4Paws Outdoors Dog Blog

How to deal with dogs that fear strangers...

2012-01-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

This is a great article by Sophia Yin.

Why Fido Snaps at Friendly People
By Dr. Sophia Yin

The main problem here usually is that Fido didn't have enough positive experiences with a variety of unfamiliar people during his sensitive period for socialization and beyond. From three weeks to three months of age, puppies are primed to explore and form bonds. Such that if they meet and greet all types of people in many types of environments and good things happen to them simultaneously, they generalize to understand that people overall are friendly. Then if this socialization continues through their adolescence, the relaxed demeanor around people becomes part of their overall personality. Those dogs who didn't get the type and amount of experiences they needed given their individual genetic make-up and early experience can end up being fearful around some or all unfamiliar people.

How People Make the Problem Worse
Of course people inadvertently make the problem much worse. For one, they forget the Golden Rule - ask to pet, first. Instead, well-wishers approach too quickly, crowd too closely or loom over like a thunderstorm ready to dump its load. Under this pressure some dogs will freeze or shrink, pretending it's all a bad dream. Others take action - usually a reflex bark or low-level growl. A few successes here, and the message is loud and clear: when strangers approach, growl and bark to keep them away. Pretty soon, your sweet, slightly insecure dog has turned into a mass of defensive rumbling.

Some owners respond by reprimanding or punishing their dog. This can teach Fido that he'd better hide his fear from you but it doesn't make the internal fear disappear. As a result, your dog may no longer show signs that he wants people to back away, instead he holds it in until he can't take it anymore and then he explodes in a full-blown bite.

Why Do Friendly People Look Scary?
Many humans can't understand why their dogs would be afraid of them when they're obviously making friendly human gestures. Turn the tables around and the picture becomes clear. Say you're afraid of spiders and your friend shoves her pet tarantula in your face. If she simultaneously reassures you, "She's a friendly tarantula. See her amicable expression?" or "She can't cause harm, she's just an innocent baby," would you suddenly feel safe?

No, in fact the only way you could get used to the spider is if you greeted it at your own pace. That means it would have to be on a table or in some locations where you could control your distance from it. Then when you were ready you could gradually approach for a closer look and to even touch it. The same goes for dogs. All dogs are not outgoing or used to meeting many types of strangers, especially if they were already shy when you adopted them or have received minimal supervised socialization with many types of humans. If you walk into a dog's personal space or even stand and reach out to let him sniff you hand or to pet him he may feel threatened or be unsure of your intentions. To him, your hand might as well be a meat cleaver.

If however, you stand straight up or crouch down on one knee while looking slightly away, then he can approach and sniff you at his own rate. You can speed up the friendship if you inconspicuously drop tasty treats close to you. If he's taking these without any hesitation, you can hold treats in your hand while averting your gaze so that shy Fido can choose to take them.

Often people manage to get through the initial greeting with Fido okay but then they make a quick or inappropriate move that scares him into snapping or running away. This is still similar to the situation with the giant spider. Even when you're finally comfortable enough to examine and touch the tarantula, if it suddenly moves its mouthparts or waves one of its legs in the air you might jump away out of fright. To you these movements may conjure images of the tarantula leaping at you and taking a bite whereas to the tarantula the movements may just be a subconscious change in position or even a signal that it's your friend. So the trick to ensuring that you don't frighten Fido even after the initial greeting is to gradually get him used to you in different positions. Avoid learning over him or reaching over his head or grabbing and hugging him so he feels confined. Instead move slowly and smoothly in order to give him a chance to back away.

Read the Dog's Signals
Probably the biggest issue with these dogs who are uncomfortable with some human greetings is that their humans as well as the unfamiliar greeters fail to recognize the neon sign flashing in the dog's body postures and movements. It says, "Help! I'm scared. Go Away." Fido may be tense with eyes darting back and forth or his gaze looking away while he's cowering. Or he may be yawning, licking his lips or panting when he shouldn't be hot. Sometimes Fido starts moving in slow motion like he's sneaking around, or his ears suddenly going out to the sides or back while his brow is furrowed in a worried look. And often his tail is down low, even between his legs. These are all signs of anxiety or fear.

What to Do if You See Signs of Fear
If you see these signs in your dog as someone reaches out to pet him, quickly move away so he's out of range of the approaching petter. Like the person who's about to pick up litter but stops because the litter starts to blow away, the signal you send by moving away is to stop. At the same time you can explain "He's afraid of new people that approach him quickly." Simultaneously get Fido's attention on you and reward him for something good such as sitting or looking at you or performing tricks. The goal is to change his emotional state from scared to happy, so that he can eventually learn to associate unfamiliar people with good things. Consequently his fear can go away. Strangers can also toss treats while looking away, but unless you're absolutely sure that you can tell when Fido is permanently comfortable with them, I'd avoid letting them pet him unless you have a professional coach you through the procedure.

For People Greeting Unfamiliar Dogs
It's important that you watch body language too. The dog may take treats from you but that doesn't mean he's ready to be touched. Watch the response to everything you do because sometimes a split second freeze or lift of the lip is the neon sign that says "That's too scary for me. Now I'm going to bite." Instead, just be happy to give treats and admire the dog without touching and know that you've given him a good experience.

What Body Language Indicates the Dog is Safe?
The body language you'd like to see when greeting a dog is one that says this whole business is ho-hum. The dog should remain relaxed and his gaze should be steady and soft. His tail should either wag or hang loosely down.

The Solution
If humans would let dogs approach them at their own pace and would even make treats magically appear on the ground around them without pressuring the dog to allowing being petted, they would experience many good dog greetings and help Fido have positive experiences around unfamiliar people, too.

Is your dog travelling safely?

2012-01-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

Time and again I see dogs travelling unsecured in cars. Hatchback owners are the worst culprits but plenty of people driving estate cars and 4x4s are guilty too.

I see them every day, sprawling on the back seat, sitting on the arm rest, happily perched on the passenger seat - even on the dash board or the parcel shelf. What do all of these pups have in common - none are travelling safely and all could get injured or injure others.

You wouldn't let a child travel in this fashion so the question is, why let your dog. By leaving your dog loose you are putting yourself and other road users in danger. An unsecured dog could try and move from the rear seats to sit with you in the front or could start barking and lunging at dogs it sees on the other side of the windows. This is distracting at best and at worst could cause you to collide with another car or even another person.

Added to this is the force an unsecured dog has when involved in a car crash. Remember the seatbelt campaign from a few years ago, the one where the child didn't have a seatbelt on and slammed into the front of the seat pushing the driver into the steering column? Well it doesn't have to be a person to have this effect. If you are driving at speed and have an unsecured dog in your rear seats the force of any braking or impact will throw the dog forward. Not only could the dog get injured, or even die if thrown from the car, but you and any other people travelling in the car could suffer as well. And what about if your dog managed to get loose, say on a busy road or even a motorway. Yet another disaster waiting to happen.

Nowadays there exist a wide variety of products to ensure your dog stays safe while on the road. You can buy custom built car travel crates made to measure, sure to fit even the most oddly shaped car, alternatively and slightly cheaper are the ready to buy standard travel crates, there are also a plethora of soft travel crates that can be secured to seat belt points, then there are doggy seat belts. Most require your dog to wear a harness, if they fixed to a standard collar then sharp breaking could seriously damage your dog's neck. The harness is then attached either to the seatbelt point or the seatbelt itself.

My preferred methods of transporting our pups are a partitioned travel crate in the rear of the car. A travel crate differs from your dog's standard crate in that it is more solid and features front and back doors so that if the rear of your car is damaged you can drop the back seats and open the crate from that end. I also use a great system called the Kurgo auto bungee - this looks quite complicated but features a sturdy harness, a tight line that fixes between the coat hooks above the rear passenger doors and a carabiner and belt system that anchors your dog while allowing it limited sideways movement along the rear seat. It comes in a variety of sizes and can be used on any size dog from toy breeds to giants.

Another thought to consider is whether your dog walker transports your dog in a safe fashion. All too many pet professionals are keen to fit as many dogs into one space as possible. This means cars and vans crammed with dogs all unsecured and forced to get up close and personal with each other. Not only is this dangerous for all the reasons mentioned but it can lead to fights among dogs and make the process of being transported and taken out for a walk a stressful and unpleasant experience. All responsible pet professionals will be happy to show you how they transport your dog and reassure you that they do so safely.

The cuteness curse - ask before you say hello

2012-01-11T13:56:00.000-08:00

This is a great piece by Barker Behaviour in the U.S encouraging us to think before approaching dogs, no matter how cute they are, something especially true of small dogs.

The Cuteness Curse

BY BARKER BEHAVIOR

Look at this face. You want to pet him, don’t you? Have you ever wondered if he wanted you to pet him? Just because a dog is cute and looks good to you does not mean he or she loves to be touched; especially by strangers.

I am not suggesting that you get on hands and knees, wiggle your bum and ask every dog you meet if they want to be touched nor am I saying that we should all roll onto our backs and let dogs pet us. We do, however, need to remember that OUR desire to touch an animal may not be received with enthusiasm. Some tips to remember the next time you MUST say hello to a ridiculously cute dog:

Ask. If you are walking into someone’s home or meet a dog on the street, ask if you may say hello to their dog. I can not tell you how many times I am out with Finn or a client’s dog and folks just rush us, without permission. Just ask. It is polite and prevents a bite from a dog who downright does not like people.

Listen. If the dog’s guardian tells you his or her dog is shy, do not reinforce those fears by mimicking Godzilla as you chase their dog into a corner.

Watch. If the super cute dog walks away from you, lowers their head or hides behind their owner; those behaviors clearly indicate varying levels of disinterest in you. If you give in to your desires and force your affection on the dog to feed your own satisfaction, you could make the fears worse or get bitten. Remember, flight or fight? If flight does not work, your actions might be met with fight. Not good for you or the dog.

Help. If you sit in a chair and avoid eye contact, it can help the dog feel less threatened. Crouching helps too but if the dog has ANY history of biting, you put yourself in a dangerous position by getting on the floor. Some dogs respond well when guardians give amazing treats for confident behavior in the presence of strange people, treats go away when the strange person goes away. Some dogs do well if the stranger drops (no tossing overhand) amazing treats on the floor for the dog. Again, remember coming at or over the dog can be scary.

Remember, the way a dog looks is not an indicator of their personality. If you LOVE dogs, remember this the next time you meet a new one and you may help the adorable little (or big) dog become more confident around new people.

Patricia McConnell weighs in on the dominance issue

2012-01-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

This article was published in Bark magazine in September 2011. Yesterday I posted a piece written by Roger Abrantes on dominance and I thought it was worth adding another dog behaviour guru's thoughts on the whole dominance palaver. Enjoy!

Published on The Bark (http://thebark.com)

Down with Dominance
by Patricia McConnell, PhD
Originally appearing in Issue #66, Sep/Oct 2011
Both Ends of the Leash

Here are some “rules” for you dog lovers out there (that is, if you’re given to following just
anyone’s advice, whether or not they’re qualified to give it):

• Don’t pet your dog unless he works for it first.
• Don’t let your dog move his head so that it is higher than your own.
• Don’t feed your dog until after you’ve eaten.
• Don’t step around your dog if she’s in your path; make her get up and move, even if she’s
sound asleep.
• Don’t let your dog sleep with you or cuddle with you on the couch.
• Don’t clean up after your dog while she’s watching you.

But, never fear. Here’s what you can do:
• Spit in your dog’s food.
• Wipe your baby’s dirty diapers on the wall.

Why, you might ask? Because each action is said to either cause your dog to think he’s
dominant over you, or — in the case of the spitting and the wiping — tells your dog that you
(and your baby) are dominant over her. Seriously. There are people out there telling us that
these tips are critical to our own happiness as well as that of our dogs.

Oh my. Are we really still having this conversation? Are we really still talking about whether
or not we need to “get dominance” over our dogs? Ten years ago, I wrote a column for Bark
titled “Alpha Schmalpha,” in which I explained that dominance is one of the most misused
and misunderstood words in the English language, at least in relation to dog training. As I
and many other trainers and behaviorists repeat endlessly in books, blogs and seminars,
dominance is simply a description of a relationship between two individuals who want the
same thing.

One animal is said to be “dominant” over the other if he or she always has primary access
to the pork chop that falls on the floor, or the favorite toy, or the cozy lap of a dozing
guardian. Thus, it’s about the resolution of situations in which there might be competition
for a resource. It is not about coming when called, or sitting when told to sit, or accepting
unfamiliar dogs into the yard.

We’re not even sure how the concept relates to interactions between dogs, much less to
interactions between two entirely different species like people and dogs. At present,
thoughtful ethologists and behaviorists are re-evaluating the concepts of “dominance” and
“social status” as they relate to the domestic dog. Although there are questions and
quibbles about some of the finer points, experts almost universally agree that the concept
of “getting dominance” over our dogs is, at best, not useful, and more often is harmful to our
relationships with our best friends.

Yet, the idea that we must “dominate” our dogs lives on, zombie-like, in spite of years of
research and experience that demonstrates “being dominant” over our dogs does not
improve obedience. In fact, we know that using positive reinforcement results in the best
behavior, the fewest behavioral problems and the richest relationships. Given that, the
question we need to ask ourselves is this: why is the concept of achieving dominance over
our dogs so seductive? Why is it so hard for people to give up?

This is most likely not a question with one answer. Given that humans are complex
animals, I suspect there are many answers. And, of course, all we can do is speculate.
Perhaps thinking about what might motivate us to hang onto this age-old concept can help
us finally give it a respectful burial.

Surely one reason that so many people are enamored of the concept is that social status is
highly relevant to our species. No matter how egalitarian we are, the fact is that in
restaurants, some people get better tables than others, and most of us can’t walk into the
governor’s office just to have a chat. We address physicians as “Dr. Johnson” but we call
nurses “Anita” or “James”; we ask the judge for “permission to approach the bench”; and if
we are lucky enough to be given an audience at Buckingham Palace, we still, still, bow or
curtsy to the queen.

However, we don’t seem to make the mistake within our own species that we make with
our dogs, confounding social status or control with teaching or conveying information. We
may take away our children’s cell phones to make them spend more time studying algebra,
but we don’t think that our ability to do so actually teaches them algebra. And yet, we tend
to do that with our dogs all the time. Dogs are supposed to come when called, refrain from
jumping up on company and walk at perfect heel just because we tell them to. Each of
those actions requires learning; they are not natural to dogs and have to be taught, much
the same as we had to be taught how to solve an equation like 2x – 3 = 5.

Perhaps another reason we are so susceptible to the fallacy of “getting dominance” over
our dogs is that it makes dog training seem simple. One-step shopping — just get your dog
to accept you as “alpha,” and voilà! Your dog will stop jumping up on visitors and will
quietly walk through the neighborhood at your side, ignoring all the interesting stuff, like
squirrels and information left by other dogs as they passed by.

No training required, either for your dog or, as importantly, for you. No need to learn timing
and reinforcement schedules and how to know when your dog can learn and when she is
too tired or distracted to understand what you are trying to teach her. In a world of instant
rice and instant messaging and instant information on demand, no wonder a simple, blackand-white concept is attractive.

No matter that dominance has no relation to these issues, or that the way it is presented
often equates more to bullying than to social status. Sure, it’s appealing to think that one
overriding concept will take care of a host of behavioral issues. And hey, how hard could it
be to talk your dog into believing that you are the alpha? You’re the one who can open the
door, you’re the one who brings home the dog food and you’re the one with the opposable
thumbs and the big brain. Of course, opening doors has nothing to do with sitting when the
doorbell rings, but surely being “dominant” will mean that when you say “Sit!” she does
What else would she do?

Well, actually, there are many reasonable responses that a dog can make to a noise
coming out of a person’s mouth, such as: have no idea what sit means because she hasn’t
been taught to understand what she was supposed to do when she heard the word; or be
unable, without training and practice, to control her emotions and sit down when she is
overwhelmed with excitement.

