Behavior Vocab
The actions or reactions of an animal in response to its environment.
What is behavior?
A spider spinning a web.
What is instinctive behavior?
Tail broadly wagging, play bow, ears up.
What is playfulness?
Ears forward; relaxed posture.
What is calm/confident?
An automatic, involuntary response to a stimulus (like blinking).
What is a reflex?
A dog sitting when told because it gets a treat.
What is learned behavior (operant conditioning)?
Ears forward, eyes wide, tail horizontal (not stiff), alert posture.
What is alert and attentive behavior?
Tail relaxed; body posture neutral.
What is content/relaxed?
Behaviors an animal is born with and does naturally.
What is innate behavior?
A bird building a nest without being taught.
What is instinct?
Hackles raised, ears back, tail tucked, body lowered.
What is fear/defensive aggression?
Ears flattened down; body crouched.
What is angry or fearful?
Early learning during a critical period where young animals form strong attachments.
What is imprinting?
A crow placing nuts in the road so cars crack them.
What is learned behavior?
Tail stiff and raised, lips curled, teeth visible, stiff-legged stance leaning forward.
What is dominance/offensive aggression?
Dilated pupils can indicate fear, excitement, or stimulation depending on context.
What do dilated pupils indicate?
Learning that occurs by association (bell = food) or by reward/punishment (sit = treat).
What is conditioning (classical and operant)?
A baby sea turtle digging out of sand after hatching.
What is instinctive behavior?
If a dog is not aggressive, the safest first steps include using a soft voice, approaching slowly, and avoiding direct eye contact. (What would this be called?)
What is proper approach to a non-aggressive dog?
Slow blinking toward a person usually means the cat is comfortable and relaxed.
What is comfort/relaxation in cats?