Let’s put this issue to rest, shall we?

I often get asked if it is “okay” to sleep with a dog in bed. This is one of the issues that is actually quite personal. Some people - I would say most people,  love sleeping with their dogs but other folks would rather not. And sometimes the “rather nots” do not know how to get their dogs off their beds!

The hesitation of having dogs in bed stems  - in my view, from the incorrect idea that dogs are statue thinking creatures and if we allow them on a higher ground (such as bed)  they will take the position of the “alpha”.  My answer to this line of thinking is to look for real evidence to this effect.  We could begin by investigating for potential problems while allowing the dog to sleep on the bed:  Is the person able to move the dog out of the way without having the dog respond by sneering, growling or worse, attempting to bite or bitting while on the bed?  Is the dog preventing another pet from also sleeping on the bed?

I would instead argue for the Parsimony Principle, which states -  that the most acceptable explanation of an occurrence, phenomenon, or event is the simplest, involving the fewest entities, assumptions, or changes should be applied here.

If folks then want to share their bed with their dog, they should go right ahead without any concern for their dog becoming the “dominant” or “alpha”.  There is, however, a consideration when the dog resource guards the bed as his own possession. This, of course, is natural dog behavior, but it could also be very dangerous.

Dogs are wired to “protect” what they consider a resource- something that they find valuable or want. A cozy place to lie can fall under this category.

When a dog resource guards a person’s bed, it is possible for the dog, in its effort to hold on to the possession, to sneer, growl or even bite.  If this was the situation, I would argue that having a dog on the bed at anytime is not a good idea.

I have worked with a couple of clients whose dogs would jump up on the bed and prevent one of the owners to get into the bed!

So what is the solution here?  If people are good about following with a management protocol, and closing the door to the bedroom is, of course, the easiest thing to do.

Alternatively, one can teach a dog an “off” cue that the dog learns as if it was learning a fun game. In essence, the dog gets paid for jumping of the bed (and staying off).  If the dog  jumps on the bed he is asked again to get off and then he is rewarded for doing so! Viola! Problem solved.

Another sticky issue arises when one person wants the dog in bed and the sleeping partner does not. This is a typical example of how folks have different expectations and relationships with their dogs, and frankly I think it has very little to do with one person  loving the dog more, and the other one loving the dog less.

Should you muzzle your dog?

While dogs that wear muzzles often carry the stigma of being “bad” or “dangerous” and while that is really unfortunate, muzzles indeed are tools that can often not only keep people and other animals safe, but they can also - believe it or not, improve the life of the dog wearing it.

ANY dog - and I cannot emphasis this enough, can bite and will bite if he/she thinks that biting is the best option to defend itself. Or as the case might be, if in some way biting has been reinforced in the past most likely and under very similar circumstances the dog will bite again if not taught to do something different (a better “choice” -let’s call it). This “better behavior choice” must also address the motivation for the dog biting in the first place.

In other words, biting has proven to work for the dog in the past.  Dogs use strategies that have “worked” for them and abandon those that don’t.  Hey, let’s give them credit!  How often can we say that about ourselves as we appear to stumble on the same mistakes over and over again.

The question as to when to muzzle a dog also should take into consideration legal implications. Of course, this might vary depending on the local dog laws, but what I can say confidently - and without giving legal advice, is that a dog with a bite history under his belt would probably represent more of a liability should the owner be sued than one that is a first-time offender.

Another important consideration in deciding if a dog should use a muzzle and where it’s in relation to a dog having badly hurt or constantly hurt another dog.  It is a fact that dogs will get into fights (just like people get into arguments) however most of these fights are not so severe (and I am not talking here about the emotional toll of being “jumped on”) that warrants the dog going to the vet to get stitches for multiple or profound wounds.  The severity of the bite is in fact one of the many conditions needed to be considered in using muzzles as a management tool. This is especially salient for dogs that live together.

Now, I am not for one second advocating that dogs that have such terrible fights that warrant the ongoing use of a muzzle should remain living under the same roof. Keeping the dogs safe physically and emotionally under this very taxing situation is close to a nightmare and rarely impossible to execute with 100% reliability. Professionally I would advise as to what the best course of action might be for dogs that are injuring one another as a case-by-case basis where a lot of factors need to be understood and addressed.

However, I would most certainly advocate that any dog that has a history of injurious or multiple bites MUST be taught to be comfortable (and even enjoy) wearing a muzzle as part of a behavior modification program, and in many cases a way of life for both the dog and the owner. Of the upmost importance as well is that the dog wears a muzzle when in public.

Now the good news is, that yes, indeed, dogs can learn to enjoy wearing a muzzle. Dogs can learn pretty much anything. I would argue that a dog should not wear a muzzle if the preliminary work that takes to teach him to be comfortable with the muzzle has not been done. What happens is that when most dogs are fitted with a muzzle without a preliminary well thought out plan that is also well executed we are de facto setting up the dog to have a bad association with wearing one and now the quality of life I was referring to has gone by the waste side.

Unfortunately, for the owners of dogs who have already bitten the stigma of having their muzzled dog in public constitutes an ongoing PR nightmare.  My clients whose dogs have bitten someone and now wear muzzles in public tell me that at times strangers comment to them for being “responsible dog owners” (BRAVO! Stranger) while also, strangers are not shy in telling the owner that they “should” put to sleep such dangerous dogs!  Without knowing anything about the dogs, its history, etc.  How unfair this is.

Yes, ignorance about the ethology of dogs is really rampant. Add to the mix, the deep-seeded fear that humans have of animals that can potentially bite and you end up with a judgmental person that does very little to support the efforts of indeed responsible and educated dog guardians.

