Canine Psychology: Phylogeny, Learning Theory, and Body Language

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering canine evolutionary phylogeny, service dog selection standards, psychology and learning theories, operant vs. classical conditioning, and subtle body language signals.

Phylogeny

The history of the evolution of a species or group, especially in reference to lines of descent and relationships among broad groups of organisms.

Biddability

A key service dog characteristic describing an animal's innate willingness to focus on, learn from, and cooperate with human handlers.

Elastic Heart

A temperament trait in service dogs characterized by the emotional capacity to bond easily with multiple handlers and adapt smoothly to transitions between raisers, trainers, and clients.

Career Change (Wash)

The process of removing a dog from an assistance dog training track when it fails to meet medical, temperament, or behavioral criteria.

ADI Breeding Cooperative (ABC)

A collaborative Assistance Dogs International membership program that combines resources across member organizations to manage a large assistance dog breeding pool and provide a reliable supply of guide and service dog puppies.

Brophey's Dog Groups

A canine classification system identifying ten functional breed groups by drive and temperament: Scent Hound ('siren hunter'), Sight Hound ('regal runner'), Herding ('working wing-man'), Gun Dog ('outdoor adventurer'), Natural Dog ('wild at heart'), Toy Dog ('little companion'), Terrier ('real go-getter'), Guardian ('patient protector'), World Dog ('renaissance dog'), and Bull Dog ('the entertainer').

Cue

A signal or request for a dog to perform an action that implies the dog has a choice and will receive a reward for complying, contrasting with a coercive command.

Command

A directive given to a dog that implies a negative consequence will occur if non-compliance happens, causing the dog to comply out of avoidance.

Conditioning

The fundamental process of learning wherein an animal acquires understanding of what a stimulus predicts or how its actions affect its surroundings.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process wherein an animal pairs a previously neutral stimulus with an involuntary, reflexive physiological or emotional response.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process in which an animal's voluntary behavior operates on the environment to produce consequences, altering the future probability of that behavior.

Behaviour (Response)

Any observable and measurable action executed by an organism, including physical actions such as walking, barking, laying down, pricking ears, or salivating.

Stimulus

Any perceptible event, environmental change, sight, sound, scent, or touch detected through an animal's sensory systems.

Consequence

An event or stimulus occurring directly after a behavior that influences whether the frequency of that behavior increases, decreases, or maintains over time.

Contingency

A statement of a dependent relationship between events representing an 'If… Then…' outcome (e.g., if the dog sits, then it receives a treat).

Performance

The actual physical execution of an observable behavior, distinguished from the internal acquisition of knowledge or skill.

Learning-Performance Distinction

A behaviorist principle emphasizing that the internal acquisition of a skill (learning) does not require immediate overt execution (performance), but represents a change in the potential to execute that behavior.

Latent Learning

A form of learning that occurs without obvious immediate reinforcement and is not overtly demonstrated in performance until an incentive or context triggers it.

Positive (Appetitive)

Any stimulus that an individual animal subjectively perceives as pleasant, desirable, or rewarding (e.g., treats, praise, petting, toys).

Negative (Aversive)

Any stimulus that an individual animal subjectively finds unpleasant, uncomfortable, painful, or annoying (e.g., leash jerks, loud noises, social isolation).

Soft Eyes

An almond-shaped eye appearance in dogs characterized by relaxed facial muscles and indirect eye contact, indicating calm, contentment, and non-confrontation.

Hard Stare (Glaring)

Unbroken, direct eye contact lasting more than two seconds accompanied by forward ears, facial tension, and body stiffness, communicating annoyance, confrontation, or predatory intent.

Whale Eye

A visual sign of canine stress, fear, or discomfort wherein the sclera (white portion of the eye) becomes prominently visible as the dog turns its head slightly away while watching a trigger.

Canine Ear Position Scale (Ea-1 to Ea-3)

A classification scheme for canine ear orientation: Ea-1 indicates ears turned forward (attentive/alert), Ea-2 indicates ears turned slightly back (appeasing), and Ea-3 indicates ears fully pinned back or flat against the head (fearful/anxious).

Tail Height Scale (T-1 to T-6)

An anatomical classification scale for tail carriage: T-1 (tucked between legs), T-2 (hanging down), T-3 (tip lower than back line), T-4 (parallel to back), T-5 (higher than back line), and T-6 (held almost vertically).

Tail Flagging

A rigid, high tail carriage and rhythmic tail movement exhibited by an intact female dog indicating estrus and receptivity.

Raised Hackles (Piloerection)

The involuntary erection of hair along the neck, shoulders, and back caused by sympathetic nervous system arousal, indicating intense interest, overstimulation, fear, or aggression.

Displacement Yawning

Yawning displayed in the absence of tiredness, serving as a pacifying behavior, calming signal, or indicator of stress, frustration, or social tension.

Clown Mouth

A facial expression of stress where the dog's mouth corners are pulled back in a wide, exaggerated pant with prominent lip retraction and furrowed brow.

FAS (Fear, Anxiety & Stress)

An acronym identifying the spectrum of distress behaviors (e.g., lip-licking, whale eye, freezing, trembling, cowering) that signal a trainer to pause and adjust handling protocols.

DogFACS Action Units

An objective coding system quantifying canine facial movements, categorizing configurations such as Ears adductor (EAD102) under positive conditions, alongside Blink (AU145), Lips part (AU25), Jaw drop (AU26), Nose lick (AD137), and Ears flattener (EAD103) under negative emotional conditions.