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Body Talk

Stress, anxiety and fear

When you learn their language you may realise that dogs never stop talking…

Signs that may indicate stress, anxiety or fear in dogs include a tucked tail, ears flat and back, licking the lips or nose, whale eye, looking away, raised paw, trembling, a low body posture, yawning, panting, grooming, sniffing, seeking out human comfort, hiding and a stiff or frozen posture. Some of these are also examples of displacement behaviour.

It is important not to focus on just one aspect of the body but rather one should observe the whole of the body whilst also considering the context and environment. An example could be a dog that lunges whilst on the lead. Is it because it is frustrated by the lead and may possibly otherwise be friendly off lead? Or perhaps it’s a genuine fear and the dog is exhibiting the behaviour in question to see off the other dog?

Clients are often unaware that their dog may be exhibiting signs of stress or fear. One study showed that about 30% of dogs in the veterinary waiting room displayed signs of stress which were not noticed by the owners and included panting, yawning and grooming.

Tails

A wagging tail does not always mean the dog is friendly as many people believe. If the dog is highly aroused, either positively or negatively, the tail often tends to be raised high. Tails tend to wag when a dog is emotionally aroused. Dogs may also use their tails as communicative signals which can include threatening displays or appeasement, play, nervousness, confusion, anxiety and fear.

Tense or loose body

A tense body can indicate uncertainty, apprehension or a feeling of being uncomfortable in the environment. When a dog freezes this could be a warning that the dog is preparing for a flight or fight response. If the warning is ignored, aggressive behaviour may happen. Conversely, a loose, soft and flexible body will indicate that the dog is relaxed and comfortable the environment.

Avoidance

Avoidance behaviour is characterised by a dog looking away or walking away and is an attempt to avoid conflict or confrontation. Cut off signals are generally used between two or more dogs and typically during play sessions or greetings. These are noticeable when a dog stops what it is doing and does something different such as yawning, lip licking, sniffing the ground or scratching. Dogs that have been well socialised will respond better to these signals than poorly socialised dogs. Those dogs less versed in this language may become confused and this may lead to aggression. Fearful avoidance is shown by a low head and tail with the body close to the floor as if trying to appear smaller.

Ears

Similar to the tail, what a dog does with its ears will give indications about the internal emotional state. Ears that are back and flat against the head may indicate a submissive feeling, especially in younger dogs. Ears that are back but not quite flat can be a sign of agitation. Perked up ears show the dog is alert and interested or perhaps to make the dog look bigger either to show aggression or as a response to aggression.

Mixed-breed dog, close-up on head and ears
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Feisty Fido – A Review

FEISTY FIDO (book)

Help For the Leash-Reactive Dog

Patricia B. McConnell, PHD

Karen B. London, PHD

2003

Patricia McConnell and Karen London are ethologists, PHD level qualified. Both are Certified Applied Animal Behaviourists and professional dog trainers specialising in treating serious behavioural issues in domestic dogs.

Feisty Fido addresses the very specific behavioural issue of leash reactive dogs that demonstrate aggressive behaviour towards other dogs. The book offers advice in a very straight forward and easy to understand manner and is optimistic in its outlook; in the first few pages it states that even for most lead reactive dogs there is a high rate of successful treatment.

However, the book remains somewhat grounded and emphasises that it will not ‘create dogs who are good with all other dogs in all situations’ but rather more realistically states that what you will gain from the advice within the book is the ability to walk your dog on the lead around others without causing a scene (successful management is often the only realistic outcome.)

The essence of the book revolves around the principles of counter conditioning and desensitisation and provides easy to understand concepts and examples that even someone new to dog training should be able grasp and therefore implement a workable behaviour change programme so as to train a dog to exhibit behaviour that is different to the current reaction to a stimulus.

The effectiveness of counter conditioning and desensitisation is contingent on them being used together. This methodology is often used in behaviour change programmes and especially for types of behaviour associated with anxiety, fearfulness and aggressiveness. Although often lengthy in process these techniques have a proven track record of success and are appropriate in that they do not suppress behaviour but rather they engage to alter the actual emotional response of the dog to specific stimuli.

Desensitisation is the first part of the procedure in which a learned fear is extinguished by gradual low level exposure to the stimulus. The aim is that the dog is eventually exposed to the stimulus without involuntary fear responses being evoked. It should be noted that the process of desensitisation may allow the subject to get to a position of feeling neutral to the stimulus rather than fearful but it will not elicit positively pleasing emotions.

