Size Matters!

I was called to a case where a large dog weighing 50lbs had killed a smaller dog weighing only 10 lbs. The details of what happened were somewhat sketchy since my client was not there to witness the event. As best I could, I gathered information from third parties to try and understand what happened.

This is actually quite important because based on the facts I could give my recommendations for how to proceed with the large breed in the future presence of little dogs. It appears that the Chihuahua was a victim of Predatory drift. Predatory drift is related to predation, but is not the same.

Predation is defined as a sequence of behaviors fulfilled in order to acquire food (hunt).
The identifiable behaviors that are part of the feeding sequence are:
• 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

All canids exhibit some or a few of these behaviors at a given time. Even our dogs that do not hunt for survival anymore can exhibit part of the predatory sequence; this is hardwired. Predatory drift, on the other hand, refers to an instinctual reaction that a dog might have when another animal, such as another (smaller) dog, is identified as
prey (food).

When a (small) dog feels scared or threatened by a larger size dog, either in play or in another type or encounter, the small dog might begin to act as prey by yelping in a high pitch tone, barking, running away from the large dog, etc. In turn, the larger dog may interpret this sort of behavior as coming from prey (another animal he might stalk, chase, grab, kill, etc.) and not a small playmate. Predatory drift happens very quickly, so quickly that preventing it is nearly impossible.

So as you can see by the definitions above, there is a different motivation (hunt/feed) than if the larger dog had injured  or in this case killed the smaller one as a result of aggression.  There are many definitions for aggression but for our purposes here, I will define aggression as:

The intent to harm as a result of protecting oneself or to protect a resource from others. Even though the definition above is very specific (again one can argue there are more “reasons” why animals can be aggressive) I think that with few exceptions they all fall within the realm of protecting oneself or protecting resources.

The situation described above with the two size-dogs had other interesting components. According to witnesses the large dog approached the small dog in a friendly manner, the small dog, which was on a leash, apparently started to move away from the large one.  I am not sure, if he yelped, cried and was even able to run since he was on a leash and the fact that the dog was mortally bitten in the stomach.


When dogs fight they normally do not bite the belly.  Most bites are delivered to extremities, the face including ears or the side of the body.  When dogs actually engage in food acquisition behaviors, they dissect their victim which it appears to be what happen in this instance.

Predatory Drift is actually more prevalent than people think it is.  When I was attending the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dogs Trainers, I remember very clearly Jean (Donaldson) saying that everyone (in the industry) has had either direct experience with  Predatory drift or knows of someone that has. I also remember how one of our instructors at the Academy owned a Greyhound who was lovely and very well mannered. However, this gentle giant was never off leash at the dog park. Not so much because he would not come back as his recall was quite good and he was now a “retired” Greyhound, but because his owner was very aware of the chance of his Greyhound- a sight hound, engaging in Predatory behaviors towards smallish dogs.

While there are some breeds that can in a pinch exhibit predatory drift all of them as canids have the possibility. The difference (this is a real interesting part…) lies in which of the stalk & kill sequenced behaviors a particular breed will engage in more readily a consequence of the genetic make-up and the “job” or genetic bias of the breed.

Here is an example: Border collies and other sheep-herding dogs have a very “strong” stalking behavior (as a breed - of course there is always differences within individuals) but rarely will they go from the stalking all the way down the sequence to the kill.  They are not “finishers” an industry term.

What is also really interesting is that if they are engaging in a given behavior of the sequence, yes the sequence always take place in the same order… and one interrupts  the dog, it cannot move forward with the next behavior but has to go back to the beginning…  Love those Border collies!


In any event, the take home message is that we all should be aware and educate others about the real possibility of a small dog being injured as a result of Predatory Drift. In addition, it is my recommendations that we do our part in taking the necessary steps when our dogs - be it because of their size, small play companion and or breed to prevent this misfortune.

