Welfare webinar: Socialisation and positive reinforcement training for pigs and dogs

Positive reinforcement techniques are an effective way to improve the welfare of pigs and dogs in research by encouraging voluntary cooperation with procedures and reducing stress. Pigs and dogs are highly intelligent species that are receptive to training and will learn from their past experiences. This means that they are well-suited to socialisation and training methods that focus on rewards and positive human-animal interactions. 

In this webinar Dr Cathrine Juel Bundgaard (Novo Nordisk and Board member of the Danish 3R-Center) covered practical examples of how positive reinforcement techniques can be applied to the socialisation and training of conventional pigs, minipigs and dogs in a research environment, including:

• The importance of socialisation for research animal welfare.
• Species-specific and general approaches for effective socialisation and training.
• Examples of using positive reinforcement for cooperation with procedures, including injections, refined blood sampling from the ear vein, breath sampling, x-ray and endoscopy.

Related resources

This resource is part of our welfare webinar series focusing on practical refinements for laboratory animals.

For further information on positive reinforcement methods, read our guidance on training animals and training and procedures for dogs.