Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Canine Compulsive Disorder Gene Identified

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder in which people often undertake repetitive, time consuming behaviours. There is a canine equivalent which seems to target certain breeds. Scientists have recently found the chromosome that provides a high risk of susceptibility to compulsive disorder.

Examples of CCD behaviours in dogs can include:
  • Incessant or rhythmic barking
  • Compulsive uncontrolled licking
  • Excessive and uncontrollable self grooming
  • Tail chasing
  • Fly snapping
  • Freezing and staring
  • Flank sucking
  • Sucking, chewing or licking on objects or others (including owners)
  • Tonguing or licking the air
  • Pacing
  • Circling
  • Compulsive digging
  • Chewing on themselves
  • Or any other behaviour done repetitively and to excess including excessive drinking.
The behaviours are repetitive, excessive and hinder normal activities and in some cases cause actual self harm. They are behaviours that are normal but are done way too much.

But if you can stop and redirect the behavior without the dog constantly returning to it then it is not likely to be a compulsion. It can be a normal reaction to stresses because any repetitive behaviour (like rocking in a child) releases feel good hormones into the system. It could also be a learnt behaviour as many people laugh at the puppy that chases its tail and some dogs take that laughter and interaction as a big reinforcement and will repeat and ramp up their efforts.

However dogs who do have this disorder usually have a genetic predisposition that is triggered by some sort of environmental stress including apparently chaotic homes or an underlying medical issues (short or long term).

Some of the breeds more prone to particular Compulsive Disorders include:
  • Acral Lick Dermatitis (licking the skin to inflammation and infection point) - German Shepherd Dog, Great Dane, Labrador Retriever, Saint Bernard, Dobermann, Irish Setters.
  • Light or shadow chasing - Old English Sheepdogs, West Highland White Terriers, Wirehaired Fox Terriers, Rottweilers.
  • Fly snapping - German Shepherd Dog, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Norwich Terrier, Miniature Schnauzers.
  • Compulsive drinking - Boxers.
  • Tail chasing - German Shepherd Dog, Bull Terrier.
  • Nursing (sucking) - Dachshund, Dobermann.
  • Barking/howling - hounds in general, Beagles in particular, Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky, Dobermann.
  • Digging - Northern breeds, terriers.
  • Coprophagia (poo eating) - Retrievers.
  • Chasing things - Border Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, German Shepherd Dog, Rottweiler.
And yes it seems more prevalent amongst larger breeds for some reason but mixed breeds can also develop this disorder.

Treatments include:
  • Predictable daily routines.
  • Reward based training approaches shaping desirable behaviours.
  • Avoiding the use of rewards except when desirable behaviour is exhibited – so no attention while performing the undesirable behaviour (if safe to ignore).
  • Regular social interaction – with people and other dogs if appropriate.
  • Environmental enrichment and the use of puzzle toys and other stimulating objects to reinforce frequent calm times between social interactions.
  • If required medication.
  • And treatment for any injuries sustained.
But most importantly if you suspect this is happening to your dog see a vet – your vet and/or a veterinary behaviourist.

And for those who are breeding dogs it seems the genetic link is pretty strong so please seriously consider not breeding from dogs who have displayed CCD.

References:
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Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Busting Five Common Doggy Myths

There are many myths out there about dogs, their health, care and behaviour. Here’s an attempt to bust jus some of those myths.

The Myths

1. Dogs eat grass when they are sick.

2. A wagging tail means a dog is friendly.

3. Cross breeds are automatically healthier than pure breeds.

4. Dogs eat their poo because of a nutrient imbalance.

5. If a dog crouches or cringes from you they were abused.

Busted!

1. Dogs eat grass when they are sick.

Many of us have long been told that dogs eat grass to either make themselves vomit or to help them ease a stomach ache.

Well it seems that there are a range of other reasons that a dog might eat grass including:
  • Grass making up for a vitamin deficiency or lack of roughage in the diet. But it seems to occur far more broadly then just dogs with a dietary deficiency and grass is largely indigestible to all but specially designed grazing animals.
  • Grass being a natural part of the dog’s diet given that ancestors would kill and eat animals complete with their gastro-intestinal tracts containing berries, grass and anything else that animal ate. I’m not so sure about this one given that those ancestors are many, many generations back for most pet dogs.
  • Some dogs just liking the taste of particular grasses.
  • Some dogs perhaps partaking of grass as displacement behaviour or because of boredom – explaining perhaps while some dogs when on a down stay or waiting patiently while their owners talk and talk and talk will take the odd nibble.
  • A behaviour learnt from their parents, particularly usually their mum as a young puppy – so a bitch who displays this behaviour may teach her puppies to do it to and so it gets passed from generation to generation.
  • A social behaviour – it’s been noted that in social dog to dog situations one dog in an area starting nibbling on grass can often set off others to do the same behaviour.
So it seems that eating grass is not generally a sign of illness. If however you see other signs or symptoms of ill health then check with your vet. Also be particularly aware of not letting your dog graze on grass that has been fertilised and/or treated with chemicals for while the grass may not be a problem the chemicals probably will be.

2. A wagging tail means a dog is friendly.

Dogs communicate using quite complex body language hence I’ve made a whole category of Paws for Thought about dog behaviour and trying to understand what they have to say to us. They express themselves using eyes, whiskers, ears, mouth, muscle tension in the face and in all sorts of parts of their bodies, hackles, tail, they way they move, the direction they look, the pace they do things, their breathing and lots of other subtle ways. Given all this it is not a good idea to try to determine how a dog might be feeling or about to act by focusing on only one part of the body – even though we’ve all been taught to focus on the tail.

Tail wagging can communicate happiness, friendliness, confusion, submissiveness or aggression.

Did you know that there are at least three heights for a tail wag each of which communicates something different:
  • Low (between the legs)
  • Middle
  • Very high and over the top.
For instance:

  • A dog whose tail is held very high and wags it with small wags then it can indicate a threat. Such a dog may attack if you push things.
  • If a dog has its tail down between its legs then it is usually a good indicator that the dog is fearful and feeling threatened. Such a dog may attack if you push things.
  • If a dog’s tail is wagging loosely down about mid way then this can be an indicator that the dog is feeling happy and comfortable.
A dog with a wagging tail though who shows other signs might be conflicted (not sure) about the situation and his reaction could go either way.

