Behavior Part 2

Question	Answer
Some birds roll in dust to:	Clean their feathers
Two animals of the same species grooming each other shows:	Social acceptance in a group. Such behavior is most evident in monkeys, where they be seen intently grooming each other's fur. This type of grooming serves both a practical purpose as well as represents the animal's acceptance into the group.
Through play, young animals practice and perfect such important life skills as:	Stalking Pouncing Chasing Fleeing Capturing Food Defense
During play, wild felines learn to gauge the distance between themselves and their potential prey simply by:	Chasing and wrestling with other members of their social group. They learn how to adjust their speed to the particular prey. They learn how to freeze to deceive a potential target, and how to deal a properly placed and timed death bite.
A kitten at play isn't merely exercising high spirits, but also:	Refining the hunting skills that served its ancestors in the wild
A particular species' locomotive techniques:	Shape the way it relates to the world. Snakes, for example, must wriggle out of harm's way. Birds soar through the sky, searching for prey. A horse gallops in flight from a perceived intruder.
Long-distance travelers, like birds, set their course by:	The sun, the stars, and the prominent features of the countryside
A range of creatures, including bees, dolphins, and many birds, have microscopic body compasses that:	Enable them to sense Earth's magnetic field
Hunting dogs are specially bred to follow:	The scent trails left by other animals
The ferret's legendary scenting abilities have found their way:	Into the English language; the verb ferret means "to seek out or hunt"
Salmon use their sense of taste to:	Return to their home river at spawning time
Migration typically involves:	Large groups of animals, mostly birds seeking different climates as the seasons change
Inherited characteristics have huge effects on:	Animal behavior
The enormous variety of dog breeds, each with its particular specialty, results from:	Centuries of deliberate selective breeding. Some dogs have been bred to refine their ability for hunting, herding, guarding, protection, and some are bred to be friendly.
Every species displays a range of behavior patterns typical of its:	Members. Some patterns are unique to one species.
Many adult birds automatically regurgitate:	Predigested food when chicks peck at a certain spot on the underside of the parents beak
Instinctive behaviors are often characteristic patterns of:	Feeding, mating, parenting, and displays of aggression. Natural selection develops and refines these behavior patterns in each species.
Instinct permits animals to perform:	Very complex patterns without learning them through trial-and-error
A honeybee has an innate capability to:	Navigate from food sources to its hive
This founding father of modern ethology dedicated much of his research to identifying various kinds of fixed action patterns:	Konrad Zacharias Lorenz (1903-1989)
Lorenz discovered that a young animal:	Follows its parents because of auditory or visual cues the parents present. He also realized that certain objects, including a human being, could elicit the same response by exhibiting the cues. This acquisition is called imprinting.
Experts now conclude that imprinting allows newborns:	To recognize one or both parents, or parental substitutes, as individuals
To survive, an immature animal must recognize its own:	Parent and escape from any noticeably different creature
Among cats and dogs, the sensitive period typically extends from:	The second or third to the twelfth week of birth. Animals adapt most readily to the humans and other animals they encounter during this period.
Newborn cats and dogs exposed to caring human contact during the sensitive period:	Adapt well to life in a human household. Scientists call this adapting process socialization.
Young animals who don't socialize with people, or who experienced cruelty or indifference at the hands of humans, often:	Adapt poorly to human households. By the same token, a kitten or pup that has no contact with its kind during the sensitive period will often relate poorly to members of its own species.
Several basic types of learning include:	Habituation Instrumental Learning Recognition of individuals Mapping the environment
Habituation allows an animal to filter out the many:	Sights, scents, and sounds that would otherwise overwhelm it
Learning by trial and error, also called instrumental learning, unfolds as:	An animal discovers and repeats specific actions
In the wild, young animals learn where they fit into the larger group by:	Playing, grooming, feeding and other common group interactions
Mapping is essential for:	Survival if an animal is to locate food and water or find its way back home
Exploring a new environment combines sight and smell to locate:	Food and water, a safe place to sleep, and an appropriate place to deposit bodily waste
Dogs, cats, and rodents use the glands on their paws and around their faces to deposit:	Scent traces along their exploratory routes. These traces serve as scent maps that help the animal retrace its steps to its starting point. They also serve as an animal's claim to the territory-a warning to other animals to keep their distance.
