Got Puppy on your Mind?

Okay, I admitted it to myself. I have puppy on my mind. No, not a specific pup. And not now. After a few months observing almost 10-year-old Will, we are certain that as far as she is concerned we have enough dog. She doesn’t enjoy the prolonged companionship of an adult one, and puppies go on her nerves. Will wants to be our only canine sidekick for a while, and what Will wants, Will gets. It’s always been that way.

While hubby Mike and our daughter Yana look before they leap – me not so much, although I am getting better at it. Life taught me that acting on impulse sometimes creates little fires that require extinguishing. Although in the end things always seem to turn out just the way they’re meant to, could I turn back time I might have made a few different choices. Moving forward, especially with something that affects me for a decade or more, I try to make decisions more rationally than emotionally – or at least equally as rationally. And that means that when the time is right, and we fall head over heels for a pup like we did with Davie, we’ll have a pup and not before.

My friend Ann recently remarked, while we were planning a heist to abduct a blue merle mini Aussie we met at the September 03 Mutt Show in Windsor, that no matter how many dachshunde she’d have, she still needed an Australian shepherd. I share that sentiment wholeheartedly. So an Aussie we’re aiming for, Mike and I, and although she is a future aspiration, it doesn’t hurt looking around some now, right? Keeping in the loop what’s out there.

While the public at large is bombarded with all kinds of dog-related info, some factual and much fictitious, what to look for in a breeder is trickling at best.

Recently, clients of mine asked for my help in rehoming their young dog. Nice humans with the best intentions to do things right. They investigated food and the dog was vetted. He lived inside, was crate trained and never chained. He had toys and social inclusion, playtime, walks and training and was loved. Nice dog too - friendly, motivated, obedient, attentive and smart. He also wanted to do things right. Great people. Great dog. So why the need to rehome? Because dog and humans were totally mismatched. The people wanted a low-key companion that more or less hangs out with them. The dog is a Border collie under a year old from working stock. What kind of breeder sells a Border collie to people that would be a wonderful home for an older golden retriever? One who only cares about the bottom line. That kind. Of course, when my clients contacted him with their concerns, before they hired me, he wasn’t available to offer any help.

Would you buy a puppy from someone who advertises: "Sell my puppies to anyone who opens their wallet. No references or qualifications needed. I do not care where my puppies end up, or how they are treated, so don’t bother calling me after you handed over the moolah."

I am sure if you were to survey the general public if dog breeders should breed for health and temperament, or looks and to make money, the majority would choose the former. It’s a no-brainer. In reality, and that’s the problem, unscrupulous breeders don’t advertise that they like money more than dogs, and so the majority has trouble distinguishing good from bad ones.

Health is straightforward. Either the pup’s bloodline has been screened and cleared of common congenital diseases, or it hasn’t, and a good breeder offers that information.

Temperament is a bit more vague. The above-mentioned Border collie has a wonderful, very breed-typical personality. High drive and high brain, intense stimulation seeking, determination, endurance, strength, or even a heightened awareness to motion, sounds and smells, or acting independently, aren’t in themselves bad attributes. They are only troublesome when such a dog ends up with incompatible humans.

There is one huge red flag though. Aggression. The kind where mother dog is indiscriminately reactive and tries to attack everybody and anybody who walks by or enters the property, has a bite history, needs to be muzzled when vet checked, can’t be walked in the neighborhood, go on a trail hike, or partake in activities like dog sports. It is a huge red flag if the puppy’s potential new owners cannot interact with mom dog because it is too dangerous, or if they don’t see her because she is put away in the kennel, crate or yard. If aggression is hereditary or not is debatable. Regardless, if the pups’ social imprinting period happens with an asocial mother, and in a place that breeds a dog who’s behavior isn’t sound, I walk away.

We have a breeder in mind for our next Aussie girl. Their dogs are fabulous. They excel in conformation, agility, obedience and Rally O’, but are foremost companions and go for walks, to beaches and dog parks. They are friendly and approachable. The breeders love their dogs, and don’t give them away when they age and become less “useful”. The seniors get to live where they always lived, and get to do things they still love and can do.

If you are like me and want a companion who lives in the house, where do you think the pups should be raised? Yup, in the house. Not the barn, kennel, garage or basement, but underfoot where people live, come and go, where the doorbell rings and where there are normal household sounds, like a vacuum cleaner. In the house, but not only the in house. I also want my pup, during her most impressionable first few weeks of life, to experience that there is an outside world; want her to experience what a collar, a leash and car-ride feels like. Of course, our fav local Aussie breeders take care of that as well. Their pups are also well started on potty and crate training.

Although we hope that when we are ready that they have a litter planned not too far in the future – they don’t have puppies all the time which is another sign of a good breeder, and trust us with one of their precious babies, I also love googling breeders for fun. I can pretty much tell on the home page if I like someone or not. The good ones' sites are more informative and less commercial, and make it clear right away that just because someone can afford a pup doesn’t mean they get one of theirs. Good breeders specify, right on their site, that potential buyers need to qualify, and have a link to a form anyone interested can fill out. The form typically has a section for references.

