PAST EVENTS 2007
May 2007: Animal communication: a morning with Dr Karen McComb
This talk was about how playback experiments can be used to gain insights into animal communication and animal minds. Dr McComb illustrated this concept with examples of her work with elephants, lions, domestic cats & dogs.
The speaker: Dr McComb is a reader of behavioural ecology at the University of Sussex. Her main research has involved using acoustic analysis and playback experiments to address questions about vocal communication and cognition in mammals.
The speaker: Dr McComb is a reader of behavioural ecology at the University of Sussex. Her main research has involved using acoustic analysis and playback experiments to address questions about vocal communication and cognition in mammals.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 2007: Animals and Us: a morning with Cara Williams and Troy Bennett
This morning event consisted of two talks.
1) A discussion into why it is important to consider the ethology and behavioural needs of wild animal counterparts in their natural habitat if we are to ensure a greater understanding of the welfare of our domestic animals. The talk proposed why such a scientific approach is essential to achieving this, rather than relying on the more common anthropomorphic approach to domestic animals needs. The talk included references to dogs, cats, horses and small exotics such as rabbits and tortoises.
2) Reintroducing wolves to France: a talk by Troy Bennett from The Wolves and Humans Foundation.
2) Reintroducing wolves to France: a talk by Troy Bennett from The Wolves and Humans Foundation.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- August 2007: Rabbit behaviour workshop with Emma Magnus
This event will start with looking at wild rabbits and then we’ll apply this knowledge to pet rabbits. Emma will provide lots of ideas and information about how we can improve the environment in which we keep our pet rabbits and how we can deal with some of the problems that commonly occur when there is a rabbit in the family!
Emma is a Clinical Animal Behaviourist and a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC). She has been practicing since 1995 when she qualified with a degree in Zoology and a Masters degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare. She has run a referral practice for veterinary surgeons within East Anglia since 1996 seeing owners of dogs, cats, and rabbits. Emma was a regular contributor to each of BBC1’s Barking Mad series and is Features Editor of the small livestock journal Fur & Feather. She also has a regular ‘Rabbits on the Couch’ column within Rabbiting On, the journal of the Rabbit Welfare Fund, and is a co-founder of the Rabbit Behaviour Advisory Group ( www.rabbitbehaviour.co.uk).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- September 2007: Cat behaviour day
This event will start with looking at wild rabbits and then we’ll apply this knowledge to pet rabbits. Emma will provide lots of ideas and information about how we can improve the environment in which we keep our pet rabbits and how we can deal with some of the problems that commonly occur when there is a rabbit in the family!
Emma is a Clinical Animal Behaviourist and a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC). She has been practicing since 1995 when she qualified with a degree in Zoology and a Masters degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare. She has run a referral practice for veterinary surgeons within East Anglia since 1996 seeing owners of dogs, cats, and rabbits. Emma was a regular contributor to each of BBC1’s Barking Mad series and is Features Editor of the small livestock journal Fur & Feather. She also has a regular ‘Rabbits on the Couch’ column within Rabbiting On, the journal of the Rabbit Welfare Fund, and is a co-
-
A whole day dedicated to cats! Francesca Riccomini and Inga MacKellar took us through the science of cat behaviour and how we can apply this knowledge to solving and understanding common issues that can arise between people and cats. The day provided an in-depth look into subjects such as how to introduce a new cat to a household and understanding house soiling.
It’s obvious to everyone that cats are not small dogs. Yet so often they are treated as such and their behaviour is generally misunderstood to the detriment of their emotional and physical well being and their welfare.
Speakers: Inga MacKellar and Francesca Riccomini.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- October 2007: Enrichment day
With the increasing number of products we can buy for our pets, this day will look at what pets really need and how we can best aim to meet those needs.
Speakers included Francesca Riccomini (cats), Inga MacKellar (dogs), Katherine Ewen (horses), Mark Fox (Marwell) and Suzanne Rogers (small animals).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- November 2007: Dog behaviour day with Peter Neville
Speakers: Inga MacKellar and Francesca Riccomini.
-
With the increasing number of products we can buy for our pets, this day will look at what pets really need and how we can best aim to meet those needs.
Speakers included Francesca Riccomini (cats), Inga MacKellar (dogs), Katherine Ewen (horses), Mark Fox (Marwell) and Suzanne Rogers (small animals).
-
The workshop discussed the behavioural processes and impacts of domestication on the dog and emotional development of the individual. And included an introduction into how to approach understanding behavioural problems, including some case histories.
The EMRA approach: emotion, mood and reinforcement assessment considers the individuality and emotionality of the animal and thus represents a new way of thinking in the field of pet behaviour.
