AnimalBehaviorist.us

11/07/2025

"In the U.S. and many other countries, oversight committee approval is a common requirement for conducting research and publishing its findings. However, in evaluating whether research aims could have been achieved by methods other than the use of animals, these committees face a challenging task. In the U.S., there is no requirement that committee members have expertise in the research areas under review or in methods that could replace animal use, nor could expertise in such vast technical areas be expected. Consideration of alternatives to painful procedures is not required at all for experiments on animals not covered by the Animal Welfare Act. Funding institutions and scientific journals should not use institutional committee approval of submissions as evidence of adherence to ethical guidelines beyond those legally required. Suggestions for more robust consideration of nonanimal methods and improvements in the review process are provided."

Background In the U.S. and many other countries, animal use in research, testing, and education is under the purview of Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees or similar bodies. Their responsibility for reviewing proposed experiments, particularly with regard to adherence to legal and ethical....

04/07/2025

"Cowbirds and their unconventional parenting tactics challenge our human assumptions about how animal families should look, Mr. Chamberlain said. His research supports the idea that the birds can reach adulthood without their biological parents (and won’t end up believing they’re a cow or a construction vehicle). They rely on unrelated female adults to show them what they need to know.

“It’s not incorrect,” he said. “It’s the way they’re supposed to do it.” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/03/science/cowbirds-parasites-species.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&fbclid=IwY2xjawLUzflleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFDbzJRZmd4ZEh3YnU3RDhQAR5BjCoxPX1S3dOFXVEV-cscBARv8jfH1Pve8ILkw_0uIFJ8xtqJVBwGYZr6QQ_aem_QbRe5KeV56s5ojpyyY2yTg

Cowbird mothers abandon their eggs in the nests of other bird species, but the chicks somehow manage to find their flock and learn what they really are.

03/07/2025

More on orca behavior and observations. And side note; with full apologies, to those who provide for them in the best of all possible worlds, but can we please stop renaming captivity "under human care" or "human managed settings" with all its connotations that the orcas had solicited or voted for life in such conditions? Please, let's keep it straight talking for the animals.

"The ubiquity of this behavior among cetaceans, the authors suggest, supports the interpretation of tongue nibbling as a means of reinforcing social bonds. They also contend that these observations support the argument that orcas, and potentially other cetaceans in human care, may serve as valuable models for investigating naturally occurring social dynamics under controlled, observable conditions.

The authors go on to caution, however, that even though certain behaviors may occur in both natural and human-managed settings, the causes or underlying motivations for those behaviors may differ. This underscores the importance of capturing the often-cryptic social behaviors of cetaceans in their natural habitat. It also illustrates the value of citizen-science observations to zoological research."

A study published in the journal Oceans details the remarkable chance encounter between a group of citizen scientists on a snorkeling expedition in the Kvænangen fjords of Norway and a pair of killer whales (Orcinus orca).

02/07/2025

"I think anthropomorphizing species can be an effective approach, but it should be used with caution," says Amici.

"This could be counterbalanced by emphasizing other aspects, such as the species' crucial ecological role. Whatever approach conservationists take, I believe it is essential to remain aware of the many cognitive and emotional biases that shape human perceptions of nature and other animals."

The researchers noted that while the study captures larger trends, the results are not representative of the full breadth of people's views and experiences surrounding anthropomorphism" https://phys.org/news/2025-06-social-factors-human-animals.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawLSIWRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETF5ak9IdElqQ3ZJSjVMMFhYAR4oaRG20l5115FkxnzvGXnUDMmbUdJaPcPmMbExEAyRUBTWlqJRVsMyM8kJRQ_aem_d6cRdk6ikwc6DoifS4sVKA

From depressed polar bears to charismatic pandas, conservationists have used anthropomorphism, or the practice of attributing human qualities to non-human subjects, to garner public support for conservation efforts.

01/07/2025

"Offering items to humans could simultaneously include opportunities for killer whales to practice learned cultural behavior, explore or play and in so doing learn about, manipulate or develop relationships with us," the researchers wrote. "Given the advanced cognitive abilities and social, cooperative nature of this species, we assume that any or all these explanations for, and outcomes of such behavior are possible." https://phys.org/news/2025-06-killer-whales-kind-gestures-orcas.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

Like a proud cat leaving a bird on its owner's doorstep, orcas—also called killer whales—may sometimes offer to share their prey with humans, according to research published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology.