Dogs that are trained to obey humans at an early age:	Develop few behavioral problems. Training is the only means to establish this dominance.
Training begins:	The minute a dog sets foot in a new house for the first time
The greater part of training is to:	Set and maintain limits that address established problems
The most common problems dog owners confront are:	House Soiling Chewing or shredding Aggression Begging
Because experts agree that prevention is easier than correction, the first step is to:	Find out the problem behaviors cause
Persistent house soiling may be caused by a:	Medical problem. For example, dogs infected with internal parasites have problems controlling their bowels. Females sometimes suffer low-grade urinary tract infections, which can cause occasional wetting accidents.
The only effective way to prevent spraying in dogs is to:	Neuter the animal
Some dogs soil indoors simply because they're:	Indoors too much. Owners should try adding a walk to the schedule or keep the dog outside longer to give it ample chance to relieve itself.
A less common cause of house soiling is:	Fear
Fear can stem from a number of conditions, including:	Persistent strange noises or odors Large gatherings of unfamiliar people Prolonged absence of human caretakers
Dogs can become agitated if discipline is administered:	Inconsistently. Such dogs may more or less constantly anticipate punishment and try to release the physical stress that builds up as anxiety mounts by chewing or shredding common objects.
Aggressive behavior, which can range from simple growling to a violent physical attack, usually extends from:	Prior abuse, inadequate socialization, or incompetent training. Of the three, incompetent training is the easiest to remedy.
Aggression often arises simply because no one has assumed the role of:	Alpha dog. Like a child thrust into an adult role, a dog leading the pack assumes an enormous amount of stress along with the responsibility.
When dogs beg, they can endanger not only themselves but:	Whoever is preparing the meal
When dogs beg, owners should:	Discourage begging from the outset and remind visitors to refrain from indulging or encouraging the behavior.
Many cat behavioral problems arise simply because:	Cat owners expect their cats to act like dogs
Because they don't experience a dog's biological need for discipline, cats are:	Far less receptive to human attempts to impose behavioral limits
The most common behavioral problems cat owners face are:	Breaking litter box training Clawing or chewing Trespassing Aggression Begging
Trying to discipline a cat without understanding what prompted its inappropriate behavior or unpleasant actions will usually:	Make the animal retreat, retaliate, or repeat the offense
If a cat breaks litter box training more than once, it's imperative to:	Have the animal examined by a veterinarian. Cats can develop urinary tract infections quite easily and will die if not promptly treated.
Cats break litter box training for the following reasons:	1) The litter box is dirty. If the smell becomes too intense, it triggers anxiety. 2) A newcomer-feline, human, or canine-takes up residence in the household. A cat may defecate or urinate around the house to prove its prior claim. 3) Someone may have inadvertently closed the door to the litter box area. 4) Traveling or boarding may have given the cat loose stools.
Cats allowed outdoors break litter box training because their owners:	Mistakenly assume that their pets should relieve themselves outside
Cats must regularly strip away their:	Worn claw casings
Cats need to flex and exercise the:	Powerful muscles of their front and hind legs.
If cats don't have a scratching post or similar implement:	Cats will claw furniture, clothing, or other inappropriate articles
Cats need to chew to:	Maintain the strength of their teeth and jaw muscles, and to refine and maintain basic hunting skills.
Like clawing, chewing is a:	Survival behavior, impossible to curb or eradicate. An owner must provide a cat with suitable chewing objects.
A cat that trespasses onto tables, bookcases, window ledges, and other unsuitable places is stimulated by:	The instinct to survive. For example, cats seek high perches to avoid surprise by a predator or other intruder.
