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.
During which stage of puppy development occurs from week 12 to sexual maturity and is characterized by:
sense organs fully developing
elimination behaviors beginning
conditional learning is fully developed (short attention span, excitable)
juvenile
What stage is common onset of aggression problems and adult behavior patterns for dogs?
social maturity (1-3 years)
What 3 communication methods are essential for formation and maintenance of relationships in dogs?
- auditory/vocal
- olfactory
- visual
What about social communication allows dogs to communicate with one another reliably?
they use redundant, consistent signals that are recognizable and non-ambiguous among all dogs, so they can communicate among one another.
What is the benefit of auditory/vocal communication in dogs?
they are allowed a range of distance to communicate
When would barking with food defense and alert toward unfamiliar dogs begin?
4 months
What are the differences between high pitch barking and lower pitched barking?
high pitch – greeting, play, distress
low pitch – threat, assertive aggression
What is the purpose of olfactory communication between dogs?
they use their feces, urine, and anal sac secretions to identify each other, their sex, and their sexual receptiveness, as well as their territory, frequency of use, and recency.
most importantly, their message remains (feces, urine, etc.) even after the individual is gone, so this helps them to avoid conflict and have social/spatial organization.
T/F: aggression is usually an immediate reaction caused by startle and fear
false – aggression is almost never an immediate reaction. It is usually an escalation of events
T/F: dominance is not a character trait, it is the result of interaction(s) and experiences
true
T/F: visual communication is affected by breed (color anatomy and traits). In other words, not all types of dogs can communicate to the same degree.
true
T/F: play behavior is required for socialization by helping them build and maintain social relationships, develop interaction skills, and is also self-rewarding
false
all true except that play behavior is NOT required for socialization
How is domestication different in cats than it is in dogs?
in dogs – domestication arised from selection
in cats – self domestication occurred and there is very minimal influence of selective breeding; mating is usually due to proximity rather than human selection. Cats can also revert to complete self sufficiency unlike dogs
What is the social unit of cats?
its usually a queen + multiple generations of offspring
cats can recognize colony and non-colony members.
Describe the social behavior of intact male cats.
more solitary, less likely to form a social group
this is influenced by testosterone
T/F: interactions among cats are going to be influenced by their perception of available resources (food, water, litter space, elevation areas).
true
Stability of a social group in felines relies on what?
affiliative behavior
What feline tail position means willingness to interact?
upright and curled at the end
_________ in cats (the licking/grooming of each other) facilitates reconciliation after agonistic interactions and is a “good” sign of behavior.
allogrooming
What is the purpose of allorubbing in cats?
mixing of scents, exchange tactile signals
T/F: the developmental stages of cats are shorter and less defined than that of dogs, but despite this they are relatively similar.
true
What is the socialization period for cats where they begin to move away from the nest, develop social relationships, and start social and object play?
2-3 weeks to 7 weeks
when does a kittens ears and eyes open?
ears – day 5
eyes – 7-10 days
Who facilitates learning of predatory behavior in cats?
queen
T/F: friendly and confident cats are more likely to have similar kittens
true
boldness is an inherited trait
The ________ stage of cats is defined from 7-9 weeks until 10 months. Kittens will exhibit increased independence and develop adult social behavior patterns.
juvenile
