BEHAVIOR

1. BEHAVIOR

2. THE STUDY OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR • Biologists and veterinary specialists – study of animal behavior – ethology. • Ethology – the study of animal behavior. • Term originally meant ‘the science of character’ in the 19th century. • Greek philosopher, Aristotle. • Many observations made; none could be supported or tested. • Naturalists – natural scientists. • The scientific method was developed in 19th century. 1

3. Aristotle

4. DEFINITIONS Devise - plan/elaborate Meticulous – precise Accumulated - to gather

5. CLASSICAL ETHOLOGY AND THE ROLE OF INSTINCT Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882) • British scientist. • Graduated from Cambridge University 1831. • He began to doubt his observations while on his expedition. • “The book that shook the world”, On the Origin of Species. • It was about the theory of evolution; characterizes all related organisms as descended from common ancestors. • Species – classification of animals. • Natural selection – the process that awards survival and reproductive success to individuals and groups best adjusted to their environment. • Classical ethology – ethological approach stating that much of what animals know is instinctive or natural.

6. Appropriate responses lead to survival. • Less successful responses lead to death. • Innate behaviors are behaviors that animals exhibit that they did not learn. • Nobody teaches them to do their behaviors. Just born knowing how to do it. Genetically programmed. • Examples of innate behavior: • Digger wasps. • Monkies/apes/humans grasp things with their feet/hands. • Kittens are born knowing how to stalk and pounce. • Sea turtle hatchlings dig out of their hatching hole and wait till it’s safe at night, then they make their way out to sea w/o any parent telling them to. • Puppies drinking milk from mother. • VIDEO - How do they know that?

7. High supporters of classical ethology have suggested that all new behavior patterns observed in animals simply result from maturation. • That classical view states… birds don’t learn to fly, the baby bird simply delays flight until it’s strong enough to support itself in the air. Charles Darwin

8. DEFINITIONS Asserts - states a fact or belief confidently Innate - inborn; natural Stimulus/Stimuli/Stimulant When an activity/reaction is elicited from an organism by a factor/thing, then it’s known as stimuli. Known as stimulus if there are more than one factor. Stimuli/Stimulus: if can evoke a response in an organism/living being. Stimulant: if things are capable of creating a stimuli/stimulus.

9. ANIMAL PSYCHOLOGY & THE ROLE OF GENETICSPAGES 4-6 Ivan Pavlov (1849 – 1936) • Russian physiologist. • Was studying the process of digestion when… • He discovered his lab animals salivated automatically at the sight of food. • Salivation was an involuntary/unconditioned response. • Unconditioned Response – a simple reflex behavior, like the knee-jerk reflex, hammer tap on knee. • Unconditioned Stimulus – something that produces an unconditioned response (tapping hammer on knee) • Example; sight of food caused the stimulus, resulted in the response. • Rang a bell each time he offered lab dogs food. • Dogs salivated eventually by sound of bell alone.

10. Ivan Pavlov

11. Conditioned Stimulus– sensory input unrelated to a simple reflex behavior. • Behaviorism – ethological approach that states behavior is learned rather than genetically programmed. • American psychologist, John B. Watson. • Established psychological school of behaviorism. • Stimulus-response theory – all complex forms of behavior* are complex muscular and glandular responses that can be observed and measured. • *including emotions, thoughts, and habits. • Conditioned Learning • Two categories; classical and operant conditioning. • Classical Conditioning – the association of stimuli that happens at the same time or the same area. • Based on Ivan Pavlov’s experiments. • Examples of Classical Conditioning • More Examples • VIDEO - Classical Conditioning Basics

12. VIDEO - More Basics. • VIDEO - Funny Classical Conditioning Example • VIDEO - Another Funny Example • VIDEO - Classical Conditioning, that was easy. John B. Watson

13. Classical Conditioning Example

14. CONDITIONED LEARNING CONTINUED… • American psychologist, B.F. Skinner – expert on operant conditioning. • Operant Conditioning – associating an activity with punishment or reward. • Skinner taught a rat to press a bar for food. • He trained the rat. • Examples of operant conditioning: the reinforcements and punishments…explained in “terminology.” • VIDEO - Sheldon 1. • VIDEO - Sheldon 2. • Trial-and-error learning is mostly called… • Instrumental learning. • Their “owner” is operant conditioning. • So, instrumental learning is operant conditioning, combined with classical conditioning.

