Links
Recommended resources for veterinary and animal science

Animal behaviour

Animal Behaviour Gateways

Animal Behaviour Web Sites
Produced by the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, sections include: general animal behaviour; communication, signalling and bioacoustics; applied and clinical ethology; anthrozoology; biodiversity and conservation; ecology; evolution, genetics; neuroscience and sensory systems; courses and teaching resources; conferences; mammals; birds; fish; invertebrates; captive wildlife; tropical wildlife; companion animals; companion animals and recording behaviour.

General resources

University of Sydney Library Catalogue
Please note that the Library Catalogue uses Library of Congress subject headings so the American spelling 'behavior' applies. Some recommended subject headings on the University of Sydney Library Catalogue are:

• animal behavior and related subject headings.
• Check also under specific animal headings such as cats behavior, dogs behavior and cattle behavior
• A subject search on the name of the species pluss the word training may also be a good approach, for example dogs training and horses training.

animalbehaviour.net: resources for applied ethology
This site is maintained by Dr Paul McGreevy of the University of Sydney and is "designed to deliver information about the behaviour of domestic and captive animals to as wide an audience as possible". The site is divided into sections on companion, farm, and exotic animals as well as sections on animal training and recent advances. It is aimed at both veterinarians and the general public and also features a children's section.

Notes on topics in applied animal behaviour.
Electronic book based on Notes on topics in applied animal behaviour (3rd Ed) by Dr Judith K. Blackshaw with additional material based on literature reviews by Dr Paul McGreevy and undergraduate students in Agricultural Science at the University of Sydney. Includes chapters on behavioural profiles of domestic animals, animal transport, wild animals in captivity and the training of animals. Published online in 2003 by animalbehaviour.net

Anthrozoology
This site, sponsored by Petcare Information and Advisory Service Australia Pty Ltd, offers a portal for scholarly research in human nnimal interactions (also known as anthrozoology) with a searchable database of over 1500 human-animal interaction journal articles as well as links to scholarly research programs, courses, institutions and events.

Information Resources on Human-Animal Relationships Past and Present
Published by the US Department of Agriculture in March 2005. This publication is No. 30 in the Animal Welfare Information Center Resource Series. The site provides an expansive bibliography on publications spanning from 1100 to the present exploring the human-animal bond.

Behavior Analysis Glossary
This resource was developed by Darrel Bostow PhD and Brendan Tomkins and is published by the University of Southern Florida. Terms are listed alphabetically, by category or by reference, or can be searched by executing a keyword search of all the terms in the database.

Data from the Annual review of Cases
This site, published by the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) and hosted in the UK, includes a breakdown of cases submitted, lists of most common breeds referred and data on canine and feline cases including separation problems. All data is taken from a sample of the APBC’s membership who submitted their cases for study.

Avian visual cognition
This site is the work of Dr Robert Cook (Tufts University Department of Psychology), whose research interests are in the general area of comparative animal cognition especially the mechanisms of visual perception and discrimination learning in pigeons, and their comparative relations to our own perception of world. This site outlines his own research findings, links to selected publications and abstracts, teaching materials and a collection of related news items.

Biological psychology: an integrative approach
Companion web site for the book, Biological psychology: an integrative approach by Dr Frederick Toates, Harlow, England ; Reading, Mass. : Pearson Education, 2001. The site aims to complement the book by providing extra study and teaching resources. The student section contains resources correlated to the book's table of contents, including research updates, multiple choice questions and annotated weblinks.

Behavioural Ecology Research Group
The Behavioural Ecology Research Groupis based at Oxford university. This site lists their articles and research.

Etologia
Etologia is the peer reviewed journal of the Spanish Society of Ethology and features articles discussing ethology and animal behaviour. The full text of volumes 7 to 10 is published in pdf format and made freely available. Some articles are in Spanish whilst others are in English.

Measuring pig travel by image analysis
This paper was written by Nabil Brandl, Research Scientist in Animal Science at The Danish Institute of Animal Science, Dept. of Animal Health and Welfare, Research Center Foulum, Denmark. "The main purpose of this paper was to develop an alternative method in measuring pigs activities without disturbing them. The method had been developed using a computer pc based program, video and image analysis techniques". Ten Yorkshire pigs were used in the experiment, half of which were normal, the remainder were dwarf.

