He is in Conflict!

Deuce brings his ball to me so that we can play one of his favorite games. As I am trying to get the ball from him, he tightens his jaw with the ball in his mouth. I remove my hand from under his chin and I turn away. No release of the ball, no throwing of the ball.

He tries again and this time he lets go of the ball. I throw it for him and he returns back with the ball “talking” happily through it and lying down with his favorite possession.

We play like this for a few minutes with me having to remove my hand as I ignore him for not releasing the ball. This is a perfect example of a dog being in conflict.

He wants possession of his ball, but he also wants me to throw it for him so that he can go after the ball and hopefully stop it from moving. Animals are in conflict all the time. It is an excellent survival mechanism to keep them safe. Most conflict involves having to make a choice amongst two or more options: Drop the ball or hold on to it, go say hi and get a treat or remain safe at a distance, etc.

Think of it, we are in conflict a lot of times as well. Should I order this entrée? Or this one? Or my third choice? Should I tell my friend that I saw her significant other with someone else or mind my own business?

For dogs, conflict for the most part, falls more in the realm of being safe but not always. In the case of Deuce and his ball it is more about guarding an important possession.

When dogs are in conflict they can engage in behaviors called Displacement Behaviors. They are called Displacement Behaviors because they are performed out of their normal context. Examples of them are yawing, but not because the dog just woke up from a nap; lip licking as in licking its chops, but not in the presence of food; or shaking their body as if wet, but the dog is not wet.

More typical examples are: dogs yawning when feeling uncomfortable about an interaction or an event, lip licking once or many times in quick succession, shaking, looking away from what concerns them, a paw raise -  sitting while raising a paw, lip licking or yawning, arching their body in a greeting, walking slowly or standing still when interacting.

Displacement Behaviors are also referred as “calming signals” - since it is commonly thought that animals engage in them in order to “calm” a potential threat. Or perhaps to calm themselves down when they feel threatened or nervous.

So far, there is no evidence as to the motivation (or motivations) behind them.

As the case might be, animals partake in displacement behaviors when they are in conflict. The conflict might be mild - keep the ball, release the ball or more complex as it would be the case of a dog that is afraid of someone’s proximity, but also wants the treats the person is offering. As you can appreciate, if the dog approaches the person while still concerned or afraid it might turn out that the proximity is more than the animal can handle resulting in aggression. This is always a bad situation for both parties!

Whenever I am working with a dog that might feel threatened by the interaction, my priority is to make sure I do not put that dog in conflicting as my safety depends on this.

So for example: I never give treats at close proximity to a dog when I noticed he is conflicted, instead, I throw treats AWAY from me in order to create some distance.

This procedure besides relaxing the dog a bit also allows me to ascertain if the dog is becoming more comfortable with the interaction as he chooses to come closer to me and remains relaxed. Keeping in mind that behavior is more of a movie – always running than a “still frame" is also very important - things can change in a split second.

The fact of the matter is that if we become more cognizant of the subtle, yet present signs of a dogs becoming stressed we could help the dog relax in all sorts of situations that elicit fear or concern such as interacting with new people, other dogs or “scary” stimuli in the environment by either giving them distance or changing something in the environment such as angle of approach, etc. or just allowing the dog to take its time in interacting when ready.

Daisy

A potential client calls to see if I can take her 4-month-old Lab for a few days. It has been a while since I had a puppy for B&T and frankly I am looking forward to it for my sake and that of my two dogs.

They arrive and Daisy now out of the car begins to investigate. She runs in her cute puppy manner towards me as if she has met me before and I am her biggest friend.

I noticed a big grin on my face. Ah puppies! You got to love their energy and amusing ways. And how about that puppy-breath?

Now it's Deuce's and Rio’s turn to meet Daisy. Daisy has not had any experience (besides her parents) with adult dogs so we are eager to see her reaction. I bring both dogs out and have them investigate Daisy while Daisy remains next to her owner and separated by a gate from both dogs as to not overwhelm her by their approach, and to give me an opportunity to asses her reaction towards them.

She pees a bit in submission but otherwise she is happy to interact and the fun begins. The three of them are play bowing, taking turn sniffing each other, running and just having fun.

Daisy’s mom leaves and I make sure that she is comfortable.

As part of the board & train we will work on some basic obedience (drop it, loose leash walking, off, etc.) as well as to continue with her housetraining, and dog & dog interactions.

Finally all tucked in the dogs fall asleep. Daisy in her big crate next to Rio - who is lying on her bed as close as she can to the crate.

The next morning as Deuce lays in the kitchen Daisy approaches him eager to play. I am watching them and noticed that Deuce either has not fully woken up or is frankly over the cute puppy. Daisy continues to pester him and he lets out a growl. Daisy responds immediately giving Deuce the room he is asking for. I had told Daisy’s mom that most likely Deuce and Rio would “correct” Daisy.

The thing is this. Well-socialized adult dogs will cut young puppies slack when they act crazy and rambunctious towards them. However, this license begins to fade once the puppy turns 5 months of age - the beginning of adolescence in most dogs.

Corrections by adult dogs must be gentle: A sneer or a growl and even a gentle physical correction should do the trick to having the pup mend his or her ways.

Daisy was corrected three times by Deuce when she was here – all appropriate corrections and she responded also very appropriately.

In one occasion she rushed towards Deuce as he was (again!) lying down. This time I did not see exactly what Daisy did to warrant his growl, but I am assuming that she startled him because he was lying down as she rushed towards him -  perhaps she might have even stepped on him.