15. B.F. Skinner

16. DEFINITIONS Remember, the previous terms (conditioned, unconditioned, responses, stimulus) are a part of animal psychology. Rigorous – accurate Inevitably - certain to happen, unavoidable All-encompassing - circling everything Torrent - sudden, violent & copious outpouring of objects…feelings Slates - plan or designate; schedule Subsequent - coming after something in time

17. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?CLASSICAL CONDITIONING VS. OPERANT CONDITIONING Classical Conditioning: • Ivan Pavlov – Russian physiologist. • Involves placing a neutral signal before a reflex. • Focuses on involuntary, automatic behaviors. Operant Conditioning: • B.F. Skinner – American psychologist. • Involves applying reinforcement or punishment after a behavior. • Focuses on strengthening or weakening voluntary behaviors. • Detailed Explanation

18. SOCIOBIOLOGY • Ethologists realize now that some behavior patterns may have been shaped partially by learning and environmental influences. • Some young members of a species can adopt some appropriate behaviors with very little experience, while… • the behaviors crucial to their survival may take or require a longer and larger learning process. • Sociobiology – the study of social organization in animals. • Sociobiologists theorize that complex social patterns arise, develop, and sometimes even disappear based on their survival value.

19. DEFINITIONS Contemporary - existing, occurring, or living at the same time Broad – wide Extensive - covering or affecting a large area

20. THE ROLE OF GENETICS • Inherited characteristics have a huge impact on animal behavior. • Every SPECIES displays a range of behavior patterns typical of its members. • Ex: Individual species of birds have different courtship songs to identify and recognize members of their own species quickly and easily. • For other types of behavior, they are quite similar among related species; majority of birds fly; big range of birds feed young when pecked at beak. • Early ethologists referred to stereotypical or predictable behaviors asfixed action patterns. (innate) • They assumed the patterns to be the same among all members of the same species. • Early classicalethologists proposed that the above statement proved the hypothesis that certain behaviors were instinctive.

21. 1. Instinct – inherited or genetically coded responses to environmental stimuli. • 2. Instinct – a complex of unlearned responses characteristic of a species. • Permits animals to perform complex behaviors without learning them through trial-and-error. • VIDEO - Instinctive Behavior • VIDEO - Types of Animal Behavior • VIDEO - Fixed Action Patterns

22. DEFINITIONS Placid - not easily upset or excited Predisposition - tendency to act a certain way

23. TERMINOLOGYFOR ANIMAL LEARNING & TRAINING Positive Reinforcement • Refers to any immediate pleasant occurrence that follows a behavior. • Used to reinforce desired behaviors. • If used properly, you’ll be rewarding good behavior. • For reinforcement to be effective, the pleasant event (reward) must take place within 20 seconds of the behavior. • Right example: You tell dog to sit, he sits. You will praise the dog. Sit behavior is now positively reinforced. • Positive reinforcement is accidentally used for undesired behaviors. • Wrong example: You feed your pet while eating dinner. Each time you eat, the pet will beg for food. You have positively reinforced begging behaviors in the wrong sense.

24. TERMINOLOGY CONTINUED…NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT Negative Reinforcement • Refers to any immediate unpleasant occurrence used to create a desired behavior. • Following the behavior or before the behavior to prevent it, (water gun). • Requires removing something to increase the desired behavior. • Goal is to make animal avoid the unpleasant event. Example: • Dog receives a small shock. Learns area where it won’t be shocked. • Note to self: give sticky note shock collar example. • VIDEO - Negative Reinforcement Examples

25. POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT

26. TERMINOLOGY CONTINUED…PUNISHMENT Positive Punishment & Negative Punishment • Negative reinforcement and punishment (+, -) differ; negative rein increases behavior, punishment decreases behavior. • Positive punishment adds an undesirable occurrence to decrease a behavior. (add something pet don’t like to get desired result of lessening that behavior) • Ex: Dog is digging. Put balloons in hole that it digs so when it pops, it scares dog. Dog doesn’t dig anymore. • Ex: Squirt gun to cat. • Ex from example below: Each time dog begs, it gets a shock from a collar. • Negative punishment removesa desirable occurrence to decrease a behavior. • Ex: Dog is begging at dinner table. Owner doesn’t give anything, ignores. When dog stops begging, owner gives dog a treat as a reward. • Ex: Time out. Taking away their freedom.