It is with counterconditioning that the respondent behaviour of the dog to a stimulus is replaced with a contrasting automatic response. The process can actually replace an undesirable response to a stimulus with a positive emotional response instead. This is achieved by the association of the aversive stimulus with something salient and appetitive while the dog is under the threshold of emotional arousal. Nonetheless, the book is also realistic and certainly lays no claim for a silver bullet or a quick fix and stresses that in reality the process of serious behaviour modification takes time, patience and consistency.

By using these approaches the book proceeds to teach what it refers to as the watch, the same contingency is often called look at me and simply means gaining the dog’s attention. This is one of the most important of behaviours to teach in dog-training as teaching a dog to focus on you is paramount. The procedure outlined in this book advises training to start in areas with no distractions which then graduates systematically and slowly with low distractions set at a sub threshold distance, working towards a situation of more prominent distractions until a point that the subject will eventually learn that whenever they see another dog, it is better to watch you than to pay attention to the other dog.

The second training technique outlined is teaching the dog the U-Turn. As the name suggests this involves training the dog to turn 180 degrees and go the other way upon seeing another dog. The rationale behind this is to encourage the dog to follow the client away from the stimulus without having to be tugged on the lead, which in itself can exacerbate leash reactivity. Again, this process is slow and systematic and one that starts with no distractions and works up to higher levels of distractions but is a very worthwhile exercise.

As might be expected this book takes an ethical path and follows the obligation to find the least intrusive intervention possible, these are the principles and techniques that have come to be known and are referred to as positive reinforcement. In this instance intrusiveness is defined by the degree to which any method causes harm either physically or emotionally to the dog.

Unsurprisingly the book avoids any reference to methods of shock or startle. It is alarmingly common advice that dogs expressing fear or aggressive behaviour be shocked or startled at the point of the undesired behaviour being exhibited in attempt to stop the behaviour. This ranges from spraying the dog in the face with water to using an electric shock collar. As already discussed many times, these methods act to suppress behaviour instead of changing the behaviour and are highly likely to exacerbate the behaviour thus making it worse.

The danger of aversive punishments is that it is often viewed as effective by dog owners who may see initial reductions in the undesired behaviour caused by distraction. In his book ‘Aggressive Behaviour in Dogs’  O’heare (2014) states; ‘in order for punishment to be effective in a behaviour change programme it must meet very rigid criteria which to most if not all dog trainers is practically impossible to achieve ergo any novice dog trainers have no hope of achieving desirable and safe results that will carry over the lifetime of the dog, more likely is that it will produce more intensive behavioural issues in the long run and also serious traumatic experiences for the dog.’ In addition it’s worth noting that a deterioration in behaviour can also result with even the most experienced of trainers as we do not always know the association the dog may make.

The book is short but by following the recommended procedure one should have a dog that is counter conditioned to look at the handler and avoid pulling towards other dogs while on the lead. This is a good starting point but if you want a dog that is happy to meet other dogs on the lead and on good terms then this book should be considered as a first step in a longer and more holistic program.

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Street Dogs – Ronnie & Brigadier

https://www.dogsonthestreets.org

Street Dogs – Ronnie & Brigadier

Today I saw a post online from the super good dog charity ‘Dogs On The Streets’ (DOTS). I looked at the picture and then read the name and thought….’hang on a minute’.

I knew Omar and Brigadier about 4 or 5 years ago but lost touch when they suddenly moved on. One day they were just gone. Colin is still around.

We met Colin and Omar around 2014. It was a hot day and I was sitting in the sun outside the Gladstone Arms Pub and I saw these four walking down the street  towards me. Ronnie the Mastiff was a strong dog and liked to exercise that strength by pulling poor Colin everywhere. As they past I offered them water and some dog treats from the pub and we got chatting.

Ronnie the mastiff was a puller and got very excited at life and sometimes people were nervous around him. Brigadier was fine with everyone and everything but seemed to have a skin complaint around his neck. We started regular meet ups to chat and we addressed both issues as best we could in the circumstances and course I became very fond of them all.

One day they both said they wished they had some nice photographs of their dogs.

Thanks to photographer Clara Blomqvist who very kindly arranged this shoot and took these pictures.