And if your dog is one of those breeds that naturally holds its tail down or up and high don’t despair. Instead focus on the base of the tail and where it is sitting in relation to where it normally does.

Research even seems to indicate that:
  • Dogs reserve their tail wagging for living things – another dog, a person or another animal.
  • It makes a difference which way a dog wags his tail. Initial research indicates that a tail wagging to the right might mean you’re safe or come closer and that a tail wagging to the left that the dog sees you as a threat and it would be wise to move away. The only thing is you need to see the wag start to be able to really identify which way it’s going.
For more information check out http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2007/03/29/1884414.htm but beware only 30 dogs were used so this really is just a start.

3. Cross breeds are automatically healthier than pure breeds.

It is a common belief that a mixed breed dog is automatically healthier than a pure breed one because it has a more varied heritage. Some even claim hybrid vigour. Neither of these statements are true.

Breeding a healthy dog is largely about genetics. Puppies inherit genes from each parent so if either or both parents pass on the genes for a hereditary disease then the pups stand a good chance of having or passing on that genetic disorder. So if parents of a good genetic makeup are mated then they will produce healthy puppies – regardless of whether the parents are a pure breed, from two pure breeds or mixed breed dogs. The point is that it is the health of the parents (and for some diseases the lines) that matter not the breed or mix.

Yes certain breeds are known for genetic ailments. Many breed clubs have worked extensively to identify, test and monitor for them – some more successfully than others. However the recent explosion in designer dogs often representing the cross breeding of two pure bred dogs does not appear to have solved anything. If you take a bitch from one breed and a dog from another and they both happen to have the same genes for a hereditary disease then breeding them will still end up with puppies with a high likelihood of contracting that disease. If they have genes for different diseases you can end up with a litter of puppies or a single pup with diseases from each breed. According to a number of vets many of the designer dogs have now been identified to have many if not all of the diseases and abnormalities known to the original breeds and behaviour and temperament issues caused by breeding without knowledge and careful selection.

The point of busting this myth is to reinforce that careful, selective breeding is a key and critical part of breeding healthy puppies – pure breed or cross breed. It’s worth noting however that it is not the only factor as the health and care of the bitch during and after pregnancy and the care of the young puppies also have a role to play.

Now for the issue of hybrid vigour. It does not exist in the world of domestic dogs. Why? Because you can only get hybrid vigour from breeding between two different species, say the horse and the donkey or the lion and the tiger. Dog’s are all the same species – Canis lupus familiaris.

For more information see The myth of hybrid vigour - http://www.westwinddogtraining.com/hybridvigor.pdf   by Karen Peak

4. Dog’s eat their poo because of a nutrient imbalance.

It’s a disgusting habit (at least from the human perspective) but many dogs eat their own faeces or the faeces of others. The official name for the behaviour is coprophagia.

It has been proposed that dogs eat their faeces because they are lacking nutrients but there is no scientific research to back this up. It has been proposed that poor quality low digestible foods may cause a dog to try to give it a second chance to get all the nutrients available out of it. Dr Barbara Fougere’s book ‘Healthy Dogs’ states that some dogs such as German Shepherds and Huskies seem to be less tolerant of high cereal diets and may reprocess the food by eating their stools.

However there may be many other reasons proposed including:
  • Maternal behaviour – the only really acceptable example for humans. This is where a bitch cleans up her pups and their immediate area for about the first 3 weeks of their life.
  • To seek attention – it worked the first time. Inadvertently grab up a mouthful and you get all sorts of aggression! Worth giving it another try.
  • It’s a learned behaviour (just like attention seeking) but perhaps the dog learnt it from their mother or another dog in the home.
  • Over feeding – it is recommended to reduce the dog’s meal or split into more than one feeding if this is suspected to be the case.
  • Boredom – particularly dogs or breeds who like to carry things in their mouths, but geez this would have to be particularly extreme boredom.
  • Extreme worm burden – an extreme word burden can make a dog extremely hungry and with no other options may take to coprophagia in an attempt to get some food into its system. Great reason for regular worming – yuk!
  • A coping mechanism when under stress due to sudden environmental change.
  • A means of cleaning up when a bowel movement has occurred where they have learnt not to toilet (such as with diarrhea or some older dogs loss of control).
I’ve also heard that perhaps some dogs just learn that their poop doesn’t taste any worse than what they are fed (or would like to eat – remember the gross things they try and pick up on a walk). It is proposed that they do this while picking up food or treats in the grass and then inadvertently pick up a mouthful of poop – and then decide that hey that’s not so bad and go back for more. Of course if we then react by giving them attention (and that includes yelling, chasing etc) then we can be reinforcing the behaviour so that they repeat, and repeat, and repeat it.

There are however medical reasons why a dog might take up this habit so it can be worth getting a vet check. Reasons might include parasites or a number of diseases that affect major organ systems including the pancreas, thyroid gland or even Irritable Bowel Disease.

5. If a dog crouches or cringes from you he was abused.

It seems a logical leap. A dog crouches down in fear when a man comes towards them or a cringes away when someone goes to pat them and many of us jump to the conclusion that they must have been abused by a man or hit by someone in their past. Not necessarily and not even probably.

Far more dogs show this type of behavior because they simply lacked socialisation to the world and people during their early life than because they were abused. It all reinforces just how important – nay critical – that proper and positive socialisation of puppies is critical to their mental and social health. More on this in a future Paws for Thought.

So while you might not be able to certain that a dog was not abused focus on opening the world to them in a positive way and building up their confidence in all sorts of varied situations. It’s a catch up game and one that you are never likely to fully make up but you can certainly help the dog be far more comfortable in the world. If abuse was part of the picture this approach will help there too but if people focus on ‘poor thing, they were abused’ then it seems we tend to reinforce the fear and anxiety and want to closet them from the world rather than make them confident in it.

References

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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Role Reversal and Self Handicapping in Play

Chris asked for some more information on self handicapping in play and was kind enough to take the photos that are attached to this post that illustrate self handicapping between an adult dog and a puppy. Great shots Chris and four legged family and friends : )  Thanks to Diesel and Gypsy for playing the roles perfectly.