I will keep my recommendations to my client and his dog a suspense - suspense makes  life interesting, no?  At least until someone is curious enough to post on the blog asking for the answer. :)

Behavior Chains

John asks me in the morning how he can best teach Rio to jump from a “pretty” position. A pretty position is a dog sitting on her hind legs with the torso erect. As you can appreciate, this requires quite a bit of core strength and stability. I give John a few pointers - mostly what not to do :) and I leave it at that.

A few days later he shows me the progress with Rio, who is more than happy to oblige. A true case of me doing most of the feedings, the training, the care and the worry, and John being the one that gets lots of goo-goo eyes from Rio.

What John has taught Rio is a perfect example of a behavior chain. A behavior(s) chain is a number of behaviors that are executed in the exact order one after the other. The interesting thing about behavior chains is that the behavior to follow is a reinforcer for the previous.

Behavior chains happen often. Sometimes unbeknownst, people train their dogs to perform a behavior chain. One that they wish not to have in the first place. So let’s look at when we want behavior chains and when we don’t!

We want to train behavior chains when we have a specific and desirable goal in mind, like John’s. When each of the behaviors in the chain are taught to fluency (the dog can perform the behavior in a myriad of situations and has proven to understand the cue with no guessing on the part of the dog) they are then put into the “chain” or order of events. There is more to this technique than I am describing here, but for now this suffices.

Great examples of chains are the ones found in agility. The dog has learned, and is also aided by the handler, to perform one obstacle after the next. During trials since neither food nor toys are allowed while the team is running the obstacle field, it is the engagement with following the obstacle that will provide the reinforcer for the dog to continue working with no other motivation at hand. This can be achieved by teaching the dog, while training, to tackle each one of these obstacles without fear and enjoyment. Of course, running full speed is highly reinforcing for most dogs so this might be another component in motivating the dog to run the agility field.

Now, for behavior chains that are not so desirable abound. Here are some examples: Dog is taught to sit after jumping on someone. Now, the dog jump/sits! Dog demand barks. Owner treats the dog the nanosecond the dog stops barking, the dog resumes barking, the owner treats the dog immediately after the dog stops barking, dog resumes barking… and around, around we go… And my favorite one (not!)

Dog pulls on leash, dog release the taught leash to come back to owner’s side; dog pulls again to self-correct into a loose leash. This is called the “yo-yo” effect.

What is the trick to NOT end with an unwanted behavior chain as described above? First, observe what the dog is actually doing: jumping, barking or pulling, then decide what we want the dog to do instead. Now, with these specifics we now separate the reinforcer (treat, game, etc.) from the first action, so that it only serves as a reinforcer for the behavior we want – the second one.

If I want the dog to sit when saying “hi” instead of jumping and sitting, I wait until the dog has remained in a sit for at least 2-3 seconds and then I pay. So the question is: what am I paying the dog for? Sitting! And not jump/sit.

This is where the fact of consequences having to be pretty immediate after the behavior we want to increase helps us out.

Once a behavior chain is established, it might take a while for the dog to learn the new routine. Be patient with your dog, since after all, you probably taught the behavior chain in the first place.

Do sharpen your observation skills and the timing of reinforcing, and in no time your pup will be executing behaviors you actually want.

Collecting Dogs

While speaking to a potential client over the phone, she mentioned to me that her third dog had “fallen on their laps” as they had rescued this young pup from a really bad situation. For me there is no need in repeating the details of animal abuse… I know it happens, but repeating them with gory details makes me sick to my stomach and sends me into a Buddhist refrain: It is (life, circumstances) what it is. Truth be said that this mantra is about the only thing that can give me some consolation when I hear the sad state of affairs, especially when it involves the innocent - such as animals. So please excuse me if I stop you on your tracks should you begin to tell me about stories of abuse… la, la, la, I don’t want to hear them as I put my hands to my ears, la, la, la, I sing to avoid hearing.