Finally, and perhaps most compellingly, the concept of dominance feeds into our desire for
control. Let’s face it: we all want control, at least over some things. Influencing the behavior
of others is crucial to members of a social species, and is most likely one of the driving
forces behind language, facial expressions of emotion and the importance that movie
directors pay to the musical score. Heaven knows our desire for control is satisfied rarely
enough: world leaders pay no attention to our solutions to one crisis after another —
granted, we’ve only been talking to our friends about them, but then that’s my point. We are
awash in events that we read about, hear about and post blogs about but have little or no
control over. How satisfying then to say “Sit” and have our dogs hear us, do it and look up
with a grin.

The idea that all we need is respect (cue Aretha here) and our dog will behave perfectly is
understandably seductive. Too bad it’s incorrect. Far worse, it can lead, at best, to a dog
who performs because he is intimidated, and at worst, to a dog who is abused. The fact is,
dogs will respect us only if we are consistent, clear and fair. They will love and trust us only
if we are loving and patient and are able to communicate to them in ways that they
understand. That does not mean we need to “spoil” them and allow them to behave like
rude and demanding house guests. However, we need to teach them how to behave in the
society of another species, rather than expecting them to do what you say just because
they “want to please us.” That foolish fantasy is as realistic as a Disney cartoon.

Ah, we all love a good fantasy, don’t we? However, separating fantasy from reality is an
important part of being a grown-up. Let’s make it an important part of being a good
guardian for our dogs.

I’d write more, but I have to go spit in my dog’s dinner.

Dominance - an uphill battle to re-educate owners

2012-01-10T15:23:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately the idea of dominance is still one that crops up all too often when we talk about canine behaviour. Not only are an unacceptable number of trainers still advocating the use of dangerous and damaging methods such as alpha rolls but even more worryingly, due to the predominance of a certain TV trainer, the general dog owning public has come to the conclusion that most unwanted behaviours are the result of their dog seeking to assert themselves over their owner, to be dominant. I encounter people labelling their dogs as dominant on an almost daily basis. Alas it seems we have a lot of work to do to re-educate people as to what their dogs' behaviour really means.

The below article (sorry it's long but it wouldn't link) is well worth reading and is by Roger Abrantes a very experienced vet and canine behaviourist. Many owners would do well to take this information on board, and realise that dogs aren't wolves and aren't out for world domination.

Dominance—Making Sense of the Nonsense

DEC 11

Posted by Roger Abrantes

The possible combinations of aggressive, fearful, dominant and submissive behavior in social canines (From "Dog Language" by Roger Abrantes, illustration by Alice Rasmussen). Copyrighted illustration.

The discussion on dominance has run away with us. There is only one thing more absurd and futile than that of taking pains to prove that dominance exists and this is to attempt to prove that dominance does not exist. In the following, I shall commit the first of these futile acts.

Dominance means in daily language “power and influence over others.” It means supremacy, superiority, ascendancy, preeminence, predominance, mastery, power, authority, rule, command, control. It has so many meanings and connotations that it’s difficult to know how to use it as a precise scientific term in the behavioral sciences. Additionally, the scientists who use it (as well as those who repudiate it) haven’t gone to great extents to define it accurately, contributing to the present confusion, to meaningless discussions, fall-outs, and nonsensical claims.

Wolf-dog hybrid (Image via Wikipedia).

It is my intention to remedy this firstly by demonstrating that dominance does exist, then, by establishing that it refers to one and the same class of behaviors independent of the species being discussed. I will then present a precise, pragmatic and verifiable definition of the term, which is compatible with evolutionary theory and our body of biological knowledge. Finally, I shall argue that even though it is true that a good (profitable and stable) relationship does not rely on continuous displays of dominance/submission from the same individuals toward the same individuals, this does not imply that dominance does not exist in dogs (or any other species). Denying that dominance exists in dogs has become a popular argument to defend the claim that we must not build a good relationship to our dogs on dominance.

It is absurd to argue that dominance does not exist when we have so many words to describe whatever it relates to. If it didn’t, we would not have even one word for it. That it exists means that we have seen it somewhere around us. We can argue that we observed it and that the term (1) refers only to particular human relations, or that (2) it refers to particular relations among humans as well as some other animal species. The second option seems more appealing, considering that it is highly improbable that a particular condition would exist for only one single species. It would conflict deeply with all we know about the relatedness and evolution of species.

In a stable pack, wolves display mostly dominant and submissive behavior and seldom aggressive and fearful behavior.

However, there is nothing implausible in stating that the term does not apply to describe the behavior of some particular species. On the contrary, two species which diverged from a common ancestor billions of years ago have evolved and developed characteristics of their own and differ both from the common ancestor and one another. By the same token, species closely related, only diverging from a common ancestor a few thousands year ago, will show various characteristics, similar or equal to the common ancestor and to one another. Some species share many common attributes as to phenotype, genotype and/or behavior, others less, some none at all. It all depends on their common ancestry and their adaptation to the environment.

Humans and chimpanzees (Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes) diverged from their common ancestor about six millions year ago and so we can expect them to be more different from one another than wolves and dogs (Canis lupus lupus and Canis lupus familiaris), only diverging from a common ancestor probably about 15-20 thousand years ago (and in no circumstances more than 100 thousand years ago). The human and the chimpanzee DNA differ in a higher degree than the DNA of wolf and dog (which is almost identical except for a few mutations). Humans cannot interbreed with chimpanzees; wolves and dogs can and produce fertile offspring. Humans and chimpanzees are two completely distinct species. Wolves and dogs are two sub-species of the same species.

These facts considered, we could expect wolves and dogs to show a great number of similarities, which they do, not only physically but also behaviorally. Any laymen will attest to that. Their similarities at one level or another is what makes it possible for them to mate, produce fertile offspring, and communicate. Nobody has questioned that wolves and dogs have a very large common repertoire of communication behaviors; and rightly so, for multiple observations have confirmed that they do communicate perfectly well. Their facial expressions and bodily postures are remarkably similar (except for a few dog breeds), with small differences being smaller than cultural features among some human geographically separated settlements.

If wolves and dogs can communicate, it follows then, that the basic and crucial elements of their languages must be the same. This means that even though they evolved in apparently distinct environments, they kept the most anchored elements of their genotypic characteristics. This may be for three reasons: (1) the common genotypes are vital to the organism, (2) the environments were not so crucially distinct after all, (3) evolution needs more time and more selective conditions (since it operates on phenotypes) before the genotypes begin to differ radically. (1) means that there are more ways of not being alive than being alive, or, in other words, that evolution needs time to come up with different, viable life forms. (2) means that even though wolves and (pet) dogs now live in completely different environments, the phenomenon is yet too recent. It is only in the last century that dogs became thoroughly humanized. Until then, they were our companions, domestic animals, but still had a large degree of freedom and the successful selective factors were basically the same as always. They weren’t pets yet and breeding was not totally (or almost totally) controlled by human selection. (3) means that we might one day (in a million years or so) have two completely distinct species, wolves and dogs. By then, they will not mate, will not produce fertile offspring and will show some completely different characteristics. They will have changed name to maybe Canis civicus, or Canis homunculus. However, we are not there yet!

Recent trends claim that “dominant behavior” does not exist in dogs, which poses some serious problems. There are two ways to argue in favor of such thinking. One is to dismiss “dominant behavior” downright, which is absurd since, for the reasons we saw above, the term exists, we know roughly what it means and we can have a meaningful conversation using it. It must, therefore, refer to a class of behaviors that we have observed. Another argument is to claim that wolves and dogs are completely different and that therefore, even though we can apply the term to explain wolf behavior, we cannot use it to describe dog behavior. If they were completely different, the argument would be valid, but they are not, as we have seen. On the contrary, they are very similar

A third alternative is to build a brand new theory to explain how two so closely related species as the wolf and the dog (actually sub-species) can have developed in such a short period (thousands of years) so many radically different characteristics in one aspect, but not others. This would amount to a massive revision of the entire complex of our biological knowledge with implications far beyond wolves and dogs and one which I find unrealistic.

A far more appealing approach, it seems to me, is to analyze the concepts we use and define them properly. This would allow for their more meaningful use when dealing with the different species, without running into incompatibilities with the entire body of science.

A proper definition of “dominant behavior” is important because the behavior it encompasses is crucial to the survival of the individual, as we shall see.

It appears to me a poor approach to dismiss the existence of facts underlying a term, just because that term is ill-defined, not to mention it being politically incorrect (which means that it doesn’t suit our immediate goals). Dominant behavior exists, merely that it is badly defined (when defined at all). Most discussions involving it are meaningless because none of the parts knows what exactly the other is talking about. However, we don’t need to throw the baby out with the bath water! Therefore, I suggest precise definitions of dominant behavior as well as all the terms we need to understand it, what it is, what it is not, how it evolved and how it functions.

Dominant behavior is a quantitative and quantifiable behavior displayed by an individual with the function of gaining or maintaining temporary access to a particular resource on a particular occasion, versus a particular opponent, without either party incurring injury. If any of the parties incur injury, then the behavior is aggressive and not dominant. Its quantitative characteristics range from slightly self-confident to overtly assertive.

Dominant behavior is situational, individual and resource related. One individual displaying dominant behavior in one specific situation does not necessarily show it on another occasion toward another individual, or toward the same individual in another situation.

Resources are what an organism perceives as life necessities, e.g. food, mating partner, or a patch of territory. The perception of what an animal may consider a resource is species as well as individual related.

Aggressiveness (aggressive behavior) is behavior directed toward the elimination of competition while dominance, or social-aggressiveness, is behavior directed toward the elimination of competition from a mate.

Mates are two or more animals that live closely together and depend on one another for survival. Aliens are two or more animals that do not live close together and do not depend on one another for survival.

Dominant behavior is particularly important for social animals that need to cohabit and cooperate to survive. Therefore, a social strategy evolved with the function of dealing with competition among mates which caused the least disadvantages.

Animals show dominant behavior with various signals, visual, auditive, olfactory and/or tactile.

While fear (fearful behavior) is behavior directed toward the elimination of an incoming threat, submissive behavior, or social-fear, is behavior directed toward the elimination of a social-threat from a mate, i.e. losing temporary access to a resource without incurring injury.

A threat is everything that may harm, inflict pain or injury, or decrease an individual’s chance of survival. A social-threat is everything that may cause the temporary loss of a resource and may cause submissive behavior or flight, without the submissive individual incurring injury.

Animals show submissive behavior by means of various signals, visual, auditory, olfactory and/or tactile.

Persistent dominant or submissive behavior from the same individuals may or may not result in a temporary hierarchy of a certain configuration depending on species, social organization and environmental circumstances. In stable groups confined to a defined territory, temporary hierarchies will develop more readily. In unstable groups, changing environmental conditions, in undefined or non-established territories, hierarchies will not develop. Hierarchies, or rather the involved strategies, are Evolutionarily Stable Strategies (ESS), always slightly unstable, swinging forth and back around an optimal value depending on the number of individuals in the group and the single strategies each one adopts at any given time. Hierarchies are not necessarily linear, although in small groups and with time, non-linear hierarchies seem to have a tendency to become more linear.

Some individuals will have a stronger tendency to show dominant behavior and others to show submissive behavior. This may depend on their genetic makeup, early learning, history, etc. We are not saying that there is one single factor determining this, rather a complex mixture. Let us call this a natural tendency, again not saying that it is not modifiable. It is a fact that some individuals are more assertive than others, while others are more condescending, for many reasons. We are not saying that it is good or bad, just stating a fact—whether it is good or bad, not in a moral sense, rather meaning more or less advantageous depending on context. On one to one encounters, all things being equal, individuals will more likely adopt the strategy they feel most comfortable with, hence maintaining their history of mostly dominant or mostly submissive.

When in a larger group, they will have the same tendency to play the roles they feel most comfortable with. However, this may change due to the accidental makeup of the group. Imagine a group with many individuals more often prone to showing submissive behavior than dominant and with only a few members of the opposite tendency. In this scenario, a naturally submissive individual would have a chance to gain access to resources by showing a more dominant behavior and being successful. Success breeds success and, progressively, this otherwise mostly submissive individual finds itself being mostly dominant. If the scenario opens the possibility for one individual to change its preferred strategy, then others will also have the same opportunities. The number of dominant individuals will increase, but the number of dominant individuals a group can sustain is not unlimited because at a certain point, it will be more advantageous to play the submissive strategy, all depending on benefits and costs.

Therefore, the number of dominant and submissive individuals in a group depends not only on the natural tendency of the individuals, but also of the make-up of the group as to these characteristics. Whether it pays off to play a dominant or a submissive role is ultimately a function of benefits and costs and the number of individuals that adopt the one particular strategy.

Understanding the relationship between dominant and submissive behavior as an ESS (Evolutionarily Stable Strategy) opens up exciting perspectives, which could help to explain the behavior adopted by any given individual, at any given time. A submissive individual will learn to play submissive toward more dominant ones and dominant toward more submissive ones. This means that no individual is in principle always dominant or submissive, it all rather depends on the opponent and, of course, the values of the potential benefit and estimated costs.

As a corollary, hierarchies (when existing) will always be slightly unstable depending on the adopted strategies by the individuals forming the group. Hierarchies don’t need to be linear and will only be in small groups or sub-groups.

In the opinion of this author, the mistake we have committed hitherto has been to regard dominance and submission as more or less static. We haven’t realized that these characteristics, as phenotypes and as all other traits, are constantly under the scrutiny and pressure of natural selection. They are adaptive, highly variable and highly quantitative and quantifiable.

As such, dominance and submission are dynamic features depending on different variables, a view which is compatible with the development of the behavior at the individual level, genetic functions, the influence of learning and, not least, evolutionary theory.

Dominance and submission are beautiful mechanisms from an evolutionary point of view. They are what enables (social) animals to live together, to survive until they reproduce and pass their (dominant and submissive) genes to the next generation. Without these mechanisms, we wouldn’t have social animals like humans, chimpanzees, wolves and dogs among many others.

If an animal resolves all inter-group conflicts with aggressive and fearful behavior, it will be exhausted when subsequently compelled to go and find food, a mating partner, a safe place to rest or take care of its progeny (all decreasing the chances for its survival as well as that of its genes). Thus, the alien and mate strategy originated and evolved. It is impossible to fight everybody all of the time, so a mate is confronted using energy-saving procedures.

Submissive and dominant behavior also control population density, since they rely on individual recognition. The number of personal recognitions an animal is capable of must have a limit. If this number exceeds a certain level it makes recognition inefficient, switching off the mate/alien strategy; fearful/aggressive displays, then, replace submissive/dominant behavior.

The strategy of submission is wise. Instead of vainly engaging in a desperate fight, waiting may prove much more rewarding. By employing pacifying and submissive behavior, subordinates are often able to shadow dominant animals and profit from opportunities to gain access to vital resources. By showing submission, they also gain advantages from the membership of the group—particularly defense against rivals.

Hierarchies work because a subordinate will often move away, showing typical pacifying behavior, without any obvious signs of fear. Thus, the dominant animal may simply displace a subordinate when feeding or at a desirable site. Hierarchies in nature are often very subtle, being difficult for an observer to uncover. The reason for this subtlety is the raison d’être of dominance-submission itself: the subordinate animal generally avoids encounters and the dominant one is not too keen on running into skirmishes either.

Fighting involves a certain amount of risk and can lead to serious injury, or even death. Evolution, therefore, shows a tendency towards favoring and developing mechanisms, which restrain the intensity of aggressive behavior. Most species have clear signals that show acceptance of defeat, which end combat before injury occurs.

To recognize sign-stimuli is the most important task for the infant immediately after birth. It saves its life. Compromise is the most relevant lesson a social youngster may learn after having learned fundamental life-saving sign-stimuli. It maintains the fitness of the social life of the group. Natural selection has proved this, as it favors individuals that develop behavior enabling them to stay together. Other animals, the solitary predators, do not need these social traits. These organisms found other ways of dealing with the maintenance of their metabolism and reproduction.

