The Department offers courses in animal husbandry, animal ethology, animal management ethics, canine science and management and animal-assisted activities for Bachelor, Master and doctoral studies at the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Economics and Management and Faculty of Tropical AgriScience. It guarantees the Bachelor's studies of "Animal-assisted Therapy/Activities" as well as "Horse Management". Considerable attention is given to the education of undergraduates and doctoral students involved in research projects. The department organises specialist conferences and workshops, e.g. New Trends in Commercial and Companion Rabbit Breeding and Management, and the international Tropical Biodiversity Conservation Conference. The department includes the Centre for Canine Behavioural Research; ethological research on dogs is the key task of the facility, which focuses particularly on learning processes, behavioural problems and olfactory abilities.
Research and science Teaching Consultancy and cooperation in the field
The department specialises in the study of variability of primary and secondary production traits of livestock within and between populations, and the use of variability in animal breeding in both small and large populations; conservation of gene pools of farm animals - recovery and preservation of the Czech red cattle; genetic analysis and breeding in the Kladruber; the study of certain breeding, economic and genetic aspects of meat production in rabbits; research into biology, behaviour and management of canines, particularly the use of odour identification methods in service dogs; ethology in specific groups of animals with an emphasis on livestock behaviour; animal-assisted therapy/activities; and biology and ethology of animals in zoos, pet animals and laboratory animals.
The department provides courses in all faculties of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague. As part of the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, it contributes to student learning in the following fields of study: Animal Production, General Animal Husbandry, Special Animal Husbandry, Management of Wildlife, Companion, Sports and Service Animals, Canine Science and Management; and Animal-assisted Therapy/Activities. Courses that the Department co-provides include: Agricultural Systems I and Agricultural Systems II for students of the Faculty of Economics and Management; Basics of Crop and Animal Production and Fundamentals of Agriculture intended for students of the Faculty for Environmental Science; Basics of Crop and Animal Production for the Faculty of Engineering; and General Animal Husbandry and Genetics for students at the Faculty of Tropical AgriScience.
When managing research projects, the department cooperates with a number of centres and sites in the Czech Republic, which include universities such as MENDELU Brno, South Bohemian University České Budějovice, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague and University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, and companies - Biokron, Irel and others; cooperation abroad is also underway with e.g. University of Berlin, University of Vienna, Deutsches Primatenzentrum Göttingen, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Science Košice etc. Advisory and consulting activities of the department are extensive; partnerships have been established with a broad range of institutes, which include the Czech Ministry of Agriculture, zoos and wildlife rescue centres, and the Mountain Rescue Service of the Czech Republic. The department works closely with armed forces, such as Police of the Czech Republic and the Customs Administration of the Czech Republic, for which it provides lectures and manages research projects serving to improve the management and training of dogs. The department has a balanced ratio of activities in teaching, science & research and expert services, which enables it to adapt very well on changing conditions.
