Kimberly J. Workinger
Paramount to effectively working with animals is an understanding of animal behavior. Is the behavior being exhibited "normal" or the result of injury or fear? What visual cues do animals give us to let us know how they are feeling? How do animals communicate with each other and with us? What behaviors ensure their survival? For that matter, what is the difference between instinctive and learned behaviors? How has the observed behavior evolved over time? What are the instinctive behaviors of companion animals? How does the knowledge of the behavior of animals relate to a curriculum in small animal care? Through a series of observations, lectures and applied activities the students of an animal science/veterinary tech class will learn about some of the behaviors typical of dogs and cats as companion animals.
(Developed for Animal Science and Vet Tech, grade 11; recommended for Biology and Vocational Agriculture, grades 10-12)
