To Serve and Protect

For some reason, the last week and a half has included several appointments for dogs who seem to be taking their job as "protector of the humans" very seriously.  There's the dog who won't let anyone near the baby (including the grandparents), the dog who body blocks anyone who approaches his mom on walks, and the dog who won't let his dad get into bed because he's laying next to mom there already.  While we were able to come up with workable solutions in all of these cases, there are a few big takeaways I'd like to share with all of you, whether your dog engages in this type of behavior or not.  Why?  Because all dogs are protective; it's simply in their DNA.  Some just express the behavior more readily, but all dogs are alert to changes in human behavior that might indicate that their humans require backup or support, either in the form of barking, body blocking, or outright aggressive behavior.  This inherently watchful behavior by dogs is very likely one of the reasons that early humans actively sought out relationships with them in the first place.

When people ask me how to teach their dog to protect them or to keep an eye on their kids, I'm always quick to respond that dogs do that naturally, no training required!  Sure, there are people out there who train dogs for protection work, police work, and military, and dogs used for those jobs are selected specifically for their inherent drive and overtly protective behavior.  Their natural behaviors are honed and rewarded, bringing them more to surface where they can be expressed and controlled appropriately by an experienced handler.  For the rest of us, we don't need a protection dog; we just need to know how to utilize and appropriately control the dog we already have.

First and foremost, it isn't cute if your dog blocks people you want hugging you or touching you from being able to do so safely.  It also isn't desirable that your dog protects your baby or kids to the point that the nanny, babysitter, or the grandparents don't feel safe approaching your kids.  You will need to step in and manage this behavior as soon as you see it; don't write it off as a "one off" as that first occurrence is just the tip of the iceberg.  If you ignore or excuse the behavior, you are opening yourself up to a lot of liability as the next instance of the behavior may include an escalation to a snap or bite. Let's look at a couple of specific examples:

You are having guests to your house to meet your new baby.  Your dog runs to the door and begins barking when the guests arrive.  When you tell him quiet, he doesn't stop, instead choosing to crowd folks at the doorway, standing between them and you holding the baby.  What should you do?  Well, you definitely shouldn't ignore him and you definitely don't want to reprimand him either.  Ignoring is an invitation to persist and reprimanding will just lead to a dog that doesn't give any warnings about their intentions. Instead, stop everything and attend to your dog.  Put your dog on a leash and lead him to his bed or mat away from the door and tell him to stay.  Return to your guests and your greetings.  If your dog remains there, reward him! If he gets up and comes back to block you from your guests or begins barking again, grab that leash and lead him to a time out in another room. Leave him in the time out for 3-5 minutes, only returning to let him out again, on leash, when he's quiet.  If he in any way tries to body block you or micromanage the guests holding the baby, again, remove him to his bed or mat and tell him to stay.  He can be watchful from that position just fine. Again, if he breaks the stay, off to a time out and so on until he can learn to settle down and follow directions given by you. In this example, the dog at no time was given unlimited power, nor was he rewarded for his overtly protective behaviors. Instead, he was rewarded for listening and compliance with directives aimed at calming him.  Even if you don't have a baby and your dog blocks you from your relatives, friends, or significant other, do these same exercises outlined above.  Your dog needs to know that you will be the one to tell him if you need his backup. 

One more example:  You and your dog have been a duo for quite some time, but now you are seeing someone new and talking about moving in together, but your dog isn't a fan.  She is constantly getting up on the couch between you and your girlfriend, walking between you, jumping up to block hugs and kisses, and growling when your girlfriend tries to climb in bed.  This isn't funny, nor will it get better with time and familiarity alone.  Your dog needs to realize that whether she likes it or not, you've chosen this new person.  First up, is changing the way your dog views your girlfriend. Have your girlfriend feed meals, including hand-feeding.  Only your girlfriend can give your dog treats and she should be the one holding your dog's leash on walks.  When your dog tries to body block on the furniture or invade your space during a hug, correct her, but don't punish her.  Tell her "nuh uh" or "nope" and take her to her bed or mat and give her something else to do (a bone, a toy, or a chew is fine) and tell her to stay.  Return to sitting together or to your hug.  If your dog gets up and approaches, stop her before she gets to you with a "nuh uh" or "nope" again and send her back to her place. If she goes there on her own, great. If she doesn't then it's out of the room for a time out of 3-5 minutes.  Repeat this until your dog can either sit quietly waiting for attention from both of you (big rewards!) or she can remain on her bed or mat in place with something else to do.  For bedtime, your dog should not be allowed to sleep on the bed anymore, regardless of whether your girlfriend is there or not.  If you continue to allow your dog on the bed when the two of you are home alone, she will view not being on the bed when your girlfriend is there as punishment and resent your girlfriend. If, instead, we just implement a new rule of "no dogs on the bed," your dog won't love the idea, but at least the loss of bed privileges won't be associated directly with your girlfriend's presence.  We might not be able to make your dog love your girlfriend, but at least we can get your dog to respect her and understand that she is a second source for treats, food, and attention.

