Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA, Author at Daily Dog Discoveries

What Really Happens When We Tell Dogs the Word No

March 14, 2025October 8, 2016 by Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA

As verbal humans, we are very used to using our words to communicate our thoughts, and this tendency often also surpasses species boundaries when we use our words as well to communicate with our own dogs. One of the most common words people use to communicate displeasure is a sharp “no!” said often in a “I mean business” tone of voice. But do dogs really understand the meaning of the word no? We may assume they do based on how they sometimes react to it, but things are not always as we perceive them.

Using the Word No

To us humans, the word no is perceived as something that should make a behavior stop. Indeed, people tend to often use it when the dog is doing something that is not desirable. The dog is jumping on someone? No! The dog is trying to steal a sandwich from the table? No! The dog is about to jump onto the couch? No!

Since many dogs stop in their tracks upon hearing the “no” word, it’s perceived as if the dog completely understood our message. The word “no” is therefore reinforcing to the owner as it made a bothersome behavior stop in its tracks. Since it feels good to the owner to make an unwanted behavior go away, the word no will therefore be used more and more in similar contexts. So next time Rover tries to dig a hole in the yard, the owner will say.. yes, you guessed it, the powerful word “no!”

Dogs don’t use words as we do, and as such, they often don’t understand many things we tell them. The word “no!” used to tell Rover to stop chewing, to stop jumping, to stop stop digging, to stop begging, to stop pulling and to stop all those different things dogs do that we don’t like, isn’t perceived by dogs in the same way we perceive it.

So if dogs don’t really understand what we are saying, then why do some dogs often stop in their tracks upon hearing us say “no”? Following are several explanations as to what dogs may be actually perceiving when we say the magic word “no.”

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“Stop All Activity!”

Think dogs understand the word ‘no’? Here’s what’s likely happening. When the dog owner says “no!” in a firm “I mean business” tone of voice, the dog is simply responding to the owner as if responding to a dog who is growling and snarling. No exact meaning is attached to the word no as to “stop jumping, stop digging or stop begging.” Therefore, the dog is not stopping any particular activity, but is actually stopping ALL activity, explains veterinarian Myrna Milani, in the book “The Body Language and Emotion of Dogs.”

“Using the word “NO” means nothing to a dog, he is not born with an understanding of the word “NO” or any other word for that matter.”~Georgina Lees-Smith

What to do instead: here’s an easy exercise: try to stop relying on the word “no” and instead do some troubleshooting, figuring out what you really want your dog to instead. Write these behaviors down and and start practicing them when the problem behaviors are NOT occurring. Make these behaviors really fluent so that you can ask for them when you notice your dog is about to engage in a troublesome behavior.

“I Don’t Understand You”

When we tell a dog “no” we are not understanding our dog and our dog is not understanding us. This makes for some mass miscommunication! For example in the case of a dog who is barking at the door, we may tell the dog to quiet down by saying “No!” But what is really going on in Rover’s mind? Rover may have heard a noise, perhaps somebody walking close by the door and by barking he is announcing an intruder. “There’s somebody coming close!” he barks to alert the owner. The owner instead remarks “No!” while the dog keeps barking as if saying “Yes, yes, there is a person walking by, I just heard him with my sensitive ears! Don’t believe me? Check it out!” This leads to a profound form of cross-communication that often leads to dog owners further raising their voices, remarks veterinary behaviorist Karen Overall in the book “Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats.”

What to do instead: In this case, rather than raising the voice to tell the dog “no” a better option may be to acknowledge the dog’s barking by looking outside and thanking the dog for alerting, then possibly giving the dog something else to do such as sit or lie down and rewarding with a tasty treat or a toy.

“Attention Coming Your Way!”

While in some dogs the word “no”may suppress any behavior they engage in, for some attention seeking dogs, the word “no” may have the opposite effect. For these dogs. the word “no” has actually become a powerful word that has become associated with attention!

These are often bored, under stimulated dogs who may appreciate any form of attention, even if of the negative type. So when their owners come home from work, these dogs are looking forward to doing anything that just gets the owners’ attention away from watching a TV show or talking on the phone. “Me, me, please pay attention to me! ” So these dogs start chewing on the remote, barking at the owners or insistently pawing at them or stealing an item and taking off with it in hopes of gaining the owner’s attention. If the word “no” is incorporated in the owner’s reaction, it often becomes a signal that the owner is now paying attention to the dog, looking at him and talking at him or even “playing with him” as seen with dogs stealing items and having the owner yell “no” as he starts chasing him around in a fun game of keep away.

What to do instead: Dogs have needs too! Provide your dog with the right amount of exercise and interaction before sitting down in the evening. Then as his energy is drained off, provide a quiet, yet mentally stimulating activity for your dog such as working on a stuffed Kong or other type of puzzle that can provides several minutes of entertainment. When commercials come on, why not do some fun, yet brief training sessions with your pal?

“Just Don’t Mind Me”

On the other hand, there are dogs who care less about the word “no.” Indeed, the word “no” has become just as irrelevant as the birds chirping in the trees during the day or the crickets singing during the night. Often this is the result of dog owners repeating the word no over and over like a broken record, and the dog has no clue what the dog owners mean so they have learned to just ignore it.

This is something often seen with new puppy owners. They follow their puppy around the house as the puppy starts investigating. The puppy chews on a shoe and the owner says ” no!” The puppy next steals the remote and the owner says “no!” Because all these “no” do not have an immediate consequence such as diverting the puppy’s attention to something else or providing a brief timeout to a boring room, they go to deaf ears or the puppy may also think it’s a fun game.

“The power of the word ‘no’ is totally lost on the dog who hears it used repeatedly, thus learning to ignore it. “~Sue McCab

What to do instead: manage your puppy’s environment so he’s not allowed to repeatedly rehearse problem behaviors which put him into the position of failing. So if say your puppy chews on your shoes, why not stop leaving those shoes around in the first place? “Out of sight, out of mind,” is quite a powerful management technique! Instead, leave around all the toys your puppy can play with so he’s set up for success and every body is happy.

“I Don’t Care About Your Needs”

Many behaviors that trigger the word “no” are instinctive, natural behaviors that dogs may find self-reinforcing. When a dog is stopped from performing an undesirable behavior (from our perspective of course!), often a behavior vacuum is likely to take place. Deprived from performing the natural behavior, the dog may feel frustrated and try to find another replacement behavior just to fill up the void. So if Rover is told “no” every time he tries to dig in the yard, at some point he may get frustrated from not being able to perform this natural behavior, so he’ll likely fill the void and decide to start chewing on the water hose instead.

“Vacuum behavior appears to spontaneously erupt out of frustrated internal drive tensions unable to find adequate expression otherwise.” ~Steven Lindsay

What to do instead: A better option is instead to give a dog benign activity to engage in that meets his natural desires such as getting food out of a stuffed Kong or shredding a cardboard box so that it can fit nicely in the trash can.

The Bottom Line

If dogs don’t understand exactly what the word no means, then it’s not fair to use it, or if it must really be used, it should be simply used as a way to re-direct the dog to performing a replacement behavior. This can be an option if it’s said in a neutral tone and the word hasn’t received excessive negative connotations in past. There are several great things dog owners may do to improve their relationship with their dogs. Management is a great tool to use at least until the dog has had an importunity to being trained. Providing outlets for natural behaviors using benign, innocent hobbies (puzzles, interactive toys, designated digging areas) is important. Replacement behaviors are great as they can fill the void and help your dog make good choices because they have a strong reinforcement history. A win-win!

Using the Word “No” in a More Positive Manner by Zak George

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No, Tapping Dogs on the Nose is not OK

March 14, 2025October 7, 2016 by Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA

Many dog owners seek advice for training their dogs on the web and a commonly asked question is whether it’s OK to tap a dog on the nose or head. More concerning, there are several websites who actually suggest tapping dogs on the nose or head as a correction for puppies who are nipping or dogs who are barking! Even when the tapping on the nose or head is done by dog owners in playful manner to entice the puppy or dog to play, as innocent as this practice may seem, there are several negative implications associated with tapping dogs this way which is why behavior professionals discourage it. Following are four good reasons why tapping dogs on the nose is not OK.

