Animal Training

Refining restraint techniques for research pigs through habituation

Pigs are common research models and are strong animals that can be difficult to restrain. Improper restraint can put pigs and research personnel at risk for injury and induce stress, which can affect research outcomes. This study aimed to refine...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Animal Training, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, RestraintAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: O'Malley, C. I., Hubley, R., Tambadou, H. et al. 2022. Refining restraint techniques for research pigs through habituation. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, 1016414.

A quantitative assessment of trainers-dolphins’ interactions in the absence of food reward

All the studies that have considered the motivation of the dolphins to interact with their trainers as a possible welfare indicator have been carried out in facilities where the trainer-dolphin interactions (TDIs) sessions were reinforced with food. Therefore, in these...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Marine Mammal

Citation: Platto, S., Serres, A. 2023. A quantitative assessment of trainers-dolphins' interactions in the absence of food reward. Animals 13(10), 1651.

The power of a touch: Regular touchscreen training but not its termination affects hormones and behavior in mice

Touchscreen-based procedures are increasingly used in experimental animal research. They not only represent a promising approach for translational research, but have also been highlighted as a powerful tool to reduce potential experimenter effects in animal studies. However, to prepare the...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Animal Training, Behavioral & Cognitive Testing, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Quante, S. M., Siewert, V., Palme, R. et al. 2023. The power of a touch: Regular touchscreen training but not its termination affects hormones and behavior in mice. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 17, 1112780.

A new strategy for animal research: Attending to dissent

Increasingly, ethical concepts ordinarily reserved for the human research setting have been applied to nonhuman animals in research. This comes at the same time as concerns mount over challenges in translating the results of biomedical research with animals to human...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Animal Training, Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Johnson, J. 2023. A new strategy for animal research: Attending to dissent. Animals 13(9), 1491.

Habituation to livestock trailer and its influence on stress responses during transportation in goats

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of habituation to livestock trailers on stress responses in goats transported for long periods. Intact male Spanish goats (12-month old; BW = 31.6 ± 0.34 kg; N = 168) were separated into...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Animal Training, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Goat

Citation: Kannan, G., Batchu, P., Naldurtiker, A. et al. 2023. Habituation to livestock trailer and its influence on stress responses during transportation in goats. Animals 13(7), 1191.

Clicker training mice for improved compliance in the catwalk test

The CatWalk test relies on the run of mice across the platform to measure a constant speed with low variation. Mice usually require a stimulus to walk to the end of the catwalk. However, such stimuli are usually aversive and...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Animal Training, Behavioral & Cognitive TestingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Dickmann, J., Gonzalez-Uarquin, F., Reichel, S. et al. 2022. Clicker training mice for improved compliance in the catwalk test. Animals 12(24), 3545.

Nonhuman Primate Welfare: From History, Science, and Ethics to Practice

This volume reviews the broad topic of welfare in nonhuman primates under human care. Chapters detail the history of primates in captivity, ethical and legal issues surrounding the use of nonhuman primates as entertainment or in research, the different approaches...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Personality, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Chimpanzee, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Robinson, L. M., Weiss, A. (Eds.) 2023. Nonhuman Primate Welfare: From History, Science, and Ethics to Practice. Springer, Cham, Switzerland. 671 p.

Regular positive reinforcement training increases contact-seeking behaviour in horses

Horses are commonly trained using negative reinforcement. However, a growing body of scientific evidence supports positive reinforcement as an efficient training method for horses. In this study we investigated the effects of adding a small but regular amount of positive...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Larssen, R., Roth, L. S. V. 2022. Regular positive reinforcement training increases contact-seeking behaviour in horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 252, 105651.

Using classical and operant conditioning to train a shifting behavior in juvenile false water cobras (Hydrodynastes gigas)

All animals have the capacity to learn through operant conditioning and other types of learning, and as a result, zoos and other animal care facilities have shifted towards the use of positive reinforcement training to shape the behavior of animals...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Reptile, Snake

Citation: Williams, M. L., Torrini, L. A., Nolan, E. J. et al. 2022. Using classical and operant conditioning to train a shifting behavior in juvenile false water cobras (Hydrodynastes gigas). Animals 12(10), 1229.

Considering sustenance preference to motivate and enhance NHP learning and performance

Finding and utilizing the specific taste preferences of the rhesus macaque in the laboratory setting can be a valuable step towards promoting cooperative, positively reinforced training. It can also be a wonderful tool for enrichment by allowing the subject to...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Animal Training, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Gregoire, A. 2022. Considering sustenance preference to motivate and enhance NHP learning and performance. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 10(1) (January/February), 12-14.