As with dogs, aggressive feline behavior, which can run the gamut from growling or hissing to furious scratching or biting, usually stems form:	Prior abuse, inadequate socialization, and incompetent training
Owners must discourage cats from begging that doesn't:	Unduly frighten their felines. A clap of the hands or a firm "No" is all that's needed to divert the cat's behavior.
The most common problems bird owners confront are:	Persistent screaming or squaking Biting
Birds scream in response to:	Environmental noise such as a loud tv, stereo, or a busy street or sidewalk. They may also scream to alert owners who may have forgotten to feed or water them.
In general, birds bite for three reasons:	1) Fear 2) Excitemnt 3) Aggression
If a bird experiences fear or excitement, the bird is simply responding to:	Environmental stress. The behavior usually subsides when the bird is soothed or the environmental cause is removed.
Simply returning a bird to its cage after it bites will:	Likely reinforce bad behavior. It may be interpreted as a reward.
Birds often bite aggressively because:	They weren't socialized to humans or suffered abuse at human hands. Since birds imprint at an early age, few remedies can fix this. A patient, skillful handler may temper the bird's response somewhat, but persistently aggressive birds make bad pets.
The most common problems rodent owners confront are:	Biting Aggression to other rodents
Rodents almost always bite when:	Handled too quickly or roughly
Before attempting to handle mice, gerbils, hamsters, or other rodents, owners should:	Give the pet a few days to get used to its cage. The cage should ideally reside in a quiet place during this time. Too much noise or light can cause stress that will be difficult to relieve.
Rodents must be lifted:	Slowly and gently from its cage. The best approach is to form a scoop underneath the animal's body so that it feels contained and supported. It's always best to make sure the animal is awake before trying to touch it.
Young rodents may bite out of:	Curiosity. If the hand smells like the food they may like, they will nip with more vigor and interest.
Rodents in the same cage may display:	Aggression toward each other. For example, hamsters can rarely be kept in the same cage. Occasionally, males born of the same litter and raised together since birth make peaceful cagemates. After puberty, however, hamsters will usually fight to the death. Adult females are almost always incompatible.
Mice can usually live together in:	Colonies. They're best separated by sex.
Gerbils can be quite affectionate with one another, however play can:	Become aggressive. A gerbil that feels endangered will squeak loudly. The animals are likely trying to kill each other if they roll into a tight ball. Once they've reached this tight ball stage, it's almost impossible to reconcile the animals.
Four basic factors apply to all correction methods:	Trust Reward Reprimand Consistency
Without consistent reinforcement, positive behavioral skills are apt to:	Fade rather quickly from an animal's mind
What is the cornerstone of any successful attempt to resolve problem behavior?	Trust. The animal must trust its caretaker's ability to command. Such trust results from the caretaker's approach to training.
An animal mother's typical approach to training includes:	Using a firm but gentle manner while teaching vital skills to her young. She rewards success promptly and delivers reprimands without a fuss. A nip, a swat, or a quick shake is enough to show a young animal that its behavior is unacceptable.
People attempting to correct or modify a problem behavior must have:	Self-confidence. This quality makes trust infectious.
The essential goal of solving problem behavior is to:	Establish a rapport or sympathy that both the animal and its caretaker can trust
Most experts agree that which type of training programs can successfully alter animal behavior?	Structured operant conditioning or instrumental learning programs
What are two basic types of reward?	Edible and Vocal
Trainers and behavior modification specialists prefer to use:	Edible rewards; because food meets the animal's most basic biological imperative
In the beginning, it's usually best to combine:	Vocal stimulation with food or other physical comforts like stroking. Gradually, the animal will associate praise or soothing words with physical satisfaction.
