Democracy and Dogs

Since it’s an election year and all I was thinking about democracy in my home. I realized that there is a form of democracy at work. One description notes that in a democracy all members of the society have equal access to power (equal rights) and the second that all members enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties. The majority rule is another key aspect of a democracy.

So? Well, my relationship in the pack is democratic in that I treat everyone equally. Affection, in particular, is given to each the same. Appropriately, of course! They are all fed the same diet and at the same time. And, that’s where it ends because there is no equal access to power. They don’t all have the same freedoms and definitely the majority couldn’t rule, because I’d be odd-man-out for sure!

I never wanted to be a part of a dictatorship; however, like it or not, I think I have one. I’m a kind, loving dictator, but I am one, none the less. It sounds so much better to say Pack Leader, doesn’t it?

Don’t tell the dogs that this November, they don’t get to vote! =)

Contributing to Dog Aggression

I have had several calls from clients who say that their dog growls and tries to bite people who reach to pet them. Then I find out that they are carrying their dogs because they are little. Stop that!

If you are concerned about the safety of your pup because someone unstable (be it dog or human) is approaching, then do what you feel is best. Otherwise, you are contributing to the very behavior that you are trying to correct.

By giving affection (holding) your dog as someone reaches toward them, you can be giving the message that if the dog responds aggressively, it’s okay or even good. They may also be attempting to protect you and again, you are letting them know that growling and snapping is acceptable.

Little dogs, fragile though they may seem, are still dogs. You knew I was going to say that. IT IS TRUE. It’s as important to instill confidence and to expect appropriate behavior from small dogs as it is from larger breeds.

Of course it’s okay to give affection, but only when the dog is in a calm state of mind.

Stop Your Dog From Jumping!

A jumping dog is the number one complaint of people with larger breed dogs and of the friends and family of people with little dogs who think that it doesn’t bother anyone that their dog jumps to greet them.

It’s important first to look at what we do to contribute to this response. Our front doors are typically a place of greeting – animated voices, excited energy of seeing who’s there and welcoming them into our homes. If they are dog lovers or suffer from guilt of not being, they may anxiously speak to the dog as they touch him as he’s jumping up on them. You’re telling the dog “off!” and your friends are saying “Oh, it’s okay!” I think it’s obvious to understand the confusion of the dog.

The focus is the door and the entry. Good things happen there! Your dog is not only responding to the excited energy of everyone greeting each other, but to being touched as he jumps. So, he’s also getting affection while he’s jumping. Not exactly what you want!

The other part of this is the all-important question of how much you’ve actually worked with your dog using a situation like this for training purposes. Here is one way of breaking your dog from the habit of jumping on people when they are at the door.

• Stage a visit – have a friend or neighbor come over and work with you and your dog.
• Put a leash on your dog and keep them back from the door far enough so that they can’t immediately jump on your guest.
• Invite your guest to let themselves in and to walk past you as they ignore the dog. Yes, ask them to ignore the dog – completely! If the dog jumps as they enter, immediately correct them and have them sit (the dog, not your guest!)
• When your dog is calm and sitting, you may have your guest greet them.

This may not produce instantaneous results, as it is a process. Consistency and patience will pay off and will bring better results. Your dog will learn that they get affection and praise when they are away from the door and off your guests! There are other suggested ways to work with your dog not to jump. I’ll cover those in later posts.

Appropriate Dog Behavior

Animals, like us, are beings of energy. There is kinetic energy. This is energy in motion. I am not referring to that, but rather the energy that is the basis of everything — the stuff that we’re all made of.

You’ve probably heard that what you feel travels down the leash to the dog. More importantly, as dogs they convert whatever energy we are experiencing through our thoughts and actions into an “appropriate” dog thought and action. In other words, they respond in the “dog equivalent” to our human emotion, thought, and posturing.

It is through awareness and observation that we can make subtle shifts in what we are feeling and in how we are using our bodies. This transfers to a different and what we humans would call a more desirable reaction from our dog. Let’s just say, we are more likely to get the response we want and have a much more attentive and content dog.

Dogs are never intentionally responding inappropriately nor are they ever bad in the way that we may interpret the word. They are just acting in a way that is natural for them at that particular moment in time. We spend a lot of wasted energy trying to get the dog to understand human thought rather than it being the other way around.

I’m not saying that we should just accept whatever the behavior is. It is difficult not to transfer our emotional expression to our dog. We assume that they are thinking as we are. By humanizing our dogs, we miss the opportunity to see what’s really going on.

Chances are, your dog is responding appropriately given their history, genetics, training (or lack of), and maybe most importantly, their instincts.

As a side note, I think it’s fair to say that we humans tend to forget that we also live a lot of our life based on instinct – human instinct. We should remember to understand and work with our dogs based on their instincts and not ours.

For a related article on humanizing your dog, check out: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/articles/humandog.htm