Animal Training

Adapting positive reinforcement training to novel laboratory species

Positive reinforcement training (PRT) is a component of a comprehensive species-appropriate enrichment program to train specific species behaviors and reduce the stress on animals. Our facility has historically used PRT with nonhuman primates, so we adapted the PRT model and...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Goat

Citation: Tresler, A., Rasbach, C., Stevens, T. et al. 2021. Adapting positive reinforcement training to novel laboratory species. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(6) (November/December), 42-44.

Outside the box: Working with wildlife in biocontainment

Research with captive wildlife in Animal Biosafety Level 2 (ABSL2) and 3 (ABSL3) facilities is becoming increasingly necessary as emerging and re-emerging diseases involving wildlife have increasing impacts on human, animal, and environmental health. Utilizing wildlife species in a research...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, RestraintAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate, Other Animal

Citation: Falendysz, E. A., Calhoun, D. M., Smith, C. A. et al. 2020. Outside the box: Working with wildlife in biocontainment. ILAR Journal 61(1), 72-85.

Improved training and semen collection outcomes using the closed box chair for macaques

Collaborative semen collection in monkeys is a valuable tool in research, animal collection management, and conservation efforts. To obtain samples, monkeys are often restrained in open restraint chairs (ORC) with the “pole and collar” technique. While commonly used, this restraint...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Animal Training, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, RestraintAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Houser, L. A., Ramsey, C., de Carvalho, F. M. et al. 2021. Improved training and semen collection outcomes using the closed box chair for macaques. Animals 11(8), 2384.

Use of food enrichment for medication delivery in large groups of sheep

In a 2018 AALAS webinar on Sheep and Goat Analgesia, Dr. Susie Vogel, a small ruminant expert, introduced the concept of getting sheep and goats to willingly take medication by putting it in a tasty food treat. I had doubts...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Analgesia, Animal Training, Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Wilson-Welder, J. H., Frank, A. T. 2021. Use of food enrichment for medication delivery in large groups of sheep. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 9(3) (May/June), 40-43.

Effective chair training methods for neuroscience research involving rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Background: Neuroscience research using macaques remains fundamental in our endeavours to understand how the human brain functions. Applying the refinement principle of the 3Rs is essential to optimise the monkeys' welfare and still produces high quality science. New Method: Here...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Animal Training, RestraintAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Mason, S., Premereur, E., Pelekanos, V. et al. 2019. Effective chair training methods for neuroscience research involving rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Journal of Neuroscience Methods 317, 82-93.

The importance of complementary collaboration of researchers, veterinarians, and husbandry staff in the successful training of marmoset behavioral assays

Interest in marmosets as research models has seen exponential growth over the last decade, especially given that the research community is eager to improve on gaps with historical animal models for behavioral and cognitive disorders. The spectrum of human disease...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Animal Training, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Murai, T., Sukoff Rizzo, S. J. 2020. The importance of complementary collaboration of researchers, veterinarians, and husbandry staff in the successful training of marmoset behavioral assays. ILAR Journal 61(2-3), 230-247.

Training pigs for oral glucose tolerance test—Six years’ experience of a refined model

Animal models of human diseases are important in biomedical research. When using animals for scientific purposes, the 3Rs (replace, reduce, refine) should be considered. Refinement of animal models is essential to ensure best use of animals, which is important for...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Animal Training, Drug/Substance AdministrationAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Manell, E., Hedenqvist, P., Jensen-Waern, M. 2021. Training pigs for oral glucose tolerance test—Six years' experience of a refined model. Animals 11(6), 1677.

A case study on the behavioural effect of positive reinforcement training in a novel task participation test in Göttingen mini pigs

In laboratory animal research, many procedures will be stressful for the animals, as they are forced to participate. Training animals to cooperate using clicker training (CT) or luring (LU) may reduce stress levels, and thereby increase animal welfare. In zoo...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Jønholt, L., Bundgaard, C. J., Carlsen, M. et al. 2021. A case study on the behavioural effect of positive reinforcement training in a novel task participation test in Göttingen mini pigs. Animals 11(6), 1610.

Animal-centric Care and Management – Enhancing Refinement in Biomedical Research

The concept of the 3Rs (Refinement, Reduction and Replacement) has been used as a framework for improving the welfare of laboratory animals for the last half century. By establishing an animal-centric view on housing and management, Animal-centric Care and Management:...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Animal Training, Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: All/General, Dog, Fish, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent, Zebrafish

Citation: Sørensen, D., Cloutier, S., Gaskill, B. (Eds.). 2021. Animal-centric Care and Management - Enhancing Refinement in Biomedical Research. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Macaque monkeys learn and perform a non-match-to-goal task using an automated home cage training procedure

In neurophysiology, nonhuman primates represent an important model for studying the brain. Typically, monkeys are moved from their home cage to an experimental room daily, where they sit in a primate chair and interact with electronic devices. Refining this procedure...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Sacchetti, S., Ceccarelli, F., Ferrucci, L. et al. 2021. Macaque monkeys learn and perform a non-match-to-goal task using an automated home cage training procedure. Scientific Reports 11(1), 2700.