I have some theories about why we feel the need to repeat these stories but I will not get into them in this post, instead I want to talk about what hearing about other people’s dogs can sometimes do to me - this is regardless if they have been abused or not.

As my client is describing the dog, which is a young rowdy pup - oh I love rowdy because I see so much potential! I begin to feel, well… jealous? In truth I begin to covet her pup. I want this pup for me! And this has  happened on more than one occasion. So it brings me to the next line of thought: How many dogs is one too many to share your life with? Notice I did not use the verb “own”.

How does one know (trainers: this question is specifically directed to you…) when adding one more dog is really not such a great idea because you already have “x” number of dogs? Or you do not have the time to train and properly care for them? Or the money to take care of all the medical needs that sure enough will arise at some point in the life of the pup?

It is, of course, a personal question that merits an individual response; this I get. I am not trying to sound moralistic. Then again, we do need to be aware of what dogs need in order to make their lives not just a bunch of days one followed by another, but truly great.

I have some trainer friends (I love you all) that have been collecting dogs. They told me that what happened was that they got dog number “x” as an agility dog and their dog either was not as good as they thought – no one's fault, this happens, or their dog got old, injured etc. So instead of getting rid of their dog, which is completely fantastic, the dog continues to be a part of their family. And, they decide to get another dog in hopes that they can continue with agility, nose work, herding or whatever their passion in dog sports might be.

I have other friends who have adopted a dog that they met when volunteering at a shelter. One particular dog had some “issues” that a trainer friend of mine wanted to address. Big kudos from me to my friend because living and working with dogs that have severe “issues” is no picnic.

Now, let’s pause for a moment. Can anyone agree on what the right number of pets night be? I think not. Every household is different, pet parents are all different, with different goals, lifestyles and bank accounts. In addition, one might argue, dogs are social beings so having an always-there pal is kind of doggie-heaven for most of them, so bring them on!

On a personal note, I am as big a sucker just as anyone of my friends that I'm writing about. I honestly feel warmth in the belly when I see photos of super cute puppies from the local shelter… which one do I want, which one do I want, can’t decided… as if selecting a pastry or chocolate at the bakery.

My compulsion is not only because pups are super cute (there is a reason for this too you know) but also because as a trainer I see potential - a challenge. I want to see this dog transformed into a very happy and well-behaved companion. Someone I want to spend a lot of time with. It is kind of crazy isn't it? Now, having [only] two dogs - super cool both of them: Deuce and Rioja, I am coveting a very small dog. Think Chihuahua - a very different kind of dog for me. What is keeping me from adding this small creature to our family are simple practical things that only a Virgo of the worst kind (yes, I am a Virgo… kind of a drag) would consider. Where would he stay when the other two larger dogs are playing outside in the fenced-in-yard that has big enough holes that my (imaginary) Chihuahua could easily fit through? What about this little guy getting injured by a client’s dog that has ill manners? Or if I am walking with Rioja (mid-size) and Deuce (a bit more than mid-size) will my small Chihuahua keep up? And how about if we come across coyotes?

Besides my tedious ruminations, adding a third/ additional dog to a household unleashes a change in the dynamic already established by the resident dogs. With dogs there is without a doubt also a preference for friends and playmates and a real period of adjusting. Having to share toys, attention, resting places all take a toll on dogs. I guess the point of this “conversation” is not so much, at least at this point in the conversation, if should I get a third dog but experiencing my desire for yet another dog.

Thinking about the logistics of everyday living has given me a mirror to my soul. Don't you believe that if we pay attention to our relationship with our animals, they have the capability to mirror back to us? For me at least, (would LOVE to hear what you folks out there experience…) dogs are a perfect vehicle for reflection. My relationship with dogs (and specifically my dogs) ties me down in obligation but it also liberates me because I experience lots of joy. Our relationships also give me an opportunity to address my fears and aspirations, which in my book, is the hallmark of true friendship.