We move in exciting times in the study of animal behaviour - research in the area is popular with post-graduate students in animal related and human related disciplines.  The result is that the volume of current knowledge and therefore best practice is evolving every year.  For this reason, many of the papers, although they may have reflected a body of opinion at the time they were delivered, contain at least some information which has been revised and updated.  This is particularly true for papers in dog behaviour and training.

Current research supports the views expressed in many of the papers that the behaviour of all animals should be viewed in context, so, for example, where a dog's barking is causing noise nuisance, the dog's motivation, its environment and training must be considered in the program to change its behaviour.  We now know conclusively that simply punishing unacceptable behaviour can result in significant welfare issues.  There has been a significant volume of research into the effects of training and results have suggested that positive, reward based training produces dogs with fewer owner identified behaviour problems and a greater bond with their families.

Dangerous dog and restricted breed legislation are a topical and emotive issue in Australia.  Such legislation has been in force in Europe for some years and there have now been several studies into their effectiveness.  These generally have found no reduction on the number of dog bites since such legislation has been enacted.

Although our knowledge of cat behaviour has increased in recent years, the paper on cat enrichment still contains current information.  There have been several studies into relationships with cats and this information could be extremely useful to encourage owners to keep their cats indoors.

As the study of behaviour is such an evolving field, it is important that those working with animals in any capacity ensure the currency of their knowledge by regular attendance at conferences and reading of appropriate material.