and Pony Centre in East Horsley, Surrey. 7.30-10pm. Details. Taking bookings now.

First Aid for Dogs: course with Claire Hemmings
Saturday 25th February 2012
£40 for the four-hour course. Details. Taking bookings now.

RABBITS: Rabbit behaviour day
Sunday 26th February 2012
A whole day dedicated to rabbits. Covering rabbit behaviour, body language and communication, how to have a happy rabbit, how rabbits learn and how behaviour problems can develop.
£20 for the day; £15 for members. Details. Taking bookings now.

DOGS: The Holistic Nature of Canine Behaviour Problems with David Ryan
Saturday 24th March 2012
This one-day seminar explores the nature of dogs, how they maintain emotional equilibrium, why they fall into problem behaviours and the principles behind some simple solutions. Includes case studies, anecdotes and the opportunity for audience discussion.
£45; £33.75 for members. Details Taking bookings now.

HORSES: Exploring the latest findings in equine cognition
31st March 2012
Morning lecture with equine scientist Leanne Proops; £15, £11.25 for members. Details) Taking bookings now.

Learning theory day
Sold out previously - new date coming soon
A day exploring the fascinating topic of how animals learn. The focus is on horses and dogs but other species will be featured. £30 for the day. Details.

 Amber Batson: one cat event and one dog event - dates coming soon.

Interesting links

1. Bees solve problems between elephants and villagers LINK

2. Rescue of mother and baby elephant LINK

3. Fish punish others who steal their food LINK

4. Marc Bekoff on the whales in captivity/slavery court case LINK

5. Very cute video of sleeping cats LINK (shows how important social sleeping is to some species)

  Can dogs use a mirror to solve a problem?

Scientists have had a long-term fascination with the reaction of animals to their own reflections. Work in chimpanzees in the 1970s first showed that chimps do understand reflections, and this has been repeated for other species including dolphins, orangutans, elephants, magpies and Rhesus monkeys - all of which showed some evidence of self-recognition.

A recent paper entitled ‘Can dogs (Canis familiaris) use a mirror to solve a problem’ was published in the latest volume of the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour (2011, vol 6, pages 306-312).  The researchers wanted to know if dogs seeing their owner’s reflection in the mirror could work out that the owner was behind them. Some of the dogs did seem to understand this, but many of the results were ambiguous and further work needs to be done as different dogs react in different ways to mirrors and so further work needs to examine the reason for the individual differences between dogs.

Barefoot trimming and management course

Ashen Equestrian Centre in Essex promotes ethical training and management of horses.

On 5th February 2012 they are hosting a lecture/dissection/demo on barefoot trimming and management with the registered farrier and barefoot trimmer Mark Johnson. (www.markjohnsonfarrier.com)

This one day course will include an explanation of the foot function and its biomechanics, the development of hoof structure, a lower limb/hoof dissection, trimming principles plus more.

For more information follow this LINK.

Treat yourself ....

Shaping Plans (for horses) by Ben Hart: These long-awaited shaping plans are a must for any horse owner. In Ben’s words “Shaping plans are detailed training plans which break down complicated behaviour in to small safe, ethical steps that are easy for the horse, donkey or mule to understand and achieve. No matter your chosen method of training, shaping plans will work for you and your equine as they fit any method of training by breaking down the required behaviour to small manageable steps. Shaping plans are the foundation of safe, ethical sustainable training that let you enjoy the learning journey with your equine. Each plan contains in-depth details of the specific shaping plan, things to watch out for, tips, processes of training, and safety.” You can buy the shaping plans here.

Wildlife notelets: Support the Animal Cruelty and Investigation Group by buying some beautiful cards/notelets. Only £4.15 for 5 - available from here.

Elephant jewellery: Sold in aid of an elephant sanctuary http://www.blesele.org/store/silver_necklace

What not to put in your Christmas hamper...

Recently someone asked me why foie gras is considered one of the most cruel things you can eat as they were going to put it in a hamper for a Christmas present. If you would like to find out more see CIWF’s fact sheet by following the link below. The force-feeding procedure is horrific and although ducks and geese can get enlarged livers naturally (see bottom of page 3) this is not called foie gras as it doesn't cause enough distortion of the liver. There is no humane way of producing foie gras and plenty of other yummy things to put in hampers.
http://www.ciwf.org.uk/includes/documents/cm_docs/2010/f/factsheet_foie_gras_dec08.pdf

Sad news for Morgan

A few months ago an orca (killer whale) was ‘rescued’ from the wild and due to be rehabilitated at an aquarium in The Netherlands. However, rather than being returned to the wild, and after a legal battle over her future, she has now been sold into a life of captivity at a marine park in Tenerife. This is very sad news - a life in a tank that prevents her from diving, swimming, socialising, hunting - all the things whales should be doing, is no quality life for these amazing creatures. Frustratingly, the story of Keiko, the star of the Free Willy films who was released was quoted in the legal case as a failure when it was anything but! Keiko lived for years back in the open sea before he died and he had spent decades in capitivity, not just a few months. For more information about Morgan’s case see this LINK.

