Predator-Aggression: A behavioral comparison...

BradA1878

African Wild Dogs and Hyena




Russo European Laika and Bear (@ 00:59)




Kishu Ken and Wild Boar




Pretty similar behavioral patterns there, huh? Just something I noticed.

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WrylyBrindle

There's a great deal of value in having two or more- three looks perfect. I wonder how many dogs = too crowded? Even with the hyena (who appears pregnant, or somehow distended in the belly, btw- she moves like a weeble) among a crowd of dogs, only a few dogs at a time actually work the hyena. These dogs are actually the most successful predator (hunt:kill & eat ratio), I am rather impressed with them.

2 laika vs bear/hog, and the kishu handlers were holding back a couple of the dogs, so only 3 were on it at a time.

no dogs redirected on to other dogs in the heat of it- if it got crowded I wonder if that could occur, or if the presence of a real prey animal + appropriate # of dogs mitigates frustration, supports cooperation vs competition.

I wonder too if some dogs are "packier" than others, and if - in addition to sticking together- "packy" dogs will cooperate more and compete less?


*And I'd like to take this opportunity to officially say that No, my dogs do NOT look like hyenas, actually.

Losech

That's interesting! I really like those African Dogs, they are so cool.

BradA1878

I found it interesting how similar the behavior patters are in the wild dogs vs the domesticated dogs.

To me it seems like "baying" behavior that hunting dogs preform is pretty much the same behavior the African Wild Dogs are performing.

Perhaps this may be an obvious statement, but it's not the case with all behavioral patters we see in hunting dogs... Like pointing, for example. That's a behavioral pattern born out of selective breeding.

So, I think it's interesting to think about the native peoples who hunted with dogs early on in the dog's domestication. Probably they exploited the same type of "baying" behavioral patterns hunter exploit today with their Laika and Nihon Ken.

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@Wryly Brindle - Yea, I think 3 looks to be about right, huh? I'm sure it has a lot to do with the size of the target. Too many dogs and one might be pushed into the path of a bear claw or boar tusk.

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BradA1878

One thing you don't see very often in video is African Dogs killing their prey... I think it's because it's uber-disturbing to see. They basically do the same thing they are doing to that Hyena... Give bites here and there till they hit an artery and the animal starts to bleed-out, then they consume the animal while it's still alive but too weak to fight back (tearing it apart). It's pretty gross.

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BradA1878

This is the same technique Coyotes use when the swarm a predator (like a large dog) and kill it, tho I don't think they eat the kill.

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shibamistress

Interesting to see. It's true, the behavior is very similar. It's also how I've seen Bel go after prey she can't kill right away or isn't sure is dead (I've seen her do it with snakes--that leaping in, bite, leap back). It does also look like three is the right amount--working together and going in there to harry the animal. (I'm not particularly thrilled with people using a chained bear to train dogs though. I understand why they do it, but I still find it unnecessarily cruel).

On a side note, I was trying to figure out what was going on with the hyena too, and I had the same sort of questions Chrystal did: Injured? Pregnant? Did they just happen upon it, perhaps after it had been eating a kill? It looked like the hyena was sitting to protect its hindquarters, but it also looked kind of fat.

I think coyotes MIGHT eat a large dog if they killed it, if they had the opportunity to do so. I think they do eat small dogs they kill. In Alaska, sometimes people's dog got killed by wolves, and the wolves DID eat the dogs. While obviously not the same, I think coyotes are opportunistic enough to probably eat some of the kill if they could. I suspect, though, that they rarely get the chance when they swarm large dogs, since often people intervene.

anyway, interesting videos!

BradA1878

Well, from what I have read African Wild Dogs and Hyena have a natural dislike of each other. Hyena will group together and steal the dog's kill. So, when the dogs see a Hyena in their area that act very aggressive towards it. I think this video is an example of that.