Learning to be social means learning to compromise. Social animals spend vast amounts of time together and conflicts are inevitable. It is sensible for them to develop mechanisms with which they can deal with hostilities. Limiting aggressive and fearful behavior by means of inhibition and ritualization is only partially safe. The more social the animal is, the more effective mechanisms are obligatory. Inhibited aggression is still aggression; it is playing with fire on a windy day. It works well for less social or less aggressive animals, but highly social and aggressive animals need other mechanisms.

In the long run, it would be too dangerous and too exhausting to constantly resort to aggression and fear to solve banal problems. Animals show signs of pathological stress after a time when under constant threat, or constantly needing to attack others. This suggests that social predators need mechanisms other than aggressiveness and fear to solve social animosities. It is my suggestion that social animals, through the ontogeny of aggression and fear, develop two other equally important social behaviors. If the meaning of aggression is ‘go away, drop dead, never bother me again’, the meaning of social-aggression is ‘go away, but not too far, or for too long.’ Equally, social-fear says ‘I won’t bother you if you do not hurt me,’ while existential-fear does not allow any compromise—‘It’s you or me.’

The significant difference between the two types of aggressive behavior seems to be the function. Aggression deals with the alien and social-aggression with the mate. Conversely, fear and social-fear deal with alien and mate. These are qualitative differences that justify the creation of new terms, hence dominance and submission.

What does this mean for our understanding of our dogs and our relationship with them?

It means that we all show dominant (self-confident, assertive, firm, forceful) behavior as well as submissive (insecure, accepting, consenting, yielding) behavior depending on many factors, e.g. state of mind, social position, resources, health status, opponent—humans as well as dogs (and wolves of course). There’s nothing wrong with it except when we show dominant behavior where it would be more advantageous to show submissive behavior and vice versa. Sometimes we may be more dominant or submissive and other times less so. These are highly quantitative and quantifiable behaviors, with many variables. There is not one single correct strategy. It all depends on flexibility and the strategy adopted by others.

Of course, we don’t build stable and profitable relationships in the long run by showing dominant or submissive behaviors’. These are necessary behaviors to solve the inevitable social conflicts. We build relationships on the necessity of partnership—we as well as dogs (and wolves of course)—to solve common problems related to surviving and preferably with an acceptable level of comfort. We do not build relationships on hierarchies, but they do exist and they do perform an important role in certain circumstances—for humans as well as dogs (and wolves of course)—sometimes more, sometimes less and sometimes not at all.

We build our particular (good) relationship with our dogs on partnership. We need them because they give us a sense of accomplishment that we don’t seem to get anywhere else. They need us because the world is overpopulated, the resources are limited and an owner provides food, protection, health care, a safe place and companionship (they are social animals). It’s too hard to be a little dog all alone out there in the big world! Sometimes, in this relationship, one of the parties recurs to dominant or submissive behavior and there’s nothing wrong with it as long as they do not both show the same behavior at the same time. If both show dominance or submission, they have a problem: they either run into a conflict that they will solve most of the time without any injury (the beauty of dominance and submission), or one of them will have to get his act together and find the bearings for both.

A good relationship with our dogs does not involve any particular and mysterious mechanisms. It’s basically the same as with all good relationships, taking into consideration the specific characteristics of the species and individuals involved. We don’t need new terms. We don’t need any new theories to explain it. We aren’t, after all, that special, nor are our dogs. We are all built from the same concept and with the same basic ingredients. All we need are good definitions and a less emotional and more rational approach. Use your heart to enjoy your dog (and life) and your reason to explain it (if you need it), not the other way around. If you don’t like my definitions, make others which are better (with more advantages and less disadvantages), but don’t waste your time (or anyone’s) with meaningless discussions and knee-jerk reactions. Life is precious and every moment wasted is one less bite of a cake that you’ve devoured without even realizing it.

This is how I see it and it looks beautiful to me—enjoy your cake!

R-

Related articles

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Puppy socialisation - life proof your puppy

2012-01-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

The start of the year means lots of new puppies out and about. I can't emphasise too much how important it is to socialise your puppy. Up to the ages of 16 weeks your dog should have as many positive experiences with a wide variety of people, places and objects as possible. You will reap the rewards for all this hard work when you have a confident, non spooky adult dog. Dr Sophia Yin is a vet and clinical behaviourist, she has written a wonderful article outlining how and why you should socialise your young pup.

Dr Sophia's puppy socialisation article

Do you need help with training your toy dog?

2012-01-10T15:03:00.000-08:00

4Paws Outdoors now offers a training and behavioural advice service called The Little Dog Guru. No matter what problem you're experiencing we will work with you to improve your relationship with your dog. Check out our new site at The Little Dog Guru

Check us out...

2012-01-10T15:00:00.001-08:00

4Paws Outdoors now has its own page on facebook and we're also now on twitter. If you'd like to keep up with what we're doing then just follow us.

Dealing with nervous dogs

2011-12-21T00:48:00.000-08:00

THE SHY DOG PRIMER
BY Julia V. McDonough
www.FortunateK9.com
When it comes to dogs, the main concern in the eyes of the general public is regarding
aggression. A quick look at the dog bite statistics in the U.S. will tell you why. While the most
horrific headline-grabbing incidents tend to happen because a dog pursues and attacks a much
weaker human who may be viewed as prey (think of the latest mauling of a child by a large dog),
a large number of dog bites may be attributed to a dog in defense drive, who is biting for a totally
different reason.

What is defense drive?
In its best light, defense drive is the protective instinct that causes a dog to put himself in
harm's way in order to protect his territory or perhaps other pack members. In a pet dog, we may
see it when normally friendly Fido acts like Cujo behind his garden fence or when he valiantly
defends his owner's car from pedestrians as the car waits at a stop light. In its more commonly
reported version, defense drive is seen in the dog who curls his lip when a hand is extended to
him. And in its extreme version, defense drive may be seen in the frightening self-preservation
response of a dog who acts like a cornered rat when approached by a person.

Some dog experts say that dogs are "fight or flight" animals and that a dog in defense is a
dog who is strictly afraid. Hence the term "fear aggression" which one hears about a lot. (I
personally don't use the term, as "aggression" by definition is forward-moving and usually
confident; whereas "fear" produces the backwards moving, terrified reaction I describe below).
However, anyone who has watched a police K9 or a well-trained protection sport dog in action is
seeing a balance of prey drive and defense drive. A well-adjusted dog in defense drive may be
serious, but it is an anthropomorphic stretch to characterize his behavior as "frightened". Also,
there are other basic options besides "fight or flight", and a normal dog will often explore those
in a new situation. Most normal dogs will choose the option of contact with the new person,
animal, or object, and make their next decision based on the outcome of the contact. An insecure
dog will usually choose to remove himself from the situation. And a very shy dog will
immediately choose to flee. If flight is prevented, the shy dog will respond as if cornered, and a
frightening display will follow. In a truly shy dog, there may be a submissive display with the
dog rolling itself, crying and urinating. In its most extreme manifestation, shyness can take on
the appearance of what some would term aggression: the hackles on the dog's shoulders all the way to his tail will usually go up, his ears will usually lay flat against his head, and his lips will
stretch all the way back, exposing every tooth. The "aggressive" element is during that brief
second when the dog strikes out at the perceived threat, having exhausted all of his other options.
This strike or bite is often delivered to the hand of a person attempting to calm the dog or pet
him, and in many cases, is made to the retreating legs or backside once the person turns away.
An experienced dog trainer will recognize this as strictly fearful behavior and the term
"aggression" will be left out of the description, although the term "fear biter" may now be
correctly applied to this dog!

In some dogs, one will see the full-blown defensive reaction well before the dog's options
to flee are exhausted. This is the dog who hackles and growls at a person who is at some distance
and is basically non-threatening. I classify this dog as being "sharp-shy"; one of the most
difficult temperament characteristics to deal with in a pet dog, and unfortunately, a common
deficit in modern pet Doberman temperament. Recognizing this behavior for what it is may be
the most important step in dealing with its modification.
The limits of socialization

By the time a dog owner realizes that he has this particular problem with his Dobe, the
dog has probably reached adolescence at least. It is troubling to me that so many erstwhile dog
trainers and behaviorists advise this owner to set about "socializing" his dog at this point.
The term "socialization" gets thrown around a lot. To most pet dog trainers, it means
exposing the affected dog to the people/animals/situations which produce the fearful reaction,
and either neutralizing the situation or positively reinforcing the dog's non-reaction. Depending
on where on the spectrum of expectations the trainer's and owner's hopes and beliefs fall, this can
be either a good, proactive way of helping the dog and handler, or a frustrating, time-consuming
exercise and disaster waiting to happen.

Knowing your dog's limits is key. Expanding them a little at a time may be possible, but
expecting a quaking, fear-biting four year old dog to become a charming, confident "Lassie" will
be an exercise in futility. Yes, these things have happened successfully, but they are truly the
exception. There is a major difference between a fairly normal dog who gets spooked by men
who wear baseball caps, for instance, and the dog who has hidden behind the owner's legs from
the age of eight weeks. The former may be a somewhat shy, reserved dog who overreacts to a
particular stimulus, and a good candidate for later-life socialization. The latter is probably a
victim of poor genetics, and it is better to recognize that dog's limits right out of the gate. Proper
socialization is accomplished very early in a pup's life, and should still be attempted with the
genetically shy dog if she is in your hands as a seven or eight week old. Although you will not
necessarily make her outgoing, you will at least put in some good groundwork and help her to
feel less threatened by her world. Sadly, when most people acquire a shy dog, it is already well
into the dog's adolescence or adulthood: these are the dogs who are at shelters and dog pounds,
pups left past their prime at a pet shop, or benignly neglected pets re-homed through the
classified ads. By the time they are in their new home, socialization may be wishful thinking. If it
is not attempted with careful forethought and realistic goals, the owner may only succeed in
allowing his dog to react fearfully again and again with each attempt at exposure. Owners who have consulted with me about their shy or sharp shy dogs inevitably talk
about socializing the dog. However, what most pet owners are doing is simply exposing the dog
to situations she can't handle, and hoping that time will take its course. Granted, in some dogs
this is successful: repeated exposure to the same stimulus may result in the dog's growing
acceptance of it. But in a truly shy dog, the owner is often not prepared to recognize the dog's
failure, and their methods of interacting with the dog during these attempts actually end up doing
more harm than good.

"Show me"
I should move to Missouri, as their state motto is also my dog training motto.
When an owner describes an incredibly complex chain of behaviors they see in their dog, I say
"Show me". When a dogmatic trainer who swears by the 100% effectiveness of their one chosen
method comes-a-callin' to convert me away from my balanced approach, I say "Show me".
When a new training technique or piece of equipment shows up on the radar screen, I pack up
some dogs, go to its inventor/promoter and say "Show me". Where did I get this Doubting
Thomas-like addiction to empirical evidence?

The dogs.
Dogs are great for a lot of reasons, but one of my favorite things about them is how direct
and primitive they are. Living with our resident pack, I see the "show me" concept practiced all
the time. Hannah and Luther can have a noisy, violent argument about a toy, and then settle
down next to each other for a nap. A raised lip from Jane quietly repels Ludwig away from a
favored sleeping spot. A sudden alert bark from Java will get Tilly racing with him to the apple
trees in order to menace the chipmunks. Their communication is physical, direct and simple.
They show each other more information in the space of a ten second encounter than I can give
you in the many pages of this article. Hannah and Luther don't sit down and work out a timeshare
plan for that Gumabone. Jane doesn't reassure Ludwig that she loves him even though he can't
have her dog bed. Java doesn't encourage a reluctant Tilly to join him because maybe this time
they'll actually catch one of those little hairballs. They just show each other. Remembering this
trait is one of the best things you can do in the management and training of a shy dog.
One scenario for you, experienced in two ways: the human, anthropomorphic way, and
the canine way.

Mary owns a very shy dog named Boo who is spooked by the man they pass every
morning on their walk. He's a nice enough man, he doesn't really bother Mary or her dog, he's
just out for his own constitutional. Mary hates that Boo is so shy, and becomes determined to
help him overcome his fear. When she sees that her neighbor is approaching, Mary knows that
Boo is going to pull behind her and growl. So, as soon as she sees the man on the horizon, she
shortens Boo's leash so that he can't duck behind her. As the man gets closer, Boo starts to growl.
Mary decides to "explain" to Boo that he's not in danger. She strokes him gently and tells him
"Shhh, it's ok....he won't hurt you...that's a good baby, shhhh....". Based on something she read on
an Internet dog training site, she pops a piece of food in Boo's mouth right as the neighbor
passes. Boo is still growling, and although he refused the first piece of food, he's accepted the
second one. The neighbor has passed, Mary loosens up her leash, gives Boo another pat, and they
go on their way. Mary decides that this is something she can do every day, and that it can't help
but make Boo a more friendly dog. Here's how Boo sees it:

There's a big guy who walks by every morning, and I don't like him. He smells weird. His
nylon jogging suit makes a stange noise as he passes. He stares at me. Here he comes, I better get
safe...hey, wait a minute! I can't keep my eye on this guy if I can't get behind Mom...hey, why's
she holding me back so hard? Why are we stopping? She must hate this guy, too! Well, if she
doesn't like him, then no WAY am I gonna give him a chance. See? I was right! She's telling me
I'm good! She's glad that I'm "protecting her"! Finally, I've got some backup about this guy.
What's this? Food? Um, not right now, I still think this guy is too close. OK, now he's gone, I'll
accept my reward for scaring him off. Hey, Mom, it's ok to loosen up on my leash now. The
threat is gone, I did my job. I'll really give him hell tomorrow (just hope he never calls me on
it!). But you and me, Mom, if we're both nervous about this guy, then you'd think he'd get the
picture and not come near us in the first place.

Uh-oh. Sounds like a communication breakdown. Mary thinks she's "socializing" Boo by
talking him through his nervous behavior. Boo thinks that Mary is also scared of the passerby,
based on her own rather intense, nervous behavior and the encouragement of her soothing voice
and petting. Boo thinks he's on to something with this growly display. Mary is treating Boo as
she would a shy child; gently explaining the intentions of the scary stranger, guaranteeing the
stranger's future actions ("He won't hurt you" "It's OK", etc). Boo is responding like an animal:
interpreting everything in the immediate present, at face value. Touching and soothing talk are
praise. Food is a reward. A tight leash implies a nervous handler. What do you think will happen
with Mary and Boo as time goes on? Call me a pessimist, but I don't foresee a happy ending
here.

Let's look at a different scenario; this one doesn't have any human players in it.
A small pack of feral dogs lives in the woods of a rural town. Scavengers by definition,
one of their favorite targets is the Dumpster behind the local bar and grill. A lot of stuff falls out
of that Dumpster, and it's low enough to the ground that a couple of the taller dogs can actually
stand up and get their heads into it to pull out likely-looking pieces of garbage. The newest litter
of pups has finally reached an age where they can join the adults in their nightly foraging. It is
the pups' first trip to the Dumpster. Upon first sight of it, the pups hang back. It smells of people
around this area. The parking lot is wide open and the single light casts a stark glow on the
pavement. Everything looks strange and threatening. The Dumpster itself is large and when the
older dogs stand up to investigate it, it makes frightening noises as their nails scrape its metal
surface. The pups spook and startle every time a piece of paper rattles or a can falls to the
ground. At no time does their mom or an older relative come back for them and explain what's
going on. None of the older dogs discuss the relative risks and merits of Doggy Dumpster
Diving, nor does a caring aunt gently stroke the paw of the nervous pup as he gingerly explores
the options. No way. These are DOGS. They go about their business and have a real feast for
themselves. And if the pups don't get it together and come to the "table", then it's all the more
buffalo wings and dinner rolls for their elders to enjoy. Eventually, the pups will take the cue
from their packmates and will learn that their spooky, shy reaction doesn't get them anything but
hungry. In other words, they have just acted upon one of the Basic Tenets of Dogdom:
"Show me."

While I'm oft heard to say that dog training isn't brain surgery, let's do a little bit of brain
surgery anyway. Let's take the brain of those feral pups' mother and squeeze it into Mary's
cranium. What happens on their next walk?

