Admin, Author at Daily Dog Discoveries

What’s Up With Dogs Standing Over Other Dogs?

December 15, 2016December 11, 2016 by Admin

Watching dogs interact can provide a lot of insights into the different ways dogs communicate, and among the variety of behavioral displays, a dog standing over another dog can be one of those behaviors that has many people wondering what it means. Is the behavior of a dog standing over other dogs a sign of trouble and therefore one of those behaviors that require intervention? Is it play? As always, when it comes to dog behavior there are no rules written in stone as there are so many variables. Let’s take a closer look into the behavior and see what the experts in the field say.

A Closer Insight

What exactly is a dog who is standing over other dogs doing? Many dog owners describe it as a dog who places himself perpendicular to another dog in what is often referred to as a “T posture.”

Along with positioning himself perpendicularly at a 90 degree angle in respect to the other dog, the dog may also attempt to place a paw on the shoulder of the other dog, or perhaps rest his head or chin on the other dog (chin-over).

You can sometimes see these fellows literally standing on tiptoe when they do this as if trying to seem taller and imposing. Some dogs will stand over other dogs that are lying down with their neck arched over them.

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“The perpendicular or T posture is where one dog stands with his or her head or neck over another dog.”~Karen Overall

What Does it Mean?

Veterinary behaviorist Karen Overall in the book “Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats” defines the perpendicular T posture assumed by a dog interacting with another dog as an interaction that is involving social challenge. When a dog postures in this way, he gets in the other dog’s way and limits the other dog’s room for maneuver. Dr. Overall lists the “T posture” as an agonistic behavior that is likely to have an aggressive component.

What exactly are agonistic behaviors? According to Roger Abrantes, agonistic behaviors include all forms of intraspecific behavior (within a species) related to aggression, fear, threat, fight or flight. Behaviors that yes, are functionally related with aggressive behavior, but that yet fall outside its narrow definition.”

On a lighter note, sometimes standing over may be just part of a dog’s way to attempt to control a situation, perhaps because of an underlying sense of insecurity. This posture is sometimes seen in adult dogs dealing with hyper pups as a way of trying to gain control of the pup’s rambunctious behavior.

This type of posturing can also be part of a dog’s play behavior repertoire and can even be seen in young puppies. According to Overall, standing over with the head arched is a behavior that can be seen among litter mates considering that learning the ABC’s of agonistic behavior is a normal part of puppy development.

“Standing over another dog who is lying down… This is a blatant way of saying “I am bigger, taller and in charge.” Adult dogs often stand directly over puppies to make it clear that they are still controlling any interactions with them.”~Stanley Coren

Is it Dominant or Aggressive Behavior?

Is standing over in dogs a sign of dominance? Is the dog standing over the other dog dominant? Many people wonder about this and sometimes heated discussions arise around the usage of the term “dominance.”

Dominance is not a personality trait, reminds us Sophia Yin. It’s a relationship between animals so to determine who has priority access to resources such as food, sleeping areas and mates (Bernstein 1981; Drews 1993).

Social hierarchies do exist among domesticated dogs (after all, even humans live in a hierarchical world, think president, vice-president etc.) but among dogs, the structure tends to be fluid. A dog may therefore show more “assertive” behaviors in one encounter with a dog and act more “deferent” in the next, depending on what’s at stake, explains Pat Miller.

The term dominance should therefore not be used lightly. According to Karen Overall “It would be inappropriate to assume that agonistic behavior alone defines a dominant-subordinate relationship or a pack relationship. Terminology affiliated with packs, pack behavior and rules about social organization within packs is unduly simplistic and should not be used uncritically.” It would be incorrect therefore to imply that a behavior such as standing over means that the dog doing it is “dominant” and the dog being subjected to it is ‘subordinate.”

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Is standing over aggressive behavior? When it comes to agonistic behaviors, there may be components of outright aggression, but there also may be certain signals and displays which are meant to avoid aggression from happening in the first place. Unless there are actual injuries occurring, more likely there are ritualistic displays at play rather than overt aggressive ones. In other words, don’t be so fast in placing labels on dog behaviors! Notice how Roger Abrantes in the quote below is careful not to say “dominant dog” or “aggressive dog”, but rather mentions “dominant behavior” and aggressive behavior to prevent labeling/ascribing personality traits.

“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… If any of the parties incur injury, then the behavior is aggressive and not dominant.” Roger Abrantes

Preventing Problems

A direct face-to-face meeting of two dogs who do not know each other can trigger conflict at times. It’s important to learn the signs of trouble before things escalate. A safe distance often can provide a better outcome. Dogs should be prevented from rehearsing “standing over behaviors” which can turn problematic and risk becoming overtime default behaviors used in all encounters with other dogs. In the video below you can see an interaction that involves “standing over” and how things escalate from there. What precipitated the “snark?”Did the leash exacerbate things? Or did the brown dog make a move that was just too much to tolerate? In other words, could this have been avoided? As always, readers are free to share thoughts in the comment section.

Disclaimer: this article is not meant to be used as a substitute for professional behavioral advice. If your dog is manifesting concerning behaviors towards other dogs, please consult with a behavior professional.

References:

Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats, By Karen Overall, Mosby; 1 Pap/DVD edition (July 9, 2013)
AVSAB Position Statement on the Use of Dominance Theory in Behavior Modification of Animals, retrieved from the web on December 11th, 2016
The Pet Professional Guild, Position Statement on the Use of Dominance Theory in Animal Training retrieved from the web on December 11th, 2016
Roger Abrantes, Dominance—Making Sense of the Nonsense, retrieved from the web on December 11th, 2016

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What’s Up With Dogs Licking the Air?

December 10, 2016 by Admin

Among the many odd things dogs do, dogs licking the air or dogs snapping at the air are behaviors that often leave owners baffled, wondering what may be going on. If your dog is licking and snapping the air, and he’s not in playful mood or feeling threatened, don’t just assume it’s an odd, perhaps even funny behavior, and leave it as that. Licking the air may seem like one of those behavior “quirks” dogs often display, but it can be triggered by some underlying medical condition. If your dog is sitting quietly and then gets these “spells” of licking the air, this behavior warrants investigation. A regular vet may help find the underlying cause, but sometimes, in challenging cases, a consultation with a board-certified veterinary specialist is needed.

Air Snapping in Dogs

Dog owners often describe their dogs as if biting at some imaginary fly hovering in the air, but in reality there are no bugs around. For this reason, this behavior of air licking is also known as “fly biting” or “fly snapping.” Other dog owners describe it as a dog who is chasing imaginary things, up to the point of making them wonder whether their dogs are responding to some sort of paranormal activity!

Dogs who are repeatedly licking their lips are sometimes said to be lip smacking but this behavior is a tad bit different than air snapping.

In air snapping, as the name implies, the dog is watching something and then moving the head forward and snapping as if trying to catch something; whereas, in lip smacking, the dog is only repeatedly passing his tongue over his lips and making smacking noises as if there’s peanut butter stuck to the roof of the dog’s mouth.

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With this distinction pointed out, following are are several causes for dogs licking the air:

Possible Partial Seizure

We often imagine seizures as the abrupt onset of uncontrollable muscle activity with the dog falling to his side, paddling and foaming at the mouth. These dramatic and scary episodes are known as gran mal seizures, but partial seizures are a type of seizures that are more on the discreet side.

