What is a behavior problem?
Typically, there are several ways to approach and define a problem behavior. First, a behavior consultant should have a clear understanding of what normal behavior patterns are for any particular species and that normal behavior may be expressed inappropriately depending on the environment. Second, the behavior consultant should consider a clients “…cultural and personal preferences and normative judgments” since they may impact the client’s “attitudes and expectations, scientific understanding, societal mores [customs] about animal behavior, and costs…associated with the dog’s behavior” (Lindsay, 2001). What is the purpose of the dog ethogram? An ethogram provides a compilation of a species normal functional systems and behavior patterns. The dog ethogram compiled by Lindsay (2001) provides “…an abbreviated catalog of significant functional systems and species-typical behavior patterns” and can be useful to the canine behavior consultant when assessing a dogs behavior problem. Additio
