This course enables students to develop a comprehensive understanding of how aspects of physiology, neurobiology, development and genetics influence the behavior of domestic dogs. Evolution and domestication will be explored as contextual reference for some behavior problems, and differentiated from true abnormal behavior. Emphasis will be on interpreting scientific experiments in canine biology.
Students who complete this course will have a working knowledge of learning theory and how the biology of dogs affects behavior. Course topics include:
- Behavior and ecology of domestic and wild dogs
- Theories of domestication
- Sensory perception and its relationship to behavior
- Body language and communication
- The brain and behavior
- Morphological and behavioral genetics
- Genetic disorders of domestic dogs
- Social, biological, and behavioral development of dogs
- Applied behavior and training methods
- Understanding abnormal and problem behaviors
Prerequisite
Biology of Organisms - Animals and Plants or BZ 110 (Principles of Animal Biology); Credit not allowed for both BZ 479 and VS 479
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