RGRPSG411 — Interpret and manage greyhound behaviours

Elements & performance criteria

Performance evidence

• observed and noted signs of the following behaviours in four individual greyhounds: • socially appropriate behaviour with a dog of a different breed, including signs of healthy play • socially affiliative behaviour with people • inappropriate predatory behaviour • anxiety or fearfulness
• carried out a functional behavioural analysis on two greyhounds and identified and justified the use of rewards-based activities to address their needs to transition to a pet

Knowledge evidence

• greyhound identification, including: • physical traits – colours, age, gender, conformation, scars or existing injuries • industry documentation – microchips, ear brands, racing papers, other registration papers
• meaning of key terminology, including ethogram, ethology and functional analysis
• natural ethogram of the domestic dog
• canine behavioural responses to negative emotional states (repulsion, avoidance, appeasement, inhibition)
• types of behaviours selected for in working/racing greyhounds, including prey drive
• basic meaning of a range of body language, including: • body positioning • position of ears and tail • focus of eyes • tongue/mouth
• common healthy social behavioural signs with dogs and people
• signs of problematic behaviour, including: • predation, including dog-dog predation • negative emotional indicators during handling and husbandry procedures • anxiety and fear, including social and environmental triggers • frustration
• scenarios that indicate the need for increased management or professional intervention post-adoption, including: • common presentations of problematic fears, phobias and anxiety in home environment, including isolation-distress • interspecific aggression and dog-dog predation within the home and in public • predation towards other animals both in public and in multi-pet households • common signs of human-directed aggression in the home, including resource guarding
• common activities required to successfully transition a greyhound to pet environment, including: • safe greetings with unfamiliar people, dogs and other animals • house training, including toilet training, chew training, bed/crate training, prevention of problem behaviours related to anxiety and fear • exposure to novel objects and experiences, including noise, food, walking harnesses, environments and surfaces
• application of functional behaviour analyses and use of common methods of behaviour modification for dogs, including efficacy and welfare considerations

Foundation skills

• Learning: Actively update own knowledge of canine behaviour and modification techniques Use industry and scientific terminology to describe greyhound behaviour and body language
• Get the work done: Use common workplace technology and systems to gather, record and convey information

Unit content sourced from training.gov.au — © Commonwealth of Australia, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Auditori is not affiliated with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

Questions about assessing RGRPSG411