Dog Behavior and Observations of Ethologists

Ethologists, the scientists that study animal behavior, have made some remarkable observations about dogs. See how many you agree with.

1. Anthony Podberscek and James Serpell found color is linked to aggression in English Cocker Spaniels. They observed that solid-colored Spaniels were more aggressive than parti-colored Spaniels.

2. Clarence Pfaffenberger found guide dogs are more intelligent and have better problem solving ability if they have calm mothers, are well socialized, and have willing temperaments.

3. Ilana Reisner studied the inherited rage syndrome of Springer Spaniels. She found that Springer Spaniels who strutted proudly in the show ring were more likely to exhibit rage.

4. Ethologists have found that some puppy characteristics change over time, but other puppy characteristics remain stable into adulthood. For example, how fearful an adult will be can be predicted at 12 weeks of age, but self confidence cannot be predicted because it continues to grow until a dog is 18-30 months.

5. Joachim and Wendy Volard developed a Puppy Aptitude Test that included sound sensitivity and touch sensitivity. Not all ethologists agreed. For example, Erik Wilsson and Per-Erik Sundgren found that sound and touch sensitivities don't persist, but the willingness to retrieve an object is a puppy characteristic that does persist into adulthood.

6. William Campbell, the founder of American Society of Veterinary Ethology observed that dogs have four personality traits:
· excitability versus inhibition;
· active versus passive defense tendencies;
· dominance versus submission;
· sociability versus reserve.