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OZ Paws for Thought

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OZ Paws for Thought

i'm Leanne from Australia. I was an educator (children then adults). I've always been addicted to learning more about living, working and training with animals.

Put these passions together and this page is what you get. Enjoy!

03/01/2022

Tips for Kids (and anyone) Greeting Strange Dogs

We've all heard about asking before greeting someone else's dog but here are three great steps that you might want to teach your kids - and use yourself.

The steps are:

1. Ask the owner

2. Ask the dog

3. Pet the dog

In more detail

1. Ask the Owner

Never rush towards a dog. Stop about about a metre away and ask the owner if you can pet the dog. If the owner says no, then please accept that and just stay and talk or say thank you and walk on. If the owner says yes then move onto step 2.

2. Ask the Dog

Don't use words to ask the dog - use body language. You can make a fist with your palm pointed down and then slowly extend your arm towards the dog and let them sniff it if they want to. Curling your fingers into the fist means they can't get nipped if the dog gets a shock. When you put out your hand watch what the dog does. Another way to ask the dog is just to stand side on to him, without looking directly at him and wait to see if he comes to say hello.

- If he comes forward with a waggy tail and open mouth then he's saying yes you can say hello.

- If he leans forward for a quick sniff and seems comfortable then he's probably saying yes but be sure to be nice and gentle with him.

- If he turns his head away, backs off, hides behind his owner, looks unhappy, ducks his head or growls then this means no - even if his owner says he's okay.

If the dog says yes then move onto step 3.

Step 3 - Petting the dog

Dog's generally don't like hugs or having you pat them on the top of their head. They also might not be comfortable with you bending over them. If you've asked the owner about where the dog likes being petted then follow their advice (unless you feel the dog isn't happy - then back off).

Approaching the dog from the side rather than the front and stroking the side of his neck, rubbing under his chin, scratching his chest and petting his back are all usually good ideas. Do it slowly and gently but no so slowly that its freaky and not so gently that it tickles.

Important note: Pet a little bit and then stop - let the dog tell you if he's happy and wants you to continue (by moving towards you, looking towards you with an open mouth and happy tail) or stop (moving away from you).

We'll talk more about dog body language, human body language and how to touch a dog for a lot more benefit than just petting (for both human and animal) in future installments of Paws for Thought. Keep tuned.

Source:

The basis for these useful tips comes from a book by Colleen Pelar called 'Living with Kids and Dogs Without Losing Your Mind.'

03/01/2022

Realiatic Expectations of Kids and Dogs

People focus a lot on the behaviour that they expect from their dog, or dogs, around children but how about taking a look at what is reasonable to expect from the children themselves. Having seen some stunning examples of great dog training (and on occasion parent training) from some very young children and some stunningly bad examples of kids and dogs in risky situations I wondered just what we should be expecting from that ‘average’ child at each stage of their development. Here’s what I found…and while some of it might sound like common sense – it doesn’t seem that common.

Birth to three years

These children:

* Require constant supervision when around dogs.

* Do not understand that what they do to a dog causes pain or might cause aggression – they don’t yet really understand that anyone other than themselves has feelings or thoughts at all.

* Can be harmed by even friendly interactions.Obviously cannot be expected to help care for or actively participate in training a dog.

Your focus here should be in protecting your baby (and dog) at first. Then as the child develops into a toddler they are also likely to develop a fascination with the dog/s – which may or may not be reciprocated. You toddler may be poking, pushing and prodding the dog – but it is likely to really be an attempt to learn about the animal. Start using touch and feel books and stuffed toys etc before you try and teach your youngster to touch dogs appropriately and gently. Be aware that they can have difficulty telling the difference between living beings and inanimate objects such as stuffed toys – it’s up to you to teach them.

At about 2 you might consider getting your child to help put the dog’s toys away in one box and their toys in another. Alternatively you might want to teach your child to leave all dog toys alone – it’s up to you.

By 3 your child should be starting to understand and accept boundaries including a pet’s boundaries such as how far the child need to keep or not going onto a dog’s bed or into a dog’s crate.