Also known as focal seizures, partial seizures are limited to only a part of the brain’s hemisphere and therefore produces symptoms based on what part of the brain is affected. Affected dogs may just twitch a part of their body or engage in fly catching.

Diagnosing seizures is not easy in dogs as it would require recording the brain waves produced during the epileptic event in hopes of detecting the associated brain wave abnormalities, but it’s not like dogs can sit still for extended periods of time with electrodes stuck on their bodies while waiting for a seizure to happen!

Generally, if the episodes are infrequent, and therefore, quite sporadic, they’re not much cause for concern unless they increase in frequency or are accompanied by grand-mal seizures, explains board-certified veterinary neurologist, David O’ Brien.

However, if the dog’s seizures happen frequently enough, dogs are often put on an anti-seizure medication trial. The dog owner therefore observes the dog while he’s on an anti-epileptic medication and reports to the vet any seizure activity occurring during the trial. If the the dog air licking episodes subside, then it’s indicative that the spells were likely indeed seizures.

“The fly-biters are still a bit of a question mark for veterinary neurologists. We think they are a type of complex partial seizure, but the evidence is not conclusive.”~David O’ Brien

Presence of Vitreous Floaters

Floaters are not limited to humans, they can affect dogs as well. What exactly are floaters and how do they affect dogs? Just like us, the dog’s eye is filled with a gel-like substance known as “vitreous.”

As dogs age, this substance thins and pulls away from the retina, a condition known as posterior vitreous detachment. When this occurs, floaters, which are small particles of vitreous gel, may be present.

In humans, floaters are described as being seen like debris that floats on the eyes and disturbing vision. In dogs, there’s belief that floaters may not be well understood and dogs may therefore believe that there are actual objects floating around triggering the instinct to want to catch them.

For this reason, vitreous floaters are sometimes referred to as “flying flies.” While floaters can be easily diagnosed by a vet by carefully looking into the dog’s eyes using an opthalmoscope, there are chances that fly biting behaviors are not due to eye problems. Vitreous floaters are not only uncommon, but also fly biting is more likely to occur because of some dysfunction of the dog’s temporal or occipital lobe, explains Kirk N. Gelatt, a veterinary ophthalmologist in the book “Essentials of Veterinary Ophthalmology.”

A Digestive Disorder

In some cases, licking the air has been found to be indicative of a digestive disorder. A study conducted by researchers from the University of Montréal Veterinary Teaching Hospital evaluated 7 dogs with a history of fly biting with their episodes lasting anywhere from once daily to an episode every hour.

Recordings of their fly biting events showed that the dogs were raising their heads and extending their necks prior to snapping at the air, a behavior that was suggestive of some sort of discomfort with their esophagus. When these dogs were examined, they were all found to have a digestive abnormality. Medical treatment successfully solved most of these dog’s underlying digestive issues and therefore tackled the fly biting behavior.

” All dogs with oral repetitive behaviors should undergo a complete medical work-up to rule out GI disease before evaluation for behavioral disorder.”~John Ciribassi

A Behavioral Disorder

In behavioral medicine, licking the air and fly biting have been reported to possibly be caused by a compulsive behavior disorder. It’s a mistake to assume fly biting is behavioral issue from the get-go without first having the dog evaluated for underlying medical problems. Once medical problems have been ruled out, then, the next step may be consulting with a veterinarian specializing in behavior problems.

Dogs are known for often exhibiting odd, repetitive and bizarre behaviors such as chasing lights, flank sucking, chasing tails, spinning and fly biting is one of them. Fly biting when performed repeatedly by the dog and intently, so much so that it is difficult to interrupt, may be a sign of a compulsive disorder.

Such compulsive disorders can be problematic as they interfere with the dog’s normal activities. The behavior may start out of conflict or frustration and then become a default behavior that dogs use, often occupying a high percentage of their time.

Treatment in this case entails pharmacological intervention most often using serotonin reuptake inhibitors along with behavior modification in hopes of reducing the behavior and re-directing the dog to normal activities.

Disclaimer: this article is not meant to be used as a substitute for professional veterinary advice. If your dog is engaging in air licking, air snapping or fly biting, please consult with your vet.

References:

Frank D, Bélanger MC, Bécuwe-Bonnet V, et al. Prospective medical evaluation of 7 dogs presented with fly biting. Can Vet J 2012;53:1279-1284.
DVM360, Compulsive disorders: Have you considered GI involvement? retrieved from the web on December 10th, 2016

Photo Credits:

Flickr. Creative Commons, Tony Alter, Nose Check CCBY2.0
A vet examines a dog in New York, Archivist1174 – Own work, Photo of New York State Assemblyman Dr. Stephen M. “Steve” Katz at the Bronx Veterinary Center.CC BY-SA 3.0

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Five Tips on Naming Your Dog

December 10, 2016December 9, 2016 by Admin

When it comes to naming your dog, you are likely looking for names that are appealing and have a special meaning to you, but have you ever thought about what’s best for your dog? Names are perceived differently by dogs than the ways us humans perceive them. Dogs aren’t born knowing their names; just as with a dog whistle, it takes some associative learning to understand the meaning of certain spoken words or sounds. Since dogs don’t perceive words like we do, it’s also important that the name you choose has certain characteristics so that it’s not confused with other words that are commonly used. So here are some tips on choosing your dog’s name. Perhaps, you can find a name that is appealing to you and that’ll also work fine for you canine pal as well, a win-win!

Keep it Different From Other Cues

It’s often forgotten that a name from a dog’s perspective is simply another cue that tells him to pay attention to you and come running to you when it’s followed by the word “come!”

If your dog has been already obedience trained, most likely he’s very familiar with certain cues such as sit, down, heel, leave it, watch, drop and stay, so you want to pick a name that doesn’t sound too similar to these words.

If your dog is a puppy and has not been obedience trained yet, then you’ll have to be careful about names that are going to sound similar to the cues you’ll be using in the future.

Advanced planning is important but if you really like a name that might be confused with a certain training cue, then for sake of clarity, you may want to change the word used as a training cue to avoid confusion.

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Here are a few examples of sound-alike names that may sound too similar to training cues.

For instance, “Brown” or “Clown” may sound too similar to the the training cue “down.” Kay, Fay or May may sound too similar to the cue “stay.” Phil or Steel may sound similar to “heel.” Butch or Catch may sound similar to “watch.” Tidbit, Smith, Quick, Pit or Kit may sound too similar to “sit” and the name “Oliver” may be confused with the trick cue “roll over.” And so on.

Fortunately, nowadays there are extensive dog name options and choosing a name that doesn’t sound too similar to regular training cues should be quite easy, but wait there’s more to keep into consideration when choosing your dog’s name!

Tip: if you own two dogs try your best to give them names that are easy to distinguish from one another.

Keep it Sweet and Short

Have you ever gone to a dog show and felt intrigued by the long and weird names of certain dogs? Well, in the world of showing dogs, those long names are there for several good reasons! First off, those show dogs needs a name that stands out and doesn’t resemble in any way quintessential dog names such as Missy or Fluffy, but most importantly, often, the dog’s name includes information about the dog’s ancestry, something that the owners are very proud after years of breeding certain bloodlines.

Not to mention, sometimes special titles are also added into the mix making these names even longer! For instance, Sky, the wire fox terrier who won the 2012 AKC championship is named “GCH Afterall Painting the Sky.“The GCH in this case stands for the title of grand championship.

