Human-Animal Interaction

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.

Rams recognize and prefer the human who regularly brushed them

Brushing produces a relaxing effect and improves the welfare of ewes and lambs and the human-animal relationship. Lambs gently handled during rearing are less fearful to humans in their adulthood, but there are few studies on the development of a...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Sheep

Citation: Chaumont, S., Freitas-de-Melo, A., Pinto-Santini, L., Menant, O. et al. 2021. Rams recognize and prefer the human who regularly brushed them. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 236, 105250.

Positive reinforcement training as physiotherapy for a brown capuchin (Sapajus apella)

Physiotherapy can be used to treat an animal following surgery, to help correcting abnormal gait and for treating tendon, bone or ligament damage. […] Of course, an animal can't just be given a set of exercises to follow. To carry...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Capuchin, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Coventry, C. 2020. Positive reinforcement training as physiotherapy for a brown capuchin (Sapajus apella). RATEL (Journal of the Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers) 47(2), 16-17.

Cage position and response to humans in singly-housed rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Traditional laboratory caging for nonhuman primates is typically configured in a 2-tiered manner, with caging arranged in 2 horizontal rows stacked vertically. Studies of the effects of cage row have yielded inconsistent results with respect to impacts on psychological well-being....

Year Published: 2020Topics: Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Baker, K. C. 2020. Cage position and response to humans in singly-housed rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). JAALAS 59(5), 503-507.

Providing an outdoor exercise area affects tie-stall cow reactivity and human-cow relations

Confinement and restriction of movement are a reality for most dairy cows. Providing outdoor access is one method to increase movement opportunities. However, leading cows to an outdoor exercise area increases their exposure to manipulations different from those of an...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Aigueperse, N., Vasseur, E. 2021. Providing an outdoor exercise area affects tie-stall cow reactivity and human-cow relations. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, 597607.

The provision of toys to pigs can improve the human-animal relationship

It is now widely recognised that a positive human-animal relationship is beneficial not only for farm animals' welfare but also for productivity and the quality of products. A better understanding of animal emotions is an important goal in disciplines ranging...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Marcet-Rius, M., Pageat, P., Bienboire-Frosini, C. et al. 2020. The provision of toys to pigs can improve the human-animal relationship. Porcine Health Management 6, 29.

Talking to cows: Reactions to different auditory stimuli during gentle human-animal interactions

The quality of the animal-human relationship and, consequently, the welfare of animals can be improved by gentle interactions such as stroking and talking. The perception of different stimuli during these interactions likely plays a key role in their emotional experience,...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Lange, A., Bauer, L., Futschik, A. et al. 2020. Talking to cows: Reactions to different auditory stimuli during gentle human-animal interactions. Frontiers in Psychology 11, 2690.

Effects of petting before a brief separation from the owner on dog behavior and physiology: A pilot study

Human physical contact is known to be effective in decreasing dogs' level of stress, assessed through endocrine, physiological, and behavioral parameters. Gentle touching has been found to be beneficial for dogs while experiencing or after having experienced a stressful event....

Year Published: 2018Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Mariti, C., Carlone, B., Protti, M. et al. 2018. Effects of petting before a brief separation from the owner on dog behavior and physiology: A pilot study. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 27, 41-46.

The physiological function of oxytocin in humans and its acute response to human-dog interactions: A review of the literature

Oxytocin is increasingly recognized to have a role in human-dog bonding and interactions and a positive influence on various health outcomes including cardiovascular function and stress reactivity. This review summarizes current research investigating human-dog interactions and endogenous oxytocin to highlight...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Powell, L., Guastella, A. J., McGreevy, P. et al. 2019. The physiological function of oxytocin in humans and its acute response to human-dog interactions: A review of the literature. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 30, 25-32.

Body language: Its importance for communication with horses

Body language is important for communication between individuals. Body language is based on the fact that the thought of performing a known action, alone, will activate the motor neurons used for the action, resulting in a slight contraction of the...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Animal Training, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Ladewig, J. 2019. Body language: Its importance for communication with horses. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 29, 108-110.