Good breeders often don’t have puppies readily available, but put approved homes on a waiting list. They provide a contract with a health and behavioral guaranty, are always willing to answer questions before and after the purchase, and in case the owner isn’t able to care for the dog any longer will take the pooch back – in fact stipulate that the dog must be returned to them.

One question I never ask right away is the price of the puppy. Not that I am rich and money doesn’t matter, but it is the least important aspect. Good breeding and money doesn’t rule each other out, but greed rules out good breeding.

Good breeders’ priority is the welfare of every single dog they own and produce. They have more expenses because they care, and typically deserve every penny they are asking. Bad breeders priority is the bottom line, and they don’t give a rat’s tail about what happens to their puppies. Let me be clear, every puppy has the right to live and a life, and many born in dubious places turn into wonderful companions, but some don't, or it is a long uphill path peppered with financial, emotional and mental hurdles – and possible heartaches.

I wish I could say that the mismatched Border collie is an isolated case, but it isn’t. Many of the people I see have problems with their dogs that began when they chose the wrong one for their lifestyle and the breeder didn’t attempt to educate and steer them to a different breed. Or they ended up with a pup who, because of deliberate mistakes made in breeding and rearing, lands on their doorsteps with issues. Wouldn’t it be great if more and more people would support good, knowledgeable and conscientious breeders with their hard-earned dollars? Doesn’t everyone – the dogs, the owners and the breeders, deserve that?

In some countries, breeding is strictly regulated. There are laws and inspectors that protect dogs and potential owners. Not the case anywhere here in North America. Here it is buyer beware.

To help the layperson separate wheat from chaff, I am offering a new, very affordable, service. You can find details on my webpage www.voice4dogs.com/dog-problems.html.

Look for: Got Puppy on your Mind?

Intraspecific Competition

A major reason why owners ask for professional help is because their pooch is aggressive toward other dogs. The reason, and that might surprise you, is often not because they lacked socialization, but exactly the opposite. Dogs react to dogs because they know them.

Intraspecific competition occurs when individuals of one species live in the same environment and require the same resources for survival. That is, of course, the case with dogs. Despite breed variations, they are all dogs occupying the same ecological niche in our midst; relying on the same doggie must-haves - material goods like food, water, bones and toys, but also something less tangible, but of paramount importance all the same: A safe (from the dog’s point of view) place to live.

A 3-year feral dog study in Italy revealed many interesting behaviors that counter popular belief. One is that they guard and fight over possessions. Granted, guarding food, a bone or toy is something we can observe with our owned dogs, but that doesn’t mean it’s natural. It didn’t seem to be with these feral ones, because the only time they acted aggressively was when their home resting area was intruded on. Not the much larger roaming range, or nearby community garbage dump feeding site, just where they hung out and slept. Safe chilling space was what mattered most, not stuff in it, and it was only defended against other dogs, not humans. The observations suggest that dogs have an intrinsic, normal awareness that same species outsiders jeopardize the safe home base, and that gives us food for thought regarding our dogs.

When we invite a new pooch into our home, we expect the existing canine dweller to be as welcoming as we are and are miffed when he is less thrilled. We might be able to deal with a little bossiness, or sulky retreat, but not with growling, lunging and snapping. Out of our own fear we assign labels not only to his actions, but his personality. The expressions become who he is: aggressive, dominant, pathological. With a disapproving undertone we judge, incognizant that his behavior might be stemming from the innate feeling that the interloper is endangering his security.

Our incomprehension how the dog feels is surprising. After all, we too have a strong sense of territory, our safe space within the home boundary. When was the last time you invited a stranger for dinner and handed him the house keys afterwards? We have such an unwillingness to give up something we already own that behavioral economists have a term for it: loss aversion. People go ape when they whiff competition. Real or imagined, our survival instinct kicks in and we feel threatened. It is not any different with dogs, except when we call the cops, bang our chests, or fetch the shotgun they, lacking opposable thumbs and human language, lunge, bark or bite.

The Italian feral dogs’ “get lost” signals were highly ritualized: barking and charging only, no violent attacks and nobody got hurt. With our owned dogs we can see more intense expressions, and that doesn’t surprise me. For starters, the feral ones were successful with their displays and the intruders hit the road. So they never had to turn it up a notch.

Also, there was security in the group they belonged to. What I mean is that they cooperatively drove outsiders away. That working together is often amiss in our dogs’ realities. They are corrected and punished by the ruling pack-alpha for being “not nice”, or they are on their own when everyone else it at work.

If the person fails to provide a secure home base, the dog can develop a heightened sensitivity to anything new. Novel encounters already can be problematic for dogs, because they, by nature, thrive on predictability and routine – that is why we must socialize wisely, a topic for another post - but it can turn into a real issue if one feels insecure at the very same place that should be a refuge. He becomes inflexible and rigid, can never fully relax and always is under the surface agitated. Any novel encounter, any sound, jeopardizes predictability in his mind, and with it the little bit of safety he feels when nothing happens. He overreacts with seemingly out of context and out of control intensity.

It is not unusual for rescue dogs, having experienced losses, to become more competitive as they become more bonded in a new home. Living the good life, they increasingly have more to lose. At the same time, the residence dog might have his nose out of joint already with the arrival of the interloper, and if the rookie gets all the attention, or is a brute who hogs resources or pushily butts in, animosity builds quickly.