It’s a Sensitive Area

First of all, it should be considered that a dog’s nose is a sensitive area. Sure, a canine’s nose is quite powerful in detecting smells, but it’s just made of cartilage and soft tissue and it has a blood supply of arteries and veins and nerves.

Of all a dog’s body parts the nose is therefore an overall delicate area considering its internal nasal structures.

A traumatic nose injury in dogs can cause bleeding and pain that may require veterinary attention. Dogs should not be tapped, smacked or punched on the nose with the hands or other objects for any reason.

It Triggers Self -Defense

Even though a tap on the nose may not necessarily end up hurting the dog, we need to look at how the dog perceives it and what happens to him inside, emotionally. Repeated tapping to the dog’s noise may trigger fear and self defense in the long run and the dog may at some point react defensively just as it can happen with scruff shakes and other intimidating actions.

Many people still rely on outdated training methods such as smacking a puppy on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper for eliminating on the floor or giving a whack on the nose directly with a hand to stop a puppy from nipping on hands.

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Tapping a dog on the nose is based on positive punishment, meaning that its timely application is meant to reduce and stop an unwanted behavior. However, this type of correction actually heightens the chances for defensive aggression studies say. A study conducted by Meghan Herron, DVM, DACVB, Frances Shofer, DVM and Ilana Reisner, DVM, DACVB, of the Matthew Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, found that when dog owners resorted to harsh confrontational techniques, dogs responded with aggression.

” Punishment is like carpet bombing. The behavior you wanted to target gets hit but so can a huge portion of the dog‘s whole repertoire.”~ Jean Donaldson

It Makes Dogs Wary of Hands

One of the best ways to make dogs hand shy is by tapping them on their nose. There are high risks that a dog will become wary of hands after owners have been tapping them on their nose or used their hands somewhere near a dog’s face for the purpose of giving a correction.

Tapping on a dog’s nose may therefore lead to a dog who becomes afraid of having hands anywhere near their faces and may also lead to defensive behaviors.

Because hands are connected to humans, it also wouldn’t be surprising if on top of being wary of hands, affected dogs would also become wary of who delivers the “corrective tap,” negatively affecting the dog’s overall level of trust in such person.

It Encourages Rough Play

As mentioned earlier, some people may use tapping on the nose or head as a way to entice (or perhaps, better say provoke) a dog into play. A while back, there was an (unfounded) belief that playing roughly with a puppy by tapping him on the face and head would make the puppy more protective.

Even though this practice may look innocent, especially when the puppy or dog responds by engaging in a play session, there are associated risks that make this practice counterproductive.

Karen Overall in the book “Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals” discourages this practice and explains that it may lead to inappropriate play and even aggression .

“It is a fallacy that if you play roughly with young puppies, particularly if you tap them about the face and head so that they snap, they will become more protective. This type of play only teaches the dog to play inappropriately and aggressively.”~ Karen Overall

Alternative Methods

Dogs should perceive hands as sources of good things.

Tapping a dog on the nose ultimately doesn’t teach the dog what behavior we are expecting from him. As seen, corrective taps teach dogs to fear hands (and the owner!) and can potentially trigger defensive behaviors.

What should dog owners do then when their dog engages in unwanted behaviors? A great option is teaching the dog an alternate, incompatible behavior that can replace the undesirable one.

For instance, your “puppygator” nips your hands with his sharp teeth? Rather than tapping him on the nose, why not teach him (under the guidance of a trainer/behavior consultant) to gently tap instead your hands using his nose? This training method is known as “targeting” and basically the puppy learns that great things happen when he makes “nose contact” with the owner’s hands.

Indeed, every time the puppy makes nose contact with hands, he is rewarded with a treat tossed nearby him or is given access to a toy tossed on the floor. This way the puppy learns a different way to interact with peoples’ hands rather than biting, he also learns to associate hands (and people) with rewards and has a replacement behavior that will keep him busy and happy! A win-win!

” Actions such as grabbing a dog and forcing it into a down, growling at the dog, and other aggressive behaviors directed toward the animal will only lead to the animal developing a “fight-or-flight” response where the animal fears for its life….When we engage in such behaviors toward our dogs, we are not telling the dog we are “boss,” instead we are telling the dog we are dangerous creatures to be avoided or fought off. There is no “dominance” in these scenarios—only terror and the instinct to defend oneself against attack.” ~Association of Professional Dog Trainers.

Disclaimer: this article is not meant to be used as a substitute for professional behavioral advice. If your dog is exhibiting behavior problems, please consult with a behavior professional employing non-aversion-based force-free, techniques.

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Six Reasons Behind Your Dog’s Yawning Behavior

March 14, 2025October 6, 2016 by Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA

Most of us know what yawning in humans is all about, but when it comes to yawning behaviors in dogs, we may feel a bit stumped at times. Why is my dog yawning? Do dogs yawn when they are tired or is there more to it? What are some reasons dogs yawn? In order to better understand the mechanisms behind dog yawning, it’s necessary to discover more about what yawning behaviors really entail, what triggers yawning and, most of all, what a yawning dog is trying to tell us, which at times can be very important!

A Look into Yawning

Yawning: we do it when we are bored, engaging in tedious activities or tired, and at times, we also do it when we see other people doing the yawning, hence its contagious nature.

Yawning entails stretching the mouth wide open, deeply inhaling some air and then following it up with an exhale. But why is yawning happening in the first place? What’s going on from a physiological standpoint? In nature, fish, snakes and even babies yawn, and scientists have been wondering about its purpose for many years and have come up with a few theories.

One theory has it that yawning takes place when blood contains high levels of carbon dioxide. Yawning therefore is believed to be a way to increase the intake of oxygen considering that it entails a deeper inhalation compared to regular breathing patterns.

Another theory has it that yawning helps remove tension accumulated in the jaw, tongue and throat, hence why it feels good.

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And then you have yawning that happens because of simply watching or hearing somebody else yawn. Have you felt like yawning at any time while reading this article so far? If so, let’s hope it’s not from boredom!

Did you know? A study conducted by study leader Teresa Romero of the University of Tokyo revealed that “dogs yawn contagiously when they see a person yawning, and respond more frequently to their owner’s yawns than to a stranger’s.”

6 Reasons Behind Yawning in Dogs

So what about yawning in dogs? Do dogs yawn for the same reasons people yawn, or is there more to it? Yawning in dogs seems to ultimately share a few similarities with human yawning, but dogs may also yawn for their very own reasons. Dogs may yawn after taking a nap, such as when they’re transitioning from sleeping to an awake state, but they are also prone to yawning in specific contexts that are worthy of paying attention to. Following are some important reasons dogs may be yawning.

Yawning for Calm

Given the choice, dogs would likely prefer to dig up a hole in the yard or bark at people passing by their homes rather than yawn from boredom, but when they do yawn in certain contexts, you may want to play close attention to what they may be trying to communicate.

Norwegian dog expert and trainer Turid Rugass, author of the famous dog book “On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals” lists yawning among her lists of calming signals in dogs. Calming signals are signals dogs use to communicate as a way to provide pacification efforts when they feel tension or feel a bit uneasy.

So yes, pay close attention to what is going on when your dog yawns. Were you talking to him in an intimidating tone? Scolding him for doing something he shouldn’t? Giving him a leash correction? Chances are, your dog finds certain things you do or situations as intimidating which makes him feel very uneasy. His yawning, just like lip licking, may therefore be his way to tell you to please calm down and use less stressful techniques when addressing undesirable behaviors.