27. TERMINOLOGY CONTINUED… • Punishment can develop aggression if used in the wrong way. RULES OF PUNISHMENT: • Must occur every time the behavior occurs. • Must be applied immediately. • Must have appropriate intensity. • Must not be associated with owner. • VIDEO - Skip to punishment part • VIDEO - Volleyball Example • +R, -R, +P, -P are all a part of “operant conditioning.”

28. Community question about reinforcement/punishment

29. STILL UNDER THE ‘TERMINOLOGY’ SUBTITLE… Konrad Zacharias Lorenz (1903 – 1989) • One of the founding fathers of modern ethology. • Fixed action patterns. • Discovered young animals follow their parent (caretaker) because of auditory and visual cues. • Imprinting – a rapid learning process that enables the very young to recognize and bond with its caretaker. • To survive in the wild, young animal must recognize its own parent and escape from any different creature, adult species may be capable of killing the young if it’s not of its own offspring. • Sensitive Period – period of time/specific stage early in life when imprinting occurs. • Starts second or third week, lasting to the 12th week of birth. • Socialization – the process of adapting to contact with others.

30. FINALLY DONE WITH THAT TERMINOLOGY • Animals adapt poorly if not socialized properly. DEFINITIONS Inadvertently - unintentional; accident Acquisition - an asset/object bought or obtained

31. UNDERSTANDING NORMAL BEHAVIORSOCIALIZATIONPAGE 15 Critical Socialization Period • Animals learn how to interact with their species, other species, and caretaker. • Puppies begin 4 weeks to 14 weeks of age. Total of 10 weeks. • Kittens begin two to eight weeks of age. Total of 6 weeks. Puppies • Two fear periods in the socialization period. • At the age of eight to ten weeks old & near puberty. • Pain, punishment, hostile attention on the puppy during these fear periods can cause permanent damage and permanent fearful behavior. 15

32. AGGRESSION • Aggression – a behavior caused by an impulse to harm another being. • Normal behavior to an extent. • Early socialization and learned fear can be the cause of aggression. • Fear-induced aggression. • Castration (spaying) can help reduce risk of some aggressive behaviors.

33. ELIMINATION • Eliminate – expel bodily wastes, pee/poo. • Be patient and don’t be so quick to get mad at the puppy when it eliminates in the house. • Don’t inflict punishment or negative stimuli for it damages the pet-owner relationship. • Use positive reinforcement. • If improperly potty trained or not at all, animal can be abandoned by owner or euthanized. • Read the proper elimination steps on page 16 last paragraph. • Cats eliminate then cover it up with a substrate. • Litter should be scooped daily and changed weekly. • Litter box must be easily accessible and private. • Have a litter box for every cat in multiple cat households.

34. DEFINITIONS Adverse - preventing success/development; hostile Castration - loses function in private parts; fixing/spaying Inflict - impose something unwelcome on Implementing - put into effect Substrate - a substance or layer that underlies something

35. BEHAVIOR PROBLEMSPAGE 19 • Even though cats adapt with humans during early socialization, they still remain self-sufficient. • Animals continue to adapt throughout their adult life; instrumental learning. • Small rodents have very short socialization periods. Predisposed to group living. • Birds will respond well if imprinted early on. Hand-feeding is important. 19

36. COMMON BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS • Cruelty or neglect during the sensitive period causes problems later on. • Different species have different problem behaviors. • A vet tech educated in animal behavior can be a valuable resource to client’s questions about nonmedical related questions. • Find out the reason of problem behaviors. (why does the pet have this problem behavior?)

37. CANINE SEPARATION ANXIETY • Separated from owner, feel anxiety. • Affects younger dogs generally. • Some dogs develop it later in life. • Dogs from animal shelters are more prone to this condition. • Older dogs. • Possible signs of separation anxiety: • excessive vocalization, destructive behavior, inappropriate elimination, anorexia, hyperactivity, or inactivity. vomiting or diarrhea. • Rules out other causes of inappropriate behavior first; identify the problem. • Dogs with separation anxiety will only show above signs when owner is away. • VIDEO - 3 ways to make it worse • VIDEO - Dealing with it

38. AGGRESSION • Most common problem reported in dogs; occurs in cats too. • Aggression was considered a desirable trait when dogs were first domesticated. • Important types of aggression: Conflict-related, fear-induced, predatory, pain-induced, inter-male, territorial, and other aggressive behaviors.

