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Animal Behaviour

Understand why animals behave the way they do while developing practical skills in behaviour assessment, animal handling, learning theory and behaviour management across a variety of species.

Duration: 100 Hours
Modules: 8
Qualification: Statement of Attainment

£399.00

12 Months
Unlimited Tutor Support
100% Online Self Paced
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Who Is This Course For?

Find out who will benefit most.

This course is ideal for animal owners, pet care professionals, aspiring trainers and anyone wanting to better understand why animals behave as they do and how behaviour can be influenced through practical management techniques.

Whether you are working with companion animals, livestock, wildlife or captive species, you’ll gain a strong scientific foundation in animal behaviour that can be applied confidently in both everyday care and professional animal settings.

What You’ll Learn

High quality content, with clearly structured knowledge.

01

Understand the biological, genetic and environmental factors that influence animal behaviour and recognise how these shape responses, learning, temperament and behavioural development across different species.

02

Develop knowledge of how animals perceive their surroundings, communicate with others and respond to sensory information, environmental stimuli and behavioural triggers in different situations.

03

Learn how instinct, conditioning, reinforcement and cognitive learning influence behaviour, allowing you to better understand training methods and behavioural change in animals.

04

Explore social behaviour including aggression, communication, play, hierarchy and group interactions to better interpret how animals behave within different social environments.

05

Build practical skills in animal handling, behaviour modification and species-appropriate training techniques while promoting positive welfare outcomes and safe human-animal interactions.

06

Recognise common behavioural problems, understand their underlying causes and apply practical management strategies that improve animal welfare while reducing undesirable behaviours.

YOUR SUCCESS MATTERS

All courses have unlimited tutor support by phone and email, with industry-leading high quality content.

Course Modules

Learn modules one step at a time, and each module leads naturally into the next one.

Module 1

Influences and Motivation

  • What is behaviour
  • Causes of behaviour
  • Genetics and learning
  • Internal and external influences
  • Reactive, active and cognitive behaviour
  • Conditioning principles

Module 2

Genetics and Behaviour

  • Understanding biology
  • Natural selection
  • Genetic variation
  • Behavioural development
  • Behavioural genetics
  • Environmental influences

Module 3

Animal Perception and Behaviour

  • Animal perception
  • Environmental stimuli
  • Instinctive behaviour
  • Neural control
  • Sensory processes
  • Communication responses

Module 4

Behaviour and the Environment

  • Coordination
  • Orientation
  • Homeostasis
  • Acclimatisation
  • Circadian rhythms
  • Biological clocks
  • Reproductive cycles

Module 5

Social Behaviour

  • Animal societies
  • Aggression
  • Social constraints
  • Social order
  • Play behaviour
  • Communication systems
  • Group interactions

Module 6

Instinct and Learning

  • Conditioning
  • Learning processes
  • Extinction and habituation
  • Instrumental learning
  • Reinforcement
  • Operant behaviour
  • Cognitive learning

Module 7

Handling Animals

  • Animal handling techniques
  • • Human-animal relationships
  • Training methods
  • Behaviour modification
  • Species-specific handling
  • Welfare considerations
  • Practical applications

Module 8

Behavioural Problems

  • Abnormal behaviour
  • Psychotic and neurotic behaviours
  • Domestication influences
  • Human dependence
  • Behaviour management
  • Reducing behavioural issues

Course Information

Everything you need to know before you enrol, explained clearly in one simple place.

REQUIREMENTS

No previous experience required

This course is designed for anyone beginners and suitable for all learners.

Basic computer skills recommended

You'll only need basic computer skills and internet access.

Internet connection required

A stable internet connection is needed to access your course materials and submit assessments.

ASSESSMENT

Tutor-marked assignments

Your assignments are marked by experienced tutors who provide helpful feedback.

Practical assessments

Learn by doing with practical assessments designed to build real world skills.

No examinations

There are no exams. Your learning is assessed through practical assignments and activities.

QUALIFICATION

Digital certificate

Your qualification will be issued as a digital certificate which you can download and share.

Issued on completion

Your certificate is issued once you have successfully completed all course requirements.