I hope this helps any of you going through similar situations with your dogs.  Dogs who overtly or covertly protect their owners aren't bad dogs, misbehaved dogs, or aggressive dogs.  They are dogs who need to be taught boundaries and limits so that they can still do their job with those rules in place.

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

Henley is my shadow he's always nearby and often at my feet which is fine most of the time as I live alone with two dogs.  When people come over, he will definitely try to insert himself for attention and needs to be reminded where he is supposed to be. He may try to lay at my feet between me and someone I'm visiting with, so if that happens, I have him move to a different spot and give him something else to do.  He's never behaved aggressively toward anyone, but he is a big male dog and he can be imposing. I don't doubt for a second that he'd protect me if I needed his help. It's my job to make sure that he understands when that's appropriate and when it's not.

It Must Be June!

I say that "it must be June" because I've received almost a dozen calls and emails already from clients who want to know what I recommend for their specific pets as they, the humans, are headed on summer vacations. I try really hard not to say, "You really should have thought about this sooner!" and instead focus on what options might be available given the needs of their individual pets.  Let me give you a couple of examples:

A pet with separation anxiety: If your pet can't be left alone, then having a drop in sitter or using a traditional boarding kennel isn't going to work for you.  You will need to find either a petsitter who can stay at your home full-time while you are away, or a boarding facility that has around-the-clock staff so your pet won't ever be completely alone.  I realize that a full-time sitter or boarding option with 24-hour care is going to be more expensive, however, it will be worth it for peace of mind for both you and your pet.  Don't get me wrong: It's still going to be anxiety-provoking for your pet that you are gone, but that 24-hour care ensures that your pet will be safe and well-cared for.

A geriatric pet:  Older pets just need more care. It might mean slower, shorter walks for a senior dog.  It might mean medications given at specific times of day.  It could mean T-touch sessions for sore muscles and joints, or sessions on a t-PEMF mat for relief from pain and inflammation. It could mean dealing with middle of the night bathroom breaks, cleaning up toileting accidents, or washing pet incontinence items throughout the day.  It might mean reassuring an older pet that they are safe and loved when they experience sundowner's in the evening hours.  Because senior pets often don't see, hear, or move as confidently as they did when they were younger, keeping them in a familiar environment is often the best option when you are away on vacation. This could mean staying home with a petsitter in place, or staying at a friend or relative's house that is as familiar and comfortable for your pet as your home is. 

A special needs pet:  If you have a pet who is blind, deaf, missing a limb, has a medical condition like seizures, is seriously immune compromised, or on a very restricted diet, you will need to choose an option for them in your absence that ensures that they will be safe.  If you are leaving your pet somewhere other than your home, look at that situation from their point of view.  If they are blind or missing a limb, for example, then staying with a friend or caregiver who has stairs is likely not a great option.  If your pet is on a heavily restricted diet, staying with someone who free-feeds their own pets, or isn't particularly careful about human food left out and around, isn't going to be the best choice for your pet.  And if your pet has seizures, the stress of you being gone might trigger a seizure, so best to have them staying with someone who provides around the clock care, just in case.

