It's A Whole New World!

Did you just start singing that song from Aladdin?  LOL!  It was actually what went through my head when a client's husband expressed a bit of frustration with all the suggestions I was making regarding their new dog. Their veterinarian had sent them my way because it had been about fifteen years since this couple had had a dog and she thought they could benefit from a session with me in order to get this new dog off on the right paw, so to speak.

A lot has changed since this couple had their previous dog.  First of all, that dog was raised in a home with three, active kids!  Their kids are now grown and flown, so that's a big difference; this dog won't live in a home with kids day in and day out, but he will be exposed to babies and young children as their oldest has kids of his own. What else has changed?  This couple is now living in a condominium with a small backyard and an enclosed front porch; their previous dog lived with them in a large house with an enormous backyard. Add in that they used to free-feed their previous dog, rarely walked him, and he slept in their garage at night, and you have all the reasons why their veterinarian thought talking with me might be helpful!

As you all already know, I love science and I love good research.  In particular, I love all the research being done on pets and our relationship with our companion animals.  And, obviously, I like sharing this science-based approach with all of you and with my clients every day.  As I explained patiently to my client's husband, it's not about all the things we were doing wrong before, but about how what we know now enriches their lives and makes them happier! 

So, while I understand that their previous dog was rarely walked because he had a large yard to run around in every day, we now know that dogs don't reliably use their yards for exercise; most dogs patrol their yard, chase off intruders (squirrels!), and lay around, waiting for their humans to come outside too. And while a lot of people used to free-feed their dogs, we now know it's better for their digestion and for weight maintenance to eat two to three times a day. As for sleeping in the garage:  Research shows that dogs should sleep indoors with their people, whether that be in a crate, on a dog bed, or sharing the human's bed.  Keeping dogs, particularly single dogs, separated from the rest of the family is isolating and detrimental to the human-animal bond.

OK, let's circle back to the new clients.  I encouraged them to walk their new dog twice daily, allowing sniffing and exploring, as a way to build rapport.  I suggested keeping to a fairly set schedule for those walks, as well as meal times (twice daily), and play time.  Because this dog is just under a year of age, I also suggested scheduling some naps, in the crate which he loves, to make sure he's well-rested and less of a risk for mouthy behavior and the evening zoomies, two behaviors that were getting him sent to the garage. I gave them handling exercises to do to help build trust, and finally I gave them an entire list of interactive toys and puzzles to challenge this young dog's brain and address his need for mental exercise.  Toy rotation is also a must and having the right kinds of toys for an active chewer is also needed.  Hence my client's husband stating that dog ownership seems a lot harder than he remembers!  And you know what?  He's not wrong.

We now know more about how to raise and train well-adjusted dogs than we did even ten years ago.  And much of what we were taught in the 1960's an 1970's has been put to rest as outdated and often inappropriate and cruel with respect to dogs. Personally, I think that the fact that dogs have continued to love us and thrive despite our ample mistakes is just proof positive that they are the most forgiving of creatures.  While they can survive with very little, they do appreciate being given more and reward us with their faithful companionship until their last breath.  Do we deserve dogs?  Sometimes I do wonder.

As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Westley loves a good puzzle.  This is one that my two dogs don't actually enjoy as the pieces are small and their noses and paws are larger than Westley's! Puzzles like this one from Trixie Dog, are something that have become more popular for mental stimulation and enrichment, based on the results of solid research into what companion animals need to be happy.