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How to Train Your Göttingen Minipigs
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Date and time
Monday 18 November 2024 at 09:00 to 15:00
Registration Deadline
Monday 11 November 2024 at 23:55
Location
Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs A/S,
Soroe Landevej 302,
4261 Dalmose
Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs A/S
Soroe Landevej 302
4261 Dalmose
How to Train Your Göttingen Minipigs
See the programme further down.
Göttingen Minipigs are incredibly intelligent creatures and require well-thought-of stimuli to thrive. They are highly trainable and love a good challenge. Every time you train your Göttingen Minipigs, you also improve your understanding and communication with the animal. Correct handling and training, therefore, not only minimizes stress and improves minipig welfare but also makes the work with minipigs more rewarding and the data they generate more reliable.
In this course, you will learn the theory of different training methods like classical and operand conditioning as well as other training methods. We discuss how this can benefit your studies and which limitations there might be. You will also get a chance to boost your skills as the theoretical lectures will be interrupted with practical training with clickers. With the support of videos, you will be shown examples of what can be achieved with good and planned training.
This is a practical course with limited seatings and designed for novices or experienced animal trainers without any pre-existing knowledge or experience with minipigs. After the theoretical program, each participant will have the possibility to train with their own minipig with the lecturer on the side.
Limited seats!
Lecturer: Dorte Bratbo Sørensen, DVM, PhD | University of Copenhagen
About the lecturer: Dorte is an Associate Professor at the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at the University of Copenhagen and has a PhD in ethology and animal welfare. She specialises in laboratory animal welfare and ethology, animal ethics, 3Rs, and Culture of Care, and her main research areas revolve around the use of positive reinforcement to train laboratory animals to voluntarily participate in procedures and enhancement of refinement through animal-centric management, husbandry, and procedures.
Participants: Veterinarians, Animal Caretakers, Laboratory Technicians
The course is conducted in English.
Programme
The day shifts between lectures and training sessions. This is a recap of the full day:
Lectures
- Operant and classical conditioning
- Target and station training
- How to get the behaviour
- Shaping - timing, criteria, and rate of reinforcement
- The training principles and their use
- Training for aversive procedures
- Meeting the pigs, introduction to training tools and the facility, food flow
- Discuss what you are reinforcing and should be careful not to reinforce
- (Without minipig) Click-treat with target
- Conditioning the clicker and touch/follow target
- On station (using shaping)
- Going into transporter (using target stick)
Practical information
Accommodation and transport are not included. If you wish to book a hotel room, we will be pleased to recommend a nearby hotel - contact us at academy@minipigs.dk.
How to get to Dalmose: Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs is located in the beautiful countryside, near Slagelse city with excellent international train connections. You can also fly to Copenhagen Airport and continue by train to Slagelse. From Slagelse city, it is only a 15-20 minute ride in a taxi to arrive at our facility (estimated taxi costs: DKK 300 / € 40)
NOTE: Admission to the barrier
Please note that we have a 48-hour quarantine after contact with pigs, including contact with their feces or urine. Furthermore, admission is only allowed if the visitor has showered and changed clothes and shoes before entering the premises of Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs after contact with other pigs.
Disclaimer: Depending on the actual course content, participation in Göttingen Minipigs Academy courses can involve working with live animals, sharp objects, and/or physical challenges; which potentially might result in personal injuries. Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs does not provide insurance coverage for course participants, and accordingly, it is the responsibility of each individual participant to ensure adequate insurance. Please consult with your employer and/or insurance provider to confirm your coverage before enrolling in our courses.
Organizer Contact Information
Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs A/S
Phone: +45 58185818
academy@minipigs.dk
Registration
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Organizer Contact Information
Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs A/S
Phone: +45 58185818
academy@minipigs.dk