CDT Canine Behavior & Body Language 3 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: A dog that mounts another dog immediately after a brief chase is most likely exhibiting which function of mounting?
- Sexual reproduction
- Arousal and stress displacement (Correct answer)
- Playful solicitation only
- Learned trick behavior
Correct answer: Arousal and stress displacement
Mounting during or after high-arousal play is often a displacement behavior linked to excitement and stress, not sexual intent.
Question 2: What is the primary function of the 'play bow' in canine communication?
- Signaling submission to a dominant dog
- Inviting play and ensuring subsequent actions are interpreted as play (Correct answer)
- Warning another dog to back away
- Requesting food or resources
Correct answer: Inviting play and ensuring subsequent actions are interpreted as play
The play bow functions as a meta-signal that frames upcoming behaviorsâeven rough onesâas playful rather than threatening.
Question 3: During an on-leash greeting, a dog circles behind the owner and wraps the leash around the owner's legs. This behavior most often indicates:
- The dog is trying to control the owner's movement
- Displacement anxiety and social pressure from the greeting (Correct answer)
- Predatory stalking of the other dog
- A trained behavior for leash walking
Correct answer: Displacement anxiety and social pressure from the greeting
Circling behind and creating leash tension often reflects anxiety about a forced greeting, with the dog seeking distance.
Question 4: A dog that greets every visitor by jumping up and mouthing is best understood through which behavioral lens?
- Dominance-seeking to assert pack leadership
- Reinforced attention-seeking behavior (Correct answer)
- Predatory behavior targeting humans
- Sign of poor socialization and permanent behavioral damage
Correct answer: Reinforced attention-seeking behavior
Jumping and mouthing that persists are maintained by reinforcementâusually inadvertent attentionârather than dominance.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'distance-increasing' signals in dogs?
- Play bows, loose wiggly body, soft eyes
- Growling, stiffening, and direct stare (Correct answer)
- Tail wagging, approaching, and lip licking
- Sniffing the ground and turning away
Correct answer: Growling, stiffening, and direct stare
Distance-increasing signals like growling, stiffening, and hard stares communicate 'back off' to reduce threat.
Question 6: A trainer observes that a dog urinates small amounts when greeted by visitors. This is best classified as:
- A housetraining failure requiring punishment
- Excitement or submissive urination (Correct answer)
- Territorial marking behavior
- A medical problem only
Correct answer: Excitement or submissive urination
Submissive or excitement urination is a social communication behavior and not a housetraining problem.
Question 7: What does 'stress yawning' in dogs differ from a regular yawn in terms of context?
- Stress yawning occurs only during sleep
- Stress yawning happens in anticipation of or during aversive events (Correct answer)
- Stress yawning is always accompanied by stretching
- There is no functional difference between the two
Correct answer: Stress yawning happens in anticipation of or during aversive events
Stress yawning occurs in response to tension, conflict, or aversive stimuli, unlike fatigue-related yawns.
CDT Canine Behavior & Body Language 3
A dog that mounts another dog immediately after a brief chase is most likely exhibiting which function of mounting?