Transcript Animal Behavior - Locust Trace Veterinary Assistant Program

Animal Behavior
Veterinary Assisting Textbook
Chapter 6: Animal Behavior and Restraint
Pages 140-153
Copyright © 2013 by Mosby, Inc., an imprint of Elsevier Inc.
Behavior
 Any act done by an animal.
 Reason may not be obvious to humans
 Must be a stimulus: some internal or external
change that exceeds a threshold and causes
stimulation of the nervous and/or endocrine systems
 Ethology: study of animal behavior
 Animal behavior is instinctive (genetically
programmed) and learned (conditioned response)
 Two categories of conditioned responses
 Classical conditioning
 Operant conditioning
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Operant Conditioning
Association of a
particular activity
(operant) with a
punishment or
reward
Used to reinforce a
desired behavior or
punish an
undesirable one
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Types of Operant Conditioning
• Positive Punishment
• Add an undesirable occurrence to decrease behavior
• Example- invisible fence collar- adding a shock to prevent dog
from running thru the fence
• Negative Punishment
• Remove a desirable occurrence to decrease behavior
• Example- taking away a toy every time they try to shred it
• Positive Reinforcement
• Rewarding for the desired behavior
• Example=-giving the dog a treat for sitting
• Negative Reinforcement
• Taking away something to reach the desired behavior
• Example- hold the collar tightly till the dog sits, then release
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Preventing Behavior Problems
• Easier to prevent behavior problems than fix them
• Vital that veterinary staff be able to instruct owners
correctly
• Common behavior problems
• Aggression
• Damage to household
• House-soiling
• Anthropomorphism: attribution of human characteristics
and emotions to pets
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House Training Dogs
• Take outside frequently
• After waking
• After eating
• After playing
• If sniffing and circling
• Crate training
• Proper size
• No longer than 4-6 hours for puppies
• Teach desired location for elimination
• Reinforce desired behavior immediately
• NO physical punishment after “accidents”
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House Training Cats
• Trained to use litter box
• Instinctual
• Litter box must be…
• Clean
• Easily accessible
• Litter (type of substrate) should be soft and fine
• Privacy
• Not in high traffic area
• Near loud/startling noises
• 1 box per cat plus one extra
• NO surprise attacks
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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, texture
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Scratching Objects
• 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
• Location: where cat likes to scratch
• Attach a toy or spray with pheromone or catnip
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Destructive Dog Behaviors
• Are self-rewarding
• Are shown for a variety of reasons
• Underlying cause (more difficult to manage and prevent)
• Separation anxiety
• Noise phobia
• Disease
• Normal development process (easier to manage and prevent)
• Teething, playing, investigating
• Behaviors seen as destructive:
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•
•
Digging
Chewing
Tearing
Scratching
Getting into trash
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Preventing Destructive
Dog Behavior
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•
•
Plenty of exercise
Appealing toys
Provide a digging area
Keep in crate when not home or supervised
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Appealing Toys
• Reward when toy is played with
• Elicit preferred play action
• Take away unacceptable items and replace with
acceptable toy
• Booby trap unacceptable items or areas
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Digging
• Provide a specific area to dig
• Loose soil or sand
• Bury items to encourage digging in area
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Aggressive Behavior
• Aggression towards people is most commonly reported
behavior problem in dogs
• Aggression towards other cats is most commonly reported
behavior problem in cats
• Aggression: behavior that is intended to harm
• Agonistic Behavior: behaviors that animals show in situations
involving social conflict (submission, avoidance, escaping,
offensive and defensive threats, offensive and defensive
aggression)
• Common types of aggression:
• Conflict-related, fear-induced, predatory, pain-induced, intermale, territorial, maternal, redirected, resource guarding
• Dogs must be socialized and taught how to behave correctly
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Preventing Aggression
• Determine type of aggression
• Puppy tests
• Very subjective
• Best to match breed/personality with activity and lifestyle
• Castration
• Aids in reducing aggression
• Reduces overpopulation
• Lessens health problems
• Socialization
• Dogs: 3-12 weeks
• Cats: 2-7 weeks
• PLEASANT EXPERIENCES
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Providing Problem
Prevention Services
• Information vs. time
• Provide extra examination
time for new puppy/kitten
appointments
• Written materials to
enhance verbal information
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Providing Problem
Resolution Services
• Make a behavioral diagnosis for problem
• Excessive barking, house-soiling, aggression, etc.
• Obtain complete behavioral history
• Observe animal in its own environment
• Owner’s log of animal’s behavior
• Behavior modification plan
• Possible referral to behavior specialist
• Medications or nutritional/herbal supplements
• No simple solution
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Referring Cases
to Behavior Specialists
• Referral resources:
• Range from dog trainers to veterinarians certified
by American College of Veterinary Behavior
• Animal Behavior Society certification
• National Association of Dog Obedience
• Instructors (NADOI) membership
• Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT)
certification
• Obedience training is not behavior modification
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Referring Cases
to Behavior Specialists
• Ask behavior specialist for referral preferences
• Have medical and behavior history prepared
• Give client information about what to expect from
referral
• Be professional to client about needing
psychological help for the patient
• Provide ancillary materials about behavior
specialists
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Copyright © 2013 by Mosby, Inc., an imprint of Elsevier Inc.