Whenever life worsens for a dog with the appearance of another; whenever he experiences physical pain or loses a possession, and keep in mind that social inclusion is a most valued one, the already natural sense that members of his own kind spell trouble is confirmed. The pooch develops an existential fear he associates with one dog in particular, or dogs in general, and the stage for future interdog aggression is set. One incident can have a long-lasting impact. And it doesn’t matter if the other dog just happened to be there, if it is correlation. In the dog’s mind it is cause and effect.

Our behavior influences our dog’s. We have the power to make things worse, but fortunately also better. If we want friendliness, including on home turf, we have to turn competition into cooperation, and the first impression is crucial because it lays the foundation for the relationship. To prevent an antagonistic one, the dogs should be on a loose leash and introduced keeping a distance that ensures that each one feels comfortable. They’re the ones who should choose when to move closer. Allow them to communicate freely, which means don’t manipulate their body, don’t correct their actions, and don’t force the relationship.

Powerlessness over one’s actions causes frustration and anxiety; choice and information decrease both. Proceeding at the dog’s comfort level is choice. Explaining to the dog how his world works in a way he understands is information. In the context of intraspecific competition it is, for example, making it clear to each dog whose turn for social attention and interaction, a much desired resource dogs often compete over, it is. Addressing the one you’re about to interact with by name, turning your body toward him, and then focusing only on him teaches that he doesn’t need to compete, and all others that butting in is pointless. When you’re about to disengage, tell him that with a trained word (Off-Switch post August 12/2010), and then switch your attention to the next dog. Yo-yo back and forth, so that no pooch feels left out and gets frustrated. Forget about superficial dominance rituals, like who should be fed first. It is fairness, and understanding what each dog needs to feel secure in his home, and then providing it, that eliminates competition.

Collaborating with humans is natural for dogs, cause they practiced it since some 14.000 years. Even so, I have witnessed competition directed at people, but it is not normal. Rather, it is learned. It is an artificially instilled anxiety when humans, in the name of misunderstood dominance, forcefully take things from a dog.

Dogs are inherently deferent to humans, and resources dogs and people have a common interest in, namely space and people food, are automatically under human control. I admit, with some dogs it doesn’t seem that way, but to clarify that we indeed are the ones with the bank account and big brain is rather easy and doesn’t require any force. Stuff that’s not important for people they shouldn't artificially challenge. Honestly, do you really want the bowl of Kibbles and Bits? Then why are you taking it away?

Dogs are inherently deferent to humans, but not so to dogs. All stuff is potentially up for grabs and contestable. In addition, other than being potential rivals, dogs are rather irrelevant for pooches that are cared for by humans. And what is irrelevant can be eliminated. I bet a bag of dried green tripe that when an old and feeble dog is attacked by one he lived with for many years that their relationship was always undermined by antagonism and suppressed anger.

If we want harmonious cohabitation, we have to make dogs relevant to each other. And keep in mind that competition doesn’t have to be played out aggressively. You can have a dog that withdraws, shuts down and gives up without a fight. The anxiety, albeit expressed in, for human criteria, more acceptable ways, is nevertheless felt and very real.

Task activities, like walks and games, make dogs relevant to one another and foster cooperation. Together is one key word, and rewarding is the other. Remember, life has to be better because the other dog is near.

Dogs and their Teeth

Bite inhibition refers to the degree of pressure a dog applies when she wraps her teeth around someone. Evidently that is über-important, because having mouth control, or lacking it, makes the difference between no teeth marks, a slight bruise, or injury.

The common belief is that bite inhibition is set in young puppy hood, and although it is true that littermates stop playing, and elders reprimand when the little brute is rough with her teeth, it doesn’t mean that from then on, for her whole life, in every situation, the level with which she bites is invariable.

I argue that bite inhibition isn’t a constant, and only partly determined by early experiences. The other two factors are inherent disposition and intent.

By disposition I mean that cautious born dogs are naturally more careful what they do with their teeth than confident ones hardwired to taking risks.

By intent I mean that mouth pressure is very much under the dog’s deliberate control. For instance, a bite directed at someone - person, dog or cat - the dog has no social bond with, or is not dependent on, can be less inhibited because there is no need to keep that someone around, or alive. Let me give you an example.

Not long ago a client called me because her 95-pound pooch injured a person quite seriously. The victim was the owner’s business associate and not a complete stranger to the dog, but also not someone who appeared to be of any relevance. The owner purposely tried to instill a neutral association to people in general, and had asked everyone but close friends and family to follow the Dog Whisperer’s advice: no touch, no talk, no eye contact. The expectation was that the pooch would learn to perceive humans at large as irrelevant encounters and leave them alone. That approach was only somewhat successful because he remained alert, and occasionally barked and growled at one person or another, but never bit until the aforementioned business partner raised his arm; inadvertently, talking with his hands to add clarity to something he verbally explained. In a flash, the dog lunged up and inflicting a wound that required a good number of stitches.

