COURSE DESCRIPTION

Dogs and humans have been working and playing together for as long as 30,000 years. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the most critical components of a successful human-animal relationship, and requires students to synthesize what they learn about biology and behavior. This is accomplished by first examining the origin of the relationship between humans and dogs, and follows the development of the dog from the first stages of domestication through present day by including the dog's physiology, structure, reproduction, and genetics. Next, developmental behavior of the dog is examined from birth to adulthood as well as breed specific behaviors. Learning process and principles of training are also investigated through several common behavior problems and their solutions. Health, disease, and nutrition are also discussed.

COURSE TOPICS

Evolutionary history of the dog
Process of domestication
Natural and artificial selection of dogs
Dog's structure, movement and special senses
Reproductive anatomy and problems
Gestation and care of the newborn
Genetically influenced disorders in dogs
Developmental behavior from puppy to adult
Social heritage
Concepts of dominance and submission
Communication behavior
Aggression
Breed differences in behavior
Habituation and sensitization,
Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Social learning
Training and behavior modification techniques
Fears and phobias
Separation related problems
Viral, fungal, bacterial diseases
Vaccinations
Canine hip dysplasia and other physical ailments
Benefits of pets for humans
Nutrition and feeding

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

(CO1) Explain the role of genetics related to reproduction and breeding management, and the interaction of genetics and behavior.
(CO2) Analyze anatomy and physiology
(CO3) Assess the coevolution of man and dog along with its relationship to domestication
(CO4) Describe developmental behavior
(CO5) Analyze learning processes and training principles, including: habituation and sensitization, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning.
(CO6) Explain common behavioral problems and solutions
(CO7) Identify infectious diseases and common noninfectious disorders
(CO8) Discuss common nutrient requirements and nutritionally responsive disorders

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.

Required Textbook

Case, L. (2005). The dog: Its behavior, nutrition, and health (2nd ed.). Ames, IA: Blackwell.

ISBN: 978-0813812540

COURSE STRUCTURE

Man’s Best Friend: The Biology and Behavior of Dogs is a three-credit online course, consisting of six modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

Module 1: Man's best friend: The animal within the companion, Part 1

Course objectives covered in this module: CO1, CO3

Module 2: Man's best friend: The animal within the companion, Part 2
Course objectives covered in this module: CO1, CO2
Module 3: Behavior: Communicating with Man's best friend, Part 1
Course objectives covered in this module: CO4, CO5, CO6
Module 4: Behavior: Communicating with Man's best friend, Part 2
Course objectives covered in this module: CO5, CO6

Module 5: Health and Disease
Course objectives covered in this module: CO3, CO7
Module 6: Nutrition: Feeding for health and longevity
Course objectives covered in this module: CO2, CO8

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, take examinations, and complete a final project. See below for details.

Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.

Promoting Originality

One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.

Discussion Forums

During the course you will participate in six discussion forums. Each forum requires you to post a well researched response to specific questions or scenarios, and to provide sound feedback to the posts of your classmates.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete four written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.

Course Project

At the conclusion of Module 5 you will submit a five to eight page research paper. The paper will be on a topic selected by you and approved by the course mentor that integrates course concepts related to both dog biology and dog behavior.

Examinations

For a list of key concepts that may appear on your exam(s), refer to the study guide(s) available in the Examinations section of the course Web site.

You are required to take three proctored online examinations, each of which is one hour long and consists of approximately 40 multiple choice questions. As the exams draw heavily from the assigned textbook readings, be sure to complete and review the assigned readings prior to taking each exam.

Exam 1 covers Modules 1 and 2, and will be administered in week 4 of the course.
Exam 2 covers Modules 3 and 4, and will be administered in week 8 of the course.
Exam 3 covers Modules 5 and 6, and will be administered in week 12 of the course.

Each exam requires that you use the University's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the "Examinations and Proctors" section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course Web site) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exam within the first week of the semester.

Online exams are administered through the course Web site. Consult the Course Calendar for the official dates of exam weeks.

Statement about Cheating

You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:

Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find the answer.
Copying and pasting or in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your online test. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
Plagiarizing answers.
Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the exam.
Copying any part of the exam to share with other students.
Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Discussion forums (6)—20%
Written assignments (4)—20%
Course project: Part 1—5%
Course project: Part 2—10%
Exams (proctored) (3) —45%

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

A	=	93–100	C+	=	78–79
A–	=	90–92	C	=	73–77
B+	=	88–89	C–	=	70–72
B	=	83–87	D	=	60–69
B–	=	80–82	F	=	Below 60

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.
Take time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State University.
Arrange to take your examination(s) by following the instructions in this Syllabus and the Online Student Handbook.
Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.
If you are not familiar with Web-based learning be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the Course Calendar. The Calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations.
Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

ACADEMIC POLICIES

To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.

For more, see: