Additional Common Behaviour Problems in Dogs Flashcards
Why do dogs pull on the leash
Training problem
Feel restraint, try to break free
How does destructive chewing develop
As puppy, chew on toys to relieve pain
Problematic when dog does not grow out of it
Chew when bored, lonely, anxious
How do you treat chewing in dogs
Puppy-proof
Re-direct
Bitter Apple
Supervision
Do not give objects similar to off limit items
Adequate physical activity
Why do dogs dig
Escape, find cool spot, bury a bone, frustration/boredom, search for object/prey, seek attention
How do you treat digging
Based on cause, reinforce good behaviour, redirect digging to new spot
What are the causes of escape behaviour in dogs
Environment outside rewarding
Inconsistent outing schedule
Enclosure not secure
How do you resolve escape
Secure enclosure
Schedule routine outings
Do not give attention when escaped
What causes roaming behaviour in dogs
Distant places = attractive
No reward for staying home
Pattern? time of year, location?
How do we resolve roaming
Eliminate distant attractions
Castration?
Buried perimeter (remote punishment)
+ Reinforce staying home
What are the causes of soiling
Medical problems
Submissive/excitement urination
Territorial urine marking
Separation anxiety
Fears/phobias
What does submissive urination look like
Urinates when scolded/approached
History of abuse, shyness, anxiety
Submissive posturing
What does excited urination look like
Urinates when being greeted
<1 year old
No submissive posturing
Causes of inappropriate elimination in adult dogs
Medical problems
Disturbance of house training
Weak den sanitation predisposition
How do we resolve inappropriate elimination in adult dogs
Treat medical/primary behavioural causes
Reinstate house training (small room)
Frequent trips outside
Clean soiled areas
Remote punishment near soiled area
Submissive urination (inter dog) causes
Natural response to avoid aggression by dominants
How do we resolve submissive inter dog urination
tone down greeting
stage multiple greetings (desensitize)
What are some attention seeking behaviours that defy categorization
Chasing shadows, barking at light beams, snapping at imaginary flies, vomiting, twitching, lameness
What causes attention seeking behaviour
Attracts attention from owner (payoff)
If competing pets
May begin initially as medical issue
How do we resolve attention seeking behaviour
No attention for problem behaviour
Leave dog alone when problem occurs (social punishment)
Attention for good beh only
What are the reasons a dog will jump up
Greet you at face level
Get attention
Testing position in group (dominant/subordinate); not usually
Why might a dog display gorging behaviour
Can be socially facilitated
More likely in competitive environments
- dominant get larger proportion
- subordinate might be undernourished
How do we prevent gorging
Plenty of food spread out if multi-dog space
Slow down eating (ball in bowl, using puzzle box)
What are the forms of problem feeding behaviour
Gorging, conditioned food aversions, eating grass
Why might a dog have a conditioned food aversion
Acquired aversions/tastes
Garcia effect
What is the garcia effect
acquired aversion derive from a food that made a dog sick in the past
What % of dogs show signs of illness before eating grass
10%
Is eating grass normally followed by vomiting?
No, only 20%
What kind of dog most likely will display coprophagy
Small dogs
Confined dogs
What kind of behaviour is coprophagy
Attention seeking
What are the two maternal behaviour concerns
Maternal indifference
Cannibalism
Why might a dog display maternal indifference
Endocrine changes, hormonal defect
Only one puppy born (not enough stimulation to mother to maintain maternal behaviour/lactation)
Why might a dog be cannibalistic towards its pups
Nutritional stress, weak/sick offspring, environmental stress
Why might behavioural vices and stereotypies occur
Method of coping with difficult conditions
How do you assess abnormal behaviours
Figure out causal factor (context)
Boredom, hunger, stress, crating, poor enrichment, loneliness, scared??
Slide 21**
DO it
What is the abnormal behaviour spectrum
Normal behaviour <> Behaviour vice <> stereotypies
What are stereotypies
Dysfunctional behaviour, abbreviated, fixed action pattern
What are behaviour vices
Re-directed behaviours, repetitive, no obvious goal or function
What is ARB
abnormal repetitive behaviour
Three criteria to be considered a stereotypy
- Behaviour is repetitive
- Behaviour has no obvious goal or function (does not mean no fxn; they are in the ethogram)
- Behaviour has a fixed action pattern
Do stereotypies have no function
No obvious function; they are in the ethogram
What happens as a stereotypie becomes more repetitive
Behaviour sequence becomes more abbreviated
Becomes detached from original stimulus
What are the two coping strategies
Active coping: performance of behavioural vices, stereotypies
Passive coping: lethargic animals
Example of some stereotypies
Tail chasing, flank sucking, fly snapping, acral lick dermatitis
What causes a stereotypie
Confinement, boredom, conflict, isolation
Skin disorders, disordered grooming control = acral lick dermatitis
Neurotransmitter abnormality
Learned behaviour due to endorphin release (+ reinforce)
How do we resolve stereotypies
Alleviate stress, conflict, boredom
Allow wound to heal, licking restraint
Structured environment and caregiver (routine)
Drug treatment
Signs of aging in dogs
Hearing/vision impairment
Arthritis
Dental problems
Anxieties
Irritable aggression
House soiling
Sleep-wake cycle issues
Cognitive dysfunction/impairment
