We are used to seeing a dachshund’s long body so much that we have nicknamed this dog breed as the “sausage dog” or “wiener dog” but why are these dogs’ bodies so long in the first place? If we look at this breed, we cant stop noticing how its body is shaped so differently from many other dog breeds. The “hot dog on legs” feature of this breed is not casual though, but is actually there for a reason. So today’s trivia question is:
Why is a dachshund’s body so long?
A: So he can fit inside the sleeves of royalty
B: So he can burrow himself in hiding spots
C: So he can curl up and burrow under blankets
D: So he can effectively enter a badger’s burrow
The Correct Answer is: Drum roll please………
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The correct answer is D: so he can effectively enter a badger’s burrow.
The dachshund dog breed is categorized as being “chondrodysplastic.” Chondro means “cartilage” and dysplasia means “abnormal growth.” Put these two words together and you will get abnormal growth of cartilage. In this case, it mostly refers to the cartilage of the dachshund’s legs which appear to be shorter than usual. Other breeds sharing such conformation include the corgi, basset hound and Pekingese. Also known as “dwarfism,” this characteristic is desired in the dachshund breed standard which, according to the American Kennel Club, calls for a dog that is “low to ground, long in body and short of leg.” However, in certain dog breeds, chondrodysplasia is highly frowned upon as it can have crippling consequences, and as such, is considered a serious fault.
Burrowing with the Badgers
Meet the badger
The Dachshund Club of America claims that the dachshund dog breed was born in Germany when foresters in the 18th or 19th century were seeking out a dog breed that could fearlessly fight badgers. The dachshund has the perfect conformation for the task. His short paddle-shaped legs could effectively dig while his long, low-to-the ground body could easily access the burrows. The rest is offered by a dachshund’s courageous, temperament, loud bark (so hunters could easily locate him) and well-developed senses, which make him particularly suitable for the task. There is also belief that this breed’s long, sturdy tail must have worked as a “handle” to pull these fellows out of the burrow.
Burrowing under the blankets
Still as of today, dachshunds remind us of their past, when they dig in the yard or burrow themselves under tunnels made of blankets!
References:
American Kennel Club, Dachshund breed standard, retrieved from the web on June 13th, 2016
Dachshund Club of America, retrieved from the web on June 13th, 2016
You may have never heard about your dog’s meniscus, or you may have heard it the very first time when your vet took an x-ray and noticed some damage to this structure. Truth is, the dog’s meniscus is a body part that lives for the most part in the shadow, but that can awaken abruptly though when it starts to give problems. So today, we’ll be learning more about this structure, it’s function and the symptoms it may cause when dogs are hurting in this area, but as usual, we’ll let the dog’s meniscus do most of the talking.
Introducing The Dog’s Meniscus
Hello, my name is meniscus and I am a”C-shaped” structure found right by your dog’s hind knee, but to be more correct, let’s call it your dog’s stifle. To be exact, I sit right between your dog’s tibia and femur where special ligaments just like seat belts keep me nicely strapped in place. What does my name mean? Meniscus derives from the ancient Greek word meniskos which means “lunar crescent.” I likely got my name because my shape closely resembles a half moon. You may be interested in learning that the plural of meniscus is menisci, considering that there are actually two of us by your dog’s tibia: the inner side one is called the “medial meniscus” while the outer side one is called the “lateral meniscus.”
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I Act as a Shock Absorber
I am made of porous material but tend to release synovial fluid when I am compressed so that the surface of your dog’s femur and tibia glide together and don’t risk being damaged by friction. My shock absorbing effect therefore allows your dog to romp happily without worrying about those joint structures getting damaged.
When Things Go Wrong
When everything goes well, I keep those joints nicely lubricated and your dog romps happily about without ever noticing me. However, sometimes I can give signs of trouble, especially when your dog’s tibia and femur is no longer stable at it should be. This tends to happen when there is some sort of injury to the dog’s anterior cruciate ligament tear that stabilizes the joint. When this happens, I may get wedged in between these unstable parts, which is often seen happening with the medial meniscus which is less mobile compared to the lateral one, explains Ann L. Johnson, Dianne Dunning in the book “Atlas of Orthopedic Surgical Procedures of the Dog and Cat” Repeated friction of me can therefore lead to the early onset of degenerative joint disease, and if I move about repeatedly, I can also cause damage to the dog’s femur bone. Common signs of damage to me include hind leg pain and lameness in dogs. Stabilizing the joint is therefore key to minimizing damage.