Initial behavior modification sessions should be no more than:	Five minutes
Good behavior must be rewarded:	Immediately with praise and a tasty treat
Experts recommend conducting early sessions in a:	Distraction-free environment
What is the most difficult aspect of any attempt at behavior modification?	Discouraging inappropriate behavior
The only physical reprimand an animal will tolerate is a:	Light swat across the bottom or the snout-two forms of scolding administered by mother animals.
When administering a reprimand, the owner or trainer must:	Remain calm
The most successful types of reprimands forge an:	Association between unacceptable behavior and potential danger or disorientation
What is the aim of any type of reprimand?	To startle the animal, not to punish it
What must be made to seem unpleasant?	The activity itself, not the owner's response to it
What usually provides a jolt sufficient to link the physical sensations of a racing heart and a burst of adrenaline with whatever behavior preceded the noise?	Clapping the hands or giving a loud whistle
Reprimands are best accompanied with a:	Firm, clear "No," which the animal will soon associate with unpleasant stimuli. In time, verbal reprimands alone become sufficient to discourage undesirable activities.
As with rewards, reprimands usually work only:	When the animal immediately associates them with the unwanted behavior.
Intermittent rewards for good behavior tend to:	Confuse the animal and may provoke anxiety and stress
Allowing inappropriate behavior to pass without reprimand even once:	Effectively gives the animal permission to repeat the behavior without fear of punishment
The best way to solve behavior problems is thus to:	Examine specific solutions to species-specific problems
Dogs with behavior problems need their owners to:	Establish dominance through a well-defined and consistent training program
Trainers can give specialized training for:	Dog shows, guiding, guarding, and a host of other useful activities
Professional training falls under three broad categories:	1) Private lessons 2) Classroom training 3) Kennel training
Early training sessions should last no more than:	10 minutes. Very young puppies have a limited attention span and may grow restless or bored after five minutes. After a couple of weeks of daily practice, lesson time may gradually increase. By the end of six weeks, lessons may continue comfortably for 20 or 30 minutes.
The basic tools of training include:	Training Leash Corrective Collar Throw Chain Shake Can
What are the best materials for training leashes?	Leather, although some owners prefer nylon or canvas
Owners must toss a throw chain:	Behind or to the side of their own bodies
Basic commands that every dog should know:	No - the only word of reprimand an owner should use Sit - used to control a dog's excitement or curiosity in a variety of situations Down or Lie Down - used in situations that require greater control Heel - used to keep your dog by the owner's side while walking Stay - tells the dog to maintain whatever position it's in Okay - a universal command used to release the dog from staying, sitting, or lying down Come - used to call a dog to the owner's side when it's off-leash, or to release the animal from sitting or lying down
As a deterrent against house soiling, experts recommend:	Cleaning and drying the soiled area, leading the dog to it, and making the dog lie there for a while.
If a dog consistently soils while its owner is away from home:	It's best to confine the animal to its crate or to the room where it eats or sleeps.
Owners can solve many anxiety problems by gradually conditioning their dogs to accept the owner's absence. An owner thus training a dog first:	Leaves it alone for only a few minutes at a time, then for progressively longer intervals. Throughout this training, the owner maintains a calm, casual attitude while both leaving the home and greeting the dog upon return.
An owner who catches a dog chewing an unsuitable item like a shoe must:	Avoid wrestling it out of the dog's mouth, which tends to make the dog playful and aggressive. Experts prefer to distract the animal with an appropriate toy, then offer praise when the dog approaches to retrieve it.
Owners can inhibit destructive behavior that occurs in their absence by:	Constructing a reprimand system that functions independently. One successful method involves attaching a shake can to the favored object and concealing the can from view.
If a dog develops a habit of chewing electrical cords, personal items, or decorative objects, experst recommend:	Spraying the surface with Bitter Apple.
