Human-Animal Interaction

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.

Physiological assessment of the health and welfare of domestic cats—An exploration of factors affecting urinary cortisol and oxytocin

Physiological samples are beneficial in assessing the health and welfare of cats. However, most studies have been conducted in specialized environments, such as shelters or laboratories, and have not focused on cats living in domestic settings. In addition, most studies...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Nagasawa, T., Kimura, Y., Masuda, K. et al. 2022. Physiological assessment of the health and welfare of domestic cats—An exploration of factors affecting urinary cortisol and oxytocin. Animals 12(23), 3330.

Introduction of gloved hand to cage induces 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in male albino rats

Rodents emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) above the human hearing threshold of ~ 20 kHz to communicate emotional states and to coordinate their social interactive behavior. Twenty-two kHz USVs emitted by adult rats have been reported in a variety of aversive...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hwang, S.-K., Tyszkiewicz, C., Dragon, M. et al. 2022. Introduction of gloved hand to cage induces 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in male albino rats. PLOS ONE 17(11), e0278034.

Short communication: Do the tameness of the dams and the sex of the offspring have an influence on the “gentling” effect in laboratory rats?

“Gentling” (soft touching, “taming”) has long-term effects on the behavior of laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus). Our own studies showed that the use of a “gentling” program in the fourth and fifth week of life resulted in a significant reduction in...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Handling, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Zausinger, P., Schneider, B. M., Bauer, A. et al. 2022. Short communication: Do the tameness of the dams and the sex of the offspring have an influence on the “gentling” effect in laboratory rats? Journal of Veterinary Behavior 52-53, 45-49.

Integrative Model of Human-Animal Interactions: A One Health–One Welfare systemic approach to studying HAI

The Integrative Model of Human-Animal Interactions (IMHAI) described herewith provides a conceptual framework for the study of interspecies interactions and aims to model the primary emotional processes involved in human-animal interactions. This model was developed from theoretical inputs from three...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Leconstant, C., Spitz, E. 2022. Integrative Model of Human-Animal Interactions: A One Health–One Welfare systemic approach to studying HAI. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, 656833.

Pet-directed speech improves horses’ attention toward humans

In a recent experiment, we showed that horses are sensitive to pet-directed speech (PDS), a kind of speech used to talk to companion animals that is characterized by high pitch and wide pitch variations. When talked to in PDS rather...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Jardat, P., Calandreau, L., Ferreira, V. et al. 2022. Pet-directed speech improves horses' attention toward humans. Scientific Reports 12(1), 4297.

Humans and goats: Improving knowledge for a better relationship

There is consensus that the quality of the human–animal relationship (HAR) is relevant to guarantee appropriate levels of animal welfare. Given the impact that HAR may have on both goats and human beings, the aim of the present review is...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Goat

Citation: Celozzi, S., Battini, M., Prato-Previde, E. et al. 2022. Humans and goats: Improving knowledge for a better relationship. Animals 12(6), 774.

Relationships between owner and household characteristics and enrichment and cat behaviour

Owners may enhance their cats' welfare by social enrichment (e.g. positive human-animal interactions), and physical enrichment (e.g. play objects). The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between owner characteristics (e.g. attitudes, attachment), household characteristics (the keeping of one...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Windschnurer, I., Häusler, A., Waiblinger, S. et al. 2022. Relationships between owner and household characteristics and enrichment and cat behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 247, 105562.

Environmental complexity: Additional human visual contact reduced meat chickens’ fear of humans and physical items altered pecking behavior

Increased environmental complexity can improve animal welfare, depending on the resources provided and use by the animal. We provided chickens either with physical items that posed no biosecurity risk and were inexpensive (balls, chains, perches and rope) (P; n =...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Taylor, P. S., Hemsworth, P. H., Rault, J.-L. 2022. Environmental complexity: Additional human visual contact reduced meat chickens' fear of humans and physical items altered pecking behavior. Animals 12(3), 310.

The animal-human interface in farm animal production: Animal fear, stress, reproduction and welfare

A negative human-animal relationship (HAR) from the perspective of the animal is a limiting factor affecting farm animal welfare, as well as farm animal productivity. Research in farm animals has elucidated sequential relationships between stockperson attitudes, stockperson behaviour, farm animal...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Cattle, Chicken, Equine, Fowl, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Acharya, R. Y., Hemsworth, P. H., Coleman, G. J. et al. 2022. The animal-human interface in farm animal production: Animal fear, stress, reproduction and welfare. Animals 12(4), 487.