Training and Socialization of Wolves and Dogs for Scientific Research: The WSC Philosophy By Rita Takács, Marleen Hentrup, Christina Mayer, Charles Gent, Marianne Heberlein, Friederike Range, Kurt Kotrschal, Zsófia Virányi Wolf Science Center www.wolfscience.at
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Training and Socialization of Wolves and Dogs for Scientific Research:
The WSC Philosophy By
Rita Takács, Marleen Hentrup, Christina Mayer, Charles Gent, Marianne Heberlein, Friederike Range, Kurt
Kotrschal, Zsófia Virányi
Wolf Science Center www.wolfscience.at
The Wolf Science Center
• Established in 2008 by 3 scientists for the purpose of behavioural research
• Moved to Ernstbrunn in 2009 in cooperation with Fürst Heinrich XIV Reuss (Wildpark Ernstbrunn)
• 8 living enclosures with a total size of ~30.000 m²
• 1 test enclosure, 2 test houses, 1 puppy house and 1 raising enclosure
The founders
The testhouse
Cutting Edge Research
Wolf and dog cognition, communication,
cooperation and behaviour
Education
Facts about wolves
Dogs: Wolves in the family?
Informing the public-Observing science
Animal Management
Occupying the animals mentally and physically
Animals as partners in research and training, excellent husbandry
To achieve these aims the
researchers and the trainers work closely together
Aims of the WSC:
Science, Education and Good Animal Keeping
To raise individuals of a naturally shy species to willingly cooperate with human partners in a wide
range of situations, and to be able to focus on cognitive tasks.
Our Task
• Timber wolves (Canis lupus occidentalis) arrived from American, Canadian and European zoos or game parks • Mixed breed dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) were rescued from Hungarian shelters
• Identically hand-raised, kept and socialized, both to humans and conspecifics, as well as to
some private dogs
currently N = 14; planned N = 20
currently N = 13; planned N = 20
Our Animals
Kurt Kotrschal Friederike Range
Zsófia Virányi
The Scientists
Christina Mayer
Rita Takacs
Marleen Hentrup Marianne Heberlein
Charles Gent Rita Takacs
Christina Mayer
The Trainers
• Socialization – To humans, conspecifics and artificial situations
• Relationship – With specific humans
• Training – Non-coercive methods
• Routines – Repetition of familiar situations – A safe frame for both wolves and humans
• Communication – The transmission of information between human and
animal
Our ‘Toolbox’
Training
Pack visit Handraising
Leash Walking
Testing
Work at the WSC
• To be able to cope well with the WSC environment
• To become socially competent with conspecifics in a pack life
• To be relaxed around familiar persons – ability to focus on the cognitive and cooperation tasks, taking part willingly
• Our dogs subjected to the same handraising process for scientific reasons rather than out of necessity
Handraising Goals
• Puppies arrive at the WSC at 7-10 days of age
• 4-6 pups raised together with 24/7 human presence for 5 months in a purpose built enclosure
• Using underlying biological mechanisms
Building up handraiser relationship (bonding)
Handraiser
behaviour
Perception
of humans
Same behaviour and communication from other humans
Expected Provided
Handraising Method
• Humans are social partners
• Providing security
• Controlled human behaviour and communication
• Training and building up routine situations from 3 weeks of age
• Use of handraiser dogs
• Regular meetings with adult conspecifics
• Gradual integration to adult packs at age 5 month
Handraising Method
• Possible through socialization
• With students, participants of WSC educational programmes, guests, media, visitors
• In the forms of testing, pack visits, walks
• Controlled human behaviour and communication
• Extended routine situations
• Safety rules
Interactions With
Unfamiliar Humans
• Interaction and experience in full contact between humans and animals
• Part of maintaining socialization
• Animals given the choice to stay and interact or to go away
• Done in a controlled way • Safe educational opportunity
Pack Visits
• Relationship and training
• Reinforcement schedule
• Basic training
• Leash walks
• Training for tests
• Husbandry training
• Veterinary training
Training
• Basic set of behaviours
• Continuous reinforcement
• Repetition – routine
• Utilised in different contexts
• Building relationship
Basic Training
• To actively use testing equipment
• To tolerate materials and objects on the body
• To overcome fear-eliciting objects
• To tolerate restraint
Training for Testing
Heartrate Belt Training
http://youtu.be/QFkTQgtgpNI
• Indoors/outdoors
• In full contact or through the fence
• May include familiar dogs, strangers, students
• Relationship needed and built if necessary
• Using different testing equipment
• Cognitive and physical tasks
• Public viewing
Scientific Testing
• For testing, moving
animals from A to B, leash walk
• Developed from a young age
• Leash and collar – communication tool
• Novel objects, situations • May include unfamiliar
persons • Safety measures
Leash Walking
• Shifting • Animal care
• Preventative care • Can be used in protected
contact • Check on body condition • Training high quality
behaviours
Husbandry Training
• To move our animals
• To separate and reunite pack members regularly
• To shift individuals effectively and safely for the scientific work
• To minimise agression as well as stereotypic behaviours
• To manage conflicts, emergency situations and for maintenance purposes
Shifting
• Weekly visits by our 24/7 vet Dr. Buchmayer
• Building relationship
• Training situation builds on basic handling routine
• Minor medical treatments without restraint or anesthesia
• Applied on top of ability to give medical care through relationship
Veterinary Training
Thank you for your attention and see you at the WSC!
The WSC Team
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