As you can imagine, if a show dog would be called by his official name, he would be long gone and missing by the time the owner ends up finishing pronouncing the dog’s name! But of course, things must get practical, which is why owners of show dogs give their dogs another name to respond to, in this case a shorter nickname that’s formally known as the”call name.” Ideally, dog names show not be longer than two syllables. This way you can pronounce the name quickly in the circumstance where you need your dog’s immediate attention.

Did you know? The American Kennel Club allows registration of dog names that can be up to 36 characters long. Need more? For a $10 fee owners can use up to 5o!

Use Strong Consonants

Look for names with sharp consonants. What consonants are considered sharp? The letters P, K and D are consonants that make quite an impact. According to Patricia McConnell these hard consonants are known for creating “broad-band” sounds (just like those produced by clickers), that carry a lot of energy and are great for capturing a dog’s attention.

For those interested in neuroscience, interestingly, the sounds produced by such consonants are more prone to stimulate a dog’s acoustic receptor neurons in the brain compared to flatter sounds such as those produced by vowels or soft consonants.

Of course, a name with sharp consonants isn’t a must, as you can train a dog to pay attention to any name if you work on creating positive associations, but hard consonants along with just one syllable, maximum two, can make a difference, especially if your dog is a working dog or engaged in dog sports when you might need his immediate attention.

There, now you know why so many border collies are named Hope!

“If you analyze the acoustics of spoken language, you’ll find that saying hard consonants, such as “k,” “p” and “d,” create what are called “broad-band” sounds, with lots of energy across a range of frequencies.” ~Patricia McConnell

Give it a Meaning

As mentioned, dogs are not born knowing what their name is and they don’t perceive words the way we do. As talkative humans, we must keep this into consideration. So when our dogs first hear their names it’s a pretty irrelevant sound, or at most, they may show an orienting response by turning their head or twitching their ear our way when we first pronounce it.

It’s important though to not make the grave mistake of pronouncing the name over and over without giving it a meaning. Don’t fall into the “broken record trap” often seen when owners repeatedly say their dogs’ name inadvertently making their names less and less powerful up to a point that the dog starts caring less about all the meaningless blabbering.

So how do we give a dog’s name its meaning? Imagine the process of giving your dog’s name its meaning as charging a battery; you want to make your dog’s name more and more powerful through powerful associations. And how can we form these powerful associations? With things and activities your dog loves and looks forward to everyday.

Food is always a great incentive to start with. In a quiet room with little distractions going on, pronounce your dog’s name. The moment he turns around, toss a treat on the floor. Now wait for him to wander away a bit from you. Call his name again, the moment he turns around again, toss a treat on the floor. Repeat several times. When your dog gets the idea, you can know incorporate some fun training if your dog is trained already. Say your dog’s name, the moment he has your attention, ask him to sit or respond to some other cue he knows. Then reward him with praise and treats.

Now it’s time to make your dog’s name music for his ears. Say your dog’s name followed by the cue “come!” when it’s meal time, when it’s time to play, when you have a bran new toy hidden behind your back to give him or a bone or when you are about to go out in the yard together or go for a walk. Here’s a big, big rule of thumb though: never use your dog’s name and/or ask him to come when something negative is about to follow. Like saying your dog’s name and calling him and giving him a bath if he dreads baths. This is like un-charging that battery you worked so hard to charge, weakening it and possibly leading to a dog who is more and more tentative to respond to his name and come when called! Keep your dog’s name always positive, fun, upbeat and meaningful for your dog!

“A dog’s name becomes a signal which tells him that the next sounds that come out of his master’s mouth are supposed to have some impact on the his life. Thus a dog’s name linguistically translates into something like “This next message is for you.”~Stanley Coren

Re-Naming a Dog After Adoption

Did you get a dog from the shelter who promptly responds to the name his previous owner gave him, but you’re not too enthusiastic about using it? You may have heard that’s it’s not a good idea to change a dog’s name after adoption, but changing a dog’s name is possible as long as you follow a particular procedure to make it a success. Here’ briefly how to do it.

For sake of example, let’s say your dog’s name was Cujo and you want to call him ‘Samson” so you can prevent people from thinking that your sweet dog is a mean dog.

So in a quiet room start by calling your dog’s name “Cujooo!” and giving him a treat when he looks at you, do this at least three times. Then in the middle of all this, say “Samson-Cujooo!” he may hesitate when you say Samson a bit, but should come to you upon hearing Cujo. When you get his attention give him a treat. This might sound long, but you’ll need to do this for just a few trials. Then, start fading the name Cujo a bit. Say “Samson-Ujo!” give a treat for looking at you/coming towards you. Then make it ‘Samsoon-jo!” and keep giving a treat for coming to you. Finally, just say “Samsoooon!” dropping the old name altogether and when your dog is paying attention/coming to you, this time give him a jackpot, basically give him 3-4 treats in a row so that it really makes a great impact on him.

Keep practicing in the quiet room a bit but also start practicing in other rooms where there are more distractions going on and then in your safely fenced yard. Don’t forget to have other family members practice too!

References:

Psychology Today, The Art and Science of Naming a Dog, retrieved from the web on Dec 9th, 2016
The Bark, A Dog by Any Other Name, retrieved from the web on Dec 9th, 2016

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What’s Up With Dogs Growling When Moved Off the Bed?

December 9, 2016December 8, 2016 by Admin

It’s that noise that every dog owner dreads, a deep guttural growl emitted the minute your dog is pushed off the bed, but what’s really up with dogs growling when moved off the bed? Why are they so grumpy about it? It often starts with you asking your dog “politely” to get off the bed, and then, trying with a firmer “I mean business” tone of voice. Since your dog gives a deaf ear and decides he doesn’t want give up his “throne,” you are then forced to use plan B and grab his collar to get him off or even give him a push, and out of nowhere comes that growl. What’s going on? Is Rover acting like a bully? Here’s a little guide on what’s more likely going on from Rover’s perspective.

There Are Always Two Sides of the Story

You might have heard about your friend who has been cheating on her husband or your co-worker may have told you how her boss hurt her feelings, but before making a judgement, have you heard both sides of the story?

This seems to have become a forgotten practice. Failure to hear the whole story from both points of view, failure to gather factual information and failure to distance oneself so to remain emotionally detached, may often lead to a rushed, inaccurate judgement.

Situations of he said/she said are particularly challenging especially when the other party happens to be a dog.

The dog not only cannot talk to provide his version of the story, but he happens to speak a totally different language and all that dog owners often hear is that final”grrrr” which is perceived as the ultimate proof of the dog’s stubborn nature and reluctance to got off the couch.

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“Why can’t I remember that not once have I ever seen a coin, whether grimy copper or bright gold, that had but one side.” ~Andrew Levkoff,

From the Owner’s Perspective

Owners often describe the dynamics about a dog growling when asked to move off the bed as such: So I was walking through door and found Rover on my bed. I am not really too keen about having him sleep on the bed. So I first asked him nicely to get off. When I said “off” the first time, Rover ignored me. So I said “off” in a more serious tone of voice, leaning over him and pointing near his face. At this point, he even turned his head the other way and then yawned!

So since he was acting stubborn, I decided I had to push him off the bed. When I pushed him it was like trying to move an old piece of furniture, he wouldn’t budge. So I pushed harder, and he growled at me! I got scared and therefore stopped pushing him and left. I was afraid he was going to bite me!

So I let him be and now I am here asking for help because I am afraid of my dog growling at me when I ask him to get off the bed! Not only, now he also growls at me if I even come close to him when he’s on the bed! He’s telling me that he owns the bed! How do I deal with such a stubborn dog?

