Behavioural Patterns

Behavioural Patterns

How physiology relates to behaviour • The motivational state • The sensory input • The central processing • The motor response

The Motivational State • How the animal feels • The physical state of an animal due to the response of its physiology to the impinging environment both external and internal • Sets behavioural priorities

The Sensory Input • Sense organs receive, filter and transmit stimuli to the brain • The sense organs are: • The skin- touch pain pressure and temperature • The eye- vision • The ear- hearing and balance • The tongue- taste and temperature • The nose- smell • The super senses- sonar senses of bats, electric senses of eels and magnetic senses of whales

Central Processing • How the brain handles the stimulus • Stimulus processed under the influence of the animal’s motivational state • A muscle response may or may not occur • The motivational state-how the animal feels influences the way its brain handles incoming sensations • Is it hungry, threatened, in oestrus, stressed? • Motivation sets the behavioural priorities

The Motor Response • How the animal behaves in response to signal • It may pounce,retreat or mate dependant on its motivational cue • This is a muscle and nerve response

The Phases of a Behaviour Pattern • The appetite phase-seeking or needing-I WANT • The consummatory phase-the thing sought is attained -I GET • The quiescent phase-the need is satisfied -I’M SATISFIED • The more a need is satisfied, the greater the stimulus required to elicit the same behaviour in the short term and the less is the motivational state creating that need. • So in training LITTLE & OFTEN rather than ALL AT ONCE

Phases of a Behaviour Pattern • Appetite phase • Consummatory phase • Quiescent phase • LITTLE & OFTEN for training

Social Ingestive Sexual & Reproductive Resting & Sleeping Maternal Territorial patterns Eliminative Investigative Approach & Avoidance patterns Agonistic Grooming Locomotion Vocalisation Thermoregulation Attention Seeking Defense Patterns Communication General Groups Of Behavioural Patterns

Social Behaviour of dogs • Group/pack animals

Socialisation Socialisation is the process during which the animals develops relationships with other living beings in its environment Habituation is the process of getting used to & not reacting to all the numerous stimuli ( sounds, smell, sights & events) to which the animal will be exposed to Localisation is the process where the animal develops an attachment to a particular area

Why is this important? • Cats & dogs that receive insufficient exposure & contact with people, other animals & new environments during their first 2 months of life may develop irreversible fears, leading to timidity or aggression • 50% of surrendered animals are surrender because of behavioural problems

Behavioural Development • This is the behavioural patterns an animal shows as it develops from birth to maturity • This development is controlled by the animal’s genetic makeup and environmental influences –both shape its outcome • Altrical- animals that are born helpless- blind, deaf &/or hairless. E.g mice, dogs, cats & humans • Precocial- self sufficient very rapidly after birth-can run, see and hear e.g horse, chickens, guinea pigs

Horses Herd animal, one stallion, several mares Rigid hierarchy amongst mares Ducks Stay in small groups preferrably one male and one female. Have a strict pecking order Rabbit Social animals. Bonded pairs never leave each other. Interact with each other constantly with large and small movements Never house more than one male with a single female, nor 2 males where they can smell an undesexed female Guinea Pig Very social to their own kind, they rarely fight Pecking order obvious Ferrets Prefer the company of other ferrets preferably of the opposite sex, but can be kept singly if given human company Cat Can live comfortably in groups if not too crowded Single cats may have a local meeting ground Social behaviour of other animals

Ingestive Behaviour of Dogs • Gorge food • Bury surplus • Opportunistic feeders –Scavengers • Eat grass • Coprophagy normal

Ingestive Behaviour • It is natural to eat grass- possibly as roughage • It is natural for dogs to dig holes to bury food • Natural to eat faeces of other species especially herbivores • digging holes to bury food • dogs fighting over food • overfeeding resulting in obesity or picky eaters • eating faeces eat their own out of boredom

Horse Hind gut fermenter Graze on pasture Ducks Need to have water accessible when eating Love scavenging – will eat anything Guinea Pig Need Vitamin C in diet Like to graze Will eat grass and hay 24 hours after birth Will make noises when eat One will stand guard while the others feed Rabbit Need a high fibre, low protein diet They want to spend a lot of time feeding as upper incisors wear down through constant use so give grass and hay Night coprophagic- eat direct from anus Cats Like food very fresh and at room temperature Like to graze not 1 or 2 meals daily Obligate carnivore Ferret Carnivore- need to be fed ad-lib recommend dry cat food Other Species

Eliminative Behaviour in Dogs • Urinating, Defeacating • Anal glands secretion

Eliminative Behaviour • Problems : • House training, • fear or excitement induced urination • Male dogs marking territory and tracking females on heat

