Six months ago, I traveled to a small town in Belize. Over a
week’s time I had several opportunities to observe the “village dogs”. These
are free-roaming dogs that may or may not have owners. My first response to
them was sympathy. As a rule they are thin and lack the robust look and
activity level of the typical European or American pet dog.
But the more I watched them, the more I started to feel
sympathy for my own dogs back at home instead.The Village dogs were free to
come and go. They slept in yards and outside the doors of local shops. Some
approached people for attention or food, others played with each other without
incident. Their body language was loose and relaxed.
After six days of observation, I had not seen one fight
between dogs or any aggression towards people. What do these dogs know that the
average dog in the United States doesn’t know? Are domestic dogs in “developed”
countries losing the ability to get along with each other?
Based on the number of phone calls behavior specialists like
myself receive in a month about dog-dog aggression, I’d say the answer is, YES.
So, with all the advantages money can buy, why are our pet dogs becoming more
and more aggressive with each other?
The answer:
Isolation
Confinement
Lack of regular, frequent interaction with a variety of
stable dogs of varying ages
Ignorance of dog culture and social communication skills
Expectations that all dogs must get along with each other
Isolation, Confinement, Lack of Good Teachers, Ignorance of
Dog Culture, Mistaken Expectations
Typical pet dogs start their socially isolated lives when
they leave their litter mates and move in with humans, often as an only dog.
Isolation during puppyhood prevents them from learning critical social skills
and body language from stable adult dogs and other puppies.
But, socialization is a buzz word that is poorly understood
and often dispensed without specific techniques for success.
By the time I met her, Emma had become a statistic; she was
the Grand Slam of socialization mistakes. A new client had adopted Emma from a
local rescue at 4 month of age. They were told, “This dog needs plenty of
socialization”. They were sent on their way to guess what “plenty of
socialization” means. The dog spent the next 4 months being flooded with trips
to the dog park, leash walks through the crowded streets of the local farmers
market, being led right up the noses of other dogs, and a week long stay at a
boarding kennel.
As it turns out, Emma’s natural temperament was extremely
cautious and she had learned some disastrous lessons about the world. Her
owners, like many others, had only good intentions, but no reliable
information.They believed what most people believe, “all dogs must get along
with each other and with every person they meet“. By 8 months, Emma had become
fear aggressive towards other dogs and extremely timid meeting new people.
The village dogs in Belize have so many advantages over dogs
like Emma. They are never leashed so they always have the ability to move a
safe distance from potential threats. Compared to our dogs, who are tied to us
and set out like the goat in Jurassic Park, with no way to escape, the Village
dogs learn to use innate body language signals to work out social contact
peacefully.
When a pet dog is presented to another dog on leash the
result will normally be one of two responses:
Over-exuberance (brought on by a lack of education about
social skills)
Avoidance and fear
The first scenario may cause the other dog to “correct” the
dog with growling or snapping. The second situation may result in the fearful
dog learning to skip all the lower level warning signals and go straight to the
bark, snap or bite to protect themselves because it’s the only thing that
works.
According to Dr. Ian Dunbar, veterinarian, dog behaviorist,
speaker and author, “Free- Roaming Village puppies enter a functional social
group. They are low man on the totem pole and they learn pretty quickly who to
avoid and when to avoid them.
Dr. Dunbar shares that village puppies are taught the
following lessons without overt aggression by stable adult members of the
group.
Be polite. It’s not okay to run up to an adult dog’s face
Avert your gaze
Acknowledge your lower rank
Ask for permission to approach, investigate or play
Our puppies and dogs, in order to live safely in our
culture, are fenced, crated, confined inside the house and leashed. In general,
they have no social group to teach them how to get along with other dogs. So we
take them to puppy class to give them at least a few weeks of social exposure.
If the owners are lucky, they find an instructor who has an extensive education
about puppy behavior from which to learn. But many owners don’t continue the dog’s
education into adolescence.
More and more young dogs become unruly and socially awkward.
Some become bullies and others are just downright dangerous. A few of these
dogs end up being “socialized” in our dog parks. It’s a dog’s natural instinct
to avoid dogs that are threatening, but how can a frightened dog avoid an out
of control “canine missile” that is barreling towards them across an enclosed
park? It is rare for either of the owners to intervene when this happens.
