The Garbage Truck Monsters!

Tuesdays are tough for Westley, my daughter's smooth coat collie puppy.  Tuesdays are trash day and those big, noisy, monsters are all over our neighborhood for several hours and they really bother him.  If he's in the yard and hears them, he races inside looking for Ozzie.  If he's out on a walk, he freezes first and then frantically tries to get away.  Poor guy.  When Ozzie was his age, garbage trucks were his kryptonite too, along with bikes, skateboards, and scooters.  So, what's my point in telling you all of this?  This is all very normal behavior for a puppy this age.  Puppies go through fear stages and Westley is going through the one that often occurs in late adolescence. Puppies can get through these fear stages and come out confident and capable, but many do need a bit of assistance from their humans.

First and foremost, the humans need to understand that the puppies are truly scared.  Telling them to "cowboy up" and dragging them toward and through what scares them isn't the solution.  Neither is avoiding what scares them.  Rather, you need to expose them to the scary stuff, acknowledge that it's scary and help them work through their anxiety.  This might mean stepping off to the side and holding your puppy.  Or, it might mean standing on their leash.  It might mean that you need to bring really good treats with you to desensitize your pup to the scary things and countercondition them so they start to view those things as not so bad because good things happen too.  There are handling techniques that you can use as well to help reset your scared puppy when they get overwhelmed.  No one method or plan, however, will work for every puppy.  You may need to experiment and you definitely need to not get frustrated.

Some puppies move through these fear stages quickly, while others seem to get stuck there.  Westley has shown fear with regard to garbage trucks the whole time he has been here.  Of course, the trucks only come on Tuesdays, so we only get to work on the behavior once a week.  He was actually a bit better today, willing to take treats and be redirected, which was definitely progress.  For Ozzie and his fear of wheeled objects? It took months of work to get him past his fears.  He still notices scooters, bikes, and skateboards to this day, but he is less concerned overall, unless they try to share the sidewalk with him!

If you have a puppy who is displaying fear, don't panic!  It could be a fear stage and that's something you will want to work through together as a team.  As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Westley seeking refuge Tuesday morning behind his protector, Ozzie. 

 All the garbage truck noise literally wore him out, as you can see.

Summer's Here and the Time is Right!

So, did I make you start singing "Dancing in the Streets?!" If I did, you took the cue I offered.  If not, that's okay too.  That cue didn't work for you.  So, what's my point?  Well, cues, of course.

When it comes to teaching your dog what to do (and frankly, what not to do), you have to give them cues as to what you are looking for.  Some of these cues might be verbal (telling a dog to sit in order to get fed, for example), they could involve hand signals (patting your legs to get your dog to come to you, for example), or a combination of the two.  Many of the cues we use with our dogs, however, are not that straightforward.  The fact that our dogs follow along with our wishes much of the time, in spite of our miscues is frankly amazing.  An obvious one that comes to my mind is the dog owner whose dog goes to jump on someone, so they grab the collar and yank the dog away or yank back on the leash.  That collar grab and leash yank are cues to the dog, that tell them, "Hey!  Don't go near that person!"  Now, I know that you were just trying to keep your dog from jumping up, but did you even realize that you were cuing your dog that the person was not to be approached? Probably not the cue you wanted to give them at all!  If instead, you were to stand on your dog's leash for greetings, they would learn that jumping up just isn't possible and default to either a standing wiggle or a sit for attention which is likely what you wanted in the first place.

If you point, snap your fingers, clap, or whistle for your dog, those are all cues too.  Just make sure you are tying those cues to the behaviors you are looking to increase in frequency or decrease in frequency, as the case may be.  Just remember that if you are using a cue that brings your dog to you, you don't want to punish them when they get there. Doing so teaches the dog that coming to you isn't fun.

It is truly amazing to me that dogs figure out what we want at all!  They watch us very carefully, listen to what we say, look at our hands, feet, and faces for additional cues.  They are canine detectives, devoted to figuring out what we want them to do and how that aligns with their own desires.  A relationship indeed.

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

Westley is just 10 months old and learning to wait before diving into his food bowl. 

Notice him watching Jessica's hands?  See how his ears are forward? 

He's waiting for all the cues that it is time to eat!

I'm Officially a Grandma!