From Rover’s Perspective

Let’s take a closer look at what Rover may be silently telling the owner before the infamous growl. Here’s his version. So I was sleeping comfortably on the couch. I like to stay on the couch because it feels comfy and my owner has allowed it in the past. Now here comes my owner telling me “off.” I tilt my head wondering what that means. It almost seems like she’s trying to say “woof?” Next, the owner says “off” in a more serious tone and looms over me in an intimidating manner. That was quite scary!

So I started getting worried. What does “off” mean? It’s not like I was doing anything bad. I was just laying there! Is my owner in a bad mood today? I tried sending her some calming signals such as yawning or turning my head in hopes of calming my owner down, but this seemed to escalate her behavior.

So next she comes near him and starts pushing me. I don’t like that, I was never touched in such a way before. My ears are back as I try to make myself invisible as much as I can. But the pushing continues. Finally, I had to tell her “I don’t like what you are doing, please stop.” I think she got the message as she left the moment I growled. Pheeewww… that was really odd and scary! Glad it’s over. Now, I can try to relax and hopefully go back to snoozing. I guess if she comes back and comes anywhere near me, I might have to remind her that I didn’t like her intimidating approach.

A Better Understanding

Now that we heard Rover’s story, we have put some important pieces of information together and have noticed that the two sides of the story don’t match. While in real life, dogs cannot talk, a video of the episode or observing the interaction is often worth a thousand words; however, it’s often not safe to do so. However, from an accurate descriptions with details of Rover’s body language we can get gather pertinent information as to what may be going on. While the owner is convinced that Rover is acting stubborn and wants to claim the bed, Rover is telling us a different story. Let’s take a closer look.

No Idea What Off Means

First of all, Rover often has no idea of what “off” exactly means. When dog owners are inquired about it, turns out their dogs were never really trained to respond to the “off” cue. We often assume dogs will naturally understand certain words when told in a firm manner, such as telling the dog “off” or telling the dog ” no!” but it’s not like that.

Words like “no” or “off,” unless given a meaning through training, don’t provide enough information of what is asked of them and often just convey the message that we are in a bad mood. These words often result in a dog who feels confused and compelled to send calming signals left and right such as yawning, walking away or turning the head which are often interpreted by dog owners as a further sign of ignoring the owner and being stubborn.

After repeatedly hearing “off” and then being pushed away, there are chances that Rover starts to think that “off” is a bad word. Since dogs live in a world of associations, soon the word “off” therefore becomes a negative cue, a predictor sign that the owner is upset and something unpleasant is going to happen (being pushed or grabbed by the collar).

Please Stop That!

While the owner perceives the growl as the dog wanting to remain on the couch and “not giving up his throne” Rover is often not growling because of an intent to stay on the couch, but as a way to stop the owner from acting intimidating. Indeed, as soon as the owner leaves, the dog feels relief. In this case, for those interesting in learning how dogs learn, negative reinforcement is at play. Basically, the behavior of growling is rewarding because it feels good when something negative (the owner’s presence) goes away. Let’s provide a practical example of this.

Imagine working for a customer service department. An angry customer swings by and tells you he is angry because a TV he just bought is not working properly, but has no receipt and demands his money back. You act apologetic about it telling the customer how sorry you are (just like a dog sending calming signals to an angry owner) and explain that it’s against company policy making a return with no proof of purchase, but this only angers the customer more.

So you go to plan B. As for social etiquette, you certainly cannot address him as your instincts would like to (telling him to go away and stop pestering you, it’s not your fault!) as that could get you fired, but you tell you will give him the customer support hot line number to see what they can do. Since this works like a charm in calming the customer down, soon telling customers you’ll give them the customer support number becomes your preferred, default method of dealing with angry customers and making them go away. Ah, so much relief!

“Whereas the owner thinks the dog is growling to stay on the couch, the dog may actually be growling to get the owner to stop threatening it. “~Lore I. Haug

The Importance of Careful Assessments

Understanding the dynamics that trigger certain dog behaviors is important and can make a difference on the outcome of the choice of behavior modification. This is why it’s important to hire behavior consultants who take a factual approach paying careful attention to what is triggering the behavior and refraining from being lulled by certain labels that are given to dogs. Statements such as “My dog is acting like a bully” or “my dog is being stubborn” not only blur what may be truly going on masking the real dynamics, but also risks hurting the relationship between owner and dog.

Data obtained from collecting the dog’s behavioral history along with factual information obtained from interviewing the owners and possibly, observing a video of the problem behavior when safe and feasible to do so, can help behavior consultants attain a quite accurate description of the problem behavior and develop effective management strategies.

Implementing behavior modification based on faulty, non-scientific approaches can yield more problems down the road than bargained for. If a dog trainer using aversive dog training techniques and adhering to unscientific, narrow-viewed beliefs was not paying attention to gathering factual information and was hired for such a case, he or she may have believed that the dog was truly stubborn and trying to challenge the owner and may have suggested implementing a correction,under the form of a collar grab or a a scruff shake every time the dog refused to get off the bed.

This approach could seem to be working in the first few trials, but then the owner may notice that Rover now appears more stressed out than ever and now growls every time he’s touched by the neck area such as when the owner reaches out to pet him or to put the collar and leash on. This is because now the owner’s mere touch has assumed negative connotations. From bad to worse!

” While punishment may temporarily inhibit the aggressive response, stifling a growl, over time punishment often intensifies a dog’s reaction and escalates his aggression or anxiety. Punishment also damages your relationship of trust with your dog, as your interactions become less predictable. When you use force-based techniques, you increase the risk your dog will show aggression—and bite.” ~Mikkel Bekker

Other Possible Motives

Of course, dogs may behave in certain ways for various different reasons, and there’s never a cookie-cutter explanation for all. If it were that easy, there would be manuals with step-by-step guides on how to fix dog behaviors just as those handy-man manuals tackling how to fix a leaky faucet making it feasible for everybody to do it.

For instance, a dog may be growling because he’s actually really protective of the bed or couch, but not as to the materialistic “owning the couch” as many people may believe.

Dogs do not place value on objects in the same way we do with jewelry, watches or cars. When they act protective of items there are more likely items linked to the dog’s survival and fulfilling associated needs as the need to eat, sleep and feel secure.

So growling when somebody comes near a dog on the bed is perhaps more like “I feel safe and comfortable here” rather than “This bed is all mine! I am king of the house, now go away and go sleep on a mat, you subordinate owner!”

In some cases, it could be that the dog has mobility issues or is not feeling well and the presence of the owner, along with being asked to move away, has been associated with the pain. Stressed dogs who go on the couch or bed in a quiet room to escape from rambunctious children may perceive the couch as their safe haven and by growling they may be putting a virtual”please do not disturb sign” in hopes of preventing further pestering. And of course, dogs should never be disturbed when sleeping!

Regardless, sometimes looking for the exact cause may be time consuming and there are sometimes risks for misinterpretations no matter how hard one tries to find the ultimate motive, so at times it just helps going straight to fixing the issue. How can an issue as this be tackled? It often takes a multi-faceted approach by managing the dog’s environment so to prevent access to beds, couches and sofas if the dog tends to growl when on them which makes him rehearse the problem behavior. Providing the dog with a suitable replacement sleeping area such as a comfy dog bed is a great alternative. Get the best dog bed you can and make it extra appealing by giving a chew toy or long-lasting treat like a stuffed Kong while on it. Also, training the positive off cue may come handy just in case the dog manages to get on the couch despite our attempts in preventing access to it.