Did you know? According to Douglas H. Slatter, author of the book “Textbook of Small Animal Surgery Volume I, statistically, dogs with a partial ligament tear have quite a low chance for developing meniscus damage; whereas, dogs with complete tears have an 80 percent chance for developing this complication.
I hope this article has helped you understand me better. As seen, I am quite an important structure! So if your dog’s knee for some reason or another becomes unstable, keep in mind the risk for potential damage to me and neighboring structures. Your dog’s knee and I will thank you! Yours respectfully,
Your Dog’s Meniscus
Photo Credits;
Dog meniscus damage and tear.Source: By Mysid [Public domain], Wikimedia Commons
Does your dog hate bath-time and hides under the bed the moment he sees you turn the faucet on and grab the towels? If so, rest assured, you are not alone. Countless dogs dread bath time and if we put ourselves in Rover’s shoes we can see that his fear isn’t irrational at all. While we perceive bath-time as a way to relax and smell good, for dogs things can be quite different. So today, we’ll be discovering several reasons as to why dogs hate baths, and the dog’s owners approach is often to blame.
1) Lack of Exposure
There is a reason why breeders, trainers and many books discuss the importance of early socialization in puppies. During a brief sensitive period known as “puppy socialization” puppies are exposed to a variety of stimuli that they will experience throughout their lives so they can accept them and adapt. However, water and rain seems to often be an overlooked stimulus that dog owners often miss.
We tend to avoid puddles, avoid walking in the rain and when we get wet we make a big deal of it. Water and the process of getting wet should be made a fun and an enjoyable experience. Fail to do this, and you may end up paving the path for a water-phobic dog, simple due to fear of the unknown.
2) Forcing the Event
Puppies and dogs need to be exposed to water in a gradual, calm way so to accept it as normal part of life. Forcing the dog to be bathed may lead to cumulative fear and anxiety. Many owners get frustrated and restrain the dog so he has no escape and must endure the whole ordeal without giving them a chance to learn how fun and rewarding being in the water can be. How would you feel if you were fearful of the dentist and you had to be strapped up during the duration of the visit? This would likely only increase your fear. There are not may situations in life that are so rewarding as enticing a dog who is fearful of water to join you at the beach and start playing with waves or with a water hose.
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3) Using Water as Punishment
Another reason dogs may dread water, baths and getting wet in general is using water as punishment. Even though more and more dog trainers and owners are embracing positive, force-free methods for training their dogs, there are still some trainers or dog owners who may recommend squirting dogs with a water pistol to punish them. This often leads to dogs who dread water or getting wet as they associate it with getting startled and perhaps on top of that even their owner’s frustration or anger. Even playfully squirting dogs with water as kids may do when they want to involve Rover in their water games can be traumatic enough for the dog to not want to have anything to do with water in the future.
4) A Scary Stimulus Package
The negative experience with water though may not necessarily stem from the owner’s approach. Bath-time per se’ may encompass several frightening subtleties that can make the whole experience a negative one. For example, the slippery surface of the bath tub, shampoo getting in the ears or eyes, the noise and sensation of water sucked down the drain and the scary hair dryer are just a few components that are part of the bath-time stimulus package. It’s important to be aware of these scary events and turn them into pleasant, fun ones before the fear establishes and puts roots. As the saying goes: “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. “
Tips to Make Dogs Less Fearful of Baths
There are several things dog owners can do to help their dogs overcome their fear of baths. Patience and positive techniques are the building blocks that will pave the path to diminishing fear of water. Here are a few tips to help make dogs less fearful of water:
Start early! If you get a puppy, start exposing him to water, bath time and rain from an early age making it a fun and rewarding experience.
Toys, play and tasty treats introduced in the presence of water can help form positive associations.
Clicker train your dog to target a puddle.
Go gradual in the process. It’s best to arrange mock sessions to make baths fun so when the real need for a bath arises, you are not caught unprepared and your dog has already a history of pleasant experiences.
When it rains lightly, grab that ball or your dog’s favorite fetch toy and engage him in a fun play session under the rain. Once back inside, dry your dog with a cloth and become boring. The rain should become a predictor of good things.
