h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Understanding Your Dog - A4560455
Author: Mina [60/100] - U290

I don't think there's anything like this already in the Guide, so I've written one.

This is based on my experiences with the dogs I've had contact with over the years, plus a bit of help from things I've been told by other dog owners over the years, and poking and prodding my dogs around. It might as well all be in one place.

This is a brilliant entry Mina!

I loved the line - ' As far as he's concerned he's offered you his life. Either take it, or move on.'

Great, great bit of unconventional wisdom and perfect for the EG.


- Jimi X

Great article (yet again)

'Any
similarity between dog behaviour and the behaviour of male humans is completely coincidental.'

'... are single- and simple-minded creatures. This doesn't mean that they are stupid, they are often highly intelligent, but they can usually only concentrate
on one thing at a time - even if it looks as if they are doing more than one thing at once - they aren't....' well... made me laugh.... I cna't see anythign rong with the entry well done

Great entry, Mina. I thought I knew about dogs but there's stuff in there that's new to me so I've learnt something today at least!

Just a couple of things - you might want to look at the repetition of the 2-year-old child thing. It's the most striking example I've heard of how the dominant dog reacts to separation, but you use it twice and it sounds a bit odd.

I also wonder whether you might also go into more detail on the importance of responding to dogs in the 'now' ie. if they've urinated on the carpet there's no point in reacting to it as they won't associate your reaction with what they have done. At best they'll be confused, at worst, traumatised and constantly on edge in case you go off on one again for no reason (that they can see). And when I say 'reacting to it', I mean I think you do mention that shouting at them (or worse, rubbing their noses in it, which is the most stupid thing you can do) will make it worse, but it doesn't hurt to reiterate that there are effective ways of dealing with this. Eg. pre-empting the issue by training your dog to ask to go outside, or giving him scheduled 'outdoor' time, whether on a walk or in the garden, will allow him to get used to when and where he is able to go.

Just some thoughts - it's a great entry and hopefully will help people to understand their dogs a bit better!

Lbclaire

Thanks Jimi and 2Legs. I'd forgotten I'd left that bit about the behaviour of human males in there! I'd put it in as a bit of a joke for myself and meant to take it out again. What's funny is that I added it when I mentioned the bit that 2Legs pointed out - that dogs can only think of one thing at a time. I'm glad it's not just me who thinks that. I will take it out if anyone objects though.

Thanks Lbclaire, I did wonder about the repetition of the two year old suggestion. I'll reword one of them.
I'll also add on a small section about dogs living in the present, not the past to make that clear. I don't really want to get into any sort of training though. I did think about it, but it would make such a long entry that I thought I'd leave it all out. Then maybe once I've trained my new dog I can write 'Training Your Dog'.

Nice Entry Mina

Would it be worth mentioning leaving a radio on under the "Dealing with Separation Anxiety" I used to leave radio on for my labrador cross.

I understand you're not including training in this Entry, but I wonder if you could fit it a sentence that prevention is better/easier than curing, or would that still be more suitable to a training entry.

Emmily

I don't think separation anxiety is something you can prevent - my dog didn't suffer from it until I moved into this house, I didn't do anything different, he just seemed unhappier here. I also didn't find that leaving a radio on helped at all (he still howled the place down, even if I left the TV on!), which is why I didn't add it. It's not mentioned in the dog books I've checked either, they concentrate more on. I might add it as a footnote though, if more people think that it helps.

I should learn to finish my sentences!

They concentrate more on what the people do as they leave the house and return.

This is a classic, Mina . I enjoyed it thoroughly!

Just one small thing about putting the paw in front of you. I must be a bit thick, but do they lift their paw up like someone would say "stop", or do they place their paw just ahead of your foot? Perhaps some rephrasing might be useful there.

What's the story about dogs who chase cars or bikes? What's going on there?

Again that is usually about protecting the pack - if the dog thinks it is top dog then it thinks that is its job. Very important to get them out of that habit so they don't run on to busy roads.

