BH410: Normal or Not? Common Behavioral Disorders

1.2 Normal vs. abnormal behavior

If we want to talk about behavior problems in dogs, it makes sense to start here. 

What IS normal, anyway? 

We can define what we mean by “normal” in a few different ways.  Generally speaking, normal behavior:

• Is species-typical for the type of animal being observed
• Is an adaptive response to the animal’s environment
• Is within a defined range of typical responses to a given stimulus or trigger

In plain English, this essentially means that to define a behavior as normal or not, we have to take into account several factors: the animal itself (species, breed, etc.), the environment it’s operating in, and any specific stimuli that might be present. 

It’s also important to have a frame of reference – it matters what the rest of the population is doing!  If 95% of pet dogs react in a given way to a particular set of circumstances, this will certainly influence our assessment of what “normal” is.

Now – just because a behavior is normal, does this mean it’s not a problem? 

Not at all!  There are LOTS of perfectly normal dog behaviors that we may have good reasons for wanting to change.  Consider the following examples:

• Pulling on the leash
• Counter surfing
• Chewing on furniture
• Peeing or pooping in the house
• Raiding the garbage can
• Jumping on visitors
• Sniffing crotches
• Etc., Etc., Etc.

These behaviors are all problematic in human households, for a variety of reasons – but they’re not a sign that anything is wrong with the dog, and they can usually be addressed effectively through a fairly straightforward training plan.  This is a worthwhile and interesting topic in its own right, but it’s not our focus for this course.

So, let’s talk a bit more about behavior that isn’t normal.  What do we mean by this?

When we label a behavior (or set of behaviors) as abnormal, this means that it doesn’t meet the criteria listed above.  It might be odd or unusual for the species being observed.  It might be maladaptive in some way, or fall outside the typical bell curve of responses to a particular situation.

(An important note: if a behavior is abnormal, does this automatically mean that it’s a problem in need of treatment?  No – individual dogs can absolutely have harmless quirks, just like humans can.  If your pup prefers celery sticks to hot dog slices, or play bows at your mailbox every morning, that’s okay!  As long as they’re happy and healthy otherwise, no need to be concerned, or attempt to “fix” anything.)

So what *are* we concerned about?

The term “pathological” refers to something that is related to, or caused by, a physical or mental disease.  It’s this category of behavior – pathological behavior problems – that will be our main focus for the rest of his course.