When I turned around Daisy had moved away from Deuce and was now sitting all alone in the kitchen. Ahhhh, I felt sorry for her. I went to her, picked her up and brought her to the sofa with me. Two seconds later she had bounced back to her happy and confident self and was now gnawing on an antler-bone that I was holding for her.

The next morning, I was curious to see if Deuce would once again engage in play with Daisy and he did!

The beauty of well-socialized dogs is that they help socialize younger pups by teaching them social skills but they have an understanding of what is an appropriate correction.

Because of their lack of overall experience, young puppies can be sensitive to the harsh treatment of other dogs- especially adult dogs and one should make sure that the interactions that they have with all dogs are overall positive as to avoid a pre-disposition to fear when it comes to dog & dog interactions.

After seeing Deuce’s reaction to Daisy that morning I began to fully relax knowing that Daisy had learned some really good lessons and that she had the social skills instilled by her sibs to continue to positively interact with all sorts of dogs.

Before she left, I was hoping to get some cute photos of her. It was almost impossible! The results were images of half a puppy, or a moving head and paw. Disappointed at my images, I finally took a picture of Daisy that revealed a tired pup just taking a rest from one more play session with her newfound “buds”.

Practical Survival Guide to Canine Adolescence

Rioja: sit, leave it! Go to your mat please, no! Off the bed… thank you! Here….(Waiting, waiting…) Oh gooood girl! Get off the kitchen counter (really??!) Sush. Too bad for you… Time out!! (As I escort her outside for her 30sec. time out for continuous barking without a cause).

Ah, the throws of adolescences! Rioja is now 1 years old and smack in the middle of doggie adolescence. She has developed “selective hearing” and an ability to decide when to bark out of control as well as a fantastic habit of jumping on top of the kitchen counter. I have never been able to see her jumping up. I am curious to find out how much “prep” she must do in order to do so, I have “only” seen her on top of the counter scouting the lower elevations like a hawk.

She still cracks me up most of the time. And when I catch myself being frustrated with her, I remind myself that this part of adolescence is also fun. Dogs live such short lives that they move with the speed of a meteor through their development: Day one you have a puppy - puppy breath included, before you know it your lovely pup is already five months the crucial time when other adult dogs are not so lenient and begin to “correct” your cute yet obnoxious dog for inappropriate behaviors. Then in no time your dog has turned two and entering social maturity. Of course these stages are not fixed in stone, it varies with the breed of the dog and the individual. Larger breeds and males might not fully mature until the age of three.

Mind you that most dogs are surrendered at shelters during this period. Their owners get frustrated and not really knowing how easy it is to sail through an (almost) sane adolescences with your dog if  you only understood a few things…

During adolescences, dogs begin to explore their environment. They engage fully with all their senses. The pup that once relished being close to you during off-leash romps, now would much rather go see about a cat or another dog. Play between dogs also suffers especially in males who will squabble with other dogs. Squabbles between dogs are NORMAL dog behavior and development. It is actually rare to have a  male dog that has not been in a squabble. The good news is that most fights do not result in injury.

At home you might find, just like I am with Rioja, that your pups manners take a sharp turn downhill. For this reason, it is really imperative to continue working with your dog in basic manners. Ignoring the problem and the dog will only make matters worse! You might also witness how your once friendly-to-all-pup is growling and moving away from people. Please do something about this! Remind your once friendly pup that people mean awesome things for him/her: this is when the super yummy treats come out, or you get to play your dog’ favorite game, etc.

Keep in mind that in order to have a dog that feels comfortable around people of all kinds, we MUST continue with the socialization efforts- the same goes for dogs being friendly to (most) dogs… social isolation which in many cases becomes the norm once the dog leaves puppyhood, will be to blame if your now mature dog engages in displays of fear or aggression towards either people or other dogs.

The best approach for building your dog’s confidence and a smooth sailing through this stage is to incorporate little training sessions (we are talking 3 minute long training sessions) peppered throughout the day and immersed in your daily routine. For example: make sure your dog has ample daily mental and physical stimulation in the form of walks, off-leash romps (if appropriate), eating out of food-dispensing toys, an occasional class that you both enjoy. In addition, practice sit/stays when cooking dinner, wait at doors, and going in and out of the car. Permission to get on couches and your bed - if this is something you allow in your household.

Practicing leave it when it comes to undesirable objects your dog might pick-up during walks or at home. Make sure your dog gets to meet people while on walks or at least that he/she gets a morsel of food every time you both encounter someone in your walk. Invite friends over and practice safely with the UPS delivery person.

Now, it goes without saying that in order for you both to “practice” a given behavior it means that your dog has had prior learning of those behaviors. It is useless and unfair to ask a dog to do something when the dog has not had the proper training to learn a behavior you now wish to practice.

My advice here is that you honestly assess what behaviors (and in what context) your dog has had the opportunity to practice from puppy-hood. If your dog’s repertoire is not what you need in order to live a fun and relaxing life with him/her then by all means enroll in a class or do some private training. The saying: pay now or pay later really applies in this context.

When it comes to making sure that your adult dog enjoys the company of people and dogs, on-going exposure to these demographics paired with something positive is the way to go. However, if your dog has fear/aggression issues to either people or dogs please make sure that your dog is not put in a situation that he/she cannot handle. Get professional help since the problem will not go away.