Animal behaviour and welfare: Dogs Part 1

DOG BEHAVIOUR BASICS: PART 1

Origins: Dogs and Society

By Dr Clive Dalton

Origins

• The dog's ancestors evolved 35 million years ago and the modern dog has been traced using DNA in hair samples to a small group of female wolves living in East Asia some 15,000 years ago.
  
• Man developed much later - some 3.5 million years ago and the dog was first on the domestication list. A recent hypothesis is that man and dog evolved together for long periods with man losing his sense of smell as he relied more on the dog.

The wolf pack

• The wolf is a pack animal that hunts and lives communally and wolves have a very clear social hierarchy which was very similar to the human family. So wolves easily slotted into the early human family lifestyle.
• The wolf pack is led by an alpha male and alpha female (order can reverse), and there are constant challenges going on in the pack such as these:
• Young males are always fancying the top job.
• Young males start to work their way up the order to the top.
• Young males dominate young females.
• Changes in order when new adolescents come into family.
• Changes when old members leave or die.
• Females protecting their young.
• Females keeping the top male to herself.

Dog's benefits to early man
It's easy to imagine a stray wolf cub brought home and becoming a family pet followed by breeding and selection for many traits useful to man. For example the domesticated wolf could provide:

• Companionship and entertainment - a play mate for the children.Protection - it would warn of strangers. Selection for barking would take place.
• Hunting - the wolf would assist in the chase, especially appreciated by older humans as their speed was reduced by infirmity.
• Warmth at nights - Eskimos talk of a 2- of 3-dog night.
• Work and power - dogs are willing workers and can carry and pull loads.
• Effluent disposal - the early dog would also keep the house area clean, and eat human effluent.
• Meat and skins when it was slaughtered.
  

Recent DNA analysis

With recent DNA analysis, some scientists make the point that the relationship between humans and dogs makes no evolutionary sense. The DNA analysis now disproves the speculation about how man domesticated the wolf, and that the dog's hunting and herding instincts developed by selection long after domestication.

Then it's now accepted that today's wild dogs did not evolve from the wolf, as they are more social than wolves which were always loners to protect their territories to maintain a food supply. Modern wild dogs don't have the clear hierarchy seen in wolf packs and are much more social with a variety of dominance and submissive relationships. Neither do they have a strict territory like wolves do.

Impact of man on the dog

• Consider the different types of dog we have today. There over 200 breeds ranging in weight from less than 1kg to about 100kg.
  
• The question to consider is - have we've made genetic progress as perhaps some of these dogs (which many veterinarians consider have genetic defects) should have been euthanased and not saved for future breeding, or to form a new breed?
• There is big money to be made if you breed a new genotype - and you have exclusive rights to it. You can use cloning to multiply it so it's maybe time to ask "should there be laws against further genetic change in a "wrong" direction?
  
• Who's opinions do we accept and who needs to take control over what is done.
  

Dog's benefits to modern man

This list seems to get longer each year as people find new challenges for dogs and train them to achieve amazing feats well beyond the ability of man. Here are some examples:

• Farm working dogs handling livestock of a wide range of species. Without them, much land could not be farmed - e.g. New Zealand hill country.
• Used by conservationists to find pest species and feral animals. They can be trained to be very host specific so can find the species being protected for monitoring.
• Trained to locate game, and retrieve it when shot.
• Trained as guards to live with livestock and protect them from predators and thieves.
• Trained as "seeing-eye" dogs for the blind.

• Dogs guarding property that they see as their territory.
• Search and rescue dogs to find people in avalanches and earthquakes.
• To help people with impaired hearing.
• Helping the disabled by pulling wheelchairs and doing simple chores.
• Police dogs used to search for drugs and to find, attack and hold offenders.
• To find people on land and across water –e.g. the Bloodhound and Newfoundland respectively.
• Customs and Biosecurity dogs used to find drugs, fruit, etc.
• Used to find truffles buried under the ground in orchards - traditionally done by pigs.
• Trained to find the sites of old chemical dumps.
• Military dogs to locate landmines and explosives as well as the enemy and snipers.
• Trained to use their acute sense of smell to detect cancer cells and chemicals (ketones) from the nose of patients pre-seizure.
• Companions to young and old.

