A

Aggression is the set of behaviors animals use when they are in conflict with another animal or person. It includes threats like growling, snarling, and hissing, as well as fighting.

Anti-anxiety medications are drugs that are given to pets to reduce fearful or nervous reactions. Most are human drugs with dosages adapted for use in pets.

B

Behavior modification is a set of techniques used to change a pet’s reactions to its environment. It often includes procedures like desensitization and counter conditioning, which are defined below.

The behavioral repertoire is the total range of behaviors that an animal normally performs. It includes things like eating, socializing, grooming, and marking territory.

C

A compulsive disorder is a behavior that is repeated over and over, has no purpose, and interferes with an animal’s normal daily routine. It can be an exaggeration of a normal behavior, like walking in circles, or a unique, unusual pattern.

Counter conditioning involves teaching a pet a new, acceptable behavior to substitute for an unwanted one. For example, a dog that jumps on visitors can instead be taught to lie down and relax when people come to the house.

D

Desensitization is a procedure for gradually teaching pets to ignore situations that cause them to become overexcited. It involves very gradual, controlled exposure so that the pet doesn’t become too aroused. It is usually combined with counter conditioning and is helpful for pets who are fearful.

E

Extinction refers to the disappearance of a behavior when it doesn’t get rewarded any longer. If a pet’s behavior is consistently ignored, it will eventually stop, but this may take a long time.

F

Fearful aggression is a defensive reaction of a pet to another animal or person that makes the pet nervous. It is the most common type of aggressive behavior in dogs.

H

The hackles on a dog are the hairs along the spine. When a dog is excited, the hair stands up, creating a ridge along the back and making the dog look bigger.

A head collar is a collar for dogs that is similar to a halter for horses. It includes one loop around the neck and a second that encircles the mouth. It gives the dog’s handler much more control than a standard collar.

L

Learning is a relatively permanent change in an animal’s behavior that results from experience. It can be done on purpose (for example through training classes or behavior modification techniques) or occur on its own as a pet interacts with other animals or people.

N

Negative reinforcement is an aversive event that increases the likelihood of a pet performing a behavior when it is removed. For example, pinching a dog’s neck until it drops a sock it has taken is a type of negative reinforcement. Although many people think of punishment and negative reinforcement as the same thing, in technical terms they are different.

O

Obsessive-compulsive disorder – see Compulsive disorder

P

A pheromone is a chemical messenger an animal uses to communicate with another animal. It’s a type of specialized odor that provides information about the state of the animal sending the message.

Positive reinforcement is anything that increases the chance of a behavior being repeated. It is essentially the same as a reward (see below).

Predatory behavior is the set of behaviors associated with catching and eating prey. In cats and dogs this includes, stalking, chasing, catching, and killing other animals.

A punishment is something aversive or negative that decreases the chance that a pet will perform a behavior again.

R

A reward is anything a pet views as positive. This can include a piece of food, a toy, attention from its owner, or a comfy place to rest.

Reinforcement is anything that increases the chance that a behavior will be performed again. Reinforcements can be either positive or negative.

S

Separation anxiety is a syndrome in which a dog panics when it is left alone. It causes intense anxiety and may lead the dog to bark, pace, or eliminate inside the house. Dogs who are confined commonly destroy kennels, walls, or doors in an attempt to reunite with their owners.

T

Territorial guarding, or territorial aggression, occurs when a dog defends an area it thinks of as its territory against intruders. A territory is usually centered around the dog’s home, but may extend to other places it often spends time in, like a car.

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