Petsitters.ch

18/08/2024

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31/07/2024

WHAT THE F?

Recognising stress responses in dogs.

Fight or flight are well known reactions to fear or stress, but these other “F” words are also important to understand and be aware of as they may not always be so obvious.

Freeze, Fawn, Fidget or Fool around are also responses to stress or fear and are also commonly seen in people.

Some dogs may have a genetic predisposition to one type of response while some react based on previous experience - what has worked for them before or what hasn’t. Some dogs have different reactions depending on the specific context.

Recognising and taking note of situations or circumstances where these responses are seen is important in understanding how our dogs are feeling.

When we recognise a fear or a stress response, we are able to intervene and advocate for our dogs.

15/07/2024

I love my job, I love my job? I love my job...
*Pulls giant clump of long grass from dogs a**s*
I love my job... I love my job... I love my job...?
🤢🤢🤢

09/07/2024

CULTIVATING CALMNESS

We teach our dogs all sorts of things, but maybe don’t realise that teaching “calm” is also an important behaviour that has so many positive applications for both us and our dogs.

“Calm” can be defined as the absence of agitation or excitement; a feeling of tranquility; serenity and peace. These feelings are so often lacking in both our lives and that of our dogs.

Besides teaching dogs to settle on a mat or in another place or capturing and rewarding calm behaviour, here are some other ways to promote calmness.

Scenting or sniffing is a really effective and simple way to promote relaxation. It lowers the pulse rate and creates feelings of wellbeing.

Chewing is another powerful relaxation tool. Dogs use the chewing to relieve stress, frustration or anxiety. Chewing has a calming effect on the adrenal-pituitary axis in the brain which triggers the release of endorphins. It’s like self-medication for stress or anxiety.

Relaxing music that is specifically made for dogs can also work well, especially with dogs that get over excited in a car or have storm or firework fear.

When playing an exciting, high-energy game with your dog, take frequent breaks before starting up again to help your dog wind down and become calmer.

Aromatherapy, ear or other types of massage are other ways to help create calmness.

Cortisol holidays are also really important after a stressful event to prevent trigger stacking and allow cortisol levels to return to normal.

Conventional wisdom says that the ability to remain calm is a character trait that most of us lack, but Neuroscience teaches us that remaining calm under pressure is not an inborn trait, but a skill that needs to be learnt, practiced and managed and this applies to our dogs as well.

04/07/2024

ANTHROPOMORPHISM

THE GOOD / THE BAD AND WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE

This hard to pronounce and complicated sounding word – (anth-ro-po-morph-ism), means assigning human qualities, characteristics, emotions, feelings or motivations to our dogs (a non-human entity).

Advancements in canine neuroscience have revealed remarkable similarities between human and canine brain function, particularly in areas related to emotional processing.
This has given us far more understanding of canine cognition and emotion.

Although this is a great thing, it’s so important not to take anthropomorphism too far by assuming that our dogs experience emotions in exactly the same way that we do.

Dogs experience a similar range of emotions that would be seen in a 2 to 2 ½ year old child but are currently not thought to feel more complex emotions like guilt, shame, remorse, spite, pride or contempt.

Here is a link to a graphic that shows where a dog’s emotions are thought to stop in relation to the age of a child - bit.ly/canineemotions

Here are some examples of taking anthropomorphism too far:

“My dog knows exactly what he’s done – look how guilty he looks! No, your dog is reacting to your body language, tone of voice or remembers your previous reaction – this is fear, he is trying to appease you, calm you down, diffuse the situation.

“My dog chewed the couch just to get back at me for not taking him for a walk “ - No, your dog was probably bored, frustrated, lonely, had separation distress and was looking for a way to self-sooth or entertain himself.

“My dog p*es inside just to spite me” – No, there could be a host of reasons, but spite is not one of them.

“My dog is just so stubborn” – No, find what is motivating, rewarding for your dog, are there too many distractions?