Invest in fun water games made for dogs.
Use only tear-less shampoo and invest in non-slip mats.
This may not be the best option for hygiene freaks, but some owners take a shower with their dogs to make it a pleasant experience.
If your dog hates going into the bath tub, skip the bath tub and try with a light shower or go outdoors and use a hose.
Portable steps may be an option for dogs who hate being lifted and put inside the bath tub.
Get a water hose and start singing silly songs as you squirt the water in many directions and make it look like a fun game. Then, when your dog approaches, grab some treats and make it look as if the water hose is shooting treats out along with water. Afterward, slightly wet your dog with a spritz of water and give a treat right after the water spritz. Spritz, treat, spritz, treat, spritz, treat.
At this point, your dog may be drenched in water. This is a good time to start rubbing in some tear-less shampoo for dogs. Resume the spritz-treat game until your dog’s coat is free of shampoo. Now it’s time to have fun rubbing and drying your pooch.
To make it clear that bath-time and water is what brings on the fun, once you close the faucet and your dog is dry, make all the fun end.
When we train our dogs, we may sometimes fall into some mistakes that could easily be avoided, and one of them is pattern training. Why does my dog listen only inside and then when we’re outside on walks he’s in his own world? Why does he perform the exercise well in training classes, but then on walks he acts as if he can’t hear? One possible reason for this is pattern training. Pattern training takes place when you are always training your dog at the same place and under the same circumstances. If you fall into the pattern training hole, your dog will have a hard time generalizing and applying what he has learned to other places and other circumstances.
It Has Its Place and Time
In the initial stages of learning something new, pattern training is helpful in instilling confidence in the dog. For a good reason dog trainers suggest to start training in a quiet room that is free of distractions.
With boring surroundings and some tasty treats, you set your dog for success as he likely has nothing better to do than pay attention to you and do what it takes to earn that tasty treat.
While pattern training your dog in the initial stages of training is helpful and recommended, you want to advance at some point though or you’ll risk getting stuck in a “pattern training hole.”
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“Although it’s important to be consistent when you train your dog, it’s also important to avoid pattern training.”~ John Ross, Barbara McKinney
Possible Draw Backs
What happens if you’re stuck in a pattern training hole? There are several things that can happen. For example, if you are training your dog to sit, down and then stay (always asked in the same order) in your living room every day at 4 o’ clock, your dog, being the routine oriented animal he is, will come to anticipate what you will be asking him and he may start getting a tad bit bored too.
On top of that, you will miss out getting your dog to generalize the cues, which means that the training may break apart that day you make a change such as asking him to perform the cues in different order or in a different place or at a different time.
How to Avoid It
To avoid pattern training your dog, all you need to do is add is start implementing some changes. Once your dog shows signs of understanding the behavior, gradually move from the quiet living room to other areas where there are slightly more distractions.
Try training in the kitchen, then in the yard and then in front of the home or in a quiet park. If at any time your dog appears distracted, you may need to invest in higher value treats to use as rewards. Make sure you reward your dog every single time he completes the exercise in the initial stages when your dog is first introduced to these news challenging places. Also, get creative! When you ask your dog to sit, don’t limit to ask it while your’re standing in front of him! Get him to sit by your side, while you are facing your back to him, while you’re sitting down or even when you are out of sight.
The more you practice under different circumstances, the more fluent the behavior will become. Plus, it will keep your dog on his toes as he will rarely guess what you’ll be asking him next, a win-win!
References:
Dog Talk: Training Your Dog Through A Canine Point Of View Hardcover– April 15, 1995 by John Ross (Author), Barbara McKinney, St. Martin’s Press; Reprint edition (April 15, 1995)
Abraham Maslow first proposed his Hierarchy of Needs in a 1943 paper called “A Theory of Human Motivation” and still as of today, his theory remains a popular framework in modern sociology and psychology. His theory is very simple: meet your basic needs and you will have unlocked the path for reaching your full potential. The basic needs are portrayed in a pyramid, with the most basic and fundamental needs at the bottom and further secondary needs at the top. One cannot move to the next level if the needs of the current level haven’t been met. While Maslow designed his pyramid with humans in mind, similar principles can also be applied in dog training.
