Tag Archives: dog

01/30/12

Socialisation: Not Everything

For so long, the message has been “socialise, socialise, socialise“. The idea has been that, regardless of the puppy you select, you should be able to socialise it into a happy, normal, well adjusted pup.

Markable Curly Coated Retriever puppies, socialising with some cows.

Markable Curly Coated Retriever puppies, socialising with some cows.

The more I learn about dogs, the more I am inclined to disagree.  I think we have hugely overlooked the role of genetics in determining many behaviours. While I will always advocate socialisation to get the best out of a dog, I think some dogs are genetically wired to be confident despite their socialisation experiences.

I have some anecdotal evidence to share with you.

I used to work in boarding kennels.  We had a pretty extensive questionnaire we’d ask new clients and, sometimes, owners would admit: “We didn’t really socialise her.”  Considering these admissions, most of these dogs were actually quite okay.  I can recall very few cases when these dogs were outwardly aggressive to people, and most were okay with dogs, too.  What kind of explanation supports this evidence?  To me, it suggests that these dogs were either genetically ‘good’ dogs, solid and confident, or genetically ‘mostly good’ dogs, which needed minimal socialisation to complete an adequate behaviour code.

Another example with my own girl, Winona.  Winona came into my household at a difficult time and got relatively little socialisation compared to other puppies that have come through my house.  However, she is a very confident dog.  She is tolerant of all handling, she likes all people, and though she is sometimes ‘overwhelmed’ by large dogs when she first meets them, she recovers well and interacts appropriately.  It’s clear that Winona is supposed to be a confident, happy, non-aggressive dog. Socialisation had, at most, very little to do with her as an adult dog.  Considering the confident, non-aggressive dispositions of her parents, I am not surprised.  Winona is genetically confident.

Mooch the Norwegian Elkhound

Mooch the Norwegian Elkhound – with us for 2 months due to her severe fear issues.

And then let’s consider Mooch.  Mooch was a foster dog we had last year for 2 months.  She was an incredibly fearful dog.  It took two weeks before my partner could touch her.  Once she was on my lap when a stranger approach, and she expelled her anal glands in terror (I didn’t even know this was possible).  From her history, it seems she was (almost) kept exclusively in a house for 2 years, being tended by immediate family, with few visitors and few outings.

It took very little effort to bring Mooch around to a near-normal dog.  She will never be perfect, but she didn’t take huge efforts or time to get her to be a decent dog. I took her out to tracking training with me a few times, and this is a very busy house – you need to get used to seeing a lot of people fairly quick!  You would think, from her history, Mooch would be impossible to restore to confidence.  I think Mooch was never meant to be a fearful dog –  I met Mooch’s parents and I have met few dogs as beautifully confident and contented.  I think Mooch was a genetically confident dog, with a hugely neglected socialisation period, that meant she displayed fearful behaviours.

Now, again, I believe  the environments and the genetics work together to produce the dog. I’d like to emphasise that I think socialisation is important, but not the ‘be-and-end-all’ of dog behaviour.  To me, the message of “socialise, socialise, socialise” is outdated.

I vote for a new slogan: “select, select, select”. I’ll explain in my next post.

 

01/21/12

Introducing Dulcie

I mentioned in a past post that Lucky wasn’t stay with us because we had a long term foster dog. It’s time for you to meet her.

This is Dulcie.

Dulcie the shar pei cross staffordshire bull terrier, upon arrival in South Australia

Dulcie the shar pei cross staffordshire bull terrier, upon arrival in South Australia

Dulcie was admitted to Queanbeyan Pound (New South Wales), and when her kill-date came around on the 6th of January she didn’t have any local options.  Adelaide All Breed Dog Rescue organised and financed her save, having her flown to South Australia, where she was then placed into my care.

Dulcie the shar pei x staffordshire bull terrier

Dulcie the shar pei x staffordshire bull terrier

She showed herself to be a very sweet loving girl, very people orientated. She knows ‘sit’ and uses it to demand attention (adorably!).  She adopted my fiancee, and spent most of the time hanging out with him.  She was a bit of a grump with the other dogs, but that’s okay – that’s what I have dog yards for.

