New Webinars! Learning to Look, Looking to See!

Want to learn more about observation skills?

Attend two online webinars at www.dog-ibox.com

Look for 'Learning to Look, Looking to See' Part 1 and 2.

A pat on the head: Signs to tell if your dog likes it or not.

Check out my new video on dog language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR1JeybXVwY

An Exercise on Sound Bias

Bias:
Sound (music, dubbed sounds and verbals) can change how we perceive a behavior or event.

Watch this short video without sound first. Write down your overall perception of the puppies.
Watch video

Then watch it again with sound. Write down your overall perspective.

Has it changed?

This is why I usually watch any video footage with the sound turned off first, then add it back in as background context. (And is also a good lesson on how editing can make things seem what they aren't.)

(even the title adds bias!)

Enjoy!

Qualitative Observations vs Quantitative Observations

Qualitative observations: Identify or describe elements or properties such as color, shape (silhouette), comparative size, structure, order, pattern. Senses of the observer are used to detect qualities. They can be extremely subjective and others may 'see' the exact same thing or event differently. They are not based on numbers but use qualitative measurement to make sense of behavior.

Quantitative observations are measurements: They use numerical measurements such as duration, height, number of repetitions, percentages, rate, frequency, speed, size, and other objective ways of recording dog behavior. Tools are often used to make measurements.   They are repeatable so that another person can use the same units and reproduce the observation (as in watching a video). They can be used to record change, make graphs and other visuals for ease of understanding and comparison etc.

Some observations may be both quantitative and qualitative, depending on the measuring tool or the person observing. For example. loudness. Qualitatively, a sound detector can rate the number of decibels a sound is. Qualitatively,  one person may observe that the same sound is louder than a friend who has a hearing impairment. Success is another example. How you define a successful step in training a dog may be different than another trainer. The key is to be clear on what your defined criteria are. Bias is inherent in both types.

From Wikipeida: "Qualitative methods produce information only on the particular cases studied, and any more general conclusions are only hypotheses.
Quantitative methods can be used to verify which of such hypotheses are true."

Interpretation: How to Figure Out What a Behavior Means?

How to Figure Out What a Behavior Means?

You observe your dog doing a behavior. You are unsure what the behavior means. How do you figure out what it means?

For ethologists (zoologists who study behaviors of a single species of animal under natural conditions), it’s a process of:

* looking at the behavior itself 

* other behaviors that commonly accompany that behavior

* the trigger (stimulus) for the behavior (medical, physical, social, environmental, emotional etc)

* the response of other dogs to that behavior

*if the behavior has a function in the social structure a dog lives in

* the physical environment the dog is in

* the recent history of the physical location etc. 

It is also a function of observing that dog doing the behavior at many different times and environments so you can watch for a pattern of that behavior. 

Added to that is observation to see if that behavior is shared by other dogs, under which of the above circumstances do they do it and if so, how common is it?

Recording What You Observe:

Even more helpful than relying on memory is to write down all the details of what you see and then compare your notes for each incidence of that behavior observed.

Using video and sound recordings are very helpful. These can be slowed down and systematically observed and evaluated (such as behaviors counted per minute, other dogs responses etc) that would otherwise not be seen or be measurable by a human eye. Since dog behaviors and the responses to them occur so quickly, having a video of the behavior can allow humans to see what is happening.

Prediction also Plays a Part 

If you see the same set of circumstances that seemed to trigger a behavior in the past, does the dog repeat the behavior in that new situation? If you can predict when your dog will do it, that will help you to unravel what it might mean for that dog.

Keep in mind that while dogs share many common behaviors with other dogs, not all behaviors are used the same way by all dogs. Each dog is an individual and may use a behavior in a different way than other dogs. Also, a behavior may be common in one group of dogs that regularly interact (they may learn a behavior from each other) but that behavior may not be common in another group of dogs that regularly interact). 

Another thing to keep in mind is that as humans, we may never actually know what a specific behavior or collection of behaviors mean either to the dog that is using them or the dogs that receive them. We are not dogs and cannot read them as effectively as another dog can, so at best, our interpretation is a guess based on how we interact with other humans.  This is a bias that we bring when interpreting another species behavior. 

