This weekend we went sightseeing with Laika and Deuce in tow. As we found ourselves on top of the hill overlooking Villanueva Sate Park, we spotted a couple with two off-leash labs. Funny because I had just told John that one of the things that I love about New Mexico is that you can literally go hiking and not see anyone else – which is so different from hiking in northern California.
As John is yelling at the couple that it is okay for them to approach us, I stood in disbelief. Wait a second. I starting thinking: I realize you are one of the most gregarious people I know in the whole world, but don’t you remember that Laika is not comfortable when she is on a leash and a strange dog approaches her???
Lucky for us, the couple had other plans or common sense when it comes to on leash/off leash dog meetings, and they took a different path. We then continued hopping along down the path as I was thinking of the countless times people put their dogs in situations that the dog cannot handle. I believe for the most part that people are just unaware that their dog is stressed or plainly afraid as they insist that the dog…..(fill in the dots with any situation).
Keeping your dog safe and their lives stress free (as humanly possible, since stress is a part of life) takes awareness and commitment! This means that we first know our dog well and that we treat him/her as an individual. This is even more important if there is more than one dog in the family as it is easy to think of them as a “team” or a “group”. Dogs are as individuals as humans are (really)! And as such, they have different needs, so paying attention to these differences is really important.
Here is a list of situations that are typically stressful for (most) dogs:
1. Crowded spaces. For example, the art fair crawling with people and other leashed or loose pets.
2. Noisy environments such as your 3-year-old birthday party… ouch!
3. An unfamiliar place. For example, a hotel room when you go out to dinner. Yes, having your dog comfortable in his/her crate is such a nice alternative- if your dog is crated trained.
4. A dog that cannot escape any situation that from the dog’s point of view is threatening. That could be a reaching hand towards your “hand-shy” dog, just being petted by a stranger when your dog is really not that keen on strangers, or a specific demographic: men, women, toddlers, Asians… you get the picture.
5. Extreme temperatures.
And the list goes on.
This brings me to the topic of advocacy or parenting of your dog. When you know that your dog is uncomfortable in a given situation, take action! Remind the people approaching to stop moving towards your dog. Sweeten the nail-clipping session by using counter-conditioning: One nail clipped, one special treat, second nail clipped, special treat. ALWAYS following this order: scary/stressful stimulus followed by a reinforcement, which is something your dog really likes or would work for. In this example, it is totally appropriate to perhaps cut only one nail if your dog is really resistant to having his/her paws handled or nails trimmed. Come back in half an hour or even the next day to complete the task!
If these sort of efforts sound daunting, just think of the time when someone (think: intimidating boss, perfectionist teacher) cut YOU a break. Ah, not only were you grateful, but you probably excelled at the task at hand or learned more rapidly and effortlessly. The difference, of course, between us being in a testy situation and our dogs in a similarly uncomfortable situation is that we have more agency, that is: more ways of saying no! Our dogs unfortunately do not.
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