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Dog and cat behaviour
Basic level Pet ScienceBasic level Pet Science
Module B5Module B5
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Aims and objectivesAims and objectives
To provide an understanding of how dogs andcats behave and why. i.e. what makes a cat a catand a dog a dog?
Main areas to be covered:
Domestication and breeds
Communication Training and socialisation
Other aspects of behaviour an owner may see
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DomesticationDomestication
and breedsand breeds
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Wild relativesWild relatives
Dog domesticatedfrom the wolf (Canis
lupus)
Cat domesticated
from African wildcat(Felis sylvestrislybica)
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DomesticationDomestication
Domestication = to tame or bring undercontrol
Tameness/reduced fear of humans
Increase in juvenile characteristics in adult(eg more playful)
Dogs are not just tame wolves; cats are not tame wildcats. There are many similarities but generations ofselection by man has resulted in lots of differences
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ExerciseExercise
On your learning log list as manydifferent uses of dogs as you can think
of (2 minutes)
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Variety of dog breedsVariety of dog breeds
Huge variety in appearance andbehaviour among the various dogbreeds
Many different functions of breeds
Different types of breeds and theirusesThe domestic dog is the most varied singlespecies on the planet
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ExerciseExercise
Look at the breeds on your Learning Logand put them into the correct groupingson the following pages
Remember that this list of groupings isnot exclusive and certain breeds may not
fit well into any of these groupings.Some breeds may fit into more than onegrouping.
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Hunting breeds (hounds)Hunting breeds (hounds)
Bred to hunt and catch prey using either sightor scent
Sighthounds - greyhounds, salukis - very swift.M
ay chase small animals Scent hounds - eg beagles very persistent,
great stamina. Like to follow scents
Greyhounds can run up to 57km/hr
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RetrieversRetrievers
Bred to hunt and flush out gameand/or retrieve shot game
Playful, intelligent, easy to train
Very common as family pets
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Guarding breedsGuarding breeds
Originally bred for guarding, huntinglarge dangerous game or fighting
Make lots of noise when intruder
approaches to scare it away Often less active
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TerrierTerrier--typetype
Originally bred to go down holes to fight, driveout vermin, ratters
Highly reactive/assertive
Very active breeds
Intelligent
Often quite dominant
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Herding breedsHerding breeds
Highly intelligent Need lots of stimulation to prevent them
getting bored
Many have a herding instinct (e.g. bordercollies)
(Also driving breeds, e.g. corgies, heelers - nip atheels of cattle to keep them moving)
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Companion breedsCompanion breeds B
red as companions only Lots of variety but most are very small Big personality
The smallest breed is the chihuahua which canweigh just 1kg!
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CatsCats
Cat - only animal domesticated from asolitary species
Domestic cats do sometimes live in
groups with complex socialrelationships
NOT a typical domestic species
Cats are usually seen as freeagents, not dependant on man forsurvival
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ExerciseExercise
We have learned that dogs are keptfor many purposes. On your learninglog list any purposes to keep a cat. (2minutes)
What breed are the majority of cats?