Three to six years

These children are starting to take responsibility for themselves. They are becoming more independent and are willing to learn and interact with the world in a different way. With children this age you can consider:

* Allocating one special task to the child so that he has and is rewarded for having an important role in caring for the dog (and yes – reward your children for behaviour you like just the way you do with your dog). Tasks may include filling water bowls from a jug or watering can (filled by an adult); some simple grooming tasks.

* Working with your child as a partner in training particularly where your dog is already well trained. This gives the child some level of control over the dog and also gives them a sense of achievement that will be written all over their face.

Be warned that children at this stage in their development:

* Are still cognitively immature and have some quite strange, illogical and entertaining (or frustrating) views of how the world works.

* Do not have a good grasp of cause and effect so cannot always predict what will happen next if they do something to or with a dog.

* Have a limited attention span but an even more limited level of self control – many find it impossible to stand or sit still.

* Are not particularly consistent in the way they do things – so if you are going to have them train with the dog ensure that you supervise, that the dog really knows the behaviour that the child is training and be ready to a) back up the childs cue with subtle cues from you and b) do some remedial work with the dog to maintain their consistency in regard to the cue – therefore come and other critical (even life saving) cues are not one’s I’d consider doing with a child this young.

* Believe, really believe that the world is all about them so developing an understanding of others needs, including the dogs, is beneficial but also can be hard work.

Children this age learn a lot from modeling what they see adults and older children do – so beware this really is a case of having to have a good look at what sort of role models your child is mimicking. Demonstration is also a great method of showing the child what to do – what the dog does like in terms of touch for instance – and what they don’t like (but perhaps on a stuffie for this one).

Six to twelve years

Here taking on additional responsibilities successfully helps develop a positive self-concept. They start to really develop logic – understanding things like cause and effect and problem solving.

Here being responsible and being recognised and rewarded for it is very important in developing self confidence and a ‘give it a go’ or ‘I can do it’ attitude.

For these children being responsible for one or more aspect of pet care is a good start. From about 8 they can also increasingly become involved in training, including starting to train tricks and games – all with supervision of course.

A tip for parents and teachers is to use role play and questioning sessions to help the children develop an understanding of dog body language, feelings and needs and also the likely consequences of both dog behaviour and the child’s own behaviour. More on this in a future post.

You can set up family rules and contracts with children of this age if you are realistic, and if you stick with them too! Don’t forget to recognise and reward instances of people who actually stick with the rules.

You need to be really cautious about letting children take responsibility for walking a dog. They need to be able to physically and mentally control the dog and in times of high arousal when something unexpected and exciting or stressful happens. Otherwise you risk the child witnessing their dog come to untimely and unhappy end and blaming themselves – and by then it’s all just too late.

Some dog training schools will allow children at 8 years of age to participate in dog training classes (with parental supervision – and sometimes with the parent holding the lead).

Twelve +

These children are now developing more complex thinking skills including more complex hypothetical problems. They start to be able to think about options and different possible outcomes. This all means that they can really start to understand and apply (and even modify) basic training principles. With some coaching they can also become able to predict possible problems and redirect or address them before they occur.

Sometimes you need to remember that they are still basically children or adolescents and that you need to be realistic about expectations.

You might be surprised to learn that many teenagers actually rely on time alone with the dog so that they can download, talk and seek comfort from them in a way they often feel they can’t with humans. So if possible give them this space and special time.

Some dog training schools choose to restrict the minimum age of children in class to 12 years of age. This can also be a great age to get the child and dog involved in doggy sports such as flyball or agility (with appropriate supervision) as these can teach self control, focus and a lot of other really useful life skills to both dog and child.

So where do we end up?

Throughout growing up we learn about our dogs (and other animals) and how to treat them and embed some pretty deep convictions about their worth, their feelings and their role through:

* Trial and error – trying something with the dog and learning from the response from the dog and from other people around you.Observing other children and adults – particularly those you admire or have great affection for – in the way they interact with dogs.

* Observing what your peer group expect and reward in terms of interactions (not always nice ones).

* Being taught that the dog is a member of the family deserving of respect and consideration.The media and all its realistic and misleading representations of animals and people’s interactions with them and value of them in our society.