“Yawning in public may be viewed as a relatively meaningless (or impolite) behavior among humans; it is conversation and conciliation when used by or directed to dogs.” ~Stanley Coren

Yawning for Stress

When you are nervous or stressed, you may bite your nails, tap your foot or bite your lips, Rover instead may choose to yawn when something stressful happens.
Again, it’s a good idea to pay attention to the context in which the yawning happens. If you tripped and ended up stumbling against your dog, he may “yawn” as if saying “yikes, that was close!” or if he was cornered at the vet’s office to get his ears and mouth examined, he may yawn as if to say “wow, that was too close for comfort!”

The ultimate proof of yawning from stress came from a dog trainer I apprenticed under who worked in the filming industry often training dogs to perform in commercials and movies. He showed me how he got dogs to yawn by getting nearby a dog and suddenly yelling “boo!” in his face. The poor dog, yawned as if saying “gosh! that was scary!”

Other than by yawning, stress and uneasiness in dogs may be manifested in many different ways such as through lip licks, whale eyes, keeping the tail tucked between the legs, ears back and whining, just to name a few.

Yawning in Anticipation

While dogs are unable to predict things in the far future, sometimes, dogs may yawn when they anticipate something that’s about to happen.

Dogs have the uncanny ability of chaining together one event that leads to another. So your dog likely knows by now that, when you walk towards the closet and grab your jacket and keys, you are about to head out (and hopefully bring him along for a walk!)

So you may expect a yawn when your dog is looking forward to doing something like going for a walk and is growing a bit impatient perhaps. A yawn may therefore take place if say you grab the leash and then end up picking up the phone that is ringing and sit down to talk with a friend or if you are getting ready to prepare your dog’s dinner and are slow or put the food bowl away as you forgot that you need to do something else.

All of this built up anticipation that Rover experiences must therefore “go somewhere” so Rover dissipates through… you named it.. a yawn, which sometimes is accompanied by a hoo-ah-hoo” sound in what’s called a “howl-yawn. ” So yes, you may notice some yawns when there is a pause in what the dog perceives to be a predictable chain of events.

Yawning Out of Confusion

Last time we checked, dogs didn’t speak English (as of yet) so it’s normal and expected for humans and dogs to misunderstand each other at times.

Actually, to be honest, if we look at the whole picture, dogs and humans actually do quite a decent job in understanding each other for being two totally different species!

Thousands of years spent together hunting and working side-by-side have likely played a role in dogs and humans being so in tune with each other!

One area though where miscommunication is likely to occur is when it comes to the training department and we bombard our dogs with requests and sometimes unrealistic expectations which can cause a mixture of stress and confusion in dogs.

So if your dog starts yawning during a training session ask yourself: am I asking my dog a behaviors he is not too familiar with? Am I putting too much pressure on him? Am I asking too much? Does my dog perhaps need a little break?

“I have often seen a dog yawn immediately after its master scolded it for something, or gave it a very harsh correction…When the owner is taught to use a more friendly tone of voice for commands, the yawning behavior usually disappears.”~Stanley Coren

Yawning in Conflict

Dogs can be quite impressive conflict solvers, too bad that often their conflict-solving efforts are not appreciated as they often go unnoticed!

At times, dogs may feel conflict in certain situation and instead of picking a way to solve the conflict, such as removing themselves from the situation or directly facing the source of conflict, they may pick a third option, and engage in what’s known as a displacement behavior.

So when a child steals Rover’s toy from under his nose (something that should be avoided) Rover may decide to yawn instead of snapping to get it back.

Of course, as with all things behavior related, we really can never interpret what a dog is thinking with total accuracy, so we can only make assumptions based on the contexts in which certain behaviors are happening.

A displacement behavior “is an action that pops out when an animal is in conflict about how to respond to something. This conflict produces low-grade stress and this can manifest as a behavior with no relevance or relation to the context.”~Jean Donaldson

Yawning for Medical Problems

Dogs cannot tell us when they are feeling under the weather, so changes in behavior are often one of the first signs of dogs who are in pain or experiencing some type of discomfort.

For instance, a dog who is yawning, burping and stretching forward may be suffering from some sort of abdominal pain, explains veterinarian Dr. Kara.

If your dog is yawning and doesn’t seem comfortable or there doesn’t seem to be an explanation, it’s always best to report to the vet to rule medical causes out.

As seen, those doggy yawns can take place is several different contexts and situations. Paying attention to when your dog yawns is important so you can make some necessary changes that can potentially transform your relationship and create a bond that is better than before.

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Dog Word of the Day: Lymphadenopathy

March 14, 2025October 5, 2016 by Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA

Dogs, just like us, have several lymph nodes in their bodies which are meant to help fight infections. When a dog’s lymph nodes swell, this is often a sign of the body doing its job in trying to get rid of inflammation or an infection. The term ‘lymphadenopathy’ is used to refer to enlarged lymph nodes. When the enlargement is due to an underlying infection affecting the lymph node, the condition is medically known as lymphadenitis. Any time a dog presents with swollen lymph nodes, it’s important to see a vet sooner than later so to help the dog combat the infection, but also because often swollen lymph nodes may be indicative of lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system.

A Word About Dog Lymph Nodes

Dogs have several lymph nodes in their bodies and the most commonly enlarged are the ones found where the lower jaw joins the neck (submandibular) in the front area of the chest (prescapular), behind the armpit area (axillary), by the groin area (inguinal) and at the back of the leg (popliteal).

Lymphadenopathy, the enlargement of a dog’s lymph nodes may occur in different patterns.

For example, a dog may display a single swollen lymph node in only one area of the body (localized or solitary) or restricted to an area where the lymph nodes are usually interconnected (regional) or, as seen in multiple lymphadenopathy, there may be multiple swollen lymph nodes in more than one area of the body (generalized or multicentric lymphadenopathy).

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When lymph nodes enlarge in dogs, they may do so because of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia, lymphadenitis and cancer.

Did you know? The peripheral lymph nodes are the ones that are palpable (capable of being touched by hand), whereas, the internal visceral lymph nodes are those tucked inside the dog’s body which often require imaging techniques to detect any enlargements.

A Matter or Reactivity

Reactive lymphoid hyperplasia takes place when a lymph node becomes “reactive” due to inflammation or infection present somewhere in the dog’s body. In this case, the lymph nodes enlarge because they become “reactive”upon encountering a stimulus such as bacteria or viruses and start producing an excessive amount of white blood cells. The swelling is therefore often due to the proliferation of lymphocytes and plasma cells.

The reaction to stimulation is sort of like a burglar alarm that’s constantly on guard against intrusive antigens. Reactive hyperplasia therefore simply means the lymph node has enlarged in response to an infection; however, there is no actual lymph node infection. Sometimes autoimmune conditions or systemic infections may be a trigger for lymphoid hyperplasia.

A Matter of Infection

Sometimes, the lymph nodes themselves become inflamed. In this case, the inflammation is within the lymph node (lymphadenitis) and is often secondary from a local infection. Basically, when a foreign invader such as an infectious agent gains access to the dog’s lymph nodes, which work as filters of the immune system, the body responds quickly by triggering an immune system response consisting of increased white blood cell production. This increased production causes the lymph nodes nearby the inflamed and infected area to swell causing “lymphadenitis.”

Often dogs have other accompanying symptoms other than the enlarged lymph nodes. For example, if a dog has an infection in a back paw, he might be limping on top of having the lymph nodes further up the leg inflamed. However, limping may, yes, occur because the foot is sore, but also because the enlarged lymph nodes may be painful, explains veterinarian Race Foster. Also, in the presence of an infection, the dog may have a fever. Fortunately, once the infection is treated, the enlarged lymph nodes should return to their normal size.

“Lymphoid hyperplasia is a condition in which the lymph nodes produce an excess of white blood cells in response to an infection elsewhere in the body. Lymphadenitis is an infection of the lymph nodes themselves, either as the primary disease or a secondary condition.” ~Dr. Karen Becker

A Matter of Cancer

Lymphoma is a possible cause of unexplained enlarged lymph nodes. This condition is quite quick in onset, with owners often noticing painless lymph node enlargement almost overnight. Lymphoma is divided in different stages.

