Jean Donaldson - Understand behavior: Inherited action patterns, social organization, play

Question 1

Back in Pavlov and Skinner’s days, how did many think about animals in terms of behavior?

Answer 1

Thought they were born as blank slates and operated mechanically through learning/life. Especially animals not as advanced as humans.

Question 2

Today we don’t view animals as being born as behaviorally blank slates. What do we know about what affect dogs behavior biologically speaking?

Answer 2

Evolutionary selection pressure history (flexibility of adaptation). Inherited non-learned specific action patterns. Selective breeding. These all contribute to pre-programming a dogs behavior.

Question 3

What are the original behavioral selection pressures and why are they there?

Answer 3

Brains are by creation veritable learning machines AND animals come with inherited action patterns that helped ancestor survive/reproduce. It goes back to evolution and the survival of the fittest.

Question 4

Why have nature put the original behavioral selection pressures in place?

Answer 4

It would be time and energy consuming and nonefficient for individuals/species survival if each individual had to reinvent the wheel.

Question 5

How is an individual set up from birth to have a higher chance in survival/breeding?

Answer 5

Get inherited behavior from successful ancestor’s software for solving important tasks/compete evolutionary playing field.

Question 6

Which categories of behavior does an individual inherit from their ancestors?

Answer 6

The 4 categories: Fight/flight, feeding, reproduction.

Question 7

What tasks does fight/light category solve behaviorally?

Answer 7

Aquire food, avoid becoming food, avoid injury/disease, defend resources.

Question 8

What tasks does feeding category solve behaviorally?

Answer 8

Predation + scavenging

Question 9

What tasks does reproduction category solve behaviorally?

Answer 9

Pass on genes.

Question 10

When reading a behavioralist view on animals and evolution, what seems to be their idea of the meaning of life?

Answer 10

Organisms seem to just be vessels constructed to bring genes forward in time.

Question 11

The original selection pressures set aside, what other mechanism has affects dogs?

Answer 11

Superimposed on original selection pressures = Domestication: Eased pressure for certain traits + magnified others.

Question 12

How has domestication affected dogs traits?

Answer 12

Eased pressure for certain traits + magnified others.

Question 13

Fight/flight behaviors in dogs are often viewed by owners as bad behavior or pathology. Explain how it should be viewed from a dogs perspective.

Answer 13

Defense self + resources. Not pathology! Natural dog behavior.

Question 14

Which behaviors reside in the feeding action patter category?

Answer 14

Predatory, caching, scavenging.

Question 15

Which steps does the wolf predatory sequence consist of?

Answer 15

Search, stalk, chase, bite/fetch, kill, eat.

Question 16

Which metaphore is useful to view a dogs predatory behavior through?

Answer 16

As seen through magnifying glass on predatory sequence (action patterns) ancestral wolves.

Question 17

In the predatory sequence, what does the search step involve?

Answer 17

Usually olfactory, might involve trailing prey hours/days.

Question 18

In the predatory sequence, what does the stalk step involve?

Answer 18

Stealthy approach, get as close as possible to increase likelihood of acquiring + Reduce energy expenditure of chasing.

Question 19

In the predatory sequence, what does the chase and bite/fetchstep involve?

Answer 19

Group-hunting canids wear large prey down. Often fluid from chase-chase-chase-bite-bite-bite, to prey tiring, going into shock, then next part of sequence (eating).

Question 20

In the predatory sequence, what does the kill/eat step involve?

Answer 20

No clear distinction (wolves, African wild dogs) between start of feeding - Prey dying. As soon as not fleeing/fighting, eating begins. Somewhere in process, death.
For small prey items, clean dispatching via pressure or grab/shake.

Question 21

How has selective breeding developed the different breeds original functions?

Answer 21

Derives from isolation + exaggeration wolf predatory sequence elements.
= Act in predatory sequence talent show!

Question 22

Which part of the wolf predatory sequence is magnified in scent hounds? Give breed examples.

Answer 22

Beagles, bloodhounds, harriers, foxhounds, coonhounds) = Search! Driven to find/follow trails of critters (smell).

Question 23

Which part of the wolf predatory sequence is magnified in pointers? Give breed examples.

Answer 23

Stalk! so exaggerated they freeze in position(!) = Pointing.