“Aggression is caused by cumulative stress that pushes a dog over his aggression threshold. We’re all grumpier when we’re stressed.”~ Pat Miller

References:

DVM360, The Facts About Growling, by Mikkel Becker, retrieved from the web on December 8th, 2016
Clinician Brief, Growling in Dogs, retrieved from the web on December 8th, 2016

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How to Train a Dog to Get Off the Bed or Off Furniture

December 13, 2016December 8, 2016 by Admin

Let’s face it: dogs love couches, chairs, sofas and beds for the same reasons we do: they are comfortable pieces of furniture and make dogs feel secure, you may therefore be looking for ideas on how to train a dog to get off the bed or furniture. Training a dog the “off cue” requires a little bit of initial effort, but with some tasty treats, your dog should get the concept in no time. Dogs aren’t brought into this world knowing what the “off cue” means so it’s ultimately our job to teach them. So here’s a helpful guide on training your dog to get off the bed, couch or other furniture.

First, Skip These Harmful Training Methods!

If you feel compelled to get your dog off the bed or couch just because “you said so” by grabbing him by the collar or pushing him off, consider that this may cause problems in the long run. Scruff shakes are a big no no, which could backfire and lead to worse problems, and scolding a dog for not getting off the bed often accomplishes nothing other than causing fear and stress as the dog often has no clue of what he’s being asked for.

So what’s left to do? You can train the positive off cue, which will tell him what you exactly want him to do. Indeed, most dogs who are trained “off” using positive, dog friendly training methods are often collaborative and willing to give up the comfy bed when asked.

Why do we call it the “positive off cue?” The word “command” gives the idea of asking our dogs to “get off or else” and this is a type of warning rather than a benign signal for getting a dog to willingly complete the action of getting off the bed.

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“A cue is completely different from a command. There is no threat implied with a cue. A cue is like a green light that tells the dog that now is the time to execute a behavior for the chance of reinforcement.” Joan Orr

A Word About Words

Using the “off” word comes handy if you want to find a way to get your dog off the bed or off the couch and you never used this word before, but you may have to re-consider using the word “off”if you used this word in the past and it has assumed negative connotations (poisoned cue). If you used the word “off” before in a harsh tone of voice or worse, used it when pushing your dog off the bed or pulling him by the collar, you are better off using a whole new, fresh word. What word can you use? You may want to skip “down” as you might use this to cue your dog to lie down and thing get confusing with using a cue for two different actions, so why not try with “floor” or “jump” instead?

How to Teach Your Dog Off

Teaching your dog off comes handy both for preventing problems such as a dog who acts protective of the bed or growls when asked to get off the couch. If your dog has shown signs of aggression though, you want to have a dog trainer or behavior consultant guide you through this training for safety purposes. We don’t want anybody to get hurt!

Here’s how to teach a dog the off cue. Arm yourself with a clicker and some tasty treats. If you do not have a clicker or don’t know how to use one, you can replace it with a verbal marker such as “yes.”

Wait for your dog to jump on the couch or bed. If your dog doesn’t go, you can try to persuade him by tapping on the couch or bed. If your dog goes on the bed at certain times of the day, plan your training sessions around that specific time.
Say your cue “off” or “floor!” and then toss a treat on the floor with a downward motion of you hand. Treats that are hard and make a noise as they make impact with the floor work better as they’re more likely to grab a dog’s attention.
Just when your dog jumps off the bed or couch, say “yes” or click your clicker and then your dog is off to eat the treat.
Repeat this exercise several times when the opportunity presents making it a fun and upbeat activity.
At some point, say “floor” without actually tossing the treat. Just pretend you toss it. When your dog jumps down say “yes” and feed him the treat, but this time from your other hand. Your goal is to say”floor” and stop tossing the treat. You can morph the tossing treat hand movement with you just pointing at the floor and then feeding the treat from your other hand when you dog jumps down.
Now, it’s time to further raise criteria. A day may arrive when you need your dog to get off the furniture and you don’t have treats. Start mixing in praise without giving treats or other rewards such as offering a favorite toy you have hidden behind your back or pocket or rushing together to the yard to play. Don’t stop giving treats altogether though, especially if your dog is particularly food motivated; he may still need the occasional treat to keep himself motivated!

Tip: what if my dog keeps jumping up more and more on the bed because he has learned he gets a treat when he’s asked off? If so, congratulations! You got quite a bright fellow there! It’s called a behavior chain, just like dogs learn to jump on people and then sit for a treat or to pull on the leash and then heel for a treat, in a yo-yo-like fashion.

How to break the chain? Here’s a little tip. When your dog jumps off the bed, don’t immediately give a treat, instead, ask him to do another behavior instead such as a sit, a down or a cute trick. And don’t forget to close that bedroom door: bed out of sight, bed out of mind!

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Dog Word of the Day: Spitz Dog

December 7, 2016December 7, 2016 by Admin

What is a spitz dog? If you stumbled on this term before, you may have been wondering what is a spitz dog, and what are the main characteristics of spitz dogs. Spitz dogs are fascinating animals who share similar characteristics which throughout their history made them particularly suitable for the environment and climate in which they originated. The spitz dog category encompasses many popular dog breeds most people are familiar with. It’s quite fascinating discovering more about spitz dogs, their physical features and their history!

What is a Spitz Dog?

Spitz dogs are simply a category of dog breeds which share some distinct characteristics. Most spitz-like dogs share small pointy ears, almond shaped eyes, a dense, thick coat and a fluffy tail that is often curled over the back.

Spitz dogs are often described as having a strong wolf-like appearance. Dogs under the spitz category originate from East Asia and several Arctic regions and are believed to be very ancient. According to the American Kennel Club, spitz-type dogs in Europe were associated with the hunter and gatherers of the first stone age, dating back about 6000 years!

Spitz dogs were selectively bred for mostly accomplishing three tasks: hauling sleds, hunting large game like moose and brown bears or small game like birds and small mammals, and herding animals like the caribou and reindeer.

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Spitz-type dogs therefore have a long history of living and working alongside humans. However, some breeds have been been bred away from working uses and were purposely designed to be companions or lap dogs.

A Closer Look

If we take a closer look at the characteristics of spitz dogs we will see how their bodies were purposely crafted to live in a cold environment. Even the facial features were crafted with harsh cold weather in mind.

Frostbite is a real problem in the Arctic and large ears would be prone to freezing in subzero temperatures. For a good reason the spitzs’ ears are small and pointy and lined up with fur to help prevent heat loss.

The eyes of dogs living in Arctic regions are often almond shaped and set obliquely. Why is that? This is an advantage as one can imagine how round, protruding eyes would be more prone to injury, observes Debbie Lynch, a columnist for the AKC Gazette.

Most spitz dogs have a wedge-shaped head with a definite stop. According to David Cavill, an English judge specializing in arctic breeds, the rise of the stop over the nasal sinus has a functional purpose in arctic breeds: allowing space for the air to warm as the dog breathes in the colder climates.

The double coat is obviously one of the main features that keep spitz-type dogs warm. The double coat in spitz dogs is composed by an outer, top coat made out of thick coarse fur and an inner coat made of fuzzy, insulating down. To protect the paws from sharp ice, the paws are heavily furred. And the tail? It conveniently curls up when spitz dogs are sleeping curled up in a ball so to help conserve heat.