October 2016

“Ronnie sadly died shortly after these pictures were taken. Omar has moved on somewhere and I often hope him and ‘Brigsy’ are OK.
Two beautiful people and two beautiful dogs, all four dealt a shit hand.
These pictures were taken by Clara Blomqvist upstairs at The Gladstone Arms SE1.”

Dogs On The Streets

Dogs on the Streets, a volunteer run, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the welfare of dogs belonging to the UK’s homeless community.

Donate here www.dogsonthestreets.org

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£356 for All Dogs Matter

The Great Get Together Bankside

On Sunday the 18th June, thousands of street parties, picnics and baking competitions were held across England to remember MP Jo Cox, a year after she was murdered. Bankside Open Spaces Trust hosted the Great Get Together Bankside opening the streets to colour, laughter, music, theatre, food, drinks and of course…dogs.

No street party would be complete without dogs, so this year, Bankside hosted its first dog show ‘The Great Get Together Barkside’.

The show was hosted by Radio London’s Anna Webb of ‘The Barking Hour’ and was open to dogs of all shapes and sizes to help raise money for the London-based charity ‘All Dogs Matter’. Categories included Lord and Lady of Southwark, Best Rescue, Golden Oldie, Best Trick, and the winners of these categories was awarded the accolade of ‘Best in Borough,’ and took home a hamper of human and canine goodies.

Despite the heat, the dogs had a wonderful time hanging out in the ‘dog chill out zone’ complete with bunting, paddling pools, tasty treats and blankets from our sponsors and dog toys galore.

With help from our generous sponsors, the Great Get Together Barkside managed to raise £356 for the All Dogs Matter charity, an absolutely fantastic success. This money will really make a difference, helping All Dogs Matter to feed dogs, get them chipped, vaccinated, neutered and can help towards any veterinary costs.

It was lovely seeing such a fantastic range of dogs and owners and it was touching to see so many people turn up to watch the dogs strut their stuff.

The catchphrase of the day in honour of Jo Cox was “we have more in common than that which divides us”. Nothing more encapsulated this than the range of dogs, owners, and observers, all of whom came to show their support for All Dogs Matter. An absolutely wonderful, and forever memorable day.

With thanks to our generous sponsors: Hiro + Wolf; Fetch and Follow; Burns Nutrition; Lily’s Kitchen; Doodles by Dishwashee; The Darling Dog Company; and Sarah Whitehead’s Clever Dog Company.

 

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#dogsatpollingstations

It is perfect dog walking weather in London today, being neither too hot nor too cold. As such many Londoners are taking their canine companions to the polling stations across the capital as they decide who will be the next Prime Minister.

While tempers flare and blood boils in heated political debate, dog owning social media users have added an element of much-needed fun and joy to the proceedings and #dogsatpollingstations has picked up pace and is filling Twitter and Instagram feeds across the nation.

(Rolo & Roxy)

#dogsatpollingstations started with the 2015 general election and has since gained erm…’momentum’ at every major voting opportunity. According to Anna Webb from Radio London’s The Barking Hour, dogs at polling stations represent 53% of dog owning voters.

Social media is awash with pictures of dogs of all shapes and sizes outside polling booths obviously with no clue as to what is going on but happy enough to pose for a photo.

(Mr. F & his extra long snozz)

What are the rules on dogs at polling stations?

According to the Blue Cross animal charity, dogs are ‘generally’ allowed inside the polling station as long as rules are followed. You might even be lucky enough that a polling station member of staff holds your dog’s lead while you vote.

Guidelines from the electoral commission say that dogs can enter polling stations in an ‘accompanying’ role but should be kept on a lead and must not disrupt the vote.

Can I take a photograph of my dog inside a polling station?

It is not against the law to take a photograph inside a polling station but it is not allowed to communicate information about how someone has voted, is about to vote, or to communicate the unique ID ballot paper number so it might be best to take pictures outside so as to stay within the law. Breaking the law could lead to £5000 fine.

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You can learn a lot in eight weeks

Most people normally interact with a puppy when it is somewhere between eight and 12 weeks old, but what happens before then, and even before birth, can affect a dog for the rest of its life.

It is generally accepted that in terms of social development, early, infantile experiences are more important in terms of their effect on adult behaviour than those occurring at other stages of life.

This blog outlines the key stages of development that occur between the pup being born through to three months.

