Posts tagged "behavior"

To humans, a growl is a growl. But to dogs, all growls are not created equal, it seems. Those growling sounds contain a wealth of important information to other canines, according to new research described in Discovery News.

For a recent study, Peter Pongracz, a behavioral biologist at Eotvos Lorand University in Hungary, recorded growls from 20 pet dogs in three different scenarios: watching a threatening stranger approach, playing tug-of-war with their owners and facing off with another dog for a bone.

Then he played the recordings to other dogs as they chewed on meaty calf bones (yum!). The dogs that heard tapes of the bone-guarding dogs backed away from their snacks in reaction to the threatening-get-away-from-my-bone growls. Most of the dogs that heard the other types of growls kept on chewing, New Scientist reports.

Pongracz and his team analyzed the growls with a computer and found that playful growls are typically shorter and higher pitched than threatening growls, Discovery News reports. But the difference between the two threatening growls wasn't evident to the human -- or computer -- ear.

Pongracz believes that dog growls contain more meaning than dog barks, New Scientist reports. After all, the dog's wild ancestor the wolf rarely barks. It is possible that domesticated dogs might have learned to bark to get humans attention, while growling is a more ancient method of communicating with other dogs, he suggests.

Someday, maybe we'll be able to understand every nuance of a dog growl--and understand what parts of the growl (pitch, volume, etc) other dogs are reacting to. Hey, it's not so far-fetched -- after all, even babies are able to distinguish between hostile barks and happy ones!

What animal lover hasn't daydreamed about ditching their desk job and applying for a job at the zoo? Or at a doggy daycare? Or tracking gorillas in Africa? We sure have, but since most of us may never actually get to work with the animals we love, we thought we'd introduce you to a few people who do.

Name: Mieshelle Nagelschneider
Age: 39
Job: Cat Behaviorist, The Cat Behavior Clinic

How did you decide to become a cat behaviorist?
It all started when I was about four and living on our Oregon farm. I wanted to be Snow White -- not because of the prince, but because she could talk to animals! Throughout my childhood I surrounded myself with animals of every kind. By the time I graduated from high school I was a vet tech, and I began to realize that I understood animals' motivations and feelings almost instinctively. Before long, I was doing house calls for clients, solving behavioral problems and quickly becoming referred by vets all across the United States.

What is your training/educational background?
Close observation and self-study all my life, combined with coursework in psychology in Oregon and animal cognition at Harvard.

How long have you been working with cats?
About 20 years. I've helped literally thousands of cats.

Do you need to see a cat in person to treat it?
No. The cat owner can schedule a phone consultation online, and is then sent a feline behavior questionnaire to complete. During the phone consultation, I evaluate in depth the cat's history, current environment, and the nature of the behavior issue. Once the behavior issue is identified, I develop a customized three-part C.A.T. Plan, which the owner follows for 4 - 6 weeks. They then have a free follow-up with me. The behavioral methods are humane, drug-free, and lasting in their results. That's key. We have a very, very high rate of success.

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When a dog wants dinner, he knows how to sway you: the sweet-faced stare, the frantically wagging tail, the irresistible raising of the eyebrow and cocking of the head. When communicating with their four-legged friends, however, dogs don't bother laying on the charm. They just figure out where to look for food by taking a whiff of each other's breath, reports New Scientist magazine.

Scientists at the Institute of Zoology in Zurich, Switzerland, reported their findings in the journal Animal Behavior. The experimenters hid treats behind one of four barriers and taught dogs where to find them. They then turned the dogs loose to head to the secret spot for more treats. Sometimes the snacks were right where the dogs expected to find them; other times, the dogs were tricked and the usual spot came up treat-free. In both cases, a group of other dogs observed their treat-hunting comrades. These observers had no idea which hidden corners contained the scrumptious snacks.

Afterward, the observer dogs were allowed to romp with -- and sniff -- the treat hunters. If the treat-hunting dog had successfully found a snack, the observer dog often headed behind the barrier that the first dog had visited. But if the first dog had come up empty-pawed, the observer dog tended not to visit any particular barrier first. The researchers had taken care to remove all scent clues from behind the barriers, so the dogs weren't just following their noses. Only when a treat hunter's breath smelled like food did the observer dog follow his lead in search of his own snack.

Rats, monkeys, and even bees follow the lead of family and friends in order to find food, so it's no great surprise that dogs also communicate this way. What is surprising is that they don't lose their appetites after catching a whiff of dog breath.

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How many pet owners have ever come home to a house full of chewed-up Kleenexes, a puddle on the carpet, and a guilty-looking pooch whose sheepish expression all but exclaims, "I know. I'm sorry,"? According to a recent study, none.

In one experiment, pet owners were told that their dogs had stolen treats. Most pet owners saw a guilty expression on their wrongfully accused animals' faces, proving that they merely projected human emotions onto their relatively clueless canines.

Alexandra Horowitz, the assistant professor at Barnard College in New York who carried out the research, said, "Given that discovery of, say, a stolen roast or garbage on the floor is often followed instantly by cries of alarm and scolding, it is not surprising that, in retrospect, owners would conflate the sources of dogs' resulting guilty looks. Merely uttering a dog's name with a rising, accusatory tone is often enough to elicit pre-emptive submissive behavior."

Makes you wonder...could we be imagining the super-pathetic please-please-play-with-me look too? The I-love-you-let's-snuggle stare? The OMG-don't-leave sulk?

Nah. Those are definitely real.

Litter Box Training
Cats are not born knowing how to use a litter box and will need you to help train them. When your cat begins nosing around in the corners of your home or squatting, put her in the litter box. Gently scratch her front paws in the cat box filler, so she realizes this is the place to deposit and cover waste. Should your cat have an accident, wipe it up with a paper towel, and place the towel in the litter box. Then place her in the litter box and scratch her front paws in the cat box filler to reinforce the idea that this is where the waste belongs. Do not punish your cat for having an accident. This won't help her to learn to use the litter box, it will only teach her not to eliminate in front of you.

When your cat begins to get the idea, don't take her good behavior for granted. Continue to praise her for using the litter box.

Litter Box Behavior
If your cat's litter habits change, have her examined by a veterinarian to first rule out any medical problems. Then check to see that it's not the litter box itself that is dissuading your cat. Is it clean? Is there something about the location that your cat doesn't like such as new people or pets in the house? Once your cat has adapted to the change, she should revert back to her normal litter habits.

Click here to read about litter box basics.

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Barking that is a behavior problem may result from one of several different issues. The key is to first identify the cause of the barking and then to change your dog's triggers.

Loneliness Barking

When loneliness is the cause of incessant barking, giving your dog more attention may solve the problem. In a family situation, encourage family members to take turns playing with your dog and taking him for walks. When he is left alone, provide toys for him to amuse himself.

Sometimes more attention won't solve the problem. If your dog has developed a habit of barking, place some pennies in a can and tape it shut. When he barks, shake the can near him and say "quiet" in a firm voice. The purpose of shaking the can is to startle him. If the barking resumes, shake the can again and say "quiet." Keep the can away from him so he does not consider it a toy. As your dog catches on, your verbal command "quiet" should stop the barking.

If the can does not work, use a squirt bottle to squirt your dog's legs and back accompanied by a firm "quiet" command.

Please remember - any action to deter your dog from barking must be made while he is barking. After-the-fact corrective action only confuses him. Use a strong, firm voice. Avoid yelling, which can be stressful to a dog.

Click here to read about other types of barking.

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