“Look at how proud my dog looks for winning the competition, graduating from a class, after being groomed etc” - No, your dog is reacting to your emotional state.

Instead of assuming that your dog is feeling “adult human emotions”, learn about body language and notice the context of the behaviour. This will provide a far more accurate idea of how dogs are really feeling.

Anthropomorphism is an essential tool in recognising a dog’s emotional state and allows us to have compassion, empathy, understanding and connection, but taking it too far is detrimental and undermines relationship.

11/05/2024

Consider this a flyby post on 10 ways to hugely improve your pets (cat and dog) wellbeing by doing next to nothing.

1) Wash food and water bowls regularly (especially water bowls)

2) Try and avoid plastic bowls as much as possible. Aim for metal or ceramic. (I use a collapsible plastic bowl on walks)

3) Create a routine, especially for naps/decompression (cats will figure this out on their own, your dog will need some help)

4) Ensure your pet has at least one accessible area where the only reason they will be disturbed is to get treats (especially important if you have young children or family members that are unable to respect boundaries). Respect their personal space. This applies to ALL companion animals.

5) Play with your dog and cat and engage with them

6) Don't be stingy with the treats

7) Vary flavour and texture of food, and feeding method (dry one day, dry mixed with wet, dry food soaked in water, bowl fed, scatter feed, give food in Kong/Toppl/food puzzle/wrapped in towel/card board box)

8) Provide something for them to destroy regularly (also a good excuse to treat yourself to something that comes in a box)

9) Offer opportunities for choice and sniffing at home and on walks (for cats offer opportunities to chase and climb)

10) Be kind to your dog/cat and don't underestimate their abilities

29/03/2024

29/02/2024

I just made the joy-sucking error of looking at the website of a dog trainer who seems to love aversive tools and, by their own proclamation, “We don’t use any treats in our training methods”. In case the hapless reader was unclear, they add for clarity purposes that they “Never reward with ...

16/02/2024

Perks of the job! (Yes, I do more than just cats and dogs. Just ask 😊)

08/02/2024

When dogs lunge, bark, and growl at other dogs or people, the dog is having a hard time—and so is their guardian. More awareness of this is needed.

30/01/2024

A post about how destructive behaviour can have a purpose. This is something I'm discovering with my pup .

He's now 15months old and the phase of chewing of everything for the purpose of investigating, self soothing, teething etc has largely passed.

I usually sit down, snuggle up with my cuppa and about 10mins in to whatever I'm watching Byron starts scratching at my balcony door. Then goes into cat mode and is in and out. Then he starts barking, and chasing his tail and forward rolling over his head. Usually at this point I text my husband complaining that 'the dog is driving me bat s**t crazy'. And THEN he starts throwing toys at me and dragging the furniture around, standing on coffee tables, shaking the rug, chewing the furniture.... All while watching me.

I have to remind myself that all behaviour has a function. A lot gets lost in translation so dogs do what they must in order to get our attention. It's important not to dismiss them being naughty, it's more likely that they've been asking nicely for some time for something they need and we've missed it.

In my mind, Ive fed him, walked him, played with him, he had fresh water and a toileted a couple of hours ago... So WHY???! WHY?!?! WHY?!!!! I just want to sit down and have my cup of tea 😭

So, why?

For Byron it's usually one of three things usually linked with him WANTING to have a nap.

1) he's hot. Hes a brachycephalic breed so temperature regulation is harder for him. He likes to lay down on the cold floor of our balcony. It's the same after a play session inside or after a walk/when he's over stimulated. It's the easiest way for him too cool down and calm down.

2) I've not noticed that his water bowl is low/empty, or dirty...

3) He needs to go p*e (just because they can hold, doesn't mean they should!)

So what seems annoying, destructive and unnecessary, is actually Byron asking me for something needs to be able settle down and let me have a cup of tea. The sooner I meet the need, the sooner I get to drink my tea, to the dulcet tones of his snores.