Neonatal Period: birth to two weeks

During this period puppies spend most of their time sleeping. They are deaf, blind and are particularly susceptible to the cold because they have low body fat and have not yet developed the ‘shivering’ reflex. As such, they instinctively orient themselves towards a heat source. At this age, puppies have not yet developed a sense of touch, taste or smell. Their eyelids only open around 10 to 14 days.

During this period puppies should be handled carefully for 30 seconds a day, gradually building up to a few minutes by day 14. To help reduce stress, touch sensitivity, and reactivity to being held, gently feeling a pups ears, mouth, feet and tail should be encouraged.

Transitional Period: two to four weeks

During this period, the pups ears open and will begin to respond to loud noises. At this point it is helpful to expose them to common domestic sounds such as children, washing machines, and vacuum cleaners.

The eyes also become more responsive to light and movement. As such, pups begin to recognise and bond with littermates, other pets and humans.

At around 21 days, pups begin to walk, play, and explore their environment. It is useful to increasingly, yet systematically, make their environment more challenging during this period.

Socialisation period: four to twelve weeks

During the ‘socialisation period’, pups can see, hear, and move around freely. They intensively interact with their environment and fellow litter-mates and begin to bond with other animals and humans by learning body language and social signals. This is a golden opportunity to help the pup adapt to domestic life by providing positive experiences.

It’s not uncommon for pups to be fearful of unfamiliar people, particularly males. To help overcome this fear, pups should experience multiple new surroundings and frequent handling from varied and unfamiliar people, including children. Exposure to novel objects, a plethora of sounds, and grooming equipment should be carefully introduced, being mindful of not ‘over-stimulating’ the pup, increasing its fear response.

What puppies learn during the ‘socialisation period’ will greatly depend on the interactions and experiences they have during this time, and can be key to forging an adult dog’s personality.

Importantly, pups that practice undesirable behaviour during this period are more likely to express that behaviour as an adult. Ensuring positive experiences around other dogs will help buffer the pups if and when an adult dog reprimands them appropriately. This can help them learn to give other dogs personal space and exhibit balanced interactions without becoming fearful.

Twelve weeks and beyond

After 12 weeks, but before sexual maturity, dogs are commonly referred to as ‘juveniles’. The age at which a dog reaches sexual maturity will depend on the type of dog, with smaller dogs generally reaching maturity at an earlier age relative to larger dogs.

This short blog was based on a technical report submitted to “Think Dog Advanced – early learning in dogs”. The full technical report, with references, can be accessed by emailing the author at dannydecourtelle@rocketmail.com

 

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A fish out of water: why breed characteristics are important in dogs

A brief history of breeding domestic dogs

Historically the breeding of domestic dogs has centred on the selection of certain behavioural characteristics in order for dogs to carry out certain roles such as hunting, herding, controlling vermin, or companionship. Typically, two dogs with similar characteristics, such as hunting, have been bred, and then the offspring with the strongest hunting characteristics are selected for further breeding, ultimately breeding a line of dogs with very strong behavioural traits. These have come to be known as ‘breed characteristics’. It is generally recognised among behavioural professionals that when a dog is deprived of the ability to perform the characteristics for which it has been bred, it can feel frustrated, and this is often a key cause of behavioural problems.

Breed characteristics

Breed characteristics refer to the various traits associated with different breeds of dog. These behavioural traits can include being good at herding livestock, hunting and guarding, chasing, or simply being a companion dog. While breed characteristics are general approximations of what behaviours a breed of dog may display, it is important to recognise that not all dogs of the same breed will display the characteristics of the breed profile, and dogs of the same breed can display big differences in behaviour. Importantly, breed characteristics can be influenced by training (or lack of) and the wider environment.

Why are breed characteristics important?

Understanding breed characteristics is very important when choosing a new dog. Owners should take into account the needs of the dog and their ability to accommodate these needs. For example, toy breeds are often not appropriate choices for families with young children, and working breeds, such as a German Pointer or a Border Collie may be better suited to rural environments. Some breeds, such as Staffordshire Bull Terriers, are good ‘city’ dogs, as are a number of ‘companion’ dogs.

Understanding breed characteristics is also important when rescuing, fostering, or re-homing a dog. A dog that has not lived with other dogs or cats before may be better suited to households where they are the only pet. Equally, dogs that have not been brought up around young children may be better homed in an all-adult household. Some rescue dogs may have greater needs than others and may therefore be better suited for adoption by ‘experienced’ dog owners.