Example:  a dog sniffing the ground

This sounds easy. All dogs sniff the ground to learn about their world. Smells are interesting to dogs since they use about 40X as much space in their brain for their sense of smell compared to us humans. They are constantly looking for food, and learning about their world through sniffing. Dogs are easily distracted by new scents and this is the most common reason they sniff.

The above is true, but that is not the only function of sniffing.  Dogs will also use 'fake sniffing' as a way to appear disinterested in something else they really want to engage with but barriers (such as other dogs who are playing with a toy they want) are present.

They will also use sniffing as a way to distract themselves (used as a behavior to help calm themselves in anxious situations or to buy them time to decide what to do) in a situation they find stressful or difficult. Sniffing in this way may also be called a displacement behavior.

Seeing another dog sniffing may also help to calm  the other stressed dog down.

Some questions to ask to clarify what you are observing: 

What is the environment the dog is doing the behavior in. (indoors, outdoors, at a trial)

Is there evidence that a physical scent has been left behind (a dog nearby, is it likely a dog peed there, could someone have dropped food, did a bunny go by etc?)

Describe the intensity of the behavior? If the dog really persistent about the sniffing or does it seem tentative? Can the dog be easily interrupted or redirected from the sniffing? 

What other behaviors is the sniffing accompanied by?

How do other dogs respond to the behavior ?

Are other dogs doing the same thing at the same location?

Have you seen this pattern in your or other dogs that were similar in similar environments? Different environments?

Now you have to put all the clues together and figure out which scenario is the most likely and what your dog is telling you. Is the dog sniffing because an enticing smell lingers? Is the dog using the sniffing as a way to distract another dog from playing with a toy that the sniffing dogs wants? Is the dog stressed in the current situation and using sniffing to try to calm herself, another dog or the situation down?

Experiment with individual features in a situation to test your theory. If you can correctly predict if or not and when your dog will do a specific behavior, you just might have figured out the meaning of that behavior! (Your dog may also use that behavior in another context and leave you scratching your head.)

ACTIVITY:

Here is a scenario to try: (answer below)

Your long-hared dog stops to scratch her collar (or harness) frequently at a fly ball practice. You know she rarely scratches at home or on other outings. What is the meaning of the scratch?

What questions would you ask (and resulting observations would you make) to find out what the scratching means? 

Answer:

Describe the intensity of the behavior. If the dog really persistent about scratching or does it seem tentative? Can the dog be easily interrupted or redirected from the scratching? 

Examine the collar or harness. Is it too wide or heavy for the physical exertion the dog is being asked to do. Would a thinner or lighter collar or harness make a difference? Does the dog need to be groomed before the collar or harness is put on?

Have you observed a medical reason for scratching? a cut or scab?

Is there some dried food on the neck area of the dog? This might cause a tightening of the fur that is uncomfortable.

What is the physical environment the dog is scratching in. (Indoors, outdoors? What is the ground surface? Anything airborne (sawdust etc)? Could the dog have picked up pests? Does the dog have fleas or ticks? What is the air temperature?)

What is the social environment (is it early in training, at a fun practice or is there pressure for the dog to perform?)

How prepared is the dog for the social environment? (i.e. Has had enough training? Has there been any negative events happen to the dog at the location etc)
What other behaviors is the scratching accompanied by?

Are other dogs doing the same thing at the same location?

Have you seen this pattern in your or other dogs that were similar in similar environments? 

In different environments?

This example was a real-life example of my own Golden Retriever. She was a thick-coated dog with a typical GR temperament. Steady dog, a little sensitive, but a sweetie.  Loved other people and great with other dogs. We ruled our fleas and allergies etc right away as there was no evidence of this either at home or at practice. Our first thought was that the collar was too thick and heavy and it was distracting her from running. We tried several thinner, lighter collars of various different materials, but she still scratched. We thought maybe it was how the collar was being grabbed before she was released to run. Even when we held her around the chest, she still scratched her collar. 

We asked several other people (the trainers had no idea what might be causing it, nor did the other participants.) A few other dogs were scratching collars occasionally, and they all varied in fur length from very short to longer than our GR. We stopped trialing after a season and she rarely scratched after that at home or away. Interestingly, she started scratching her collar again after a run (not with the same frequency, but she still did it) when we competed in agility a few years later. Interestingly, dogs do not wear a collar while competing. Hmmm. In training sessions with collars she was fine.  We were still mystified.

