One of my dogs is definitely a guard dog and is always on duty to defend against…uh, lizards, snakes, birds, and one not so itsy bitsy spider.
One evening, I heard Zoe making her I-am-really-on-to-something high pitched yelp/bark. I went into the garage and it was dark so I could not see what the fuss was about. Knowing her like I do, she only makes that sound when she is very excited about her find. I turned on the light. I think the sound that came from me was a vocalization one would not expect to hear from a calm, assertive leader like myself. Here’s what I saw.
I need to add that tarantula’s can and do jump. Actually, it’s more of a leap. When they do, it is straight out. I had flashes of someone finding the video camera days later and the last image on the video is the belly of a tarantula! I did capture it and set it free outside.
So, when late at night, your dog is barking in a you-gotta-see-this manner, you might want to check it out. I was much happier knowing about it while it was in the garage rather than a surprise in the bedroom!
Usually, when you think of a dog enjoying a breeze on its face, you think of them riding in the car with their head out the window. Some dogs really love it. I can only imagine the 1000’s (that’s a modest number) of scents they are aware of as they stick their muzzle out as far as they can.
In California (and other states) there is a $500 fine if someone reports you for having left your dog in a car. I understand the law was made for those who are inconsiderate or perhaps naive to think that when it is 100 degrees outside, there may be temperatures double that in a closed car - and in a very short period of time. I’m not writing to talk about this; however, maybe it’s a good reminder or information for those who don’t know this law exists or if someone needs a law to prevent them from accidentally endangering their dog. Whether or not this law is necessary year-round is a topic for debate.
This time of year in the desert, there aren’t many places to take your dog where you can have the window down as they ride along feeling the wind in their faces. As I sat in my living room, I witnessed how my dogs also love this experience but they don’t have to leave the comfort of the ottoman to have it! The fan was oscillating and little did I know (until now) how much they enjoy it.
We have all witnessed the growth of the colorful, cute dog toys available for our pups. They are seasonal because our dogs love the holidays and would feel slighted if they didn’t receive a toy representative of the special day (that and there’s a lot of money to be made off us humans). While your dog may have a favorite toy, I doubt it would be for the same reason it would be your favorite.
At my house, the favorites would be along the lines of a paper towel, tissue, plastic bottle cap, stick, and not-to-be-left-out living “toys” (lizards, birds, etc). So, here’s my question? Why aren’t dog toys made to resemble more accurately what attracts our dogs? I know that road-kill toys might not be hot sellers for the humans, but if you could add a little scent and texture to that of the real thing, dogs would line the isles of Petsmart to get them.
Think about it! If there were dog toy tissues, reading glasses, and anything else a dog might like to steal off the table, the dog could think he was getting away with something and you could just smile as they look at you shocked you aren’t on the move toward them ready for the chase.
Until this is the case, please contact me if you have a dog who counter surfs or has any other inappropriate chewing behaviors.
Not being married, I would change or add to the title: What Pets Can Teach Us About Marriage and Relationships. I didn’t write the article, but liked it enough to share it.
Guess what? Dogs bark. This isn’t the first time you have heard it from me. This post is another segment in why dogs bark. Here’s the scenario:
You are walking down the street with your dog on a leash and working on having your dog heel. Your dog spots another dog in the distance and starts barking (and barking and barking). What is your dog saying?
Your dog’s bark could be saying:
“Look a dog! Hi dog! I’m a dog! Come here dog. We can play!” Or…
“Oh no a dog! A big dog! A little dog! I don’t like how that dog looks or smells. I need to get that dog - now before he gets me (us)!” Or…
“Look a dog! Get me outta’ here! That dog just said he doesn’t like me and to prepare to defend myself. Run!”
There is so much more than just a bark happening in these moments. Some dogs have more obvious triggers than others, and it takes time in learning those triggers and if your dog is being assertive and dominant, passive and frightened, or just wants to have fun.
To those on the other end of the leash, it appears that when our dog sees a dog it goes crazy for no reason and we either panic or get embarrassed. I have a vocal dog, so I have to tell people, “sorry, he’s vocal.” It seems like common courtesy to apologize for our dogs barking. Seldom do humans apologize for being overly vocal. Granted a barking dog can be annoying but for them it is not without purpose.