Some of the elements of good healthy play were touched on in an earlier Paws for Thought on 'Play or Warming up for a Fight?' Since then we’ve looked at the play bow, calming signals and also the concept of a puppy licence and its loss. All of these give you things to watch for and think about when observing your dog/s interacting with people, dogs and other animals. This post adds more information on two of the most important aspects of good healthy dog play – self handicapping and role reversal.

Self-handicapping

Self-handicapping is where an stronger, faster, more skilled dog self inhibits their speed, strength and even play style so that they can better match the abilities of their play partner. If it helps think of a parent deliberately not winning every card game they play with their child.

As Dr Camille Ward states "Even though on first take, play fighting and real fighting may look similar, there are some key differences between the two. For example, during play, dogs often engage in self-handicapping behavior. Self-handicapping occurs when one player voluntarily puts herself in a vulnerable or disadvantaged position in order to give her partner a competitive advantage."

Self-handicapping though is not as easy as it sounds. It requires a dog to know their own abilities, to judge the abilities of the other party and then adjust their behaviour to minimise the chance of injury or frightening the other party and maximise the chances of play continuing. You see it between dogs and puppies (see the attached photos from Chris to illustrate this) but you also see it between adult dogs and between dogs and other animals such as cats or kittens and even between dogs and humans, and particularly with children. All of this raises many questions (largely unanswered) about dogs and their image of self, others and even feelings.



The other thing you need to know about self-handicapping is that it requires immense self-control. This is a skill that well socialised dogs learn from other great dog communicators. It’s also something that becomes harder and harder to do as arousal levels rise. So don’t be surprised if your dog can’t maintain self-handicapping for long periods of time and therefore quits the scene, calls off the playtime, gives signals that they need a time out or even appears to get quite rough quite quickly. All this is another good reason to:

  • Interrupt and redirect players when arousal levels are just starting to build – particularly if you don’t know all the players, but even just as a normal part of play. Regularly check that your dog still responds to your cues by asking him to sit, come or whatever and then rewarding him by allowing him to return to play. It only takes seconds for things to get out of control if arousal levels get too high. It only takes seconds for things to calm down if you call time out before levels rise too far. This will also help you with your dog in the dog park or other situations because he comes to learn that he’s not always going to be leaving the first time you call or catch him.
     
  • Teach a dog self control as part of your basic training and introduce it into games such as tug, fetch etc so that they learn self control when playing with humans.
For other examples of self-handicapping at work check out the videos:

Role Reversal
Role reversal in many ways is associated with self-handicapping. In role reversal a more dominant/confident dog will voluntarily offer behaviours that you would not see them doing in a real situation such as fight with the dog that they are playing with. For instance when playing the confident dog may roll on their belly, or turn and run off inviting their playmate to chase them for a change. It appears that the strategy used to ensure that the other party continues to play – and at the same time it gives the other dog a chance to practice more confident behaviours but in a low risk environment – after all it’s all in the name of play (at least until arousal causes the game to fall apart).

Role reversal is why you’ll see socially healthy dogs taking turns in being chased, being on the top and bottom of a wrestle and applying inhibited bites. If you don’t see role reversal and one dog or puppy is continually at the bottom of the pileup or the only one being chased and never given the opportunity to chase then this is not an example of healthy play – get in there and address the situation. It may be that one or more of the other dogs is being a bully (or monstering as I think Grant calls it). You may need to consider a different mix of play mates. You may also need to address the behaviour of the bully – particularly if they belong to you.

Over to you

Keep an eye out next time you watch your dog/s playing with other dogs and even with children and see how they modify their play. You might be surprised what you see when you’re looking for it. There is so much more to these dogs we take for granted, then we may ever know.

References

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Monday, April 26, 2010

TTouch - Ear Work For Health and Stress Relief

We humans just can't seem to control ourselves around our dogs and their ears. We just seem to gravitate to touching and stroking them. This is pleasant for us and one hopes for them. But we don't often do this consciously. So how about we try and make a change...

Why do it?

The ears have:
  • Many pressure points for the immune system.
  • A pressure point for shock near the tip.
So it makes sense that activating those pressure points can make a difference if your animal (or even injured wildlife) is sick, recovering from surgery or an anesthetic, tired or slowing down during giving birth or injured. It might even actually safe their life by staving off shock and helping them recover. There are many stories of it making the difference when dog’s lives have hung in the balance due to poisoning, bloat (GDV), car accident injuries and other potentially lethal situations.

Ear work shouldn’t just be reserved for emergencies though as it can also:
  • Boost the immune system.
  • Help stimulate and warm a cold and exhausted newborn or young pup.
  • Help overcome the effects of cold.
  • Help some dogs with stiffness.
  • Help dogs learn to accept treatment for ear issues without a fight.
  • Reduce nausea, vomiting or stress associated with car travel.
  • Reduce stress in dogs in all sorts of situations including visits to the vets but also in daily life.
  • Calm a hyperactive dog.
  • Help with many behaviour problems and training situations when used in combination with other touches, bodywork and groundwork. More of this in some future posts.
Ear work can also be a handy tip for those who suffer nausea, migraine or travel sickness – even if you have to keep it up for some time. But the beauty is you can do it for yourself. It seems kids known all this instinctively as if you watch youngsters when they are tired or upset you will often see them rub on their own eyes.

So how do you find these pressure points? The beauty is you don’t need to be that specific – use the TTouch approach to ear work and it’s amazingly simple – and calming.

How do you do it?

This is easiest done if you are approaching the ears from behind the dog.

If you need to you can gently cradle the dog’s head in one hand (that’s cradle not restrain).

1. Hold the ear that is furthest away from you so that your thumb is on the top of the ear and the inside of the ear cradled along the flat of your fingers.

2. Gently stroke the ear with your thumb from the centre of your dog’s head to the base of the ear and then all the way to the tip.

3. Repeat moving your hand position with every stroke to ensure that you end up covering the entire ear.

4. Change hands to stroke the other ear.

Ensure that you work each ear the way that it naturally wants to go. So if you have a floppy eared dg then you will mostly be working the ear towards the ground. Be sure to support the ear and not just let it flop. If you dog has pricked ears then you will be working upwards.

If a dog is in shock, has just had a traumatic experience, has cold tips to their ears or is habitually nervous then you can make circular movements on the tip of the ears with your finger on one side of the ear and your thumb on the other. You can do this to finish each slide or as a separate activity.