Mary sees that the neighbor is approaching. As far as she knows, he's not a crazed doggy
serial killer. He doesn't do anything inappropriate around Boo, like trying to pet him without
permission, or acting nervously himself. He usually gives Boo a quick look, but who could
blame him? Boo's a good sized dog who sometimes has something to say about people passing
by. Nope, the neighbor is no threat, and frankly, Mary's sick of Boo acting like a nervous mouse
everytime he passes. Mary has been doing some decent obedience training with Boo, teaching
him that she always has the better idea about how to act in certain situations. (This is thanks to
her dog-brain transplant, too.) One of their favorite commands is "heel": a "heel" command from
Mary will find Boo watching her closely while staying immediately to her left on a nice loose
leash. She practiced this with the help of an instructor and worked her way from the privacy and
sterility of the training room to more distracting situations like a soccer field and on her daily
walks. So when she sees her neighbor approaching, she doesn't give Boo the chance to work
himself up. She simply gives him a calm, confident "heel" command and keeps going. She
doesn't stop in her tracks, feed him a treat, ask the neighbor to walk by four or five times so she
can practice, promise Boo an ice cream if he just minds his manners. Nope. She just keeps on
walking. If Boo maintains a loose leash and pays attention as they pass, perhaps she gives him a
quiet but sincere, "Good boy!". Boo has learned that the most effective way to pass the neighbor
safely is by following his mom's lead and just doing it. Mary and Boo have just acted out the
"Show me" concept. If they are able to do this every day, they will accomplish more in a couple
of weeks than any amount of treats and petting will in months.

Obedience training with a purpose
The natural instinct of most pet dog owners is to shield their shy dog from any perceived
discomfort or hardship. Unfortunately, depending on your dog's level of shyness, this may
include nearly everything except bedrest and a "dog in the plastic bubble" existence. Possibly the
best, most productive approach to a shy dog is via reasonable obedience training.
Rather than open the can of worms that is the discussion of dog training methodology ,
let's just say this: you are in this for results. There are many "psychoanalytical" approaches to
training which will make you feel very good about your insight into your dog's psyche, but
which will have you and your shy dog living in a proverbial bunker. Likewise, there are many
"academically sound" methods of reconditioning a shy dog which will take months, sometimes
years, to reach their potential, and which will usually cost you dearly in terms of time, patience
and money. It is entirely up to you which approach you take. But for the sake of your dog, please
try to remember his canine code of behavior: "Show me".

Your trainer should be willing to discuss all possible outcomes of the work with you. He should
be able to refer you to happy clients whose dogs' behaviors were at least as extreme as yours. He
should encourage you to have realistic goals: these should not include hiding your dog forever
from reality, nor should they include a guaranteed social butterfly in every situation. Whatever methods and tools he embraces, they should be geared toward the future ability to predict and
control the dog off lead in your home, at least. If the word "only" is espoused in his training
philosophy ("positive only", "we only use head halters", "prong collars only") be very careful.
The total embrace of one tool or approach has hurt many more dogs than it's helped. If you like
the odds that your dog will come out on the good side of that ledger, it's your decision.
Do treats and petting have their place? Absolutely. But just as good timing is necessary in
delivering a correction, it's equally important in the delivering of a reward. A mistimed pat or
treat may imply to the dog that the very thing you're trying to eradicate is actually his ticket to
the goody train. Working with an experienced, balanced trainer who understands this is
imperative. Timing and intuition cannot be learned from a book, a seminar or even a college
course. A trainer who has worked with hundreds or thousands of dogs is likely to have met with
a number of dogs like yours, and can help you cut to the chase and learn the best approach and
schedule of reinforcement for your dog and situation.

Does medication have its place? Again, absolutely. As with any aberrant behavior,
extreme shyness in a dog should be examined medically before undertaking a training regimen.
Vision and hearing problems, brain tumors, seizure disorders; all are potential contributors to
extremely shy or defensive behavior. Likewise, if you are dealing with a genetically shy or
sharp-shy dog, the intelligent use of behavioral meds may be very helpful, along with a
corresponding behavior modification program. This is between you and your vet, who will
usually refer you to a behaviorist. Finding a behaviorist who actually trains dogs is difficult.
Finding a trainer who can adapt your behaviorist's suggestions into real world training will be
somewhat easier.

What is the place of obedience training in rehabbing the shy dog? Simply put: confidence
building. Dogs do not become confident through human explanation, as we learned from Mary
and Boo. Having consistent, calm direction from their two-legged "pack leader" is usually the
most glaring omission in the life of a shy dog. Learning how to teach and reinforce the "Basic
Five" obedience commands (heel, sit, stay, down, come) is one of the best things you can do for
your shy dog. Rather than practicing them once a week in the obedience class and then only
breaking them out when you're in crisis mode, learn how to utilize the Basic Five all the time: in
your house, in your own back yard, at the vet's, in the car, on walks, etc. Contrary to what most
pet owners think, this doesn't make a dog a mindless, unhappy robot. Instead, it makes him trust
in his owner's judgement, and gain confidence in his own ability to deal with even scary
situations. Again, no amount of training will totally change a dog's temperament or personality.
But by giving him another option besides defense or flight, it certainly can change his reactions
to situations where that personality seems to be at its full blown worst.

Your dog is YOUR dog
Based on everything you've read, perhaps you're feeling a little more confident yourself,
now! Time to sign up with that good trainer for some lessons. Dust off those walking shoes and
start taking your shy dog out into the real world. Determined to "show" rather than "tell", you've
got a whole new outlook about this stuff. Well that's great! But before you and your shy dog go
out to conquer the universe, let me remind you of this: Your dog is YOUR dog. You may never have that goofy, friendly, social butterfly you hoped for. Likewise, you will probably not end up with a modern Rin Tin Tin who knows how to bite a bad guy and guard a wayward toddler. It ain't gonna happen. Your shy dog will almost always have suspicion of strangers. He will quite possibly never want your friends and neighbors to physically touch him. And that's OK. He's YOUR dog. Not your friends'. Not your neighbor's. He needs to hold it together and accept physical attention from you, any household members, and your vet. And that's it. Expecting a shy dog to change dramatically will only disappoint you in the long run. He may, through the steps addressed in this booklet, learn how to be approached
and greeted by a few core people. But remember that every time you introduce him to a new
situation, environment or person, that you are back at Square One and must act accordingly.

Stop letting strangers pet your shy dog. For every careful, respectful person who follows
your directions to the letter, there will be a person who moves erratically, who disregards your
suggestions about approaching, or who puts his face immediately in your dog's face. If a stranger
asks if he can pet your dog, thank him for being so considerate. Then explain that your dog is
currently in training and prefers to be admired without being touched. Be very careful of the idiot
who assures you that she "has a way with dogs" or " a way with animals". If she did have a "way
with dogs" then she would never trespass on their personal space without your permission: space
is a resource every normal dog respects about every other dog. You will undoubtedley run across
some folks who think that your dog is a terrible creature if he is not approachable and pettable by
a stranger. Try to let these people stew in their delusions about canine reality. You and your dog
know better. When someone approaches me and asks to pet a couple of my dogs, my response is
usually, "I appreciate your asking permission, And actually, I'd rather you didn't pet this guy.
He's in training right now." If you're working with a good trainer, he should be able to help you
determine if and when your dog is ready to be approached by a friendly stranger. You may never
get to that point, and you have to accept that.

Shy dogs can be the most challenging to own. One must love them without pitying them,
and one must bring them out into the world without overwhelming them. The happy, affectionate
dog whose companionship you treasure may never show that face to anyone but you. It is up to
you whether you view this as a gift or a burden. My advice is to accept it as both.

Dominance - it just won't go away

2011-12-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

If I had a penny for every time somebody tells me that a dog's behaviour is dominant I would be a very wealthy person. Sadly the myth that dogs have some innate desire to assert themselves over their owners seem stuck. Any time a dog acts up the first thing that many owners say is that the dog is being dominant and as such either needs to be punished or shown 'who's boss'. Often this couldn't be further from the truth. The American Society of Pet Dog Trainers has an interesting chart with examples of unwanted behaviours and how many owners choose to ascribe them to 'dominance', alongside there are suggestions of what might be the real cause of the problem. Take a look at it and see whether you're guilty of making this mistake.

Dominance chart - alternative explanations

Also worth reading is the APDT's thoughts on dominance and its impact on dog training.

Dominance and Dog training

Fearful growling troubleshooting- strangers, dogs etc

2011-12-20T12:27:00.000-08:00

From Dog Star Daily

An otherwise well-socialized dog may growl when approached. A long and protracted growl is not necessarily sign of an impending attack, rather the dog is warning us that he feels decidedly uneasy. When his personal space is violated, the dog has two options — to retreat, or, to convince the intruder to retreat. In many situations however, the dog’s retreat is prevented, for example, when on leash, when restrained during a veterinary examination, or when playfully cornered by a child and so, the dog can only growl as a signal that he is feeling uneasy and to warn people to stay away. The growl is not necessarily an indication of an irreparably flawed temperament but rather, the growl is simply an advertisement of the dog's discomfort at having been forced into a threatening situation for which he has been given insufficient preparation, i.e., the owner is trying to push the dog too far too fast. And if owners continue to push the dogs, many growling dogs will eventually bite.
Such behavior problems may be adequately resolved using progressive desensitization techniques but of course, they are much more easily prevented during puppyhood via routine proofing and confidence building exercises. In effect, all we have to teach the dog is that other dogs and people — especially strangers and children — are no threat and then, the dog has no reason to growl. The owner must first deal with the underlying confidence problem and then, train the dog not to growl.
The relative ease of prevention and treatment should not seduce one to adopt a cavalier attitude. The problem is extremely serious and a delinquent response on behalf of the owner spells disaster for the dog and danger for strangers and children. Until the problem is resolved, common sense dictates that the dog be appropriately controlled and/or confined at all times and should never be allowed on public property, or around strangers and children. Without appropriate treatment, the dog's confidence and behavior will worsen with each exposure to threatening situations (e.g., crowded places, or veterinary clinics).
Dogs growl because they are insecure and anxious in social situations. If the underlying insecurity is not resolved, the growls will become warnings of escalating aggression. Aside from obvious safety concerns, we must also address the dog’s peace of mind. It is decidedly not pleasant to feel anxious yet be forced to face your biggest fears on a daily basis. If a dog feels anxious around people, it is simply unfair, cruel even, to force the dog to frequent places where there are lots of people. Regardless of the reasons for the dog’s fear, there is a huge urgency to resolve the problem — to rebuild the dog’s confidence — so that your dog can get his life back.

The “Solution” Becomes The Problem
If an owner is nervous or reactive, the dog will likely become nervous and reactive. As the dog starts “acting up”, the handler becomes more apprehensive. As the dog senses the rising tension, he becomes increasingly “on edge”. A vicious circle quickly develops as the dog's uneasiness fuels the owner's anxiety and vice versa. The approach of a stranger may be the last straw that prompts the dog to growl and maybe bite.
Limiting treatment to punishing the dog for growling usually makes matters worse. The dog is growling because he feels uptight in specific situations, for example, when approached by a stranger. If the dog is punished, he now has two reasons to be uptight — the initial reason — lack of confidence and now, the prospect of correction, or punishment, which further destroys his confidence.
In many cases, punishment causes the growling to increase in frequency. This is not a learning paradox but rather, physical punishment is a common cause for growling. Any punishment in a stressful situation will only make the dog more on edge. Another vicious circle develops, whereby the more the dog is punished, the more he has reason to growl and hence, the more he is punished etc. The “attack” by the handler — the dog's only immediate ally — tends to make dogs especially nervous and “spooky”. It must be extremely unsettling for a dog to have his best friend suddenly turn against him in times of need. At first the dog may be puzzled by the handler's unpredictable outbursts. Soon, however, the dog learns that the handler's uneasiness is contingent upon the specific situation, e.g., approach by another dog, or a stranger. As such, the stranger's approach now becomes a signal that forewarns the dog that punishment is imminent. Most dogs do not like it when their owners become anxious, apprehensive, or agitated and so, the dog now has a third reason to growl — to keep the stranger at bay, in order to prevent the owner from becoming uneasy. It as if the dog is trying to communicate to the approaching dog or stranger, “Keep back! My owner is untrustworthy around other people and dogs.”
Characteristically, the dog develops a Jekyll-and-Hyde-type personality. Owners often report that their dog is perfectly fine off-leash but that he invariably becomes reactive on-leash (i.e., with his owner close) and when other dogs and strangers approach. Ironically, the dog probably has the same view about the owner. “My owner is just wonderful most of the time. She comes from exceptional breeding stock and she is perfect when off-leash but … she simply cannot be trusted on-leash around other people or dogs.”
Even more dangerous are cases wherein punishment successfully inhibits growling yet does nothing to resolve, or even exacerbates, the underlying problem. The dog still feels uptight, but no longer gives warning. The dog still doesn’t like strangers and wants to growl, but dare not. This is akin to a smoke alarm with no batteries, or a time-bomb with no tick. The dog's temperament is still extremely unstable but on the surface, all appears to be well. When dogs are agitated, the very last thing to do is stop them from growling. I mean that literally. Of course, the dog should be trained to stop growling, but only once the underlying confidence problem has been resolved.

Proofing
Temperament training involves two-stage progressive desensitization, whereby the dog learns not only to tolerate the proximity and contact of strangers but also, to thoroughly enjoy their company and actions (even including mildly aversive handling). Progressive desensitization basically comprises shaping the classical conditioning process. Once the dog eagerly welcomes strangers and is no longer intimidated by their actions, and hence has no reason to act defensively, he may be taught to "Shush!" on command, as described in Malamute Memories.
Various desensitization and classical conditioning techniques have been descried in other articles, e.g., Retreat ‘n Treat and specific “ouch-tests”, “grab-tests” and other confidence building exercises are illustrated in the SIRIUS® Puppy TrainingDVDs. In fact, lure-reward (non-contact) training techniques (illustrated in the DVDs) are the techniques de rigueur for working with fearful and/or aggressive dogs. It is important for strangers not to reach for, or touch, fearful dogs during training, because proximity and contact by strangers is often the trigger. Similarly, merely contacting, let alone correcting an aggressive dog may precipitate aggressive behavior. The idea is to alleviate the problem, not make it worse.
The prime directive in rehabilitation is that no stranger be allowed to approach, let alone touch, the dog, until the dog has both the confidence and the inclination to approach and contact the stranger. A fearful or aggressive dog should never be “flooded” by a social stimulus. The social stimulus, e.g., person or another dog, should never be allowed to approach. Instead the dog must be given ample time and opportunity to retreat, or approach when ready.
Therapy hinges on getting the dog to approach a stranger voluntarily. Enticing the dog to approach for the first time is the most time consuming aspect of treatment, thereafter training proceeds quickly and smoothly. Training is facilitated using both counterconditioning and troubleshooting techniques. Rather than antagonizing the dog's condition, by subjecting him to infrequent and scary hugging or examination by strangers often followed by correction and punishment, the goal is to progressively build the dog's confidence via several hundred gentle approaches and brief examinations, each with pleasant consequences. It is important not to push the dog too far too fast. The dog must always have the option of retreating.

Counterconditioning
Before involving a stranger, the owner should teach the dog how he is expected to act around people. Knowing acceptable protocol, i.e., knowing “what to do”, often reduces anxiety when under stress. For example, for people who are nervous when speaking in public, reading from cue cards is less nerve-racking than giving an extemporaneous address in front of two thousand people. It is easier for the dog to be in a controlled position when being examined, but let's forget the stand for examination until the dog has completely overcome his fear of strangers. The stand-stay is the most unstable of the four basic stays and most probably, instructing the dog to stand already has unpleasant associations. To continue to force the dog to stand for examination will destroy the dog's stand-stay in short order. Instead, once the dog voluntarily approaches each person, we will teach him to first sit for examination and later to lie down, or roll over, when being examined. The stand-stay will be reintroduced once the dog is no longer afraid of people.
Troubleshooting
To expedite desensitization, it is advisable to subject the dog to a couple of hundred sit for examinations, involving half a dozen or so strangers, in a single session. Multiple approaches are essential for success, since the first approach is always the most frightening and time consuming. Thereafter, the dog builds confidence with each examination.
Whether performed as a preventive exercise for puppies and good natured adult dogs, or as a therapeutic exercise for growly adult dogs, the following procedure may be applied to a single dog at home or in a private consultation, or in a class format as described below.