17/12/2023

If you're a dog trainer, you understand the pressure of having the perfect dog. After all, if we can't train our own dog, how can we possibly train other people's dogs right?

The problem is, no dog is perfect and each and every one is unique. Their environment, genetics, experiences and personality influence the dog they are going to be. No dog is a blank canvas. While training can accomplish amazing things, dogs may still have a predisposition to be anxious or reactive.

Just like people, dogs have both strengths and weaknesses. They may be excellent in the home but reactive on walks. They may be amazing at recall but terrible at lead work. When we observe someone dog training, we can't possibly ascertain if their dog is obedient in all areas of his/her life, and there's a good chance they aren't.

Likewise, when someone observes our dog displaying negative behaviour, onlookers can't possibly see all the good behaviour and training that's been achieved. Dogs that seem absolutely perfect in dog training videos are often victims of aversive training, which effectively suppresses unwanted behaviours, whilst gradually damaging the dogs emotional welfare.

Reward based dog trainers do train their dogs to the best of their ability, however most prioritise happiness over compliance. They believe the relationship comes first and they accept that their dog may have life long struggles. Our dogs adore us, regardless of our many imperfections and failings, therefore they deserve the same.

I'm a dog trainer and my dog is far from perfect, but then so am I. He struggles with some dogs and he hates the Amazon van, but his strengths far outweigh those issues. He won't behave perfectly in public but I'm proud that I allow him agency to be his true self. He's fantastic in so many other ways that most don't get to see, and this was accomplished without intimidating him or removing all choices.

I pick my battles and focus on training that improves his confidence and emotional welfare. The most important thing in our relationship with dogs, is that we value their happiness far above our expectations of them and that any training we do is to improve their life rather than control it.

So, most reward based trainers don't have perfect dogs, but that's because we prioritise their welfare over compliance and we want them to enjoy the freedom of being their wonderful imperfect selves.-Holly Leake, Paw Chores

Please feel free to like and share, but please do not copy and paste the writing. ©️

10/12/2023

If you start to dislike your dog, you're not alone. Some dogs go through REALLY irritating phases during adolescence.

06/12/2023

I NOSE WHAT TIME IT IS!

Dogs just seem to know when it’s time for food, time for a walk or even what time we’re expected to come home, sometimes down to the exact minute!

Yes, they may simply know this from daily routines that create predictable patterns or certain cues that predict certain events, but there is far more to this ability to tell time than the obvious reasons.

One theory is that time has a particular smell. Different times of the day smell differently. Morning smells differently to afternoon or evening.

As air heats up over the course of the day, air currents change and move around, carrying molecules of different odours with it.

These changes become predictable and a dog’s incredible sense of smell enables these odours to become their “clock”.

One example is when you leave the house to go to work, leaving a strong scent behind you. As time passes, your scent becomes weaker.

Dogs predict that when your scent becomes weakened to a certain level, it’s time for you to come home.

The level of your scent predicts the time. As dogs can detect both strong and weak scents and all of the levels in between, it means that they are actually interpreting events across an interval of time.

Another way dogs may tell time is through circadian rhythms. Just like us, dogs have fluctuations in systems like hormone levels, neural activity or body temperature and these rhythms may help them to understand the approximate time of day - just like when our stomach starts growling when it’s nearly time for dinner or we feel tired when it's time for bed.

Dogs are not the only species that can interpret time. Animals that migrate or hibernate follow seasonal cues from nature in the form of daylight and temperature to know when the time is right.

Having hundreds of millions more scent receptors than us, a dog’s amazing ability to smell is likely the reason that dogs just "nose" what time it is.

25/11/2023

This is basically life with an adolescent puppy. has been doing amazing recently in general. However, there has been a bit of behavioural regression, his evening hu***ng has increased and his recall has decreased. Two things we thought we were making progress on...

It's tough, and it can make you feel like you're failing as a dog owner. But it's important to remember that he's only one year old - still a baby. This is actually totally normal for his age and developmental stage.