What Dog Breeds are Spitz?

There are several dog breeds found in the spitz category. Sometimes, spitz dogs are divided in sub-types depending on their ancestry. For example, the German spitz sub-group includes Spitz type dogs of German origin, while Asian spitz sub-group includes spitz of Asian origin such as the Chow Chow and the Akita Inu.

Here are a few spitz dog breeds : Siberian husky, Alaskan malamute, Akita, Shiba Inu, Keeshond, Chow Chow, Pomeranian, Samoyed, Norwegian lundehund, Greenland dog, Alaskan klee klai, American Eskimo dogs, Karelian bear dog, Finnish spitz, Finish lapphund, Eurasier, Hokkaido, Korean jindo, Japanese spitz and Schipperke. The Pomeranian is considered the smallest of all spitz dogs.

Owning Spitz Dogs

Interesting in opening your heart and home to a spitz dog? Then you need to know some important spitz dog facts. While every spitz dog is blessed with his own unique personality and characteristics, here are some general facts about spitz dog ownership and what to expect.

While some spitz-type dogs are social by nature, some others require more training and careful socialization when they are puppies and throughout their lives. Because many spitz-type dogs were selectively bred to run long distances, they are naturally equipped with stamina and endurance. This means that they thrive when provided lots of space to roam around and daily exercise and mental stimulation so to stay fit and happy. Many spitz-type dogs can make wonderful running partners.

And what about grooming? Their double coat requires regular grooming as spitz dogs tend to shed quite a lot and may be prone to matting.

As with any new doggy additions, it’s important to conduct thorough research. It’s easy to fall in love with the looks of spitz dogs without keeping into consideration their needs. Lots of spitz-type dogs end up being relinquished to rescues and shelters because of superficial choices.

Photo Credits

Wikimedia, Německý špic vlčí Zuza Punkt Widzenia, Public Domain

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What Dog Breed is Nicknamed the “Dutch Barge Dog?”

December 6, 2016December 6, 2016 by Admin

When it comes to dog breeds, many of them are provided with nicknames. Some of these dog nicknames are plain cute, describing endearing traits or physical characteristics, others are more on the honorable side, and then some are crafted to depict some significant roles these dogs filled. We therefore have dog breeds nicknamed the “Firehouse Dog” and the “Gamekeepers night dog,” just for sake of example, and then we have the “Dutch Barge Dog.”As the name implies, these dogs were employed in the Netherlands and worked nearby rivers or canals. Can you therefore guess this trivia question?

What dog breed is nicknamed the “Dutch Barge Dog?”

A Bouvier des Flandres

B Dutch Shepherd Dog

C Wire-haired Pointing Griffon

D Keeshond

The correct answer is: drum roll please…

drum

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The correct answer is D, the Keeshond is the Dutch Barge Dog!

A Closer Insight

The keeshond is an an ancient dog breed dating back to the 16th century in Holland and that is categorized as a German spitz dog, also known as Wolfsspitz. German spitz dogs are characterized by a head that has a wolfish or fox-like appearance, a double coat, high-set triangular ears and a tail curled over the back.

The keeshond is therefore related to other spitz-like breeds such as the Samoyed, Chow, Finnish Spitz , Norwegian elkhound and Pomeranian. Because of being related to the latter, the keeshond was also often infamously referred to as the “overweight Pomeranian.”

The hallmark of this breed is its spectacles, dark lines running from the outer corner of the eye to the base of the ear which makes these dogs appear as if they’re wearing glasses.

Did you know? The presence of such lines is so important that the American Kennel Club considers the absence of “spectacles” a very serious fault!

A Look Back

Also known as the “Smiling Dutchman,” due to this breed’s bright, cheerful, and lively demeanor, the keeshond was used in the 17th and 18th century as a watch dog on barges that navigated through the Rhine River, a river that flows from Germany to the Netherlands.

What are barges exactly? Barges are small cargo vessels equipped with living quarters for the captain and his family. Keeshonds worked as zealous guardians of their owners’ belongings on these vessels and made great playmates for their children.

However, as the barges became larger, this breed became less favored and soon became scarce. Thankfully, their numbers were restored courtesy of the efforts of Baroness Van Hardenbroek.

Did you know? The plural form of keeshond is “keeshonden.” So if you own a couple of these fellows, remember this!

The Breed Today

While keeshond lost their jobs on the barges long ago, they have still retained their strong watch dog instincts and are always on duty, sounding the alarm for anything they believe is unusual. Being sensitive, keeshond may be reactive towards loud noises and may not cope well in families where there is lots of tension or shouting.

They are also nicknamed “velcro dogs” because of their tendency to follow their owners around and wanting to be involved in every activity. This breed therefore does best in the home with its family as keeshond are very people oriented and being around their people is what makes them most happy!

Did you know? Talk about politics! The name Keeshond derives from Cornelis “Kees” de Gijselaar, Dutch politician and leader in the rebellion during the Dutch Republic against the House of Orange. Cornelius owned a keeshond which soon became a symbol of the rebel party. When Cornelis was executed, the breed unfortunately became unpopular because of its political association.

References:

The Keeshond Club, The History of the Keeshond, retrieved from the web on December 6th, 2016

Photo Credits:

Wikimedia, Německý špic vlčí Zuza Punkt Widzenia, Public Domain
Wikimedia, Dutch barges by Adam Silo, Public Domain
Wikimedia, Keeshond in a Chair, by Otto Eerelman Public Domain

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I am Your Dog’s Carpal Bones

December 5, 2016December 5, 2016 by Admin

Among the variety of bones your dog has, the carpal bones are particularly important, and something to be aware of especially if you are the owner of a performance dog who is engaged in various doggy sports. Your dog’s carpal bones are known for forming several joints. A joint is simply the place where two bones meet and allow movement. Joints typically consist of bones, muscles, ligaments and cartilage, and in order to stay flexible and well working, they are lubricated with joint fluid. So today, let’ s discover a thing or two about the dog’s carpal bones, their role in movement and the medical conditions these bones may be subjected to.

Introducing Your Dog’s Carpal Joint

Hello, it’s us, your dog’s carpal bones talking! We consist of several small bones that make up your dog’s wrist. Our name indeed derives from the Latin word “carpus” meaning wrist.

What bones are we? There are actually seven of us, strategically aligned in two rows, parallel to each other. The ones displayed on the first top row are given individual names; whereas, the ones on the bottom row are given numbers rather than names.

Here is the list of our names: radial carpal bone, ulnar carpal bone, accessory carpal bone, first carpal bone, second carpal bone, third carpal bone and fourth carpal bone.

We are basically located in between the lower portion of your dog’s radia and ulnar bones and the top of the metacarpal bones. We work together to form three articulations; your dog’s antebrachiocarpal joint, the middle carpal joint, and the carpometacarpal joint.

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“Each bone of the carpus has a convex or concave side that matches a curve on the adjacent bone. These seven bones fit together like fieldstones that are used to build the walls of a house. ~Dr. Christine Zink

We Carry Several Functions

Located at the bottom of Rover’s legs, we play an important role in bearing weight. You might find it interesting learning that dogs tend to carry the majority of their weight in their front legs.

If you’re looking for more details on distributions, consider that it’s estimated that about 60 percent of a dog’s weight is carried by the front legs and 40 percent by the rear.

Carpal bones also allow movement and flexibility of the dog’s wrist.