Question 24

Which part of the wolf predatory sequence is magnified in herding breeds? Give breed examples.

Answer 24

Border collie, australian cattle dog. Showing of eye = Stalk! Foundation also here.

Question 25

How are pointers different to us from herders? How are they alike biologically?

Answer 25

Utility to us (moving livestock) different than indicating where birds hide. But same underlying action pattern.

Question 26

What are different types of herding dogs in terms of function?

Answer 26

Some (border collie) are headers and some (australian cattle dog) are drivers.

Question 27

How do border collies instinctively operate?

Answer 27

They are headers, not heelers. Bred in tendency place selves on opposite side of livestock from handler. Don't just want to move or stalk, specifically want to GATHER towards handler. Have gathering urge.

Question 28

How do australian cattle dogs instinctively operate (often)?

Answer 28

Drivers. Move away livestock from handler or in same direction of travel as handler. Border c. can be taught this. Australian cattle dogs are often drivers. More chasey/bity, than eye stalky.

Question 29

Why are many herders so eager and skilled in sports like agility?

Answer 29

Many herders have chasing software. Why excel at sports involving fetch (flyball, agility), often motivated by tug toys.

Question 30

Which part of the wolf predatory sequence is magnified in retriever breeds? Give breed examples.

Answer 30

Also can be very keen to fetch.

Question 31

Why are some breeds, ex. retrievers, better as family dogs?

Answer 31

Some lines bred away from field lines may have lost this. Better family dogs.

Question 32

Which part of the wolf predatory sequence is magnified in sighthound breeds? Give breed examples.

Answer 32

Greyhounds, borzois, Rhodesian ridgebacks: Usually massive urge chase, but not big on fetch. Extremely hot to chase running critters + Inclined to kill. = Finishers: They complete the predatory sequence!

Question 33

Which types of breeds are often finishers?

Answer 33

Sighthounds and terriers more often, and also some retrievers and herding dogs.

Question 34

Which part of the wolf predatory sequence is magnified in terrier breeds? Give breed examples.

Answer 34

Terriers = Magnification of sequence: Bred for going into wild animals (fox, badger) burials to kill. Notorious finishers. Extreme tendency to not back down from conflict. Often bleeds out to interactions with other dogs.

Question 35

What is chaching behavior and where does it come from?

Answer 35

Burying/caching - store/hide food. From feeding action patterns.

Question 36

Why is caching often buggy?

Answer 36

Not bred for/against in domestication. Not a behavior/trait that humans care about. Lifted selection pressure and behavior has been free to drift. Software bugs accumulate. Likelihood of dog surviving/reproducing not impacted by intact sequence.

Question 37

What is the sequence of the behavior caching?

Answer 37

Dig, insert food, bury, return, consume.

Question 38

Why has the cahcing behavior become buggy due to humans not caring about it in selective breeding?

Answer 38

Bc dogs live protected by us, likelihood of dog surviving/reproducing not impacted by intact caching sequence.

Question 39

What can a buggy caching sequence look like?

Answer 39

Can be triggered at wrong time by inate items (misfire) and/or collect software bugs. Bury non-food items or do partial sequence: Dig hole, put in, not cover up. Pretend digging imaginary holes (on chair) and covering with air (misfiring and buggy).

Question 40

What does it mean when a behavior misfires?

Answer 40

When trigger not adaptive = Misfire: Firing action pattern at wrong target. Ex. Bury toys.

Question 41

What does it mean when a behavior is buggy?

Answer 41

When form is incomplete/odd/stuck = Buggy.

Question 42

What huge behavioral misfire do humans have?

Answer 42

We have care of offspring misfires towards our dogs! They trigger our care instinct.

Question 43

Why do most dogs eat virtually anything they can find?

Answer 43

Been lot of selection pressure on dogs for opportunistic scavenging: Find/consume anything edible, rather than hunting.

Question 44

What is the BIGGEST myth regarding dogs social organization?

Answer 44

Dominance is a construct! There's no dominant character trait! Not useful term in dog training.

Question 45

What is the well rooted idea regarding the dog-human relationship that really should be abolished? Where does it come from?

Answer 45

Thought hierarchical ➡️ Dominance key to training/avoiding problems. From captive wolves studies by David Mech in 60's(?).

Question 46

What do we know today about social organization of natural wild wolv packs?