I confess that, unlike some trainers, I do mind when a dog bites me. I feel just like the next person: it’s not pleasant and can put me out of working order for a while, and because I am tad obsessed with my work that is a big deal. Knowing the level of damage that dog had caused, I requested that he be leash-managed (not leash-corrected) and muzzled when I arrived for our appointment in the client’s home. When I entered, he seemed under physical control, but was hyperacutely aware of my presence and growled at my every move. “Seemed under physical control” might give you a hint what happened next. The owner, annoyed with his dog's behavior, yanked on the leash, which riled him up more and he lunged forward, and the person lost control. At the same time the ill-fitted muzzle came off. I spare you the details how I felt when the dog charged in my direction, but thankfully I wasn’t emotionally unstable for long cause he was more interested in sniffing my backpack on the floor than getting rid of me.

The panicked, and at the same time angered by his dog’s resistance and disobedience, owner caught up quickly and, before I had a chance to tell him to let his pooch sniff, grabbed him by his collar to pull him away, and he, objecting to that interruption, swung around and seized his arm - but didn’t clamp down. Not even a tooth mark. He didn’t injure on purpose, because the owner is a social group member and important for his survival. He means something, and the business partner didn’t and could, from the dog’s point of view, be harmed. Inhibition with one, but not the other, is intent rather than something born with or acquired as a pup.

Deliberate reserve was also the case with an owner-surrendered German shepherd I once assessed at a humane society. Calm and relaxed when I entered his run, his mood shifted instantly when I reached for his collar to clip the leash on. He jumped, took hold of my leash arm and tensely held a position of: paws on my chest, arm in his mouth, while directly staring at me. Although there was very little pressure, it was unmistakably a warning for me to stop what I was doing, and he did not release until I lured him back to the ground with a treat in my other hand. Why he didn’t bite harder still mystifies me, but perhaps he never had to make a stronger, clearer point because people heeded to his subtlety. Despite the lack of injury he was, in my opinion, a dangerous dog.

The argument that it is the degree of damage that distinguishes a safe dog from one who isn’t doesn’t fly with me. A dog who warns a lot is a risk. Of course, one who only bites once but sends his target to the hospital or vet clinic is more hazardous, but in a society that finds growling unacceptable, a dog who only intimidates or gets into minor scraps, but all the time, isn’t tolerated. There is more. Dogs that attack often typically have a heightened sensitivity, a strong startle reflex, and an overreaction to a wide variety of stimuli. Easily set off, they can be a challenge for the layowner. When pressured, the arousal level goes up, bite inhibition down, and a more serious bite incident might be just around the corner. The realistic outcome for a biting dog, regardless of inhibition, often is euthanasia - or worse a lonely life in a run somewhere, being physically abused, or being passed on from place to place to place.

I haven’t met a dog yet who hasn’t got any control over his mouth to a certain degree. A naturally hard dog can be gentle when it matters, and a soft biter can clamp down hard when overwhelmed with a situation. Anytime a dog’s teeth connect with a human or inflict injury to another dog, the owner should seek professional help, but not with the goal to learn how to punish harder than the dog can bite, but how to create the kind of environment that makes her feel like she doesn’t have to.

Aggression is never the cause, but always the symptom. The symptom that something in the dog’s life isn’t working for her. To investigate what it is that isn’t working, and to find solutions how it works better, is my idea of professional help. The dog trainer’s role should be to coach owners how to create an environment that is harmonious and rewarding for every member in the social group. Yup, that takes effort. It is much easier to hand the pooch over to someone who “fixes” the symptoms, like we might bring the car to the mechanic or laptop to the computer geek, than to address and change the cause(s) for aggression. Fortunately for dogs more people than you might think are up for the task. Sometimes we hold owners to a low standard – and we shouldn’t. I expect a lot from my clients, and am rarely disappointed. When they have the “tools” - in quotation marks because I am talking about a philosophy and lifestyle choice rather than certain kinds of collars, they apply and implement them.

Although every dog has the potential to bite, and will in a perfect storm situation, a safe (in the dog’s mind) environment, combined with specific training that teaches her alternate to biting behaviors when she’s charged up, communication between dog and owner that works, and savvy management, are the best insurance that she won’t become a liability.

Totally Wound Up

I read a lot. If you could peek into our home you’d see books everywhere, in every room of the house, including bathroom one, two and three. Plus I have a book in the car’s glove compartment just in case I arrive at my destination a few minutes early. If you’d call my behavior obsessive, you would be correct cause one identifying aspect of obsession is that the more you do it, the more you need to do it, and that certainly is true for me and reading.

Dogs can be obsessive too. A veterinarian friend and I discussed that once, and he said that dogs can’t be OCD, compulsive obsessive, because they miss the compulsive preoccupation of thinking impeding thoughts, but they can be obsessed with a certain action they repeat over and over again, to the point of exhaustion or self-mutilation.

Some dogs are neurotic because they have very poor welfare and endlessly spin, lick, or chew their own leg or tail. Humans drive dogs to insanity when they use them as breeding machines or completely neglect them, treat them erratically or cruelly punish.

Some dogs are wound up because they live with incompatible, albeit well-meaning people. They are task specialists with an intense drive to act on what they were selectively bred for. The Border collie comes to mind, who, in the wrong home and in lieu of sheep, fixates on a replacement activity, for example a ball, light flickers or shadows, and gets stuck in a behavior, like chasing or zoning in.