In stage 1, only one lymph node is affected, in stage 2, several lymph nodes sharing the same regional area are involved, in stage 3, there is generalized lymphoadenopathy, in stage 4, the liver and/or spleen is involved, and in stage 5, the bone marrow is involved.

Depending on what substage the dog is in, there may or may not be signs of systemic illness such as loss of appetite, lethargy, weight loss.

Generally, the enlargement of lymph nodes in dogs affected by cancer or lymphadenitis is quite significant with the lymph nodes presenting as five to ten times larger than normal compared to the size involving a benign reactive process, explains veterinarian Michael J. Day.

Did you know? Sometimes lymph nodes get so enlarged they cause problems. For instance swollen lymph nodes by a dog’s groin area (inguinal)may cause trouble defecating, whereas, several enlarged glands by the neck area can make it difficult for the dog to swallow, eat or breath.

“Four out of five dogs with lymphoma or lymphosarcoma have tumors that start in multiple places (multicentric). There is bilateral and symmetrical swelling of the lymph nodes without pain.”~VCA Animal Hospital

Disclaimer: this article is not meant to be used as a substitute for professional veterinary advice. If your dog has an enlarged lymph node, please see your vet promptly for proper diagnosis and treatment.

References:

Clinicians’ Brief, Lymphoma in Dogs: Diagnosis & Treatment retrieved from the web on Oct 5th, 2016
DVM360, Cytology in evaluation of lymphoid tissue in the dog and cat (Proceedings) retrieved from the web on Oct 5th, 2016
Cytology of Lymph Nodes, CL Davis Drs Thrall and Meuten, retrieved from the web on Oct 5th, 2016

Photo Credits:

Lymphoma in a Golden Retriever,,Joel Mills – Own work This is a 12 year old Golden Retriever with lymphoma. The left submandibular lymph node is swollen. CC BY-SA 3.0
Diagram of a lymph node, Cancer Research UK – Original email from CRUK, CC BY-SA 4.0

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What Kind of Dogs are Lurchers?

March 14, 2025October 4, 2016 by Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA

You might have stumbled on the term lurcher being used to depict a certain type of dog, but what kind of dogs are lurchers? Oxford dictionary tells us that the term lurcher derives from the Middle English word lorchen, which means to lurk. This seems to suggests that lurchers must have been dogs used to engage in some sort of obscure activity, such as remaining hidden so to then ambush for someone or something. For today’s trivia we will therefore discover more about lurchers, what lurcher dogs look like and general lurcher dog information, but first of all, can you guess the answer to our trivia question of the day?

What Kind of Dog is a Lurcher?

A: A valuable purebred sight hound

B: A deerhound mixed with a wolf

C: The product of a sighthound crossed with another non-sighthound breed

D: The product of a sighthound crossed with another sighthound

The correct answer is: drum roll please…

drum

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The correct answer is C: a lurcher is a sighthound mated with another non-sighthound breed.

A Mixed Bag of Genes

What does a lurcher dog look like? Lurchers are not a particular breed of dog, which is why you don’t find them typically depicted in books featuring different dog breeds or in dog breed directories.

Lurchers are basically the offspring of a sighthound that was mated with some other type of dog, usually some type of sheepdog or herding breed, and sometimes terriers.

Because of this genetic variability, depending on what dogs their parents were, lurchers are a mixed bag of genes and can come in different shapes, colors and sizes.

For instance, they may be as small as a whippet or as tall as a Scottish deerhound! Generally though, common physical traits found in lurchers are long legs and narrow heads, which remind of the greyhound.

The Silent Hunter

The mating between a sighthound and a herding dog is to obtain a dog that is intelligent, tenacious and fast. Imagine the brain of a collie with the speed of a greyhound, that’s a good way to describe a lurcher. One of the biggest perks of a lurcher is this dog’s ability to hunt in silence, without giving voice. Once known as poacher’s dogs, lurchers have been around for centuries and were prized for their superior hunting skills. These mixed breed dogs are mostly popular in Great Britain, where centuries ago they may have developed as a result of accidental breeding, as it happened often in the Middle Ages.

A Look Back

While an accidental breeding here and there could have happened, there are chances that lurchers were sometimes purposely bred to evade trouble. A theory has it that back in the 14th, 15th and early 16th century, ordinary people were prohibited from owning sighthounds like the Irish wolfhound, Scottish deerhound and the greyhound. It is possible therefore that to avoid problems with the government, people astutely thought to breed sighthounds with other breeds so they could keep hunting, but this time though they stumbled on a dog that was particularly suitable for poaching rabbits, hares, and game birds courtesy of the lurcher’s winning combination of speed and intelligence! A win-win!

The Lurcher Today

Nowadays, modern lurchers are mostly used as pets but many people find them also useful for pest control, keeping rabbits, hares and foxes away from properties. Lurchers are also enrolled in some fun doggy sports such as lure coursing or racing and even agility.

The Best Home

Because lurchers are a type of dog rather than a specific breed, there may be great variability between one specimen and another. However, generally lurchers are likely to be more energetic than the couch-potato greyhounds. People owning lurchers often describe them as having a special zest for life and loving being around “their people.” According to the American Lurcher Project, lurchers are affectionate dogs who make exceptional family dogs. Because of their instinct to chase, they need to be kept in a fenced in yard and must be always leashed on walks. Caution should be used when introduced to small, fury animals due to these dogs’ strong predatory instincts.

Did you know? Lurchers were often used to catch rabbits when they were driven out from their burrows but then in the early 1950s a virus decimated the rabbit population, however, hares were not affected. At this point, special dogs were needed to run down hares. The longdog, a crossbreed between two sighthounds was therefore created.

Photo Credits:

Long Haired Lurcher, Sykes108, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

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I am Your Dog’s Skull

March 14, 2025October 3, 2016 by Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA

Your dog’s skull is there for a great reason: to encase and protect your dog’s brain. A dog’s skull is compose of several bones, some of them surround the brain, others are just part of your dog’s facial structure. Since dogs come in different sizes, their skulls may vary accordingly. Learning more about your dog’s skull is not only interesting but also helpful, so you can recognizes signs of trouble. Let’s therefore discover some information about a dog’s skull, it’s anatomy and functions and problems this body part may be involved with.

Introducing Your Dog’s Skull

Hello, it’s your dog’s skull talking! You might not be aware of how I look like exactly, but you may stumble on some resemblance of me when you visit a museum that houses skulls of wolves. However, when it comes to canine skulls, imagine a scaled-down version considering that the overall size of a dog’s brain is nearly 30 percent smaller than the brain of wolves (Coppinger and Schneider 1995; Zeder 2012).

There is belief that domestication may have contributed to the shrinkage of some areas of the wolf’s brain, (the dog’s ancestor) with the limbic system in particular being affected, an area integral for the fight of flight response.

This shrinkage has been further noticed in the Farm Fox Experiment, where domesticated foxes in Novosibirsk, Russia, also showed changes in the dimensions of their skulls, a trait that has been associated with tameness (Trut 1999; Zeder 2012).

dog brachycephalic breed As mentioned, I can come in different sizes. In brachycephalic breeds, such as bulldogs, pugs, and Boston terriers, I am quite compact, with a “short head” while in dolichocephalic breeds such as Afghan hounds, Salukis and collies, I feature a long head with long, narrow snouts and orbits that are less forward set, so to enhance a sighthound’s ability to scan the horizon (Miller and Murphy 1995; McGreevy et al. 2004) so they can effectively spot prey. And then you have the average skull shape as seen in mesaticephalic dogs.

I am composed of several bones , but you can technically divide me into two parts, the neurocranium, which encases the dog’a brain, and the facial skeleton, which makes up the skeleton of your dog’s face. However, if you’re a nerd, here is a partial list of bones I am composed of, just for your entertainment: the occipital bone, the sphenoid bone, the temporal bone, the frontal bone, the parietal bone, the ethmoid bone, the nasal bone, the lacrimal bone and the zygomathic bone, the incisive bone, the palatine bone, the vomer, the pterygoid bone, the maxilla and the mandible and the auditory ossicles .