In my perfect world, we all see dogs for who they really are: A-MAZING!  But also, potentially biting machines that can produce a bite with great force in a split of second. In my perfect world, dogs are taught before they even have a bite on their resume, that muzzles are fun and potentially having to wear one is no big deal, and it might indeed just be the ticket to continued play with other dogs, being walked in public, etc.

Also, in my perfect world, we stop judging people for muzzling their dogs because after all, they are the ones that love that dog, that know that dog and the ones that need our support and admiration instead of our sharp tongues.

Final note: The ONLY type of muzzle that a dog should wear is one that is fitted properly and that allows the dog to pant (literally open its mouth comfortably), take treats and even drink some water. Yes, maybe this will have to be modified by giving the dog water via a water bottle squirting some liquid out instead of the dog drinking out of a water bowl.  Dogs can only regulate their body heat by panting and their paws, so if the dog cannot pant while being exercised- even when it is cool outside, it won’t be able to regulate its body temperature.  You now have a potential emergency situation or worse, the dog dying of heat stroke. The muzzle to use is called (a) basket muzzle (pictured in this entry) and are not the ones that groomers and vets use often in their practice.

Playing & Training for Reliability in Predatory Behaviors, part 2

As a continuation to last week’s post, here are some specific ways by which you cannot only give your dog a “legal” outlet for predatory behaviors and up your chances that you will be able to stop your dog from chasing after wildlife, cars, etc.

As I stated last week, predatory behaviors, which in plain English means food- acquisition behaviors, are naturally ingrained in dogs. As with any natural or pre-installed behaviors it is fair to say that if you can’t beat them - join them. We will never extinguish genetically pre-disposed behaviors, so our best chance is to work with them to achieve our goals.

In essence, when we engage our dog in any of the predatory behaviors, and here they are again for your recollection:
Search (find prey, mainly by sense of smell)
Stalk (sneak up as unnoticed as possible)
Rush (move suddenly towards prey)
Chase (run after the fleeing prey)
Bite/hold/shake/kill the prey
Dissect and eat the prey

Or better yet, engage the dog in a few of these we can then teach a lot of self-control and use the behaviors above as reinforcers.

Perhaps you have a dog that is crazy about balls and retrieving. Not just throwing the ball for your dog over and over again, instead have your dog hold still for literally a few seconds just before throwing the ball and then release him to go after it. And yes, having him bring it back to you is always nice so that you can continue playing – but not part of what I am after here.

As your dog gets the hang of what you are asking of him - stillness before exploding after the ball (prey) you will begin to extend the time he must hold still before you dismiss him to go after the ball. Work systematically. Build the behavior slowly, making sure your dog can hold it and waits for you to release him.

Once he is nailing this, sometimes you'll want to ask for more time of stillness and you will also throw some real easy ones with no still time before release.

That is step #1.

As your dog has learned for your release cue and is anticipating being released, pretend you are going to throw the ball for him but just before doing so, use the same verbal cue you have used for the stillness and be ready for your dog to slow down or even stop and turn to look at you. When he does, even if it is nearly a fraction of a second reinforce him by throwing the ball and release him again with enthusiasm.

You will continue to practice this sequence over and over again. Important though that you also just throw the ball for him without asking him to wait, stop, etc. otherwise you might ruin the retrieve in your dog. If you work with a tug, which I so highly recommend, install the “stop” the same way as above, by having your dog wait in stillness (sitting is optional) before you engage in the game again - the reinforcer. If your dog is very much into the tug you can throw the tug a few steps away from you and send your dog to retrieve to bring back to you for more fun. Once this routine is in place, throw the tug farther this time, but ask the dog to STOP as he anticipates you sending him and then release him to get the tug.

With consistency, fun in mind and clear directions, you will slowly build the behavior so that you will now ask your dog to stop when he is already going after the tug/ball.

This is much, much harder than we think so do not be greedy in asking for too much too soon. Work for success: your dog being responsive to your verbal cue close to you and not already in motion.

The farther away the dog is from you, the harder for you effectively have him stop and better yet, come back to you for a release.

Last, let me give you an idea of how I work with Deuce and Rio with either the tug, ball or whippet (a long line with a toy attached at the end of it) so you can have an appreciation of the variety of behaviors we can work on, level of difficulty (really!) and brilliance of the dogs.

Either tug or ball:
Begin the game with the dog only if under self-control (for me sitting is optional, sometimes I take a down or ask for another behavior from them all reflecting self-control.

Play for a few seconds 15 sec approx.
Throw tug away or kick ball
Say: Get it!

Give my verbal cue of STOP, which means that: do not continue moving/chasing…
Release dog with.....

Get It! After they had stopped on their tracks (what a beautiful thing! :))

At times, as my dog is running back to me with a toy or ball to begin the fun again, I might just turn around and either run or pretend I am running away and have the dog chase me and catch up to me. When they do we begin playing again.

I also take turns throwing the tug or ball dismissing my dog to go get it, but then, I call the dog all the way back to me. If you think of it, this is such good practice in the event you come across wildlife that you don’t want your dog chasing. You call, they come and at that point you can leash them or keep them safe otherwise.

Once they come to me I let them go after the toy. The answer is no - in case you are wondering if chasing after wildlife is ever an option for them.

I find this kind of training super fun, challenging for all involved and the best way I can think of in having a fair chance of stopping our dogs from chasing wildlife. Keep in mind that just doing this kind of training once in a while or moving “forward” without building on previous successful steps first will not amount to much. As in life… you reap what you sow…no shortcuts or magic formulas!