The List of Needs
Physiological needs: these are the most important of your dog’s needs, they are basically the ones your dog needs in order to survive. Air, food, water, adequate sleep, veterinary care and shelter are examples of these important physiological needs. If dogs are sick, undernourished and sleep deprived, there’s little space left for learning as their biological needs must be met first.
Safety Needs: Dogs need to feel safe and protected in their environment in order for learning to take to place as they cannot effectively learn if they are stressed. Dog training should be as stress free as possible and this means avoiding harsh, aversion-based training techniques. A structured, predictable routine is also reassuring to many dogs as they know what to expect.
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Love/Belonging: A history of trust and a strong bond with the owner is an important foundation. It’s important for dog owners to provide gentle guidance under the form of force-free dog training techniques. Play is also great way for dogs to bond with their owners and so can be physical contact when the dog shows signs of enjoyment. When there is a history of trust and bonding, dogs are more open to learning and they look forward to being involved in family activities. As social animals, dogs like to feel part of the family.
Esteem: Think only humans have self-esteem? Then, think again. Dogs thrive when they are praised and rewarded for a job well done. Training should focus on making the dog feel confident setting the dog for success. As shy, tentative dogs are trained using positive reinforcement, they gradually become more and more confident.
Self-actualization: at the apex of the pyramid is self-actualizationwhich entails achieving personal growth and reaching our full potential. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean reaching perfection. Every dog has the potential to excel in some area of specialty. Identifying what your dog does best is key to allowing him to thrive. Building on his passion by refining his skills and adding new challenges help keep the dog mentally stimulated and happy. There are many new sports and specialties crafted for dogs nowadays and these include Treibball, canine nosework, Rally Obedience, hunting trials, search and rescue, weight pulling, Canine Musical Freestyle and many more. Even simple things like trick training and letting the dog complete small chores performed at home can help gives dogs a feeling of confidence and achievement.
“”Dog training should not be a battle of wills, but an ever-evolving dance of communication and cooperation” ~Nicole Wilde
References:
Dogs Are People Too: The Practical Guide to Understanding and Training Your Dog (Because You’re More Alike Than You Think!) Paperback– April 4, 2016, by Mary Jean AlsinaFirst Edition Design eBook Publishing (April 4, 2016)
The Dog Rules: 14 Secrets to Developing the Dog YOU WantPaperback– November 5, 2011
by Kyra Sundance, Touchstone; 1 edition (November 5, 2011)
Photo Credits:
Pyramid showing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, by FireflySixtySeven, (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Webbed feet consist of toes connected by a membrane and are characteristic of animals with a history of spending time in aquatic environments. Just like flippers, the main function of webbed feet is to help animals effectively paddle through water. On top of helping water creatures propel themselves through water, webbed feet also help them walk over muddy surfaces. Animals with webbed feet therefore have a history of leading an amphibious life (able to live both on land and in water). While dogs are terrestrial animals, some dog breeds are known for having webbed feet, however, there is a substantial difference between their feet and the webbed feet of animals who spend time in the water.
“If It Waddles Like a Duck”
Water and land creatures such as ducks, frogs, geese, swans and otters are known for having webbed feet.
Because these animals spend a good amount of their life in water, their feet are heavily webbed, and when they walk on land, they may not be very “dexterous” walking over land as terrestrial animals (think ducks, swans and geese waddling).
Dogs, on the other hand, being terrestrial animals, tend to have minimal webbing between their toes.
As cursorial animals that walk on their toes, their feet have been crafted in such a way as to allow them to effectively walk and run over land.
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A Touch of Webbing
If you carefully take a peak at the feet of dogs, you’ll likely notice how they all have a bit of “webbing” in between one toe and another. This is normal.
Even humans have a certain extent of “webbing” with some skin found between one finger and another.
This “webbing” though is quite a far cry from the webbing we see in animals who spend more time in the water.
However, interestingly, there are some dogs breeds who have more webbing compared to others. Let’s therefore focus on several dogs breeds with webbed feet.
Dogs Breeds With Webbed Feet List
Dog breeds who have more webbing compared to other dogs are those that have been selectively bred to work in water. This is something that has been noticed for quite some time and is even mentioned by Charles Darwin in the book ” The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication.”
In the book, Darwin mentions how Isidore Geoffrey noticed that in Newfoundlands the webbing reached the third phalanges, while in other dog breeds it extended just up to the second.