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Did you know? Those small holes in a skull are called foramina and are basically tiny passageways to allow the passage of nerves and blood vessels to the the face. The largest hole though is located where the vertebral column joins the base of the skull. It is known as foramen magnum and is meant to allow the passage of vertebral arteries and the spinal cord.

I Protect the Brain

Has your dog ever bumped his head against a table making a loud noises that had you wondering whether he got hurt? If so, you must thank me if your dog shakes his head once or perhaps twice, and then just walks away as if nothing ever happened.

I am quite thick, making your dog quite “hard-headed,” so to say. I am surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid CSF providing both nutrients and protection to the brain. My main job is therefore to protect your dog’s brain and central nervous system. Quite an important task no?

Did you know? Those lines between the bones of the skull are called sutures.

When Things Go Wrong

While I have a protective role and provide structure to your dog’s facial features., sometimes I may be subjected to problems, and some of them may need immediate attention! Please play it safe and report to your vet immediately if you notice problems associated with me.

Head Trauma

Even though I am quite tough, I can still be predisposed to head trauma. Bumping me against a table may not be enough to cause major problems, but being hit by car or kicked by a horse, can cause me enough trauma that I no longer may be able to protect the brain, and therefore, alterations to the brain’s physiology may occur.

This can lead to several complications such as abnormal glucose levels, electrolyte imbalances and acid-base disturbances, and even blindness if the ocular nerves are affected. Dogs suffering from head trauma may exhibit an altered state of consciousness, pupils of unequal sizes, stiff or flaccid legs, staggering gait, abnormal eye movements, tilted head, blood loss from ear canal or from the nose and breathing changes. Sometimes dogs may also develop vomiting following a severe blow to the head.

Did You know? According to a study, it was found that dogs who sustained a head trauma had a higher chance for developing seizures, especially in the immediate or early post-traumatic period.

“Fortunately dogs tend to have quite a thick skull that makes them less likely to suffer from major damage when hitting their head against a table or chair, explains veterinarian.”~ Dr. Fiona.

Chiari-Like Malformation

Remember when we talked about me having a big hole called the foramen magnum that’s meant to allow the passage of vertebral arteries and the spinal cord? Well, in some dogs, I am too small to accommodate all of the brain’s cerebellum, so part of the brain may descend out of me, with the end result of obstructing the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This condition is quite widespread in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (it’s estimated that 50 percent of them are affected) and the Brussels Griffon. Affected dogs develop syringomyelia (SM) where fluid-filled cavities develop within the spinal cord due to the variable pressure created by the abnormal flow of cerebrospinal fluid. Affected dogs develop pain and of the earliest signs is a hypersensitivity in the neck area, causing them to insistently scratch the neck area.

Hydrocephalus

As in babies, some puppies are born with a soft spot in their skulls, also known as fontanel or molera. Why do I have such soft spot? This lack of complete closure of my bone plates is actually meant to allow an easier passage of the pups through mother dog’s birth canal. This soft spot is more common in certain dog breeds such as apple head Cihhuahuas, Pomeranians and shih tzu and several toy breed dogs. Once the puppies are born though, my plates will eventually harden and the soft spot should disappear.

However, sometimes things may go wrong and dogs may have what’s known as hydrocephalus. In hydrocephalus, a dog’s cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulates inside me because it doesn’t drain from the central nervous system as it should. Affected puppies may have seizures, be blind, have a dome-shaped and an unusual gait. Not all open fontanels though are connected with hydrocephalus.

Tumors and Cancer

As with other bones, I can be prone to developing benign and malignant cancers. An osteoma is a benign growth, where a piece of bone grows on me, while a fibrosarcoma or osteosarcoma are malignant bones masses. How can a veterinarian tell them apart? According to Critical Care Vet, an x-ray is not diagnostic, so a biopsy is needed.

As seen, I am very important! Just imagine for a moment how life would be without me. Your dog’s Jello-like brain would be getting traumatized every time your dog would move! I hope this article has helped you understand me better!

Your Dog’s Skull

Disclaimer: this article is not meant to be used as a substitute for professional veterinary advice. Please see your vet immediately if your dog sustained any type of injury or your dog is acting abnormally.

References:

The Genetics of Canine Skull Shape Variation, Jeffrey J. Schoenebeck, Elaine A. Ostrander GENETICS February 1, 2013 vol. 193 no. 2 317-325; DOI: 10.1534/genetics.112.145284
Coppinger R.,Schneider R. 1995 Evolution of working dogs, pp. 21–50 in The Domestic Dog. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Trut L. N. 1999 Early canid domestication: the Farm-Fox Experiment: foxes bred for tamability in a 40-year experiment exhibit remarkable transformations that suggest an interplay between behavioral genetics an development. Am. Sci. 87: 160–169
Miller P. E. Murphy C. J. 1995 Vision in dogs. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 207: 1623–1634.
MedlineWeb of Science Google Scholar
Coppinger R.,Schneider R. 1995 Evolution of working dogs, pp. 21–50 in The Domestic Dog. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Wikivet, Skull and Facial Muscles – Anatomy & Physiology retrieved from the web on October 3rd, 2016
Introduction to Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology Textbook, By Victoria Aspinall, Melanie Cappello, retrieved from the web on October 3rd, 2016

Photo Credits:

Wikipedia, Skull of a dog, Naturgeschichte für Bürgerschulen. Dr. Karl Rothe, Ferdinand Frank, Josef Steigl. I. Wien 1895, Verlag von A. Pichler’s Witwe & Sohn.{{PD-US}}

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Why My Dog Won’t Pee While on Leash?

March 14, 2025October 2, 2016 by Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA

It can be frustrating dealing with a dog who won’t pee on leash during walks, especially considering that dogs are often purposely taken on walks to do their business! If you own a dog who refuses to go potty when on leash or are pet sitting a dog whose bladder goes on strike the moment a leash is attached to his collar, rest assured you are not alone! Many people wonder why their dogs won’t pee or poop when on leash, but dogs may have their very own good reasons. By better understanding the dynamics behind dogs who won’t pee while on leashes, dog owners can try different approaches to help their beloved dogs succeed.

It’s a Dog Thing

While for us humans, eliminating waste is just a “chore,” for dogs, urinating and defecating has much more meaning. From a dog’s perspective, peeing and pooping is like leaving an important business card on the ground for other dogs to “pick up”and interpret with their powerful noses (they use their Jacobson organs for this).

Dogs therefore, like to sniff around for a quite a bit before picking their ideal “potty spot” and a leash may interfere with this natural behavior, especially if the leash is short and kept tense, meaning that the dog doesn’t have much “leeway” to sniff at his own pleasure.

Tip: keep that leash loose, or even better, if safe to do so, try using a long line to take your dog to potty on walks so that he can move freely and find his “inspiration” with little to no interference.

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A Matter of Surface

While humans use standard porcelain toilets as receptacles for their waste, dogs must rely on the ground’s surface as their restroom.

This surface may vary greatly from one place to another (grass, gravel, dirt, dry leaves, sand, concrete, pee pads, you name it!) and it’s a known fact that dogs don’t thrive on inconsistencies.

So if Rover uses grass as his favorite potty spot at home, a pet sitter might not have much luck taking him on a walk on concrete sidewalks and expecting him to do his business on such walks!

Tip: For those pet sitters out there, it might help asking the owners what type of surface their dogs usually prefer to potty on. This can help prevent a lot of headaches associated with trying to get dogs to potty on totally different surfaces they are accustomed to normally using. Dogs tend to develop a substrate preference when they are young puppies and love sticking to it!

Too Much to Handle

When dogs are in a new place they are not familiar with, they may temporarily inhibit their normal routines and this may include, eating, drinking, playing and going potty.

Whether your dog is in a new place or you have chosen a different path on his walks, he may be keeping everything in, because he may feel overstimulated or doesn’t feel safe in his surroundings.

