Psy 331-.03 Advanced Laboratory in Operant Conditioning

Spring, 2018

Dr. Val Farmer-Dougan

Test 2

Answer each of the following questions as thoroughly as possible. Be sure to support your answers with information and citations from the class readings. Test is due NO LATER thanMonday,April 30thby midnight. The sooner you get your test to me, the sooner I can get it back so you can use it for your final paper! :>

  1. Define a functional analysis and when/where/why a functional analysis might be used.
  2. Next, explain how the Canine-ality, the SAFER and the Dorey, et. al. scale are both forms of a functional analysis.
  3. Using a dog you have gathered data for the Canine-ality, write a short report outlining the results of that dog’s Canine-ality results.
  4. Finally, explain what category (green (active), orange (moderately active), purple (slow motion) and subcategory you have determined that dog fits.
  5. What kind of owner or household you would recommend for adoption for that dog (if this dog WERE to be put up for adoption)?
  1. Explain learned helplessness, and how it develops. Why might an understanding of learned helplessness be of great importance when working with animals? How might learned helplessness develop with shelter or rescue dogs? Can one get “rid” of learned helplessness once it has been learned? How?
  1. Recently there has been much debate regarding whether there is such a thing as a “dominant” dog? Take a position…..do you believe dominance is an overall behavior trait in some dogs (that is, if they are a dominant dog they are always dominant in all situation), or do you believe that dominance can change depending on the setting and situation? How can one’s viewpoint on whether dominance is changing, or a trait affect you would treat an aggression issue in a dog?
  1. Explain what “scent work” is with dogs, and how it might be useful for humans. Next explain how we starting training our dogs for scent work (e.g., we started with boxes, then did locations around the room). Show your data and explain how this is really a form of operant conditioning. Be sure to graph your data and explain how your dog performed.
  1. Can dogs think? If they can, how well do they problem solve, count, or engage in other behaviors that we used to think only humans could do? How is “thinking” and showing emotions beneficial for dogs? What evidence has been used to support these benefits?
  1. You have spent the semester shaping various behaviors with various dogs. Choose three (3) dogs or 3behaviors from one dog (or any combination) that you have successfully shaped.
  2. Define each of these behaviors using observable, behavioral descriptors.
  3. Describe the shaping plan and how you implemented your training.
  4. Describe the type of data you took to determine progress, and why you chose this type of data.
  5. Graph your data for each behavior and describe how the graphs demonstrate positive behavior change.
  1. Describe play behaviors in dogs and how behaviors that may be aggressive or prey related may be interpreted as play by the dogs.
  2. What is the purpose of play in dogs?
  3. Is play learned, innate or both? Provide evidence for your answer.
  4. If an adult dog does not show appropriate play behavior, can this be remediated? Why or why not?
  5. Is it critical that ALL dogs can engage in social play with another dog? Why or why not?
  1. What is the difference between an animal trainer and an animal behaviorist?
  2. Why is this distinction so important? What is the advantage of being an animal behaviorist over being an animal trainer?
  3. Now, remembering all the techniques we have studies this semester, critique your training on your dog. Were you a good animal behaviorist? Why or Why not? What could you have done to improve your training?
  1. The following letter was recently published in a forum for pet owners. This letter represents a growing concern in the dog rescue movement: Which dog should be saved and which dog should be euthanized, and how do rescues, behaviorists, veterinarians and the public decide? How would you respond to this letter? What would your recommended guidelines for rescues regarding rehabilitation vs. euthanizing of an individual dog? Defend your answer with your own experiences from this class or other interactions with dogs, information from our readings and/or knowledge of psychology.

Dr. Fox: Concerns raised over no-kill animal shelters

By Michael Fox on Mar 23, 2016 at 12:15 a.m.

Dear Dr. Fox: I am a full-time professional and part-time dog trainer. My passion is working with shelter animals; I have done so for more than five years.

I recently left a chapter of the SPCA in Anne Arundel County, Md., after it changed its status to no-kill due to the incentive of a predicted increase in private donations. I am gravely concerned about the momentum of this no-kill movement and the resultant suffering and compromise of volunteer, staff and public safety.

To be considered a no-kill shelter, you have to agree to euthanize less than 10 percent of animals under your care. It becomes a game of numbers. In order to preserve those statistics, shelters alter their intake policies and keep dogs alive who would fail a temperament test due to significant underlying behavioral problems.

Despite not having the necessary space, resources or trained staff to provide these shelter dogs a decent quality of life, the shelter continues to house the animals in cramped, concrete and chain-link kennels for months on end.

I struggle with the idea that behaviorally sound dogs are being euthanized at high-kill shelters due to limited time and space, but no-kill shelters keep dogs that they know pose a potential risk to the community for months and sometimes years.

Committed trainers, volunteers and staff are leaving the shelter system out of frustration and compassion fatigue. Administration gives themselves a pat on the back after adopting out a marginal dog who has been there for months without any consideration to the adopters or public safety. Well-intended families of these long-term residents face certain feelings of failure and heartbreak when they realize they do not have the time or skill to manage or train a dog with significant behavioral problems.

During my time at the shelter, dogs were regularly returned for bite incidents (one dog actually killed another dog), and then they were placed for adoption again a few weeks later. My fear is that long-term, people will turn their back on the shelter system, and the dogs who have the potential to be great family pets will be euthanized.

There are only a handful of shelters that are able to adhere to these strict no-kill guidelines and still maintain a decent quality of life for the dogs in their care. These shelters have huge amounts of space, designated play areas, well-developed positive reinforcement behavior departments, established community outreach programs and a network of dedicated fosters for dogs who can't cope with the stress of shelter life.

Many of the rest of the shelters that have jumped on the no-kill bandwagon have fallen short; as a result, the animals in their care suffer greatly. I think the ugly truth about no-kill shelters should be exposed in an attempt to inform the public.

My question is this: Why do we have to slap a label on it—no-kill or high-kill? Why can't shelters across the country independently assess dogs based on the dog's behavior history, temperament test and a healthy dose of intuition?—R.A., Crownsville, Md.

  1. What has been the most important thing you have learned about behavior analysis (and training your rat) and why will this help you in your future career?