He's also undergone his first dog show (first runner up, but most definitely people's choice, if not the judges - too tall apparently 🙄), had my best friend staying with us, a change in furniture AND I've been ill. So it's been a lot for the poor boy.

We're also starting to wean him off the crate when we go out. Other than occasionally getting trapped in the bathroom and NOT barking (so proud 🥹) he's doing well. It's worth noting that our boy is a power chewer (hence furniture change).

As I keep telling my husband, six to 11 months to go. This weekend we are introducing him to the wonder that is Christmas.

17/09/2023

When it's Sunday evening and you had to a 'quick' medication administration but the sister has other ideas...

02/08/2023

DON’T FORCE ME TO BE SOCIAL!
Do we like everyone we meet? Do we all enjoy socialising and spending time with lots of different people? I certainly don’t and refer to myself as a “caninetrovert” – a person that much prefers to spend time with dogs rather than people. Maybe I’m a little different to the “norm”, but be that as it may, we are all individuals with different personality styles and social preferences.

Some of us are extroverts, gaining energy from interacting with people; some of us introverts, who find people draining and need alone time to recharge our social batteries and some of us are somewhere in between.

If we acknowledge that we are all different in this way, we also need to acknowledge and accept that our dogs are similar.

They could be overly affectionate or fiercely independent, approachable or nervous, energetic or laid back, confident or cautious, sociable, tolerant, selective or reactive.

We may be really disappointed when our dogs turn out not to be the socialite we expected them to be.

Some may even see this as a behaviour problem that needs to be “fixed”. Sometimes it can be improved, especially if the cause is from a negative experience, but genetics, breed tendencies, individual personalities, health and age all contribute to tolerance levels and sociability.

Accept your dog for who they are, allow them to choose whether they want to be sociable or not, respect their choices and never force an interaction that your dog is not comfortable with.

25/07/2023

Oh .the.frenchy , I am highly intimidated... But I absolutely WILL NOT give you a treat!!! Ok... I absolutely WILL NOT give you any more than ALL the treats!!

#

07/07/2023

If anyone is wondering why I'm not posting much. It's because 1) I'm knee deep in my busiest time of year and 2) I am in 8 month old puppy hell.

I've not seen anything describe the puppy process as well as this picture. The adolescent period of puppyhood is a stage that is severely under explained and is why so many people become exasperated and decide having a dog is not for them. We all know about potty training, teething, initial socialisation and basic training but the part after that that is especially challenging...

To name but a few things that people need to be made aware of...

Secondary fear period (increase in separation anxiety, sudden loss of confidence)
Secondary teething (and you thought initial teething was rough...)
Hu***ng (males and females!)
Destructive behaviour (digging, chewing, shredding)
Regression (training, house training)
Not listening (classic teen)
Headstrong (classic teen)
Marking
Running off (classic teen)
Increased barking

Some of these things are cute when your fur baby is small but as they grow bigger they can become increasingly difficult to manage. This stage can be especially challenging for people who have large or high energy dogs, and can last until they're two years old. Misunderstanding of this stage is also how and when a lot of undesirable behaviours start developing and often times, it's the owners that shape these behaviours. You dog is just being a puppy.

All the above behaviours all COMPLETELY NORMAL for this stage of development. Just like with human children your dog is going through a stage of physical, and hormonal changes. These include brain development. As an owner, breathe, keep going with the training, have a glass of wine and remember this 8 month old 30kilo ball of destruction is not the final dog you will have. Be kind, be patient, sleep when the puppy sleeps and at the end of it you'll have the best companion you could wish for.