Do not pull on the ears. You just want to stroke the ears gently but if you are too gently or too tentatively then you can make your dog more nervous about the situation.

The speed with which you work will vary according to the dog’s response and the situation. To calm a nervous or hyperactive dog and to promote relaxation and focus work quite slowly. If the dog is unsure or tired then try working more quickly at the beginning and then slow down as you work.

What if my dog doesn’t like ear work?

If your dog doesn’t like ear work or seems concerned about ear work you could try one or more of the following:
  • Gently folding the ear down against the dog’s neck (if it will go without force) and circle it gently against the neck. Some dogs will accept this more readily to start with.
  • Cover your hand with a glove or sheepskin mitt.
  • Try holding the ear near the base and very gently take it out slightly to the side, pause for a moment and then slowly guide it back.
  • Start touches on areas where the dog is comfortable being touched and then work up to the ears but without focusing on ‘I must touch those ears this session’ as this changes your body language, breath and the sense of the touch.
Practical help at hand

If you particularly want to learn more about the power and the simplicity of TTouch then Robyn Hood will be back in Australia to run 2 and 5 day workshops in Sydney and Melbourne in May and November this year. To find out more check out http://www.ttouch.com/eventsLocation.shtml  and/or http://www.listeningtowhispers.com/newZealand.shtml  which provides Australian and New Zealand updates.

There are a number of TTouch practitioners in Australia who have completed their certification requirements and others who are working towards them. For information on who might be able to help you in your area visit http://www.ttouchaustralia.com.au/?page=7  where the list of those certified will hopefully grow. If you can’t find someone in your area then Andy Robertson may be able to put you in contact with someone who has attended a workshop or two or is working towards certification.

References

  • Linda Tellington-Jones – Getting in TTouch with Your Puppy. A Gentle Approach to Training and Influencing Behaviour
  • Linda Tellington-Jones – Getting in Touch with Your Dog. How to Influence Behaviour, Health and Performance
  • Sarah Fisher and Marie Miller – 100 Ways to Train the Perfect Dog
  • Sarah Fisher and Marie Miller – 100 Ways to Solve Your Dog’s Problems
  • Sarah Fisher – Unlock Your Dog’s Potential. How to Achieve a Calm and Happy Canine.
Note though that these books talk about holding floppy ears out horizontally for ear work. Advice from Robyn Hood (Linda’s sister and a practitioner) is that they now prefer to work in the natural direction that the ear lies.

Resources

If you want more check out these sites for a start:
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Australian Pet Statistics

I’ve found some Interesting facts for you about our pet keeping habits here in Australia. They certainly made me sit up and think.

Pet Population
  • The estimated dog population in Australia in 2007 was a staggering 3 million 692 thousand.
  • This is just under 10% of the total number of pets estimated to be kept in Australia that year.
  • Fish were clear winners with over 20 million 500 thousand of them swimming around.
  • Cats came in below dogs at 2 million 243 thousand (or just over 6% of the pet population.
      
  • NSW and the ACT combined (sorry that’s just the way the stats were) had the majority of all dogs with 1 million 209 thousand estimated pooches calling this state and territory home. This comprised just under 33% of the estimated Australian dog population.
  • Here’s how the other states and territories rated:
    • VIC – 24.5% or 906 thousand dogs
    • QLD – 21/5% or 794 thousand dogs
    • SA and NT (sorry stats were combined) – 9.7% or 357 thousand dogs
    • WA – 8.7% or 321 thousand dogs
    • TAS – 2.8% or 105 thousand dogs.
       
  • The number of dogs per 100 people had a national average of:
    • 18 dogs per 100 people in 2007
    • 18 dogs per 100 people in 2005
    • 20 dogs per 100 people in 2002
    • 20 dogs per 100 people in 1998.
       
  • If you look at this per state for the 2007 stats:
    • TAS had an average of 21 dogs per 100 people (think about it that is more than one dog for every five people)
    • SA/NT had an average of 20 dogs per 100 people
    • QLD had an average of 19 dogs per 100 people
    • NSW/ACT and VIC had an average of 17 dogs per 100 people
    • WA had an average of 16 dogs per 100 people.
Source: Australian Companion Animal Council Pet Ownership Statistics at http://www.acac.org.au/pet_care.html

Spending on our dogs

In the calendar year 2005 estimated total consumer expenditure on pet care products and services was $4.62 billion. The estimate for just dogs was $2,75 billion – and I’m sure the amount we all spend on our dogs (and other pets) has only gone up since 2005.

It appears that the amount spent per state and territory doesn’t necessarily reflect the number of dogs resident there. In 2005 the state stats for expenditure on dogs showed:
  • NSW/ACT – estimated expenditure at $958 million or 34.9% of expenditure on 33% of the Australian population of dogs.
  • VIC - $679 million or 24.7% of expenditure on 24.5% of the population of dogs.
  • QLD - $536 million or 19.5% of expenditure on 21.5% of Australia’s dogs.
  • WA - $272 million or 9.9% of expenditure on 8.7% of dogs
  • SA/NT - $235 million or 8.6% of expenditure on 9.7% of dogs.
  • TAS – $65 million or 2.4% of expenditure on 2.8% of dogs.
It seems to me that the dogs in WA are either more pampered or more expensive to keep – at least just on the basis of stats presented.

I figure all this means that the average dog (if there was such a thing) in Australia in 2005, 2006 was having around $745 per year spent on its care and maintenance (food, equipment, grooming, training, vets etc). Do any of you have any idea of how much per year you spend on your dog/s? I'm too scared to calculate how much my boy costs me each year on vet expenses alone.

Source: Australian Companion Animal Council – Contribution of the Pet Care Industry to the Australian Economy report at http://www.acac.org.au/pdf/pet_industry_report.pdf

Breed registrations

When it came to looking for information on the numbers of particular breeds present in Australia it wasn’t so easy.

The Australian Kennel Club has statistics for each breed and group (they split breeds up into groups such as terriers, toys, hounds etc) from 1986 to 2009 that makes quite interesting reading – for some reason there seems to have been a dip In registrations pretty much across the board in 2006. Check these stats out at http://www.ankc.org.au/National-Registration-Statistics.aspx if you are interested.