Confidence Building Classes
One or more six-week classes may be required to rehabilitate adult fearful dogs. However, the lengthy procedure explained below may be, and should be, conducted during a Puppy Class as a preventive exercise, in just a fraction of the time.
Each dog attends class with his owner and a friend. In Week 1 the owner teaches the dog the routine described below, with the friend holding the leash and then, the friend works the dog while the owner holds the leash. Once owner and friend have each approached the dog twenty- or thirty-times, the friends continue to restrain the dogs on leash while the owners work as strangers with the next dog in line. The entire process is repeated with at least twice as many trials, before the owners move on to work with the next dog in the line, and so forth.
To encourage the dogs to approach strangers, work with hungry dogs and plenty of tasty food treats. Remember that strangers cannot use the rewards that they would normally use when training their own dogs — praise and petting. A stranger’s voice, approach and hand-contact are the very triggers that precipitate fearfulness and aggression. During rehabilitation, ONLY feed dogs from the hand. Any time you feed a dog from a food bowl is a terrible waste of potential rewards in training that otherwise could have helped the dog overcome his fears. Feeding a dog from a food bowl hijacks training.
Because the dogs will receive a whole bunch of treats in a single session, do not use junk-food treats, or else the dogs will end up with livers like geese. Instead, use the dog's regular dry kibble garnished with a little freeze-dried liver. Each day, weigh out the dogs daily ration of kibble, put it in a plastic bag with a pinch of freeze-dried liver powder, shake well and use as directed. Tonight the dog will eat dinner, handfed by strangers. Obviously, if any dog has a history of lunging, snapping, or nipping, muzzle the dog. Wearing an open-ended muzzle, a dog may safely take treats from the open hand. If the dog has any history of biting (puncturing the skin), the following procedure should be conducted as a private consultation and not in a public class.
1. Even though your dog quickly learned to approach you and your friend, it is highly unlikely he will run straight up to take a treat from the first stranger. However, it is usually possible to entice the dog to approach at least part of the way. See Retreat ‘n Treat. If the stranger stands at a distance where the dog feels comfortable, tosses a treat and then steps back, characteristically, the dog will tentatively approach to grab the treat before bidding a hasty retreat. Characteristically, fearful dogs vacillate between approach and avoidance as they build confidence. If they are allowed to retreat and approach in their own good time, the vacillation gradually disappears, especially if the stranger retreats each time the dog approaches. After a number of trials, the dog will approach and take food from the stranger’s hand. Repeat this a number of times, with the stranger always stepping back as the dog takes the food, thus encouraging the dog to approach once more. Each approach builds confidence.
2. Once the dog approaches readily, use a lure-hand signal to entice the dog to sit before receiving the food reward. Again, lure-reward techniques are absolutely essential when training fearful dogs to approach and sit. The stranger must never approach, reach for, or touch the dog until he eagerly and enthusiastically approaches and sits.
3. Once the dog has approached and sat to take treats several times in a row, rather than giving the treat, instruct the dog to sit-stay and step back a couple of paces (with the dog restrained on leash). The dog has become accustomed to receiving a treat immediately upon sitting and hence, will exclaim the canine equivalent of: "Yo! Get back here with my treat". The stranger may now safely approach to offer the treat since the dog is no longer afraid. (Only seconds previously, he had voluntarily approached and nuzzled the stranger's hand.) The dog is now kept in a sit-stay while the stranger alternately retreats and approaches (and treats) the dog several times in succession, progressively increasing the speed and varying the manner with each approach.
4. Once the dog is accustomed to any manner, or speed, of approach, the stranger may stand in front of the dog and periodically offer treats while the dog remains in a sit-stay. When the dog is thoroughly at ease with the stranger’s presence (and presents), the handler may slowly reach for the dog and briefly scratch him behind his ear with one hand, while offering a treat with the other hand. This is repeated many times over, progressively increasing the scratching-time with each treat until substantial petting (examination) is possible. The speed of hand movement and the vigorousness of contact are gradually increased with each trial. After sufficient repetitions, the stranger will be able to quickly grab the dog's scruff and hold on firmly and the dog will say, "Where's my treat good buddy? Go on, grab me again!"
If ever the dog appears to be apprehensive, baulks, or lowers his head when touched, immediately back-pedal and happily call the dog, i.e., go back to square one and start again — the dog was being pushed too far too fast. It is important to proceed slowly. A single mistake — just a little impatience — will cause an enormous retrograde step.
5. Once the dog feels comfortable with approach and contact, it is time to combine the two exercises. With the dog in a sit-stay, back-up, approach, instruct the dog to sit, reach for his collar and offer the treat. Repeat this many times over, varying both the speed and nature of the approach and contact.
The above routine is repeated in Week 2 with the same people, each carrying something, e.g., walking stick, umbrella, clip board, etc. Weeks 3 & 4 are similar to Weeks 1 & 2, but employing a down for examination instead of the sit, and in Week 4 everybody wears something a little out of the ordinary, e.g., floppy hats, sunglasses, false beards, sou'wester and Wellies, Mickey Mouse masks, frogman's flippers, etc. Week 5 introduces the stand for examination and Week 6 the rollover for examination. However, by now, the dogs are no longer afraid of people and so their approach will not untowardly affect the dogs’ stays. Additionally in Week 6, everybody wears a costume, walks silly and talks silly. At this stage, the many strangers (now, all good buddies) may run and shout and grab the dog, which happily and confidently remains to be handled.
If necessary the six-week course may be repeated with a new selection of strangers but additionally, the above procedure should be repeated with every person who comes in contact with the dog as part of routine canine husbandry. Temperament training never stops.
The dog no longer growls when the stranger approaches, because he is no longer afraid of strangers, so now it is time to teach the dog to "Shush!" on cue. Should the dog ever growl at anyone in the future, instruct the dog to shush (so as not to frighten people) and immediately remove the dog from the stressful situation (because he is still frightened). And then it is time for MUCH more classical conditioning and desensitization. You stopped training because you thought the dog was better. Remember, behavior never remains the same. If you continue to train your dog, his behavior will continue to improve. But as soon as you stop training, your dog’s behavior will begin to drift downhill. And so, keep training.

This article is based on Dr. Dunbar's Behavior column in the June 1989 issue of the American Kennel Gazette. Reprinted with permission of the author and the American Kennel Club.

Food for thought for toy dog owners...

2011-12-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

PROTECTING THE LITTLE DOG

From Dog Star Daily - Cindy Bruckart

Do little dogs really need extra protection? In some cases, perhaps. Generally, they don't. What small dogs really need is to learn how to navigate and negotiate the big, wide world full of bigger dogs, large humans and clumbsy little humans.

Little dogs MUST learn as small puppies (ages 8 - 16 weeks) that running from bigger dogs will lead to being chased and that they can stop larger puppies from smooshing them by giving some puppy feedback. I get really excited when a large breed pup puts a heavy paw on a small breed pup, receives a squeal or a snark and quickly learns that he must be more careful with this little dog. At the same time, the smaller pup learns that she DOES have some control over the situation. She learns that she CAN speak up, keep herself protected and play with the big guys. To me, this is a wonderous thing!

A small breed pup who is constantly held and sheltered never gets the opportunity to figure out how to interact with others. Instead, the world is a scary place that must be kept at bay with nipping, whining and growling. Hands are constantly coming at these little dogs while they are being restrained, up in the air. THAT is scary!

Just as the Rottweiler may begin to think that people are strange and unpredictable because they get defensive and nervous in the Rottie's presence, small breed dogs can pick up on their owner's anxiety in the presence of bigger dogs and children. I wonder if these dogs are actually afraid of the other dogs and children, or if they've learned that when other dogs or children arrive on the scene, they are going to be scooped up and restrained by a nervous owner.

Of course we should be careful when dogs of different sizes are playing together. Big groups of dogs at dog daycare or a dog park are better off being separated by size and play style. But when pups are pups, between the ages of 8 - 16 weeks, they MUST play with other puppies of all shapes, sizes and play styles. This is the time when it's safe for little dogs to learn confidence and bigger dogs to learn to be gentle.

For more information on raising a small breed dog properly, read Small Dogs, Big Hearts: A Guide to Caring for your Little Dog, by Darlene Arden.

Punishment - a bad word?

2011-12-19T12:50:00.001-08:00

From Dog Star daily - By L. Whelan

Punishment has become such a bad word of late within popular dog training media.

There are some trainers that say they only use Positive Reinforcement. The word punishment invokes certain feelings and ideas in many people’s minds. From personal experience it seems, choke chains, alpha rolls, slapping or hitting etc. Yes all off these things could be described as punishing – perhaps! Read on…

To understand what a punisher is we need to understand learning theory. Punishment is something that reduces behaviour. Reinforcement is something that increases behaviour. Now, take the choke chain example – if I stop choking the dog when he sits down, I have just used the removal of the choke chain as reinforcement for the dog to sit! This is called Negative Reinforcement – the removal of an unpleasant/undesirable stimulus when the desired behaviour occurs.

The word punishment is no-where to be seen in this situation – however, of course this is not something that should ever be done to a dog! It is a fact that it is impossible to train a dog without the use of punishment! Think about it. If your dog jumps up on you and you ignore him i.e. remove the reinforcement of your attention. This will over time reduce the jumping up behaviour. This process is known as Negative Punishment! This is what a “positive reinforcement trainer” does.

However, none of us would ever say that we use Negative Punishment to a client – because of the perceived notion of what the word punishment means. Telling a child that they won’t get any ice-cream until they stop their tantrum is Negative Punishment! Negative Punishment sounds terrible, but when it’s explained, it is of course is the ethical way to deal with that situation. Slapping the child to stop the tantrum is called positive punishment – this is the addition of an unpleasant stimulus in order to reduce a specific behaviour. Punishment has become such a bad word and I believe undermines people’s ability to truly understand how their dogs learn.

What the solution is I’m not sure – the general public is already bombarded with so many notions and ideas about what makes a good dog trainer.

Ethical Training is a term I like to use. Which would incorporate both the use of Positive Reinforcement and Negative Punishment in training and is a more correct way of describing how we should train our dogs.

Teaching your dog to be home alone

2011-12-18T10:47:00.001-08:00

By Robert Abrantes

You can teach your dog to be home alone in five steps. The earlier you begin, the better.

Number one canine problem behavior is “home alone.” Don’t panic if someone tells you that your dog suffers from separation anxiety. It’s probably not the case. Anxiety is a serious disorder and most dogs don’t have any anxiety when left alone. They are either under-stimulated and burn their surplus energy by wrecking the furniture, they’re having fun and don’t know that it is wrong to destroy human possessions, or the owners have not taught them the desired routines when left home alone. There is a good chance that you can solve the problem with my five steps program.

You’re not alone. Problems with dogs that can’t be home alone (I call it CHAP=Canine Home Alone Problem) is the most common problem all over the world when we keep dogs as pets. Everybody seems to have a different idea as how to solve the problem. Remember the principle: too many cooks spoil the broth. If you choose to follow some other method, please do it and don’t even bother reading the following. If you choose to follow my five steps method, stick to it and don’t listen to what others tell you.

Teach your dog to be home alone in five steps:

DLO means desired learning objective.
QC means Quality Control and indicates the number of times in a row (or similar criteria) you must have accomplished your DLO successfully before you move to the next step.

1. Teach the dog to associate the bed (crate, blanket, spot, or whatever you have chosen) with positive experiences.

DLO: The dog likes to lie down on the bed.

QC: The dog goes often and voluntarily to its bed.

Throw a couple of treats on the bed of the dog (without the dog seeing it) whenever there are none left.
Whenever the dog lies on the bed, reinforce it verbally (don’t exaggerate, so that the dog gets up).
Sometimes, pet the dog when it lies on the bed (calmly).
Send the dog to bed with a particular signal, e.g. “bed” 10-20 times daily.
Send the dog to its bed often when you watch TV, read the news, do computer work, etc.

2. Teach the dog meaning of the word “bed.”

DLO: The dog goes to the bed after you say “bed” without any problems.

QC: Ten successive correct behaviors.

Send the dog to the bed with the word “bed” by pointing to the bed or throwing a treat on the bed.
Use only the word “bed.” Don’t say anything else.
Reinforce it verbally, calmly so it remains on the bed.

3. The dog lies down on the bed even if you walk away.

DLO: The dog lies down on the bed even if you walk away.

QC: Ten successive correct behaviors.

Send the dog to the bed with the word “bed.”
Reinforce it verbally, calmly so it remains on the bed.
Stop reinforcing it immediately if it should leave within 10 seconds and ignore it for a couple of minutes. (Important: those two minutes must be particularly boring for the dog).

Start all over until the dog remains on the bed even if you walk away.

4. Teach the dog to stay on the bed.

DLO: The dog lies on the bed for three minutes after you leave the room.

QC: Ten successive correct behaviors.

Reinforce the dog verbally as soon as it lies on the bed after you said “bed.” Be calm.
When the dog lies quietly on the bed, leave the room for two seconds, then come back.

Repeat, leaving the room at irregular intervals and for irregular periods, e.g. 5 s, 30 s, 4 s, 1 minute, etc.
If the dog remains on the bed, do nothing.
Should the dog leave its bed, send it back and start all over.

5. Teach the dog to stay on the bed when you leave the room and close the door.

DLO: You can leave the dog and close the door without any problem.

QC: Ten successive correct behaviors.

As soon as you can leave the room three minutes without the dog leaving its bed, repeat procedures in point 4 but beginning to close the door.
The first times, do not close the door, only touch it.
The following times, leave the door ajar.
Then, leave the room, close the door for two seconds, open it and enter the room. If all is all right, do not pay attention to the dog. Otherwise, start all over with point 5.
Finally, leave the room, close the door, stay out for irregular periods, open it and enter the room. If all is all right, do not pay attention to the dog.

Maintaining the good behavior

Even when you’re home, leave the dog alone sometimes. Do not pay attention to it all the time.
Always stimulate the dog properly before leaving. Remember: too little and too much are equally wrong.
Give the dog something to do when you leave. You don’t even need to invest in expensive toys. A plastic bottle full of treats will keep the dog busy for a while figuring out how to take them out (watch the dog the first couple of times and encourage it, if necessary, to toss the bottle around and not bite it).
Place the dog’s bed in a central place in the house (living room). Most dogs don’t like to feel isolated.
Continue using “bed” and continue making the bed attractive with occasional treats, verbal reinforcing and petting (all very calmly).
Make sure the bed is not too clean (most dogs don’t appreciate our flagrance drenched laundry), nor too dirty and is doggy-comfortable.
Pick up your keys often (or put on your shoes, cap or whatever you normally do before you leave) so that the dog disassociates these cues with being left alone.

Here is some explanation for those of you interested in the principles of these five-steps method:

We create a positive association with the bed so that the dog will go often and voluntarily to its bed.
We get the dog used to lie on the bed when we are at home either relaxing or doing our home work. After all, the ideal dog is the dog that it quiet at home and active when out.
We teach the dog the meaning of the word “bed.”
We get the dog used to us leaving the room and coming back as a normal routine.
We teach the dog to associate the door with a normal routine.
We create a routine for the dog that when there’s nothing to do at home, the best is to go to bed.

You maximize your chances of speedy success if:

The dog sleeps on its bed at night and (even better) if it doesn’t sleep in the same room as you.
The dog is routinely well stimulated (under-stimulated dogs are more difficult to teach to be home alone)
The dog is not hyper-active and over-stimulated (over-stimulated dogs have difficulties in remaining in the same spot for longer periods of time).