29/06/2025

THIS from Dr. Karen Overall's "clinical Behavioral Medicine for Cats and Dogs" :
“The single biggest mistake that clients make in working with true behavior modification is that they move through the process too rapidly without paying attention to the dog’s signals about whether he is calm, scared, or simply overwhelmed. It’s best to pretend that all dogs have special needs and go slowly........there is no cost to going slowly enough so that the dog is always rewarded for clearly showing you they are calm and attentive.

On the other hand, there is a huge cost in confusion and anxiety on the dog’s part - and frustration on the human’s part – when the human goes too fast for that dog’s particular comfort level. Frequent, short sessions are preferable to long, drawn-out sessions for both the client and dog. Working for a few minutes 4-5 times a day actually may help the dog to learn and use the behaviors better than would 1-2 long sessions. This work schedule also allows everyone to incorporate the behavior mod into everyday life." Karen Overall

26/06/2025

When's it's not about the dogs but about us

23/06/2025

"Uniquely in horse training, negative reinforcement is the fundamental basis for the majority of human-horse interactions, compared to the wider reliance on positive reinforcement in other animal species. While positive reinforcement offers many advantages for animal training, the characteristics of the ridden horse interaction necessarily relies on the use of aversive stimuli during training, such as pressure cues, even if of low intensity. Therefore, the question of whether a combined reinforcement model, incorporating both positive and negative reinforcement, can provide the benefits of positive reinforcement while accommodating pressure cues from negative reinforcement is worth investigating. This review seeks to outline current knowledge and application of combined reinforcement in the equine training literature for comparison with positive and negative reinforcement modalities. A survey of the literature highlighted a large number of inconsistencies in the description and classification of different forms of reinforcement used in training. Many studies putatively exploring positive reinforcement incorporate unacknowledged aspects of negative reinforcement, thereby confounding experimental outcomes and the interpretation of the results. Consequently the lack of specific focus on how these approaches actually consist of combined reinforcement has meant opportunities to advance scientific understanding in this area have been missed. As a result, knowledge of combined reinforcement remains poor, whilst training approaches and outcomes arising from positive reinforcement are inconsistent or incorrectly classified. These inconsistencies highlight the need for targeted research on the use of combined reinforcement, to better understand how to incorporate rewards-based training programs in horse training, including during riding." https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159125002163?dgcid=raven_sd_aip_email

20/06/2025

Baby steps in the right direction. And only if it passes. We need to ask why pain needs to be factored into military training when study after study show training can be just as effective without force and handler relationship benefited. For those dogs working in such capacities, wouldn't we all be better served with those relationships maximized as to trust as opposed to fear and stress? "Painful mutilations, like cutting tails or ears, will also be banned in most cases and so will electric, choke and spiked collars.

The law also seeks to prohibit inbreeding and the breeding of animals with accentuated traits, such as overly short legs, that could affect their welfare.

The measures enjoy broad consensus among political groups but the extent of their application has been the cause of contention, for those keeping a small number of animals will be exempt.

"For the time being, 80% of breeders would not be covered," lamented Green lawmaker Tilly Metz.

Other exemptions have upset animal rights activists.

Strays will not be covered by the microchipping requirement, for example, and the ban on mutilations is less stringent for hunting dogs.

Similarly, coercive collars will still be allowed to train police, military and border patrol dogs." https://phys.org/news/2025-06-mutilation-microchips-eu-lawmakers-vote.html?utm_source=nwletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-nwletter

Compulsory microchipping, as well as bans on ear-cropping and tail-docking, are among a set of new rules to protect cats and dogs that European lawmakers are due to vote on Thursday.

18/06/2025

“There’s an assumption that because we love our pets, their lives are good,” says Hiestand. “That is categorically not the case. We need to be mindful of ignoring their needs. We need to get to know them, not just as a dog or a cat but as an individual.”

Pets have long been a source of comfort and companionship for humans. But are they really trying to console us when we’re distressed or do they just want their dinner?