Anyone do a science or behaviour degree?

[catalyst]

If you did and you did an honours project what did you do? Im am still swithering. LEcturers have suggested calling various charity sanctuaries (SSPCA, Dogs Trust) and asking if they have any ideas that they want looking into. If i were to do a behaviour topic for my thesis i owuld need the support of a kennels as i would be spending 10 weeks there. I would need a solid idea too. The lecturer gave me an example of one another student did about if training dogs in kennels made them more desirable to being rehomed.

[loveisokay]

I don't do that sort of degree or anything but surely that subject is a bit too simple since it is just a "yes"?

[catalyst]

Its not a matter of saying yes.....you need to prove it by researching it and doing experiments. Plus that was a very simplistic way of explaining that particular example. Im sure that involved lots of different factors that the student had to cover.

[loveisokay]

I appreciate that, I meant that there wasn't really a two way to it like erm euthanasia in dogs being good or not.

[catalyst]

Yeah, it is a bit obvious really. I think that the lecturers in my uni arnt really into companion animal behaviour, more into wildlife behaviour. The lecturer that told me about that example said her thesis fell on deaf ears. They helped her with it but didnt take an avid interest. Its a bit of a shame as i dont think il get much extra help with it. They have suggested to me another topic about the population of small rodents in semi rural areas comapred to city gardens. Would be a solid project but not really what im interested in. Would increase my skills in stats and field work though.

[loveisokay]

Might be worth taking their advice then, no? Sounds like they aren't offering much help themselves!

[sarabe]

My daughter did a study of wild birds feeding habits in her garden. Don't know too many details but I know it involved foods of different colours so I'm guessing it was to do with visual attraction as well.

[catalyst]

Yeah that would be about birds associating colours with different foods and other mammals like rats asscoiating taste with different foods. We did stuff about that in last weeks behaviour class :D. Sounds like a good project. I think my problem is that i may be restricting myself to canine stuff. Any project involving behaviour is an indication i know a bit about it....

[beaubessie]

A friend of mine looked at how changes to a dog’s size, shape, tail, ear carriage and general conformation etc affected their ability to communicate with other dogs.

Although this was many years ago I think that she found it really enjoyable and made some interesting discoveries (although she did need to have access to many different breeds!)

Could you look at something similar?

:dontknow:

[krusewalker]

how about: kennel designs and their effect upon behaviour and thus rehoming?
or, which type of breed/problem issue gets bounced back the most?
or, free kennel access or appointment kennel access - which is the better system in terms of dogs rehomed or kennel stress levels?
or, black dogs, do they 'sell themselves' less?
or, music in the kennels - does it relax the dogs and thus improve rehoming? if so, which type of music?

[Panya]

they're some fab ideas krusewalker! i definitely find the black dogs one interesting. our local retired greyhound kennel: http://www.rgtcroftview.co.uk/ where we have got 2 greyhounds from have certainly noted a lack of interest in their black dogs compared to the other colours! needless to say we have 2 black greyhounds in our family now! lol!

[Numpty]

The lecturer gave me an example of one another student did about if training dogs in kennels made them more desirable to being rehomed.

Not quite as obviously a yes/no as it appears. Our rescue recently tried to introduce 'Amichien Bonding' to make the dogs more re-homable: it was a disaster.

I think Krusewalker has some excellent suggestions and this is definitely an area that needs clear scrutiny and analysis - and feedback. Hope you are tempted to try.

Good luck anyway.

(Numpty aka Baad Dog)

[smokeybear]

Kennel design research has already been done hence the change of design at Battersea.

Black dog research has already been done.

[krusewalker]

Not quite as obviously a yes/no as it appears. Our rescue recently tried to introduce 'Amichien Bonding' to make the dogs more re-homable: it was a disaster.

I think Krusewalker has some excellent suggestions and this is definitely an area that needs clear scrutiny and analysis - and feedback. Hope you are tempted to try.

Good luck anyway.

(Numpty aka Baad Dog)

hi numpty,thanx for the compliment.
i would say though that the notion would training or not have an effect upon rehoming is a black and white issue, it's just that i wouldnt qualify amichien bonding as training for a rescue. its well known for having a bad rep, being based on unsound principles, and not being of much use.
i worked in rescue for 10 years. amichien bonding principles would be particularly bad for stressed and abandoned kennel rescue dogs...we would never have attempted it in my rescue, as we would have expected the disaster consequence you realised.
but then you could be right...it isn't a simple Y/N question, as it depends upon the training system employed.
i have an idea what happened to your rescue dogs, but i would be curious to hear your own account, to see if i am right.

cheers,

kruse

[Panya]

Numpty! i use that word all the time! lol!

[krusewalker]

Kennel design research has already been done hence the change of design at Battersea.

Black dog research has already been done.

The black dog thing is well known within rescue...we knew about it ourselves. But it is an anecdoatal thing that goes thru the rescue movement, and I dont know if their have been any actual Uni thesis or similar suchlike research papers written.
There may have been some individual studies by some individual rescues...but that might not be the level that the OP is aiming for, but she could sue them as a reference point.
Also, I dont know if this includes a statistical survey of black dogs and rehoming figures.
Ditto kennel design...if you are referring to the kennel design at Battersea London, i would be surprised if that is based on any stress effect observations, as it's not built that way.
I have worked there at Battersea in my time.
It's one huge building 5 stories high. Kennels on each floor.
Most of the kennels are small and cramped with dogs visible and vocal to each other closely.
Most of these kennels dont have outdoor runs aside from a few going out onto a roof.
Their are a few more single story blocks away from this building, but these are equally old units with rows are kennels facing each other.
Their is no grass on the site..they have to walk to nearby Battersea Park.
The whole site is an industrial placement running alongside the main train-line into London, 2 stops down from Victoria Station.
This is not Battersea's fault. It was sited there over one hundred years ago, and it is city-based. But you would referance Battersea (or Manchester) for kennel design and stress in terms of what not to do.
Battersea is still good though, and they still have other great faciilties within the whole set-up, such as the Real Rooms and Rehab Unit.
I know they have re-built the Windsor and Brands sites, so they could be different?
And they are rural.
Whereas, I know the Dogs Trust have re-designed/modernised/created existing/new sites with outdoor greenfield parasol or angled kennels.
Which are based upon some original research by them.

The best designed rescue kennel in the UK is the Mayhew in North London.

[catalyst]

It doesnt matter if research has been done or not. Its only an undergrad study not a Phd or anything. Infact more studies the better as i have literature to quote :D My degree is a tricky one as its just a general animal biology degree. I cant sway too much into the canine husbandry type stuff. It needs to be more...sciencey.......:( i wonder why i chose this degree sometimes! ;)

[krusewalker]

It doesnt matter if research has been done or not. Its only an undergrad study not a Phd or anything. Infact more studies the better as i have literature to quote :D My degree is a tricky one as its just a general animal biology degree. I cant sway too much into the canine husbandry type stuff. It needs to be more...sciencey.......:( i wonder why i chose this degree sometimes! ;)
thought you might say that...it would be interesting to have a uni study compliment any research done by rescues..it would help the rescues too...you should try going thru the ADCH.