APSC 3064 Midterm 3

Live Find

Search and rescue dogs who search for live missing humans

Human remains detection

Search and rescue dogs who search for human remains often after natural disasters

Implications of service dogs

Austere environments, physically challenging, infrequent reinforcement, frustration, multiple odors in multiple concentrations, very similar distracting odors, long working periods, significant changes in routine

Tactical athlete model

Attenuating the stress response in search and rescue dogs by training them to hold certain positions.

Sprint test

Tests the time a dog takes to sprint from one light gate to another (approx. 25 meters).

Canimetric Protocol

Tests the athleticism of a dog and cnsists of a Warm-up, Circuit 1 and Circuit 2, and a Cool-down

Canimetric Protocol Assessment

Calculating the change of the Z-score of the dog’s canimetric protocol performance before and after the tactical athlete model training.

Plank Scores

A combination of the maximum hold time at 50 cm and the maximum distance held for 120 seconds.

Posture Sit, Squats, Plank, and Posture Down

Measures the isometric positioning of the dog and it’s rear-end strength (in squats)

Search engagement and latency

Evaluating the dog as it searches through various obstacles and courses. How they tackle obstacles and false negatives

Innate/instinctual behaviors

Are not learned or practiced (fixed action patterns, sexual behavior)

Learned behaviors

Learned to survive, to adapt to new situations and problems (mimicry, habituation, operant conditioning, associative learning)

Imprinting

The interaction of learned and innate behavior, learning is governed by innate constraints

Abnormal behavior

Any activity judged to be outside the normal behavior pattern for animals of that class and age

Canine social behavior

Operate like wolves with a social hierarchy

Canine communication

Olfactory: Feces, urine, anal sacs, pheromones

Auditory: Vocalizations

Visual: Body language

Feline social behavior

Matriarchal in nature, no hierarchical framework

Feline communication

Olfactory: rubbing, scratching, urine spraying, middening (feces), anal glands, pheromones

Visual: body language, facial expression, tail position

Auditory: vocalizations

Epimeletic behavior

Caregiving between parent-young and other animals. Licking/grooming, carrying puppies, guarding pups, suckling, regurgitation

Et-epimeletic behavior

Care-seeking from puppies. Whining, tail wagging, licking mother’s face, following mother, yelping, rutting, jumping up/pawing

Allelomimetic behavior

Group activity shown as puppies move into more social periods. Feeding, sleeping together, walking/lying together, investigating/barking/howling as a group, grooming others, sniffing and nosing other members.

Social behavioral problems

Separation anxiety

Resting behavioral problems

Nocturnal activity

Ingestive behavioral problems

Pica

Elimination behavioral problems

Spraying

Sexual behavioral problems

Mounting

Maternal behavioral problems

Marental/paternal neglect and aggression

Play behavioral problems

inappropriate play, nipping

Investigative behavioral problems

Fear

Agonist/hierarchy behavioral problems

Fear/dominance aggression

Ladder of Aggression

How a dog reacts to stress or threat, the top of the ladder is biting, the bottom is yawning/blinking/nose licking.

Stereotypy

Repetitive or ritualistic movement/posture/sound. (Body rocking, self-caressing, marching in place)

Stereotype

Social psychology, over-generalized belief of a particular category of people

Stereotypic behaviors

Normal behavior performed in a repetitive manner. Non-specific sign and description, not a diagnosis

Stereotypic behavior examples that may signal diseases

Flycatcher’s syndrome/fly biting, licking, flank sucking, pacing, tail chasing/whirling

Behavioral disorders in dogs

Fears/anxieties & phobia-related, Compulsive, Elimination, Aggression, Miscellaneous

4 F’s of Fear

Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fiddle about

Fear, anxiety and phobia-related disorders definition

The apprehensive anticipation of a threat, no threat is present.

Fear, anxiety and phobia-related disorders behaviors

Arousal, hypervigilance, hesitation in completing behavioral sequence, loss of selective attention, restlessness, increased heart and respiration rate.

