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Development of detour behaviour
in puppies.
Claire Diederich
Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix,
Belgium
The development of detour abilities
in puppies is followed in 4 problems of detour (Problem A, B,
C, D).
31 puppies from 5 litters are tested once a week, at 5, 6, 7
weeks old. Each Problem is composed by 10x3 minutes trials with
no preliminary training. The manipulator notes the time to pass
round the barrier, the vocalisations intensity, the eliminative
behaviour.
Whatever the Problem, the mean time to pass round the barrier
is longer in the first trials (p<0,001). There are differences
between litters (Problem A :p<0,01, Problem B :p<0,05,
Problem D :p<0,001) but there are not systematically the same
fastest or slowest litters. There are no sex effect and no interaction
litter-sex.
The mean vocalisations intensity is louder in the first trials,
whatever the Problem (p<0,001). There are differences between
litters in the 4 Problems (A and C : p<0,01; B and D : p<0,001).
Two groups of litters can be identified, in each kind of barrier.
There is no sex effect but the vocalisations intensity per litter
depends on sex in Problems B (p<0,01) and D (p<0,001).
The eliminative behaviour occurs during the first trials and
more often in Problem C. There also exists differences between
litters.
In conclusion, puppies are able to succeed problems of detour
to reach a known manipulator. Success rate is high (mean of 90%)
and obtained without preliminary training. Time to pass round
the barrier and vocalisations intensity are higher during the
first trials, due to fear emotion interfering with the correct
solution. The first time a puppy succeed seems to occur by chance.
There are differences between litters and few sex effect is observed.
Keywords: puppy, development, detour, learning |