Behavior is the whole of the visible external activity of individuals and it is the only thing that can be studied. This designates a unit of action (for example, the sample of food or water in ingestion behavior, the leak to take shelter or to escape predators). Any behavior is a unit of action that meets one or more needs of the animal. From the point of view of physiology, such responses are manifested by internal changes (for example, the frequency of heartbeat, respiratory, skin resistance, and several others).
There are more than ten million animals in Canada in which there is often a problem of behavior within the human/animal relationship. More than 39 % of dogs develop serious problems that directly lead to euthanasia. There is no doubt that by improving the dog/owner relationship, the dog as a pet will be valued. The loss of popularity of this species, which is currently observed in North America, could be stopped by establishing better emotional ties between the master and his dog.
Normal behaviors in dogs, from an ethological point of view, are often perceived by masters as abnormal behaviors (for example, defecation inside the house or excessive vocalization). This could encourage us to dissect various aspects of behavior.
The ethological aspect: The study of animal's behavior in its environment. This aspect seeks the causes and objectives of specific behavior.
The psychological aspect: The study of the functioning of learning, self-learning and environmental influences (which in the physical and biological environment of a dog acts on him and causes a unit of action).
The physiological aspect: Studying internal functions.
The behavior is therefore the characteristic conduct of a species, linked to its anatomo-physiological constitution, to its main functions, to the mode of their organization and their exercise; Also linked to its environment and external stimulus which diversify the living conditions.