According to the American Kennel Club those webbed toes therefore play an important role for water-retrieving dog breeds, helping them swim.
What dog breeds have webbed feet? Following are several dog breeds with a history of working in water and known for having webbed feet:
List of Dog Breeds With Webbed Feet
Portuguese water dog:
Otterhound
Newfoundland
German Wire-haired Pointer
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Weimaraner
Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
American Water Spaniel
Labrador retriever
Did you know? All the embryos of terrestrial vertebrates have webbed feet, but later on, as they develop and form, through a process known as apoptosi (a process of programmed cell death) the webbing it then eliminated, explains Nelson Çabej in the book “Epigenetic Principles of Evolution.”
References:
The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Volume 2. Voorkant · Charles Darwin. J. Murray, 1868.
American Kennel Club, Glossary, retrieved from the web on June 9th, 2016
Epigenetic Principles of Evolution (Elsevier Insights)1st Edition by Nelson R. Cabej, Elsevier; 1 edition (December 5, 2011)
Let face it: when it comes to being exposed to annoyances and inconveniences of life, we all eventually have a breaking point. As humans, most of us have gone at some time or another through some phase where everything just seemed to go wrong. Even the calmest person on earth may therefore lose it after being exposed to a series of inconveniences that take place one after another. Like us, dogs can also suffer from the cumulative effects of stress and this can even affect the calmest, well-rounded dogs, the ones that dog owners would never expect them to lash out. Learning more about trigger stacking can help us better understand the effects it can have on our dogs so we can take steps to better manage their environment and hopefully prevent them from reaching their breaking point.
Understanding Trigger Stacking
Trigger stacking is often a phenomenon that causes dog owners to make remarks such as “Out of the blue,’ my dog bithim, I never expected this from my dog!” Fact is, ALL dogs (yes, even the calmest, friendliest ones!) have a breaking point. Dog trainers call it “bite threshold“, which is the point where, when push comes to shove, the dog reaches the point where he will bite. The presentation of several triggers, presented one after the other (trigger stacking.) therefore has a cumulative effect which can lower the dog’s bite threshold.
For sake of comparison, imagine the game of Tetris, or for those playing more recent games, other tile-matching video games like Bejeweled orCandy Crush Saga. If you do not clear enough blocks, gems or candy pieces on time, they will start stacking up and accumulating putting the player under cumulative pressure. Failure to clear them in time leads to the stacked pieces piling up to the point where the player loses and the game ends. In a similar fashion, exposure to several triggers stacking up, can put a dog under pressure until he reaches a point where he loses it (literally!)
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“Announcing that nice dogs don’t bite and vicious dogs do is like saying that nice people never argue or get angry and vicious people do” ~Jean Donaldson
Subtle Signs of Stress
Imagine going through a bad day. You wake up with flu-like symptoms, you want to stay in bed but you must get your kids ready for school. Then, right when you are about to take a nap, the phone rings. It’s a debt collector, you forgot to pay a bill. You therefore get dressed and go mail the payment. Then, once back home, you want to take a nap, and a sales man pops up at your door. By the time you go back to bed and you are about to fall asleep, your kids are back from school and it’s time to prepare lunch. You warn your husband and kids that you’re not really in a good mood so you ask them to please be quiet and understanding. All the earlier mishaps have certainly stacked up and you are reaching your breaking point. Dogs can go through similar happenings, but in dogs though the effects of trigger stacking can be trickier to recognize.
Unlike people, dogs can’t talk to warn you about their growing levels of stress and frustration. Spared from the gift of voice, their only form of communication is through their body language. Many signs of dog stress are therefore often missed because they can be quite subtle and dog owners may fail to recognize them. On top of that, dog owners may not realize the effect exposure to certain stimuli can have on their dogs and therefore may assume their dogs are coping well with them, when they are not.
“Trigger stacking refers to numerous triggers occurring together and pushing a dog over this threshold in combination when they would not on their own.” ~Stephanie Hedges
Avoiding The “Tetris Game Over” Effect
In order to reduce the chances for trigger stacking, you will need to get better accustomed with your dog’s body language and subtle signs of stress, 2) understand his triggers and 3) get more acquainted with his threshold levels, 4) manage your dog’s environment, and 5) get professional help. Following are some general guidelines to prevent your dog from becoming a victim of the effects of trigger stacking.