Yep, you read that right.  I am a proud Grandma to my first granddog, an almost 10 month old smooth collie named Westley.  He belongs to my daughter, Jessica, and is her first dog of her very own.  Exciting times!  Several people have asked me if there are things I tell my family members that I don't tell my clients with respect to behavior, training, etc. I always find that so funny! Like I'm keeping the "good stuff" for the folks I'm related to and keeping it from everyone else.  That's not me at all!  Jessica is getting the same advice, instruction, and guidance that I've provided to my clients with puppies over the years.  My hope is that she will find it all helpful and encouraging as she moves forward with her new dog and all of their new adventures. 

So, in lieu of an informational blog post this week, I'm just gonna spam everyone with cute pictures of my granddog.  Sorry not sorry ;)

Hot Diggity Dog!

Got a call today from a woman who was furious because her dog was digging so much that her backyard looked like the surface of the moon!  She'd never had a dog that dug before, so the first step was talking about why dogs dig.

All dogs have the potential to be diggers as digging can be quite adaptive.  If a dog is hot, for example, they may dig a hole in the cool dirt to lay in.  If a dog is cold, they may dig a hole to bury themselves in to retain heat.  If a dog has a prized resource such as a bone, and they want to save that treat for later, they may dig a hole to bury it.  And a lot of dogs dig because they see or hear something below the surface and want to get at it (moles, gophers, etc).

Of course, it goes without saying, that there are dogs that dig because they are bored.  Maybe they saw you digging and planting in an area so they figure that's what must be done there!  Maybe they could hear the neighbors next door in their yard, so they are digging under the fence to escape to the great beyond and greener pastures.

So, the first step then in dealing with a digging dog is to determine why they are digging.  In the case of the client mentioned above, she had a young male terrier.  Terriers definitely have a breed predisposition toward digging!  Add to it the fact that this dog owner has had an ongoing problem with burrowing pests in her yard, and now you know why her yard looks like a lunar landscape!  While she thought she'd taken care of the moles, her dog knew better.  I observed him cocking his head, staring at the ground, moving from spot to spot, and then digging. Just because the owner hadn't seen any telltale mounds of uprooted dirt in her yard of late didn't mean the pesky moles were gone.  Now, she needs to bring in a professional exterminator who uses deterrents that are safe in a yard with dogs.  I also suggested that she embrace who her dog truly is...an avid digger!

If you have a dog that likes to dig, let em dig!  You can't make them stop digging without creating undue anxiety. Instead, provide them with a digging area.  Choose a spot in your yard where it is okay to dig. Or build them a sandbox for digging.  Or, you can even use a plastic kids wading pool filled with dirt, sand, etc. Bury interesting items in this approved digging area; carrots, dog cookies, and bones will work.  Make sure your dog sees you burying those treasures.  Refresh the treasures regularly and make sure the substrate remains good for digging. So, if the dirt gets too hard to dig, add water or change the dirt.  You don't want your dog switching his digging from the approved area to your well-watered and tended garden!

You most certainly can put up barriers to your beloved gardens to keep your dogs from digging there. Just remember, however, that they still want to dig and need to dig, so give them an area where it is safe and okay to do so. If they get in your garden, redirect them to their own digging area.  And if you are using sand in your digging area, remember to cover it at night so the neighborhood cats don't use it as an outdoor litterbox!

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

Ozzie investigating a spot in our yard where moles have been digging...again!

If You Take a Dog to a Festival...

On Sunday, my son and I took the collies for a pet assisted therapy visit to a senior living facility.  The weekend before, I took Ozzie to a local kite festival.  I love taking my dogs with me whenever I can.  I think it's good for them to get out of their own backyard, and I think it's good for the public to see well-mannered dogs out and about.  I know I've talked about this more than once, but I feel compelled to talk about it yet again.

I would not take my dogs on these outings if I didn't think that they enjoyed them.  If either dog had not wanted to go on the therapy visit today, that dog could have stayed home.  As it was, they were both dancing around happily waiting for their special leashes they wear on their visits.  And last week at the kite festival, I watched Ozzie to see if he was getting tired, bored, or anxious.  He wasn't at all, so we stayed and watched the festivities.  It was interesting to note, however, that there were people at the festival whose dogs were clearly anxious about being there.  It's one thing to want to go to those types of events yourself, it's a whole other level of responsibility to take your dogs to them.  Dog owners need to make sure their dogs are ready for crowds, noise, strangers touching them uninvited, etc.  It's a fact that dogs who attend festivals will get approached and they will get touched whether you want that or not. If you don't want that, or your dog can't handle that, then don't bring them.  I KNOW people should ask if they can touch your dog, but frankly, they won't always do that and you need to be prepared.

