Introduction to Veterinary Technology Role Small Behavior Counseling

What is the role of the technician’s first responsibility bin behavior counseling?

1st to become aware or address behavior problems/issues

What type of questions should technicians ask when screening for behavior issues?

Open‑ended or “light” questions (What products do you find best for chance to chew on? What products are you using to clean up Chance’s messes?)

Give an example of an open‑ended behavior question from the slides

How is housebreaking going?

What organization supports the Academy of Veterinary Behavior Technicians?

The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB)

What credential can technicians pursue for advanced behavior specialization?

Veterinary Behavior Technician Specialist

Why do owners often misinterpret behavior?

They express behavior through emotions and anthropomorphizing

Anthropomorphizing

Attributing human emotions or moral motives to pet behavior (Claiming a pet was mad or acted out of spite rather than physical action objectively)

What should technicians encourage when gathering history?

A description of what happened (I came home and I think chance was mad because I left him all day. He had chewed up my best running shoes.)

List sample history questions in behavior-specific history

Describe the problem behavior, when was it first noted, and who is the primary caretaker of the pet?

Reinforcement

Any stimulus that increases chance of a behavior being repeated

Positive Reinforcement

Presentation of something pleasant that strengthens a behavior response (Ex. increase likelihood of reputation)

Negative Reinforcement

Involves the removal of something unpleasant that strengthens a behavior response (Remove things to stop behavior)

Negative Punishment

Removal of something pleasant (play social interaction)

Punishment

Any stimulus that decreases the chance of action being repeated

Positive Punishment

The application of something unpleasant or aversive (verbal reprimand, squirt of water)

What do pets lack?

Morality (Cat urinating outside the litterbox)

Why do pets urinate outside the litterbox?

More likely medical or environmental causes (UTI, conflict, pain), not “morality.”

What are the two major components of associative learning?

Contiguity and contingency (Fear is added)

What is associative learning?

Associate stimulus with a response

Continguity

Space or time that elapsed with stimuli

Contingency

If/then relationship (If I lay down, I get a treat)

Fear

Neutral stimulus with threating event

Respondent Conditioning

Neutral stimulus is repeatedly paired with unconditioned stimulus until a response is triggered

Unconditioned Stimulus

A trigger naturally and automatically causes a reflex

Pavolvian Conditioning

Salvation when food is present

What is another example of Pavolvian Conditioning?

Strangers= Elevated Heart rate

Strangers+Doorbell= Elevated Heart rate

The doorbell signals strangers (contingency)

Stranger appears right after the doorbell (contiguity)

Operant Conditioning

Trial and error learning (Their behaviors along with the consequences that follows) what happens after behavior occurs

Punishment and reinforcement are not the same thing

True

What is the key difference between punishment and negative reinforcement?

Punishment decreases behavior; negative reinforcement increases behavior

Punishment is associated with what?

Its effect not by intention

What is key with learning and behavior modification?

Enforcement

When is continuous reinforcement used?

When teaching a new behavior, every time they do something you want

Why is intermittent reinforcement valuable?

Makes a mastered behavior resistant to extinction, periodically to reinforce a mastered activity

What is extinction?

The association between two events is broken (Bark for attention, dog is ignored)

What often happens initially during extinction?

Frustration (Why did the behavior use to work and does not now?), increased frequency of the behavior, and positively reinforce the opposite behavior

When does operant learning fail to reverse behavior?

When behaviors are rooted in FEAR or ANXIETY (separation anxiety, fireworks)

Elicit and reinforce appropriate behavior

Most owners are reactive instead of proactive

What training method helps prevent or minimize inappropriate behavior?

Crate training, practice makes perfect

What is another method to prevent behavior problems?

Meet Pet’s behavioral and developemental needs

What is the “take away” method?

Discourage inappropriate behavior (Ignoring a barking dog or meowing cat)

What is another way to prevent behavior problems?

Minimize discipline and use it correctly when necessary (Must be intermediate)

Submissive behavior is not

GUILT

Habitation to handeling

Expose frequently in a non-threatening manner, gentle handling that mimics common procedures (Nail trims and ear cleaning)

Choosing a pet

Make sure they find one that matches their lifestyle and grooming

When

How- How much time do they want to spend training?

What is important for pets and owners to do?

New owners should meet their pet before adopting, important to socialize at a young age

What antipsychotic is listed for severe occasional anxiety?

Acepromazine- Could cause agitation, high likelihood of injury

What are the type of azapirones?

Buspirone- Treats anxiety, inner cat aggression, and inappropriate urination (Used for cats, takes 6-8 weeks to become effective)

What are the two types of Benzodiazepines?

Diazepam- Activate within one to two hours (treat urination for cats and seizures)

Alprazoloam- Less sedative, similar timing

What else can all of these medications be used for?

Medications could activate long-term and others activate changes quickly (Can be used for stress at the hospital, increase safety)

TCA’s

Amitiptyline

Clomipramine

Both take 6-10 weeks to activate, helps with separation anxiety, feline urine making

What is the neonatal period in puppies?

First two weeks of life, eyes and ears are closed, body temperature is hard to regulate

Transitional Period

10-20 days of life, eyes and ears start to open and socialization begins

Socialization Period

4-14 weeks, allow pet to reach best gentle potential, opportunities to interact with people, textures, etc (Be exposed to everything, all good experiences)

Juvenile Period

Up to 6 months (16 weeks), socialization ends, beginning sexual maturity, may be frightened or startled easily

Adult Period

Begins social maturity, maintain any training

What two roles are identified in canine social structure?

Dominant role and subordinate role

How many dominant dogs should be in a pack?

One only

What is the technician expected to interpret?

Canine body language signals

How might fearful dogs behave in clinic?

Won’t eat, may urinate or defecate on themselves

What is very important when coping behavior in clinic?

Introducing new dog (Usually more than one dog)

What helps new canine patients?

Praise and attention

List canine behavior problems

Unruly behaviors, fear/phobias/anxiety, destructive behavior, canine aggression, house soiling, and cognitive dysfunction