Learn more about what triggers stress in your dog and consider that sometimes even what look like fun events such as going to doggy day care or the dog park can have elements of stress. Many dogs can also be stressed by continual exposure to boisterous kids or other pets sharing the household.
Learn more about your dog’s threshold. How much can he take before getting stressed? Recall past events when your dog acted stressed so that you can take steps in the future to prevent him from reaching his breaking point. Is he bothered by other dogs when they are at a certain distance? Then increase that distance. Does he seem to do fine with kids until they interact with him? Then limit such interactions. Does he dislike when dogs are in his face? Then keep him away from places where dogs are allowed off leash. Manage his environment so that you can better gauge the amount of stress he is exposed to and significantly reduce it.
Play it safe, doing your best to not put your dog into situations he cannot handle. Consider that a dog’s threshold can lower considerably when a dog is not feeling well or is victim of cumulative stress.
Look for professional help to nip the problem in the bud before reacting defensively becomes your dog’s new way of life for dealing with stressful events. Vitally important is to enroll the aid of a dog trainer/behavior consultant specializing in force-free training and behavior modification so that your dog isn’t exposed to the negative effects of aversive dog training.
Keep in mind that when dogs are exposed to stressful events the stress hormones linger for a while and therefore your dog’s threshold is often lowered for quite some time. Following a stress reduction program is important.
” It takes a while for the stress hormones involved in preparing the body for flight or fight to dissipate and so repeated exposures to frightening or highly stressful situations mean that the body never gets a chance to return to normal.” ~Taryn Blyth
References:
Culture Clash: A New Way Of Understanding The Relationship Between Humans And Domestic DogsPaperback– January 19, 1996 by Jean Donaldson, James & Kenneth Publishers (January 19, 1996)
Practical Canine Behaviour: For Veterinary Nurses and Technicians, by Stephanie Hedges, CABI Publishing; 1 edition (11 July 2014)
Stress and your Dog By Taryn Blyth, DipCABT (OCN UK) retrieved from the web on June 8th, 2016
You may have at some time or another stumbled on a dog with a prominent bump on his head and may have wondered why some dogs have a bumpy head while some others do not. In the fictional world, Pluto is a great example of a dog with a bumpy head and despite being a cartoon character, Disney was inspired by real features considering that bloodhounds are notorious for having a bumpy head. Today’s trivia question therefore revolves around this bump on the dog’s head. The question therefore is:
In the old days, this bump on a dog’s head was indicative of what?
A Intelligence
B Stubbornness
C Loyalty
D Obedience
The correct answer is: drum roll please….
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The correct answer is: A, Intelligence.
Introducing the Smart Bump
The bump on the dog’s head is technically known as “occiput” which comes from a Latin word meaning “back of the skull.” Many dog owners though still like to proudly refer to it as their dog’s “smart bump” for the simple fact that in the old days having such a bump at the top of the head was considered a sign of intelligence. Some other dogs owners may choose to call it instead “knowledge knot, brain bump or wisdom bump.” Regardless of how it’s called, one thing is for sure though (and sorry to burst someone’s bubbles) this is an old wives tail as there is no proof that a bump on a dog’s head is associated with superior cognitive abilities.
More Prominent Than Others
The dog’s occiput is a bony protuberance on the dog’s head and its primary role is to protect the dog’s bones of the skull and brain. On top of this important protective function, the dog’s occiput also promotes movement of the head in relation to the spine. While all dogs have an occiput, it’s more prominent in certain breeds compared to others. We often see it in hounds, particularly the bloodhound and several sporting breeds such as golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers and English setters.
Did you know? Because the occiput is commonly prominent in hounds, it was also once considered to be an indicator of a dog with a superior sense of smell.
Signs of Trouble
While the presence of an occiput is normal part of a dog’s anatomy, an occiput that appears to be more prominent that usual may denote a health problem. Usually, this is an indicator of some level of muscle wasting going on, points out veterinarian Dr. Marie. It’s important therefore to investigate what could be causing the muscle atrophy in the first place. Some types of cancer or masticatory myositis may be underlying causes. This area is also prone to getting bumped and when this happens, a bruise can form on top of it, making it appear more prominent, adds veterinarian Dr. Pete. So any changes to the dog’s occiput should be investigated by the vet. On a less alarming note, the occiput may appear temporarily more prominent due to hair loss and in developing adolescent dogs.