There is nothing wrong with a dog that’s super motivated, but the difference is that he is able to relax once his needs are fulfilled, compared to the obsessed one who remains zoned in, strung out and is chronically overwrought and antsy.

Dogs that are out-of-control wingy are a reality in my world. Not in my home thankfully, but many of my clients’ dogs are wound tight and spring loaded, and typically because they are anxious, overly stimulated, or not at all. The expressions are many: incessant barking, whining, destructiveness, excessive water consumption, restless pacing and panting, and pushy attention seeking. Another sign that a dog is too pumped is a hard mouth. With increased arousal level, the inhibition decreases, including bite inhibition.

Such a dog can be very taxing on people’s nerves - and irritating for other dogs as well, who either become anxious themselves, or attempt to control and correct the “crazy” one to change the situation.

Thanks to a popular TV show, under-stimulation is often blamed as the reason for unruliness, and thus many a frustrated owner cranks the physical exercise regime up in hopes it tuckers the pooch out. It’s true that if no purposeful activity is provided; if the working dog isn’t given a job, he is forever bored and stimulation seeking - and a nuisance, but just as frequently, in fact more often, the opposite is the root for obnoxious behaviors, including the inappropriate use of mouth and teeth.

Both “Stress in Dogs” by Martina Scholz and Clarissa von Reinhardt, and “Control Unleashed” by Leslie McDevitt, state that overly stimulated dogs are more reactive than under-stimulated ones, and based on my own experiences, I concur.

Unceasing exposure to sounds, sights or smells, always being patted, hugged or stroked, or constantly doing something, including fun stuff, is not natural. In “Shadow Syndromes”, John J. Ratey, M.D., explains that almost any excess – physical, mental or social, can overwhelm the cerebral cortex and drive an animal into the limbic, the emotional and reactive realm. And a survey conducted in Germany found that the less a dog rests, the lower his stress threshold. In other words, the more active, the more trigger reactive.

Over-stimulation often happens in a shelter environment, but also in the dog’s home or daycare, the off-leash park or training facility. The contemporary canine reflects our society in many ways, including that like us some rarely have a moment of silence, and that creates trouble especially with the ones that are by nature sensory sensitive to sound, motion and touch. Many dogs belonging to the herding group fall into that category, but also ones that arouse with hands-on-body, often young Labradors and boxers. They can wind up real fast, and if stimulation is perpetual never completely relax, startle easily and overreact with barking, charging and nipping to any unexpected trigger - even just a plastic bag dancing in the wind. For some dogs, life in an urban or suburban setting in itself can be too overwhelming.

Exercising an already overly stimulated dog more is circling the toilet bowl. Chances are that restlessness worsens, and on top, like with a human athlete, the dog builds more physical stamina. That means that unless he is pushed to exhaustion, every day, which can require a considerable amount of time and effort for some dogs and is therefore unrealistic for many owners, he will become physically more capable, not more tired.

If your dog only behaves cause he’s exhausted, his manners won’t last long and vanish altogether if time constraints or physical limitations prevent you from running him till his tongue hangs to the ground. Your well-intended efforts might backfire and the pooch will endlessly demand more of the same, and if he gets it, become more addicted and more demanding. Plus, there is a risk that he develops a chronically heightened state of sensory awareness and reactivity to environmental stimuli.

The Catch 22 is that if you’d eliminate the activity your dog is obsessed with cold turkey, without replacing it with something else, he’ll go bonkers, and likely you with him.

So what is the solution? Incrementally swapping mindless exercise with mental stimulation is one. Fun and positive obedience training - and I emphasize force-free cause pressure drives frustration and that's counterproductive to relaxation - learning tricks, interactive toys that compels the pooch to use his noggin to get his food, and yes, prolonged walks interspersed with calming nose games, obedience and, like walks with a friend, quiet time to commute with nature and enjoy each others company in stillness.

Annoying behaviors aren’t always obsessions, and not all obsessions are bad. My reading one enhances my life. It’s an asset because I learn a lot and don’t drive anybody batty. A dog’s can be an asset too, like a Border collie’s herding addiction that helps the human shepherd. But in an average pet home high drive and sensory sensitivity can be problematic. It has nothing to do with a dog being bad or dominant, but causes owners to lose their cool nevertheless. And a very driven dog’s needs are typically not solved with a meaningful walk, tricks or a few obedience commands alone. Dog sports, like Disc, Agility, Freestyle Dance, or the new sport from Germany called Treibball (here's a link for a great youtube clip http://youtu.be/qFpH_WLC4qs + you can google Treibball to find more) can be very satisfying, structured activities. Structure is crucial, because not only will your dog have a sense that he is working, but he also knows that he is working for you, that you control the drive. For example: throw a ball or Frisbee, but not a stick, because sticks can be found everywhere and allow nonstop pestering by pushing it against a person’s leg.

Provide a variety of activities so that the pooch isn’t fixated on just one and, also crucial, teach an off-switch command that conveys that the interaction is over for now.

