Blog Posts Tagged: the observer xt

How wild cavies and domesticated guinea pigs differ

Domestication has a considerable effect on the behavior of animals. The dramatic change in their environment and provision of food alter the need for behaviors such as exploration. But what exactly is the difference?

The impact of visitor access in a shelter on the welfare of shelter dogs

If you’ve ever been to a shelter to adopt a dog, you know that when you walk into the holding area, the dogs can get very noisy.

Adolescent Motherhood – observing mother-infant behavior

Adolescent mothers are tackling their transition to adulthood and the transition to parenthood. This is called the double risk for mother and infant, inherent in adolescent motherhood.

Interspecific aggression: spotted dolphins vs. bottlenose dolphins

In the animal kingdom, competition is a part of life. Dominance hierarchies are common both within a group in a species (intergroup) or between two different species (interspecific).

The welfare of therapy dogs

Dogs have been used with adult substance abuse patients in animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) and animal-assisted therapy (AAT). Why use dogs in therapy? The impact of animal-assisted therapy on the dogs.

How to measure emotions in pigs

A commonly used assay for assessment of fear in animals is the novel environment test.In this test, an animal is placed in an arena for a particular time period and behaviors are scored.

Insect damage on leaves changes the reproductive strategy of plants

We all know that the majority of plant species depends on pollinators, like bees and syrphid flies, for reproduction. What most of us do not know is that this process is far more complex than it looks at first sight.

Physiological and behavioral analysis: coping with stress

Having a behavioral coping strategy means that a person can regulate emotions and deal with stressful situations.

Why wolves cry out for their friends

Why do wolves howl? From research, movies, and even television series, we learn that wolves cry out to each other to facilitate the reassembling of a pack when members have strayed.

Healthcare communication - dealing with emotions

Communication studies have shown that breaking bad news is best be done immediately and with clear wording. What is the best step forward?

How to mark zebrafish without compromising their behavior

How to mark zebrafish without compromising their behavior? They may have just found the answer to this at the University of Toronto. Cheung et al. tried out a method using subcutaneous injection with dyes.

Nurse-child interaction - observing medical encounters

In order to help health professionals and parents manage child distress more effectively, researchers started observations of real interactions in healthcare in a community setting.