Did you know? The occiput is blessed with several nerve endings and as such, it’s a location of interest to many canine therapeutic massage specialists.
A couple of weeks ago, we discovered the dog’s inter-ramal tuft, a solitary tuft of whiskers found under the dog’s chin. Today instead, we’ll be discovering the dog’s supraorbital whiskers. Mother Nature hasn’t placed those whiskers casually in a meaningless fashion. Instead, whisker placement was strategically thought with a dog’s survival and well-being in mind. So why do dogs have supraorbital whiskers? Let’s listen to the dog’s supraorbital whiskers story and discover more about them.
Introducing Your Dog’s Supraorbital Whiskers
Hello, it’s your dog’s supraorbital whiskers talking! As the name implies, we are a tuft of whiskers found on top of your dog’s eyes. The word “supraorbital” indeed means “situated above the orbit of the eye, where in humans the eyebrows are located. ”
Indeed, many people confuse us and think we are the equivalent of human eyebrows. Eyebrows in humans have a specific purpose: to prevent salty sweat from pouring down from the forehead to the eye socket. It is thanks to the eyebrow’s arched shape and slant to the side therefore that sweat flows sideways.
Dogs are not equipped with eyebrows for the simple fact that they do not sweat in the same way we do, explains Stanley Coren, in the book “How to Speak Dog.” So if we aren’t the equivalent of human eyebrows, what is our original function?
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The Dog’s Antennae
Your dog’s whiskers are unlike any other hairs found on your dog’s body. Whiskers are made of stiffer and thicker hairs that sprout from a hair follicle that is highly innervated (supplied with nerves.) The purpose of these nerves is to relay important information in regards to the dog’s surrounding environment. Whiskers are also known as “vibrissae,” which comes from the Latin word “vibrio” which means “to vibrate.” Basically, when these hairs get in contact with something in the dog’s environment, they “vibrate” like antennae and transmit information to the dog’s brain so that the dog can make decisions about how to navigate around obstacles. For instance, the whiskers on the dog’s upper lip may help him determine whether he can squeeze through a tight space without risking getting stuck; whereas the whiskers on the dog’s chin help provide information about obstacles found under the chin, which is a blind spot.
Did you know? According to Grammarist, both in the U.S. and Canada, the plural of the word antenna is antennae when used to depict the flexible sensory appendages found on insects and other animals; whereas antennas is used to depict the metallic apparatus used for sending electromagnetic signals.
A Protective Device
Back to us, your dog’s supraorbital whiskers, we sit there just above your dog’s eyes for a very good reason: to protect them. Your dog’s eyes are quite delicate and oh, so very important structures for his survival! A dog’s eyes can easily be poked or injured by protruding objects such as branches.
The moment we therefore detect something dangerously close to your dog’s eyes, the dog’s blinking reflex is triggered so that your dog can close his eyes before they have a chance of being harmed. You may have seen us in action before but didn’t really think much about it when you pet your dog’ face, and inadvertently touch us causing your dog’s eye to blink. Pretty cool, no?
I hope this article has helped you understand us better! As seen, we are there for a very good reason!
Yours truly,
Your Dog’s Supraorbital Whiskers
References:
How To Speak Dog, By Stanley Coren, Atria Books; New edition edition (April 17, 2001)
Are poodles smart dogs? The video of Sailor the poodle performing impressive tricks has gone viral and many people may be wondering whether poodles are smart dogs, or perhaps the smartest dogs on earth. Well, the answer is that it depends. Sure, Sailor can push a shopping cart with ease, jump a skipping rope and even climb a flight of stairs using his rear legs, so there’s no denial that poodles can be smart dogs, and their history may even suggest that, but when we talk about canine smarts, things can go beyond the ability to perform tricks. So let’s take a peek at how smart poodles really are.
Five Reasons Why Poodles are Smart Dogs
Sailor has set a new record for the Fastest 10 Meters on a Walking Globe, setting an amazing 33.22 seconds, and, on top of that, he has also set another world record in 2015 for the Fastest Time to Climb 20 Stairs using the hind legs. These tricks are quite impressive and this has got many people wondering whether poodles must be one of the most intelligent dogs on earth. The following five reasons can explain why poodles are so smart.
