dog and cat behavior

true

behavior wellness increases safety for the hospital staff, increase our ability to treat patients and willingness of owners to bring in pets, increase overall efficiency by developing patients that willingly comply with procedures, build better relationships with clients and patients

transition period

brainwave patterns start to mature, no longer need anogenital stimulation to eliminate, play-fighting with littermates begins, 10-16 days

compassion fatigue

caring too much can hurt

true

children who own friendly dogs are more likely to be bitten by their friends dogs or unfamiliar dogs, young boys are far more likely to be bitten by dogs

forms of aggression

conflict related, fear related, food related, idiopathic, interdog, irritable, maternal, pain related, play related, possessive, predatory, redirected, social status/dominance, territorial

using force

could get bitten or scratched, breaking our promise to do no harm, pets can become behaviorally worse which could lead to aggression and then potential euthanasia, we need to understand that every action made around an animal has an effect, we need to learn how to modify our actions and attitudes

punishment

decrease the likelihood that a behavior will occur

five step action plan

elicit and reinforce appropriate behavior, prevent or minimize inappropriate behavior, meet the pets behavioral and developmental needs, use the take away method to discourage inappropriate behavior, minimize discipline and use it correctly when needed

true

encourage the client to describe the actions of the pet and not what they think the pet was feeling or thinking

juvenile period

extension of the socialization period, brain waves of the puppy is a clean slate, age when most rapid learning occurs, greatest impact on future social behaviors will be made by any behavior that happens at this point, (up to 6 months)

fleeing, fighting, freezing

fearful animals can have one of three responses which are

reinforcement

increase the likelihood that a behavior will occur

up to 6 months

juvenile period

true

kittens go through developmental periods similar to a dog, but are shorter and less discrete, temperament in kittens is highly heritable, cat social behavior and hierarchy is different than for dogs, cats seem to develop relationships with people that mimic kitten-mother relationships, cats don't guard their resources as closely as dogs, cats don't have ritualized play or submissive behaviors, most aggressive behavior is fear based

feline aggression

multi-cat households are prone to a variety of anxiety and stress related issues.. provide abundant resources, provide enough space

birth-14 days

neonatal period

behavior wellness

normal and acceptable conduct, enhances human-animal bond, components of behavior wellness care

academy of veterinary behavior technicians

AVBT

assessment

pets daily routine, lifestyle, and whether its behavioral needs are being met (where does pet spend most of its time, how much exercise, is pet disciplined), identification of early warning signs of problems (many owners don't recognize, questions should be part of wellness exam), pets behavior at hospital (for assessing wellness behavior, safety for personnel, undesirable behavior noted on records)

tame

primary goal of early handling during the sensitive period is to tame animals, tame animals will have zero flight distance, tameness occurs within the animals lifetime, domestication is a process occurring over many generations by which animals adapt to living with humans in a captive environment. animals can be domesticated but not tame or vise versa

socialization

primary socialization period (3-5 weeks), secondary socialization period (6-12 weeks), puppy learns specific behaviors (biting, chasing, barking, fighting, and body posturing), puppys rate of mental development will now depend on the complexity of their environment, (4-14 weeks)

true

psychotropic drugs can be excellent tool in treating behavior problems, must be used in conjunction with behavior modification, if used alone rarely work

negative reinforcement

removing something aversive, increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur

negative punishment

removing something the pet wants, decreases the likelihood that the behavior will occur

establish leadership

set clear rules for behavior, communicate the rules, consistently reward these desirable behaviors and remove rewards for undesirable behaviors

true

signs of fear and anxiety.. cowering, panting, yawning, licking lips, trembling, muscle tension, shedding, sweaty paws, shaking as if drying off from a bath, head down ears back

4-14 weeks

socialization period

10-16 days

transition period

threatening and aggressive animals

try to decrease emotional arousal (assume nonthreatening posture, try offering something that will relax animal, if animal has negative response to the offering drop it near the animal or in carrier), use a minimum amount of restraint (keep personnel safe, one bad experience for an animal can lead to negative outcomes that are more likely to be repeated)

90

up to __% of dog owners complain that their dog has behavioral issues... 28% of dogs and 19% of cats are relinquished

fear

_____ is the most common issue

positive punishment

adding something aversive, decreases the likelihood that the behavior will occur

positive reinforcement

adding something the pet wants, increased the likelihood that the behavior will happen again

cats

affectionate, not needy, friendly or tolerant of other people, enjoy or tolerate everyday handling, eliminate in acceptable areas, not overly fearful, adapt to change, play well with others, not dangerous to community, can be left alone without problems, readily relinquish control, vocalize when appropriate, readily obedient, scratch only items provided