dog behavior

Misha was all in all a model pet. She was a great companion to her family and behaved well with visitors. The only thing that troubled her owners was Misha's awful whining fits when she saw other dogs out on walks.

Because Misha only whined in response to this stimulus, we could rule out the possibility that she was complaining as a result of a medical problem. We could also rule out separation anxiety, a common cause of the whining dog, since neighbors attest to her silence when she's left alone.

After spending a few hours with Misha and her owner, even accompanying them on a short walk, it was evident that her problem stems from a lack of adequate socialization with other dogs. It was clear that her owners had been quite protective of her from the start, likely because of her relatively small size as a Pomeranian.

In doing so, however, Misha was not able to see other dogs as animals that she could potentially engage with; instead she feared them or at least became over anxious in their company. The solution was a fairly simple one, but required a few patient steps:

Schedule play sessions with other dogs. Ideally, these would involve play sessions with dogs the owners knew and trusted, and also dogs that were not going to awe her with their size.

Let Misha greet "ok" dogs on walks. It is important that Misha interacts with her own kind. Of course, it is also important that her owner asks if it is ok that the two dogs greet. It's usually as simple as asking a passing dog owner "Can they say hello?" If the other dog is a risk, or seems unnerved by Misha's whining (she won't stop right away), then you can skip it.

Remain calm and in control when Misha interacts. Misha looks to her pack leader for guidance. If her leader is nervous about her networking with her own kind, then she will pick up on this and in turn feel uneasy about the process. The whining will continue, and she may even hide behind her owner.

NOTE: Ideally, you want to give her lead as much slack as you can, or even let her off lead if circumstances allow it. This is because a lead often directs a dog's body movement and changes their body language involuntarily. The effect is that they can become more vulnerable and possibly even defensive.

In this case, Misha was a submissive dog who posed no threat to friendly dogs, but needed reassurance that they posed no threat to her. Whining uncontrollably was her attempt to communicate that need. There was an easy solution, and an obvious and quite necessary outlet for her anxious energy.

read more

how to train a dog

For parents, children are a small menace who can be difficult to predict and control. For dogs, children are a medium-sized menace who can be difficult to predict - but a menace they rely on parents to control.

In order to avoid your dogs aggression in the company of your children, there are several important rules to put down. Basically, owners need to train their kids on behalf of their dog.

No tug of war or “contest” games. Certain play activities encourage an elevate dog aggression responses, as they trigger the “prey instincts” of dogs. It may look cute when puppies thrash a stuffed toy, jerking their head from side to side. But this is a hangover from when wolves had to snap the spine of their protesting prey.

 Tug of war, in particular, also encourages the dog to assert its strength and dominance by way of a contest. These games are a bad idea for kids.

Don’t push a playful or jumping dog. Dogs respond to this force as a further engagement of play. They are hardwired to respond to this force with an equal and opposite force. Translation: they will push back. 

In situations where you want a dog to stop jumping, the child needs to make sure they are calm enough to avoid encouraging the behavior, which is where is gets tricky 

when the high-pitched giggling, squealing, or even crying kicks in. High-pitches are music to an excited dog’s oversensitive ears. You’ll need to work with the whole family on having commands to interrupt this behavior (such as “Down” or “Ouch” followed by ignoring or physically separating child from dog).

Don’t touch tail or paws. Dogs can’t see what’s behind them. If something is pulling on their tail, even if it’s just a curious tug, they will respond quickly and firmly, often with their mouth open and primed. Kids don’t have tails.

 That’s why they’re curious about them. It’s up to you to make them cautious as well. The same goes for their paws. They are over-protective of their paws since back in their pack hunting days they were the means to their survival.

Don’t have attack commands, even for fun. The command “Sick him” should not be part of your children’s vocabulary, whether it is directed at a squirrel or the bully down the road.

After you’re done with basic training for your children, there are a few tips you should give them when dealing with other people’s dogs, which after all is where a lot of dog aggression problems start:

Always ask the owner first if you can say “hello” to their dog.

When you do greet a new dog, it’s always best to pet “underhand” with your hand first making contact under the dog’s jaw. This is a non-threatening contact that allows the dog to see your hand (and what it’s doing) at every point.

Never pet or even approach a dog tied up on its own, however nice it may appear. Dogs that are tied up can easily feel “cornered” by an approaching child or group of children, and will act defensively.

Avoid head on, direct eye contact. For dogs this can be a sign of confrontation or challenge.

Kids love to teach other kids what they know. You’ll find that if you start with a few simple rules, the knowledge will spread and we’ll have a safer relationship with kids and canines.

stop cat spraying