Observe and Discuss Behaviors

At this point in your study of the chapter, practice observing behavior in dogs and cats. You can use the text, any notes you’ve made, or other books that cover the same signals and behaviors you’ve just learned, to refer to, before, during and/or after the activity.

If you have pets to observe, spend at least an hour or more observing their signals and behavior. If you don’t have any dogs or cats available to observe, watch the DVD on Behavior and Handling and discuss the behavior you observe on it.

You particularly want to watch for the specific types of signals discussed in the material, to help you identify and correctly evaluate what you see. If you observe interactions between animals, watch closely for behaviors and signals so you can discuss specifics.

You may want to take notes or start to keep an observation notebook to refer to during the course as you continue notating different aspects of small animal behavior and handling.

Be sure to record the animal types, the situation, and the behaviors/signals you observed. Give your interpretation of them. For example, a cat yawning repeatedly, which you interpret as a displacement signal, from too much stimuli in a room they are not able to leave.

You may include your ideas on how to interact based on the behaviors you see. You may or may not be actually interacting with your pets or animals, and either way is fine for the activity. Observation without interaction is an excellent way to practice recalling the information and terms you’ve been studying, and will help your retention of the material before you proceed in the chapter.

When you are finished, join the discussion board and post your notes, by clicking on the subject line of the post below. That will open up the discussion board for you to add your assignment comments. Be brief but clear, using the terms in the lesson in your own words. This activity also develops your core abilities to think critically, communicate clearly, and write concisely.

While this activity is not graded, it is an assigned activity. Your timely participation, and completion helps your instructor assess how you are progressing in the course. Feel free to contact you instructor with any questions. Also, you may or may not be the only student doing this activity at a particular time. So don’t wait for others, or be concerned if you are a discussion group of one. If you are in a group, feel free to discuss with each other.

Take your time observing and have fun. We want to hear what you saw and think.