Course Info
The vast majority of dog and cat owners who have any kind of relationship or bond with their pet are naturally anthropomorphic. That is, they interpret the likely motivation and accompanying feelings, such as happiness or sadness, driving a particular aspect of their pet’s behaviour as if they were human.
As the saying goes ‘a dog is man’s best friend, while a cat is man’s best formal acquaintance’, but beyond the general beliefs about their behaviour, just how much do we really know about the mysterious inner workings of the mammalian mind?
This course can be successfully completed by anyone who wants to take their understanding of the mammalian mind and behaviour a stage further. Each Unit of the course presents the facts in an accessible, jargon-free style that will help you unlock the mysteries of the inner workings of the animal mind and give you the information you need to enrich the relationship between you and your pets.
In ThinkBehaviour we explore animal psychology and the intricate mental processes behind all mammalian behaviour. This course is an ideal course in animal behavioural psychology for students who are interested in a career in veterinary medicine and any other professionals, in preparation for the COAPE Diploma in Animal Behaviour.
What the student will learn
- Learn about the inner workings of the mammalian mind. ThinkBehaviour introduces students to mammalian neurophysiology and animal cognition through modern research conducted into this fascinating subject.
- ThinkBehaviour is the perfect bridging course for anyone who already has experience in the training or behaviour profession, in preparation for the COAPE Diplomas.
Course Content
- Unit 1
- We start the course with an in-depth study into the components that make up the mammalian brain and how they work together. A grounding in basic brain anatomy and physiology forms the bedrock on which the other Units of this course are built.
- Unit 2
- In Unit 2 we investigate learning and how it works in pets. Every pet owner can testify just how quickly their pet is able to learn something new, be it taught or something they picked up on their own, often quite inappropriately. What actually happens in the brain when something is learnt? How can we best utilise the latest scientific information to make learning fun for animals and for us? These questions are answered in Unit 2.
- Unit 3
- Unit 3 addresses memory and its function. When individuals learn something, it has to be remembered and later recalled somehow. This is the job of memory. How does memory differ from learning? Do animals remember events in the same way that we humans do? In Unit 3 we answer these questions and many more on the nature of animal memory, its strengths, and its limitations.
- Unit 4
- From fertilised egg to fully functional adult animal and on through to old age. We chart the pet’s journey through life exploring the critical points of development. We find out why these developmental stages are important and what actually happens inside the dog’s and cat’s brain that makes the difference between a well-balanced, sociable pet, and an unruly, antisocial problem animal.
- Unit 5
- The way an animal ‘sees’ the outside world is nothing more than a clever ‘trick’ played on him by his brain. Dogs and cats rely on their brain’s sensory systems to gather in, process, interpret and make sense of all the information, such as light, sound, smell, touch and taste, bombarding their senses. They both have inherited predatory sensory systems from their ancestors. But in dogs, selective breeding for function by humans over the last few thousand years has altered the dog’s senses to best suit his role working alongside man. Over the last few hundred years, dogs have been selectively bred for appearance leading to a huge diversity in shape and size across the different breeds. In this Unit, we explore how animals perceive the outside world and the variation across the various types.
- Unit 6
- In this Unit, the student will draw on everything learned in the previous 5 Units to answer the question asked in this module: Can we ever know how animals really think? The quest to answer this question is fascinating, perplexing and highly controversial. Do they have an imagination? Can they think creatively? Can they think at all? We delve deep inside the animal’s mind and explore the very foundations of emotions, consciousness, personality and intelligence. We also explore communication and language and gain insight into just how much we can expect our animal companions to comprehend, drawing a line where anthropomorphism is no longer an asset, but becomes an obstacle between owners and their pets.
- Unit 7
- This final Unit of the course is where the student has the opportunity to design and undertake a research-based project of their own choice that will expand on their understanding of the animal mind. The student will be given lots of help and guidance along the way to make this Unit not only enlightening, but the most rewarding and satisfying unit of them all.
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