Dhole
Our Dhole Ethogram is a detailed catalogue of state behaviours observed in dholes, closely based on the work of Ghaskadbi et al. (2016). This ethogram provides a structured framework for understanding dhole behaviour, supporting welfare assessments and research on this highly social and endangered canid species.

Alone walking: Ambulatory gait; the slowest upright gait, in which 3 feet are supporting the body at all times, each paw lifting from the ground 1 at a time in a regular sequence.
Alone trotting: A rhythmic 2-beat gait in which the diagonally opposite feet strike the ground together.
Alone galloping: A 4-beat gait, often with an extra period of suspension during which all 4 feet are off the ground. The hind feet strike almost in unison.
Social walking: Ambulatory gait; the slowest upright gait, in which 3 feet are supporting the body at all times, each paw lifting from the ground 1 at a time in a regular sequence.
Social trotting: A rhythmic 2-beat gait in which the diagonally opposite feet strike the ground together.
Social galloping: A 4-beat gait, often with an extra period of suspension during which all 4 feet are off the ground. The hind feet strike almost in unison.
Alone standing: Standing stationary, may be looking around but not oriented towards a specific stimuli (if so, note as vigilance behaviour).
Alone lying down: Lying down with eyes open or closed
Alone sitting: Resting on the hocks and ischia, or Sphinx position: lying on the belly with forelegs extended to the front, hind legs bent and resting close to the body on each respective side. No vigilance behaviours shown.
Social standing: Standing stationary, may be looking around but not oriented towards a specific stimuli (if so, note as vigilance behaviour).
Social lying down: Lying down with eyes open or closed.
Social sitting: Resting on the hocks and ischia, or Sphinx position: lying on the belly with forelegs extended to the front, hind legs bent and resting close to the body on each respective side. No vigilance behaviours shown.
Anticipatory behaviour: Animal direct eyes and orients towards area where keepers usually appear, or where they have appeared.
Visitor vigilance: Animal direct eyes and orients towards people walking around the enclosure.
Environmental vigilance: Animal direct eyes and orients towards other (unknown) environmental stimuli.
Vocalisation: Animal makes any vocalisation.
Alone play: Play behaviours where no other animals are involved (e.g. chasing, biting, pushing, jumping) involving an enrichment item, the animal’s body, or part of the environment. Throwing self at another conspecific in a nonaggressive manner with tail wagging and open mouth. Accompanied often by bites. Play bows.
Social play: Play behaviours with other animals involved (e.g. licking, biting, chasing, jumping) involving an enrichment item, the animal’s body, or part of the environment. Throwing self at another conspecific in a nonaggressive manner with tail wagging and open mouth. Accompanied often by bites. Play bows.
Social investigation: Nose to any area of a conspecific.
Submissive approach: Focal animal approaches other low to ground, with ears back, and licks face or rolls over in front of them. No agonistic behaviour involved.
Sexual: The actor clasps the receiver with its forelegs around the flanks, or sometimes the back. Includes pelvic thrusting, and frequently is accompanied by hackle licking and hackle biting. Non-estrus clasping during play or to show dominance.
Agonistic: Snarls, hackles raised, submissive rolling over, attempted biting, aggressive body slamming.
Scent-marking: Urinating or rubbing anal glands on object or surface (or another animal).
Wading: Wading, standing in or jumping through the water.
Sniffing: Nose to the ground sniffing and following a trail, or nose to the air.
Body rubbing: Animal rubs body or part of body clearly back and forth against itself or another animal. If the rubbing is focused on the genitals, it is defined as a sexual behaviour.
Autogrooming: An act of maintenance that an individual directs at its skin, coat, or claws and will usually involve licking, scratching, or shaking.
Eating: Animal consuming food or part of the environment
Drinking: Animal lapping up water.
Route-tracing: Animal walks (or faster gait) following a well-trodden route round the enclosure, where there are signs of frequent use (e.g. exposed earth, reduced vegetation, different substrate to surrounds). Animal does not vary from the route. Ears and eyes are not alert, head is not held high or vigilant, and animal doesn’t seem to be moving towards a specific location.
Pacing: Functionless, invariant exact route repetition. Observe the animal walking 3 laps of the route, and then start recording it as pacing behaviour.
Other Abnormal Repetitive Behaviour: Behaviour that is repetitive, invariant, and doesn't seem to have a function. Record from first instance if a known ARB for that animal, otherwise start after 3 repeats.
Other behaviour: Any other behaviour not listed.
Out of sight: Animal is not visible.