Boarding facilities have come a long way since I was a kid.  Back then, boarding facilities meant dogs kept in runs and cats kept in cages 24 hours a day that were hosed or cleaned out once to twice daily and into which food bowls were offered once to twice daily as well.  That was it. Now, you can find boarding facilities where dogs are never caged or confined until bedtime at night. During the day, they are involved in daycare activities with friendly humans and other, well socialized dogs.  Some of these facilities have actual rooms where dogs board that look nothing like a cage or dog run, but more like a little, doggie hotel room.  And even where the boarding facilities use cages or kennels, many of them have spaces that are temperature controlled, use music and/or fans for comfort, and have cameras set up to keep an eye on it all in the absence of a human on site.  Clearly, while these facilities can be a great option for some pets, they aren't for those listed above or for dogs who aren't well-socialized or who don't like other dogs (have issues in aggression or reactivity).

There are people who provide petsitting in their own homes for their clients, and others who will petsit for you in your home.  If your pet will be staying at a petsitter's home, do a trial run before your actual vacation to make sure your pet is comfortable there.  If your pet will be staying at home with a petsitter coming in to watch them, make sure your pet knows this person and has spent time with them before you leave for your vacation.  You don't want any surprises!  Funny little side story:  When I first got out of college, I did a lot of housesitting to earn money to help with graduate school expenses.  I was housesitting for a cat owner whom I knew really well.  Her cat loved me at the vet hospital where we met, crawling across the counter of the hospital to sit in my lap or wanting to be held by me at their appointments.  We thought this would be a great fit when she left for three weeks to Europe that summer. Well, lo and behold, that's not what her cat thought.  While I cleaned the litter box twice a day, fed and provided fresh water, set out toys and treats, I never actually saw the cat the whole time the owner was gone.  The cat hid in a closet or under the bed until I left the house for work and would wait until I went to bed at night to come out to eat, play, etc.  It made me so sad as I thought this cat and I were buddies!  Truth of the matter was this: We were buddies on my turf (the vet hospital) but on her home turf, I was an interloper and nothing more.  Needless to say, the owner was as surprised as I was when she got back from her trip and found out that I never was able to brush her cat while she was gone. I never even got to pet the cat!  

Finally, some people opt to bring their pets along on vacation, rather than leaving them behind.  I've vacationed with my dogs many times over the years and we've always had a good time.  I begin traveling with my dogs when they are puppies so that the concept of long car rides, staying in unfamiliar spaces, and being on leash more isn't stressful for them. The only dog we've ever had that didn't like to go on road trips was Desi.  He was quite the homebody, preferring to stay home and leave the adventures to the other dogs.  We did take him on a road trip one time and he enjoyed a few of the activities, but for the most part he made it clear he'd have rather stayed home.  Now that Ozzie has gotten older, he's got some health issues that make long car rides uncomfortable for him.  Because of that, I prefer to have a housesitter stay in my home to care for him while I'm gone.  Henley is great on road trips and is always up for an adventure, but for now, I leave him home as well so Ozzie has company when the housesitter isn't there with them. And I never plan a vacation until I've secured a petsitter for my dogs. If I can't arrange for my daughter, one of her friends, or one of my friends to come stay at my house when I'm gone, then I simply don't leave.  My dogs are my responsibility. I owe it to them to make sure that they are comfortable and well-cared for always.

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

The kids and I took Ozzie and Desi on a summer road trip to southern Oregon.  They both loved the cooler weather and exploring all of the smells along the coastline.  Ozzie loved the airbnb where we stayed as he enjoyed running up and down the stairs.  Desi hated the stairs so much that he stayed with the kids in the downstairs rooms, only venturing upstairs at mealtimes.  They both loved the garden, which ended up being a good thing as Desi could stay at the airbnb and nap in the garden while we took Ozzie on the long hikes that he loved, but Desi hated. Two very different collies!

In Defense of People Food

I was working with a new client this week and her adolescent dog. While reviewing ways to keep her young dog attentive and focused, I mentioned changing up the treats she was giving, opting for something really high value like hot dogs or string cheese.  She looked at me horrified and said she'd never given her dog "people food" because she didn't want him begging for it all the time.  I found this incredibly amusing as you might imagine because giving a dog a high value reward in the form of  "people food" should not result in a dog that begs at your table.  I could see we were actually going to need to address more than one issue with this dog and owner.

