Who wins? Who Looses?

Life is really an ongoing set of evaluations and negotiations affecting those that are part of our lives, be it a child, friend, parent, and even our pets.

If reaching a consensus where all parties get something they want or need is difficult, imagine when there is one silent partner “sitting at the negotiation table.”

That silent individual is often our pet! Many times we make decisions that are convenient for us, sometimes, they might be necessary, but either way they affect our pets negatively. Okay, sure, life is anything but perfect, but still don’t we owe the same consideration to our "silent” partner the way that we would for a family member? Or a beloved friend? When making changes to routines, lifestyles, and the like?

In my professional work, I interact with lots and lots of different clients in a myriad of different situations. I see at times how the client’s needs clashes with the needs of their dog. I think that sometimes this happens just because clients are not professional dog people who might not know how to solve a given situation. They might not be able to come up with a solution that satisfies the situation in a way that both parties win. The good news is that many times, I see my client’s face light up when an idea that I produce seems to fit the bill. So it is not that people are selfish (some of the time at least) :) but finding solutions where everyone wins is not always easy.

So the pressing questions is: How can we  make sure that when we need to solve a problem or make changes in our lives, those changes support also the day to day needs of our dog(s)?

I strongly believe that education about who dogs truly are is really at the core of answering the above question. In my view, the only way that we can even have a chance in taking their doggy needs into consideration.

Here are some examples of situation where I see people’s needs not always matching the well-being of the dog:

Long hours at work… dog is taken to daycare everyday for the whole day! Can you even imagine how taxing this is for many dogs? While some dog & dog interaction is really good for most dogs, the daycare solution as a way of life, is for most dogs, really not that good. This excess of over-stimulation can really wreak-havoc on the nervous system of the dog.

Finding the “happy-spot” of mental and physical stimulation for our dog is really an exercise in close observation. Dogs, just like people, are individuals and so are their needs for social interaction. Some like a lot of it and some don’t. Same goes for dog parks. I have known of dog owners that continue to take their dog to the dog park even when their dog is clearly afraid of interacting with dogs because they enjoy the social interaction they get with other dog owners.

One solution would be to mix-and-match the day to day activities of our dog when long hours at work demand that they stay alone - basically in boredom or long hours of social isolation. The idea would be that the dog is taken to a reputable daycare (if he enjoys the company of dogs) once or twice a week on short days at work for us. The rest of the week, again a reputable dog walker can come by and give the dog some at home play or go for a walk.  Also, leaving behind an interactive food-toy will help almost any dog pass the longs hours with at least something interesting to do.

What about on-leash walks?

For the most part, these barely scratch the surface of the daily physical as well as mental stimulation our dogs need!  There is nothing wrong with this activity either but there must be some thought as to the real benefit our dog is getting:

Does your dog enjoy the activity? If so, how do you know? What can you observe that tell you your pal really looks forward to it?

Once on the walk, does your dog get ample opportunity to engage in the environment in the form of sniffing, peeing, etc?

Is your dog constantly being jerked around on the collar because he never learned not to pull on the leash?  Can you imagine being taken out on a “date” and receiving this kind of treatment? Yes, your dog is the one that is doing the pulling one can argue, but in all fairness, can we take the time and effort to teach him how not to do so, this way both parties can really enjoy the walk?

Perhaps you LOVE dressing your dog in “cute” outfits enhanced with a matching hair-bow and nail polish. Again, perhaps there is some benefit for this outlet. It means that the dog is being handled when the outfits are being put off and on - same for the hair-bow and this could be enjoyable for both parties. Nonetheless, we need to make sure the dog is comfortable with the handling which means that the pup was taught that handling feels good.

When you leave town on vacation is your dog also having a good time because you have made sure that whoever is in his care really is doing a good job and nothing less than you do for your dog on a regular basis instead of just looking at the expense of the sitter? Yes, pets are expensive and that should be considered before acquiring one.

Sometimes, of course, we need to do “things” to our pets that don’t feel good and yet they are still necessary. Say a visit to the veterinarian for some blood work, or remaining immobile because of an injury, however, the issue is hardly avoiding all “bad things” for our dogs as this is impossible. Yet we can still slow the decision process enough that we take into consideration how our decisions will affect our dog. True, this requires honesty and even generosity because at times, the best solution for our dog might not be the first thing that comes to our minds or the cheapest, easiest, etc.

Once a friend asked me who my client was:  The person? Or the dog? The answer is that the client is the one who writes the check- and so far, no dog has done so.  However, even though the person is always the client, my professional ethic requires that I advocate for all the dogs that I work with and frankly I think of this duty as an honor. As I see it, my job is enriched just by the opportunity I've been given to speak on behalf of the dog. What a privilege this is!

Front Row Seat

I am preparing my breakfast when I hear a low growl coming from Rio who is looking outside our living room window onto the front of our property. I glanced at her and I noticed her body in attention – just looking curiously. I go over to her and I ask her what’s out there.

Sometimes its rabbits, people walking on the ridge, or our elderly neighbor who treks down his long driveway to retrieve his newspaper. Ah, its Barry I tell Rio, as I call her away from the window. She abandons her post and comes into the kitchen following me like a 3 month old-pup. I give her some pre-sliced liver as a reinforcer for moving away from her front row seat position.

A Front Row Seat to a window looking out into the big, wide world can be not such a good idea frankly. Of course, it all depends on what is at the other side of the window. I recently met with a client who mentioned as part of our conversation that “dogs need jobs… [so] let him look out the window all day”… Not so fast I thought to myself. Having a dog looking out the window as a form of mental stimulation can surely backfire. Besides, we need to get a bit more creative and get off our butts in an effort to provide real mental & physical stimulation.