Going potty requires some level of relaxation and a dog not feeling comfortable or safe in his surroundings may have more important things to pay attention to rather than elimination.

Tip: try walking your dog in quiet places where there is not too much going on. This may mean choosing a quiet cul-de-sac rather than a busy road with people walking their dogs or garbage trucks passing by.

Too Much Pressure

Last but not least, your attitude can play a big role in your dog’s inhibition to go potty on leash. Let’s say that your dog is reluctant to go potty on leash, and you start acting frustrated when he doesn’t go.

This makes only matters worse, because your dog feels you are getting upset and this makes him further inhibited due to the extra “pressure” you put on him.

It could be he is about to go, and is sniffing around to find a spot, but when you get impatient and say something like “just go, stop wasting my time!” your dog perceives your irritated tone as telling him the opposite, to stop searching from a spot!

Tip: Often, dog owners find that if they start relaxing and stop coaxing their dogs into going, their dogs will finally relax too and eventually go.

A Word About Puppies

Puppies may be particularly reluctant to go potty on leash if they haven’t been allowed enough time to habituate to wearing a collar and leash.

It takes some time for puppies to get used to a leash, some may panic when they are attached to it, others may instead perceive the leash as a fun tug toy.

In either case, their attention can be diverted from doing their business which can be particularly frustrating, especially when the puppy won’t pee or poop during the walk, but then readily does so once home, and of course it has to happen on the immaculate carpet or expensive rug!

Tip: allow your puppy some time to get used to wearing a collar and leash starting indoors and introducing the leash slowly. Simply, feed treats when he sees the leash, then, when he sniffs it, then, when you clip it, and then, when he wears it for a bit of time. Then, take your puppy outside on leash when you expect him to be needing to go potty.

A Few Tips

If your dog is not comfortable going potty on leash, patience is your best friend. Don’t give up! You may have to go back home and try again later (keep a close eye though or your dog may go inside!) Eventually your dog will need to go badly enough to overcome his initial reluctance to go potty.
Astutely time your dog’s outings on leash when he needs to go potty the most. First thing in the morning, most dogs will need to pee or poop, or both, after holding it all night. This is the perfect time to practice going potty on walks.
Try to take your dog in areas where other dogs have likely eliminated such as fire hydrants, lamp posts or the dog park. These area work like community bulletin boards and your dog may try to leave his “mark” under the form of urine or feces.
When your dog finally goes potty on leash, make sure you make a big deal about it, praising him lavishly and giving him some treats. Remember, behaviors that are rewarded, tend to repeat!
Train your dog to go potty on command. This can make life much easier as your dog will associate the word with the act of going potty.
If your dog goes successfully on a walk, keep a mental note of that spot and return to that same spot in the next days.
If your dog is act ill or seems to have trouble going potty, please see your vet. In some cases, a urinary tract infection or an obstruction due to a large bladder stone blocking the passage may the culprit. If your dog has a hard time defecating and seems uncomfortable, this can be sign of an intestinal blockage.

Did you know? Young puppies don’t urine mark and this suggests that urine marking must entail some sort of “conversations”that have to do with something that mostly matters to adult dogs, explains Alexandra Horowitz, in the book “Inside of a Dog — Young Readers Edition: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know.”

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Understanding Dogs Who Guard People

March 14, 2025October 1, 2016 by Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA

People may sometimes think it’s cute when little Gidget, the Chihuahua, growls when people come near the owner, but guarding the owner can be a troublesome behavior that can end up with a trip to emergency room when somebody ends up getting bitten for getting too close. Not only, when a dog bites a person. the owner can be liable for medical bills easily amounting to thousands of dollars and the dog can even end up being put down, and at that point, this scenario is definitively no longer cute!

From Rover’s Perspective

What is really going on in a dog’s head when he decides it’s time to protect a certain person? The dog barks, growls and lunges to anybody who tries to come near. It’s as if the dog was saying “paws off my favorite person!” and the behavior tends to escalate the closer the person moves.

Anytime we wonder why dogs act in certain ways, it helps to ask ourselves what’s the inner reward the dog is gaining from the behavior. As many dog professionals say: “Behavior is reward driven.”

Behaviors that are rewarded tend to strengthen and repeat so little Gidget must have found the behavior of guarding his favorite person rewarding in some way.

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A List of Pawsibilities

What rewards can a dog gain from guarding a person? There can be several. If the dog perceives the owner so valuable, he likely cherishes any form of attention from his favorite owner and that often includes the negative type.

If every time Gidget growls at people coming near the owner, the owner may likely laughs, try to sooth him or perhaps scold him. Since Gidget values the owner’s attention so much, it works as a reward that will keep the behavior of barking, growling or lunging at anybody that comes near, alive.

If the owner takes Gidget on walks and Gidget doesn’t like that the owner stops the walk and diverts her attention to other people, he may have found a way to make the people go away, so he gets the owner’s attention back to him and resumes the walk. Win-win!

Sometimes, it seems like a dog is guarding the owner when in reality the dog simply feels uncomfortable or is fearful of having people walk near. In this case the inner reward is mostly sending the people away, so that dog feels safe again. Several dogs have space issues and may get increasingly uncomfortable with people invading their person “bubble.” They may be fine with people several feet away, but if they come too close for comfort, they will start barking, growling and lunging which can be easily perceived as guarding the owner when the dog is on walks or close to the owner. It’s important to have a professional evaluate the dog to determine exactly what is triggering the behavior so that it can be addressed accordingly.

Food for thought: Sometimes, if the owner carries treats on walks, it could be the dog is actually guarding the treats and not the person. In this case the dog’s inner reward is sending people away from the goodies the owner is carrying!

Tackling the Issue

Once the dog’s inner reward is recognized, an appropriate behavior modification can be initiated. For instance, if the dog’s inner reward is the owner’s attention, removing attention the moment the dog engages in the undesired behavior would likely be most effective. This is known as “negative punishment” and it has nothing to do with use of physical punishment! To the contrary, negative punishment is pretty much force-free, all the owner is doing is removing the reward (the attention) that fuels the behavior.

So if say Gidget the Chihuahua was on the owner’s lap and were to bark when a person came too close to the owner, the owner would immediately say in a cheerful tone of voice “Ooops!” as she stands up and places Gidget on the floor. After several repetitions, Gidget will eventually notice that barking at people, no longer grants him owner’s attention, but instead makes the owner go away! What a loss!

In the case of dogs who instead bark at people because they’re uncomfortable having them around them, standing up and leaving them alone to fend for themselves can make them feel even more fearful. In this case, these dogs may benefit from desensitization and counterconditioning, a behavior modification protocol where we make good things happen in presence of the scary stimulus presented very gradually.

So if Rover is given tasty tid-bits every time a person is approaching starting at a distance, he may eventually learn that great things happen when people approach. The end result may be a dog who is more comfortable having people nearby or even a dog who is eager to have them around as their presence equals treats! Of course, these are just examples, and since every dog is different, they may benefit from personalized behavior modification methods, which is why seeing a professional for these issues is so important!

“All living things repeat behaviors that are rewarding and avoid behaviors that are not, if you remember this simple concept, you can teach every behavior that you want your dog to do and change every behavior that you don’t want… You accomplish this by rewarding the behaviors you want and ignoring or preventing those you don’t want.” ~Pat Miller

Disclaimer: this article is not meant to be used as a substitute for professional behavioral advice. If your dog is showing signs of guarding people, please consult with a professional for a proper hands-on assessment and treatment.

References:

Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog, by Pat Miller, Dogwise Publishing; 1st edition (September 21, 2004)

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Fascinating Functions of Dog Teeth

March 14, 2025October 1, 2016 by Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA

Most dogs are blessed with 42 teeth, but do you know how dogs use their teeth? Sure, we know that dogs use their teeth for eating their chow, chewing bones and toys, and sometimes they also use them for grooming, but not all those doggy teeth are created equal. Indeed, every type of teeth dogs have are purposely crafted to accomplish specific tasks. So today, let’s discover what those dog teeth were built for, how dogs use them and some interesting facts about dog teeth you might not know.

