Development of an ethogram for predatory behaviour in dogs (Canis familiaris)

The aim of this study is to develop and validate an ethogram regarding the predatory behaviour in dogs (Canis familiaris). The information on the topic present in literature are scarce and not scientifically proved yet, therefore the present research will try to attentively describe and demonstrate the precise sequence of motor patterns that composes the predatory behaviour in dogs. Indeed, Coppinger only postulated the dog predatory sequence to be composed of search, pointing, stalking, chase, capture by grab-biting and grab-killing, dissection and consumption, as the main objective of predatory behaviour is feeding. However, in this study, the stages were regrouped into five presumptive phases that are: searching, pointing, stalking, chasing and biting. Consequently, behavioural data were collected through the observation of a series of twenty amateur videos, gathered from free video sharing platforms, and used to identify and describe the different phases and, therefore, develop the ethogram. Since the research is still ongoing, this paper will focus only on the pointing and staking phases, as the data of the other stages are still being collected and analysed. Nevertheless, the resulting ethogram contains the pointing and stalking behaviours with their relative description, each divided into three levels of complexity (general description, specific posture and body description and a sensory orientation report). It was noticed that the two phases presented multiples similarities, both in posture and in function (collecting information on the prey location without being noticed), with the only difference being motion, to approach the prey, during the stalking. Therefore, we are prone to thinking that pointing and stalking should be grouped into a single phase, rather than two separate ones. In conclusion, both the method, developed to study behaviour, and the ethogram will be important for future studies on the predatory behaviour in dogs, like breed differences, triggers or predatory aggression prevention, but also for behavioural researches on other species.