Animal Learning & Behavior Flashcards
What 2 questions should you always have in the back of your mind as a practitioner in regard to animal behavior?
- what is the animal learning from this interaction
- How can I make this experience better for my clients (human and animal)
T/F: over 50% of dogs are stressed in the vet clinic
true
T/F: most owners are aware that their pets are stressed, but just do not know how to resolve it.
false – most owners are actually unaware of the level of stress their pet it under.
T/F: if you rush things while an animal is stressed, it is better because the experience is over faster.
false – if you take your time and effort, the animal will get better and easier to handle each time it comes in. If you rush, you will have a harder time handling the animal next time.
T/F: owners are more likely to seek vet care MORE often and EARLIER when veterinary care is NOT stressful for their pet.
true
what are the 2 types of learning and how do they differ?
- Pavlovian conditioning: reflexive behavior (phytogenetically programmed)
- Operant conditioning (voluntary behavior)
They occur at the same time.
The following are examples of _______________.
Startle response
eye blink
salivation
change in HR and/or BP
pavlovian conditioning
unconditioned stimulus –> unconditioned response
T/F: you can train a dog to emit pavlovian behaviors to new stimuli
true
for example: food (unconditioned stimulus) makes dog salivate (unconditioned response), whereas a tuning fork (neutral stimulus) does not elicit salivation
if you condition the dog to seeing the food and tuning fork at the same time, eventually salivation will occur ONLY when the tuning fork is present. This salivation is a conditioned response.
T/F: conditioning occurs naturally
true – but we can ensure that our interactions will condition the emotional responses that we desire (conditioned emotional responses).
T/F: it is easy to re-condition stimuli that elicit fear responses to elicit happy responses than stimuli that are neutral.
false – its harder to re-condition stimuli that elicit fear responses –> happy responses compared to neutral stimuli.
This is because fear generalizes very quickly. (ex. fear of the SMELL of the animal hospital –> fear of hospital –> fear of vet staff –> aggression)
T/F: learning can happen within one trial
true!
How do you condition positive emotional responses? (2 things)
- Pair everything with GOOD things (ex. enter vet clinic = treats, play, petting)
- Minimize aversives (no poke visits, minimize restraint, etc.)
What is important about the sequence of events when considering conditioning?
FIRST the aversive thing must occur (ie. restraint, vet entering, needle)
THEN the reward must occur immediately after (treat, play, petting, praise)
What are 2 types of consequences for operant behavior?
- reinforcers (increase future probability of responses they follow)
- punishers (reduce future probability of response they follow)
what is a positive reinforcer?
if the rate of good/desirable behavior increased, then you ADDED a positive stimulus.
ex. dogs stands at vet to have abdomen palpated, so you give it treats. Next time, dog will be more likely to stand during exam.
what is a negative reinforcer?
The rate of good/desirable behavior increases so you removed a negative stimulus.
ex. dog stands still for vet exam, so before the exam is complete you reward the dog by REMOVING restraint. Next time, the dog will be more likely to stand still and allow the exam.
what is a positive punisher?
The rate of bad/undesirable behavior decreases and you ADDED a negative stimulus.
Ex. dog barks at vet, you throw shake can of coins near him. In the future, the dog will NOT bark as much at the vet.
what is a negative punisher?
The rate of bad/undersirable behavior decreased and you REMOVE a stimulus.
ex. if you dog is a bully at the dog park, the dog gets removed from the park. In the future, the dog is LESS likely to bully at the park.
If the consequence of a behavior makes the animal MORE likely to do something in the future, what is this called?
reinforcement
If the consequence of a behavior makes the animal LESS likely to do something in the future, what is this called?
punishment
If the consequence of a behavior makes the animal MORE likely to do something in the future, and you ADDED a stimulus, what is this called?
positive reinforcement
If the consequence of a behavior makes the animal MORE likely to do something in the future, and you REMOVED a stimulus, what is this called?
negative reinforcement
If the consequence of a behavior makes the animal LESS likely to do something in the future, and you ADDED a stimulus, what is this called?
positive punishment
If the consequence of a behavior makes the animal LESS likely to do something in the future, and you REMOVED a stimulus, what is this called?
negative punishment
Reinforcers and punishers are defined by …
their effect on behavior
How can you make consequences most effective?
consequences must occur immediately after the behavior.
___________ produce avoidance (operant) and fear conditioning (pavlovian).
positive punishers
_________ increase rate of behavior (operant) and produce positive conditioned emotional responses.
positive reinforcers.
T/F: focusing on the good behavior your dog is exhibiting is the best way to train them in a positive way.
true
T/F: if a bad behavior is occuring, there is a reinforcer maintaining that behavior. You can use the reinforcer to train a new behavior.
true
how can owners and vets prepare their animals for vet visits?
work on accepting restraint and handling.
muzzle train
what is cooperative care?
training animals to participate in their own care
ex. train dogs to present paw for blood draws or nail trims through positive reinforcement
what can you do as a vet if the owner has NOT prepared their animal for the visit?
- enter and ignore animal
- drop treats or have PB plate
- give treats or pets immediately after unpleasant procedure to disrupt fear memory formation
- enter room before client does
- consider not taking temp or placing hands on animal if not needed.
why do animals appear to be calmer in the back without owner present?
they are in a catatonic state because they actually become MORE stressed.
Seperation from owners is aversive.
what should behavior advice NOT entail?
- advocation of shock collar, prong collar, or choke chain usage
- training based on pack theoary, dominance training, or being alpha
- guarantee the training will fix the problem
what should behavior advice entail?
advocate positive reinforcement
advocate for partnership between dog + owner