Unfortunately there isn’t a one-fits-all guideline, and finding the golden balance between mental and physical stimulation, orchestrated tasks and opportunities to rest, can take some dabbling. But it is worth it, cause in the end you can have a dog who is busy but still focused and centered, and best of all, able to chill out – alone and with you.

Sensible Refeering

Follow that thought process with me, will you? Imagine one of your relatives adopted an uncoordinated human toddler three times your size. I know, hard to imagine, but go with it anyway. The giant darling, cause he’s young and hasn’t learned manners yet, bounces on you nonstop, and gets a kick out of pulling your hair and ears. Furthermore, the proud new parents didn’t ask you if it was okay to visit, and don’t interfere when their new addition uses you as a trampoline, cause he’s just so adorable. How would you feel? And what would you do?

That was the position a client’s small terrier found himself in recently when he was presented with his person brother’s eight-week-old, and very exuberant, Labrador retriever. The adult pooch, cause he is the adult, was expected to accept and be nice to his lively new canine cousin, but naturally felt overwhelmed and besieged, and growled in hopes the youngster would keep a polite distance and tone down a bit. Didn’t work, so he growled more intensely, and barked and air snapped, and when that didn’t work, he offensively lunged forward from an increasingly greater distance, was subsequently labeled aggressive and that’s when I was called to help.

That dogs sort their quarrels out for themselves is a common believe the owners of the terrier and Lab shared, but I don't. I mean, I am all for allowing an older dog to correct a puppy or rude juvenile. In fact, in my opinion ideally every puppy socialization class should include a couple of savvy canine overseers that mingle during free play, and split too over-the-top interactions or lecture a pup that’s out of line, but only, in fairness to the adult, if he is not overwhelmed with the task. And a big job it is, because the puppies in our society come in all shapes, sizes and with various breed specific behaviors and backgrounds. Not too long ago I met a brawny pup whose tail was accidentally stepped on. The person moved as soon as he realized why the babe was squealing, but it took a few seconds. It really must have hurt, yet the moment the foot was off the tail he was right back to his obnoxious little self. It’d be difficult for a dog, or human for that matter, to successfully correct a pup with such a high pain threshold.

Our puppies are selectively bred and manipulated by people and have a wide range of personalities. Not all stayed with their mothers and littermates long enough and hence missed early, but crucial, lessons. Some dogs, even young ones, are hard to impress. All of that makes dogs raising dogs more complicated than it would be in nature, where size, temperament and environment is fairly homogeneous.

A reprimand is warranted when the pup or adolescent is too boisterous or too determined, and successful when he settles some and approaches in a more polite, self-restrained fashion - immediately and in the future. When that doesn't happen, humans need to step up.

It is time to referee when the older dog gives back off signals to no avail; if he is tense, growls, darts a hard-eyed warning stare, exposes his pearly whites or air snaps, and the juvenile isn’t getting it but relentlessly continues to test boundaries, doesn’t tone it down and continues to space-pushily demand interaction. You should also intervene when you get a pleading look for help, when one dog physically tries to get away, or mentally shuts down.

Just to clarify, we are not talking about aggression here, but incompatibilities in energy or size that makes it impossible for the teacher to reign in the student. Don’t wait for a bloodbath and keep an astute eye on dog-dog interactions until you know for certain that everyone is comfortable and appropriate with one another.

Refereeing doesn't mean correcting or punishing, but ensuring that fair play rules are followed. Keep that in mind when you take charge. It is important that the person doesn’t take sides, but acts in a way that is in all dogs’ interest. Simplified, it is creating distance. Applied, that can mean leashing the obnoxious one; temporarily removing one dog or the other, or redirecting both into doing something else, for example chewing a stuffed Kong or going for a walk together, which is one of my favorite activities to settle things and form a bond.

Expecting our dogs to always harmonize with one another, or settle their disputes peacefully, is expecting something we intelligent humans often have trouble with. Dogs do to, especially the ones that live in our midst. Sometimes they will work things out, and sometimes they won’t, or at least not in a way that is acceptable for people, and then they need help.

The responsibility to create a stress-free environment and raise a well-behaved pooch always lies with the people. The right dog can be a great helper, but it is false to assume that dogs, just because they are dogs, wish to interfere. When one is bullied and becomes anxious and reactive, or retreats from where the action is, and the humans are but useless bystanders, one dog becomes increasingly more frustrated and the other increasingly more intrepid. So don’t be an onlooker, but a leader and set the rules for appropriate interactions for all dogs, and then enforce them. Not by punishing, but by creating space and refuge zones for one, and by managing and redirecting the other.

Puppy License

A wee pup, until about 16 weeks of age or so, comes with a license to kill. Well, not exactly, but she does have a natural permit to explore and test behaviors without getting hurt. No socially normal adult dog attacks or injures a pup regardless what she does, and regardless if she belongs to his intimate social group or is a chance encounter on a walk or at the park. Puppy license, though, does not mean that a rude youngster couldn’t receive a lesson in manners from an older pooch.