* Education experiences – zoo trips, farm visits, school and youth group education activities.So be careful about what information’s going into your child’s education.

A warning

No matter how well socialised and trained your dog. No matter how well behaved your child. Put the two together and there is risk. No one can guarantee a dog to be ‘child-proof’. They are animals not robots. With both the dog and the child in the mix there are so many things that can go right – and others that can go wrong. So remember the rule – Supervise! Supervise! Supervise!

References:

Colleen Pelar – Living with Kids and Dogs…Without Losing Your Mind.

Andrea McHugh – Your Child’s Dog. How to Help Your Kids Care for Their Pets.

Ruth Weston and Dr Catriona Ross – Kids & Dogs. Teaching Them to Live, Play and Learn Together.

27/12/2021

The Five F's - Flight, Fight, Freeze, Faint, Fiddle.

In later posts we’ll look at the subtle signs that a dog is not comfortable in a situation. But this post is about the five reactions that should shout to you that something is not right. These are commonly referred to as the five F’s. The first two being the commonly recognised ‘flight’ or ‘fight’ responses.

• Flight
– To flee from a perceived threat (death, injury etc) is generally the first instinctive response.

• Fight
– Fight usually kicks in when flight is prevented.

The other three less commonly known responses are:

• Freeze
– The dog stands still. There is a fixed look to his eye and he is rigid throughout his body, even appearing to hold his breath. I’ve seen two types of freeze and they’ve both given me very different feelings.

The first is the freeze that happens for just a split second and makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Miss this warning or continue to push the situation and you are a likely candidate for dog bite. If you miss the subtle signals and you end up with a ‘freeze’ from an animal step back quickly and calmly and give them space and time and then change something about the situation (your approach or the environment) to lower their stress level. But beware if you’ve gotten to this level then the bite might occur before you can act. If this is the case then blame yourself for missing the signals, not the dog for a natural reaction to a stressful situation. And no getting your dog to this point is not a game nor funny - despite a number of postings of videos on the web that claim this.

The second type of freeze you can often see labeled as stubborn or willful. In this case the dog can just plain refuse to move – to continue walking, to get into the car or to meet a particular person. If you push this then you can also end up with aggression because the dog has nowhere else to go (for instance if it is on lead) or us stupid humans keep chasing them down (in effect cornering them behind chairs or under beds) just asking for a bite.You can also see this second type of freeze being mistaken for a dog that’s just relaxed and happy because it isn’t doing anything – wrong. Look closely the body language – tension, eyes, breathing etc will show you that the dog is pretty much overwhelmed and feeling threatened by the situation but just not sure how to respond (yet).

• Faint
– This is a rare response but can happen. You see a real faint rarely (but sometimes associated with medical conditions) but you can see a more pronounced version of the second type of freeze described above where the dog drops belly down to the ground and refuses to move or interact. Again sometimes this seems to be mistaken for being stubborn or difficult instead of overwhelmed and extremely stressed - or even being good because it is doing nothing.

• Fool around (or fidget or fiddle)
–Dogs that rush about, jump up and down, mouth, become rough or over the top, who can’t sit still, who lick you constantly or who drop into a roll to show their bellies everytime someone approaches or touches them can fall into this category. They use this behaviour as a coping strategy. This can even happen during training sessions with a dog or puppy, and definitely happened with my boy whenever we were in a competition situation – where he fed off my stress levels and couldn’t flee being on a leash so went for fool around instead. This is no more or less serious a warning though than any of the other five F’s. The dog is overloaded and stressed and we (the humans) need to let off the valve by changing the situation somehow.