Observe and learn from your dog, watch their body language, and while you can’t remove their ability to communicate, you can keep them from escalating into panic mode. You can acknowledge what they are saying and they should trust and respect your request for them to be quiet.
It is often said by dog lovers and advocates that our dogs just want to please us. All they want is for us to be happy and happy with them. There is a lot more to it than this.
I consider myself to be a practical trainer/behaviorist. I do what I do because of my love for animals with my focus being on the understanding and ever-growing knowledge of canine behavior. Personally, my dogs live a grand life. They have nice beds, they respond to commands, they are all now to a stage of wanting to please me. Why? Because they know me, and I know them. It can take years to create this type of relationship. It is worth it.
Pleasing humans is not inherent in a dog’s psyche. Being a member of a pack is. They don’t walk down the street and see a human and think, “oh, there’s a human being, I want them to be pleased with me.” In fact, the opposite may be true! They may have learned that humans are good and will give them food and affection, or they may have a negative association.
Much as it is with humans, respect of a dog is earned. I like to think the feelings are mutual - they respect me, and I respect them. Gaining a dog’s respect only happens when they know you and what to expect from you (this goes both ways).
Now, back to the question…do dogs really want to please us? Yes. Why? They want food, AND they do enjoy our attention and affection and all of the other experiences we share with them.
You may have a dog that has no interest in pleasing you. Some dogs act as though they just don’t care what we think and there is not an ounce of the need-to-please in their body. You can’t train that into them. You can accept their nature and look for ways to connect with them using their natural drive and instinct.
So, whether your dog appears to only want to please you or it never does; it is important to understand what makes them who they are and to be patient with the process.
The image of an adorable, petite Maltese may not come to mind when you think of a guard dog. Think again. Here are a couple of photos of Issa, whose responsibility every morning was to scare away the ducks on the backyard swimming pool. She excelled at this position. Until, one morning, no one prepared her for the miraculous, overnight growth of the ducks on her pool.
I love to watch the antics of my dogs after their bath time! If given a chance, most dogs will roll around and frolic after their bath. While it appears they feel great and are doing a dance of joy, my guess is they are trying to get their stink back on!
Here’s Melody, my little Yorkie, after her bath. She always makes me smile. I like to think I’m smiling with her.
I have clients, particularly those who have a dog with an unknown past, ask if I think their dog has been abused. One of the definitions given for abuse is misuse. I think it applies adequately to the amazing dogs who share our lives.
Misuse doesn’t feel as strong as abuse. If a dog is left alone in a yard without being socialized adequately, I consider that misuse. A dog in this situation may later appear as though someone had hit it because it becomes afraid of everything that wasn’t a part of its life as it matured. It can tuck its tail and cower when it hears an unfamiliar sound as if it had been hit.
A dog may cower and release their bladder when someone reaches for them as if they had been hit in the past, when really it was misused in the sense that it didn’t learn positive touch as a pup. Some of this behavior can be hard-wired, but a lot of it comes from how they are socialized and the appropriate attention given as they mature.
A high energy dog could be considered misused if it isn’t given a job. That job can come in the form of specific training, appropriate exercise, and/or something like agility training which provides focus, exercise, and structure.
Describing our dogs as having been abused should not be something we coddle or shy away from; rather we should find positive ways to encourage these beings to participate and be in life with a family. Most dogs who have been truly abused have forgotten or lost the ability to be dogs. There’s nothing like another confident dog to show them the way. I often bring a dog of mine to work with timid dogs. He does in minutes what could take me hours.
For as much as we love our dogs, we are humans! We need to spend less time attempting to see their humanness and more time seeing who they are as dogs. They will be much happier and so will we. Every dog is different just as every human is different.
If you think your dog has been misused or you may be contributing to a life of misuse, please contact me. I am glad to provide guidance. The more dogs who are happy dogs with happy humans, the fewer that end up in shelters.
One of my dogs is definitely a guard dog and is always on duty to defend against…uh, lizards, snakes, birds, and one not so itsy bitsy spider.