The dog in modern society

• After seeing the good things dogs do for man, it's important to consider the "problems" they cause in our sophisticated modern (urban) society.
  
• But if you ask an Animal Control Officer about "dog problems" they'll remind you that they rarely see dog problems, - they deal instead with "people problems" as dog owners are the cause.
  

Examples of "dog problems" as man sees them

These dogs bark all day at anything passing by, as their human pack leaders (owners) are at work. From their viewpoint - they're doing a great job, and they also alert all the other dogs in the street to warn them of potential threats.

These dogs bark during the night too to warn their pack leaders of threats. But the owners are either deaf or don't care about neighbours and never stop them barking. The owners originally got two pups to be company for each other when they were out at work - so now they are two bored adult dogs instead of one - along with very annoyed neighbours who can do little about the problem under the law.

• Dogs frightening people -rushing at people and biting them.
• Damage to property when their owners are out at work.
• Barking and annoying neighbours when their owners are away.
• Wandering. Dogs that run away and cause annoyance as they move around.
• Feral dogs living in town and country and threatening people, their pets and livestock.
• Harassing, mauling and killing livestock.
• Reproduction. Producing endless unwanted puppies that are dumped or handed to SPCAs to dispose of.
• Obesity. Grossly overfat dogs and dogs with other dietary problems.
  
• Confusion. Dogs are confused by their owners. It appears as if the dogs think they are human and the humans think they are dogs!
• Hierarchy confusion. The dog is confused about where it stands in the household as the rules are not consistent.
• Faeces in public places which other dogs then add to.
• Territorial aggression - where dogs attack to protect their home range.
• Genetic aggression - dogs bred for aggression that when stimulated savage anything they see as a threat - people, other dogs and livestock.
• Over-stimulated scatty dogs that annoy owners and visitors and can become aggressive.
• Mutilation required by breed standards e.g. tail and ear docking. Also "debarking" dogs by veterinarians for owners who cannot find another solution to their persistent barking dog.
• Problems caused by breed standards that require veterinary treatment - jaws, teeth and birth problems.
• Sexual habits - leg mounting and sniffing people.
• Dogs in the human pack.

Dogs are pack animals
Dogs prefer to live with dogs which is often a surprise to humans! Here are some important points to remember:

• Dogs like clear simple rules that are consistent.
• Dogs understand dogs! Humans can be very confusing.
• Dogs interpret human behaviour in a canine way and humans interpret dog behaviour in a human way.

The human pack from a dog's viewpoint

• Humans change clothes every day.
• Humans are not consistent in the way they smell.
• Humans change moods regularly.
• Humans are inconsistent in what they do each day.
• Different members of the human pack often have different rules.
• Humans can love you one moment and hate you the next.
  
• Humans make a fuss of you to show their love, and then go away and leave you.
• They die, split up and move house and cause confusion. (These are the three greatest man-dog bond breakers.
  

So when human shows inconsistency, then a confused dog is tempted to take the lead to sort things out and regain consistency.

Animal behaviour and welfare: Dogs Part 2

DOG BEHAVIOUR BASICS: PART 2

Dog’s senses: Diet: Communication

By Dr Clive Dalton

Vision

• The position of a dog's eyes on its head varies and this has important implications for its visual perception of things in its environment.
• Generally dogs have 70% more peripheral and 20% narrower binocular vision than humans.
• Hence dogs are more aware of movement at the side of their heads and they need to move their heads more in order to focus.
• Dogs have an ability to see movement 10 times better than humans. We use this in training with hand signals to reinforce voice commands.
• Slight movement of your hand or body can over stimulate a dog - so watch for raised arm that the dog may see as threat.
• Visual discrimination of detail and silhouette is not as good as the human.
• Dogs have poor colour reception and inferior awareness of detail.
• Dogs can clearly differentiate between levels of brightness.
  