Important for you:

Be calm no matter what you do.
Advance step by step.
Be patient.
Control your emotions and behavior when you succeed as well as when you fail.
If you haven’t anything important to say to the dog, be quiet.
It’s your responsibility alone to understand and implement this five-steps program and to adjust them if needed, not the dog’s.
If my five steps method don’t seem to solve the problem, it may be that your dog shows genuine separation anxiety in which case you must contact a competent specialist.

Eugenics or dysgenics - more to consider in dog breeding

2011-12-18T10:29:00.000-08:00

From Dog Star Daily:

Natural selection is nature's fail-safe way of maintaining eugenics (good genes and fine offspring). All dogs are different, (individual variation being an inherent characteristic of sexual reproduction), and different dogs fair differently in different situations. Dogs best suited to the immediate environment (the genetically fittest) do well; the less fit do less well; and the unfit usually die. In the wild, the process of natural selection promotes the survival of the fittest and ensures the elimination of nature's mistakes. With domestic animals, however, continuing improvements in veterinary technology and the practice of artificial selection allow breeders to mess with Mother Nature — sometimes for the better, but sometimes for the worse. Nowadays, the responsibility of maintaining a healthy gene pool and preventing deleterious effects on the line and breed (i.e., dysgenics) lies predominantly with the integrity of individual breeders.

Artificial Selection
The aim of artificial selection is to improve the gene pool along prescribed lines. However, extreme unilateral selection for specific characteristics, whether improved structure, appearance, or working ability, is often at the expense of other characteristics. What you gain on the swings you lose on the roundabouts! In addition to selectively breeding for specific coveted or beneficial traits, breeders must strive to maintain balanced and comprehensive selection criteria that ensure the general wellbeing of the breed. It is vital to consider the relative advantages and disadvantages of frequent outcrosses to similar but parallel (unrelated) lines, and periodic outcrosses to dissimilar lines. Ruthless line-breeding (father to daughter and brother to sister) causes the inheritance of bad qualities as well as good qualities. Breeders must equate potential breed-gains, (such as, improved dentition, coat color, or body size) with potential or probable, breed-losses, (such as, sensory deficiencies, physiological abnormalities, decreased life-expectancy and the inability to mate or whelp). Best In Show honors tempt too many breeders to mate good-looking dogs, knowing full well they have serious anatomical and medical defects. Slash and burn breeding — destroying the forest for maybe one or two good crops!

Ironically, breeder-induced doggy dysgenics is most apparent in the realm of reproduction. There are many examples of purebred dogs that can not mate and of bitches that can neither whelp, nor care for their young without human assistance. If we are not careful, the term “breeder” will fast become a misnomer. Mixed-breed dogs seem to have few problems breeding and free-whelping. In fact, most of them manage to do it in public. So, what's the problem with purebred dogs?

Nature has a wonderful way to promote promiscuity, fertility and fecundity — problem-maters have no genetic representation in subsequent generations! During early domestication, there was a rigid selective pressure for breeding ability. Animals that could not, or would not, breed in captivity did not produce domestic stock, whereas good breeders passed along genes for good breeding to foster future generations of good breeders. For pet dogs, there continues to be a strong selection for breeding ability. Those that can't — don't, whereas those that can — sometimes do. And, by so doing, they pass on their genes for good-breeding to foster subsequent generations of good breeders. On the other hand, purebred dogs have been emphatically selected for breed-specific characteristics, and as a result, breeding ability and fecundity have suffered. Additionally, the elusive quest for the perfect body prompts many breeders to go to great lengths, employing various artificial means, to breed known poor breeders. By so doing, they are propagating a population of good-looking dogs that cannot even reproduce by themselves — much like many modern-day plants. Thus, in the purebred environment, many individual animals and their genetic problems are artificially created, maintained and propagated by human intervention.

Veterinary Intervention
Veterinary science exists for the benefit of individual animals and for the betterment of the breed and species. Indeed, veterinarians frequently come to the aid of individual dogs, but sometimes, veterinary intervention may be detrimental for the breed as a whole. Improved veterinary treatment frees dogs from some of the natural selective pressures imposed by nature. Hence, in the domestic environment, many animals are allowed to survive and breed, which most certainly would have died without such intervention. It is essential to distinguish between the fate of individual dogs and the fate of the breed. Of course, we would all do our best to save the lives of individual dogs, but it would be a disservice to future generations to breed such dogs and possibly pass on genetic defects, which could promulgate the very same problems.

Survival of the Unfit?
Some pups are born with physical defects. Others have less obvious problems and turn out to be “poor-doers” or runts. The question of what to do with the runt (or runts) of the litter, or puppies with physical defects, must be individually addressed by each breeder. The eugenic options include: culling the litter, letting nature take its course, or saving the pups but neutering them. Also, when a bitch rejects a pup, perhaps we should pay heed to her decision and most certainly neuter the pup should it survives. The pup may grow up to be a marvelous companion dog, but not a breeding prospect. With two sickly litters from the same dam it would be prudent to neuter the dam. Perhaps she has a predisposition to infectious disease, which may be passed to her offspring.

Breeding the Unfit?
Many purebred dogs need help to breed: holding the bitch and/or male dog, guiding the penis into the vulva, and in some cases resorting to artificial insemination. Sometimes heroic efforts are needed just to stimulate interest in breeding activity.

One might argue that man-made, purebred dogs were not meant to exist in the wild, but that does not mean, that they should not be able to lead long and healthy lives and be able to reproduce by themselves. Aside from the obvious, that inability to mate and care for young is both unnatural and unhealthy, there are sound utilitarian reasons why natural mating and maternal behavior are important. Natural mating and courtship and even the sight, sound and/or smell of a member of the opposite sex stimulate the production and release of the pituitary hormones, that control ovulation and the number of ova released, i.e., courtship improves fertility and fecundity. Most important though, natural mating and maternal behavior are essential. Courtship is nature's temperament test and natural maternal care lays the very foundation for puppy socialization and learning bite inhibition.

Natural Mating
Courtship comprises a species-specific, stereotyped choreography of behavioral interaction. Thus, the bitch is afforded the opportunity to evaluate her prospective mate’s mastery of social intercourse prior to sexual intercourse. Successful courtship is proof that an excited male dog may interact appropriately, without fear or aggression. Despite several thousand years of selection for promiscuity in domestic dogs, many bitches still remain highly selective in their choice of mating partner. And the most common reason for a bitch to refuse a stud (aside from her not being in estrus) appears to be that the male was antisocial, asocial, or naive or clumsy in his advances, or that she simply didn’t fancy him. To put it simply, courtship weeds out potential studs that do not have the requisite social savvy or attractiveness (whether the male dog’s lack of socialization is due to experiential deficiency or some inherent predisposition). We have to raise a huge red
behavior/temperament warning flag, if a dog lacks the desire, ability or social savvy to mate.

To muzzle or restrain fearful or aggressive dogs to get them to mate is just too silly for words. Who on earth would want to mate a dog to one with obvious temperament problems? Moreover, I can think of only one acceptable reason for artificial insemination — when dogs are separated by large distances. It is often much cheaper and more convenient to transport semen than the dog. However, unless we are talking about an extremely rare breed, it would be a mite pompous to assume there is not a good mating prospect within driving distance. Artificial insemination is not wise if the male dog is injured, diseased, or dead. Perhaps the dog has an inherent disposition for injury (e.g., weak bones or joints), disease, or early death. In any case, why inseminate an extant bitch with sperm from an extinct male. If the purpose of selective breeding is to improve genetic stock, why use old-fashioned and out of date sperm?

Owners of bitches can afford to be and indeed, should be, extremely choosey when selecting a prospective stud because genetic change within a breed is effected extremely quickly and dramatically via male dogs. Whereas a bitch's genes are passed along to only a score or two of pups in her entire reproductive career, a stud's genetic moiety may be passed on to twenty pups in just a couple of days! Genes from far too few male dogs are over-represented in the gene pool of many breeds. Whereas this is the prevailing sexual strategy for many animals, (e.g., cattle, sheep, chickens), it is unnatural for dogs. A bitch’s much greater temporal and physiological investment in her young is protected by preferential mating, i.e., her selection of a preferred partner. Hence, if we are to choose a stud for a bitch, we should do so with extreme discretion and also, we would be wise to at least consider her preferences.

Natural Whelping and Maternal Care
Elective Caesarians are surprisingly common, especially amongst large-headed/narrow-pelvic breeds and many toy breeds. If an elective Caesarian is thought to be necessary, then for Heavens sake, don't breed the bitch in the first place. Why breed a bitch when you think that her pelvis might be too small to give birth naturally? Why perpetuate a line of dogs with pelvises too small to give birth? It is unfair to subject the bitch to a major operation, which could be life-threatening if not performed on time. And it is unethical to perpetuate iatrogenic problems.

If an emergency Caesarian has been necessary to save the life of the dam and her litter, breeders should consider spaying the bitch and neutering the offspring. If a Caesarian is necessary on a subsequent whelping, breeders should definitely spay the bitch and neuter her offspring (males included) from both litters.
There are simply no excuses for artificially breeding dogs that cannot give birth naturally. There are still many free-whelping Bulldogs, Bostons, Frenchies, Yorkies and Chihuahuas, which may be bred with healthy, mature, good-looking males. Certainly coat color, conformation and cuteness may take a bit of a hit for a couple of generations, but certainly nothing that educated selective breeding cannot resolve in a few more generations.

Elective Caesarians usually have profound and long-lasting, deleterious effects on puppy temperament and the development of bite inhibition. Maternal behavior is precipitated by the many hormonal changes that occur during parturition. Parturition and maternal behavior are augmented by sensory stimulation as each fetus passes through the cervix, by the bitch licking the amniotic fluids from the pup’s pelage, and by the pups’ nursing. To perform a Caesarian before the bitch comes into whelp, risks the likelihood that she will be disinterested in her offspring, or may even attempt to harm them. Such pups have to be hand-raised and are thus deprived of the bitch's colostrum and passive immunity against many serious diseases. Additionally, pups are deprived of primary social interaction with the dam, i.e., the equivalent of behavioral immunity from future adult behavior and temperament problems. Lack of maternal care is the harbinger of dog-dog temperament problems. A vicious circle is quickly established — asocial dogs are less likely to socialize and hence, more likely to become antisocial, i.e., fearful and/or aggressive towards other dogs.

When maternal behavior goes awry, the development of bite inhibition is put on hold. Normally, during passive and active weaning, the bitch responds to over-aggressive nursing, or whenever the pups bear down, or nip at her teats.

There is no earthly reason, why all breeds of dog should not mate and whelp normally. It is just as easy to vigilantly select for good breeding and fecundity, as it is to select for conformation or working ability. The problem is simple — whereas there has been a strong artificial selection for large heads in many breeds, there has been no obviously necessary, concomitant selection for large pelvises. So… let's select for adequately-gauged birth-canals now! Only mate bitches that are descended from free-whelping lines, or proven bitches, that have previously always whelped naturally and successfully raised their young.

Life Expectancy
Many breeds of dog have a shockingly long list of breed-specific health problems and as a result, many purebred dogs die at a young age. Again, there are simply no excuses for purebred dogs not living long and healthy lives. It is as easy to selectively breed for health and life-expectancy as it is to breed for coat color or conformation — only breed dogs free of breed-specific diseases and only breed old male dogs. There is no better index of a dog’s robust genotype, health, behavior and temperament, than living to a ripe old age. Since male dogs have such a colossal impact on the gene pool of any breed, let’s only breed male dogs of at least seven years of age. There are a bunch of 16 year-old Dobies, Boxers and Newfies just waiting in the wings. They’ve made it to 16 years, so, “Let’s put them in coach!”

Breeding Program
Each time veterinary intervention is necessary to save the life of individual fetuses, puppies, or dogs, the breeder should consider neutering that individual. If human intervention would be necessary to create the life of individual dogs, it is seldom in the best interests of pure-bred dogs to breed the dogs at all.

A simple breeding maxim: "If you even think there is anything weird about a dog, then don't breed it." Instead, for at least three breeding generations, let’s go back to step one and selectively breed for natural mating, natural whelping and long life-expectancy (health). Preferentially breed healthy male dogs at least seven years of age, (with no obvious deficiencies or defects, no predisposition to breed-specific disease, and descended from similarly healthy, long-lived forebears), with proven bitches of similar progenitors, all of which have courted, mated and whelped naturally and successfully raised healthy pups that lived to a ripe old age.
When we give our hearts to a young pup, it would be so reassuring to know that the dog’s sunset years are likely to last well into his mid-teens. Remember… “A living dog is better than a dead lion.”

How to tell when your dog is playing

2011-12-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

Dog Behavior by Jolanta Benal

Common dog-park scenario number 1: people watch while two dogs play. Suddenly, the dogs are snapping and snarling at each other. The dispute ends quickly and nobody gets hurt, but the humans are shaken. None of them saw that canine argument coming.

Common dog-park scenario number 2: two dogs bounce and wrestle. They never stop moving, flashing their teeth at each other, snarling, growling. Their people watch them anxiously, then wade in to break up the “fight.”

Can You Tell if Dogs are Playing or Fighting?
In the first scenario, the humans missed the signs of escalating tension between their dogs. In the second scenario, they missed the dogs’ mutual signals that all the roughhousing and horrible noises were play.

There are three point we are going to look at:

How dogs communicate playful intentions
What play styles different dogs enjoy
How to tell when the game may be about to go awry.

How Do Dogs Signal They Want to Play?
Most of you probably already know that play often starts with a “play bow”--front end low, butt wiggling in the air, goofy openmouthed smile. Behavior nerds call the play bow a metasignal, meaning it tells the recipient how to interpret what comes next.

When Fido offers Spike a play bow, she’s communicating that subsequent lunges, growls, bounces, and snaps aren’t real threats. When two dogs know each other well, they may barely sketch the play bow. The researcher and writer Alexandra Horowitz calls the result a “play slap”--exactly what it sounds like, a fast slap with the forepaws of the ground in front of the dog.

Do Dogs Laugh?
Dogs may also laugh to initiate play. The behaviorist Patricia Simonet describes the laugh as a “pronounced forced,breathy exhalation”--panting, but a particular kind of panting, with a broader frequency range. In Simonet’s small study, puppies who heard recorded pant-laughs often picked up a toy or approached people and other dogs who were present. Another puppy-typical play invitation is the face-paw--Puppy A swipes a forepaw at Puppy B’s face.

Or, as one scientific paper puts it, “This action involves extension of one of the forelimbs toward the face of the other animal.” That really doesn’t quite convey the cute, does it? Some adult dogs paw-swipe, but it doesn’t always go over so well, especially when a big galoot directs his paw-swipe to a smaller dog.

What Are the Different Kinds of Doggy Play?
Play itself can be lightning fast, one reason humans often find it difficult to interpret. Chase, wrestling, and tug are a few common forms, and dogs have individual preferences and play styles. A personal favorite of mine is “face fighting,” where two dogs stand or lie face to face with their teeth bared, scissoring their heads back and forth and snarling ferociously.

In her younger days, the now elderly Isabella and our late Pit mix Muggsy Malone used to grab any loose skin they could get hold of and drag each other around our apartment. Play that intense can easily devolve into fighting, but Izzy and Muggsy were especially close friends and rarely did their play go wrong.

How to Tell When Dog Play Is Going Well

How can you tell when play, especially intense play, is going right? Look for constant, fluid, loose movement. As the play goes on, you may see the dogs take turns being on the bottom or being chaser and chasee. Surprisingly, though, the only observational study of play between pairs of dogs found that switching off rarely produced a 50-50 balance between the dogs. The same study, by Erika Bauer and Barbara Smuts, found that younger and smaller dogs generally did the most self-handicapping and offered the most play signals. These also seemed to be subordinate dogs. Bauer and Smuts suggest that perhaps it’s important for subordinates to make it especially clear that play aggression doesn’t reflect a serious challenge.

