Canberra Behaviour Vet

02/09/2024

A great post about feelings in dogs and their significance for our doggy companions.

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 pees 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.

12/08/2024

This is such a great post on the F's of fear in our canine friends.

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.

26/06/2024

What a great outcome, that will hopefully help others in a similar situation.

03/03/2024

The Tiny Vet Clinic was on The Project! Super embarrassing watching myself on TV, but here is the link if you would like to see the show:

Vet care is incredibly expensive, but Eloise Bright and her team of volunteers are helping to care for pets in need in Canberra. She also provides free health checks to pet owners with a healthcare card.

18/10/2023

What a great little video about cats and why they love boxes so much.

WHY DO CATS LOVE BOXES!? Simon’s Cat Logic is a fun new series where we speak to a Cat Behaviour Expert at Cats Protection (http://www.cats.org.uk) about why...

14/10/2023

Such a great conference, so many practical implications for us all!

10/10/2023

This is why I'll never be on TV (the only reason I'm sure ;) ). Real behavior modification is often is very boring to watch. Unless you've got an emotional attachment to the dog or decent level of understanding of dog behavior, it often won't look very interesting. This moment here is a huge win, but one that would make for dreadful TV. When I started working with this dog, he was reactive to other dogs across the other side of an oval and there was no way he'd eat. Today he could lie down and chew a chew while the another dog was about 20 meters away. Yes that's still quite a distance and yes we have far to go, but that improvement is massive!

07/10/2023

Just a little plug for what else keeps me busy when I'm not helping with pet behaviour!

30/08/2023

The wonderful Jaak Panksepp talking about the neurochemistry of emotion in animals.

Given an inherent subjective nature, emotions have long been a nearly impenetrable topic for scientific research. Affective neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp expl...

24/08/2023

Come work with me. It is awesome at the RSPCA!

We're Hiring! Could you be the paw-fect match for our team?

RSPCA ACT has a wide range of employment opportunities available:
🐾 Casual Animal Care Assistant
🐾 Communications Officer
🐾 Dog Training – Contractor
🐾 Qualified or Enrolled Cert IV Veterinary Nurse
🐾 Veterinarians Part-time, Casual, New Grads

If this has your tail wagging, head to our website for more information and to apply now.
https://buff.ly/44iVoZP

18/08/2023

TRAINING TUESDAY - Jumping!

Jumping can be a frustrating & problematic behaviour. Dogs can jump on us, our visitors or even strangers on the street. Responding with attention, even negative attention, can make the problem bigger. From the dog's point of view, jumping gets results!

This article takes you through some simple steps to alleviate problem jumping, including:
* decide on an alternate, and incompatible, behaviour that you can reward (e.g teaching your dog to have 4 feet on the floor)
* start with low level distractions then practice, practice, practice
* get your timing right - be prepared & ready!
* a lead or baby gate can be useful while learning

Delve into more detail here: https://ppgaustralia.net.au/Jumping

12/08/2023

TRAINING TUESDAY

MANAGEMENT - What does it mean in dog training terms?

Management generally limits your dog's ability to access a particular environment. This could include:
🐶removing items to prevent chewing them
🐶baby gates across doorways to more easily stop access to certain areas
🐶blocking vision out of certain windows or gates
🐶using a lead

Limiting your dog's ability to access a particular environment can really, really help:
🐶set up for success
🐶teach & practice under lower distractions
🐶avoid practicing undesired behaviours

It is not to be underestimated!

If you can't actively train, then manage!

PPGA member Zara from Witty Woofs delves into more detail here: https://www.ppgaustralia.net.au/Behaviour-Management

26/06/2023

If you would like to learn more about dog behaviour and training, there is an amazing seminar on this weekend in Canberra. Would love to see you there!

Helping owners and trainers upskill their knowledge of dog behaviour. A seminar with lectures and demonstrations to help you upskill.

26/06/2023

Massage definitely isn't for every dog, but if your dog genuinely loves touch and is prone to developing muscle soreness after exercise, there is a great video about how to gently massage your dog. If nothing else, a systematic approach to touching those muscles can identify what might be tight or tender.

Dr. Narda Robinson, DVM shares a few canine massage techniques that you can use with your own pet at home.

17/06/2023

This reminds me of the Great Dane story a while back, where the dog had eaten 43.5 socks. Sometimes things can stay in the stomach for quite a while before causing any symptoms. It’s hard to imagine not noticing all those missing socks, but his family just put it down to natural sock attrition. And of course being a dog he didn’t show any symptoms until he ate that last sock and started vomiting!

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Lifestyle/oregon-great-dane-eats-44-socks/story?id=25245334

It's all fun and games until someone ends up with a foreign body in their intestines...

Let's face it, many dogs and cats are obsessed with their owners socks. It's not uncommon for a dog to chew on or even eat their owners smelly socks, and many a cat can be found rubbing their face all over their owners shoes and socks. The truth is, your feet emit odors that are irresistible to the pets who love you.

To save yourself a big vet bill and to save your pet a whole lot of suffering, prevent ingestion by popping your socks straight in the laundry basket. We might sound like your nagging mother, but trust us, cutting socks out of your beloved pets intestines is not something your vet wants to spend their weekend doing.

14/06/2023

Many of my clients struggle with leash reactivity in their dogs and are often incredibly frustrated when the things that are supposed to work don't work with their particular dog or situation. What I love about this article is the emphasis on empathy and protecting your dog.

This week I met a wonderful client who has reserve right outside her front door that is unofficially used as an off-lead dog park. Every single dog walking there is off-lead, which is incredibly stressful for her reactive dog.

This means that every time she tries to take her dog for a walk, she has to run the gauntlet of dogs racing up to her on-lead dog. And this is terrifying for her and her dog. She is close to retirement and her dog is big and strong and could easily pull her over.

Number one is always safety. Safety for the dog, safety for the owner. And of course empathy. Reactivity is not because you have a 'bad' dog, often the basis of the behaviour is fear. The best defence is a good offensive attack after all.

And so for many dogs, going for a short drive in the car to a quieter location can be much better, even if the walks are less frequent. And sometimes, no walks at all for a while can be better than those scary walks, at least until the overall emotional state improves.

What to do if your dog is reactive to other dogs or other people on walks.

12/06/2023

Good explanation of the Yerkes Dodson law as it relates to dog training. This is why a stressed dog or a dog who is over-excited or anxious can't learn.

Ideally we want a dog who is receptive to learning whenever we are trying to train. Unfortunately, many dogs who have an underlying anxiety disorder are stressed the majority of the time when they are out and about. And sometimes these dogs get called stubborn because all their training goes out the window as soon as there is a little bit of distraction.

https://youtu.be/jsva1bKdYQg

11/06/2023

This great infographic combines two of my great loves, the Play Way by Amy Cook and Lili Chen and her gorgeous Doggie Drawings!

The power of social play for our dogs can't be overstated. It gives us a way to interact that doesn't involve toys or walks (incredibly important for dogs who find the big scary world overwhelming) and encourages clear communication and the all-important skill of listening to what our dogs need in the moment.

If you prefer to watch, Amy talks about the power of play in this YouTube clip too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at65LzzwoUg