I've got a problem with my little darlings in that they bark and bark at the neighbours when they are outside making noise in their gardens - but only when we aren't there. We think this is defending territory, which they don't need to do when we are there because as top dogs it is our job to do it. Interestingly, it is the least dominant of the two that usually starts this off. Almost at my wits end with this one

The other thing to say is that dogs have a very impressionable period when they are young (depends on breed but for most dogs except Labs assume it is about the first 15 weeks of their life) when they learn about the world. Anything they experience in this period is absorbed into their world view as normal so you should aim to expose them to as much as possible then - show them streets and traffic and crowds and cows and sheep and horses and other dogs and people of all ages and sizes and things like wheelie bins etc etc etc.

With ours, we got them in the winter so when they were outside they didn't hear strange noises from the neighbours so it is a new and scary thing for them now.

Another thing about being leader of the pack - height equals might. Ours are small and initially tried to get up on to the back of the sofa to establish a dominant position. And don't let them upstairs, especially if they get in the habit of sitting up there and looking down at you.

Nice entry Mina

Fair enough re. the training stuff.

And I liked the bit about dogs and men being similar too... not that my man is at all like a dog... if he's reading this...cough...

Lbclaire

Thanks for the comments! I've added something to the section on dominance which I hope will explain what I mean about the dog sitting with his paw in front of a foot better. Let me know if it's made it worse!

Chasing is part of a dog's dim and distant past when they had to chase prey to live, and also it was a trait that was exploited by humans during selective breeding for specific breeds. It doesn't exist in many dogs - my own dog will often go running off and get bored before he even gets to what he was about to chase!

It's normally due to the dog being under stimulated to chase inappropriate items such as cars or bikes. They can be trained out of it, although you'll never train the chase instinct itself out, you just have to train *in* an appropriate outlet for it.

To have a good idea about why your dogs are barking (which you need before you can stop it), it would help if you knew what their body language was doing at the same time. They could be guarding themselves because they are suddenly frightened that you aren't there reassuring them that it's ok, or they could be trying to keep the neighbours from coming in to the house. If they are barking to keep the neighbours out of your house, then they'll keep on barking because as far as your dogs are concerned it's working - they aren't coming in. Can they see your neighbours through a window? If they are small dogs who normally get a lot of attention, they could be barking to get your attention, and it only coincided with the neighbours because the noise distracted them from whatever restful habits they were in the middle of.

I do sympathise - I got a noise abatement notice on my house because of Buster's howling. It's how I know so much about seperation anxiety!

I'd like this entry to be able to be read by all dog onwers, not just puppy owners, but I will keep it in mind if I do write an entry on dog training. Personally I think that you can teach an old dog new tricks, I'm busily showing a 4 year old shopping centres and buses and trains for the first time, so those tips you mention work with most dogs. I've never actually had a puppy...

"It doesn't exist in many dogs - my own dog will often go running off and get bored before he even gets to what he was about to chase!"

That should have read, "It doesn't exist in *all* dogs"

Our dog likes to bury her nose in the folds of your trousers between your knees. Not into your crotch or anything, just if you're standing up she'll put her muzzle between your knees and want you to hold it there and let her press her face in. She didn't do this until about a year ago and I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the fact she is rapidly going blind.

When she was young we did the whole "wait!" thing at the edges of pavements and always made sure she sat. However, it is something she has *never* got the hang of even though we have always reinforced it. She got everything else very very fast but if she get out of the front door now, at the age of 10, she still doesn't get the idea that the curb is a good place to stop. Where did we go wrong?

Also, what is it about labradors that means they don't get everything in their first 15 weeks then?

Kat

According to the lady at puppy school, labs have a longer impressionable period - anything up to a year. Don't know why though.

Mina, I know you can socialise a dog when it is older, but it is much easier to get them used to things in that early period. Our vet said one of the dogs that comes to her has a phobia of wheelie bins because there weren't any where it grew up, the owners moved to an area where there were some and it got this irrational fear!

