Animal Training

Question 1

ABCs of learning

Answer 1

1. Antecedent
2. Behaviour
3. Consequence

Question 2

Antecedent

Answer 2

What tells the animal that something is about to happen

An Environmental cue. Then animal to predict if something is pleasant or threatening. Will predict if a response will be reward or punishment

Question 3

Behaviour

Answer 3

If the experience is repeated, the animal learns to anticipate and react sooner

Question 4

Consequence

Answer 4

Positive or negative outcome

Question 5

Who is dominant?

Answer 5

1. Individual A- tells B to feed them, to clean, and to play with them
2. Individual B- feed A, cleans A, plays with A whenever A demands

**Would think it is A, but if A was a baby?

Question 6

Dominance fallacy

Answer 6

Dominance is not thought of correctly. No dominance in human-dog relationship. However, there is a hierarchal relation between dogs which determines who has priority access to multiple resources (food, resting spots, mates)

Question 7

Wolf packs and dominance

Answer 7

Wolf packs in their natural habitat demonstrate but are not dominated by an alpha wolf. Wolf packs have a similar organization to human families

• Alpha wolves breed and become parents
• Little aggression or fights for dominance

Question 8

What results in undesirable behaviour?

Answer 8

• Accidental reinforcing/rewarding undesirable behaviour
• Environment including early learning experiences
• Genetic predisposition (brain structure, neurotransmitters, etc.)

Question 9

Operant conditioning

Answer 9

Learning that uses consequences (rewards and punishments) to modify behaviour.

Question 10

Why Positive punishment is not a good idea?

Answer 10

• Associated with fear, anxiety, and stress
• Decreases animal welfare
• Produces defensive/aggressive responses (46% will retaliate against owners)
• Children are mimics
  Ex. kid treats dog like adult, ends up with stitches because dog is bigger
• Produces pessimism
• Creates conflict between owner and animal and often the animal does not know what the owner wants
• Does not convey appropriate behaviour
• Decreases likelihood of warning signs
• At some point the unappropriate behaviour would be worth it for the animal

Question 11

Aversive training & it’s effects

Answer 11

• Designed to cause pain
• Alters human/animal relationship
• Psychological distress. Can create phobias
• Physiological stress (High cortisol & Increased heart rate)

Question 12

Why do injuries occur with prong collars?

Answer 12

• Dog is so overwhelmed by the situation, it ignores pain
• Stress induced analgesia. Dog is so over aroused that he can no longer feel the pain

Question 13

Prong collar and positive reinforcement

Answer 13

Dog aggressive dog. Another dog shows up, tug on prong collar. Now dog associates dog with prong collar. Dog will be even more scared/worried from other dog

Question 14

Why is punishment ineffective?

Answer 14

• Inconsistent application
  Ex. dog barking. O is not always present to provide consistent positive punishment
• Always situations where its “worth it”
  Ex. speeding ticket. You will still speed again when late for work etc.

NOTE: Positive punishment is effective when consistent
Ex. cattle and horses with electric fence. They touch it once and get shocked. They know where the fence is and what it does

Question 15

Cooperative Care

Answer 15

Train animal to tolerate and choose to be a willing participant. Improves animal welfare.

Commonly used in zoos

Question 16

Benefit of allowing animals to participate in cooperative care

Answer 16

• Prevents forced participation (flooding)
• Gives the animal control
• Reduces stress and fear
• Animals can opt for a break
• Increases confidence and tolerance
• Animals will choose more often to participate even when procedure is unpleasant or aversive

Question 17

Why is cooperative care commonly used in zoos?

Answer 17

• Traditionally anesthesia or heavy sedation was required for many procedures because there is a high risk of injury and death
• Traditional procedures created fear, anxiety, stress, as well as mistrust