A term that Jolene and I use frequently when discussing behavior is agency (freedom of choice). When an animal is inactive in a social situation, it is more likely to feel fear and/or stress. The ability to give consent is an integral part of the power to act. When animals cannot give consent, it can create a feeling of being trapped, which increases the likelihood that the animal will shut down emotionally or become proactively defensive (growling, crushing, biting, etc.).
Providing the opportunity to consent builds trust. It’s very common for humans to push themselves on an animal by touching and/or lifting it (mainly because they are incredibly adorable and hard to restrain). If the animal is able to choose whether or not to interact with a person, it feels more comfortable around them and is more likely to seek their attention.
Animals constantly communicate with us; if we are able to read and understand some of their more subtle bodily signals, we can determine whether consent is given or withheld. When training, the presence of consent is something we constantly monitor in order to keep the animal engaged and having fun while learning. When training/learning is imposed on a participant who needs a break or is exhausted, it begins to build a negative association with it.
Consent is also frequently used for breeding activities like grooming and veterinary care. A large part of why animals have problems in these settings is because their consent is often withdrawn. Groomers or veterinary staff who force an animal to do what needs to be done inadvertently cause stress and/or fear, and increase the likelihood that subsequent visits will be increasingly difficult.
We will continue to explore this topic in future blog posts!