Now, on a pet assisted therapy visit, it's expected that the pets attending like to be touched. A lot.  I find that while Ozzie has learned to enjoy these visits, he's game for about 30-45 minutes of this kind of intense attention from strangers and then he's ready to go, while Desi could stay much longer, especially if we are some place that is air conditioned!  I know my dogs. If a visit will run longer than 45 minutes, Ozzie and I just head out when he's done and he walks around outside sniffing until Desi is done with his visit.  I don't push my dogs, so they trust me.

It really was a pleasure doing that visit with both dogs and my son.  With Taylor being a senior now in high school, I know his free time is becoming less and less. Plus, I am certain there will come a time when he can think of better things to do than hang out with his mom.  However, he's always loved doing pet assisted therapy work and he does love his dogs, so I feel blessed. And I could see the pride in his face when people asked about the dogs and told him how beautiful they were, how soft, how well groomed and well-behaved, etc.  I always want my dogs to represent their breed well and be good ambassadors.  But, I know my dogs reflect back on me too as a dog owner and as an animal behaviorist.  Thus, I am cognizant of their likes and dislikes and I don't push them to perform.  I want them to enjoy our outings together.  Frankly, I think they like all of the extra attention. And I know they love going out to lunch afterward for a special treat.

With more and more businesses and venues allowing dogs on their premises, it falls to us dog owners to know our limitations and those of our dogs.  If your dog can't sit or lay quietly for an hour, don't take them to a busy restaurant.  If they pull on leash and jump on people, don't take them to a crowded street fair.  Be fair to the people around you. Don't let your dog block the sidewalk, push up against other people's tables, etc. I hate when people allow their children to disrupt other guests' experiences in restaurants, and it's just as annoying when it's their dogs that do it.  It doesn't have to be that way.  Practice makes perfect. Start out with short outings and quiet venues and build up to bigger things.  Take notes along the way of what your dog is good at and what needs work.  Finally, be honest with yourself. You can have a perfectly lovely dog that just isn't suitable for taking out in public and that's okay too.

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

Ozzie and Desi keeping an eye on things 

from our table in the shade at Mel's Diner in Walnut Creek,

 after our pet assisted therapy visit!

When Your Work Goes to the Dogs!

When you work from home, every day is “Bring Your Dog to Work Day!” My office décor includes two large, plush dog beds and a big container of treats for when my collies are quiet while I am on the phone. For the rest of the working population, however, June 21^st is National Bring Your Dog to Work Day. What began 20 years ago as a fun way for dog owning employees to celebrate their love for their dogs, has now become a much sought after workplace benefit for many potential employees, particularly among millennials joining the work force. It is indeed the case that many employers are considering allowing dogs in the workplace on a regular basis in order to improve company morale, reduce stress, and increase productivity. They may even use the fact that they have a dog friendly work environment as a hiring tactic!

For businesses, allowing employees to bring their dogs to work can result in less missed hours and days off for employees that must return home to feed/walk/toilet their dogs during the work day. Fewer absences and employees that are happy to stay and work longer hours are a bonus for employers. In addition, the presence of dogs in the workplace encourages interaction and engagement between employees who might not otherwise socialize; dogs are natural ice breakers, bringing people together from different departments. Dogs in the workplace can help reduce employee stress and provide needed relief during tense meetings or encounters. Right now, 8% of U.S. workplaces allow dogs. According to a 2017 study reported in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the feeling of social support is key to whether people with serious mental illness return to work or remain employed. Some familiar companies that currently allow dogs in the work place are Amazon, Nestle-Purina, Google, WorkDay, Zynga, Zoosk, Etsy, Bissel, and Clif Bars, just to name a few.

But what is the potential downside to dogs in the workplace for employers? The biggest risk is legal or insurance issues surrounding aggressive incidents involving dogs on the work premises. An aggressive dog who hurts another dog, hurts another employee, or hurts a customer is a liability for the employer. Thus, most employers that allow their employees to bring dogs to work with them do have requirements that the dogs be free of issues in aggression or fear and any dog who does not behave appropriately must be removed and not return, for safety reasons.