With our little barkers (they can get in and out through a cat flap), we think the only way to observe their body language when the behaviour occurs is to install some webcams because they just don't do it when we are around. From what the neighbours have said they are barking only when people are out making noise - like the kids next door but one shrieking and shouting, or the immediate neighbours sitting chatting on their deck which is up against the boundary. I'm fairly sure it is them guarding the borders - like you say, they keep at it because it works - the people don't come over the fence. Wonder if it worth getting the neighbours to make their noise which triggers the barking and then lift the dogs so they can see them over the fence - do you think that would reassure them that there is no threat? I'm wary of accidentally reinforcing the behaviour by cuddling them when it happens though.

Bloody tricky business this! We haven't had an abatement notice yet, but the dog warden came round for a friendly chat. She said she could lend us a citronella collar if the beepers don't resolve it.

*sigh* I love the little pests, I just wish they wouldn't cause us so much trouble!

Kat, it's possible that your dog just doesn't understand what a curb is. To us it's very distinctive, but dogs don't see the world in the same way that we do, so to them it's probably just another step.

Kelli, if your neighbours can't see them, it will be hard to find out what they look like - I thought they'd be at a window.

I tried those spray collars with Buster, and I've also got one that beeps. They didn't work, but they are designed for barking, not howling so that could be why.

I read your PS, and your dogs are Jack Russells? If so, I think they are designed to be noisy, I had one for a while and I couldn't stand how much noise she made, Buster is so quiet! I've also seen JR's at training who 'sing' all of the time. The trainers have to tell new people that she's not in pain, she's just noisy! I don't think lifting them up would help, because you've given them attention when they've barked.

I'd teach them to bark on command, and to *stop* barking on command, and encourage your neighbours to join in with this, so that they can just command the dogs to stop barking. Make sure that they obey the stop command when people are out of sight though! Otherwise find a dog training club who are used to JRs and ask them for help. My dog warden did try to be helpful, but I'm not entirely sure that she had enough experience in behaviour problems to really help Buster.

I forgot to answer the PR question...

"Mina, I know you can socialise a dog when it is older, but it is much easier to get them used to things in that early period. Our vet said one of the dogs that comes to her has a phobia of wheelie bins because there weren't any where it grew up, the owners moved to an area where there were some and it got this irrational fear! "

I genuinely don't think this is important enough to add into this entry - because you just can't introduce a puppy to absolutely everything that it might come across in its life. It's a good time to get it used to things such as having its claws clipped and its ears and teeth checked and cleaned, but that's not really what the entry is about. This is about understanding what your dog is doing naturally, not about teaching the dog about the world. I want to teach the world about the dog first, as that's far more important. Once you understand your dog, training and teaching become a piece of cake. It also means that dogs don't develop so many phobias, because when they can trust their owner, they don't worry about strange things because it's not their job to worry. It's the pack leaders job to worry, and if they aren't worried, nor is the dog.

"The first thing you need to learn to understand your dog, is time with your dog."

Might a comma after "need" make that a bit easier to read?

"If you've got a small dog who is used to sitting on your lap, these can be an exception"

I *think* you've changed from singular dog, to plural these.

You talk about a wagging tail not being a sign that your dog is happy. What *are* signs that your dog is happy?

Would it be a good idea to talk about ears back and ears forward?

What might it mean if your dog is the sort who lies at the opposite end of the house to you all day but seems perfectly happy when she is in the same room as you or with you? Is my room just not as warm or what?

Kat

Ears back/forward is a good indicator of how your dog is feeling. Both of my pups are good with other dogs but when they notice them at a distance their ears are forward as they assess the danger (they look at me to see if I am calm and happy and generally if I am they are too) when they reach another dog their ears go right back and they attempt to show the other dogs their tummies. Patsy is almost aggressive in her attempts to prostrate herself! There is an older dog that just isn't interested in her and she mithers it to look at her and then rolls over and jumps up again and keeps going until it sniffs at her or I call her away. She doesn't seem to understand that this dog really isn't bothered about her!

Mina, the PR point is fine, I know this isn't about puppy training so I was really just making a general point *note to self, save this stuff for the entry when it is edited*

I've made those small changes - I'll add a section about a happy/contented dog later on, when I can concentrate properly.

It sounds like your dog is just well enough adjusted that he doesn't have to keep you in his sight all day long. Or possibly he's found a cool, comfortable patch that he's happy in! What breed is he?