Summary: Companion Animals Korte Samenvatting

Read the summary and the most important questions on companion animals korte samenvatting

• 1 lecture 1 + 2

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• 4 principle characteristics of domestication

  - breeding is under human control
  - provides a product/service useful to man
  - is tame
  - has been selected away from the wildtype

• What determines if an animal species adapts well to captivity?

  - Boldness (bold vs timid/fearful)
  

  • timid species take flight quicker and show more stress responses if they cant escape

  - flexibility (generalist vs specialist)
  

  • specialists have difficulty coping with new environments and food supply

  - ranging (resident vs migratory)
  

  • when environment changes, they rather leave than adapt their behaviour  

• How do companion animals promote physical and mental health of humans?

  1. Biophilia 
  

  • the urge to affiliate with other forms of life
  • looking at nature makes you more calm
  • evolutionary -> if nature is calm, no predators around, also looking for food sources

  2. Social support 
  

  • reduce loneliness and isolation
  • lessen fear and reduce stress
  • socializing effect -> person with dog more appealing to other people 

• secure base effect

  - if the owner is around the dog feels more relaxed

• 2 lecture 3

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• Dog family tree

  - fox-like canids
  - south american canids
  - wolf-like (canis) canids

• Canis lupus L. (grey wolf)

  - genetically closest to the dog, interbreed and produce fertile offspring
  - still regularly crossbreed in nature   

• Origin of dog domestication

  - East Asia -> Yangtze river (also 1ste settlement for humans)
  - Middle East -> small dogs come partly from middle eastern wolf
  - Europe -> initiated with hunter-gatheres

• Animal model for domestication

  - conventional genetic theory
  

  • random mutations cannot explain the variability accumulated at immense rate 

  - select for tameness
  

  • change in behaviour
  • change in appearance -> adrenalin + melanin are connected
  • went really fast  

• Comparison wolves and dogs

  - behaviour
  

  • similarity in behaviour -> 71/90 behaviours found in wolves are also found in dogs
  • dogs have less hunting behaviour
  • but there is NO reduced agression in dogs! 

• Dogs bred and kept by humans

  - are limited in:
  

  • space/ exercise
  • social contacts
  • mental stimulation
  • physical performance

  - main consequences:
  

  • insufficient / no fulfillment of behavioural need
  • unsuccessful coping and boredom