Animal Behaviour Theory

Evolution and game theory.
This site by Kenneth N. Prestwich, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, USA, provides an introduction to evolutionary game theory. It is aimed primarily at undergraduates and others with a serious interest in animal behaviour and evolution. It includes simulations and exercises.

Companion Animals

Recent Advances in Companion Animal Behavior Problems
Full text of electronic book edited by Professor K. A. Houpt, DVM Dipl ACVB and published by the International Veterinary Information Service, Ithaca NY, in 2000. Includes chapters on maternal behaviour, aggression, equine stereotypies, compulsive behaviour, herbal remedies, and feline spraying. Users need to register with IVIS to gain access. Registration is simple and free.

Dog Behaviour Index
Portal created by Australian K9 Events provides a vast list of links to canine behaviour resources. Resources linked to cover a wide range of subjects and are written by veterinarians or canine enthusiasits. The page on puppies also provides a vast number of links to resources dealing with puppy behaviour.

How dogs think - a non-verbal link to canine communication.
This article was first published by DOGWORLD Magazine and conveys the concepts behind William E. Campbell's humane, non-punishment systems for correcting problem behavior in pet animals.

American Dog Trainers Network
An image heavy site and focused on a North American audience but some useful links to articles and other sites. Includes information on topics such as socialisation and training.

Dr P's Dog Training
Created by Dr. Mark Plonsky, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Dr Plonsky is an experimental psychologist with expertise in animal learning and behaviour and he is particularly interested in dog training. The site contains a wide range of useful links.

Animal behaviour
This article published by the Sutherland Veterinary Clinic examines some common behavioural problems of dogs and cats. Topics discussed include: barking, aggression, urine spraying, and scratching.

Humans and Other Animals
Humans and Other Animals is a web site designed for all those interested in the human-animal relationship. The site provides academic researchers, students and people who deal with animals in their everyday lives, both professionally or as owners, with information on and links to a wide range of anthrozoological resources. This website is maintained by Dr Joanna Swabe of Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Companion Animal Behaviour Therapy Study Group
This Website on the Companion Animal Behaviour Therapy Study Group (CABTSG) was produced and is maintained by Jon Bowen. "The study group has been founded to promote the study, practice and teaching of behaviour therapy in companion animals within a veterinary context." The Website provides background information and membership details for the group as well as details of policy statements, events and courses. A primer on dog and cat behaviour has been provided which is aimed at vets and veterinary nurses. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required.

Desensitising Animals to Sound

By association with unpleasant events, dogs can become phobic of any sound. So, while sounds (such as thunder) that elicit phobic behaviour are often of low frequency, other higher frequency sounds can have the same effect, for example, the sound of crashing metal objects like cutlery.
In the treatment of noise phobias, desensitisation and counter conditioning are the preferred approaches. When sampling sounds and playing them back to the animal with increasing volume, remember to observe the animal for overt signs of distress. If these appear, you have probably made your increments in volume too large. So take a step back in the conditioning programme and check that the animal remains calm during exposure to sounds of the last volume level used.
Some dogs come to ignore all sounds played on a particular audio system. Perhaps they learn the frequency limits and idiosyncrasies of the playback system. To overcome these limitations, here are a few tips to consider when desensitising animals to recorded sounds:

• Because recording quality makes a considerable impact on the efficacy of the sounds it is sometimes helpful to increase the energy in individual sounds so that they appear powerful even on a simple system.
• To break down context specificity, try desensitisation in a variety of venues including your car and other people's homes.
• Use sub-woofer speakers that can approach 15 Hz or thereabouts.

Dr Paul McGreevy. University of Sydney, Faculty of Veterinary Science.

Digital Sound Effects
This is a website produced by Michael J. Meredith a stress management and meditation consultant in the United Kingdom. The site includes audio files in .wav format for fireworks, thunder, a siren, gunfire and farm animals which can be used in therapy sessions for animals with phobias to common noises.

Check the Image and Sound Collections page for more relevant sites.