Hearing

• Hearing ranges from 20,000 to 50,000 cycles per second (cps). Humans peaks at 20,000 cps. So dogs can hear ultrasound.
  
• As a general rule, dogs' hearing is about four times better than humans so a dog can hear sounds at 25m that man can only hear at 6m.
• There are silent dog whistles used by some handlers. We hear this sound they make as a low hiss.
• Visual clues are useful to indicate to the dog where a sound came from.
• Dogs don't understand English -they hear sounds. So vary the sounds you use to command a dog.
• There is no need to shout at a dog! Use loud sounds for reprimands and soft for approval.
• Dogs respond to a "happy voice" when given with other positive signals.
• Keep auditory signals simple.
  

Smell

• The dog has a highly developed sense of smell - 1000 times better than humans.
• Dogs can smell a fingerprint on glass up to 6 weeks after placement.
• Dogs have a Vomeronasal Organ (VNO) near the hard palate that provides a third chemical sense so it's almost tasting a smell as well as smelling it.
• The dog does not show a Flehmen response like the cat.
• The dogs acute sense of smell is a major cause of "human" problems.
• Smelling bitches on heat at long distances.
• Finding carrion to eat and roll in.
• Smelling strangers as a threat and biting.
• A new theory says the dog's great ability to smell was a reason for "joint evolution". Man lost his sense of smell because the dog as part of his tribe, did the smelling for him.
• Smell is a vitally important part of dog communication when meeting. Dogs greet each other first nose-to-nose (naso-naso).
• Remember the importance of smell when dogs meet humans - hold the back of your hand out to a strange dog to smell.
• The dog's anal glands hold its complete CV. So after the naso-naso greeting, dogs proceed to smell each other's anal region (naso-ano).
  

Touch

• The early life of a dog is one of touch and smell as it is born blind and with poor hearing.
• Hence touch is an enormous bonding feature among dogs and is one of the highest rewards you can give a dog.
• It is the key to bonding with humans during training and you see it with huntaways at dog trials - leaning on their handler for reassurance waiting the start.
• Farm dog trainers don't need a pocket full of treats - they use touch and voice tone to communicate their messages.

Where to touch an unfamiliar dog
The top of the dog - head, scruff, back and tail are all "dominant" areas. It's where other dogs grab in fights. Until you know the dog, touch it on low-down areas.

• Don't grab the scruff.
• Don't pat the top of its head.
• Don't pat its shoulders.
• Don't touch its tail.
• Pat its chest and under its jaw
• Avoid eye contact at the same time.
  

Diet

• Dogs eat only during the day unlike cats that eat both day and night.
• In operant research when dogs were given a free choice of diet, they preferred warm sweet sloppy foods, which is not surprising because after a kill, the wild dog first eats the guts and stomach contents.
• Wild dogs also prefer variety in their diet and are omnivores (eating both animal and plant foods).
• Wild dogs will usually eat every second day so why do many pet dogs eat every time the owner eats leading to obesity? It seems very hard for them to refuse feeding a begging dog.
• What do we give our dogs? We feed dry biscuits from the bag and cold dog roll from the fridge.
• But we must realise that humans purchase dog diets. Research shows we use human standards about what we think will taste nice and be wholesome for the dog.
• Farm dogs have been underfed for generations on frozen mutton and scraps which are deficient in some important B complex vitamins.
• Biscuits are widely promoted for their convenience as a feed and as "complete diet".
• Working dogs are athletes and need high energy diets. Pet dogs do little and many really need starving - but don't suggest that to the owner of an obese pet!
• The principles of nutrition are simple - you feed the dog to meet its nutritional needs.
• Note the difference between "wants and needs", as dogs will only stop eating when they are full. They don't know when their nutritional needs have been met
  

