Understanding Dog Behaviour Flashcards
What is nature?
- instinctive or innate behaviour inherited from their parental line
What is nurture?
- learned behaviour they acquire from experience/their lifestyle/events in their life/watching others
What is natural selection?
- the adaption of species to their natural environment
What is artificial selection?
- manipulation of behavioural and physical traits through selective breeding by humans
Dogs behavioural differences from wolves?
- sensitivity towards humans
- juvenile behaviour (barking and begging)
- lack the final stage of hunting pattern (killing)
- facial expressions more subtle
- body language more subtle
- calmer temperament
- males/females not inhibited from breeding
Dogs behavioural similarities with wolves?
- social group is family and litter
- facial expressions and body language
- scavenging
- greeting rituals
- howling (isolated pack members)
- herding (eye and stalk phase)
- territorial (scent marking and vocalisation)
Dogs physical characteristics from wolves?
- dogs have their oestrus cycle 2x as often as wolves
- dogs have smaller brain to body mass ratio
- dogs have less powerful jaws
- compacted teeth
What dogs were originally bred for versus modern time use?
- dogs were originally bred to perform specific tasks for work
- in modern times, dogs have been bred as ornamental pets
Behaviours seen in hunting breeds?
- active
- alert
- hunt
- point
- retrieve
- hardy
Behaviours seen in herding breeds?
- stalking
- staring
- chasing
What behaviours are seen in crossbreeds?
- behavioural traits have become fixed within breeds due to intensive artificial selection and crossbreeding has resulted in intermediate behaviour that differs from their purebred parents
What behaviour is commonly seen in Cocker spaniels and golden retrievers?
- the gene from dopamine receptor is associated with aggressive behaviours also referred to as rage syndrome
What behaviour is commonly seen in Dobermans?
- canine compulsive disorder is linked to the cadherin gene
What are different breed characteristics?
- activity levels
- excessive barking
- snapping
- demand for affection
- aggression towards dogs
- aggression towards humans
- territorial defence
- trainability
Why is it important to study breed differences?
- useful in matching new owners
- for heritability testing from assistance dogs, police dogs and therapy dogs
What are the 6 life stages of dogs?
- pre natal
- neonatal
- transition
- socialisation
- juvenile
- adult
Pre-natal - what occurs in this stage?
- offspring are dependent on their mothers physiological state during pregnancy
- also noted that emotional mothers tend to have more emotional offspring
Neonatal - what stage is this?
- puppies are altricial, so are helpless and dependent on their mother
Neonatal - what behaviours do they display at this stage?
- alternate sleeping and feeding
- suckling reflex is a primary behaviour
- cannot pass urine or faces without mothers help
- incapable of controlling their internal body temp
- born deaf and blind
- stay close to mother and littermates
Neonatal - what is olfactory imprinting?
- they are able to recognise scent of the mother and littermates
Transition - what occurs in this stage?
- rapid transition in neurological and physical development
- eyes and and ears open
- rapid increase in stimulation
- movements are more co-ordinated
- begin to learn more from. Mother through observations and copying
- engage in social play
Socialisation - what occurs in this stage?
- gradual development of brain, nervous system and behaviour
- recognise littermates and capable of socialisation
- develop ability to run, inhibit biting and barking
- develop how to display social signals
- accept social rank
- explore their environment
Socialisation - what should they be introduced to?
- introduced to new or unfamiliar stimuli to build confidence
- introduced to many different types of people
Juvenile - what age are the puppies?
- from 12 weeks to 6 months
Juvenile - what occurs at this stage?
- short attention span and still easily excited
- increased energy levels
- increased independence
- onset of puberty
- development of territorial and resource gaurding may be observed
Adult - what age is this?
- 6 to 12 months
- once puberty and sexual maturity has been reached
Adult - what occurs in this stage?
- they continue to add behaviours to their existing repertoire
Geriatric - what is this age?
- 7 to 12 years
- varies among breed sizes mainly
What are the 4 learning processes?
- habituation and sensitisation
- associative learning
- trial and error learning
- observational learning
What is habituation?
- the warning of a response to an event that has no consequence or purpose
- this is the process whereby an animal becomes accustomed to a repeated environmental stimulus
What is associative learning?
- when they associate their behaviour with the outcome
- occurs when 2 unrelated events become connected in a dogs mind
What is observational learning?
- watching and coping from others
- puppies imitate behaviours
- they learn communication signals
- they mimic behaviours
- they use other dogs as models
What is trial and error learning?
- practicing and learning from mistakes
- the dog links the behaviour with a specific reward
- positive outcomes means they are likely to repeat
- the dog uses problem solving
- this leads to positive reinforcement training