Clicker Training for Horses
Clicker training is a method of teaching behaviour using a "yes" signal or conditioned reinforcer, to let the horse or other animal know when it has done something right. This Web page, authored by Alexander Kurland, includes online video's and other training sites.

How to Train a Chicken
Numerous top dog trainers have learned to the principles of operant conditioning in chicken training workshops offered by Marian Breland Bailey, Ph.D. and Robert Bailey. This article, written by the Baileys, outlines training techniques for chickens. It introduces the concepts of operant conditioning, primary and secondary reinforcement and the importance of good timing and lays out some rules that reduce confusion in domestic fowl as they are trained to touch a target, pull on a loop or make visual discriminations. The article is 13 pages and is in .pdf format.

Organisation for Reinforcement Contingencies in Animals (ORCA)
The Organisation for Reinforcement Contingencies in Animals (ORCA) is an animal training group that focuses on the principles of reinforcement and behavior analysis as applied to animals for training purposes. ORCA members have developed training guidelines for various animal species. The organisation provides advice on data collection, experimental designs for the study different aspects of training and the site links to some downloadable documents from leaders in animal training including the Baileys (see above).

Production Animals

Encyclopedia of Farm Animal Behavior (EFAB)
EFAB is being undertaken by the United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Southern Plains Area, Livestock Issues Research Unit. EFAB provides a standard for what actions compose a given behaviour and display a given behaviour in live-action video clips supplied in MPEG format. The images are in the public domain and are therefore freely available for use and download. Representatives of over 25 research institutions from North America are members of NCR-131, a group of experts that reviews the images and encyclopaedia references. This review process assures the video clip representing the behavior is acceptable and accurate.

Livestock Behaviour, Design of Facilities and Humane Slaughter
Compiled by Dr. Grandin, Assistant Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. This site features links to conference proceedings and many full text articles by the author.

Organisations

Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour
ASSAB consists of individuals from various universities, government agencies and zoos in Australia and New Zealand.
The objectives of the Society are: to promote the scientific study of animal behaviour and to provide opportunities for discussion and dissemination of information amoung its members by any appropriate means, including meetings and publications. Membership is open to all those with an interest in the study of animal behaviour. Students pay a reduced membership fee and may also apply for financial support to attend conferences. The website includes information on how to join, details about the annual conference and the Society newsletter. The links pages on the site are currently under construction.

Australian Veterinary Animal Behaviour Interest Group
AVABIG is a special interest group of the AVA for veterinarians who are interested in animal behaviour.

Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (United Kingdom)
The APBC represents a network of experienced behaviour counsellors who act on referral from a veterinary surgeon. The site contains links to other sites and articles by members of the Association.

The Animal Behavior Society (United States of America).
Includes useful links to educational resources including a list of 'animal cams' on the web to allow observation of animal behaviour.

The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
ASAB was founded in 1936 to promote the study of animal behaviour, and membership is open to all who share this interest. There are now approximately 2000 members, mostly drawn from Britain and Europe.

Center for the Human-Animal Bond, Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine
The Center for the Human-Animal Bond works to expand knowledge of the interrelationships between people, animals, and their environment. The site contains links to websites meeting a strict selection criteria for quality and non-commercial content.

Delta Society Australia
A non-profit organisation that promotes animals helping people to improve their health, independence, and quality of life.

The International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE)
A society for people involved in the fields of agriculture, veterinary science, zoology and other animal sciences who are interested in the promoting research and education on the behaviour and welfare of captive and domestic animals. ISAE supports basic and applied research into the behaviour of domestic, laboratory, zoo, companion, pest and captive animals or managed wild animals. ISAE is the leading international forum in which scientists can discuss the results of this research. Members of ISAE often communicate these results via the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior
The primary goal of the Center is promote the integrative study of animal behaviour by providing a forum where academics from the fields of biology, psychology, neurology, animal science and other disciplines by providing a forum where they can interact. The Center also runs an academic Program in Animal Behaviour, as well as ethics training for students, conference sponsorship, and administers a Research Experience program for undergraduates. This site provides an electronic newsletter, and information for children and teachers. The Center is a part of Indiana University.

Research databases and indexes

Recommended research databases and indexes for this area of study are: AGRICOLA, CAB Abstracts, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, BIOSIS Previews and Web of Science.