Dog communication

• Being a pack animal, communication is vital for survival and dogs use a very wide range of body and verbal signals to communicate.
• Examples are body posture/tail/eyes/hair/teeth/yawn/trembling
• You will recognise the welcome "smile" when a low ranking dog meets greets you. They turn their upper lip up to expose their teeth.
• The wagging tail is not always a sign of happiness - it shows that the dog is prepared to interact with the stimulus - good or bad.
• Eye contact is important to show dominance. Don't eyeball an aggressive dog.
• Dogs need their tails to give a wide range of signals. So why are some breeds docked and are the human reasons justified?
  
• The Kennel Club approves the docking of 45 breeds of purebred dogs that are customarily docked.
• Smell is vitally important to dogs. But sniffing can get out of hand and become a problem for humans.
• Dogs love rolling in carrion and faeces to send messages to other dogs - and the dogs think their owners as pack members will appreciate it too!
• Remember the importance of the anal gland in indicating the dog's status.
• Territorial scent marking is vitally important in dogs, especially in males to denote territory and warn off strangers.
  

Animal behaviour and welfare: Dogs Part 3

DOG BEHAVIOUR BASICS: PART 3

Reproduction: Birth: Early life: Socialisation

By Dr Clive Dalton

Huntaway bitch with large litter walking away as she's decided feeding time is over.
Note her good body condition - but this sized litter and the heavy milk drag will quickly thin her down if she's not fed properly and the pups supplemented.

Reproduction

Bitches

• Bitches reach puberty from 6-9 months old.
• Mature bitches have two heat periods a year.
• A bitch has a lengthy period of pro-oestrus (before her heat). It's a useful warning to owners as it triggers the attention of males from miles around, living in hope.
• "Standing heat" when she will stand to be mated lasts 5-12 days.
• After a failed mating, a bitch can have a false pregnancy and not show heat for 3-4 months. This can be very confusing for the owner. She gets fat, shows nesting behaviour and produces milk for up to 60 days. But there are no pups born!
  

Signs of oestrus in bitch

• Males sniffing her vulva and rear end.
• She may urinate in presence of a male.
• She may urinate by leg cocking like a male.
• Males show excitement, especially if many are present.
• Vulva is red and swollen - sticky mucous and blood may be seen.
• She may stand and then race round in a play mood.
• She may mount the male with pelvic thrusts.
• When on standing heat she will stand with back curved and tail on the side - called "presenting".
  

Dogs (males)

• Reach puberty at about 6-9 months old.
• They do a lot of mounting in play when pups.
• It's best to bring bitch to the dog's environment to save his time investigating and scent marking the strange environment.
  
• Owners of stud dogs generally like the bitch to be right at standing heat so the job gets over and done with in as short a time as possible. Otherwise the bitch has to be brought back again.
• Some bitches just don't like certain dogs, and vice versa and you end up with a big fight instead of a mating.
• Entry occurs with trial and error and during thrusting; the dog stands on alternate back legs in a paddling action. This is when ejaculation occurs.
• The bulbous structure on penis locks him inside the bitch for 10-30 minutes. During this locking, secondary ejaculation may occur when most of the ejaculatory fluid is expelled.
• The dog may turn round in locked position. It's no good throwing a bucket of water over locked dogs as so many people believe. You just have to wait.
  

Desexing - castration and spaying
There are many reasons for desexing:

• To prevent breeding
• Stop wandering
• Reduce aggression
• Reduce urine scent marking
• Stop mounting other dogs or people

Studies show that it successfully does all these, so why then are there people who don't bother?
There's a huge human psychology problem, especially with large human males with large dogs - they seem to imagine their masculinity will go with the dog's!

