Past events 2006

PAST EVENTS 2006

April 2006: Rabbit behaviour morning with Dr Anne McBride

Renowned rabbit expert and behavioural scientist Dr Anne McBride discussed how rabbits have evolved to live and how we can use this information to enrich the lives of pet rabbits. This was followed by a presentation by Lorna from Greenfields Rabbit Rescue about the reasons why there are so many rabbits in rescue centres and what is being done about it.

The speaker: Dr Anne McBride has written ‘Rabbits and Hares’ and ‘Why Does My Rabbit….?’. Although the rabbit is the third most popular mammalian pet, Anne believes that it is poorly understood. Anne has been a practising pet behaviourist since 1986 and a member of the APBC since 1990. She is now the non-veterinary behaviourist at the Animal Behaviour Clinic at the University of Southampton and co-founder of the Rabbit Behaviour Advisory Group. She has appeared on television and radio programmes related to animal behaviour.

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May 2006: An evening with The Born Free Foundation
The Born Free Foundation explained the concept of wild animals in captivity including whether attitudes have changed and provided an insight into the abnormal behaviour of captive animals.

The Born Free Foundation is an international wildlife charity working throughout the world to prevent wild animal suffering and protect threatened species in the wild. It is their belief that the long-term conservation of species can only successfully be achieved in the wild, combining the preservation and protection of natural habitats and thereby preserving dynamic evolving eco-systems as a whole. Born Free Foundation's mission to keep wildlife in the wild.
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June 2006: ‘The Myths of Human/Canine Dominance Exposed’ with Barry Eaton

Renowned dog trainer Barry Eaton’s lively presentation exposed the myths of human/canine dominance.

The speaker: Barry Eaton is affiliated with the Association of Companion Animal Behaviour and Training (COAPE) and has a Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour and Training (Dip. CABT NOCN). He is a member of the APDT and only uses reward-based motivational techniques in training. He is the author of two books: How to train a deaf dog based on his experiences training his own deaf dog (“Hear, Hear!”) and reconsidering how a dog perceives its role in the human ‘pack’ (“Dominance: Fact or Fiction?”).

Ben Hart of Hart’s horsemanship discussed how horsemanship has evolved and his thoughts about where we are today.

The speaker: Ben has a mission to “help people better understand horses, donkeys and mules, by improving knowledge of behaviour and developing an understanding of the true nature of the equine species.” Based on mutual trust between equine and human, using common sense and honesty to encourage people to follow their own path, he promotes no single method, relying instead on the balance of art and science to develop a long-term approach to equine training and behaviour.

All profit from this event was donated to the equine charity TAWS (www.taws.org). The aim of TAWS is to promote improved management, health and welfare of transport and draft animals; mostly equines. Much is known about animal health, welfare and management but it is poorly disseminated to communities in the third world: TAWS aims to change this.

Cats are now officially the UK’s number one pet choice. Multi-cat households abound, yet rescue centres are filled to bursting with unwanted felines, many relinquished because of problems relating to their behaviour - why?

What is it about our expectations and management of cats that leads to such difficulties as aggression and house soiling? And what role does the domestic cat’s natural behaviour play in the development of such problems? Even more importantly, what can we as professionals and owners do to prevent or overcome the commonest causes of problem behaviour?

The speaker: Francesca Riccomini is an experienced veterinary behaviourist, a member of the APBC, and writes for a number of feline publications.

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