A Look At Dog Teeth

Puppies have 28 teeth, which just as in humans, are deciduous meaning that they will eventually fall out. However, not always everything goes smoothly, and sometimes puppies may end up having retained baby teeth, basically baby teeth that are reluctant to fall out leaving little room for the permanent teeth to grow.

This can lead to problems, such as abnormal bites (malocclusions,)and therefore, retained baby teeth sometimes need to be pulled out.

When all goes well though, the dog’s 28 baby teeth are replaced by 42 adult permanent teeth, usually by the age of 7-8 months old. These permanent teeth consist of 20 teeth housed in the dog’s upper jaw and 22 teeth housed in the dog’s lower jaw. More precisely, there should be 6 incisors, 2 canines, 8 pre-molars and 4 molars in the upper jaw, and 6 incisors, 2 canines, 8 pre-molars and 6 molars in the lower jaw.

Did you know? Dogs are considered diphyodont, which means that they get two successive sets of teeth, the “deciduous” set, and afterward, the “permanent” set.

What are a Dog’s Incisors Used For?

Dogs have a total of 12 incisors in their mouths consisting of six incisors in their upper jaw and six incisors in the lower jaw.

There are two central incisors, two intermediate incisors, and two lateral ones.

What are dog incisors used for? These single-rooted teeth have several functions. If you watch your dog chew on a bone, you’ll likely notice that he doesn’t seem to use his incisors much, but if you give your dog a bone with some meat attached, you may notice that he’ll use this front teeth to rip and scrape the meat off the bone. For sake of comparison, the action is similar to when we remove kernels of corn on a cob.

On top of being used to scrape bones, those incisors also come handy for removing burrs from the coat and carrying objects around.

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What are a Dog’s Canine Teeth Used For?

Right next to the incisors are a dog’s canine teeth. Dogs have four canine teeth, two in the top and two in the bottom.

When the dog’s mouth closes, these canine teeth should intersect nicely when they meet in a scissor bite. Canines are those sharp and pointy single-rooted teeth that are common in meat-eating animals.

What are dog canine teeth used for? A dog’s canine teeth were very important for survival purposes, as they allowed dogs to inflict several stabbing wounds to their prey. They also helped in catching and holding prey and tearing carcasses apart.

Did you know? Canine teeth also help dogs keep their tongue in place and therefore act as a “cradle for the tongue.” Indeed, when the lower canine teeth fall out or are removed, the tongue may be more likely to hang out of the mouth.

What are a Dog’s Premolars Used For?

A dog’s premolars win the contest as the most numerous teeth in a dog’s mouth, if such a contest ever existed.

Dogs have a total of 16 premolars, eight in the upper jaw and eight in the lower one.

They are located behind the dog’s canine teeth. Also known as cheek teeth, some of the farthest premolars are only seen when a dog’s lips are pulled back.

What are these premolars used for? If you watch your dog chew on a toy or bone, you’ll likely see him tilt his head to side so that he can use his premolars. In the wild these teeth are use to rip meat away from bones. The arrangement of these teeth somewhat resembles shears with a serrated blade, an arrangement that helps dogs break food into smaller pieces, courtesy of these teeth’s sharp edges.

What are a Dog’s Molars Used For?

Molars live in the shadow, as they are tucked deeply inside a dog’s mouth, out of sight and often out of mind. There are four molars in the dog’s top jaw and six molars in the lower jaw. Often people become aware of their existence only when the vet mentions that one or more of these teeth need extracted.

What are a dog’s molars used for? We can get a clue from these teeth’s flat surfaces. Dog molars are crafted so to allow dogs to grind foods like their kibble and crush bones. Mother dogs also rely on their molars to snip off the pups’ umbilical cord, explains Dr. Katherine A. Houpt in the book “Domestic Animal Behavior for Veterinarians and Animal Scientists.”

Did you know? Since puppies rely on milk for their first weeks of life, they aren’t equipped with molars.

How Are Dog Teeth Counted?

Dog teeth are counted by using a method known as the Modified Triadan System. Basically, imagine having your dog’s jaws split into four parts with a vertical line and a horizontal one.

You are therefore left with the dog’s mouth split into four parts: the right upper arch, the left upper arch, the right lower arch and the left lower arch. Each of these arches are given a numeric range.

The right upper arch is the 100 numeric series, the left upper arch is the 200 numeric series, the left lower arch is the 300 numeric series and the right lower arch is the 400 numeric series.

So for sake of an example, the dog’s first incisor on the right upper arch is tooth number 101, the second 102, the third 103 and the canine tooth is 104.

References:

Clinical Anatomy and Physiology for Veterinary Technicians, By Thomas P. Colville, Joanna M. Bassert, Mosby; 2 edition (December 21, 2007)

Dental Vet, Dental Anatomy, retrieved from the web onm Sept 30th, 2016

Photo Credit:

Wolf mandible diagram showing the names and positions of the teeth., William Harris – Desktop publishing software – The base-image came from work that is publicly available, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Bringing The Art of Kissing Dogs to a Whole New Level

March 14, 2025September 29, 2016 by Adrienne Farricelli CPDT-KA

Dogs often give us an irresistible urge to pet and pamper them and this often entails kissing them, but do dogs really like being kissed? This is a very important question, because kissing dogs along with blowing in their faces, hugging them, looming over them and patting them on their head are all part of the list of those behaviors dogs might not like. Of course, not all dogs are created equal so there are certainly some dogs who may likely enjoy the interaction (at least that’s what some owners say), or at least tolerate it at the most. So today we take a look at the art of kissing dogs, the dos and dont’s that can make a difference between cuddling or going to the ER.

They Call it Puppy Love

Why are people so attracted to kissing dogs? Well, for starters puppies and dogs are blessed with neotenous traits which contributes to making them irresistible.

Neoteny comes from the Greek word “neos” meaning young and the word “teínein” meaning “to extend.” Put these two words together and you have “the extension of juvenile traits.”

Also known as juvenilization, in evolutionary biology neoteny refers to the process behind the retention of baby-like, “neotenous” features that are often seen in dogs and include large eyes, bulging craniums, higher foreheads and small noses and mouths.

Some like to call it “the cuteness factor” as they relate to those traits that make us ooohh and ahhh and evoke all those warm and fuzzy feelings of dealing with cuteness and care taking.

These traits are more pronounced in puppies and certain dog breeds such as the cavalier King Charles spaniel, Pekingese, pug and French bulldog. So yes, if seeing dogs makes you feel like hugging them and kissing them, it’s likely because they have these physical traits that makes them so hard to resist!

A Touch of Oxytocin

On top of the cutesy factor that makes us want to hug and kiss dogs, is another factor that plays a big role in how we perceive our dogs: this time though, it’s at a chemical level.

We’re talking about the power of oxytocin. If you perceive your dog as your fur baby, consider that there may be a scientific explanation for that feeling. According to a study conducted by Nagasawa et al, when dogs gaze at our eyes, it increases our levels of oxytocin, the same hormone that makes us bond to human infants.

This finding may ultimately lead us to discovering how dogs became our companions thousands of years ago.“It’s an incredible finding that suggests that dogs have hijacked the human bonding system,” says Brian Hare, an expert on canine cognition at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, in an article for Science.

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Takefumi Kikusui, an animal behaviorist at Azabu University in Sagamihara, Japan, also studied the role of oxytoxin, and found that the oxytocin effect was actually mutual when it comes to people and dogs, mimicking the mutual gazing of mothers and human infants. Kikusui found that male and female dogs experienced a 130 percent rise in oxytocin levels, while male and female owners experienced a 300 percent increase. Interestingly, no oxytocin increase was seen in wolves and their owners who also participated in the research and spent little time gazing at each other.