Remember that the dog is not thinking 'oh wow, stressful situation, I'm in fool around, or freeze, or fight and need to do something about it'. They are reacting naturally to a certain situation and the feelings/response it creates in them whether that be fear, confusion, anxiety etc etc. We're the ones with the bigger more complex brain and the theories about behaviour. We're the only ones who can change the situation (for the better or worse) many times. However if you watch dogs with great dog communication and social skills you'll often see them making those changes (often really subtle) that relieve the pressure. More on this in future postings

If you're interested here are some other resources to check out:

* The Four F's of Stress in Pets
https://www.dvm360.com/view/four-fs-stress-pets

* Cat Anxiety by Battersea
https://www.battersea.org.uk/pet-advice/cat-advice/cat-anxiety

* The Do's and Don'ts of Catchong a Lost or Scared Dog
https://www.dailypaws.com/dogs-puppies/dog-safety-tips/the-dos-and-donts-of-catching-a-lost-or-scared-dog

* The Dog's Mind - The Five F's
https://www.bondibehaviourist.com/the-dogs-mind

* Fight, Fright, Freeze - What This Response Means (about humans)
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/fight-flight-freeze

* video - The iright, Fright, Freeze Response (about humans)
https://youtu.be/SJhcn7Q0-LU

* The Four F's of Fear
https://www.clickertraining.com/node/4226

* The Four F's of Fear - Fear Responses
https://www.welfare4animals.org/blog/the-4fs-of-fear-fear-responses

26/12/2021

Play Bows - The Punctuation in Play

The play bow and the wagging tail are probably the two most commonly recognised dog communication signals. The wagging tail is often misread - so what do we know about the play bow?

The classic play bow position is recognised as:

• bum up.

• elbows touching or nearing the ground.

• ears up and alert (or sometimes back in what can be known as aeroplance ears).

• tail usually lowered or down but can sometimes be wagging.

• mouth partially open to fully open, lips relaxed.

• eyes focusing the same way as the nose is oriented.

They are usually seen as part of a series of bounds, chases and mock attacks. See the photos below if you're not sure what this position looks like.

For video clips showing the behaviour check out the listing at the end of this post.

It appears that plays bows are used:

• to intiate /invite play.

• to interrupt play when it comes too intense (Remember we are playing! This is not for real!) and to calm down.

• as part of possession games where the tail can tend to be up and the bow is down over the article. But this is not serious guarding which other dogs can obviously tell as they happily invade the space and continue the game.

• to signal the swapping of roles of chaser and chased during play.

• to show fiendly intentions, particularly as part of an introduction.

• to nullify what might be interpreted as an over-assertive approach (meant or not).

• as part of courtship behaviours.

Why is the play bow important?

Because of its role as punctuation in making a dogs intentions clear during play. Play itself is a serious business for both puppies (who learn about themselves, others, prey, their environment, their strengths and weaknesses, dog communication and social rules through play) and adult dogs (who can use play to test themselves, try alternate behaviours that would otherwise be risky and practice communication and social rules while passing them onto the next generation/s and to get to know new dogs and their responses).

The play bow is not used randomly but with a purpose - as part of a set of social rules that must be followed. The play bow is a metasignal used to maintain social play when actions borrowed from other contexts (s*x, aggression, prey killing etc) appear in play might be misinterpreted.

These other actions might include bites, particularly with rapid side to side movements and shaking of the head. Therefore the play bow often appears just before and again just after behaviour that could be misinterpreted - watch for them next time you see dogs playing together.

Puppies seem to learn the use of the play bow quickly as they grow and the response to it seems to be innate.

Dogs will offer these signals to humans in attempts to get them to play or sometimes when asking them to calm down or other interactions become too intense (such as trying to corner or chase down a dog with something in their mouth that you want or trying to grab them to get them back on lead when they don't want to come to your call).

People can also mimic the play bow to their dog. You can do this by:

• Getting down on all fours and sticking your bum up while lowering your shoulders and touching the ground with your elbows quickly and then leaping sideways in an invite to play.

• Bowing right down to your dog with your arms out in front, freezing their briefly and then dodging quickly left and right before moving on to play.

I hope you've learnt something more about this commonly recognised signal. I certainly did in putting this post together. It also started me wondering about the comments of two particular dog owners (one of a Siberian Husky and the other of a German Shepherd Dog) who talked to me about their concerns with their dogs and what people seem to take as play bows. Both dogs had a history of reactivity to other dogs, and in case aggression. Both owners reported that their dogs will focus intently on a particular breed or colour and size of dog and drop into a bow - but they both insisted that it was not a play bow.