39. Conflict-related Aggression • Occurs when a dog is not comfortable with a stimulus. • Avoidance conditioning – learning to act out on a behavior to avoid that unpleasant stimulus. • In this case, the dog uses aggression to lower its fear of the stimulus to avoid it. • Avoidance Conditioning Help • Conflict-related aggression – unstable environment or home – punishment training methods/improper training – results in aggression to avoid a stimulus it finds threatening.

40. Fear-induced Aggression • Common in animal hospitals. • Occurs when an animal can’t escape from something frightening them. Loud noises, children, specific people. • Owners reinforce fear behaviors (positive reinforcement) incidentally by withdrawing from the pet when they display that behavior. • They don’t know how to fix it? • VIDEO - Fearful Dogs Barking • VIDEO - How to train your dog

41. Predatory Aggression • Animals don’t give a warning (growl/threats). • Stalks prey until finally pouncing and attacking it. • Ex: Cats

42. Pain-induced Aggression • Protective instinct when it comes to pain. • Dog fights ongoing. • Punishing the dogs that are fighting intensify the fight more. • Problems? Animal in pain continues to show aggression even when painful stimulus is gone.

43. Inter-male Aggression • Male species display aggression against another male. • Natural instinct. • Eliminated by castration. Medication is used if castration doesn’t lessen the problem.

44. Territorial Aggression • Dogs more aggressive toward strangers not of household. • Cats more aggressive toward other cats in their territory. • Aggressive problems that seem like territorial aggression aren’t always that. Examples: • Dog eating out of another dog’s food bowl – growls/snaps. • Around dog’s toy basket area – jumps on basket protecting it. • Further Explanation • VIDEO - Dog Nanny • VIDEO - What is and why?

45. Other Aggressive Behaviors • Maternal aggression after giving birth. • Normal instinct. • Protect young from dangers. • Other aggressive problems are learned and developed. • Taught how to be aggressive and mean. • Owners unwittingly propose behavior problems.

46. ELIMINATION BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS Reasons for soiling: • House soiling – urinating or defecating inside the home. • Can be caused by a medical problem; see vet before correcting soiling behavior. • Males spray to mark their territory at 7 or 8 months of age. • Neutering solves this problem and the issue of unwanted puppies. • Both genders may spray when new pets or people are introduced into home. • Inside the house too much :: give dog time outside. • *Submissive behavior :: behavior modification techniques. • *Fear :: stimulus that caused fear gets removed; b.m.t. • Chronic fear :: retraining. • Fear and Chronic Fear Examples • VIDEO – Cats * not an elimination behavior problem

47. Last paragraph of Page 24: "as a deterrent against house soiling, experts recommend cleaning and drying the soiled area, leading the dog to it, and making the dog lie there for awhile." 1. Is this considered a punishment? This can be classified as a punishment - Some behavior specialists will argue that this will not work. 2. Is the soiled area any area that the animal eliminates at or is it saying there is one soil area? This sentence refers to the most recent area of soiling. 3. Is the dog suppose to know that he soiled there after it's cleaned and he is laying there? That is the reason that most behavior people do not think this works. 4. What does making the dog lay there for a while do? In my opinion this does nothing BUT the theory is that this will make them aware they are not to soil in the place that they lay down.

48. Last paragraph of Page 24: "since urine and feces typically serve to mark the outer limits of their territory, dogs generally avoid soiling areas where they know they'll be spending a good deal of time." 1. 'serve to mark the outer limits of their territory'; what does outer limits mean? Marking the territory that the animal feels is his/hers. "thus, if a dog consistently soils while its owner is away from home, it's best to confine the animal to its crate or to the room where it eats or sleeps." 1. Is that room where the animal soils also? 2. Why would the owner confine the animal in one place...because the animal soils everywhere in the house? Put the animal in a crate - big enough that it is comfortable but correct size so that the dog will not defecate where it is laying down - The behavior folks would be able to give more details for all of these questions.

49. DEFINITIONS Eradicate - put an end to; destroy Manifest - display or show Alleviate – lessen Perceived - become aware of something Defecate - to poopoo; have a bowel movement Ample - plentiful, enough Submissive - gentle, obedient Deterrent - intended to discourage someone from some act

50. BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS IN EXOTIC PETS Birds • Fewer problems to soiling or household damage because birds spend most of their time in cages. • If birds poop in their water bowls, change it to a bottle like rodents use. Most common problems: • Persistent screaming/squawking • Biting