No luck on finding information on a national level from states, territories and councils. Any tips guys? But while looking I stumbled across Central Animal Records one of Australia’s microchip registries and they had some interesting stats on their website.

They have over 1 million 443 thousand animals on their registry and as of 1 July 2009 their stats showed that:

  • The majority of pets tended to stray during the period 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday (hovering around a fairly constant 60.5% over 2005 through 2009).
  • The next most likely time was during a weekend with about 22% of pets wandering then.
  • Somewhere around 17% wander between the hours of 5pm and 9am.
  • And really interesting – and have no idea why it happens – is that the most frequent breeds of dog to stray (out of animals with more than 100 animals on the registries books) were:
    • 1. Pit Bull Terrier X
    • 2. Siberian Husky
    • 3. Alaskan Malamute
    • 4. Pit Bull Terrier
    • 5. Alaskan Malamute X
    • 6. Siberian Husky X
    • 7. Terrier
    • 8. Staffordshire Bull Terrier
    • 9. Pointer
    • 10. Foxhound X
    • 11. Staffordshire Bull Terrier X
    • 12. Pointer X
    • 13. Samoyed
    • 14. American Pit Bull Terrier
    • 15. Bull Terrier X
    • 16. American Staffordshire Terrier X.
I wouldn’t put too much faith in the breed identifications or that they represent the universal population but if I owned a Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Staffie or a cross breed I’d certainly be checking my fences : )

Source: Central Animal Records – Statistics at https://www.car.com.au/statistics

Hope you found something of interest here. Do you have any interesting stats to share?
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Sunday, April 25, 2010

Calming Signals...Or What?

Before you read on please look at the photos below and take a note of how they make you feel and what you think is going on in each picture. You might want to jot down your thoughts.


 
Once you’ve done this feel free to read on………………………………………………………………

This post is about some of the body language that it seems dog’s use when they get stressed including when they need to lower someone else’s arousal levels.

Turid Rugaas who is a Norwegian dog trainer and author of a number of books, the most widely known of which is ‘On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals.’ She watched and videoed dogs in all sorts of situations and from that identified about 30 signals (components of body language) that Turid calls calming signals.

The theory is that dogs need to avoid conflicts as they are dangerous – causing injury and weakening individual dogs and the pack. The use of these calming signals are meant to:
  • Maintain a healthy social hierarchy and resolve conflict.
  • Calm the dog sending the calming signals and others in fearful or stressful situations.
  • Be used early to prevent unfriendly interactions.
Some of these 30 signals are known and used by almost all dogs. Other dogs have a richer vocabulary and use more of the range in order to avoid conflict. Dogs don’t just use these calming signals with other dogs. Some use them with other animals including cats or horses. They also use them with people but unfortunately we’re not very good at reading them. Hopefully this post will help at leas some of you improve the communication between you and your dog.

Turid believes that by failing to recognise these signs or even worse punishing your dog for using them we an cause a dog to give up using them with us and other dogs, cause frustration nervousness or even aggression. She and many others put a great deal of store in these signals. Others are not so convinced.

Threatening signals (as perceived by the dog not defined by your intent) will cause dogs to use calming signals. These threatening signals might include walking straight at a dog, reaching for a dog, bending over them, staring at a dog or maintaining eye contact with one or fast movements as examples.

So what are these calming signals?

The calming signals identified by Turid include:

  • Yawning
    • Not when tired but at other times when you wouldn’t expect it.
  • Licking
    • This includes very quick little flicks of the tongue and licks to their own nose.
    • It appears that black dogs, dogs with lots of hair around their faces and others whose facial expressions might be more difficlt for another dog to see.
  • Turning away and/or turning the head away
    • The dog might turn their head slightly to one side or completely away from whoever they are concerned about.
    • The dog might turn completely around so that it’s back and tail faces whoever they think needs calming.
  • Blinking or averting the eyes
  • Play bow
    • Turid differentiates between play bows where the dog is moving its legs from side to side in a playful manner and standing still while bowing.
      • Moving legs in a playful manner equates to the play bow discussed in the Paws for Thought post on Play Bows – The Punctuation in Play.
      • Standing still and bowing she believes is used as a signal to calm someone down.
  • Sniffing the ground
    • This might be anything from moving the nose swiftly down toward the ground and lifting it back up again to sticking the nose to the ground and persisting in this for some time. A fairly common site in many training classes – but owners and sometimes trainers see it as being difficult or obstinate or maybe not having the right level of treats/rewards handy.
    • Yes dogs sniff normally but depending on the situation it might also be a calming situation. Watch for when the sniffing occurs.
  • Walking slowly
    • A dog who is feeling insecure will move slowly.
  • Freezing
    • This is when the dog stops completely still in any position and remains in that position for anything from seconds to some time.
    • So your well behaved pooch just sitting by you when you talk to strangers may in fact be stressed and using the freeze as a signal – one you’re missing out on reading.
  • Sitting down
    •  Sitting down is a strong signal to calm things down. To sit with their back turned to you or whoever they are concerned about is meant to be even more calming. But how often do owners get frustrated and angry about this?
  • Lifting one paw
    • Lifting just one paw can be used as a calming signal – although it is more rarely used then many of the other signals listed here.
  • Walking in a curve
    • When given a change dogs will normally walk in curves around each other – watch for it when dogs are off lead. It is considered the polite way to meet – this might explain why some dogs may react so strongly when forced by us to meet another dog face to face on the path.
  • Smiling
    • Either pulling the corners of the mouth up and back or showing the teeth in a grin.
  • Shaking off
    • Shaking like they’ve just had a bath. While Turid suggests this is a calming signal others have associated it with breakthroughs in learning.
  • Smacking the lips
  • Wagging the tail in circumstances other than when the dog is happy
  • Urinating on himself
    • Cowering and crawling towards you while wetting himself and wagging his tail show three clear calming signals that are also signs of fear. Some dogs also throw in wanting to get up to your face and lick the corners of your mouth.
  • Making their face round and smooth with the ears held close to the head in order to act like a puppy and try and get away with it.
  • Laying down with the belly to the ground. Not submission - this is lying down with the belly up.
  • Splitting up
    • Moving between dogs or people where they feel increasing tension or arousal.
  • And there are more.
To hear Turid herself talk about these signals check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj7BWxC6iVs

