Online Master of Agricultural and Life Sciences

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https://hdl.handle.net/10919/51287

The Online Master of Agricultural and Life Sciences (OMALS), http://www.cals.vt.edu/online/, is uniquely positioned to meet the evolving and dynamic needs of today’s agricultural professionals. The program offers concentrations in the areas of agribusiness, applied animal behavior and welfare, applied nutrition and physical activity, education, environmental science, food safety and biosecurity, and leadership studies, as well as plant science and pest management. In addition to engaging classes, students benefit from the opportunity to work on-on-one with well-respected faculty in Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to complete a rigorous final project, using what they've learned and developing real-world research and communication skills. This collection showcases final projects completed by current and former OMALS students.

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Now showing 1 - 11 of 11

Canine Nosework as an Intervention for Behavior Change in Shelter Dogs
Semione, Nisa (Virginia Tech, 2024-05-08)
Millions of dogs enter the shelter annually in the United States. Dogs living in shelters experience a variety of stressors that can contribute to impaired welfare. Shelter enrichment programs are one way to mitigate these stressors and improve the welfare of kenneled dogs. This study compared the effects of nosework activities and positive human social contact via petting on the behavior of kenneled shelter dogs in response to an unknown person approaching the kennel. The present study found that dogs exhibited three behaviors most often in response to an unknown person approaching the kennel, 1) barking, 2) standing, and 3) jumping on the kennel. There were no effects found in either intervention on the proportion of time spent jumping on the kennel. Dogs exhibited increased standing behavior in their kennels after both interventions. There were no significant effects of the petting intervention on the proportion of time spent barking. The nosework intervention demonstrated an increase in the proportion of time spent barking the day-after the intervention, indicating a possible frustration response.
Evaluation of OmniGen-AF® for Enhancing Reproductive Performance of Gilts
Niblett, Richard T. (Virginia Tech, 2021-05-12)
Nutritional feed additives are incorporated into rations to improve reproductive and growth performance in livestock. Dietary supplementation with OmniGen-AF® (OMN; Phibro Animal Health Corporation, Teaneck, NJ, USA) has been studied in dairy and beef cattle to date, but no research has been conducted in swine. This study evaluated the effects of feeding OMN and administration of P.G 600® (400 IU PMSG + 200 IU hCG; Merck Animal Health, Millsboro, DE, USA) on reproductive performance of crossbred gilts. Gilts were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: 1. a fortified corn and soybean-meal based control diet, 2. a control diet plus an i.m. injection of P.G. 600, 3. OMN (control diet plus 4 g per 100 kg BW/head/d), 4. OMN plus an i.m. injection of P.G. 600. Gilts were fed appropriate diets for approximately 40 d before breeding, and estrous cycles were synchronized using an orally active progestin (15 mg/d Matrix®; Merck Animal Health) for 14 d, and 24 h after withdrawal received either an injection of P.G. 600, or no P.G. 600. Gilts were bred by post-cervical AI using pooled Duroc semen (Swine Genetics International, Cambridge, IA). Reproductive tracts were harvested at approximately d 50 of gestation. P.G. 600 was effective in reducing the interval to estrus among gilts (P = 0.03), which is consistent with previous studies. P.G. 600 also increased average ovary weight (P = 0.04), and total corpora lutea (P < 0.01) (indicative of ovulation rate), but decreased fetus survival (P < 0.01). Fetus weights were less (P = 0.03) in OMN-supplemented gilts compared with controls. Pregnancy rate decreased after P.G. 600 treatment in OMN-fed gilts, but not in controls (OMN x P.G. 600, P < 0.01). In summary, gilts had typical responses to P.G. 600 and in general, the effects of P.G. 600 were not affected by dietary supplementation with OMN.
Factors Associated with Behavioral Euthanasia in Pet Dogs
Hitchcock, Miranda (Virginia Tech, 2023-02-10)
When pet dogs demonstrate unwanted or problematic behaviors, particularly severe behaviors, owners may choose to euthanize. While the topic of behavioral euthanasia is becoming more common among dog behavior experts, shelters, and rescues, there has been little research in this area. The Behavioral Euthanasia in Pet Dogs Questionnaire was developed to gather detailed information about dogs that were euthanized for behavior reasons. This exploratory study found that aggression, particularly aggression toward people, was the most common behavior that led to euthanasia. Results indicated that behavioral euthanasia occurs across a wide age range of dogs, and that most of these dogs had been living in their home and exhibiting the problem behavior for a long time prior to euthanasia. Additionally, reports of bites and self-harm indicate the severity of the problematic behaviors that led to euthanasia. This research provides a foundation for future study and provides an overview of the behavioral factors associated with behavioral euthanasia.
Going to the Vet? Don’t Fret: Using Treats and Scale Mats to Promote a “Stress-Free” Veterinary Experience for Dogs
Score, Tiffany (Virginia Tech, 2024-05-08)