Poodles Are Versatile Dogs…
Behind the poofy hair tied in ribbons and regal attitude, the poodle is a working dog at heart, and quite a versatile one too! Poodles have a history of making great water retrievers, jumping into water without hesitation in order to retrieve waterfowl for their hunters. Indeed, if we look at their name, it derives from the German word “pudel” which means “to splash in water,” while in France these dogs are referred to as “caniche” which means “duck dog.”
On top of retrieving ducks, Miniature poodles were used for finding truffles while toy poodles were utilized as companions for the nobles and wealthy class. There’s no doubt therefore that these dogs had to be quite smart to be able to play so many different roles and carry out so many different tasks!
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With a History as Circus Dogs.
Other than performing many jobs, poodles boast a history as circus dogs performing many cute tricks in front of an audience. This required dogs that were capable of traveling and quickly adjust to unfamiliar surrounding and not reacting to noises and the presence of many people and other animals.
Poodles also had to be enthusiastic performers when needed, yet capable of being calm and under control at other times. Gypsies and many traveling performers therefore used to take advantage of the poodle’s trainability dressing them up in costumes and letting them perform at circuses. Some would even sculpt their coats letting them sport fancy hairdos often boasting pom poms trimmed to match the clown’s attire so to increase their stage appeal. Even as today, poodle are often seen performing at dog shows and circuses.
Poodles Have an Agile Body…
It takes a certain body type for dogs to perform impressive tricks and the poodle seems to meet all the requisites. According to Dorothy MacDonald, a history buff and field trial judge, the poodle was originally a “considerably off-square dog” when used as a water retriever. It was only when the gypsies fell in love with this dog that their off-square shape changed in favor of a square shape which granted more agility so they could spin and perform their acrobatic acts.
“The square shape of today’s Poodle is derived more from his function as a performing dog than that of a retriever. This square shape does not hinder his work as a retriever but makes him a dual function dog.” ~Dorothy MacDonald
And Along with That, A Sharp Mind.
The American Kennel Club Poodle Standard, describes the poodle as “A very active, intelligent and elegant appearing dog, squarely built, well proportioned, moving soundly and carrying himself proudly.”
These dogs are often described as wanting to be involved in every activity and craving human companionship. This is certainly not a breed that could cope with living in a secluded yard all day!
Poodles are quick learners who are quite adept at figuring things out and they are eager to please. Regular training and loads of mental stimulation can help put these dog’s prodigious abilities to work.
Did you know? Living with a smart dog that is easy to train can also have its challenges. Just as they can learn desired behaviors quickly, they are as quick to learn bad habits!
And That Explains Why Poodles Rank Second Place.
Stanley Coren, a professor of canine psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, compiled a list of the most intelligent dog breeds according to over 200 professional dog obedience judges. According to his list, the poodle ranks a honorable second place just after the border collie.
Does this mean that everybody should rush and purchase the top ranking breeds? Certainly not, as we have seen, owning a smart dog doesn’t mean easy!
On top of that, it’s important to consider that when it comes to intelligence in dogs there are many different types.
“Every dog has an instinctive intelligence for which it was bred. Thus the Afghan Hound, at the bottom of the list, was bred to spot, pursue and pull down antelope and gazelle. If you ever saw one of them running you would appreciate how refined his skill as a running hunter is” says Coren.
This list therefore needs to be taken with a grain of salt. Sure poodles are smart, but just because they top the list, doesn’t mean that other dog breeds less sharp. Just like human intelligence, dog intelligence comes in various forms.
Meet Sailor the Smart Poodle and his famous Guinness World Record tricks!
Dog Time, Poodle, retrieved from the web on June 5th, 2016
Canine Horizons, Historical Poodle, retrieved from the web on June 5th, 2016
The Intelligence of Dogs: A Guide to the Thoughts, Emotions, and Inner Lives of Our Canine CompanionsPaperback– by Stanley Coren, Atria Books; Reissue edition (January 5, 2006)
Photo Credits:
Flickr, Creative Commons, Poodle by Andrew Colin# Gloria Serenity Belek, Antalya, (CC BY 2.0)
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Did you know? Living with a smart dog that is easy to train can also have its challenges. Just as they can learn desired behaviors quickly, they are as quick to learn bad habits!