What some others have to say about calming signals

Terry Ryan, another well known trainer, has this to say about calming signals and the need to develop an awareness of them:

“Some dogs don't play by the rules. There are numerous reasons a dog might lose the inborn ability to use calming signals properly. Puppies learn valuable lessons from their environment. One must be very careful about the company a puppy keeps or the pup might learn that calming signals are of no use. If a pup, while displaying calming signals, encounters a dog lacking respect for appropriate body language, is attacked, much ground has been lost. This pup might learn to use threatening actions as a life insurance policy instead of calming signals. Luckily, with most dogs it takes more than one or two unfortunate incidents to extinguish signaling. Calming is a very dominant instinct in dogs. However it's a good idea to protect young dogs from interacting with unnatural, angry dogs. Safe, friendly dogs with good signals are the best teachers a young dog can have. Puppy classes are helpful in teaching these lessons, but can do more harm than good if inappropriate dogs are allowed to interact.

Some owners hamper a dog's attempt to communicate with other dogs or humans by inhibiting them with leashes. Yes, by all means dogs should be on leash. No, it is not safe to turn your dog loose to "communicate freely" with an unknown dog. But be aware that you could be helping your dog get into trouble by preventing appropriate body language. A more prudent plan is for you and your pet to keep your distance from an unknown entity.

Whether on purpose or unintentionally, some dogs have been taught to ignore signals. Many responsible owners seek dog obedience classes as an opportunity to train their dogs. Here's a typical obedience class exercise: Owners command their dogs to Sit and Stay. Dogs happily comply. The class instructor now asks owners and dogs to take turns weaving among the sitting dogs. This is fine in an advanced class of dogs with well-know temperaments. But in a beginner's class a handler might be asked to prevent a fearful dog from signaling. For example, Brownie is trying her best to maintain the sit-stay while the other dogs in class weave around her. She may be a little worried about the next dog approaching, so she wants to use her calming signals and tries to lie down. She is prevented from breaking her sit-stay by her owner pulling up on the lead. Next she tries to slowly move away, another common calming signal. Brownie's owner forces her back into position. What about King, the approaching dog? King is made to stay in heel position and cannot move slowly either. Nor can King curve and certainly he is not allowed to sniff.

What about the enthusiastic trainer who gives overly sharp commands or pushes the dog too far to fast in an exercise? The dog may try to signal the owner to let up a little. Here we see yawning on the sit-stay, sniffing on the heeling, curving slowly on the recall, turning away on the sit in front.”

Karen Pryor of clicker training fame has this to say in a post on aggression, calming signals and clicking (http://diamondsintheruff.com/karenpryor.html ):

“I can be very comfortable about saying how I, at least, use the clicker with some of the behavioral events people lump under the topic of aggression. Before a dog launches into overt displays of barking etc., it almost inevitably does those things Turid calls calming signals. Turning the head aside a little and licking the lips are the two I use most. In the first place, if you watch for those behaviors you will be able to gauge the distance at which your dog feels pressured, way before he or she starts acting up.This tells you at what distance to start reshaping with the clicker.

Second, if you click and treat the calming signals themselves they will increase; and since they are the first line of defense, and open threat/ attack is the last line of defense, increasing these signals tends to replace the more overt behavior. Plus the dog feels better, too. You can then click to reduce the distance at which the calming signals appear; and you can negatively reward the dog for giving those signals by going away from the object he's fearful of (not backwards: sideways.) Once you get the tolerable distance down to fifty feet or less, you can use the click to reinforce passing by another dog in a big arc (another calming signal), something you will arrange by walking in a big arc yourself--giving that nasty stranger a wide berth, as it were, but clicking your dog for doing that, with you.”

Some others raise concern about teaching a dog to display calming signals. They argue that this means that you don’t get a real read on the feelings of your dog because they are masking their true response with a trained behaviour.

Things to think about

All this gives us something to think about in terms of our perceptions of what dogs are thinking, feeling and saying. Think about the following common situations mentioned on Turid’s website:
  • The dog knows when he’s when he’s done something wrong. When I get home, he always looks guilty! Remorseful dog?....or good calming behaviours?
  • Your dog doesn’t seem to like other dogs. He always turns his head away when a new dog approaches. Shy dog?....or good calming behaviours?
  • When you and your partner hug each other the dog always pushes in between you. Jealous dog?....or good calming behaviours?
Now over to you

To wrap up this post:

  • Have another look at those pictures and see whether you feel any different about them now.
  • Watch your dog interacting with yourself, other family members and other animals over the next days and weeks and see what you might pick up from the signals that they are sending. Feel free to share what you find.
References
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Teaching Your Dog Fetch

I was recently asked for some advice on teaching a dog to play fetch. Rather than just explain how I might go about teaching a dog to play fetch I decided to do some research into the range of methods out there. Here’s the result.

What is fetch?

Okay it’s a trick question. We all know that fetch is a game that many dogs enjoy and some even become obsessive about. But it is so much more than that.

Fetch (at least the ideal fetch game) involves:

  • Someone having control over the game – I hope it’s you and not your dog – and therefore the establishment and maintenance of rules. This builds your skills in having a clear picture of what you want and working towards it, consistency in applying rules and even the occasional problem solving activity when your dog’s performance deviates from what you want. In other words a good training session for you.
  • Your dog practicing:
    • A level of self control from your dog even when aroused – to what level determined by you in the rules of the game. A great skill all dogs need to learn and which owners need to learn to switch on (see previous post on arousal for tips on this one).
    • Taking and giving items gently and without argument.
    • Sharing items.
    • Being comfortable moving away from you (something many obedience trained dogs initially struggle with as so much of the training they do can be so focused on being next to or with their owner/handler).
    • Running joyfully back to you over and over again – reinforcing your recall/come without explicitly practicing that behaviour over and over again (which your dog can find boring).
The ideal picture of fetch

It helps (as noted above) to have a clear picture of what you want the game to look like and different people will have different ideals of the fetch game. Here’s one picture of how the game might look:

1. You ask your dog if he wants to play fetch.

2. Your dog indicates yes by sitting in front of you and giving eye contact.

3. You tell him to stay (or wait)

4. You throw the fetch item.

5. You release the dog to chase after the item.

6. Your dog goes directly to the item.

7. Your dog picks up the item gently in his mouth.

8. Your dog returns directly to you.

9. Your dog sits in front of you and holds the item in his mouth.

10. You put your hand out under the dog’s mouth.

11. You ask your dog to release the item.

12. Your dog opens his mouth and let’s the item drop into your hand.

13. You catch the item.

14. Repeat from 3 a couple of times and then take a short break to reduce arousal before continuing with this or another activity.