Did you know? Along with your dog’s carpal pad, carpal bones act as sock absorbers for your dog’s leg during weight bearing actions. As you can see in the picture, the carpal pad touches the ground when the dog is running and also when he’s landing from a jump where it acts like a bumper.

When Things Go Wrong

While we help ear weight and absorb shock, we can only do so much. As mentioned, we are prone to injury, something that is quite common in performance dogs, such as dogs engaged in the sport of agility.

Dogs not enrolled in canine sports though can be vulnerable too, especially when running over uneven fields with rabbit holes or jumping or falling from a certain height.

Injury to us is most likely the result of some acute traumatic event or the result of chronic, repetitive strains over a certain period of time. Since we have a relatively loose fit, we’re for the most part supported by ligaments that join us one to another, but these ligaments are subjected to sprains.

Sprains are simply injuries to the ligaments that connect bones.. The sprains can be of different degrees. A grade one sprain is just the ligament overstretching. A grade two sprain is a partial tear of the ligament. A grade three sprain is the complete tear of the ligament due to hyperextension of the limb or hyperflexion with rotation which causes the joint to become unstable. This injury can cause lameness in the dog and reluctance to bear weight on the leg. In severe cases, the carpus may appear to have dropped to the ground. Left untreated, ligament injuries can cause arthritic changes to us, carpal bones. Veterinarian Christine Zink explains that in the past years she has seen several canine athletes suffering from carpal arthritis. Fractures are also a possibility.

“With so many carpal bones that don’t tightly interlock with the adjacent bones, the ligaments of this joint can be easily stretched and even torn when torque (twisting) is applied to the leg. The dewclaws have the important function of reducing the torque that is applied to the front legs, especially when dogs are turning at a canter (the main gait used in agility).”~Dr. Christine ZinK

Did you know? Carpal hyerxtension also occurs to a certain degree from slow degeneration of the dog’s ligaments as part of the aging process. As it happens to older dogs, they becomes progressively palmigrade (walking with the palm touching the ground), explains Nacho Calvo, Senior Surgeon at Fitzpatrick Referrals in Surrey.

I hope this article has helped you understand us! We are small and live in the shadow, but we are quite important allowing locomotion and flexibility to your dog’s legs. Take good care of us by ensuring that your dog is kept always in good shape and lean and prevent injuries by not letting your dog run on uneven surfaces.

Best regards,

Your dog’s carpal bones

Disclaimer: this article is not meant to be used as a substitute for professional veterinary advice. If your dog is lame or you suspect your dog is showing signs of a problems with his carpal bones, consult with your vet for proper diagnosis and treatment.

References:

DVM360, Carpal and tarsal sports-related injuries (Proceedings) retrieved from the web on December 5th, 2016
Dogs in Canada September 2003, With A Flick of the Wrist by Chris Zink, DVM, PhD retrieved from the web on December 5th, 2016
Veterinary Orthopedic Sports Medicine Group, Carpal and Tarsal Injuries, retrieved from the web on December 5th, 2016

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Interesting Canine Behaviors That Start in the Litter

December 4, 2016December 4, 2016 by Admin

When puppies are in the litter, along with their siblings and mom, they are learning the essence of what it means to be a dog and there are several interesting canine behaviors occurring at this time. From when they are born to the day they are fully weaned and sent to their new homes, puppies grow both physically and mentally at a steady and fast rate. Most of us will miss out on witnessing these developmental marvels, but here’s a brief introduction of several interesting canine behaviors occurring during this time. These canine behaviors derived from the interactions of siblings and siblings and mom can be categorized as epimeletic, etepimeletic and allolomimetic.

Epimeletic Behaviors

When we talk about epimeletic behaviors, we are basically discussing the natural tendency of providing care to others. Nurturing, care giving behaviors therefore fall under this category.

Born blind, unable to hear and unable to regulate their temperature or eliminate on their own, puppies, belonging to an altricial species, are pretty much in a helpless state and rely heavily on mother dog for survival. Fortunately, most mother dogs are drawn to their puppies and provide them with constant nurturing care during their first days of life.

These care-giving behaviors from mother dogs are largely influenced by the effect of hormones, especially prolactin, responsible for fostering protective behaviors and playing a role in stimulating the milk let-down process, explains veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Nicholas Dodman.

Want some examples of epimeletic behaviors carried out by mother dog? Here are some of them. Licking the pups vigorously after being born, cleaning them up from remnants of afterbirth and severing the pup’s umbilical cord. Attending to distress calls of pups who are hungry or cold.

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Grooming the puppies and licking the puppies’ rears to stimulate urination and defecation. Lying down besides the pups and nudging them to encourage them to nurse. Protecting the pups from harm and carrying them around. Regurgitating food for the pups when they’re being weaned ( a process sometimes still observed in some mother dogs).

Did you know? Mother dogs tend to pick up puppies and carry them around keeping their whole body in their mouth with feet dangling down, versus cats who carry their kittens by the skin, explain John Paul Scott and John L. Fuller in the book “Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog.”

Etepimeletic Behavior in Puppies

When we talk about etepimeletic behaviors, we are discussing about the natural tendency of soliciting attention from others. Care seeking behaviors therefore fall under this category.

Born in a pretty much helpless state, it’s important for puppies to get mother dog’s attention quickly when the need arises. These care soliciting behaviors are important for the pup’s survival considering that puppies are very vulnerable, especially when out of a domestic setting.

Fortunately though, in a domesticated setting, with the help of the breeder, puppies have a higher chance of surviving when dealing with problems and even many runts of the litter survive.

Want some examples of etepimeletic behaviors carried out by puppies? Here are some of them. Emitting distressed calls when cold or hungry or when being separated from mom and siblings. Tail-wagging with tail low, pawing, jumping and licking mother dog’s face and lips to greet and solicit her to regurgitate food for them (some mother dogs still do this, during weaning!). Following mother dog closely for protection.

Did you know? Etepimeletic behaviors aren’t limited to young puppies! Some of these infantile behaviors are often retained past early infancy in a dog’s interactions with humans and other dogs and become part of a dog’s behavior repertoire often because they have a history of reinforcement or they have been inadvertently reinforced by owners. Examples of etepimeletic behaviors retained into adulthood include attention-seeking whining and barking, emitting distress calls when separated from owners, as often seen in separation anxiety, begging at the table to be fed and facial licking.

Allelomimetic Behaviors

When we talk about allelomimetic behaviors, we are discussing about behaviors that puppies exhibit as they go through social stages of development. Once their ear and eyes open and puppies becomes more mobile, they will start discovering more about the world around them.

According to John Paul Scott and John L. Fuller, allelomimetic behaviors include doing things that other animals in the group do “with some degree of mutual stimulation.” The onset of these behaviors tends to occur when puppies are around 5 weeks of age.

Synchronizing behaviors may have provided adaptive advantages as working in unison may have been helpful in the past in hunting down large prey or relying on each other’s alertness to flee away from a predator.

Want some examples of allelomimetic behaviors carried out by young puppies? Here are some. Running together, eating together, investigating things together. Lying down together and waking up together, grooming each other as well as barking or howling in unison. Interestingly, this tendency seems to also cross species and it may persist into adulthood. Its not unusual to witness dogs engaging in behaviors they see humans do. A classic example is when owners are alerted by something and dogs are quick to catch their alertness. How many times after all, have you noticed your dog react to verbal cues that denote a state of alertness such as when you say ‘What’s that? Who’s there?'”