Separation Anxiety signs

Anxiously following person continuously, distress in person’s absence, over-enthusiastic greeting when person returns, destruction focused on escape, distress vocalization, unnecessary seeking of reassurance while person is present

Phobias

Irrational fear that persists long after threat has gone. Escape/avoidance reaction. Noise, thunderstorms, firework phobias in dogs

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder definition

Ritualized behaviors the animal feels compelled to perform

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder examples

Circling, tail-chasing, spinning, freezing, repetitive pouncing, fly snapping

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder genetic predisposition

Wool sucking in Oriental cat breeds, tail chasing in German Shepherds, flank sucking in Dobermans

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder hormonal & brain activity

Altercates serotonergic activity and neurotransmitters (dopamine, opiates). Affects prefrontal cortex and amygdala in the brain

Drugs to treat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors (Inhibit serotonin reuptake)

Medical factors contributing to compulsive disorders

Impaired perception/mobility, painful conditions, anxiety, sensory loss, metabolic diseases, cognitive impairment

Canine Elimination Disorders definition

Disorders in urinating and defecating in dogs

Canine Elimination Disorders causes

Incomplete house-training, emotionally related urination, submissive urination, scent marking, incontinence

Different types of canine aggression

Dominance/status-related, Fear-relatied, Redirected, Possessive, Territorial, Protective, Maternal, Pain-related, Predatory, Inter-dogs, Play, Idiopathic (disease-related)

Sequence of dog aggression

1. Social Conflict/Fear

2. Stiffening

3. Growl

4. Display teeth

5. Snap

6. Bite

Dog aggression motivations

Competition (gain resources or social status), self-defense, defense of resources (already possessed)

Phases of Dog Aggression

1. Threat/intimidation phase

2. Attack phase

3. Appeasement phase (licking, bite top of head, straddling)

Status-related aggression

Dominant animal protects cohesion of group by inhibiting aggression and when it feels challenged by subordinate

Preventing status related aggression in dogs

Give clear signals at beginning and end of play, do not use force to take food/toys away, control dog’s resources without excessively restricting access to them, initiate activities regularly and on your own terms.

Fear Aggression Definition

Expressed towards fear-evoking stimuli when avoidant/appeasing behavior has failed

Breed-specific fear aggression

Terrier dogs: “gameness”, tenacity to deal with aggressive preys at close quarters

Beagles: catatonic if frightened

Collie/herding-type dogs: Herding behavior when frightened (traffic, joggers, cyclists)

Redirected Aggression

When dog displays aggression toward a target other than the original stimulus that caused the aggressive arousal

Possessive Aggression

Intrinsic value items: food

Extrinsic value items: tools for playing or items that show a social status/control

Territorial Aggression

Dog reacts to a perceived threat or noise when strangers/other dogs are viewed as threatening around the home and surrounding territory

Target-Related Aggression

Commonly shown as “window-barking”, fear based territorial aggression, extremely addictive for dogs

Protective Aggression

Only shown when person they are guarding is present. Person is considered valuable or associated to valuable resources

Maternal Aggression

Due to prolactin released, based on the female’s previous experience, allows puppies to witness and maybe model in their future behavior

Pain-related Aggression

Chronic, low-grade pain increases irritability and self-defensiveness, decreases threshold for aggressive behavior. Untreated pain can cause sensitization of CNS and pain pathways.

Predatory Aggression

Physiological behavior that can’t be effectively inhibited, chickens and children. With babies extremely risky, lunge-bite reflex may be suppressed, but desire isn’t.

Predatory Aggression sequence

Detect, stalk, charge, attack, kill

Aggression between familiar dogs

In the same home, competition over resources, status-related, hormonally driven (between females), self-defensiveness, punishment of other puppies/juvenile dogs

Aggression between unfamiliar dogs

Frustration, social incompetence, fear, inter-male competition, owner punishment/reinforcement

Play Aggression

Barking, growling (lower-pitched and prolonged), snapping while playing. Due to never learning how to play properly, neglection, and lack of socialization.

Mouthing

When a dog puts its teeth and mouth over a person’s skin while using little to no pressure from the jaw. Used to greet people, non-aggressive, you should give the dog a different greeting

Teething

Lightly nibbling on fingers or fleshy part of hand when puppies lose deciduous teeth (3-6 months old)

Nipping

Grabbing, biting, tearing and putting pressure by an excited puppy at playtime. Done with the intention of hurting, not for aiding of new teeth.

Idiopathic Aggression

Severe aggressive behavior that appears unprovoked, unpredictable and uncontrolled.