Over 76.8 million pet dogs live in the United States and visit a veterinary clinic 2.4 times yearly, on average. For most dogs, these vet visits evoke stress, adding complications and complexity to executing necessary and routine care procedures. In a two-by-two mixed factorial study, we explored the potential effects and interactions relating to how a dog gets onto a veterinary scale, using a food lure or physical prompt, and whether a scale mat impacts procedural efficacy or efficiency. To analyze behavioral stress indicators within a veterinary context, we video-recorded a 3-min pre-experimental waiting period for each participant under both conditions. Dogs mounted the scale significantly faster if the scale was covered in a non-slip mat and a food lure was used. The handler effect was also significant, revealing that scale mounting procedural efficiency was impacted by whom the dog was handled. Lastly, behavioral analyses highlighted some key, easy-to-identify stress-related behavioral indicators that could serve as early warning signs a dog may struggle to complete necessary routine veterinary care procedures. These findings suggest simple, cost-effective strategies to reduce a dog’s stress when visiting the veterinary clinic.
The Great Outdoors: Fenced Yards and Their Impact on Companion Dog Activity and Adoption
Tsao, Lauren E.; Feuerbacher, Erica N.; Hoffman, Christy L.; Andrukonis, Allison (Virginia Tech, 2022-06-30)
Despite the prevalence of requiring a fenced yard to adopt a dog in the United States, there is little research investigating this adoption policy or its impact on companion dog welfare and behavior. Using observational methods, previous studies have shown dogs engage in a variety of behaviors while in their yards. However, differences in their activity levels when they are in the yard versus when they are not have not been measured through more objective means. In this study, I first conducted an analysis of publicly available data from the pet adoption website, PetFinder.com to show how many United States rescues/shelters are requiring fenced yards to adopt a dog. In the second part of the study, I fitted AX3 accelerometers to 12 companion dogs with regular fenced yard access to investigate the activity levels of dogs when in a fenced yard and when not in a fenced yard. The results indicate that shelters and rescues required fenced yards for dog adoption in over 20% of the United States adoption profiles analyzed and that fenced yard access increased dog activity level in some dog participants.
Positive Reinforcement Training for School Horses: Its Use as Enrichment and Its Effect on the Human-Horse Relationship
Sanders, Emily C. A.; Foster, Robin; Feuerbacher, Erica N.; Jacobs, Leonie (Virginia Tech, 2023-08-08)
The use of positive reinforcement training has been shown to improve the human- horse relationships, but the equestrian community has been slow to replace traditional techniques with positive reinforcement training. Horse owners and trainers might be willing to add positive reinforcement training sessions to their routine, even if they are unwilling to change their primary training methods. For this study, we examined whether the addition of positive reinforcement training, in an otherwise unchanged routine, would have behavioral effects on a group of school horses. The implementation of positive reinforcement sessions increased contact seeking behavior (both proximity to and physical touch) with the trainer, but not a stranger. Horses showed similar perception in value of positive reinforcement sessions and food-toy enrichment sessions through increased anticipatory behavior, measured by behavior transition rate, compared to a control group. Providing school horses access to regular food-toy sessions is a good way to provide enrichment, but it does not increase the bond between the horse and trainer like regular positive reinforcement training sessions.
Scented Toys as Enrichment: Exploring the Duration of Engagement with Scented Toys in Shelter Dogs
Howard, Skyler; Feuerbacher, Erica N.; Gunter, Lisa M.; Hekman, Jessica (Virginia Tech, 2023-05-15)
Millions of dogs enter shelters every year. Dogs being housed in shelters encounter a variety of stressors which may negatively impact their welfare. Many shelters use different forms of enrichment in an effort to mitigate the stress experienced by kennelled dogs and to improve their welfare. This study explored using scented toys as enrichment by utilizing a free operant preference assessment to investigate shelter dogs preferences of four different toys and four different scents by recording duration of engagement with each item. The preferred scent was then combined with the preferred toy and least preferred toy. The current study found that dogs spent significantly more time engaging with a plush dog toy than the other offered toys. There was no significant difference found between the duration of engagement with the different scents. Dogs spent significantly more time engaging with a scented preferred and least preferred toy than an unscented preferred and least preferred toy, indicating that adding a preferred scent to a toy may make the toy more salient to the dog and a more effective enrichment item.
State- and Context-Dependent Learning Effects in Different Dog Populations
McGuirk, James N. (Virginia Tech, 2023)
Animal shelters have limited resources, especially when considering the time and resources required for implementing behavior change protocols for resident dogs. This issue of resources is particularly relevant to the question of whether training should be carried out while dogs are living in shelters or if shelters should allocate their training resources to when the dog has been adopted and is in its new home. Given that a shelter is a different context from an adoptive home, a context in which dogs experience much greater stress levels than those living in homes, their learning could be impacted by both state- and context-dependent effects. These effects could result in reduced retention and recall of behaviors learned while living in the shelter. Research in other species has shown state-dependent and context-dependent learning effects, little is understood about the retention of learned behaviors by shelter dogs. In this study, we trained 20 owned and 20 shelter-living dogs in a training room within the animal shelter to acquire a novel behavior: touching their nose to a traffic cone. One month later, we tested both owned and shelter dogs’ performance of this behavior in their homes. We then assessed their response latency, and whether dogs correctly responded in their homes at the same training level reached in the shelter, or if behavioral criteria needed to be lowered for them to respond correctly. Results show that acquisition and recall by former shelter dogs closely correspond to that of owned dogs. Shelter dogs had much longer initial response latencies than owned dogs, but both groups were able to demonstrate fluency and test at higher criteria levels in the home than at the shelter. Dogs also demonstrated generalization of the behavior to their owners.