People of course took it for play bows and thought their dogs were safe to interact and in fact then went on to force interaction hich often ended with shock and horror. Both owners were beside themselves with frustration at other people not listening to them when they warned them off but insisting that they knew what a play bow was and what it meant.

Then wo and behold I got to see what they were talking about at a park. The dog certainly seemed to fall into a play bow position but there was an intensity to it that you do not see in a play bow - even from a distance it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I am now a believer - there is something else going on here.

So while putting this post together I checked my references and did a web search. The closest thing I found was a reference to something called a prey bow and that reference was about this particular bow's use in play - as a pre-cursor to a pounce. More research required here methinks but in the meantime if you have a funny feeling about your dog (or any dog's) bow in a given situation or if another owner warns you off despite their dog giving what looks to you like a play bow - please heed the warning and move on.

References:

• Barbara Handelman, Canine Behaviour. A Photo Illustrated Handbook.

• Brenda Aloff, Canine Body Language. A Photographic Guide. Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog.

• Susie Green. Talk to Your Dog. How To Communicate With Your Pet.

• David Alderton. How to Talk With Your Dog.

• Roger Abrantes. Dog Language. An Encyclopedia of Canine Behaviour.

• Sophie Collins. Tail Talk. Understanding the Secret Language of Dogs.

• Trevor Warner. Dog Body Language Phrasebook. 100 Ways to Read their Signals.

• Marc Bekoff. The Emotional Lives of Animals.

Videos to check out from home:-

• The play bow in dog to dog play http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GaXWVPOFE4

• Puppy trying unsucecessfully to engage another (unhappy) dog to play - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FG3HENAXqE

• Putting play bow on cue - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tdqJeA_xe0

• Teaching play bow from a down as a hindquarters strengthening exercise - note the bow itself can be used as a stretching exercise before sport or play - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9LLd_LqFTM

26/12/2021

Play or Warming Up for a Fight?

Patricia B. McConnell has written an article called 'The Pause That Refreshes. Play or Warming Up for a Fight - How to Tell the Difference' in the Nov 09-Jan 10 Edition of 'The Bark. Dog is my Co-Pilot' magazine. I thought I'd share some of the things she has to say.

About play

In play you see many behaviours that replicatee those seen in fights - and many people find this really concerning.

Scientists are having a hard time defining 'play' because it contains so many components of fighting, predation and reproduction and that doesn't leave much to distinguish play from these other activities.

One scientist, Mark Bekoff defines play as 'all motor activity that appear purposeless, with motor patterns from other contexts modified and altered..'

There are however observable behaviours that distinguish healthy play from impending trouble.What do you generally see in play?

* Behaviours often exaggerated (think of pups leaping and pouncing).

* Stopping and starting rather than continuing on with a behaviour (shaking a toy as though killing it but then not going on to eat it - hopefully).

* Lateral (sideways) direction of movement rather than forward.

* A tremendous amount of 'self handicapping'. This is perhaps the most critical aspect of healthy play and it occurs when a stronger or faster dog adjusts their play to a lower level so that they don't use their full strength against the other dog (or child or human). Think of the large dog lying down (or even on their side) to play with a puppy or smaller dog. Self handicapping is vital if you have teeth - imagine what would happen if dogs played with the full strength of their teeth and jaws (then again don't).

Self handicapping takes a certain amount of maturity. For young pups and the inexperienced (and of course teenagers) the excitement and release of rules of behaviour in play can quickly cause the level of arousal (excitement) to scale up quickly and this is what often leads to danger.

The next time you're watching two dogs play (it's easier with just two) keep an eye out (or video and rewatch) for the following:

* How many times were 'bites' delivered using a soft mouth?

* How many times did the bigger or stronger dog lie down and let the smaller one jump on them?

* I would add: How many times did roles swap? (ie the dogs take turns being chased or rolling or whatever).

What you want to watch for is for when self-handicapping starts to break down (often due to level of arousal).

How do you tell when things are heading towards a fight or aggression?

The key question you should be asking is not 'Is this bothering me? ' but rather 'Is this bothering either of the dogs?'