But there was a big problem… Continue reading →

01/14/12

The Sin of Breeding Dogs

I’m in the process of socialising my puppy.  We’ve attended various places and am asked a number of questions. But the question I dread is, “When did you get her?”

My reply is, “I actually bred her litter.”

I’ve seen a number of faces go hard and critical when I make this declaration.  You can see their brains turning… They think about RSPCA ads about puppy factories, they think about shelter ads telling them animals are dying in pounds, they think about how irresponsible I am to own entire dogs.

When did dog breeding become such a sin? Continue reading →

01/12/12

Someone’s About to Get Lucky

Sometimes it’s the best ones that take the longest to home.  I think Lucky is fast becoming one of ‘those’.  The first line of her PetRescue profile is, “My name is Lucky and you’d be oh so lucky to have me!” – and I truly mean it.  She is one of the nicest dogs I have had come through rescue.

Lucky the rescue dog is looking for a new home in Adelaide, South AustraliaHer story goes: On Wednesday the 4th I received a phone call asking to take a surrender.  Lucky’s owner was sick and, though the owner’s daughter had taken Lucky on, Lucky kept escaping from the yard.

I drove to pick her up.  I was told that she was a 9 year old, heeler crossed with a kelpie crossed with a jack russel terrier – so I was surprised when a small kelpie-like dog bounced into the room with enthusiasm and youth.

And my first thoughts were, “I’ve struck gold here! This will be an easy rehome.”  Lucky was already desexed, so I had very little vet work to pay for, too.

The next day, I got her microchipped, vaccinated, and listed her on PetRescue.

And you know… I haven’t got one single enquiry! She’s been up for a week now!

For difficult dogs with big issues, I don’t mind if I don’t get many enquiries.  But for lovely dogs, with beautiful dispositions, and flexible needs, I do mind!  There is nothing wrong with Lucky!

Okay, so she escapes when left in a yard – but why would you leave her in a yard?  She’s toilet trained, she doesn’t chew things up, she’s perfect to leave in the house. Continue reading →

01/6/12

Do dogs want to communicate?

Say there is a dog without a tail (a natural bobtail or a docked breed).  People often say, “He can’t tell other dogs how he’s feeling without a tail.”

Let’s think about that comment.  With that exclamation, there are two inherent suggestions.  Firstly, the notion that dogs are consciously manipulating their body and, secondly, they are doing so with the intention to communicate.

Is it a colloquial slip of the tongue, or is that genuinely what we believe?

Two dogs playing

Photos © Ruthless Photos

Let’s think about dogs manipulating their body.  Clearly, we can train dogs to consciously manipulate their body.  We can train tail wags, lip licking, head turning, paw lifting, and many other complex behaviours that dogs would do naturally.  There is no doubt when dogs perform behaviours on cue, they are doing so consciously and so consciously manipulating their body.

However, when they are interacting with other dogs, are they consciously changing their body to reflect their emotions?  To me, I think this is a big fat no.  Do you consciously decide to put your grumpy face on when you’re feeling unhappy? Or do you consciously smile when you see a puppy?

Now let’s consider a dog having the intention to communicate.  From Googling definitions, it seems communication is defined as ‘passing on information’.  While this may seem simple, in reality, it’s quite a complex proposal.  It suggests dogs have theory of the mind.  That is, it suggests that dogs are aware that other dogs are aware – that they understand that other dogs are psychologically capable of understanding their emotions.

Though it’s nice and succinct to describe dogs as ‘wanting to show how they’re feeling’, in reality, they are probably not thinking much about it.  In all likelihood, their level of arousal and psychological state is changing their body physiologically, without their conscious thought, and other animals have learnt to interpret these.  At the most, dogs may have learnt to display some behaviours in order to elicit a desired response from another dog.  (For example, a dog may learn that snarling makes other dogs go away, or a dog performing a play bow make decrease the distance between themselves and another dog.)

Are you guilty of framing dog behaviour is communication terms? E.g. “He is telling us how he’s feeling.”

I admit that I do use it a lot, but mostly in classroom contexts. I do work talking to young children, from 4 years to 12 years, about dog behaviour and avoiding dog bites.  The succinctness of talking about a dog’s feelings is beneficial in this context.  However, with adults (particularly dog-savvy adults), I’d pick my words more carefully.