Idiopathic Aggression in English Cocker Spaniels

Lower levels of serum serotonin than aggressive dogs of other breeds

Affective Aggression (Emotional) Chemicals

Serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, acetylcholine, y-Amino Butyric Acid

Affective Aggression examples

Offensive and defensive aggression, marked autonomic activation

Non-Affective Aggression examples

Predatory aggression, less autonomic activation

Non-Affective Aggression chemicals

Acetylcholine

Miscellaneous canine behavior problems

Attention seeking, excessive vocalization, destructiveness, overactivity, consumptive problems (anorexia, obesity, polydipsia, pica), digging, motion sickness, roaming, food stealing, leash control, jumping up

Feline Behavioral Disorders

Fear/anxiety/phobias, compulsive disorders, house-soiling and marking problems, aggression problems

Feline fear, anxiety, and phobia examples

Species other than humans, people, inanimate objects/stimuli (noise), phobias, attachment problems

Feline Compulsive Disorders

Repetitious or exaggerated self-maintenance behavior. Part of animal’s coping strategy, so redirecting the behavior instead of punishing it is needed

Feline Compulsive Disorder examples

Hyperesthesia (Twitchy cat syndrome), psychogenic alopecia, self-mutilation, pica, wool-sucking

Feline Hyperesthesia

Excessive physical sensitivity of the skin, a sign of underlying medical or behavioral problems. Episodes occur when cat is highly aroused and may be incited by physical contact or external stimuli

Feline inappropriate elimination

Litter box used infrequently or only for defecation, not urine and vice-versa. Large amounts of urine deposited in inappropriate area, squatting to eliminate, carpets/rugs targeted, only 2-3 locations used

Feline urine marking

Normal litter boxy use, urination on vertical surfaces, small amounts of urine deposited in inappropriate area, typical posture while marking, locations of urination are varied

Feline inappropriate elimination causes

Lack of privacy in litterbox location, inappropriate substrate used, competition and excessive latrine use, specific fears, negative litter box association, inability to use/find litter trays (older cats), medical conditions (UTD)

Feline marking causes

Loss of core territory marks (new decor/home), loss of maintenance of group odor, failure of odor recognition of others, introduction of new cat, medical condition (senility), excessive population density outside home, unfamiliar odors brought into the house

Cat bite risks

50-74% of bites have bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus

Feline Aggression patterns

Body language (eye contact, posture, hissing), avoidant behavior, certain times of day, presence of uncertain stimuli

Feline Aggression types

Toward other people/cats, associated with human interaction, due to lack of early handling, maternal, play, pain

Displacement activity in cats

The resolution of a conflict by performing a seemingly unrelated activity. May arise from conflict or frustration and causes vacuum activities (excessive sucking/licking)

Feline Behavior Management Problems

Furniture scratching, attention-seeking behavior, inappropriate play and consumptive behavior, mounting, masturbation, predatory behavior, tree-climbing behavior, travel/plant-eating/eating problems

Geriatric Behavioral Issues and Disorders in dogs and cats

Aggression, excess vocalization, destructiveness, waking at night/house soiling, stereotypic/compulsive behavior, noise phobias, separation-related issues, Cognitive dysfunction

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD)

Age-related neurobehavioral syndrome, decline in cognitive function, degenerative similar to Alzheimer’s, 85% of cases are undiagnosed

CCD Causes

Beta-amyloids (sticky proteins) accumulate around neurons and create plaques. Neurons breakdown and result in neurofibrillary tangles

CCD Symptoms

DISHAA: Disorientation, Social Interactions, Sleep-wake cycles, Housesoiling/learning/memory, Activity, Anxiety

CCD Diagnosis and Treatment

Must rule out other medical conditions, only management (no cure), prescription drugs, diet, and supplements

Feline Cognitive Dysfunction

Cats 10+ years, spatial disorientation, wandering, altered wake-sleep cycle, loud vocalization, forgetting location of feed bowls/litter box

Hierarchy of Behavior-Change Procedures

Health/Nutrition/Physical Setting, Antecedent arrangements (previous experience), Positive reinforcement, Differential reinforcement of alternative behaviors, Extinction/Negative reinforcement/Negative punishment, Positive punishment