This suggests why we feel so close to our dogs and, at the same time, provides us an insight into the process of domestication if we consider that only canine specimens capable of bonding and forming social attachments were those who ultimately received care and protection from humans.

Not too Fast

While it’s quite romantic to imagine dogs as our fur babies, dogs don’t necessarily see us as their mothers and, most of all, they may not be willing to accept certain behaviors from us.

This is not because they don’t like us, it’s just that hugging and kissing are human behaviors that dogs may not understand, even if done with well-meaning intent. When a dog is kissed, it means bringing our faces very close to theirs, something that not all dogs are comfortable with.

On top of that, hugging and kissing dogs also entail wrapping our arms around them and taking a dog’s “flight’ option (the ability to leave) away. When we hug and kiss them, we may therefore put ourselves at risk for a defensive bite.

Before biting, dogs may try to “tell us” though that they do not appreciate the interaction through subtle or less subtle signs. Watch for ears pulled back, yawning, a raised paw, whale eyes, lip licking, turning the head and looking away before, during and right after the interaction. When ignored, these subtle signs tend to intensify and may escalate to growls, barks, air snaps and muzzle punches, and eventually even biting.

It’s important therefore to heed these warning signs and “thank the dog, for not biting” by moving away and making a mental note that, no, Rover doesn’t enjoy being hugged and kissed as much as we do.

Even better, don’t test your dog’s tolerance for hugging and kissing in the first place, but rather interact with your dog in more dog-friendly ways that your dog understands better. Following are some tips for cuddling with your dog.

Choose The Right Time

Even if your dog seems to tolerate kisses, it’s important to keep safety and timing in mind. There is a place and time for cuddles, and it’s important to time your cuddling time and make sure it matches with your dogs’.

Most dogs don’t like to be cuddled when it’s dinner time. Most likely, if dogs could talk they would say ” Stop with the cuddles, and hurry up instead and get my chow ready!”

Same with when they are aroused by something and are a bit on edge, like when hearing an unfamiliar noise or seeing something out of the window.

Kisses and hugs may also be the last thing a dog wants when he is sleeping or about to fall asleep, or when is hyper and has loads of pent-up energy and would rather go on a walk or a romp in the yard. You can almost hear these dogs say “No sirree! I was home all day doing nothing, no kisses please, let’s please go out and do something else instead!

“Put yourself in their shoes — no matter how much you love your spouse, partner or child, would you want his face to be one inch away from yours whenever you are interacting with him?”~Dr. Wailani Sung, veterinary behaviorist.

Never Kiss Unknown Dogs

Another important tip is to never hug or kiss a dog you do not know.

A concerning trend are doggy kissing booths, where dogs in search of a home or for fundraising purposes are placed behind a booth where people are offered “kisses” from the dogs.

These set-ups can be a recipe for disaster, and a dog may end up being euthanized rather than going to a good home, because such kissing booths may stress them and set them up for failure.

“As a dog lover and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, I find the idea of a doggy kissing booth very disturbing. Putting dogs in a position to be hugged and kissed by complete strangers, in a carnival like atmosphere, is going to be extremely stressful to most dogs, further increasing the probability of a bite. “~Don Hanson

Let Him Give ‘Em

A better option than kissing dogs, (even though not ideal for many reasons like health/hygiene) is letting dogs do the “kissing”on their free will. Many dogs like to greet their owners by “kissing” them upon coming home. This may be a good time to praise the dog and let him know we are also happy to be reunited.

Yet, it’s important to recognize that these “kisses” are a fry cry compared to our human kisses. These licks to the chin and mouth area may be reminiscent of when dogs were pups and learned to greet their mother this way.

Allowing them to jump and lick our faces though can mean teaching them bad manners. A better option may be sitting on the couch and allowing a couple of polite doggy kisses, but again, this should come freely from the dog. Putting our face directly in a dog’s face in hopes of getting “kissed” can again be asking for trouble especially with a dog we do not know well or if our dog feels uncomfortable with this type of interaction or we do it at an inappropriate time.

“Face licking of this variety is a care-soliciting (etepimeletic) behavior, not to my mind what kissing in humans is all about.”~Nicholas Dodman

A Word of Caution: not all doggy “kisses” are created equal. In some cases, certain types of face licking are not the affectionate kisses we interpret but are actually meant to increase the distance. Jennifer Shryock, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) calls this type of kiss, a “Kiss to Dismiss,” and describes it as a way for dogs to get someone who’s making them uncomfortable to go away.

Caution with Kids

Kids often feel tempted to hug and kiss dogs and this is a factor as to why children are also the most common victims of dog bites.

Because children may not recognize early warning signs that a dog is about to bite, they are particularly vulnerable. Often, there are disturbing videos being aired on You Tube, of children riding dogs like horses, jumping on them or hugging them tightly and kissing them which is quite problematic because the airing of such videos promotes and encourage inappropriate behavior by humans towards dogs.

The scary part is that parents are often the ones posting such videos.

But how much do parents know about safe dog-and-child interactions? A questionnaire designed to measure general knowledge associated with dog aggression toward children, has shown that parents are often not aware of the dangers of some child and dog interactions.

According to this questionnaire:”Eighty-two percent of respondents agreed with the statement, “I think it is safe for young children to kiss and hug their own dogs.” These thoughts are likely based on an incorrect assumption that a dog will not bite if the one hugging the dog is a family member and parents therefore assume that certain interactions are inherently safe. These assumptions though are quite problematic as they lead to parents lowering their guard.

Below is a great demo of how children can kiss a dog more safely. This is the true art of dog kissing brought to a whole new level!

The Best Way to Kiss Dogs

The Bottom Line

So should you kiss and hug your dogs or should these behaviors be on the list of things you should stop doing? Nobody can tell you to stop doing something that your dog seems to enjoy, but it’s in your best interest to practice caution and to carefully evaluate if your dog is really enjoying the interaction or not.

Susan Hetts and Daniel Estep, two Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists explain that a dog who is enjoying an interaction shouldn’t move away or try to avoid it. If the kissing or other form of cuddling stops, if the dog is truly enjoying it, the dog would want the owner to continue, by moving closer move, pawing or leaning against.

But as mentioned, it’s best not to test a dog’s behavior in response to things they might not like. A better option is to engage in behaviors your dog seems to enjoy more and that are easier for him to understand. And with children, the risks are so not worth it, so best to follow the words of wisdom from the smart kiddo in the video above.

“When we do use human gestures of affection that dogs don’t share, such as kissing and hugging, we must be sensitive to the dog’s reactions. Carefully monitor his body language for signs of anxiety, stress or defensiveness. Some dogs will be happier (and humans safer) if we find other ways to express our love. Play a game of fetch, take your dog for a walk or give her a gentle brushing. These are things most dogs enjoy – and giving them the things they want is the best way to express our affection!” ~Susan Hetts, Daniel Estep, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists.

Disclaimer: this article is not meant to be used as a substitute for professional behavioral advice. If your dog appears aggressive to you or your children at any time, please consult with a behavior professional.

References:

Chun YT, Berkelhamer JE, Herold TE. Dog bites in children less than 4 years old. Pediatrics 1982;69:119–120.
Effects of gender and parental status on knowledge and attitudes of dog owners regarding dog aggression toward children Ilana R. Reisner, DVM, PhD, DACVB, and Frances S. Shofer, PhD, JAVMA, Vol 233, No. 9, November 1, 2008
Dogs Behaving Badly: An A-Z Guide to Understanding and Curing Behavorial Problems in Dogs. by Nicholas H. Dodman Random House Publishing Group, 2000

Photo Credits:

Flickr, Creative Commons, dee & tula monstah, kissing booth, CCYBY2.0
Flickr, Creative Commons, Beverly Not Funny, How Embarassing! Kiss My White Puppy Butt, I’m a Big Macho Dog Mom – I’m one year old on February 14th!, CCYBY2.0
Flickr, Creative Commons Dave Worley, Obligatory Puppy Kisses Pic, CCYBY2.0

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