Having dogs in the workplace certainly doesn't work for everyone. People who don't like dogs or are afraid of them will not want to work in that environment or patronize that business. Some employees may be allergic to dogs; it is estimated that 3 in 10 people are allergic to furred animals. While there are a few dog breeds that have hair rather than fur, the majority are furred thus creating an uncomfortable situation for allergy sufferers. Add in that dogs bark and said barking could occur when someone in the office is on an important phone call, and you have one more reason to reconsider dogs at work. While all dog-friendly employers require dogs to be house-trained before coming to work with their owners, occasional accidents may happen leading to property damage for employers. And, finally, it is often argued that the biggest benefit of dogs in the workplace is afforded to the dog owners themselves; everyone else may receive some benefit, but it will be minimal compared to the human attached to that dog.

Have I piqued your interest?  Want to learn more about how to train your dog to join you at work?  Or want help figuring out if the work place is a good environment for your dog? Join my upcoming two session seminar where we will look at what it takes to be a 9-5 workplace canine and how you can get your dog ready to celebrate "Take Your Dog to Work Day!" on Friday June 21st!  Here's the link to the class:

https://adobedogs.dogbizpro.com/Public/Registration/Index.aspx?schedule=636

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

When Dogs Growl

During a recent pet assisted therapy class, I had a new volunteer ask me what she should do when her dog occasionally growls at other dogs.  My immediate response was to say, "listen to your dog!"  Growling is just one of the many ways a dog can signal increasing discomfort.  Your response (or the other dog's response) to that growl will likely determine whether your dog feels the need to escalate their behavior at this point, or whether they can shake it off and move on.  What you don't want to do when your dog growls is admonish or punish them. If you punish away this signal, your dog may just snap or bite instead.  At least if you hear your dog growl, you have a chance to recognize their anxiety and potentially alter the situation to make them less stressed.  How about a couple of examples?

Let's say, as with the dog in class, that you have a small dog who growls when larger dogs get in his face when on leash. That same dog turns and moves away when off leash, but will growl and then snap if the big dog persists.  In this case, the growl is appropriate. The smaller dog is telling he bigger dog on leash,"Hey!  You're in my space and you're making me anxious! Back off!" The larger dog *should* respond by backing off in appeasement.  At the very least, the bigger dog's owner should apologize for the rude dog and move them away.

But what if that little dog is on the owner's lap and growls at a passing dog that doesn't even glance at the little guy? In this example, the little dog is guarding his owner's lap and should be placed on the floor when he growls.  He needs to understand that the human is not pleased with the guarding behavior and that such behavior will result in the dog not being allowed on the human's lap. By the same token, if your dog growls at YOU when you walk past him chewing on a bone, or eating from his bowl, or while laying on his bed, those are also examples of resource guarding that you need to address.  Again, you don't want to punish your dog for growling as that was a clear signal to you that you needed to hear. However, you don't have to just live with a dog who growls at you and guards resources.  Get the help you need!

And by all means remember that there are many different growls.  You can even hear dogs growl while they are playing with each other, playing with you, and while playing alone with their toys!  Not all growls are the same, nor do they all signal danger.  Remember, too, that while you know what your dog means with their growl, not everyone you meet will understand that.  So, in the example of a dog doing pet assisted therapy, those growls are risky.  A lot of the people we visit when doing pet therapy work don't have much dog experience, so any kind of growl is bad from their point of view. Thus, in that realm, I ask owners of dogs who growl to take note of the situation and make adjustments right then and there to ease tensions.  If a dog growls on the owner's lap, then they can't be on the owner's lap during visits. If they growl when rushed by other dogs, then the other dogs on the team need a lesson in polite social distances.  Again, I'm not telling the volunteers whose dogs growl that they need to punish their dogs or that they can't participate in pet assisted therapy. What I AM saying is that they need to listen to their dogs and adjust THEIR own behavior to help their dogs be more comfortable and not need to growl to make their discomfort known.  Oftentimes, owners inadvertently put their dogs into situations that lead to anxiety and growling.  We need to address that problem first and foremost to keep our pet assisted therapy visits safe.

Bottom line? Not all growls mean aggression.  Some growls can easily be extinguished with a few changes to the human handler's behavior. However, if you are dealing with escalating aggression, and your dog's growl quickly moves to a lunge/snap/or bite, seek help.  As always, you know where to find me.

Little dogs often feel threatened when bigger dogs

 get in their faces, particularly when on leash.