Horse Use urine and faeces to signal dominance Dominant animal will eliminate over the faeces and urine of another animal Animal will not graze in area where it eliminates Ducks Usually passes urine, faeces and urates at the same time Usually anywhere, any time very moist white centre, brown-green outer Ferret Can be litter trained but will go anywhere if allowed Rabbit Can be litter trained Will use a separate area from food but close to it Urine can be red colour Will mark territory with urine Guinea Pig Cat Will hide urine and faeces inside territory but expose them if marking territory Other Species

Care Seeking Behaviour in Dogs • Care attention especially 0-4 months of age • Play behaviour is attention seeking

Horses Mares in a herd share responsibility for the welfare of all the foals Ducks Muscovies will hatch other species eggs and make good mothers Ferret Will pace, jump up and nip if wanting attention Rabbit Will honk softly and circle around when they want attention or when they want to mate, nuzzle the head under another rabbits chin when wanting to be friendly Guinea Pig Youngsters will squeak if separated from mum who coos at them & then touches their nose Cats Cat dictates when it wants the attention whether you like it or not Bunting, rubbing etc Other Species

Shelter Seeking Behaviour in dogs • Females will dig/shred before whelping • Dens

Horses Seek shelter from heat, cold and rain Ducks Need protection from elements and predators Ferrets Need to burrow and hide so give enclosed sleeping area with blankets to hide under. Don’t dig burrows Rabbits Needs covered sleeping area to feel safe from predators. Will naturally dig a den and hide if feel threatened Guinea pigs As per rabbits but don’t dig Cats Like to sleep up high Other Species

Agonistic Behaviour in dogs • Competitive & hunting behaviours • Body Language is used to avoid fight

Agonistic Behaviour • When strange dogs meet superior dogs automatically enlarge their physical appearance & inferior dogs do the opposite • Dogs rarely have the opportunity to form stable packs & their home area is limited by fences. The average backyard is about the same size as a wolf den & so the dog will defend it accordingly. Unnatural fences increase this aggressive defence • Problems : • aggression towards humans / dogs/ other animals • Chasing cars or people out of their territory • submissive behaviour may be fear related & develop into phobias- fireworks, thunderstorms & fear of men

Horse Rigid hierarchy in herd. Body language used to signal position Ducks Pecking order determined by aggressive display- tail wagging, hissing, pecking and chasing Ferret Bold, curious and inquisitive. Will tend to nip Rabbits Quiet and generally friendly but can be territorial. Males will fight if an undesexed female is around Guinea Pigs Very social- rarely argue over food or territory. Run and hide from any threats Males fight by opening their mouths, raising hackles, grinding their teeth and then biting Cats Use body language if confronting animals that are threatening. Even defensive posture can hurt Other Species

Investigatory Behaviour in dogs • Explore environment by senses • Find food and mate • Investigate animals by sniffing etc • Chewing

Horse Will investigate newcomers to herd by sniffing around the nose, anus, genitals and flank area Ducks Natural foragers- explore their environment through the mouth Ferret Inquisitive and exploratory- both visually and olfactory Rabbit Explore the local environment by smell and kicking straw around. Love to chew on things Guinea Pigs Contact each other by sniffing Cat Usually to catch prey- will watch for any movement before stalking Other Species

Sexual Behaviour • Problems • mounting behaviour from pushiness mistaken for sexual behaviour • increased territorial aggression in females with pups • females on heat attract males to wander • unwanted pregnancy and puppies

Sexual Behaviour in Dogs • Playfulness, teasing • Roaming • Spontaneous ovulators

Horses Aggressive behaviour from both stallions and mares with biting and kicking Mares vulva will wink, hold tail over and back up to stallion Ducks Water birds have a penis Male will mate repeatedly when female receptive She will lay a clutch of eggs Ferret Male will drag the female around by the scruff Induced ovulator If not mated females will develop oestrogen anaemia Rabbit Don’t put one female in with more than one male Male will mate repeatedly, will circle female as part of courtship Guinea Pigs Male will circle female, she objects and will teeth bare & growl After mating male and female groom themselves intensely Cat Induced ovulator Female parades and calls for male Male scruffs & bites female& she screams Other Species

Behavioural patterns • These add up to behavioural distinctions for a species – species specific behaviours • Can be innate, flexible and/or learnt • Animals operate on a circadian rhythm –a 24 hr hour biological clock which corresponds to its natural environment • Diurnal animals are awake during the day • Nocturnal animals are awake at night • Crepuscular animals are active at dawn and dusk & quiet during the night and day

Ranges for dogs • Home range – hunt to this limit probably overlap with other packs • Territorial limit – defend • Social sphere – occupied by pack for communication • Personal sphere – a safe distance from other dogs, protected with threats except if a dominant dog • Critical sphere – intimate sphere, attack except if dominant dog • Flight distance – is the safe distance that an animal allows between itself and potential threats, if threatened it will flee or regain distance

Caution • When entering territorial and critical spheres • A dog socialized to humans lacks a flight distance and a critical sphere

Behavioural Patterns