World-renowned Norwegian dog expert Turid Rugaas - you might recognize the name when you think calming signals - said at a seminar I attended almost 10 years ago that if dogs raise dogs they get it right. Like humans, some are more lenient and others stricter; some don’t correct even if a pup is hanging of their ear or lip, while others have narrowly drawn lines and swiftly reprimand the little brat if she oversteps it, but still won’t correct so harshly that it inhibits learning, stifles curiosity or creates anxiety.

The first who teaches important life lessons is mom-dog. When the brood is about 4 weeks old, when they become more mobile and a pestering mob, she dishes out consequences for obnoxiousness that can range from walking away and temporarily denying a basic need: food, to applying mouth threats and inhibited bites: the corrector’s mouth briefly taking hold of the correctee’s snout. Bruce Fogle says that it is imprinting deference and feels that if those early lessons are missed, the dog can be nearly impossible to train. The muzzle grab can be combined with a rigid body, or preceded by warnings: a hard stare and growls.

So, Cesar Millan is correct that the mother dog is crucial. But that’s where it stops. He is barking a false tune when he advices that we must continue to be a pretend mother dog when the pup joins us. Why? Because humans naturally get it wrong when they get physical. Humans aren’t dogs. They correct at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons, are generally too overbearing and not fast or accurate enough. It takes a certain amount of skill to nose correct an out-of-control dog properly. That’s why Millan pins, I assume, but I argue that that is not a natural correction (more a little later).

Even if a person can pull off a proper muzzle grab correction, it puts the hand provokingly close to a dog’s teeth, and the last thing I want my pup to learn is how to successfully dodge or fight a hand around his mouth. To the contrary, I want her to learn that a hand in and around her snout is always a good thing. That makes it much easier if you have to take something out of it, or if the veterinarian is doing his health check.

Dogs are most balanced when mother’s corrections were less aggressive and the pup extensively groomed afterwards. Humans typically get that wrong as well. They don’t groom, but continue to nag and be upset, or at best ignore the pup and withhold social acceptance for a too long period of time. Granted, Millan, so hyped on what the mother dog does, leaves emotions out of the equation, but still only applies the correction portion, not the extensive making up part that follows in nature.

Plus, how is a puppy ever to understand how we humans function as a species if we crudely, klutzily pretend that we’re a dog.

The warning stare, growls and the muzzle grab are normal canine ways to lecture a pup, juvenile and generally younger, lower ranking dog that is too close, too rude or too wound up. They are meant to teach self-control, teach a pup to tone it down a bit or be space polite. That’s all.

In my opinion, pinning falls outside the “for educational purposes” realm. Yes, some mother dogs pin, but I would question if she was anxious or stimulatory overwhelmed, or if the pup was temperamentally straddling the extreme pole of exuberance, determination and confidence. Pinning is ritualized aggression and signals that the pinner is stressed, frustrated, and needs help; needs a human to referee – the topic of my next post.

In addition to it being aggression, it is also ineffective, even harmful. I met plenty of dogs that were nailed as puppies, by dogs or humans, and despite of it, or possibly because of it, offensively attacked once they reached adolescence.

Another thing that just won’t go away is the belief that grabbing and shaking a puppy’s scruff is how a mother dog punishes her offspring. No, she doesn’t. In nature, she might carry her itty-bitty babies by the scruff, but only when she has to move them, if she needs to find a safer place. It is a nurturing behavior, not a punitive one. In fact, neck grabbing and shaking is how dogs kill smaller animals. Imagine the message you’re sending your pup if you grab her by the scruff, and imagine what it does to her little brain if you shake her head.

When you get your pup, ideally not before she is 8-10 weeks old, she should have experienced appropriate early lessons taught by her mother, and you should continue to provide opportunities for her to meet healthy and socially normal adults. Of course, a puppy also needs to play with littermates, and later on with compatible youngsters, but siblings and same-age friends can’t make up for what elders teach. So you see why it is important to investigate how long your pup was with her natural mother, and how she was treated? A good breeder has that information, the pet store doesn’t - and a lousy breeder doesn’t know and doesn’t care. I recently had a client whose breeder removed mom-dog from her litter when they were 4 weeks old with the explanation, according to my client, that since she can’t nurse anymore what other use does she have.

Your role, when your puppy arrives, is not to morph into another mother dog. People don’t get it right. They don’t heed to the puppy license, unjustly pin or scruff-shake for the slightest infractions or mistakes that are not the pup’s fault. Humans often do stifle curiosity and confidence, and create a dog that is suspicious, skittish and anxious.

I, as a human, stay away from getting physical, but do follow mom-dog’s lead in one aspect: denying a rude pup something she wants. Not food, but social attention and inclusion, another crucially important resource. Dr. Ian Dunbar recommends stepping out of the pup’s playpen with the word “bully”. Even very briefly withholding social attention - the pup should get another chance to play “nicely” right away - has a great impact and will teach an uninhibited one self-control quickly. I love it, and you can do that at home and leave corrections to a wise “grey muzzle”. Hopefully you know one. If you do, trust him in his judgment and execution, even if the puppy yelps. Likely she deserved it. Like Turid Rugaas says, dogs know best, provided they are socially normal.

Disposition: Busy and Bossy

If I ever strike it money rich, chances are that my days would unfold pretty much the same way they do now. I love my job, and every day I meet new or existing clients is a good day. Within that realm though there are good appointments, better ones, and some that are absolutely fabulous. Which is which I can typically predict when someone first contacts me.