Did you know? Running after a child is more likely to be allelomimetic behavior more than hunting or herding as many dog owners assume, suggests Roger Abrantes, ethologist and PhD in Evolutionary Biology

References:

Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog, By John Paul Scott, John L. Fuller, University of Chicago Press; 1 edition (July 10, 2012)
Ethology Institute of Cambridge, Does Your Dog Show Allelomimetic Behavior?, retrieved from the web on Dec 4th, 2016

Photo Credits:

Flickr Creative Commons, Sergey Norin 1133 CCBY2.0

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Interesting Ways Dogs Greet Each Other

December 15, 2016December 3, 2016 by Admin

When it comes to dog greeting behaviors, dogs may greet each other by following certain “guidelines” based on species-specific social etiquette. Not all dogs necessarily follow such dog greeting etiquette, as every dog is different and every dog may greet other dogs in different ways, but those dogs who adhere to such greeting etiquette are often found to be less likely to cause conflict. As we have seen in a previous post, dogs have different dog-to-dog tolerance levels, and therefore the utmost caution is always needed when your dog meets and greets stranger dogs. So here are some interesting dog-to-dog greeting behaviors.

A Look at Dog Pheromone Glands

To better understand dog to dog greeting behaviors it’s important to know a bit more about pheromones. When dogs meet and greet one another, a whole lot goes on a chemical level. Several pheromone glands are distributed throughout the dog’s body and are concentrated on certain body parts, as seen in the picture.

What’s the purpose of these glands? Pheromone glands secrete special volatile, odorous substances that are meant to relay special messages to the receiver.

The dog on the receiving end, therefore, analyzes these substances courtesy of a special organ, the Jacobson organ, that’s located just nearby the anterior portion by the roof of the dog’s mouth. Right behind the dog’s top incisive teeth is what’s called the “incisive papilla,” a special duct that connects to this organ.

The dog’s incisive papilla allows scent molecules to travel to the dog’s Jacobson organ and then reach their destination by the dog’s brain.

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If you have ever seen a dog smelling the grass or another dog, and then such dog chatters his teeth, and perhaps even foams at the mouth, he’s likely gathering these scent molecules towards the incisiva papilla with the help of his tongue (tonguing). Once up the incisive papilla, these scent molecules then travel to the vomeronasal organ and then reach their destination, the dog’s brain where they are finally interpreted. When dogs meet and greet, the role of these pheromones play a large role allowing dogs to learn more about each other.

The primary pheromone secreting glands in the dog are the labial, auricular, perianal, genital (vulvar or preputial), interdigital (pedal) and mammary complexes of sebaceous glands. Most of the information apparently enters via the vomeronasal organ “~Dr. Bonnie Beaver

Dog Facial-Lingual Greeting

This is one of the most common ways dogs are forced to interact with other dogs when they’re on leash, basically, head-on. This is generally not a preferred method to meet as seen in the tense dogs in the picture on the right.

As the name implies, in facial-lingual greeting dogs engage in mutual investigation of each other’s faces. As seen in the picture above, dogs have several pheromones located in their head area.

A dog’s ears have special ceruminous and sebaceous glands which also contain pheromones. According to Dr. Cam Day, these pheromones are similar to the dog appeasing pheromones released from mother dogs, only that in this case, they’re applied to a wider basis for social purposes.

These pheromones found in the skin around the ears are often attractive to younger animals and may provide a cohesion effect with a social group. Adult dogs though may be interested in ears too, and it’s not unusual seeing dogs sniffing each other’s ears as part of their greeting ritual.

The labial area (lip area) is also of special interest to dogs. When dogs greet each other, its not usual to see them sniffing each other’s mouths. Remnants smells of what they ate may be attractive, but the lip area is also an area that secretes pheromones. Karen Overall claims that dog breath samples may also provide information from a neurochemical perspective. This lip licking is sometimes seen in dogs who have been separated from another dog for some time and are trying to gain information.

“Dog appeasing pheromones have a calming effect on puppies. It has also been isolated from the ears in some adult dogs and may play a role in social communication and cohesion.” ~Nicola Ackerman

Dog Inguinal Greeting

Another area of interest is the groin area. In male dogs, there are also pheromones that are secreted here from the preputial area and urinary tract area. The presence of pheromones from the urinary tract explains why dogs are fixated with urine marking and sniffing other dog’s pee.

Dogs will urine mark on vertical surfaces leaving pheromones behind that can be easily detected at “nose-level” for other dogs to check out. Dogs tend to react differently to pee: some just carefully sniff it and then leave the area, while some others will pee on top of it.

This habit is what has triggered the marketing of pee posts treated with synthetic pheromones for the purpose of grabbing a dog’s attention and hopefully enticing him to eliminate on them next time nature calls.

Dog Ano-Genital Greeting

This is one of the most common ways dogs greet one another, and the one that people are most accustomed to. In a natural setting, unlike dogs meeting head-on as dogs are often forced to do when on leash, dogs arch their bodies in a curve and investigate one another in a head-to-tail, ano-genital greeting.

What is so interesting with sniffing each other’s butts? Again, pheromones plays a role here. The anal glands, also known as scent glands, are sacs that are found under the tail and around the dog’s rectum at the 4 0’clock and 8 o’ clock position.

The anal glands are known for also secreting pheromones, and this is why dogs are so interested in sniffing another dog’s stool on top of sniffing each other’s butts.

A female dog’s vulval and urinary tract area is also an area of interest. Several pheromone glands in this area secrete information pertaining her reproductive status. In intact female dogs in heat, the scent of pheromones can be picked up by male dogs even miles away. The pheromone concentration in her urine may also tell a male dog whether she is receptive or not. The specific compound has been identified as methyl p-hydroxybenzoate, and according to a study, when this compound was applied to spayed female dogs, it caused male dogs to attempt to mount.

Did you know? Generally, dogs prefer to greet other dogs by first sniffing under their tails, but afterward they may be interested to exploring other areas where pheromones may also be present such as the lips, remarks Tracie Hotchner, in the book “The Dog Bible: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know.”

A Matter of Social Etiquette

If after a brief sniffing and mutual assessment, both dogs are happy with each other, they may go on with their lives or, if they’re in the mood, they may provide invitations to play. Not all greetings always end up smoothly though. Some dogs may be too rowdy, getting into the other dog’s faces or pawing. These Canine Tarzans can cause problems with dogs who dislike these types of interactions and who feel the need to “correct” the rude behavior. Generally, it’s polite to just take a few seconds of sniffing to get acquainted with one another and then move off. A dog who lingers on sniffing too much may be “reprimanded” by the dog being sniffed. Also, caution must be used with dogs standing over other dogs, in the perpendicular “T” position.

Did you know? By the age of 6 weeks, most puppies will have learned species-specific greeting behaviors including facial-lingual, inguinal and ano-genital greeting approaches, explains board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Bonnie Beaver in the book “Canine Behavior: Insights and Answers.”

References:

Canine Behavior – Elsevier eBook on VitalSource (Retail Access Card): Insights and Answers, 2nd Edition, by Bonnie V. Beaver Saunders; 2 edition (January 5, 2009)

Photo Credits:

Flickr Ctreative Commons State FarmCanine friends – K-9 Fresca and K-9 Sadie, CCBY2.0

Flick Creative Commons, Tony Alter When Dogs Meet & Greet, CCBY2.0

Wikipedia, Ano-genital control, . Hundehalter CCBY3,0

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