Anticipatory behaviour
The behaviours an animal produces in expectation of an upcoming event.
A horse who pricks their ears and moves toward the gate when they hear the feed truck is producing anticipatory behaviour. A dog who runs to the door at the sound of their walking harness being picked up is producing anticipatory behaviour. A parrot who starts vocalising and moving toward the front of the enclosure when their handler enters the room is producing anticipatory behaviour.
Anticipatory behaviour is used in welfare science as an indicator of how the animal evaluates what is about to happen. Vigorous, eager anticipatory behaviour before an event is a positive welfare indicator: the animal expects the upcoming event to be positive and is preparing to engage with it. Little anticipatory behaviour, or anxious anticipatory behaviour (pacing, avoidance, signs of conflict), suggests the animal’s evaluation of upcoming events has shifted toward negative.
The measure is particularly useful in research and welfare assessment contexts because it provides information about the animal’s expectations and motivational state. Anticipatory behaviour measures have been developed and validated for several species and applied in welfare research on farmed animals, zoo animals, laboratory animals, and companion animals.
In applied training and management contexts, anticipatory behaviour can also be informative. An animal who used to show eager anticipation of training sessions and now shows reluctance or avoidance is offering useful information about how the training is being experienced. An animal whose anticipatory behaviour is positive and eager is showing that the activity in question is welfare-positive from their perspective.
The measure has some limitations. Anticipatory behaviour requires the animal to have predictive information about the upcoming event, which means the assessment depends on the animal having developed accurate predictions. New or unpredictable situations produce different patterns that need to be interpreted differently.
« Back to Glossary Index
Every due care has been taken to ensure the information herein is based on sources Veterinary Nurse Solutions believes to be reliable, but is not guaranteed by us and does not purport to be complete or error-free. As such, we do not warrant, endorse or guarantee the completeness, accuracy, and integrity of the information. You must evaluate, and bear all risks associated with, the use of any information provided hereunder, including any reliance on the accuracy, completeness, safety or usefulness of such information. As part of our quality control of information contained within this document, it has been peer-reviewed by qualified animal care professionals.
Veterinary Nurse Solutions acknowledges that there is more than one way to carry out many of the tasks described within this website, and techniques omitted are not necessarily incorrect.