09.06.18

‘Mis’behavior or Dog Behavior?

Monique A. R. Udell, PhD Oregon State University [email protected] TheHumanAnimalBond.com

‘Misbehavior of Organisms’

Keller Breland and Marian Breland (1961), American Psychologist , 16 , 681-684.

What they wanted…

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‘Misbehavior of Organisms’

Keller Breland and Marian Breland (1961), American Psychologist , 16 , 681-684.

What they got…

Misbehavior / Instinctive Drift

The examples listed we feel represent a clear and utter failure of conditioning theory

Here we have animals, after having been conditioned to a specific learned response, gradually drifting into behaviors that are entirely different from those which were conditioned. Moreover, it can easily be seen that these particular behaviors to which the animals drift are clear- cut examples of instinctive behaviors having to do with the natural food getting behaviors of the particular species.

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Misbehavior / Instinctive Drift

Review of Classical/Pavlovian Conditioning

Reflex Elicits “” Unconditioned Stimulus Unconditioned Response

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Review of Classical/Pavlovian Conditioning

Neutral Stimulus No Response

Review of Classical/Pavlovian Conditioning

Unconditioned Neutral Unconditioned Stimulus Response

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Review of Classical/Pavlovian Conditioning

Unconditioned Neutral Unconditioned Stimulus Response

Review of Classical/Pavlovian Conditioning

Conditioned Stimulus Conditioned Response

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‘Mis’behavior of Organisms

Biological Predisposition X Classical Conditioning X Operant Conditioning

What they meant to do…

‘Mis’behavior of Organisms

Biological Predisposition X Classical Conditioning X Operant Conditioning

What else is happening…

Unconditioned Unconditioned Stimulus Response

‘Instinctual Response’

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‘Mis’behavior of Organisms

Biological Predisposition X Classical Conditioning X Operant Conditioning

What else is happening…

Before Training Neutral No Response

‘Mis’behavior of Organisms

Biological Predisposition X Classical Conditioning X Operant Conditioning

But then training began!

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‘Mis’behavior of Organisms

Biological Predisposition X Classical Conditioning X Operant Conditioning

And Suddenly….

‘Mis’behavior of Organisms

Biological Predisposition X Classical Conditioning X Operant Conditioning

And Suddenly….

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‘Mis’behavior of Organisms

Biological Predisposition X Classical Conditioning X Operant Conditioning

What else is happening… Instinctive Drift!

Neutral Stimulus is now Conditioned Response Conditioned Stimulus

But is it a failure of theory?....

The examples listed we feel represent a clear and utter failure of conditioning theory

Here we have animals, after having been conditioned to a specific learned response, gradually drifting into behaviors that are entirely different from those which were conditioned. Moreover, it can easily be seen that these particular behaviors to which the animals drift are clear- cut examples of instinctive behaviors having to do with the natural food getting behaviors of the particular species.

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Or failure to recognize other behavioral contributors?

Tinbergen's four questions (circa 1963) 1. How did the behavior develop -including learning? (ontogeny)

2. What are potential underlying physiological causes? (mechanism)

3. How is the behavior related to the species’ ? (phylogeny)

4. What is the behavior's function? (adaptive/survival value)

Understanding the cause provides possible solutions!

• Consider if your reinforcer choice encourages unwanted/incompatible behavior • Would any reinforcer types complement the behavior? (e.g. ball, agility) • Food is not the only option!

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Rethinking ‘Mis’behavior

Todays Talk • ‘Mis’ behavior/Instinctive drift

• The intersection between evolution, development & learning • Re-contextualizing challenging problems • Why knowledge of learning theory may not always be enough

• Two more examples … • Separation anxiety • Excessive grooming

• The applied value of multiple perspectives

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Example 2: Separation Anxiety

Take a minute to write down some common ideas about separation anxiety in dogs:

• Characteristics • Possible Causes? • Training Recommendations?

Are dogs with separation anxiety too social?

Domestic dogs may be ‘hypersocial’ compared to wild counterparts

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Genetic ContributionGenetic Changes to Hypersociability

Genetic Parallel to William Beurens Syndrome

Associated with Structural Variants (insertions and deletions) within WBSCR17 and GTF2I

VonHoldt et al., 2017

Dog Sociability Varies Greatly Quantity ≠ Quality

Proximity & Contact Seeking Behavior (Sociability)

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Sociability as one aspect of attachment

Attachment- An affectional tie between two individuals (human or animal) that promotes:

• Proximity seeking behavior/contact Sociability Does not predict • Preference for attachment figure Discrimination/Preference Sep Anx

• Contact/ exploration balance (Secure Base) Quality of Attachment

(Bowlby, 1958)

Secure Base Test (6 min)

Baseline Alone Reunion (Dog + Owner) (Dog) (Dog + Owner) 2 min 2 min 2 min

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Secure attachment Based on: (Ainsworth & Bell, 1970) & (Schöberl et al., 2016)

• Little or no resistance to contact or interaction. • Greeting behavior is active, open and positive.

