Behaviour Chains...

[pipsqueak]

I was speaking to someone last yesterday about behaviour chains. They were adamant that a dog doing an agility course was performing a behaviour chain, however, I disagree.

The definition that we were using to define behaviour chains was:

"A behaviour chain is a series of related behaviours, each of which provides the cue for the next, and the last that produces a reinforcer."

Now, I know next to nothing about agility and would genuinely like to hear other people's opinions on whether or not a dog running an agility course is doing a behaviour chain. Feel free to tell me that I'm wrong - open discussion and debate is one of the ways which I learn.

The reason that I do not consider an agility course to be a behaviour chain is... it is a series of behaviours, but the behaviour does *not* provide the cue for the next behaviour.... the handler does.

[poodlefan]

Can you give an example of something you do consider to be a behaviour chain?

In agility, training of contacts is often done by 'back chaining'

You teach the end of the obstacle first to produce the desired stop in position at the end. Then you add length to the run to the contact and then teach the direction to the contact.

A verbal cue and/or visual direction then cues the dog to complete the obstacle with a desired stop in position which is then rewarded (in training)

I guess this would be

"A series of related behaviours, each of which provides the cue for the next, and the last that produces a reinforcer."

[Kavik]

I would not say that doing an agility course is a behaviour chain. However, individual obstacles in an agility course could be trained as a behaviour chain. Eg seesaw. You have your end (contact) behaviour, you have your 'bang' behaviour, you have your running up the ramp behaviour. The most rewarded position is the end position.

[pipsqueak]

Thanks poodlefan. I agree that individual obstacles (esp weave poles) are a behaviour chain. However, they were saying the *entire* course was a behaviour chain (I should add that I don't think the entire course is a behavior chain as the dog sees the course for the first time when they run it).

I guess I would consider a behaviour chain something like a dog being taught to put something in a basket then carry it to the owner to receive a reward. However, I would probably also consider "fetch" or a retreive to be a behaviour chain.

It's got me thinking at any rate, which is always good!

ETA - Kavik - you must have replied as I was typing - and yes, I agree with you.

Edited March 30, 2010 by futuredogtrainer

[Aidan]

Good application of critical thinking, I like it.

What would you say happens when a dog has completed an obstacle? Does he look to the handler anticipating a direction? Is this a behaviour that might be considered part of a chain?

[pipsqueak]

Good application of critical thinking, I like it.

What would you say happens when a dog has completed an obstacle? Does he look to the handler anticipating a direction? Is this a behaviour that might be considered part of a chain?

Perhaps, but then I guess I need to question *my* definition of a behaviour chain. I have always thought of behaviour chains as "rigid" (for want of a better word) - meaning that the behaviours which are linked together remain the same each time - say, for a dog walk - touch contact area, run across dog walk, pause on end contact area. If looking at a handler for direction is part of the chain, then it means that the chain of behaviours is different each time???

[Tassie]

Good application of critical thinking, I like it.

What would you say happens when a dog has completed an obstacle? Does he look to the handler anticipating a direction? Is this a behaviour that might be considered part of a chain?

Only if the handler is waaay late with cues - that would be me sometimes. In most cases, the cue for the next behaviour (and the cue might be verbal, physical or both) will come often at the commitment point to the particular obstacle - and sometimes before.

If the dog actually has to look at the handler at the completion of an obstacle for the next cue, the dog is asking a question it shouldn't have to ask - the answer should have been given before the question is asked - ideally.

And no, I personally wouldn't consider a course a behaviour chain - as the OP has said, each course is novel for the dog.

[Aidan]

I'll have to look for some definitions, I had never considered it a requirement that a behaviour chain is a fixed pattern.

[pipsqueak]

I'll have to look for some definitions, I had never considered it a requirement that a behaviour chain is a fixed pattern.

That would be appreciated. For some reason I have always considered behaviour chains to be fixed patterns, but as I said, always willing to learn.

[Aidan]

The USF glossary of behavioral terms has a lot of definitions, none that I saw suggested that a behaviour chain needs to be a fixed pattern. However, each link must provide a cue for the next so I guess arguments could be made on that point.

[Vickie]

I think in general it'd be hard to say each link provides a cue for the next...although you could argue that if a dog lands from jump & there is a tunnel right in front of them they will take it unless you tell them otherwise. Occasionally a Novice course will be so clear to a dog that they will almost do it correctly by themselves.

Otherwise, the closest I could think for this is dogs that will continue to perform the obstacle in front of them until cued somewhere else by the handler.

One of the last Masters jumping courses I ran with Shine, the last 8 or so obstacles were obvious to the dogs. I ended up getting way behind & she finished the course about 6 jumps ahead of me, purely based on me saying the words "go on" once. Even though I was way behind, I did not call her off the line she was on, so she continued on it. At the end, she went & got her lead & was waiting for me with it to tug on by the time I made it to the last jump. The first part of the course was much more complex & there is no way she could have done it without me.

There are dogs who will perform their own course regardless of the handler...my Noah was one . At his worst, he used to do about 30 obstacles (on a 16 obstacle course), independent of me or what I actually wanted. He just kept running around like a maniac taking big loops of tunnels & jumps.

So I think it is possible, but usually not desirable .

[haven]

An agility course could be an example of a behaviour chain if it were trained that way. Perhaps the person you were speaking with just isn't familiar with how competetive agility dogs are trained?