Using Negative Reinforcement to Promote Non-Agonistic Behavior in a Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)
Plass, Theresa (Virginia Tech, 2024-05-08)
Green iguanas (Iguana iguana) are a large, long-lived reptile well-equipped to defend themselves against predators and territorial conspecifics. These increasingly common household pets often respond to human caretakers with anti-predator behaviors including hissing and tail whipping. Current green iguana literature recommends long-term socialization training without any well-defined protocols. Animal behaviorists recommend positive reinforcement training whenever possible; however, negative reinforcement may be a suitable alternative when working with frightened or aggressive animals. Removal of aversive human presence contingent on the subject animal’s behavior has been shown to promote calm and friendly behaviors in domestic cats (Felis catus), domestic dogs (Canus lupus familiaris), and petting zoo sheep (Ovis aries). Negative reinforcement research has primarily focused on domestic mammals, but high-level learning capabilities have been demonstrated in a variety of reptile species. Thus, the present study aimed to apply negative reinforcement training to promote non-agonistic behaviors in a captive green iguana. Following 12 days of negative reinforcement training, an increase in non-agonistic behaviors were observed with a decrease in the overall number of agonistic displays and types of agonistic behavior presented. This study indicates that the previously described negative reinforcement protocols for domestic mammals also promote non-agonistic behaviors in a captive pet green iguana utilizing a naturally occurring and unavoidable stimulus to promote behavior change in a least intrusive manner.
When and Why Companion Dogs are Returned to Animal Shelters – A Multifactorial Analysis
Thanawala, Kristen (Virginia Tech, 2024-04-15)
Millions of dogs come through the shelter system each year, and it is estimated that between 7% and 15% of the dogs that are adopted are returned after a failed adoption. Understanding the factors that predict canine returns to animal shelters might help to inform adoption counseling, reducing intake and euthanasia rates in shelters. Additionally, understanding when returns are more likely to occur following adoption might influence the strategic deployment of resources by shelters to mitigate commonly reported behavior issues. This study utilized intake data from three related animal shelters over a five-year period to investigate what variables were predictors of canine return post-adoption, with a particular interest in dogs’ origin geography compared to their adoptive home geography, as well as time following adoption in which failed adoptions were more likely to occur. The results of our analysis showed no significant relationship between the geographical origin of dogs and returns, but it did suggest a relationship between dogs adopted into urban locations and likelihood of return. Additionally, our analysis supports the findings of prior research that dog breed groupings and age are predictors of adoption success. Finally, we were able to identify that returned dogs have a 66% likelihood of being relinquished by their adopters within the first 30 days following placement.
Why is Fido Stressed? Crossover of Employees’ Job Stress to their Pets
Mitropoulos, Tanya (Virginia Tech, 2024-08-07)
Job stress is an epidemic in the United States, with well-being consequences for the employee, their spouse, and their children. Pets, who most Americans view as family members, may also be susceptible to this crossover effect, or the transference of work-related stress and strains from an employee to their loved ones. Given prior support for cats and dogs’ abilities to perceive, interpret, and absorb a human’s emotions via emotional contagion, I expected that pet dogs and cats of owners with higher job stress would themselves be more stressed. I anticipated that work-related rumination, or the tendency to continue thinking about work during leisure time, would explain this relationship. All variables were measured using self-report scales administered in an online survey, and pets’ stress was captured in two ways: as owner-perceived pet stress and as behaviorally indicated pet stress via separate measures for cats and dogs created for this study. The sample included 107 employees, together owning 85 dogs and 22 cats. Controlling for home stress, I found that job stress related to behaviorally indicated stress in dogs but not cats. Work-related rumination explained this relationship. This study unites organizational research with companion animal welfare and pinpoints a potential contributor to impaired canine welfare. This study also supports the presence of crossover and emotional contagion in the dog-owner bond. Employed dog owners should take care to avoid ruminating about work-related issues when at home to protect the well-being of man’s best friend.

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Browsing Online Master of Agricultural and Life Sciences by Department "Animal and Poultry Sciences"

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