Bitter Taste is a:	Spray-on taste deterrent that has a foul taste. (It may mar the finish on wooden surfaces)
To treat items like chair legs and end tables, make a:	Sour paste made of alum and water
Alum is a:	Sodium chemical that can be found in the spice department of a grocery store
Dogs deprived of exposure to people and other animals tend to regard most:	Sounds, smells, and moving objects as potential threats. Enrolling such animals in a group obedience class is often the best means of compensating for inadequate socialization.
In case of extreme aggression-or when any of the larger breeds show aggressive tendencies-owners need to probably engage:	A private instructor before enrolling their dogs in a group class. At home, they can help to diffuse anxiety when the doorbell rings by reprimanding aggressive dogs for excessive barking, and by greeting visitors with the same soothing tone of voice used to praise the dog.
As they grow into adult cats, kittens readily transfer their:	Dependency from their mothers to their new owners
What works well to inhibit cats from clawing furniture, prancing across counters, or taking a leisurely nap on the dinner table?	Booby-trapping
What are methods of booby-trapping?	1) A metal pan or bowl, balanced on a dowel close to the spot the cat regularly abuses. When the cat jumps on the chair or counter, it dislodges the stick and sends the bowl clattering. 2) Attach a balloon to the cat's secret scratching place. It will associate the application of claws there with a startling, unpleasant sound.
Chewing or teething in a cat requires a:	Carefully programmed unpleasant consequence. Some experts recommend rubbing electrical cords with Tobasco sauce or a thin layer of petroleum jelly mixed with pepper. Spray plants with diluted solutions of white vinegar, lemon juice, or lime juice.
If a cat breaks litter box training when no medical condition warrants it, the cat must be:	Reprimanded immediately. The simplest method: gently push the animal's face close enough to the urine or feces while holding a paper towel or rag soaked with vinegar under its nose. The cat associates the soiled spot with an immediate unpleasant smell. Then clean the spot and pour a few drops of white vinegar on it. White vinegar is preferable because it doesn't stain.
If a cat repeatedly breaks litter box training:	Confine it to the litter box room and place its food and water as far away from the box as possible. If the cat resumes litter box use after two or three days, let it leave the room. If the cat then heads to the spot or spots previously soiled, distract or startle it with a loud noise or a squirt of water. If the cat persists or soils another spot, reprimand and confine it again.
If a bird squawks or screams persistently with no medical or physical basis, the owner may try:	Moving the cage to a different room or a different part of the same room. In many cases, a change in the environment is all that's necessary.
To give a distressed bird the soothing change it needs:	Simply cover the cage for five or ten minutes.
A bird left on its own for long periods may require:	More stimulation, like a wider variety of playthings to occupy its attention.
Birds often bite someone who attempts to:	Remove them from a cage too roughly or quickly. The best approach is to allow the bird a few minutes to investigate the retrieving person's hand.
A bird often investigates with its:	Tongue. Should the animal clamp down a little too roughly, a simple "Ouch!" usually makes the bird release its grip. Shouting or pulling away too quickly may reward it by giving a bird the sense of power over the handler.
One of the best ways to correct a biting habit in birds is to employ what trainers call a:	Wobble
Steps to calm a rodent that is nervous or skittish:	Step 1) Place the cage in the tub. Step 2) Lift the animal from its cage, and, with the aid of a cup, can, or tunnel, and place it in the tub. Step 3) All the animal some time to get used to the tub and calm down. Step 4) Carefully climb into the tub with the animal. Step 5) Sit still for a while. Allow the rodent to gradually adjust to your presence. Step 6) Hold your hand out flat on the bottom of the tub and let the animal sniff and walk over it. 7) Place an edible treat in the palm of your hand. 8) Gently stroke the animal along its back while it retrieves and eats the treat.
Once the rodent is used to stepping on your hand:	Lift and hold the animal briefly while softly talking to it. Practice this training at least twice a day. If the rodent bites during the training session, return it to the cage for a few hours to calm it down.
What are currently the best ways to correct behavorial problems and teach pets new habits?	Behavior Modification Programs

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	Created by Gabriela Dewey over 6 years ago