Behavior -- SA Flashcards
what are DIFFERENCES between dogs and wolves?
dogs have decreased hunting and rearing of the young and they are unlikely to form a stable “pack”
Companionship, assisted hunting, scavenging of living areas, and self-protection are reasons we did what with dogs?
domestication
How is domestication different from taming?
domestication is a behavior change across GENERATIONS and it modifies morphology and physiology as well (tails, coat color, ears, breeding cycles) as a result of selecting for “tameness”
taming is something that occurs on the individual level
What is paedomorphosis?
the retention of puppy/juvenile traits into adulthood
(ex. frenchies retain small size, round head with the big puppy eyes, and floppy ears – they also have decreased fear and more curiosity +playfulness)
From birth to 13 days is the _______ stage in dogs.
neonatal
From _______ days is the transitional stage of dogs.
13-19
From _______ weeks is the socialization stage of dogs.
3-12
What is the biggest difference between the canine and equine neonatal phase?
canines have immature physical and neurological state, so they are VERY dependent on the dam for food, elimination, and protection.
T/F: research has shown that daily handling of puppies during the neonatal period has many benefits such as earlier eye opening, increased confidence, earlier nervous system development, more rapid growth and weight gain, and decreased emotionality.
true
What are the benefits of early neurologic stimulation in dogs? (5)
- improved cardiovascular performance
- stronger heart beat
- stronger adrenal glands
- improved tolerance to stress
- greater resistance to disease
The following describes what period of development in dogs?
opens eyes
responds to light
beginning the ingestive behaviors (lap, chew)
start crawling and walking
fully develop pain perception
social bond with littermates
onset of acoustic startle response
transition phase
(days ~13-19)
how do elimination behaviors change from birth to the socialization period (3-12 weeks)?
at birth, they require the dam to help them eliminate
during transition, they are able to leave the nest and eliminate in specific locations
during socialization period, they continue to leave the nest to eliminate, but start returning to the same location to do so as a result of response to odor at the elimination site (impt for potty training).
what is the difference between habituation and positive conditioning during the socialization period of dogs?
habituation is their brain learning about the world around them and recognizing it as normal (getting used to it)
positive conditioning is where associations are formed
At what age are puppies experiencing “rapid recovery from fearful incidents” and approaching unfamiliar people?
3-5 weeks
Where do we start to see mother-dependent behaviors decrease in puppies (decreased nursing and decreased separation distress)?
6-14 weeks
At what period do puppies have peak avoidance of strangers and want protection from predators?
basically they are assuming everything is unsafe until they are proven otherwise; trauma during this period is particularly impactful.
12-14 weeks
T/F: Socialization deficits through 4 weeks old are associated with long term changes in social behavior of dogs.
false – through 14 weeks.
What are the 8 criteria for raising a “well-socialized” dog?
- locations
- people
- pets
- handling
- objects
- interactions
- noise
- movement
T/F: your socialization recommendations will vary based on puppy personality
true
What do puppies benefit from with puppy classes?
- early emotional control
- learn how to learn
- development bite inhibition
- structured introductions
When does stable learning begin for puppies? (ie when would if something bad happened to them, they begin to remember these things).
8-9 weeks
What is a common mistake that people make with their new puppies that they trained really well for at beginning of their life, but are no longer seeing results?
they likely socialized them really well during the first couple of weeks, but then isolated them / stopped efforts at 3 months
As a result, they have decreased capacity to learn new things and they arent retaining the old things they learned.
T/F: research shows that early exposure (during neonatal period) of children to puppies creates negative behaviors such as escape and aggression, whereas if they were introduced during their late socialization period, positive behaviors resulted.
false – early exposure to children decreased negative behaviors such as aggression.
T/F: it is ideal for a puppy to live in a household with various family members and this is sufficient for well-rounded socialization.
false – its great to be socialized within the family of various humans and animals, however this isnt enough because they can develop stranger-directed and dog-directed fears if not introduced to individuals OUTSIDE of the home.
