You are here: Home / Resources / All

Resources: All

Submit a resource

Find a resource
  1. animalbehavior x

  1. Dogs fail to reciprocate the receipt of food from a human in a food-giving task

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    Domestic dogs have been shown to reciprocate help received from conspecifics in food-giving tasks. However, it is not yet known whether dogs also reciprocate help received from humans. Here, we investigated whether dogs reciprocate the receipt of food from humans. In an experience phase,...

  2. Potential Impact of Construction Noise on Selected Zoo Animals

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    In anticipation of a major construction project in an urban New Zealand zoo, a study was initiated to assess the response to construction noise of selected animal species (elephant, giraffe, emu and alligator) previously observed to be sensitive to this kind of noise. The overall aim was to...

  3. The Use of Environmental Enrichments Affects Performance and Behavior of Growing Rabbits Housed in Collective Pens

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    This study assessed the effects of an elevated plastic-slatted platform and/or a plastic hiding tube in collective pens with large group sizes (27 or 36 rabbits/pen; 16 rabbits/m2) on the performance and welfare of rabbits kept from weaning (at 33 days of age) to slaughter (at 68 or 75 days of...

  4. Eye Blink Rates and Eyelid Twitches as a Non-Invasive Measure of Stress in the Domestic Horse

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    Physiological changes provide indices of stress responses, however, behavioural measures may be easier to determine. Spontaneous eye blink rate has potential as a non-invasive indicator of stress. Eyelid movements, along with heart rate (HR) and behaviour, from 33 horses were evaluated over...

  5. Effects of Visitors and Enrichments on Behavior of Captive Red Wolves' (Canis rufus) at the Great Plains Zoo, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

    Theses | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    Red wolves (Canis rufus) are the first animals to maintain a wild population from captive, released individuals. A captive breeding program for red wolves was started before complete extirpation, and 4 breeding pairs were released in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (North Carolina) in...

  6. Does the provision of environmental enrichment affect the behaviour and welfare of captive snakes?

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

  7. Evaluation of Animal-Based Indicators to Be Used in a Welfare Assessment Protocol for Sheep

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    Sheep are managed under a variety of different environments (continually outdoors, partially outdoors with seasonal or diurnal variation, continuously indoors) and for different purposes, which makes assessing welfare challenging. This diversity means that resource-based indicators are not...

  8. Equine Activities Influence Horses' Responses to Different Stimuli: Could This Have an Impact on Equine Welfare?

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    The learning and cognitive challenges that horses may face differ according to the activities in which they are involved. The aim of this investigation was to study the influence of equine activities on the behavioral responses and autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity of adult horses....

  9. The Social Rank of Zoo-Housed Japanese Macaques is a Predictor of Visitor-Directed Aggression

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    The effect that visitors have on the behavior and welfare of animals is a widely-studied topic in zoo animal welfare. Typically, these studies focus on how the presence or activity levels of visitors affect animals. However, for many species, and particularly primates, social factors, such as...

  10. Voluntary Rein Tension in Horses When Moving Unridden in a Dressage Frame Compared with Ridden Tests of the Same Horses—A Pilot Study

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    Too much rein tension while riding may compromise the welfare of the horse. But who generates the tension on the reins—the horse or the rider? The primary aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the maximum rein tension that horses voluntarily maintain without a rider compared to rein...

  11. Evaluating the Behavior and Temperament of African Penguins in a Non-Contact Animal Encounter Program

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    Animal ambassador programs are increasingly prevalent in zoos, yet few studies have investigated their impact on animal welfare. We assessed the effects of an ambassador program on the behavior of a colony (N = 15) of zoo-housed African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) and evaluated whether...

  12. Feeding Enrichment in a Captive Pack of European Wolves (Canis Lupus Lupus): Assessing the Effects on Welfare and on a Zoo's Recreational, Educational and Conservational Role

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    This study investigated the effects of two feeding enrichment programs on the behaviour of a captive pack of European wolves (Canis lupus lupus) and their correlation with both zoo visitors’ interest towards the exhibit and their overall perception of the species. Behavioural data...

  13. Coping Styles in the Domestic Cat (Felis silvestris catus) and Implications for Cat Welfare

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    Identifying coping styles in cats may lead to improved health and welfare. The aims of this study were to (1) identify individual differences in response to acute confinement, and (2) to assess the predictability of guardian-rated personality traits on behavior. Adult cats (n = 55) were...

  14. Incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the UK: an update

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    Data on dog attacks on Guide Dogs' stock were reviewed to investigate the characteristics of the attacks. An average of 11.2 attacks occurred each month. Nearly all of the attacks occurred in public areas, 68.4 per cent of victim dogs were qualified guide dogs and 55.5 per cent of victim...

  15. Test-retest reliability and predictive validity of a juvenile guide dog behavior test

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    The ability to measure stable and consistent behavioral traits in dogs would facilitate selection and assessment of working dogs, such as guide dogs. Ideally, these measures should predict suitability for the working role from a young age. This study assessed test-retest reliability of a juvenile...

  16. Aspects of juvenile and adolescent environment predict aggression and fear in 12-month-old guide dogs

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    Maturational changes in behavior, and the possible influence of the puppy-raising environment on behavioral development, were investigated in a total sample of 978 prospective guide dogs belonging to four different breeds/crosses. All dogs belonged to the same guide dog organization, and had...

  17. The cohabitation of humans and urban cats in the anthropocene: the clash of welfare concepts

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    Urban environments are inhabited by several types of feline populations, which we can differentiate as feral cats, free-roaming pets, and confined pets. Due to a shift in the cultural representation of cats from pest controllers to companion animals, cats living semi-independently of humans are...

  18. Locking down the impact of New Zealand's COVID-19 alert level changes on pets

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on human-pet interactions within New Zealand, particularly during lockdown, was investigated via two national surveys. In Survey 1, pet owners (n = 686) responded during the final week of the five-week Alert Level 4 lockdown (highest level of restrictions -...

  19. Evaluation of the fitbark activity monitor for measuring physical activity in dogs

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)

    Accelerometers track changes in physical activity which can indicate health and welfare concerns in dogs. The FitBark 2 (FitBark) is an accelerometer for use with dogs; however, no studies have externally validated this tool. The objective of this study was to evaluate FitBark criterion...

  20. A conceptual model of the human-animal relationships dynamics during newborn handling on cow-calf operation farms

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alison E. Ries, Catherine Marrs Fuchsel (adviser)