As you can see the word ‘fetch’ in fact means quite a long chain of behaviours, some of them quite advanced. Then if you consider adding the things you don’t want then the list gets longer. This list might include:

1. Your dog does not move until released – so you are going to need to ensure you have a really really solid stay or wait under your belt before you try this or alternatively change your picture and let the dog move as soon as you throw the item.

2. The dog does not chew on or mouth the item while carrying it – well you need to train your dog to hold things that way for many dogs. So either be prepared to teach it or change your picture of fetch and be happy as long as the item is returned to you (and be prepared to replace the item regularly).

All of this is not meant to turn you off the fun of fetch – but just to get you think about what it is that fetch means to you and how reasonable that might be for your dog’s age, level of training etc and for the situation in which you are asking your dog to play. What might be reasonable at home in the yard with no distractions will generally not translate as reasonable in the middle of a dog park with multiple known and strange dogs and people around (and is explicitly against the rules of some parks). Like everything else you need to teach your dog this trick (any behaviour) in a calm place and then gradually build up to asking for it in more difficult situations. But now onto teaching fetch.

Location, location, location

A hallway or even a longish toilet room are ideal places to start teaching your pup or dog to play fetch. Close all doors. If this is not possible then an area up the side of the house or a small yard can be used. It’s also easiest if there is just you and the one dog to focus on.

The toy

You also want to think carefully about what you want your dog to fetch. It might be easiest to start off with a toy that is not too small or too big for your dog to carry safely, is new and novel (and therefore interesting to your dog) and fairly light in their mouths. You can transfer the new skills to all sorts of items once you and your dog have the basics down pat.

Teaching fetch – option 1 – particularly successful with puppies

  • Get your dog really focused on a novel toy but without letting him have it.
  • Toss the toy a short distance away.
  • Your dog should follow the toy.
  • Praise him as he follows the toy.
  • When the dog picks up the toy and starts back to you praise him enthusiastically .
  • When he gets to you put one hand under your dog’s mouth (not touching) and offer a treat with the other. To get the treat your dog will have to open his mouth and the toy will fall out into your hand.
  • Praise him and give him the treat.
  • Repeat about 3 times and then put the special new fetch toy away until the next session.
For video footage of how this can work check out http://video.yahoo.com/watch/1587190/5372083

Teaching fetch – option 2

  • Wave a toy about two feet in front of your dog’s face (not so close they feel you’re in their face). The movement should attract your dog’s focused attention on the toy. If this doesn’t work you could try bouncing a ball a couple of times.
  • Toss the ball no more than a metre away.
  • If your dog goes out to it and puts his mouth on the toy then softly clap your hands and run the other way encouraging him to follow you. Wait for him to have the ball in his mouth and don’t call his name to attract his attention – as this can make your dog drop the ball and come to you.
  • If your dog comes part way to you with the ball in his mouth then stops or tries to get you to chase him then back up again, clapping and then run away from him to stimulate his coming to you.
  • If your dog does drop the toy anywhere near your feet them pick it up and immediately throw it again.
Teaching fetch – option 3

In a small room without distractions, sit on the floor with your dog. Have a small squeaky toy in one hand and some yummy treats in the other or in a pocket or somewhere else that you can quickly get to them.

  • Toss the toy a small distance (still within your reach) and let your dog pounce on it. Encourage them if need be. When your dog grabs the toy reach out and take it from him praising him and possibly giving him a treat for releasing the toy. Play the game until the dog is enthusiastically responding (but not necessarily in one session).
  • Now add a release cue to the exercise. As you take the toy from your dog say your new cue (give, mine, thank you or whatever you want), then give a treat and praise. Repeat until your dog is happily giving up the toy.
  • Very slowly increase the distance that your dog has to go to get the toy. Otherwise continue as before. If your dog doesn’t come straight back sit and wait until he does – then treat and reward as normal. You want him to know that it is coming back to you that causes the game to continue. Practice over and over until you have a solid fetch.
  • Now you can take your game to different rooms – but remembering to go back to smaller throws each time you change the scene before you work on building back up to distance.
  • If you like you can now add the cue fetch – because you’re confident the dog will actually do the behaviour. If you say fetch consistently a second or two before throwing your dog will make the association. You can also start to fade out the treats as now the game itself should be reward enough for your dog – a quick throw of the ball immediately after it comes back to you will become the best reward of all.
Teaching fetch – option 4

This method is built around the use of a clicker or other marker (such as ‘yes’) that has been primed by being repeatedly associated with food. You click (or say the word you want) and give a treat over and over until when your dog hears the sound they look at you expecting the treat. This can happen in minutes or over days depending on the dog.

You and your dog should be alone in a room with no distractions. Sit on a chair next to a something that you can place a cup of treats on. Make sure the dog cannot reach them. Hold the clicker in one hand (or have your word ready). Place a retrieving dummy (or the toy you want to teach them to fetch) under the arm of this hand, tucked into your armpit.

This game is played in silence until you add the cue word. Do not talk to your dog. Let him focus on the ‘game’.

  • Step 1 – looking at the toy
    • Present the toy by holding it out so that the dog can see it with a fluid and relatively quick movement. Make sure your dog is close enough to see it.
      • If your dog looks at the toy click and treat
      • If the dog does not look – do not click and treat
    • Withdraw the toy by putting it behind you or up under your armpit after 5 seconds or so.
    • Repeat until your dog is consistently looking at the toy or move on when your dog is seeking to interact with the toy.
       
  • Step 2 – approaching the toy
    • Present the toy as above
      • If your dog moves towards you and the toy click and treat but throw the treat back away from you so that dog has to turn away to get it. When he does this withdraw the toy.
      • If your dog does not move – do not click and treat even if he looks at the toy. He now has to work harder for the reward. This might take him some time to figure out so be patient.
    • As your dog gets the idea that he has to come towards you and toy withhold the click and treat until he gets closer and the closer.
    • In a couple of sessions you should have your dog’s nose coming close to the toy (if they don’t jump the next step/s).
       
