Fear-related behaviors Flashcards
fear
- emotional response to a present or threatened danger
- can be specific to a particular object or situation or generalized to all similar objects and situations
- stimulus is present
anxiety
reaction to a prospective or imagined danger or uncertainty
phobia
marked, persistent, excessive fear of specific objects or situations
why are fear & anxiety a problem?
- animal welfare
- related to many behavior problems
- fearful & phobic responses to places, objects, people & animals, noises, situations
- separation anxiety
- aggression
- house soiling
- safety concerns for animals and people due to aggression
- feline fear: piloerection, tense posture, dilated pupils, side/back ears
- Canine fear - change in hunch posture, tails down, tails tucked, some panting w/ mouth open, ears back
distance increasing signals
happens when they’re about to become aggressive
- ex: Dog’s ear is back, direct stare & lips pulled over teeth -> threat is more serious so her muzzle extends forward and she gives a low growl -> wrinkled muzzle to expose front teeth & growling loudly & preparing to lunge forward and attack
indicators of fear
- Increased respiratory and heart rate, pupil dilation, elevated hormones
- GI - inappetence, salivation, vomiting, diarrhea
- Skin - lesions w/ self injury
- Related behavior problems
- genetic predisposition
- Previous experience - specific + developmental
- Current situation - anything that affects perceived risk
- Proximity, intensity, duration, unpredictability (novelty, temporal or spatial unpredictability), internal physiological signals
- Health state and arousal level of the animal can affect thresholds
training
Settle - safe place, relax
Watch - focus, attention, social referencing
Touch - engage w/ stimuli
General treatment recommendation for fear
Owner education
- identify behavior and situation
- Describe the behavior - write out operational definition
- Educate owner on behavior
- Measure the behavior - record/live observation (when, frequency/duration)
- remain calm, no excessive soothing to reduce anxiety transfer
- Pet is not “bad” just scared, try not to anthropomorphize
Modifying environment
- Identify all problem stimuli, and avoid exposure outside of training => use barriers where necessary
- Use muzzle if potential for aggression
- Use leash/head halters to improve control
Modifying the animal - behavior modification
- No positive punishment
- General training for control and to build confidence
- Training for settle, watch and touch for use during training
- Desensitization and counterconditioning
- Medication if response is intense, to adjust threshold
steps to develop a plan
- Identify fear threshold and train client to identify signs
- Develop a plan: step-wise gradient for exposure
- intensity, duration, distance
- Break into steps: visual, sound, etc.
- D & CC by client using gradient
- Progress to next step when animal is calm
- Repeat and increase over multiple sessions
- Remember to pair exposure with treats
- explain & provide client w/ detailed written instructions
medications
- for extreme fear/anxiety
- situational treatment
- daily treatment: tricyclics & SSRIs
- takes 2-4 weeks to become effective
- improved efficacy of behavior modification but not a solution
- careful w/ aggression
common fear-related behavior problems
- Fear of people, places, objects, noises - associated w/ specific triggers
- Generalized anxiety - no clear triggers, normally across a range of situations
- Separation anxiety - distress response when left alone or when separated from a specific person or people
Fear of people, places, objects, noises
Diagnosis - any age, sex, breed
- Identify behavioral & physiological signs of fear/aggression during exposure
- Key is identification of one or more specific stimuli that elicit response
- is it fear or aggression?
- Association w/ previous negative experience(s), missing particular exposures during socialization
Differential diagnosis (analyze pet’s history, behavior & investigate situation)
- rule out medical problems
- watch animal’s response to trigger (video recordings helpful)
- describe behaviors occurring - confirm fear
- Consider related behavior problems based on behavior & history
- Sudden onset may be related to underlying injury or disease that influences fear thresholds (ex: pain, discomfort, neurological issues)
- prognosis better w/ adequate socialization
- Different magnitude of fear will change the time to work through fear-based problem
Management
- Manage exposure outside training
- D & CC, settle, watch, touch
- Confidence building - “touch” / interact w/ objects in environment = increases exploration which builds confidence
- Consider seeing a vet for medication if necessary
noise phobia
- prevention: controlled early exposure to a variety of noises during socialization
- seen across various breeds => varies in some breeds & increases w/ dog’s age
- Often extreme responses: pacing, escape attempts, hiding, vocalizations, urination, defecation, vomiting, salivation, trembling, destructive behavior
- May be responsive to visual stimuli associated w/ noise
more on noise phobia
Prognosis
- Good for specific noises, not as good for general sensitivity
- Chance of relapse is high w/o maintenance
- Noise phobia can be more than just noise, better to treat before association of phobia is made w/ other stimuli
Treatment:
Owner education
- ID behaviors & trigger
- Continued exposure & positive reinforcement training is necessary for long term maintenance
Management
- Try to prevent/reduce exposure outside training
- White noise, noise reducing spaces, anxiolytics
- Try distraction (mild phobias) - play/treats beforehand
- limit potential for self-harm in environment
- Safe space, contained, place to hide
Behavior modification
- D & CC
- Try to implement when exposure can be controlled - not thunderstorm season!
- Use sound recordings to control volume - taped or pre-recorded
Generalized Anxiety
Diagnosis - any age, sex, breed
- association with:
- Previous negative experience(s), generalized
- Inadequate socialization
- Cognitive decline
- Unavoidable stressors in environment
Differential Diagnosis
- Rule out medical conditions like injury or disease that influence fear thresholds
- Rule out other related behavioral disorders - ex: fear-related, compulsive behaviors
- ID behaviors & watch animals behavior, understand contexts & situations occurring
Prognosis
- Good for improvement, but often poor for complete resolution
- Key prevention - socialization
- better socialization = better prognosis
Treatment:
Management
- Based on animal welfare and owner needs - individual approach
- Provide predictable routines, calm environments, stable social environment
Behavior modification
- Teach settle, watch, touch exercises, preferably at specific safe location = increase confidence, calm, owner-pet bond
- Develop detailed plans for D & CC based on animal & owner’s needs
- Pinpoint situations/stimuli that increase fear & start there