09/06/2023

Did you know that cyanobacteria (AKA blue-green algae) blooms have look-alikes? Learn the difference and when in doubt, stay out! Learn more about :https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/p01888.pdf

28/05/2023

When I'm asked why I don't walk multiple dogs together (or a one person per dog ratio)... Walking dogs from different households (and in some cases from the same household) is not natural for dogs. We are forcing interactions where one or more dogs will not feel comfortable. This leads to a rise in stress levels and unpredictability, making one or more of the dogs more sensitive/reactive to triggers from their immediate and extended environment. Also, should one dog react, it can have a domino effect on the other dogs which quite frankly just is not safe for anyone.
Any dog walker should be aware of basic dog behaviour, early signs of anxiety and also calming signals and techniques (the primary one being increasing distance) that can be used to diffuse potentially volatile situations.
I could walk more dogs at a time and increase my profitability as a business, but honestly the happiness and welfare of my clients is more important.

The idea of dogs as “pack animals” is a long standing myth that is unfortunately still with us now.

Groups of dogs, usually in small numbers or just pairs, form loose associations with one another, there is no “alpha”, and there are not clear dominant-subordinate hierarchies an d structures between them.

This makes sense, since dogs are primarily scavengers and scavenging can be done individually. They rarely hunt for sustenance and it’s even more rare that they do so in groups.

It’s important to understand this because this myth of dogs being pack animals often leads to harmful actions towards dogs, especially if we also assume we as humans are somehow part of our dogs’ “pack” when they know we’re not dogs. These harmful actions include:

- Making dogs go on stressful and unnatural large group “pack walks” where dogs are wearing aversive equipment and have no way of moving away.

- Making dogs “heel” or walk behind us and obey us while not being able to engage in any natural behaviours to put them in a so-called “pack drive” or a “follower state” which just isn’t a thing.

- Thinking we need to exert “dominance” or be the “alpha” by using punishment and aversive corrections.

- Labels like “alpha” and “dominant” leads us to think that certain natural behaviours our dogs do is an act of “defiance” or trying to be the “alpha”, and this results in the use of aversive methods and intimidation to “put them in their place”.

There was never a power struggle between us and dogs when dogs first became dogs and there also isn’t a power struggle between dogs. We don’t have to project the unfortunate hierarchical structures between humans onto dogs.

Instead of holding onto the idea that dogs are “pack animals” and thinking of ourselves as part of their “pack”, we can look at our relationship with dogs as one that is collaborative, built on friendship and care, and with no hierarchy.

Like with any of our close loved ones, we can love our dogs for who they are, learn from each other, help them to be happy and have their needs met, and help them be safe and feel safe! This makes us all free and empowered in this amazing relationship between fellow sentient beings.

Resources:
- Boitani, L., & Ciucci, P. (1995). Comparative social ecology of feral dogs and wolves. Ethology Ecology & Evolution, 7(1), 49–72. doi:10.1080/08927014.1995.9522969
- Marshall-Pescini, S., Cafazzo, S., Virányi, Z., & Range, F. (2017). Integrating social ecology in explanations of wolf–dog behavioral differences. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 16, 80–86. doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.05.002
- Larson, G., & Burger, J. (2013). A population genetics view of animal domestication. Trends in Genetics, 29(4), 197–205. doi:10.1016/j.tig.2013.01.003

ID: The background image shows two dogs, a white dog with pointy ears and a black dog with floppy ears, lying down on the ground next to each other. The text says “Dogs are not pack animals and ‘pack drive’ is not a thing.”

04/05/2023

A WORD ABOUT WAGS
Contrary to popular belief, a wagging tail doesn’t always mean a dog is happy. You may have heard - “I don’t understand why that dog reacted badly to me; his tail was wagging!”

Dogs communicate through so many different types of body language, but the wag and the tail position are probably one of the easier to notice.

As with most things dog behaviour related it depends on the individual dog. Some breeds naturally carry their tails in a different position and some breeds wag their tails differently to others.

Wags and tail positions should always be looked at in context and in conjunction with the rest of a dogs’ body language.

By taking note of how your dog’s tail usually looks or how that tail behaves when they’re really excited or happy to see you, provides a good base line to interpret other types of tail language.

