Bonding with the Animals

Jamie Tianero
UC Davis undergraduate, 4th year
Major: Animal Science

Me bonding with Olivia.

I’d like to think that all of the animals in the lab have taken a liking to me, and I do think a bond has started to form with at least some of them. A bond with an animal is an establishment of a mutual trust and, like any relationship, is built up over time after getting to know each other. This trust benefits both humans and animals through the ease of handling and reduction of stress for both parties. Learning how to effectively interact and build trust with different species is an extremely relevant skill that I know will be useful in my future in the veterinary medicine field. The ability to read an animal’s body language and behaviors helps to build trust that could make a meaningful difference in the care they receive. Further developing this skill now, through hands-on experiences, will help me to become a more attentive veterinarian.

I assume the mini pigs all associate me with food since most of the time I’m feeding them when I enter their enclosure. Romeo doesn’t usually seem to care when I’m in the enclosure but he has charged at me before. CareBear seems to be just tolerant of me. I’ve gotten the courage to start initiating positive interactions with them by trying to pet them. Jellybean is the most tolerant of newer people so she let me pet her from the jump but I recently figured out how to pet her well enough for her to roll over so I can pet her tummy. Romeo has gotten jealous but I can’t quite decipher where he likes to be pet. I would say the positive association they have with me through feeding them could count as a bond because they do come up to see what I’m doing if I’m near their pen gardening or in the neighboring pen. However, the only one I know for sure actually likes me enough to let me interact with her is Jellybean. 

The dwarf goats I believe tend to enjoy everyone’s presence in their enclosure— at least from what I’ve seen. I’d like to think that the few times I’ve trained Cal with walking and hoof handling have given him a positive association with me. I’ve heard from others in the lab that he isn’t the easiest to pet but every time I pet him, he seems to be very happy with the interaction, once even nudging me after I stopped. Lily is such a sweet little lady, and as far as I can tell she really likes everyone in the lab with no preferences.

Oh the donkeys! They are just like huge dogs! In my humble opinion, I think I have bonded with these two. Memphis and Mary weren’t shy upon our first meeting—they greeted me immediately. After learning the good spots to pet them, I quickly mastered the ear scratches. They are excited to see anyone in the lab and will beg to be pet but I think Mary displays possible indicators of a bond with specifically me. When we take them for walks, I always choose to hold Mary’s lead because of our shared fear of the standard-sized horses. I’ve heard from others in the lab that on days I’m not there, she’s a little bit more sassy and has gotten spooked on a walk. While she is definitely the most vocal of the mini equines we take care of, I’ve never personally seen her get overly anxious on a walk with me. She will slow down or even refuse to move when trying to sneak a grazing in or if she’s uneasy about nearby standard horses, but I’ve always found her to be the easiest for me to handle. I make a point to observe all of the animals’ behavior, but I am especially attentive in situations where the animal seems just as scared as I am. I think Mary may pick up on that attentiveness and maybe a little bit of my fear and possibly feel comforted. Recently, she’s been walking a little bit further out to graze almost every time I walk with her, which makes me think I might  be helping her to feel a little less scared. However, she is the most manageable of the bunch in general so I may just be projecting. 

The mini horses show excitement when I enter their enclosure as well. Randy is…Randy (in the best possible way). He is just the goofiest little guy, small even for a mini horse! He spends a lot of time enjoying the salt lick or standing on the little stump in the enclosure. When we turn them out to the field, sometimes there are standard-sized horses in the neighboring pen, and when we come back to get the minis, he’s just covered in saliva because he lets them lean over the fence to groom him. Everyone loves Randy.

Randy standing on his stump.

Of course it makes me so happy when any of the animals are happy or excited to see me but the most rewarding feeling is earning that excitement. The satisfaction of having any of the animals show a preference for me specifically is another level of bliss but earning the trust of a timid animal feels like it’s another category entirely. Olivia, while initially very shy, has seemed to warm up to me. She’s still incredibly timid but now she will sometimes walk in my direction after I’ve stopped petting her to get me to continue. Olivia is the only animal in the lab who really made me work for her trust and even now, I’m still trying to build that trust with her. It feels a little bit like trying to “adopt an introverted friend,” in the sense that she does enjoy our interactions but if I don’t make initial contact, she will just observe from a distance until I go over to her. I don’t think I’ve exactly bonded with either of the mini horses but I like to think that, little by little, I’m winning them over by petting and walking them.

Building trust with animals, whether through shared experiences, patience, or earning their excitement, has been the most rewarding part of my time here. Each animal is unique with their own personality and comfort level, and navigating those differences has given me a depth of understanding in animal behavior and communication that cannot be replicated. Every experience has not only brought me immense joy but also reinforces crucial skills for my future in veterinary medicine.