VETERINARIAN PERSPECTIVE
Ethology and Veterinary Medicine : It ’ s not all about training !
By Melissa Bain , DVM , DACVB , MS , DACAW Professor , Clinical Animal Behavior University of California School of Veterinary Medicine
Sit … click ! Yes , I love training and behavior modification , and love seeing the engagement of my patients and my clients , especially when things ( literally ) click . I love seeing students learning through their struggles with concepts of modifying an animal ’ s behavior , and when the lightbulb goes off , it ’ s one of my greatest joys . I also enjoy seeing them think more deeply as to ‘ why ’ an animal is doing what it is doing , connecting those behaviors with physiological causes .
It isn ’ t just about behaviorism ( operant and classical conditioning ). Ethology , the study of such behaviors as feeding , reproduction , territorial defense , and social interactions from a biological perspective , is an important way animal care professionals gather information . Much of the focus in ethology is on instinctual or innate behaviors that are not a result of learning , evaluating proximate and ultimate causes of behavior : the “ how ” and the “ why ” of behavioral responses . If we understand which behaviors are more strongly innate , deviations from normal can signal illness .
As ethologists have demonstrated , innate and instinctive behaviors are part of the animal ’ s repertoire , and they can influence operantly
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