  • Step 3 – Touching the toy
    • Now you will only click and treat when your dog’s nose actually touches the dummy. Repeat until he is deliberately touching the toy with his nose.
    • Next get more specific – you only click and treat when his mouth is open when he touches the toy.
       
  • Step 4 – Grasping the toy
    • By now your dog will be really worked up about the toy and all those treats and will be working harder to get his click and treat.
    • Now each time you present the toy you will click and treat for contact between your dog’s teeth and the toy – the first step to taking it in their mouth.
    • Gradually withhold the click and treat until your dog is putting his mouth around the toy. Keep hold of the toy at this stage.
       
  • Step 5 – Holding the toy
    • Now you let the dog take the weight of the toy in his mouth. Keep your hand on it but let the weight rest momentarily in the dog’s mouth before you click and treat. If he takes his mouth away before you do this then do not click and treat. Withdraw the toy.
    • Now you let go of the toy – momentarily only! Don’t take your hand away – let go for part of a second only and then hold it again, click and treat.
    • Work to build up the time your dog is holding the toy by waiting just a little longer before you click and treat. Remember to put your hand back on the toy before clicking and treating.
       
  • Step 6 – Adding the fetch cue
    • Say fetch as your dog opens his mouth to take the toy. From now on you say the word every time your dog opens his mouth to hold the toy.
    • Build up the duration your dog s holding the toy before you click and treat until you can eventually get a 10 second hold. But keep mixing up the times with some short some long, some medium duration to keep your dog thinking.
       
  • Step 7 – Add the give cue
    • Say ‘give’ or whatever other release cue you want to use just as you take hold of the toy and before you click and treat.
    • Gradually reduce the times that you click and treat. Start to not click and treat the slackest responses – when they are slower to respond or to give up the toy. So you get first maybe 2 clicks out of three times and then eventually only the best responses get clicked and treated. This makes the game something like a slot machine to play – when will you get paid? Dog’s will work harder for the reward.
       
  • Step 8 – Pick up the toy
    • Gradually start to lower the height at which you present the toy to the dog until it is on the floor at your feet and the dog has to pick it up.
    • When the dog will pick up from your hand on the floor work to having your hand just touching the toy, then just near the toy and eventually with your hand nowhere near the toy.
    • Take this step slowly – if your dog starts refusing back up and move more slowly.
       
  • Step 9 – Fetch
    • Stand up and do a couple of fetches from your hand. If successful move the toy back down to the floor. If successful move on. You should go back to clicking and treating all successful responses at this stage – the whole picture has changed from your dog’s perspective.
    • Gradually start to place the toy further out and away from you and your dog.
    • Then start to drop the toy.
    • Then start to throw the toy just a few centimeters.
    • Build up the distance slowly and ensuring that your dog stays successful. Back up if they start to falter.
Teaching fetch – other options

These are not all your options for teaching fetch but I seem to remember something about Paws for Thought postings being brief……hmmmmm.

Problem solving

There are a number of common problems you might experience:
  • Your dog is not interested in toys
    • If your dog is not food aggressive you could:
      • Try stuffing a hollow toy with food a couple of times a day for up to a few weeks and toss it two to three feet away from him. Let him go after it and then let him settle with it or take it away to chew on without following him. The goal is to get your dog started in running towards a toy you’ve tossed.
      • Then start tossing the toy with food in it and encouraging him to get it.
      • Continue using this toy as the fetch toy.
  • Your dog does not follow the toy – You could try:
    • Making the toy more appealing to your dog by playing with it yourself and then putting the toy away safely – such as on top of the fridge. On occasions over a couple of days again bring out the toy and play with it loudly and with obvious enjoyment and lots of movement but do not let the dog get it. Once your dog is showing intense interest in the toy you can go back to trying to teach fetch with it.
    • Not throwing it so far away to start with.
    • A different approach – such as teaching your dog to target the toy.
       
  • Your dog does not pick up the toy
    • See the tips above for not following the toy
       
  • Your dog will not return the toy to you
    • Do not chase him!
    • Encourage him back to you by playing with another toy
    • Consider the double toy approach where you have two toys and when your dog comes back with one but won't give it up you throw the other
    • Check that everyone in the house is playing by the same rules – no one should be chasing him for the toy.
    • When the dog drops the toy anywhere near you get it quickly and immediately throw it again. This is the best reward for the dog – not food, praise, etc.
       
  • Your dog takes the toy and then runs or moves away from you
    • If your dog walks away from you turn and walk away from him in the opposite direction.
    • If your dog runs away from you turn and run away from him.
    • Keep the golden rule – Your dog moves towards you. You do not move towards him.
       
  • Your dog will bring the toy back to you but then won’t give it up.
    • Trade the toy for a treat (but beware some dogs will then be more interested in the treats then the game).
    • When he gets near you, fold your arms and turn your back on him, refusing to face him or reach for the ball. If he drops the ball the immediately pick up the ball and throw it.
    • Have a second toy to throw immediately your dog is back near you.
    • Teach give or drop the toy on cue in a less arousing setting before trying it here. Check out http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/all-or-none-reward-train-off-and-take-it for some tips to start with.
       
  • Your dog will only play once or twice or for a short time. This is not unusual for young dogs or when dogs are first learning. It’s okay that just means the game is over. Fetch the ball and put it away. Next time don’t play as long - leave him wanting more.
Taking it to the next level

If you want to take it up a notch or two check out the Kong Cup Challenge which is one of the games in Dr Ian Dunbar’s K9 Games which are played around the world – but not yet in Australia. You can read about it at http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/kong-cup-challenge hear Ian talk about it at http://www.dogstardaily.com/videos/kong-cup-challenge or watch the world record retrieve at http://www.dogstardaily.com/videos/kong-retrieve-record-long-beach-03996

Alternatively consider the Distance Catch. Check it out at http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/distance-catch and don’t forget to view the videos listed on the right hand side of the page.

Video clips online that you might find useful

A search of the internet found the following amongst the many videos available to give you a sample of what is out there. One or more of them might give you some useful tips. Warnings relate to methods or advice given that cause me some concern.

References
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