10/28/2014 Animal Behaviour and Welfare | Coursera

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Animal Behaviour and

Welfare Watch Intro Video

Animal welfare has been described as a complex, multi-faceted public

policy issue which includes important scientific, ethical, and other
dimensions. Improving our understanding of animal welfare, involves the
fascinating study of animal behavior as well as the challenge of
accessing the emotions of animals. Talk about this course using the
hashtag #EdAniWelf

About the Course Sessions

Animals occupy a huge part of the planet and our lives, and although we rely on them Feb 9th 2015 - Mar 16th 2015
for all aspects of our own wellbeing - food, draught power, medical advances,
clothing, sport as well as pleasure, protection and comfort - often their quality of life is Starts in 3 months
questionable. Appreciating how animal's experience the world they live in and the
different behavioural needs of the various species we interact with, enables us to gain
a better understanding of their welfare requirements, so that long term improvements
Eligible for
to animal lives can be made. Statement of Accomplishment

There are now more than 60 billion land animals raised for meat each
year around the
Course at a Glance
world, and with increasing human populations and a rise in meat consumption in
many parts of the world, these figures are set to double by 2050. Added to this is a 5 weeks of study
huge and growing world population of dogs and cats, many of whom are strays with 1-3 hours of work / week
associated health and welfare issues. International concern for animal welfare English
continues to grow with rising demand for measures to protect animals and improve English, Chinese (Simplified) subtitles

their care and wellbeing. The link between animal welfare and human wellbeing is
clear, and yet we still have a long way to go if we are to address welfare needs Instructors
globally. Finding ways to achieve higher standards of animal welfare, is therefore a
Nat
Waran
key priority for any developed and developing nation. Due to gaining in importance
The University of
internationally, there is increasing recognition of the need for animal welfare issues to Edinburgh
be addressed objectively in a scientifically credible manner.

In this animal behaviour and welfare course, you will learn about animal welfare and
Fritha
Langford
why it matters, develop an understanding of some of the main welfare issues animals The University of
have to cope with as well as gaining an insight into the behavioural needs and the Edinburgh
emotions of dogs, cats, farmed animals and captive wildlife.

Heather
J
Bacon
The University of
Follow
us
on
twitter Edinburgh
@JMICAWE
#EdAniWelf
Hayley
Walters
Watch our Behind
The
Scenes
Video
Diary
The University of
Edinburgh

This
course
is
delivered
collaboratively
by
academics
from
the
University
of
Edinburgh
and
Scotland's
Rural
College
(SRUC). Jill
MacKay
The University of
Edinburgh

Categories
https://www.coursera.org/course/animal 1/4
10/28/2014 Animal Behaviour and Welfare | Coursera
Health & Society
Biology & Life Sciences
Social Sciences

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Course Syllabus
Week 1:

Introduction, History, and Concepts of Animal Welfare.

During this week, we will consider what animal welfare is, the meanings and
definitions of animal welfare and the history of animal welfare in different parts of the
world and how views on animal welfare are influenced by cultural, social, economical,
political and other factors.

Week 2: Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Assessment

Animals show both short-term and long-term behavioural, physiological responses

and immunological responses to challenges in their environment. We can use
knowledge of animal physiology and both normal and abnormal behaviour as
complementary approaches in the assessment of the welfare of an animal in its
captive environment. We can also employ experimental techniques to try to
understand animal emotions in relation to their living conditions, for example; to
determine their preferences, or what they don't like or find aversive about a
procedure or environment. These experimental techniques allow us to ask the
animals how they feel about their environment. In week 2 we will explore a variety of
techniques used practically and experimentally to provide an insight into the animals
experience of its world.

Week 3: Practical Animal Welfare: Companion Animal Welfare

In many countries dogs and cats are traditionally kept as pets in the home, with
stray/abandoned or unwanted animals usually housed in shelters, where there are
frequently questions about their behavioural needs. In other parts of the world dogs
and cats may exist very successfully as part of a community or as street animals,
and this existence also presents unique challenges and benefits to the welfare of
these species. In this lecture we will explore the place of dogs and cats in human
society and how different attitudes and management styles impact on their welfare.

Week 4: Practical Animal Welfare: Production Animal Welfare

Production animal welfare is a hot topic. In this session you will gain an appreciation
of the relevance of farm animal welfare and the issues that impact on production
animal species. We shall also look at the way that scientists have contributed to our
understanding of the importance of these impacts from an animal's point of view. We
will explore societal concerns, the scientific understanding of animal welfare within a
variety of production methods and how we gain insight to the animal's viewpoint.

Week 5: Practical Animal Welfare: Captive Wild Animal Welfare

During the fifth week we will summarise key welfare issues relating to the
management of captive wild animals in zoos. Primarily conservation-focussed, the zoo
community is becoming increasingly aware of the welfare concerns arising from the
management of captive wild animals and is developing strategies to address these
issues. We will look at the conflicts between welfare and conservation, the methods
for assessing welfare within a zoo environment and the challenges associated with
this.

https://www.coursera.org/course/animal 2/4
10/28/2014 Animal Behaviour and Welfare | Coursera

Recommended Background
No background is required.

Suggested Readings
There are many books on Animal Behaviour and Welfare. These books are not
required for the course and they are not used specifically with the lectures. These are
just some of our suggestions for books that you might find useful:

Appleby, M.C. (1999), What

should
we
do
about
animal
welfare?,
Blackwell
Science,
Oxford

Dawkins, M S (1980), Animal

Suffering:
The
Science
of
Animal
Welfare,
Chapman
&
Hall,
London

Mason, G., Rushen, J. (2006) (2nd Ed), Stereotypic

Animal
Behaviour:
fundamentals
and
applications
to
welfare
. CABI
publishing

Gregory, N. G. (2004) Physiology

and
behaviour
of
animal
suffering. Blackwell
Publishing

Grandin, T. (2000)(2nd Ed.), Livestock

Handling
and
Transport,
CAB
International

Gregory, N.G. (2007), Animal

welfare
and
meat
production, CABI
Publishing

Tudge, C. (1991), Last

Animals
at
the
Zoo,
Oxford
University
Press

Course Format
Each week there will be a number of short films supplemented with interactive
exercises, quizzes and interviews with subject experts.

FAQ
Will
I
get
a
certificate
after
completing
this
class?
Yes. Students who successfully complete the class will receive a Statement of
Accomplishment signed by the instructor.

Do
I
earn
University
of
Edinburgh
credits
upon
completion
of
this
class?
No. The Statement of Accomplishment is not part of a formal qualification from
the University. However, it may be useful to demonstrate prior learning and
interest in your subject to a higher education institution or potential employer.

What
resources
will
I
need
for
this
class?
No resources needed.

What
are
the
learning
outcomes
of
this
course
and
why
should
I
take
it?
You will learn about; Animal welfare and why it matters and how we currently
assess welfare plus gain an insight into the fascinating world of dogs, cats,
farmed animals and captive wildlife.

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