Finally, understanding breed characteristics can help you understand how your dog may respond best to training. If your dog has a strong ‘chase drive’, your dog may find chasing balls highly rewarding. If your dog is driven by companionship and a close physical bond, rewarding them with touch and petting is highly appropriate. For most dogs, food and treats are strong reinforcers and can be used to great effect in changing unwanted behaviour.

While it is important to consider breed characteristics when choosing, re-homing, or training dogs, it should be borne in mind that these are general rules of thumb. For example, a dog that has not lived with children before can be taught to live happily in a family environment, and a dog that has been the only pet in the household can learn to happily co-exist with other pets. Well thought-out programmes of behaviour change, informed by a professional, can help to increase the chances of accommodating your dog’s needs, leading to a happy relationship between you and your dog.

This short blog was based on a technical report submitted to “Think Dog Advanced – breed characteristics”. The full technical report, with references, can be accessed by emailing the author at dannydecourtelle@rocketmail.com

 

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Sniffing out ‘dominance theory’ in dogs

Where did ‘dominance theory’ come from?

The common approach to canine social behaviour known as ‘dominance theory’ was built on research evidence which observed wolves, and showed that wolves live in hierarchical packs with the ‘alpha wolf’ at the top. Given that dogs evolved from wolves, researchers claimed that dogs also adhered to a hierarchical pack, with humans considered to be part of the pack. Dominance theory assumed that most unwanted behaviour, such as aggression, is due to the dog trying to be ‘dominant’ or wanting to be ‘the alpha dog in the pack’. As such, dominance theory suggests that the way to solve behavioural problems in dogs is to establish dominance as pack leader over the dog.

The idea that owners must dominate their dogs gained huge popularity in the 1960s with the publication of: The Wolf: Ecology and Behaviour of an Endangered Species published by David Mech. But these research findings have since been shown to have been inappropriately applied to the domestic dog. In 1999, David Mech published an updated work: Alpha Status, Dominance and Division of Labour in Wolf Packs, where he corrected his earlier mistaken ideas pointing out that dogs do not have the same social structures as adult wolves.

Among behavioural specialists, it is now widely recognised that dogs that use aggression towards humans or other dogs are not trying to be ‘dominant’, rather dogs may use aggression as a means to control situations where they feel frustrated, fearful or anxious. Sometimes, dogs who have used aggression repeatedly have learned that ‘it works’ and are therefore more likely to use aggression to control similar situations in the future.

What is wrong with ‘dominance theory’?

Among the field of canine behaviour, many professionals are concerned that the ‘dominance’ theory continues to survive even though more-and-more evidence shows that, at best the theory is unhelpful, at worst highly detrimental. Using this theory prevents many owners from understanding their dogs, can cause unhappiness, and can harm the human-animal bond. By definition the ‘dominance’ method relies on the social exclusion of the dog which in turn can lead to depression, anxiety and learned helplessness.

The ‘dominance’ theory for dog behaviour poses questions regarding dog welfare. Dominance-based approaches often use aversive training techniques such as ‘alpha rolls’ (forcing the dog down on its back and holding it there), staring the dog down (intimidation), or other confrontational methods and punishment which can cause fear, pain and distress to the dog. Aversive methods can also increase the dog’s underlying fear, frustration or anxiety, which can actually make the unwanted behaviour worse.

What should I use instead of ‘dominance theory’?

Ultimately, methods based on the theory of ‘dominance’ are flawed and should be avoided in favour of a more efficient, effective and evidence-based approach to canine behavioural change. Alternative, ethical approaches include ‘reward-based training’, ‘positive reinforcement’, and ‘counter-conditioning and desensitisation’, to name just a few.

Dogs should be trained using programmes that are designed to facilitate the development and maintenance of wanted behaviour, using positive reinforcement and other ethical techniques. This position is supported by the Royal Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), as well as many respected academics in the field of canine behaviour.

When trying to change your dog’s behaviour, reward the behaviour you like. This might include acting calmly when the doorbell goes, instead of barking and jumping on guests. This approach centres on positive reinforcement, in other words, rewarding outcomes you want. Rewards can be food, toys, verbal praise, physical contact etc.

Alternative approaches to overcome unwanted canine behaviour will be addressed in more detail in other blogs.

This short blog was based on a technical report submitted to “Think Dog Advanced – Rank Structure ”. The full technical report, with references, can be accessed by emailing the author at dannydecourtelle@rocketmail.com