Behaviour

As we train our dogs, we need to remember that wild canines exhibit a number of behaviours that come quite naturally for the animal. However, many of these behaviours we will try to eliminate in domestic dogs as they are unacceptable to us if they are going to be a part of our home and family. For instance, we don't want them digging up our garden, marking their territory inside, barking excessively or jumping up. Knowing these behaviours are natural for canines will help us better understand our dogs and provide better alternatives for these potentially problematic behaviours.

Research has identified several adaptive patterns of behaviour in the dog, all of which are based on instinctive behaviour. However, the dog's very earliest behaviour result from what is inherited and environmental conditioning which means learning is extremely complex and involved.

A review of these behaviour patterns will prove beneficial in your ability to better understand the dog.

- Investigative Behaviour

Investigative behaviour is undoubtedly one of the most prominent types of behaviour seen in the dog. Such as

• Walking or running with nose to ground, sniffing.
• Head in air sniffing, may run from side to side.
• Sniffing anal and/or genital region.
• Sniffing nose or face of another dog.
• Head raised, ears erect (listening and looking).
• Nosing and sniffing urine or faeces.
• Crawling forward, moving head from side to side, sniffing.

-Allelominetic Behaviour

The tendency to do what the other animal is doing is Allelomimetic behaviour. This behaviour appears to be fairly strong in dogs, particularly in half-grown puppies.

• Walking or running together.
• Lying down, sleeping and getting up together.
• Howling in unison and howling when solitary (like human loneliness).
  
  

-Epimeletic Behaviour

The giving of care or attention is highly developed in dogs along certain special lines. The tendency toward nest building is rather weak. Most dogs make use of shelters already provided, or enlarge holes already made. Grooming is likewise rather poorly developed, consisting mostly of the cleaning of very young puppies by the mother. Adults scratch themselves, but rarely lick their fur, and there is almost never mutual grooming between adults. Feeding the young, on the other hand, is highly developed. The mothers not only nurse their young but may vomit food which they have chewed and swallowed themselves. Under the proper feeding conditions, adults of both sexes may provide food for the young and the habit of burying or catching food is frequently seen.

The behaviour pattern of the dog to use its feet to dig in the earth (such as burying food) is a very important factor.

-Et-Epimeletic Behaviour

Attention seeking behaviour is also prominently developed and prolonged from early infancy. This behaviour seems necessary for puppies and is certainly indulged in among adult dogs and between dogs and their human companions. It is through this pattern of behaviour that you are able to establish a close bond of relationship with the dog, which is necessary if training is to be successful.

• Whining.
• Yelping.
• Tail wagging.
• Licking face (or hands) of person.
• Touching with paws.

-Eliminative Behaviour

These patterns of behaviour appear to have great social significance in dogs, and it is possible that they were originally connected with territoriality.

-Conflict or Agonistic Behaviour

As may be expected in a predatory animal, this sort of behaviour is prominent. Fighting or its alternated pattern of running away occurs rather frequently. Playful fighting is very common in young puppies. There is a tendency to develop dominance under certain conditions, together with characteristic attitudes of dominant and subordinate animals. On the other hand, a well coordinated group of familiar animals may be strikingly peaceful and cooperative. Signs of agonistic behaviour are:

• Fighting and Predation:
  Chasing, biting, snapping teeth, pawing, snarling, growling, barking, wagging tip of tail, pouncing or springing, tossing game into air and herding.
• Defence and Escape Reactions:
  Sitting, crouching, running away, yelping and showing teeth, tail between legs, rolling on back--pawing--and extending legs.
• Attitudes of Dominance:
  Standing over dog on the ground--growling, standing with tail erect.
• Attitudes of Subordination:
  Allowing dominant animal to place feet on back, tail down, tail between legs, crouching, ears depressed, roll on back--legs extended--tail between legs.
  
  

-Contactual Behaviour

The tendency to maintain bodily contact with other animals is important in puppies which need it to maintain warmth, but this seems relatively less important in adult dogs. Signs of this behaviour are:

• Lying close together in a heap
• Curling up.