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CatsCats
Few purposes - Mainly pets andratters
Probably originally tolerated byman due to their rodent killingbehaviour
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Cat breedsCat breeds
Most cats are mixed breed (domesticshorthair)
2 most well known breeds - Persian and Siamese
Other breeds also exist
Much smaller size range than dog breeds (2-10kg)
Less variety of breeds than dogs
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ExerciseExercise
On your leaning log write down whatcharacteristics an owner might see intheir cat. (2 minutes)
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Communication
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Dog and cat senses: SmellDog and cat senses: Smell
A cats sense of smell is approximately 10 timesmore sensitive than a humans
A dogs sense of smell may be up to 1000 times
more sensitive than a humans
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VisionVision Better adapted for low light conditions
than human vision
More sensitive to movement than human
vision Less good at seeing fine detail than humans
It is not true thatdogs can only see in
black and white. Dogsare thought to havesimilar colour vision tohumans who are red-
green colour blind
What ahuman sees
What a dogmay see (redand green are
similar)
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HearingHearing
Cats ears can move to locate source of sound
Much higher frequencies than humans & dogs (3
times as high compared to humans) Pitches of mice and other small rodents
Higher frequencies than humans
Little difference between breeds (no effect ofsize)
Cats
Dogs
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Cat & Dog communicationCat & Dog communication
Can be affected by breeding (eg floppy ears) or
cosmetic changes (eg docked tail)
Vocalisations
SmellBody language
eye contact, tail,posture
Less easy for humans to understand cat communication- possibly because less social species than dogs
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DogsDogs
Very social animals
Effective communication is important
in social species
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Dog body languageDog body language
Dominant behaviour
stiff, tall stance, ears up orforward, tail up, staring
Subordinate behaviour
crouched posture, ears flat,tail low, averting gaze
Discuss with the person next to you what is happeningin this picture
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ExerciseExercise
Look at the following slides and thinkabout what the cats behaviour shows
How are these cats feeling?
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Fearful or aggressiveEars flat
Mouth open showing teeth
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Relaxed
Ears more relaxed
Body more relaxed
Tail away from body
Feet tucked under body
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Fearful/startledTail down
Back arched
Eyes and ears wide and alert
Hackles up
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Really relaxedexposing vulnerable underparts
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Training andsocialisation
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Animals learn the same way as we do
If behaviour has a good result it will be repeated
Need to find animals motivations
But they may come to the wrong conclusions
How animals learnHow animals learn
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Importance of positive training - punishmentoften leads to further problems and is lesseffective
Any attention maybe good attentionto a dog
Reward good behaviour
Ignore bad behaviour
It is essential that good behaviouris frequently rewarded through thedogs life or it will start to forget!
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Early socialisationEarly socialisation
Puppy classes/parties Need to learn appropriate behaviour
Need to experience anything theywill experience in life
Best time for socialisation:Puppies 3-10 weeks old (approx)
Kittens 2-7 weeks old (approx)
If introducedat the right agedogs and cats
can becomefriends!
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Owner influence on behaviourOwner influence on behaviour
Dogs and cats can understand a lot ofhuman gestures and body language
Dogs and cats can read very subtlesignals that we may not even know weare giving
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Other behavioursan owner will see
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ExerciseExercise
On your Learning Log tick the boxes on the table forthe species to which the statements apply
Dog Cat Both
1) Need a quiet safe place to rest and
sleep2) Often prefer to sleep higher up where
they feel safer
3) Encourage play with others using a
distinctive play-bow posture
4) Hunting behaviour is often displayed by
pets as play
5) Not truly nocturnal. They are very
active at dusk but generally most of their
sleep is at night
6) Hunt by stealth then chase
7) Hunt by stealth and ambush. Prey
caught with claws, then teeth used to kill
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ExerciseExercise
Thinking back to what has been discussedwhat can an owner do to enrich the life of
their pet? Fill in your answers for dogs and cats on
your Learning Log
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Enriching the environmentEnriching the environment
What can an owner do... Toys, play, companionship, games, training, exercise
Dogs and cats are intelligent animals and needs thingsto stop them getting bored
Especially important for animals left alone for longperiods
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Behaviour problemsBehaviour problems
May be normal behavioursthat are sociallyunacceptable
May occur as a result ofpoor socialisation, training or
miscommunication
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So what is normal behaviour?So what is normal behaviour?
Think about...
the species
the breed the individual
lifestyle and environment
Owners need to understand the normalbehaviour of their pet to tell it is happy and
healthy
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ExtendingExtendingyour learningyour learning
Waltham intranet - Dog and Cat Behaviour section(www.waltham.mars)
Turner, D. C. & Bateson, P. (2000) The DomesticCat: the biology of its behaviour.
Serpell J.A. (1995) The Domestic Dog: itsevolution, behaviour and interactions with people.