First let's just clear the air on "people food."  I don't like to use that phrase because, frankly, it's all just food.  While there are certainly foods that we as humans can eat like grapes, raisins, onions, and chocolate, we all know dogs can't have them.  Beyond the list of foods that they can't have, there are so many that they can have and that are actually good for them.  Foods like green beans, zucchini, pumpkin, and blueberries are all healthy choices you can share with your dogs without guilt.  They can also, however, enjoy plain Greek yogurt, lower fat cheeses, and cottage cheese.  As a treat, they can have hot dogs, and meats like ground beef, ground turkey, and ground chicken that can all be given as long as you've not added salt or spices when cooking. Yes, you can even offer a dog a chip, french fry, or pretzel, on occasion, without feeling guilty about doing so. Here's the thing:  Moderation is key.  Dog owners who never share what they are eating or preparing with their dogs often have dogs who not only crave/beg for those things, they have dogs who are constantly on the lookout for them.  These dogs often are the worst scavengers on walks, refusing to leave fallen food items, preferring to swallow them quickly rather than drop them on request.  These dogs are also often the ones with frequent gastrointestinal issues, especially around the holidays. Why? Because they are constantly scavenging for the forbidden foods and will find them, often on an unattended guest's plate, and scarf them down before anyone notices.  Some of these dogs may even end up with a serious medical issue like pancreatitis because of their behavior.  

One of my dearest friends and favorite dog trainers always tells her clients to prime their dog's pump.  What does she mean by this? She means, give them a little bit of the foods you eat and that they can safely have, so that they aren't constantly seeking them out; they already know you will share.  Doing so also means that their digestive tracts have been exposed to these foods and thus won't be irritated when presented with that food again.  Now, obviously, if your dog has serious food allergies you will be even more mindful of what they are eating, but most dogs can have at least a few of the foods I suggested above as safe to share.

So, now that we've established that you can share some of your food with your dog, WHEN you share with them is key.  Sharing from the table, for example, may result in a dog who hangs around the table, circling like a hungry hyena.  Sharing from the kitchen counter while you are preparing foods may also result in a dog who is constantly underfoot.  If, instead, you have your dog rest on their mat or bed away from the table and the kitchen prep area, and then reward them for their quiet stay in place after your meal is done or the prep is complete, you will have a dog with whom you can share tidbits of food as part of your ongoing training with them. You are training them and sharing yummy, high value treats that really reinforce the learning.

Just in case you were wondering if I practice what I preach:  I do have my dogs rest on their beds during meals and during food prep.  I will also call them over periodically, have them do something cute for me, and then give them a bite, before sending them back to place.  Why?  Because I like knowing that they will come when called, and return to place as directed, despite the presence of those obvious yummy snacks.  I also make my dogs fun treats like frozen lick mats covered in a mixture of peanut butter, Greek yogurt, and blueberries. I also make my dogs "pupsicles," basically liquid yogurt with berries added and then frozen in popsicle molds.  I put a tablespoon of canned pumpkin on their meals, and will often add a tablespoon of cottage cheese or Greek yogurt for variety. 

I've discovered over the years that dogs, just like people, are made up of some adventurous eaters and some who don't veer far from their tried and true favorites.  Henley and Zelly are adventurous eaters.  They forage in my gardens for warm, fresh berries right off of the bushes.  Both of them love zucchini and apples, and Zelly even loves spinach! Ozzie surfs my strawberry pots every morning without fail, but he doesn't bother with the blueberry bushes as they are a lot of work!  Zelly, on the other hand, loves the challenge and will poke her head in the blueberry bushes and pluck her prizes one at a time. While sweet Desi loved pumpkin and strawberries and any kind of meat or cheese, he hated vegetables!  If you tried to give him green beans or zucchini, he'd pick around them every time. 

Back to my client and her adolescent dog.  We worked on teaching her dog where he was supposed to be while she cooked and ate meals.  We gave him a frozen lick mat initially to reinforce place, but over time she'll be able to phase that out and give periodic rewards to him.  If he gets up and approaches the table or kitchen, he gets one reminder on where he's supposed to be and if he doesn't do so, it's off to a time out.  When she introduced string cheese to her training games, he became so much more animated and successful.  Tiny little bits of cheese had him finally able to do long line recall, stay for longer than a few seconds, and she was even using cheese to groom him, an activity he'd always hated.  A little cheese goes a long way!

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

Here's Westley waiting patiently for a "pupcake" my daughter made for him.  This was from a recipe for a shareable peanut butter, applesauce, and apple muffin. She topped it with fresh strawberries, a favorite of all of our collies.