Successful completion of the course is conditioned on active participation in the exercises within the meaning of the UVLF Study Regulations; passing a written test within the scope of the course syllabus with a success rate of at least 51% in the 10th–12th week of the semester; preparation and submission of all required protocols from practical exercises, presentation of a seminar paper on a specified topic; and successful completion of the examination.

By completing the course, the student will gain knowledge of the principles of pet behaviour, know the behavioural manifestations of dogs, cats, parrots, guinea pigs, ferrets, terrarium animals, and horses, and understand their needs related to the achievement of their welfare.

Ethology and behavioural disorders of cats, ethology and behavioural disorders of dogs, ethology and behavioural disorders of parrots, ethology and behavioural disorders of ferrets, ethology and behavioural disorders of small rodents, ethology and behavioural disorders of terrarium animals, ethology and behavioural disorders of horses, stress factors in animal handling.

Lectures:

1. Ethology: the study of animal behaviour throughout history.

2. Animal domestication

3. Fundamental behavioural regulation, hormones, and neurobiology mechanisms

4. Stress and animals: an ethological interpretation of welfare status

5. Biology of pain, cognition and consciousness in animals.

6. Manifestations of stress and pain in companion animals

7. Innate behavioural factors 

8. Fundamentals of adaptive behaviour and motivation

9. Behavior modification through experience; animal learning

10. Ethological basis of companion species of parrots, ferrets

11. Ethological foundations of companion and hobby rodents, as well as terrarium animals

12. Human-animal interaction and welfare of companion animals, positive handling

13. Case reports

Practical exercises:

1. Veterinary ethology: the study of normal, abnormal, and undesirable behavior.

2. Scientific methodology and its application in the assessment of animal behaviour.

3. The therapeutic basis of behavioural anomalies

4. Dog ethology: senses and communication

5. Dog ethology: ethogram, ontogeny

6. Dog ethology: aversive emotional states

7. Ethology of dogs: stereotypic behaviours and other behavioural disorders.

8. Cat ethology: senses, ethogram, ontogeny

9. Ethology of cats: undesirable and abnormal behaviour

10. Ethology of horses: senses, ethogram

11. Ethology of horses: unwanted behaviour and behavioural disorders.

12. Positive handling, practical teaching

13. Credit

Fraser, A. F., Broom, D. M.:Farm Animal Behaviour and Welfare, 1997, s. 437,

Alcock, J.:Animal Behavior: An Evolutionary Approach, 2001, s. 505,

Jensen, P.: The Ethology of Domestic Animals, 2017, 360 s.

Continuous assessment:

Regular checking is carried out in the form of seminar papers, protocols and the completion of written tests.

Conditions for completion of course:

Successful completion of the course is conditioned on active participation in the exercises within the meaning of the UVLF Study Regulations; passing a written test within the scope of the course syllabus with a success rate of at least 51% in the 10th–12th week of the semester; preparation and submission of all required protocols from practical exercises, presentation of a seminar paper on a specified topic; and successful completion of the examination.

Final assessment:

Exam