I love all dogs, really, I do. But my favorites, my heart dogs, belong to the herding group. Whenever someone is seeking my help with their collie, or Aussie, or heeler, or Spanish water dog, or Corgi, or Sheltie, German and Belgian shepherd, it foretells, with almost 100% certainty, a fantastic consultation.

No exception to that rule with recent clients. I was the second pro they hired, which is not unusual cause I am not cheap and barely advertise, so sometimes folks find me after the other trainer failed to improve the dog’s behavior, or even made it worse. Without elaborating why this particular one didn’t work out, a comment he made totally bewildered me. He said, according to my clients, that training doesn’t work with an Australian shepherd.

What? Trust me, not true. Not at all true. To the contrary: done right, Aussies are a pleasure to train. That is why I have a fabulous day whenever they are my ruff customers.

Okay, I grant that my affinity for herding dogs not everyone shares, and I know that they can be a challeging.

As a group, they were and are bred to organize or move sheep, cattle, geese, goats or pigs, and although fervently ready to obey the ultimate boss, their person, they are also not opposed to taking command. Human and canine shepherd are a team, collaborators in bossing other animals around. From the dog’s point of view, they are playmates with the human setting the rules of the game. Person and dog are in it together, all de live long day cooperate in organizing chaos-in-motion, telling animals that are often physically bigger and stronger where to go, and when.

What traits a successful herding dog must possess is evident: Endurance, intelligence, determination, an intense motivation to work with his person but an equally strong drive to control. Herding dogs are brainy, busy and bossy beings, and much tougher than their little bodies suggest, which means that they withstand physical force. A dog able to pressure animals that have horns and can kick won’t be impressed with a flimsy correction, and loses interest in an owner who comes down hard.

Someone who is controller instead of collaborator, overpowers instead of outsmarts, and believes that an hour-long leash walk sandwiched between the office and taking the kids to piano practice is enough stimulation, is ill-matched with a herding dog - any herding dog, but Australian shepherds have an extra quirk I love so much, but can present an additional hurdle for a stern Type A human personality.

Even when on the job, an Aussie likes to put his own spin on things. They are masters in self-amusement. I would have given a month pay for being able to enter Davie’s brain when she, unprompted, charged straight into a flock of perfectly organized sheep. Out of boredom, grinning I swear, she scattered them, just to round them up again. Our herding clinic instructor called it Aussie-bowling, cause only Aussies do it.

They are not willful, but often lack the seriousness of other herding breeds, are the jesters of them all, are creatively obedient. When teamed with a person who doesn’t have a sense of humor, the relationship easily slides in the ditch, and incompatible teams are more common than one might think cause Aussies are darn good looking. If you take one for a stroll you’ll magnetically attract the attention of passersby. People stare, inquire, google, and then get one. All kinds of people, including the dog inexperienced, mentally and physically retired, and busy-with-other-stuff ones.

So, what can one do with a bossy and busy canine joker when there are no sheep to be organized, and when time is limited?

Any kind of dog sport will do. All herding breeds are excellent candidates for agility, Rally O’ and Freestyle dance, but there are other, less obvious activities that can help to turn an initially mismatched relationship into a mutually rewarding one.

For example people gathering. If there are several members in your family, have your pooch wake each one in the morning, and maybe even teach him to usher the individual to the breakfast table.

Instead of shouting for your partner or child, let your four-pawed Pan relay information with a note tied to his collar.

On off leash walks, spread out on purpose and allow your herder to regroup everyone. Herding humans isn’t the problem, nipping them is, but with a little training your pooch will learn space balance.

Herding dogs love toys. Scatter his stuff throughout the house and make it his task to collect them all, placing them on a mat, or in his toy box. Every Aussie or collie loves to chase after a ball. I swear our Davie was born with one in her mouth, and she fetched and released into our hands at 18 weeks of age, without any training. Your Border collie might not bring the ball all the way in, but likely tosses it in your direction and instantly runs out to where he expects it to land again.

Job creation is paramount for your herding dog, and equally important is, while keeping the Aussie’s comic nature in mind, that he understands that a task is something you facilitate, and not sporadic, self-generated entertainment. That is what commands are for. Don’t just throw the ball, tell him to “fetch” it. Don’t just let him trudge behind you, tell him “let’s go”. If you have a mailbox at the end of your driveway, send your pooch ahead with a “mail” command and then have him carry it in the house.

On hikes, teach him to “jump” over logs or across a brook, “balance” on a sidewalk curb, “up” on a park bench and “weave” around trees that stand close together. Davie learned to “pick” her own Saskatoon berries when they were in season. None of that takes a lot of extra time, but increases attention, obedience and the bond between you, and challenges your dog’s mind and body, important for most any dog, but vital for the innately busy ones.

Herding dogs are sometimes labeled dominant, hyper, stubborn and, wow, even untrainable. Nonsense! They are just inexhaustibly looking for a job, and seeking information from their person how to do it properly. When they get that, the inherently controlling pooch doesn’t get out-of-control, and his intense drive won’t turn into obsession or aggression.