• Seeks proximity and is comforted upon reunion, returning to exploration or play.

Insecure attachment: Ambivalent

Based on: (Ainsworth & Bell, 1970) & (Schöberl et al., 2016) • Shows exaggerated proximity seeking and clinging behavior, but may struggle if held by owner.

• Mixed persistent distress with efforts to maintain physical contact and/or physically intrusive behavior directed toward the owner.

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Insecure attachment: Avoidant

Based on: (Ainsworth & Bell, 1970) & (Schöberl et al., 2016)

• Little/no visible response to return. • Ignores/turns away but may not resist interaction altogether (e.g. rests or stands without bodily contact, out of reach or at a distance).

Separation Anxiety & Attachment

Which ‘Attachment Style’ would you predict?

Insecure Insecure Secure Ambivalent Avoidant

Lauren Thielke, MS

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Relationship to attachment style?

Secure Insecure Ambivalent Insecure Avoidant

38% 40% 90%

* p = 0.01

Fishers Exact Test, p = 0.015

What facilitates secure attachments?

Facilitating a Secure Attachment:

** Attachment ** requires proper socialization

• Physical contact/affection

• Awareness & responsiveness to dogs’ body language and needs

• Positive, timely and consistent response & reinforcement

• Calm response to dog’s actions & external events

• Sometimes following the lead of the dog during exploration & play? Table Source: http://resource.rockyview.ab.ca/t4t/pathways/pathways/pregnancy/MS4/MS4P03.html

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What might hinder secure attachments?

Possible things to avoid:

** Isolation

• Ignoring hunger, comfort/discomfort, proximity seeking or sleep cues

• Enforcing unreasonable or inconsistent expectations

• Over controlling the environment- not allowing for any independent experiences or exploration.

• Regular aversive control or frightening actions (punishment, negative reinforcement, yelling etc.) Table Source: http://resource.rockyview.ab.ca/t4t/pathways/pathways/pregnancy/MS4/MS4P03.html

Example 3: Self-Injurious Behavior/ Excessive Paw Licking

Once we rule out health problems…. (#2 What are potential underlying physiological causes?)

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One possible consideration: Adjunctive (superstitious) behavior

Any excessive and persistent behavior pattern that occurs as a side effect of reinforcement delivery

One possible consideration: Adjunctive behavior

Originally proposed by Staddon (1977)

In some cases interim behavior increases along with the reinforced behavior

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Displacement behavior- some interim behaviors may be especially likely to occur

Adjunctive Behavior

5 Min 5 pm

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Adjunctive Behavior

2 Hours

3 pm

Behavior & training problems can be frustrating!

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Not all unwanted behaviors are abnormal…

Many owner & trainer challenges have scientific explanations

Some unwanted behaviors may have function…

Many owner & trainer challenges have scientific explanations Understanding the behavior fully can provide more solutions

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Tinbergen's four questions A different 4 quadrant approach!

Right Now Over Time

• Physiology • Development Proximate Mechanism Ontogeny (Lifetime) (Causation) (Development) • Neuroscience • Learning

• • Ultimate (Evolutionary) • ReproductionAdaptive Value (Function) •PhylogenyEvolutionary (Evolution) Anthropology • Genetics

Different dogs may engage in similar behaviors for different reasons!

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In sum….

• Lifetime and evolutionary factors both contribute to behavioral development

• When environment/evolutionary functions/lifetime influences are out of sync this can lead to behavioral challenges

• Biological predispositions can disrupt operant conditioning directly or via Pavlovian conditioning

(e.g. Instinctive Drift)

• A history of operant conditioning (and often reinforce delay) can disrupt/alter biological functions (e.g. Adjunctive Behavior)

• Multiple perspectives can lead to better understanding, greater success, and reduced guilt & frustration

Thank You!

Further Questions: [email protected] References: Ainsworth & Bell (1970). Child www.TheHumanAnimalBond.com Development, 41(1), 49.

Bowlby, J. (1958). International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 39, 350–373. Want to help us learn more? Breland & Breland (1961),American Psychologist , 16 , 681-684

Take the pet ow ner Thielke et al. (2017). Frontiers in survey on our , 8, 1699. website! Schöberl et al. (2016). J. Vet. Behav. Clin. Appl. Res. 11, 77–85.

Staddon, J. E. R. (1977). (pp. 125–152). Englewood Clifffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

VonHoldt et al. (2017). Science Advances, 3 (7), e1700398

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