Behavior

Behavior

• An internal or external change (stimulus) that excess a threshold

  • Stimulation of nervous and/or endocrine systems

• Ethology

  • Study of animal behavior

  • Behavior is genetic (instinct) and learned (conditioned response

• Conditioned Responses

  • Classical or operant

• Imprinting

  • Pattern of behaviors that bonds animals to caretakers

  • Dogs and cats

    • 3-12 weeks of age

Preventing Behavior Problems in Companion Animals

• It is easier to prevent than to correct a behavior problem

• Common behavior problems

  • Destruction

  • Aggression

  • House soiling

• Avoid anthropomorphism

  • Attributing human traits to a non-human creature/thing

Destructive Cat Behavior

• Scratching posts can prevent destructive cat behavior

• Why cats scratch

  • Mark territory

  • Stretch muscles and tendons

  • Remove worn outer sheaths from claws

• Scratching objects

  • Proper location

  • Proper height, orientation and texture

Scratching Objects

• Physical characteristics

  • Height

    • Tall enough for full height stretch

  • Weight

    • Sturdy enough to hold cat’s weight

  • Orientation

    • Horizontal or vertical

  • Texture

    • Depends on cat’s preference

      • Long strokes or short picking motion

  • Location

    • Where the cat likes to scratch

    • Attach a toy or spray with pheromone or catnip

Destructive Dog Behavior

• Destructive behaviors that are self-rewarding

  • Digging

  • Chewing

  • Tearing

  • Scratching

  • Moving objects

  • Trash diving

• Reasons with underlying causes

  • Separation anxiety

  • Noise phobia

• Developmental reasons

  • Teething

  • Play

  • Investigation

Preventing Destructive Dog Behavior

• Appealing toys

  • Start with young dogs

  • Reward when toy is played with

  • Elicit preferred play action

    • Shaking

    • Chewing

    • Tearing

  • Take away unacceptable items

    • Replace with acceptable toy

  • Booby trap unacceptable items or areas

• Digging

  • Provide a specific area to dig

  • Loose soil or sand

  • Bury items to encourage digging in area

Preventing Aggressive Behavior Problems

• Aggressive behavior intends to harm another individual

  • Agonistic behavior

    • Submission

    • Avoidance

    • Escaping

    • Offensive or Defensive Threats

    • Offensive or Defensive Aggression

• Types of aggression

  • Fearful

  • Maternal

  • Interfemale

  • Play-related

  • Territorial

  • Intermale

  • Predatory

  • Redirected

• Determine type of aggression being displayed

  • Dogs

    • Most commonly toward people

      • Especially children

  • Cats

    • Most commonly toward other cats

• Prevention techniques

  • Puppy test

    • Match owner’s activity level and lifestyle

  • Castration

    • Prepubertal or postpubertal

  • Socialization

    • Sensitive socialization period

      • Dogs: 3-12 weeks old

      • Cats: 2-7 weeks old

House-training

• Dogs

  • Take outside frequently

    • When it wakes up

    • After it eats

    • If it appears to be sniffing around the house

  • Crate training when puppy is left alone

    • Proper size

    • No longer than 4-6 hours in 8-week-old puppies

  • Teach the desired location for elimination

    • Reinforce correct behavior immediately

  • Do not use physical punishment after “accidents”

• Cats

  • Readily trained to use litter box

    • Clean, easily accessible litter box

    • 1 per cat and 1 extra

  • Acceptable substrate (litter)

    • Soft

    • Fine-grained

  • Acceptable level of litter in box

  • Provide privacy

  • Clean box regularly

    • Remove clumps daily