Time is a resource that is rarely in abundance at CROs where the pace is fast and deadlines are tight. Nevertheless, we strongly believe that investing time in training our minipigs has a huge positive impact on both animal welfare, staff welfare, and study quality.
Voluntary training of minipigs is about more than training the minipigs to specific procedures. It’s about building trust, improving welfare, and enabling science to reach new levels of precision.
But true success in training in an entire facility doesn’t come from training alone. It comes from how well the training measures are implemented across the whole organization, from initial discussions with clients through execution of the studies.
Implementation of training is a team effort, and can only be successful if there is full support from the entire organization:
- Management makes training a clear priority and provides resources
- Study directors communicate with the training coordinator to integrate training into study design from the start
- The training coordinator keeps the system structured and consistent
- Animal technicians build daily bonds that make procedures smoother and oversee day-to-day training, while veterinarians ensure that animal welfare and well-being are integral to the training system and are responsible for the daily training. Veterinarians ensure that animal welfare and well-being are integrated parts of the training system.
- The planning department ensures that staff and schedules align, so training can be seamlessly incorporated into everyday work.
When all groups are aligned, training becomes part of the daily culture; as staff grow accustomed to the new procedure, it stops being an “extra task” and becomes a standard, integrated step in the workflow. Becomes part of the daily culture – and as staff gets used to the new procedure, training is no longer an “extra task,” but considered a standard integrated procedure in the workflow.
Consistency builds trust
Our reproducible training system makes it possible for different people to train the same minipigs without confusion. This shared approach reduces stress, avoids unnecessary anesthesia, and makes studies smoother and more reliable.
Every study has its own specific plan for training, so every Animal technician can see what the minipigs are trained for, on the day. After each training session, the trainer will write a short log about how the training went, and what we need to be aware of for the next training.
Training methods
At Scantox, all our minipigs are trained using positive reinforcement. We use clicker training whenever possible.
Clicker training is an easy-to-use technique that provides minipigs with a precise signal that a specific behavior is desired. Each "click" is immediately followed by a reward (e.g., a small treat). Examples of desired behaviors include:
- Walking onto a scale to be weighed voluntarily
- Standing still during subcutaneous dosing
- Allowing a mouth exam while awake instead of under anesthesia
As an example, if the minipigs need to be moved to a scale to be weighed, we train them to follow a target stick. First, we first train the minipigs to be calm in our presence. This is basic socialization, where the minipigs learn to associate the presence of animal technicians with something positive. Then we move on to teaching the minipigs that touching the target stick with their snout will result in a “click-sound.” A click will always trigger a reward.
When the minipigs hear this sound, they know that the behavior they are performing is correct and that it triggers a reward and therefore they want to repeat this behavior. This way, we can get the pigs used to following the target and voluntarily entering the scale and subsequently being weighed.
As basic training, our minipigs are trained to follow a target stick and touch it with their snout, making it easy to guide them calmly and voluntarily from one place to another. This can also be training to walk on a different surface, e.g. a ramp.
This procedure is less stressful for the minipigs, as our technicians lead the minipigs instead of lifting them or pushing them onto the scale. This way, we also create a better ergonomic work environment for the animal technicians and veterinarians.
It starts with the breeder
The process starts well before the minipigs arrive. By sourcing minipigs from Ellegaard Göttingen Minipigs, where emphasis is placed on health and socialization, we receive minipigs with stable temperaments that are curious, used to humans, and primed for training. This basic foundation makes the entire training journey practically possible and significantly more effective.
Training minipigs is all about teamwork. With commitment from leaders, technicians, study directors, veterinarians, the planning department, and the training coordinator, we create the conditions for success – for both minipigs and science.