Watch the dogs’ faces. Look for open mouths. You may see teeth and hear snarls and growls, but again these will be in the context of fluid movement and lots of change--the dogs won’t lock into any one position. Their ears and the corners of their mouths will likely be back rather than forward.

Socially Skilled Dogs Can Deal with Their Own Minor Mistakes

You don’t necessarily have to intervene every time play goes wrong. Even dogs with good social skills who are good friends sometimes make mistakes--nipping a little too hard, for instance, or body-slamming with just that bit too much enthusiasm. Usually, they’ll de-escalate all by themselves. The dog on the receiving end of the mistake will yelp or snap and the dog who made the mistake will move out of the other dog’s space. One or both dogs will probably “shake off,” as if shaking off water. Next may come a renewed invitation to play, which may or may not be accepted. Either way, the dogs have handled the situation just fine; unless this scenario takes place over and over and over again, there’s no call for humans to step in.

How to Tell When Dog Play Is Going Seriously Wrong

On the other hand, if you see brief freezes, or if the dogs are stiffening up, making more staccato movements, it’s definitely time to interrupt. If the players are vocal types, listen for growling that grows deeper and more intense. Boxing, with the dogs standing on their hind legs face to face, can be benign or can mark the prelude to a fight. Much depends on the individual dogs--some de-escalate easily, whereas others get more and more amped until suddenly it’s toddlers out of control on the playground and you’ve got a fight. Pit Bulls and various terriers often seem to have hair triggers, especially with dogs they don’t know well. If you’ve got such a dog, the crowding and random mingling at dog parks probably aren’t well suited for her--play dates and hikes with compatible dogs would be a better choice.

Can Dogs Who’ve Fought Become Friends?

Play does sometimes turn into a squabble even between socially skilled dogs and even between good friends. So the fact that you’ve had to break two dogs up doesn’t necessarily mean they shouldn’t meet and play again. Give them a breather from direct interaction--the humans should step away to open up the space around the dogs, and maybe take a stroll together. Then see what develops. These dogs may become friendly or indifferent non-playmates, or they may just have had some differences to work out. If play goes south repeatedly, though, the simplest response is to help the two dogs to steer clear of each other. You don’t get along with every person you meet, and rare is the dog who gets along with every other dog.

Can Three Dogs Play Well Together?

Dogs play best in pairs; when a third dog joins the mix, whether in chase or wrestling, two often gang up on the third. Alexandra Horowitz offers the plausible explanation that with multiple dogs it’s easy for those “we’re just playing” signals to get lost in the mix. Often one dog winds up lying on his back with his tail tucked between his legs and his neck exposed, while the others stand over him, stiff and tense. Or the victim dog will stand at bay, also with tucked tail. The others dart in and out, nipping. Or a chase game suddenly goes from “Yippee!” to “Uh-oh, they’re really after me!” Again, you’ll likely see the chasee’s tail tucked, and if the chasers catch up with her they may bodyslam her to the ground and then stand over her.

These ganging-up scenes are a pet peeve of mine. People often seem oblivious to the victim dog’s distress and will allow the bullying to continue until the victim explodes--at which point, guess which dog gets blamed? Fortunately, the more we learn about body language and behavior, the better we can respond to difficult situations.

Dangerous Dog law heading in right direction

2011-12-15T09:07:00.000-08:00

From the Kennel Club:

The Kennel Club has welcomed proposals for new draft guidelines on dangerous dog offences but remains concerned that dangerous dog legislation still urgently needs reform to include genuinely preventative measures.

The Sentencing Council has launched a consultation to obtain the views of the public on the new draft guidelines, which aim to ensure that there is effective guidance for the courts when sentencing owners, or those in control of a dog, who commit a dangerous dog offence.

The draft guidelines aim to ensure that the penalties for owning a banned breed will now be applied to owners of dangerous dogs of any kind, making it easier for offenders to be banned from keeping dogs, for genuinely dangerous dogs to be put down, and for compensation to be paid to victims of dog attacks. These proposals will apply in any public place and will mean that owners of dangerous dogs could potentially face up to two years in prison under new guidelines for the sentencing judges.

The Kennel Club believes that this is a step in the right direction in reforming current flawed dangerous dog legislation but is concerned that these measures alone will not fully protect the public from dangerous dog attacks as it is reactive rather than preventative.

A word from the Kennel Club
Caroline Kisko, Communications Director for the Kennel Club, said: “The Sentencing Council’s draft proposals are a step in the right direction but ultimately do not go far enough as legislation needs genuinely preventative measures in place.

“It is all well and good having tougher penalties and better guidelines for judges, but what is really needed are ways of reducing dog bite incidents in the first place. The Kennel Club believes this must be done through education, more resources and power to the police and local authorities to deal with irresponsible dog owners and the use of Dog Control Notices to encourage responsible dog ownership.

“There are currently huge amounts of funding and resources being wasted implementing breed specific legislation to seize and kennel dogs that are suspected of being a banned breed or type, regardless of whether or not they show any signs of being aggressive. All this time and money would be better spent dealing with genuine problem dogs, and indeed the irresponsible owners of dogs of any type, in order to reduce the number of cases having to go before a judge in the first place.”

The launch of the Sentencing Council's proposals comes as the Kennel Club joined with over twenty leading animal welfare and veterinary organisations, trade unions and MPs yesterday to appeal for urgent government action on the issue of irresponsible dog ownership and dog law reform, demanding the Government brings forward a Bill in the Queen’s Speech next year that consolidates and updates dog control legislation.

Get involved
To sign the petition calling on the Government to bring forward the relevant Bill in the Queen’s Speech next year, please visit:
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/22631

For more information on the Sentencing Council’s consultation on new sentencing proposals for dangerous dog offences, please visit
http://sentencingcouncil.judiciary.gov.uk/sentencing/consultations-current.htm

Christmas boarding

2011-11-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

As the weather may have indicated we are now well into Autumn and it won't be too long now before Christmas comes. While there is still much to be done, not least a multitude of doggy stockings and presents to be readied, we are now fully booked for the Christmas period.

Respondent conditioning techniques for changing behaviour

2011-09-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

A brief outline of the types of techniques used to change behaviour:

Habituation
- also known as adaptation occurs when a dog begins to have a less negative reaction to stimuli after being exposed to it several times

Counterconditioning
-undoing the effects of previous conditioning, often by providing a positive reinforcer to a stimulus that the dog has previously formed a negative association to.

Systematic Desensitization
- similar to counter conditioning but with additional elements of encouraging relaxation and systematic exposure to the problematic stimuli going from least to most problematic situation. The dog overcomes its fears gradually.

Flooding
- exposing the dog to the feared stimuli in one go.

A couple of case studies - in brief

2011-09-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

Recently I have had a number of clients bring their dogs to me with behavioural traits that they wish to modify or undo. Working exclusively with toy dogs a large proportion of the problems that I encounter are the result of fear aggression, often due to undersocialisation. However there are on occasion dogs who are naturally have a more nervous temperament and, in many cases, this is manifested by being excessively aggressive in certain situations.

One four month old pup is exhibiting aggression in the following circumstances:

- dog on dog aggression - when meeting (some) other dogs = growling, barking, lunging and biting
- redirected aggression to humans when the above occurs = turning and biting
- resource guarding with humans - aggression with food/toys/sofas/beds etc = lunging and biting
- resource guarding/control aggression with animals - as above when another dog approaches

There are many different labels for dog aggression and people can break the incidences of aggression down into several categories. However in this dog a miniature dachshund all of the above could equally be classed as fear aggression. Whenever the dog feels he is threatened socially or environmentally he wil respond with aggression. To him he is protecting himself by attacking.

Interestingly this dog is the first dog owned by a young couple and on meeting with them to discuss his behaviour. (This puppy is the most aggressive pup I have ever met and the first example I have seen of such blanket aggressive behaviour when there do not appear to have been environmental factors such as mistreatment involved.) I explained that the pup's aggression (which they assumed to be normal puppy behaviour) was as a result of his extreme nervousness combined with a typical daxie temperament they agreed saying:
'He was the pup in the litter that was most nervous, his tail was between his legs and he looked very worried when we met him.'
Those of us who know dogs will be amazed that in this day and age with the wealth of advice and resources available people are still buying the pup in the litter (along with the most boisterous) that really shouldn't be bought except by very experienced owners. It is disappointing to say the least that the KC reg breeder is breeding dogs with this temperament and allowing them to be sold to new unsuspecting owners. (This however is a different topic!)

Another dog with similar behaviour is an 18 m.o pomeranian (though she is unusual looking and I suspect a pomchi mix or at least odd breeding!)

This dog is very nervous in herself, tail between legs, ears back, slinking around. In particular she has exhibited extreme nervousness and aggression in the following situations.

When being handled.
When meeting new people
When meeting other dogs (although not on all occasions)
When other dogs come near her toys/chews

Like the daxie she lunges, growls and nips. Interestingly however the daxie does not show stress or anxiety per se. Only fear aggression in certain instances. The pom by contrast is constantly jittery and worried, very highly strung. She is not as quick to aggression as the dax, she will snap rather than straight out bite. However she regularly screams, squeals and shrieks as a way of showing her anxiety.

So what are some of the options for working with dogs like these?A

Resource guarding advice - 2, an example from Jean Donaldson

2011-09-10T11:54:00.001-07:00

Resource Guarding in Puppies

by DOGS NATURALLY on JANUARY 31, 2011 · 1 COMMENT

July/August Issue

by: Jean Donaldson

Dear Jean,

I just got a new nine week-old Rottie puppy. He’s stunning, smart and generally friendly but growls and snaps if I go near him while he’s eating. He also does this to my adult Rotties. I’ve never seen this in a puppy so young. Is he some sort of lemon? Is he a dominant dog? Is there anything I can do? Help!

It is indeed alarming for most people to see frank aggression in puppies. In the case of resource guarding – food, bone, bed etc. possessiveness – there is good news and bad news. The good news is you can start addressing it in a young, hopefully plastic, spongy puppy with weak jaws. The bad news is that there is some sentiment out there among trainers that aggression in puppies is an insidious sign of the problem having Deep Genetic Roots and therefore fruitless to tackle. I’m going to explore the whole nature-nurture debate later but for now will simply say that there doesn’t seem to be any overwhelmingly tidy correlation between behavior problems that are thought to have a strong genetic component and their susceptibility (or lack thereof) to behavior modification.

I recently had a similar case, in my own foster puppy. Buffy, a stray six week-old Chow, presented with object and food guarding against people and dogs. I elected to not touch the dog-dog issues, which is a relatively common approach. Her socialization and play skills were coming along nicely and she was developing good acquired bite inhibition. The guarding against people, however, needed to be actively resolved. The following is a summary of Buffy’s food guarding exercise regime. Incidentally, Buffy also presented with socialization deficits and severe body handling problems, which were also addressed, as was her object guarding. The key to good hierarchy design is small enough incremental steps that at no point do you see the original guarding problem. In the case of a puppy, such as this, there may actually be more aggressive increment jumps. I did a few other things in the can’t-hurt-might-help category. These included impulse control (stay, off and wait) and extra soft-mouth training.

Baseline

When approached while eating from her dish, Buffy would freeze and, if approach continued, growl briefly and then lunge and snap. If touched while eating, she would growl simultaneous to whirling and biting. Due to the independent body-handling problem, this had to be partly resolved prior to combining it with food bowl exercises. Buffy did not guard an empty dish.

Hierarchy

Step 1 (day 1): Installment feeding of canned food. I sat on the floor next to Buffy’s dish and spooned in one mouthful. Once she had swallowed, I spooned the next mouthful into her dish. By the end of the second meal, she demonstrated a clear happy anticipatory orientation to my spoon hand after each swallow.

Step 2 (day 1-2): Overlap. This was essentially the same as Step 1 except that I added the next spoonful to her dish while she was still consuming, always a much dicier proposition. We did this for three meals without evidence of guarding seen.

Step 3 (day 2-3): Approach overlap. I was now standing. I spooned larger installments, withdrew two paces, re-approached and added the next spoonful while Buffy was still consuming. So, this combined approach with the overlap exercise. We stuck with this for three meals, at end of which time a Conditioned Emotional Response (CER) had become evident – Buffy wagged and looked up on approach. We then repeated the exercise for one more day (5 small meals) with larger withdrawal distances and intervals.

Step 4 (day 4): Trumping. Now I spooned her entire puppy-sized ration into her bowl. I withdrew five paces, paused 15 seconds, approached and added a (hidden) marble-sized dollop of goat cheese. I had pre-auditioned the goat cheese out of context and ascertained it to be in Buffy’s Top Five All Time Foods. I withdrew to six paces and waited for Buffy to continue to consume – this was not immediate (typical of trumping – dog orients to handler rather than back to dish) – then repeated. On the third trial I got a clear CER– withdrawal from bowl on approach, orientation to me and tail wag. Clever little thing.

Step 5 (day 4-6): Covering High Value Base. To up the ante, I tried some approaches while she was consuming a top food (bowl of treats), rather than normal meal ration level food. I trumped it with higher value stuff (gorgonzola). In two trials, I once again saw her happy anticipatory CER, a very rapid curve indeed.

Step 6 (day 4 onward): Cold Trials. To better simulate real life, I initiated random trumping. At least once per meal, from a random direction, at a random time and with one of Buffy’s top foods, I approached and added the bonus. Better than 80% of the time, I got an evident “yippee” CER. At no point did she guard.

Step 7 (day 8 onward): Generalization. I recruited my husband, colleagues in my office and a neighbor to do some random trumps, with careful monitoring for any evidence of regression, including the absence of “yippee” CERs to their approach. Had this been an adult dog, the hierarchy – and, notably, a much more gradual one too – would have been recommenced at the beginning by each new recruit, with likely accelerated progress rate for each successive person.

Step 8 (day 15 onward): Body Handling. It was only here that I commenced patting, grabbing or pushing her around while she was eating. In most cases this would come earlier (prior to cold trails), however with Buffy it took me this long to get the independent body-handling problem up to speed. The handling during eating exercise consisted of the body touch (later handling) followed by a trumping addition, repeated until the body touch/handling elicited the “yippee” CER. Buffy’s CER consisted of a wag as well as orientation to my hand. If I stored the bonus in my other hand behind my back or my pocket and reached with a blank hand, she would wag and orient to my face.

Buffy is now on maintenance with a cold trumping or body handling trial usually once per meal and use of other people whenever an opportunity presents itself. I ended up adopting her.

You can throw in bowl removals if you like, rather than sticking with approaches and body handling. The principles are the same. Good luck with your Rottie!