Watch the dogs and consider:

* Was that last 'play bite' a bit too hard or too long?

* Did the bigger dog body slam the other in a way that hurt or might cause injury?

* Do they keep willingly engaging with each other or is one dog looking for an out (tree to hide behind, exit from the space etc)?

* Do you see lots of 'play bows' (these behaviours are thought to mean that everything that follows is just in fun and not to be taken seriously)?

* Do you see lots of time outs where both dogs stop moving?
Something like move, stop, move, stop, move with the pauses lasting only seconds when dog's first meet and then becoming longer as they become more comfortable.

* Are the dog's vocalisations changing - becoming rapid, higher or lower?

* Are their actions becoming more intense, jerkier and less self-handicapped?

My advice would be:

* Interrupt any play session (between dogs or people) regularly to check that everyone is still under control. You can do this by asking your dog to do something like sit or come to you. If they comply then they are still showing self control and should be immediately released back to play (which in itself becomes a major reward for listening to you and doing what you ask). Interrupt quite quickly and before things escalate to start with and then as you get to know the level of your dog's arousal and how much self control they have you can extend the time.

* If at any stage you get that feeling in the gut, uneasy sense or the hair on the back of your head stands up act immediately and remove your dog from the situation. Reassess what was happening and next time cut it off before this level.

More posts on play and body language will follow throughout the year.

For more information on Patricia McConnell, her books and advice on dog behaviour and training check out http://www.patriciamcconnell.com

26/12/2021

Gratuitous puppy photos. My current boys as they grew until now.

25/12/2021

Thank You for the Growl.

It's okay to feel taken aback when a dog, particularly your dog, growls at you or a child. But please don't punish the dog for the warning instead thank them.

A growl is a warning from your dog that they are not comfortable - fearful, threatened or aggressive. It's saying back off I'm not happy with this situation. It's a critical part of the behaviours that have been built into dogs to try and keep social harmony and stop fights that could kill or maim.

It's a warning - an important one to heed and do something about. But what? Well firstly remove the tension from the situation by getting out of the immediate situation before someone does get bitten. Now think about what was happening that your dog was so uncomfortable about. It might be something obvious that he wasn't happy about like being cornered under the bed with a tissue with no escape route and an irate human trying to reclaim the treasure (what is it with dogs and tissues and how important they become to humans when dogs have them?). It could also be something less obvious.

Here's an analogy thanks to Robyn Hood from the TTouch world that might help: Think of a cauldron of water sitting on top of a bunch of candles of different sizes. When the water boils over a bite is far more likely to happen. Now let's take one dog's candles. One candle (a medium size one) is a fear of children. Another candle is a dislike of strangers (a large candle). Another is loud noises and yet another smaller candle is being uncomfortable when people are around his food bow. Now on a particular day when the dog is not feeling all that happy (yes they have bad days too) you have visitors over and a child is running around the house. The child is a stranger to the dog and making lots of noise as she plays. When the child enters the laundry where the dog is eating his meal the dog growls at the child. Lot's of candles here that you need to identify and work on reducing so that the incident doesn't recur. You also might need to have better management skills in the meantime (or perhaps for life).

Take the emotion (the scare, the humiliation, the disbelief) out of the situation and consider what caused the growl and how to deal with the issues so that the dog doesn't feel so threatened by the situation.

But whatever you do don't punish the dog for the growl. Why not? Well as already mentioned the growl is part of an escalating set of behaviours on the way to a bite or multiple bites and dogs are smart at figuring out what behaviours work and which ones don't. If you punish the growl out of the dog there goes a major warning system - next time the leap may be from dog body language that you and others don't recognise to a full on bite - and no one wants to go there.

More on some of those more subtle messages in later posts. And I am not advocating doing nothing about growls but rather thanking your dog for giving you the warning and then coming up with a plan (perhaps with professional help) to work through the issues that contributed to the situation so that confrontation and bites can be avoided.

For more information check out the following as a start:

- Off-Leash Dog Play. A Complete Guide to Safety and Fun by Robin Bennet and Susan Briggs

- http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/fearful-growling

- http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/why-growl-good

- http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/obey-thy-dog

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