Answer 46

Wolf pack = Nuclear family, bonded breeding pair + offspring. Disperse when mature (avoid inbreeding depression). Start own packs or join other. Breeding pair “dominant” over offspring as parents over children.

Question 47

Is there a dominant character trait?

Answer 47

No!Meaningless/irrelevant label for dog/wolf.

Question 48

For what use could "Dominance" be a useful term?

Answer 48

Can only describe relationship wherein there is predictable asymmetrical win-loss record in scarce resource contexts.

Question 49

What is the only way the term "Alpha" can be used?

Answer 49

As a label of a wolf that disperse from its original pack and successfully breed.

Question 50

Is dominance relevant for a successful dog-human coexistence?

Answer 50

Nobody credible believes so.

Question 51

Are dogs hierarchical?

Answer 51

Still division regading this.

Question 52

What does studies on free roaming dogs show on whether or not they are hiearchical?

Answer 52

Free-roaming rarely form true packs (Studies populations in Asia, India, Cook Islands, Moscow, Romania). Form looser, more transitory associations. Rampant promiscuity, not bonded breeding pair. Groups may spend time together then drift apart. Congregate around food sources, estrus females. Disputes food/females won by larger, stronger, confident, more motivated individuals.

Question 53

In what behavioral sense are dogs and wolves completely different from each other?

Answer 53

Male dogs don't rear offspring. Wolves do.

Question 54

How should you conclude regarding dog training even if they turn out to be hierarchical?

Answer 54

Even if there is meaningful hierarchy in dogs, doesn't help us in training/behavior modification.

Question 55

Since dogs don't form parental pair bonds, in the dog world, what is the most important resource evolutionary?

Answer 55

The estrus female!

Question 56

How has nature responded to the fact that the female is the most important resource in the dog species?

Answer 56

There is big selection pressure on males perseverance. The ones that keep trying = More successful, pass on tenacity trait.

Question 57

Why are the males that keep trying the ones that in the wild would be the ones to pass on their genes?

Answer 57

The female has a period before she actually mates where she is very attractive and when she attracts and accummulate suiters. Once receptive, might mate with several. Will be selective! Males that gave up easy won't be around once she is receptive and therefore won't be selected.

Question 58

How would you explain the abundance of courtship and reproductive behavior in our dogs (intact and neutered)?

Answer 58

The female is very selective and is only receptive during a certain time once or twice a year and males have to percevere to get a chance at mating and passing on genes.

Question 59

The abundance of courtship and reproductive behavior in our dogs is also seen in neutered dogs. What do you conclude from this?

Answer 59

Reproductive behavior is not exclusively hormonally mediated in dogs. And the selection pressure for male perceverance and female accummulation must be evolutionary huge.

Question 60

Why do we see so much misdirected copulatory behavior, like humping a stuffed toy or a human leg?

Answer 60

Not enough downside to be selected away evolutionary - Plenty gain, from drop-of-hat readiness + slightly scattergun attempts at romance.

Question 61

What is the main theory for why dogs play?

Answer 61

Proximal cause = Enjoyable, fun. Adaptive significance is a puzzle still. Prevailing hypothesis: Rehearsing key action patterns, ex. play-chase, play-bite a lot.

Question 62

Why is the adaptive significance of play such a puzzle?

Answer 62

It is expensive behavior! Energy, time from finding food. Risk injury, more conspicuous predators. So, it must have offsetting benefits; otherwise, natural selection would phase out.

Question 63

How can play be used as a welfare barometer?

Answer 63

Especially young. Stressed, painful, anxious young don’t play.

Question 64

Which contents does play have?

Answer 64

The 4 action patterns: Fight, flight, feeding, courtship.

Question 65

How do the 4 action patterns show up in play?

Answer 65

Dogs favour individually. But usually a jumble, not full sequences.

Question 66

How to evaluate whether play is play?

Answer 66

There's self-handicapping, bilateral consent, role reversals, activity shifts. Play rarely full predation/copulation sequence: Wrestle, chase, copulate, bite each other’s faces. Take turns being top/bottom.

Question 67

What are meta-signals?

Answer 67

Behavior that signals: “My intention is play.” Play-bow, play-face.

Question 68

If you are not sure two dogs are playing, what should you do?

Answer 68

Consent test: Presumed victim vote with feet.