Of course, much depends on the dog and on what the sights out the window are.

If you are lucky enough to live in an area where all your dog will see are beautiful tree branches gently being swayed by the wind with an occasional bird flying over and for good measure the added sound of a babbling creek… then sure, go ahead have your dog look out the window all day if you want. Most likely, when you come home you will find a dog that is happy to see you and ah, so relaxed. Now, how many of us live in such an idyllic scenario?

Most people’s windows are facing a busy "something": their neighbor’s home (where most likely their dog is peeking out the window….), a busy street that has dogs being walked all day long, or just people walking – the list goes on.

When a dog is constantly being stimulated by things such as dogs, birds, squirrels or other people that he cannot interact with freely, he finds himself in a constant state of arousal and even frustration. Have you ever worked in an environment where you were constantly being interrupted? I have yet to meet someone who welcomes constant interruptions when they have to concentrate in order to get something done. This is similar with our dogs: too much or constant stimulation and the dog is not able to relax - to keep his guard down.

It is even worse when a dog has learned to bark and growl or has bitten as a result of a stranger coming into or being in close proximity of his turf.

As I see it, the thing to do is to take a few moments scouting your home for windows which can provide some stimulation for your dog when you are away and avoid giving your dog access to windows that will reinforce chasing and barking behaviors directed at passerby's.

Besides, if your dog has been mentally stimulated and exercised before you depart, most likely your dog will be happy to take a long well deserved snooze with little interest at the window.

But even in cases like this, providing our dogs with a more quiet (less stimulating) environment will result in a dog that is able to self-sooth because he is not constantly being bombarded with stimuli. I am lucky enough to live on top of a hill, with little “bad” stimulation.

Even so, I mainly manage Rio at the window when there is something exciting waiting to happen since Deuce could care less for her “front-row-seat". Whenever I have a client coming over or one of my classes and way before all the excitement is taking place, both my dogs are laying comfortably in their crates, away from visuals that will have them wanting to go say "hi". When appropriate, both dogs are invited to come say “hello”.

We also have daily short practices where we call the dogs away from the front window, even if it is for a split second so that when I need them to peel themselves away from the window they have some experience doing this but more importantly some reinforcement for doing so.

Whodunnit?

For the past few weeks I have been on watch patrol. Neither one of my dogs used to chew illegal items such as our shoes, but now Rioja has begun to delight in rubber. So far two of my shoes have fallen victim to her mighty strong jaws. As John likes to remind me every time our dogs act like dogs and engage in behaviors that we humans don’t find so fascinating… um, see it from the bright side… this will give you more appreciation for what your clients are going through… Yes, you bet! I have caught myself smiling sheepishly as my own managing plan fails once again leaving my shoes around for Rioja to find and chew.

Not that our house is messy with “stuff” all over the place, but since a few weeks back my house is even tidier. So besides having more understanding for my clients who report another chewed item, I have been busy implementing a plan of action in hopes that Rioja once again finds her own toys attractive and leaves

my shoes alone!

I think that in the last few days, I am making some progress and her taste for rubber appears to have been satisfied. She is eating out of frozen Kongs daily. This provides her with ample opportunity to chew and lick (rubber) and work for her food – there! You mischievous devil!

I also bought her (and Deuce) some hard rubber toys. Her toys are now rotated on a more frequent basis making sure that she always has access to hard toys that she can chew on or yes even destroy! I have made peace with that. And last I am more aware of her whereabouts. As I am busy writing this I realized she is not laying at her afternoon spot- the cozy pillow by the window, which provides her not only with some comfort but a spanking view… so I get up and go to look for her. I find her not too far from her “perch” half –asleep half aware of my camera (which I snatched as I went looking for her) on the sofa… ah, if only I was a dog….

All this new activity from Rioja has gotten me thinking about several things:

1. Our dog’s behavior is never static. It is always adapting to their surroundings and immediate reality.
2. They are not perfect thus we shall accept them with their “weaknesses” and we must take responsibility. (Pick after yourself) when they fail (mistaken MY possessions for theirs – as an example).
3. They need daily mental, social and physical stimulation or they will find it themselves.
4. We love them even though sometimes… we would much rather they get a job of their own to pay for broken items.
5. They make us laugh and keep us on our toes… implementing yet another fun game, getting us up from the chair to entertain.
6. Dogs remind us also that they are not humans thus their needs are different from ours. I can attest to this: I have never wanted to chew on flip-flops!
7. They will learn from their peers…

This last point is worth entertaining a little further. I always dreamed of being a private eye and thanks to my dogs (and my clients) I have the opportunity to investigate for possible cause, circumstantial evidence and

the like when something deviates with what we humans label as “normal” (read desirable) behavior from our dogs.

In regards to Rioja’s chewing of our shoes, I have to take into account that she began to chew on our possessions just after a cutie that we were boarding left our home. She had never before done so.

As a matter of fact all the destruction started when I left a pair of spanky-new sandals in my bathroom when we went out for dinner and while Rioja’s buddy was still with us only to come back to a chewed up strap on one of the sandals.

Is it possible then that dogs can pick up bad-habits (it is alwaaays bad habits) from their playmates? In other words, a case of: I see….now I must try it?

I am interested in the reasons behind her new acquired habit not so much to point fingers as to the culprit but because this incident sheds some light to the hidden life of our dogs - their social interactions with other dogs and to what their motivations might be in engaging in a new behavior. This case is not yet closed as I am still left wondering who whodunnit and a probable cause.