Animal ethologist, Marc Bekoff, Phd, writes in The Animal
Manifesto: Six Reasons for Expanding Our Compassion Footprint
“Animals at play are constantly working to understand and
follow the rules and to communicate heir intentions to play fairly.They
fine-tune their behavior on the run, carefully monitoring the behavior of their
play partners and paying close attention to infractions of the agreed-upon
rules. Four basic aspects of fair play in animals are: Ask first, be honest,
follow the rules, and admit you're wrong. When the rules of play are violated,
and when fairness breaks down, so does play.”
What Needs To Change to Keep Our Dogs Productively Social?
Operation Socialization: Follow the common sense rules set
out by Operation Socialization, an online resource for creating an emotionally
and behaviorally healthy puppy
Never force: Take it slow with your dog or puppy. Don’t
force him to face something he finds scary or unpleasant. Instead, gradually
create a positive association with the scary situation until your puppy
confidently and willingly meets the challenge.
Help Them Create Appropriate Distance: Because our dogs need
to walk safely on a leash, create distance for them by moving away from other
dogs and then evaluating that dog’s behavior. Read Calming Signals by Turid
Rugaas to learn how to “arc” around other dogs to simulate natural calming
behavior.
Educate Yourself: Take classes where the dogs are treated
with respect. Use positive methods that will instill trust in the dog and
create safe and favorable associations with other dogs (and other people). Get
help from a professional.
Safe Socialization Scenarios: In addition to puppy
socialization, consider Day care for adolescent dogs. Many dog day care facilities
offer play groups that respect each dog’s play style so that rambunctious
players don’t mix with shy or quiet dogs. Your dog should be evaluated by a
knowledgable staff member for play “fitness”. Or find a neighbor who’s dog has
appropriate play skills that match that of your own dog and get these dogs
together for play regularly.
Dogs need fences: Based on laws governing property rights
and for the safety of our canine family members, we do need fences. If your dog
can see other dogs through windows or fences and their response is to bark,
fence fight or become overly aroused, create a visual obstruction so the dog
can’t rehearse this frustrated or territorial aggression. Many owners want
their dogs to “see” the world go by because it’s the dog’s only boredom busting
activity. Give your dog safe chew toys or problem solving “puzzle”
activities.Take them for long runs in the park to work off excess energy.
Interrupt fence running or window barking and take away the dog’s access to
this scenario.
Dog Park? If your dog has a history of aggression or fear,
do not take them to dog parks. Dog Parks are for the safe play of socially
healthy dogs who have the right to play without being set up as “bait” for
other aggressive dogs. If your dog is fearful, it is a short ride to aggression
if even other friendly players approach them. Contact a behavior specialist or
trainer who will help you to find appropriate activities for your dog and who
will teach you how to safely and compassionately improve your dog’s responses
to other dogs.
Dogs discriminate. It is to their advantage to be able to
decide who is safe to have contact with and who isn’t. Nobody’s dog needs to be
friends with every dog they meet and if your dog “corrects” another dog for
inappropriately dangerous social behavior, don’t punish the corrector. A dog
who growls or snaps at an unruly adolescent is well within their rights to
teach the other dog what they are doing wrong. The unruly dog actually needs
this kind of response to learn the rules of social interaction. Move the dogs
away from each other. Don’t let the “correction” escalate to self-defense.
Sharing is not a survival strategy. Don’t expect your dog to
share valuable food or chew items. If your dog covers his filled Kong with his
head, freezes and lifts his lip at an approaching dog, understand that this is
normal dog behavior and a productive communication to the other dog.The higher
the value of the resource, especially food resources, the more likely a dog
will actively guard them. If necessary, separate dogs when offering high value
chew items.
Be your dog’s advocate. Respect who they are and keep them
safe.
There are still many dogs in North America and Europe that
are dog friendly, but, the scales are starting to tip towards a new “norm”
where dogs have no practical social skills when it comes to getting along with
other dogs. We are our dog’s guardians. We take on the responsibility to create
lives for them that are safe, happy and productive. We need to become the
facilitators of a good social education. We owe them at least that much.
Sharing from: Laura Brody
FOLLOW US!