It wasn't until I started to study behaviors dogs do when they are stressed that the answer came. Scratching can be a displacement behavior when a dog is not feeling comfortable in a situation. It was her way to tell us that all the loud barking dogs (it is VERY loud at these trials), running people and dogs, with flashing lights etc in a room with poor acoustics, the long days (over 12 hours) plus the stress put on her to go fast and do it right was very stressful for her. She actually performed very well considering and we took home ribbons and team prizes.

Had we known, we could have changed some things in the social environment (put less pressure on her) and we could have spent time getting her more comfortable with the physical environment (sounds, sights of a fly ball trial) before she ever competed by just attending a few trials as a spectator. Then when she was comfortable, add a few runs in and build our way up to participation in a full trial. Maybe even take her out for long walks in the middle of the day or put her in our car so she had a break from all the hubbub. There were many things we could have done, had we known what she was trying to tell us. 

Biases and Filters

Bias and Filters

A bias is when we look at something and our background knowledge and experience acts like a filter that we use to see the world with. Ideally, we want to be aware of our biases and remove them to the degree that is possible. Of course, it is not possible to remove all bias, so all observations are inherently biased, even if we think we are being as objective as we can and are not using any filters. 

There are at least three kinds of biases:

'Confirmational bias' is when our observations support what we expect to see. We may unconsciously filter out what does not support our bias. Take dominance for example. One person looks at a dog’s behavior and see a dog trying to be dominant. Another sees a dog offering an appeasing behavior. The behavior is the same, the bias is different.
'Cargo cult bias' is when we see what we want to see. If we focus only on one thing, we miss others, such as in the basketball passing video. Peer review can help, but only if the whole population does not have the same bias. (Also called inattentional blindness).
'Processing bias' is when the technology we create to do the measuring/observing adds a bias. All technology has the same bias as the person creating it.
All this is to say that even without knowing it, each person bias their observations.

1. If someone is looking at dog behavior with a strong filter that dogs do not have a language, which type of bias would this be?  

2. What if a person has a bias that a dog is an aggressive dog?

(answers below activity)

ACTIVITY

Choose a picture, a scene with at least one person or animal in it and take a few minutes to write down a brief story about what is happening. When several people do it, there are usually several different interpretations of what might be happening. This is an effect of bias. 

______________________________

Answers to questions:
1. Both Confirmational and Cargo Cult bias. To a human, dog language may appear only as disconnected barks, howl or yelps.If they do not expect that other dogs will respond to it, they will not see it because they do expect to see it. For Cargo Cult bias,  if they are not looking for meaning, they will not see it. 

2. Both Confirmational and Cargo Cult bias. For confirmational bias, behaviors the dog does that are not neutral or excitement will be seen through the filter of aggression. In reality, they may be fearful, for example. A dog that is a resource guarder is fearful of losing the resource.
Cargo Cult also applies as we may filter out any behaviors that are not seen as aggressive and so we only focus on aggressive behaviors.

Unusual Signs of Stress in Dogs

What Unusual Signs of Stress have you Observed in Your Dogs?

Watch your dog for a week or so and observe him when he is in stressful situations. Or reflect back on situations when your do has been distressed or eustressed. 

What specific behaviors that he doesn't do in normal situations told you that he was under stress?

What level of stress does each indicate? (low, medium or high). 

High ones are usually accompanied by other behaviors that indicate stress. Do you find this to be true for your dog?

Example: 

Jessie clamps down on her bladder sphincter and can’t pee. She tries, but when stressed, nothing comes out. I see this when we arrive at new places with strange dogs such as a dog workshop. This a sing of high stress levels for her. By the first break, she has relaxed enough to pee normally. 

When we first got her, she didn’t pee for 3 days. I thought she had a bladder infection and took her to the vet. Nope, she was severely stressed.

Another sign of stress for her is that she gulps-a big loud swallow. You can actually see the Adam’s apple moving and hear the gulp. It is usually done when I am too close and always accompanied by other signs of stress so for her, it’s a medium level stress sign.

A dog buddy of Jessie's always sneezes multiples tie when she first greets Jessie. This is a eustress behavior for her as this is the only time it occurs (other than if she inhales something that needs to be sneezed out).