I’m probably odd, but I often watch my dogs’ tails with fascination as they stalk or hunt for something, bark at something outside the gate or see another dog approaching while out walking.

The type of wag and position of their tails gives me so much information about their emotional state.

Although some people won’t agree, I definitely see wags to the right when my dogs are happy and wags to the left when there is arousal, uncertainty, predatory behaviour or other emotions going on.

Not only is the tail an important method of communication but it also plays a role in balance, stability, movement and counterbalancing when a dog quickly changes direction.

I believe that tail docking destroys an essential part of a dog's ability to communicate with other dogs by creating a distinct social disadvantage or misunderstanding as tail signals can’t be read.

People with working dogs believe that tail docking is necessary to prevent tail injuries or improve permormance, but many countries have banned this practice either completely or only under specific medical circumstances.

Start taking notice of what your dog is doing with their tail - you may find it interesting and it may open up a new way of understanding how your dog is feeling.

01/05/2023

I've been meaning to post this video for ages. Look how far this handsome boy has come! From zero engagement, chronic leash pulling and reactivity (not aggressive) to people/dogs/cats/anything that moves to this!

He is still reactive to dogs, and is fairly easy to push past threshold (being in an emotional state where he is unable to follow commands/ pay attention) but we're able to regain control much faster.

We can now pass people safely. Tractors, motorcycles and the post man on his motorised scooter are rarely chased. He is able to engage with his environment, follow basic instructions (because of his reactivity being due to high levels of excitement we keep things as simple as possible).

Instead of introducing a slip lead, his owner and I decided to switch him to a harness. He is able to follow direction changes and commands based on body language and in french and English. His recall is improving and is able to recall even when over threshold.

Don't get me wrong, we still have challenging/disaster days, but we have more good days than bad, but then this is not a linear process.

Overall, he is better behaved at home. More relaxed, and less destructive. His walks are more enjoyable than stressful (today I got to have a conversation with a lady while there was a group of screaming teenage girls nearby, without him chasing or trying to jump on them) and he's just much more relaxed.

How did we achieve this? First step was building his confidence and trust. This means minimising the fear of failure, managing his environment and setting him up for success. Teaching him how to get positive feedback. The next step was combining physical and mental work in a calm way. This involves being careful with how we physically and verbally praise him so he can feel good without switching in to crazy play mode.

Bravo Sultan! Keep up the good work!!!

18/04/2023

The common mistakes many people make when training their dog.

01/04/2023

Byron is now 5.5months old and is well on his way from transitioning from a puppy to a teen. This is the start of a testing time for dog parents and is often the beginning of the end, resulting in dogs being rehomed.

This 6 month age period is a perfect storm age and in my opinion is the age when reactivity, anxiety related issues, and undesirable behaviours such as barking, chewing, destruction, and separation anxiety start to emerge.

So what is happening? First of all, most puppies have been home for around 3 months, so are are finally feeling integrated and start expressing their personalities to the fullest.
Adolescence is also starting, with huge brain developmental changes, sexual maturity on the horizon and the desire to test boundaries as all teens do...
And thirdly, this is the age your dog is starting to experience their second fear period...

And in to this the residual puppy fun of teething, and the potential discomfort from growing and developing joints and bones. It. Is. ALOT.

Is it any wonder our dogs behave bizarrely and become unpredictable chewing, biting, barking machines. Often times, house training and behaviour training can regress and even seem to disappear. So what do we do?

First of all, we show our dogs some compassion. Most of these behaviours are fear/discomfort based and designed to self sooth. We then tend to try and punish these, which can either inadvertently reinforce or increase the need for the behaviours.

So we need to implement management techniques. Offer suitable alternatives, accept a chair can not be saved and combine with positive training so your dog learns a productive outlet. You will need a lot of patience, and possibly wine, but ensuring your dog maintains a sense of safety and confidence will ensure your dog comes out the other side a well adjusted adult. (Byron is currently eating a shoe, while standing on the coffee table 🤦‍♀️😒)