Resource guarding advice - 1

2011-09-10T11:53:00.001-07:00

Guarding and Showing Aggression Over Resources

The following article by Sarah Wilson comes from GOOD OWNERS, GREAT PETS. For more excellent advice, check out www.GreatPets.com.
Resource Guarding
There are dogs who growl and snap when approached while chewing a toy, eating or lying on a favorite spot. These dogs are guarding what they consider to be a valuable resource. That's why this type of behavior can be called "resource guarding."
Possible Causes:
Some dogs are prone to this because of temperament tendencies. Others have learned to be this way. For example, if he has been "attacked" by humans after he drops something such as a shoe. How, then, can he prevent your wrath? Dropping it didn't work. Some dogs will then choose aggression in an attempt to back you off. This is painfully familiar to many owners. This behavior can be a part of a general confusion about who leads and who follows in the home.
Recommendations:
First of all, remove anything he may protect. If you can't remove the item (such as a bed or couch), block access to it by closing a door or putting up a gate. Keep him on lead in the house so you can more easily control him.
Teach him to "Leave It" in a positive, fun way. Do NOT make this into a battle. Make him think this command is an opportunity for a reward, not a chance to lock horns with you. Always start teaching this command with boring objects so that praise and treats will be the obvious choice.
Reward spitting things out. Much of this sort of aggression is man made. People get angry when their dog takes things, then fail to give him a way to please them. They create a situation where, once something is in their dog's mouth, there is no way for the dog to win. This can force the dog to start defending himself.
Here's the rule: Once something is in your dog's mouth, it is TOO LATE to teach him not to take it. The only thing you can teach him now is to spit it out promptly. Therefore, reward spitting it out.
Take then Give. Early on, practice "Out" with your pup. Walk up when he is chewing a toy. Say "Out" and take the toy. Praise him for his brilliance. Give him a treat. Return the toy and leave him alone. A few weeks of this once or twice a day and your dog will want you to come and take him toys.
Neuter him! The most serious bites come from intact male dogs. Make the neuter appointment today!
Ignore him. Do not look at or speak to him unless he is working for you and even then, keep attention short, sweet and intense after which you ignore him again. You want him to want your attention, not constantly be getting more of it then he desires. Leave him wanting more.
Redirect him. If he is pawing you then keep him on lead and work his demanding self. Every time he paws you have him "Sit, down, Sit, down -- come, stay, OK" -- with little praise. He may well decide that a nap is a better idea.
Teach him to move out of the way. This will help with his understanding that you lead and he follows. If it is safe to do, simply shuffle your feet into him (no kicking) until he moves then praise him. Or leave a lead on him and guide out of the way then praise.
He owns nothing! He has no "favorite" chair or toys that are "his" -- everything in the house is yours. If he is protective over anything, a bowl or a toy, remove it until his attitude has improved.
All of his time must be spent on the floor. The higher up he is in the room, the higher up he is in his head. Nope, his place is on the floor. Teach him to get off things on command. Always praise him cheerfully for obeying. If need be, close off rooms and/or leave a lead on him so you can manage him more easily. Always praise him cheerfully for obeying --- that is important!
Confine him daily. Daily crating is a generally good routine for this sort of dog and keeps him out of trouble in many ways. Even if you are home with him, crate him for several hours every day. [Note: many behaviorists advise that it can be counter-productive to crate a dog more than 5 hours a day over the long term.]
Increase his exercise. This is a great deal of change for him. Exercise will help relieve stress and release excess energy. Be sure to play games that promote cooperation and control -- skip tug-of-war, wrestling and chasing after him.
We do NOT recommend:
Going to battle over a squeaky toy. Your dog, no matter how small, can injure you. When a dog shows he is ready to battle a human, we already know that he is misinformed and confused. We need to straighten out that confusion prior to discussing that unwanted aggression. If you attack him for threatening to attack you, you may well escalate his aggression. And, even if you "win" he may decide to fight sooner and harder next time. What he needs is education, not attack.
Anytime -- ANYTIME -- your dog threatens you, hands-on help from a qualified professional is the best next step. Aggression is complicated and, if it isn't dealt with quickly, can get worse. In the end, it can lead to the death of your dog assuredly as any disease.
Common Mistakes:
* Thinking it is OK for him to have a chair or a toy that is "his."
* Assuming he won't bite.
* Avoiding the problem rather than dealing with it.
* Leaving toys that you know he is protective over out because "he likes them so much."
* Thinking this behavior will get better with time.
* Allowing denial of the problem to put other people at risk.
Further Advice: Seek any and all help, including from your veterinarian.

Marking - inappropriate urination in dogs

2011-09-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

Dog Tip: Marking - Understanding It, Stopping It

Contents:
1. Overview
2. Canine Territorial Marking
3. Marking vs. Peeing: Medical or Behavioral?
4. On the Mark...Get Set... How to Stop Marking
5. Odor Elimination
6. Related Resources
1. Overview
Dogs gather essential social information using their sense of smell, whether smelling other dogs directly or sniffing their urine and feces. That's why dogs urinate much more than required to simply empty their bladder.
Marking serves as a way to claim territory, advertise mating availability and to support the social order. Dogs like hierarchy; it's what they understand. They communicate age, gender and status within their packs via the pheromones in urine. Both male and female animals can engage in marking behavior.
A dog uses urine marking to help make a new environment smell like home, masking the unfamiliar odors with his own scent. Humans also engage in marking behavior, though it usually takes such forms as moving in a favorite chair and hanging pictures on the wall.
In addition, marking functions as an efficient way to protect a dog's perceived space than physically challenging each interloper who approaches that space.
Animals also mark to advertise their sexual availability, which is one reason why it helps to neuter and spay dogs. The earlier, the better, since early neutering can keep young dogs from ever developing the impulse to mark.
Urinating in the house and other inappropriate areas can also be a sign of urinary tract disease, so take your dog to the vet before ruling out this possibility.
Urinating in the house can also stem from lack of housetraining or lack of an appropriate place to urinate, or having to hold it longer than the dog can physically wait. Consider having someone visit your dog for a mid-day walk if you work long hours.
2. Canine Territorial Marking
By Myrna Milani, BS, DVM. Originally written for DogWatch, a newsletter for the general public from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Q. My dog urinates in numerous locations in my house, which I've been told is territorial marking. The only place she's never gone is in my bed. On the other hand, my cousin's dog only urinates in his bed and he was told that's territorial marking, too. How can these two opposite behaviors mean the same thing?
A. To understand the variations that may occur in marking behavior, we first need to understand territorial behavior itself. Recall that establishing and protecting the territory serves as the primary animal priority. The wild dog pack's territorial nature leads its members to claim an area large enough to support them and any offspring, but not one so large that it requires excessive energy to adequately defend it. Within that space, the animals also protect certain prime locations - such as choice feeding sites and dens - more diligently than areas at the periphery.
However, because the ultimate goal remains to find food and water and reproduce, it makes sense to leave a token marker - such as scent-laden urine that communicates the resident's willingness to protect this space if necessary - rather than actually physically challenging every suspicious interloper who approaches that space. Moreover, because marking itself requires energy, it also makes sense only to mark as much as is necessary to get the job done.
Because animals communicate their sex and status in the pheromones in their urine, that typically means that the most vigorous animals in the pack do most of the marking because they pose the most threat to any interloper. (Imagine seeing a warning posted by the local police versus one posted by the third grade garden club: Which one would you take more seriously?) Thus, marking serves as a marvelously efficient way to avoid confrontations.
While a certain energy-efficient elegance underlies territorial theory when applied to a pack of wild animals, an individual pet's personality, the quality of its environment, and its relationship with its owner may throw numerous curves into the process. Pet dogs living in complex human environments may find themselves trying to reach some sort of a workable compromise between the ancient drive to establish and protect a territory, and their own temperaments and any physical or other limitations that would make doing this a threatening endeavor.
Under these circumstances, pets typically mark either that space they feel comfortable protecting or that which carries such a positive charge they'd risk injury or even death to protect it. In general, the less confident the dog and the more complex the environment, the more likely marking will occur, the more frequently it will occur, and the more it will involve intimate objects.
For example, Josie, a well-trained, stable dog who lives on a quiet, dead-end street feels no need to make any territorial statements beyond the messages communicated in her daily eliminations. Sandy, who lacks Josie's confidence plus lives in a busy suburb, lifts his leg on prominent fence posts and trees around the perimeter of his owner's yard in an effort to scare off invaders. More timid Bumpus marks by the front and back doors, his way of saying he only claims (and thus only feels obligated to protect) what's inside the house. Tuffy marks the upstairs hallway, effectively announcing his desire to protect all of his beloved owners' sleeping quarters. Little Sugar only marks her owner's belongings, and all of these except the bed. Her litter mate, Spice, only marks her owner's bed.
Additionally some pets will mark any new objects added to their territories, thereby claiming them and thus ruling out the need for a confrontation. Again, more confident animals may pee on the tires of the visitor's vehicle, whereas those who feel more vulnerable may pee on the visitor's belongings, or even the visitor himself.
In the majority of these cases, though, the marking exists because, due to a lack of training and other human displays that communicate leadership, owners have deliberately or unwittingly thrust this protective role upon their pets. Unfortunately, owners who don't understand what the animal communicates via the display - i.e., its fear and willingness to fight to protect this sacred space - often view the pet as spiteful, mean, or stupid for ruining their belongings. While attributing such negative emotions to perfectly logical canine behaviors always ranks as a tragedy, it's particularly sad in the case of very young, timid, or geriatric animals who believe they must protect their owners from the meter reader, school bus, and letter carrier day after day and endure the owner's wrath, too. (The dog does not understand it, and the owner's anger adds to the dog's confusion.)
On the other hand, once caring owners understand what causes the behavior, they can relieve their pets of the territorial stresses that cause the problem.
3. Canine Marking versus Peeing: A Medical or a Behavioral Problem?
By Myrna Milani, BS, DVM. Originally written for DogWatch, a newsletter for the general public from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Q. I travel a lot in my work and after I returned from a two-week trip, I discovered that my 6-year-old, spayed Chihuahua mix, Chili, has been peeing on the corner of my bed. Some people tell me it's a medical problem while others say it's behavioral. She's a little baby as well as my best friend and I want to do what's best for her, but I'm confused.
A. Approaching any problem that involves inappropriate urination as if it possesses both medical and behavioral components yields better results than taking an either/or approach. And both medical and behavioral components may elicit or result from bond issues which deserve attention, too.
To understand why this might be, let's first view Chili's problem as strictly medical. In that case, conditions such as a hormone deficiency, urinary tract infection, or some problem that causes her to drink more (such as diabetes) may cause her to accidentally urinate on her owner's bed, and a medical work-up will pinpoint the cause.
However, any medical problem that results in inappropriate elimination automatically sets her up for behavioral problems on two fronts. First, once Chili soils the bed, the scent of the urine may cause her to continue urinating there after any physical problem is resolved. Second, if her physical ailment makes her feel vulnerable and less able to protect her territory, she may begin marking her owner's bed to communicate this sentiment, too.
On the other hand, suppose Chili begins marking the bed because something threatens her during her owner's absence. Perhaps the pet-sitter her owner hired brings his own dog along, or maybe a noisy construction project begins in the apartment downstairs. In this case, the urine on the bed communicates, "Go away! I'll fight to protect this!" to whatever sound, scent, and/or sight frightens the little dog. While such a message would seem to signal great courage, in reality animals who mark within their owners' home communicate exactly the opposite: They really don't want to fight at all and hope any intruder will catch a whiff of that message and run. Because the pet-sitter's dog and the construction crew do, in fact, go away every day, as far as Chili's concerned, the marking works and she continues doing it.
How could this behavior set Chili up for medical problems? Well, we know that frightened dogs may mark their territories numerous times daily. We also know that dogs who feel insecure in their space may only eat and drink the minimum amount. We also know that stress elevates blood cortisol, a hormone from the adrenal glands, which can undermine the immune response. And, finally, we know that dogs caught up in protecting their space may not take time to groom themselves properly after eliminating. Putting these altogether, we can see how a stressed dog with a depressed immune response who repeatedly squats and eventually strains to urinate who also lacks the time to practice proper post-elimination hygiene could wind up with a urinary tract infection which would cause her to eliminate as well as mark in inappropriate places.
Additionally, the relationship between owner and dog often leads the animal to attach a strong emotional charge to the owners' bed. Practically all bed-marking occurs in dog-centered human-canine packs in which the dog feels obligated to protect the territory. Depending on the dog's personality, the bed may serve as the first or last target.
Further complicating the bond effects, regardless when and why the mess on the bed appears, owners who discover dog-doo in their beds rarely react neutrally, let alone positively, to it. However, dogs who eliminate on the bed in no way communicate that they are spiteful, mean, or stupid; they communicate that they have a medical, behavioral, and bond problem that requires an immediate, knowledgeable, and caring response. Yelling at the dog or punishing it will simply make the problem worse.
Instead, take your pet for a long walk to calm down and consider all the different reasons that could lead to this behavior. That mess on the bed could turn out to be a goldmine of information about your pet's health and behavior, and your relationship.
4. ON THE MARK! GET SET! NEUTER! Marking Elimination Program
The following marking elimination guidance is adapted from the GreatPets.com article by Sarah Wilson.
Even if a pup or dog is well bonded to the owner, he might not see the owner as the leader of the pack. A young dog having a bold, assertive temperament might be more prone to marking behavior. Sarah Wilson suggests the following steps for establishing leadership and eliminating marking behavior for such dogs. This program puts the person in the leadership role in a positive, nonconfrontational way.
Sleeps in his crate.
Where a dog sleeps is of much status-related import. Sleeping ON your bed makes him your equal. Also, being on a physically elevated level can fuel a dog's perception that he is top dog, even over the people of the house. So keep the dog off your bed and other people furniture. If the pup is assertive, have him sleep in his crate in the kitchen during the behavior modification program.
Works for a living.
Most dogs were originally bred to perform certain jobs, and this remains in their nature from generations of breeding. Generally, either you give them work or they make up their own. A young dog might make up a game called "Taking over the house one wet spot at a time". Have the dog sit or down for EVERYTHING - every door opening, every pat, every word.
Avoid spanking and other punishment.
Dogs typically do not make the connection that the owner is hitting them because they marked. It is better and more effective to educate instead of punish. Wilson notes that spanking a dog for marking only makes him think you did NOT get the point last time, so he marks AGAIN and more clearly. He may defecate as well. "There" he says to himself "Surely, they will get THAT message!" Instead of punishing, you must take steps to change the relationship and establish that you are leader.
Supervision.
One wet spot and it is house arrest for four to six weeks. That means in sight, on lead or crated (or otherwise confined to a safe, puppy-proofed area). No exceptions.
Neuter!
Leg lifting and marking can be resistant to change, though, when marking at a young age, or when new to your home, the dog may just be trying out his wings or testing the boundaries. In any case, Sarah Wilson calls neutering one of the absolute first steps to controlling marking as well as other problems. Done early, neutering can help you avoid such problems altogether.
Trainer Cinimon Clark adds that neutering alone will probably not eliminate territorial marking if this is a learned behavior. This is why neutering before a dog reaches maturity or comes into heat (typically by age six months) is such a good idea. Neutered early enough, the dog will not learn marking behavior.
Adds vet Chris Cook, a neutered or spayed dog is a happier, healthier, more behaviorally balanced dog. After neutering, it takes a few weeks for the affected hormones to stop circulating.
In dogs neutered at a mature age, the marking may have become a learned, habitual behavior and will need behavior modification. Also, if you have an intact (unspayed) female in the house, this may add to the difficulties of breaking the habit.
In his article "To Pee or Not to Pee", Dr. Ian Dunbar explains that female dogs urine mark, some even raising a leg when doing so. When in heat, the female uses marking to broadcast her reproductive state to prospective suitors. For reproductively intact female and male dogs, urine communicates, attracts and arouses. Thus, another good reason to spay and neuter.
Another tip: some canine behavior specialists recommend that, particularly if the dog displays dominance and/or has aggression issues with other dogs, to discourage the dog from marking objects (fences, gates, signposts, bushes, etc.) when walking. Of course, allow the dog to relieve himself or herself. But if the dog is marking to claim an increasingly larger territory, try to discourage this behavior.
5. Odor elimination
It is extremely important to get rid of the odor the dog has left with previous markings. Use a specially formulated urine odor eliminator in all areas that have been marked. Remember that urine soaks through carpet to the padding, so try to clean the padding too...or replace as necessary. Do not use ammonia or other standard household cleaners, since some will leave odors that many pets will feel compelled to mark upon. In addition to Simple Solution available in stores, you'll find new, specialized pet odor elimination products at:
http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_Cleaning.php
www.odordestroyer.com
www.planeturine.com
www.dogurine.com
www.dog-urine.com
www.justrite.com
www.rx4carpets.com/dog_urine.html
www.iloveproklean.com/dogurine.html
www.sea-yu.com (Petrotech odor eliminator)
6. Related resources
Dog Tipsheets on housetraining, house manners, leadership, dominance and other behavior issues
Click on Housetraining.
More articles by Dr. Myrna Milani
http://www.mmilani.com
To Pee or Not to Pee by Ian Dunbar, PhD, MRCVS
http://www.petcompanion.com/dogs/Pee.html
Good Owners, Great Pets articles and books by Sarah Wilson
http://www.greatpets.com
Pet odor cleaning tips
http://www.petodorremovaltips.com
Note: Articles used with author's permission for nonprofit educational use only.