Caring for older dogs and cats

Ageing is associated with behavioural and cognitive changes in dogs and cats. Research has shown that there are three types of cognitive ageing: successful ageing, mild cognitive impairment and cognitive dysfunction.  Symptoms of cognitive dysfunction are often compared with dementia in humans and include disorientation (e.g. cats unable to find a cat flap they have used for years), confusion (e.g. waiting by the wrong side of the door for it to open), disrupted sleep patterns, withdrawing from social interactions, house soiling, and pacing. Sadly owners often don’t recognise that this is due to ageing and punish their animals, leading to more distress and a break-down in the pet-human relationship.

Although there is no treatment, the progression can be slowed by dietary changes and routine mental stimulation. Also some of the symptoms might be caused by something else that can be treated so it is important to visit your vet for a diagnosis.

A recent study published in the latest Journal of Veterinary Behaviour (2011, vol 6, page 313-320) considered the behavioural changes associated with ‘successful ageing’ in dogs. The authors recognise that there has been little research done into normal behavioural changes in ageing dogs and as such it is difficult to recognise when changes are abnormal. They created a behavioural profile of ageing dogs and hope that this will help owners, vets, and other dog-professionals to have clearer expectations of what to expect in an ageing dog.

For more information on cognitive dysfunction in pets see this link: http://www.vetstreet.com/care/cognitive-dysfunction-in-pets

Passing the time away in a stable....– enrichment ideas for horses

In the winter many horses are stabled for longer hours than they are in other seasons. If a horse is turned out for just four hour a day then they are spending 20 hours in their stables - and considering horses only sleep for around 4 hours in every 24 this leaves a lot of time to become bored in. Here are some ideas of things you can do to help them pass the time, although of course the best thing is to turn them out as much as possible so that they have time to interact with other horses, graze and stretch their legs. If you can’t turn them out in a field perhaps you could give them some time free in a school? Or take them for walks in-hand?

1. Change the way you feed hay: to encourage natural move-and-eat behaviour multiple piles of hay in different corners of the stable rather than just in one place. You can also soak some of their portion of hay in a bucket of water with a herbal tea bag in it - this changes the taste of the hay to provide some variety. Horses seem to particularly like their hay soaked in peppermint, chamomile and fruit teas.

2. Scatter chopped vegetables: to encourage foraging behaviour you can scatter chopped carrot, apple, swede etc in their bed. Or hang them from the ceiling.

3. Treat branches: Pick a branch from a (horse friendly) tree with lots of twigs sticking out from it and put dried fruit, polos, apple etc. onto the twigs for the horse to nibble off. It’s OK if they eat the branch as naturally the horse’s diet would include browsing on trees and bushes. The types of trees that horses prefer are oak (not the acorns), ash and poplar but fruit trees are also safe.

These ideas also work for horses kept outside or when they are turned out. In paddocks you can hide vegetables in trees changing the hiding places regularly to keep your horse entertained.

Dog links

1. Article about dog anal glands! LINK

2. New research shows that one of the places that dogs were first domesticated is East Asia. LINK

3. X-ray of dogs that have eaten strange things LINK

Membership Scheme

Learning About Animals has set up a new scheme so that regular attendees to events can benefit from a discount. Many of you come to events regularly and it’s greatly appreciated.

See this link for more details about how to join for 2012.

Horse Behaviour Lessons

If you don’t have a particular problem with your horse, or don’t even own a horse, but just want to learn more about equine behaviour then I have started to run one-off or regular lessons for individuals and groups.

Individual sessions - £30 for 1 hour sessions; regular lessons only available in Surrey (other areas subject to possible travel charges). Discounts per person for up to ten people. You don’t necessarily need to own a horse for these lessons - lessons can be just theory or you can come to my horses. If you are local you could save money by attending the 6-week behaviour course in Ockham (details).

Can be tailored for adults, teenagers or children and experienced and less experienced people alike and focus on your main interests.

Examples of topics we could cover:

- What horses need, understanding their natural behaviour and how we can try to meet these needs for our domestic horses
- How horses learn and how we can apply this practically
- Solving problems
- Developing confidence hacking
- Different training methods, why they work and ethical considerations
- Clicker training
- Introduction to physiology of behaviour
- Learning theory in more detail
- Advice for those considering a career in equine behaviour
- Welfare issues surrounding horses in the UK today

2nd Hand Books for Charity

If you would like any of these titles please send a cheque for just £2.50 (Payable to Learning About Animals) to 6, Fern Cottages, Dorking Road, Abinger Hammer, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6SA or pay using the PayPal link below. The money (apart from the postage costs) goes to TAWS - helping working horses, and the owners who depend on them, worldwide. All in very good condition.

1. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks (Amazon link for more info)

2. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Amazon link)
3. One Day by David Nicholls (Amazon link)

4. Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby (Amazon link)

5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Amazon link)

6. A week in December by Sebastian Faulks (Amazon link)

7. The Other Hand by Chris Cleave (Amazon link)

8. Chloe by Freya North (Amazon link)

9. The Pursuit of Happiness by Douglas Kennedy (Amazon link)

10. Love etc. by Julian Barnes (Amazon link)

Non-recognition aggression in cats

Many people who own more than one cat have come across problems when they take one of the cats to the vets and upon their return the cats who stayed at home are aggressive to the returning cat. Often the ‘home’ cats act as if they do not recognise the returning cat and this has become known as ‘non-recognition aggression’. There are ways that this can be prevented, as explained in this factsheet from VetStreet - a must-read for anyone who owns more than one cat.

http://www.vetstreet.com/care/nonrecognition-aggression-in-cats