• Desexing can be done as soon as 8 moths of age.
• It's not true that a bitch needs to have a litter before spaying.
• Desexing does not make dogs less-loving of their owners.
• Desexed working dogs will still work effectively.
• It's not true that desexed dogs will become obese. Like any other dog, they will if the diet is in excess of their needs - not their wants.
  

Birth

• Labour can last from 2 to 12 hours. Seek vet advice after a few hours if you suspect problems.
• The bitch lies on her side showing rapid and deep breathing.
• After each pup is born, she licks it, chews at the birth sack and may eat it.
• She is constantly checking her vulva and licking it, watching for the arrival of each pup.
• She rests between deliveries and my ago to eat and drink.
• Disturbance during whelping will delay the whole birth process.
• Pups are born with poor hearing and blind, and remain so till about 3 weeks old.
• Pups seek the teats by touch and smell.
• If they get lost, the bitch directs them back to her by licking.
• She responds quickly to pups giving panic squeaks, so be careful if you pick one up.
• The bitch tends dead pups like live ones and it may be days before she ignores them.
• The bitch spends a lot of her time keeping the nest area clean and pups learn this habit early in life.
• The bitch ingests the pups' faeces and urine.
• Don't go near a whelping bitch without the owner being present, and let the owner puck up the pups for inspection.
  

Pups' early life

• Pups are unable to walk at birth but they soon learn to crawl around the nest and show side-to-side head movements. This behaviour is to find warm bare skin and hopefully teats.
• The bitch encourages her pups to move back to her teats by licking them.
• If they find a cold surface they retreat and if held in space they squeal, so keep pups in contact with you. It's called "contact comfort".
• The pup's first vocalisations are squeaks and grunts used to express discomfort and hunger. Barking can start as early as 18 days when they start to bark as part of early play.
• Teat seeking is accompanied by low grunting noises.
• Pups always live with the danger of being crushed. When a good mothering bitch lies down she may ignore short squeaks but will investigate more persistent ones.
• About 4 weeks old pups start interacting with litter mates and their mother and they start barking and tail wagging at this age.
  

Socialisation

• The period 4-12 weeks is the critical socialising period for a pup.
• Neglect of this leads to many problems when dogs get older.
• Pup should meet as many "environmental experiences" as possible at this time and you cannot overdo this socialising experience.
• Examples are: other people, other dogs, children, noise, vehicles, - everything you can think of!
• During this exposure the pup must be kept safe and secure - and constantly reassured by owner.
• Playing with children will not spoil young working dog pups as some old shepherds believed. When a child handles pups before weaning, make sure the dog's owner is at hand to reassure the bitch.
  

• Up to 5 weeks old pups readily approach strangers. After this they show avoidance behaviour until about 8 weeks. This is nature's way of protecting them from predators by an "anxiety period" which lasts up to about 12 weeks.
• The best time to take a pup as a pet is from 6-10 weeks, so it's had time to socialise with its own kind and can then develop a good social bond with humans.
• Hierarchy starts to develop during suckling when big pups compete for the best front teats. Litter runts have problems as they inevitably end up sucking the hind teats with the least milk supply.
• Once the bitch discourages suckling, emphasis moves from teats to muzzle. Pups lick their mother's muzzle while adopting a crouching posture.
• This is to encourage regurgitation of food as seen in wild dog behaviour. It's the reason your dog licks your face when you come home - it wants to you regurgitate your lunch!
• The leader-follower bond in a successful pack is not based on fear. Low order members seek out top order members for regular body contact. That's why a dog will beg to come back to you for a pat after a reprimand.
  

Some useful socialising tips

• You need to dominate your pup and this is best done as part of the socialisation period.
• Using non-verbal physical handling can be used using these methods:

• Elevate - hold the pup up at eye level
• Invert - hold it upside down at eye level
• Straddle - hold it between your legs
• Prone - (see picture) lay it on the ground and gently hold it down. This is very easy to do and the pup feels secure.
  

• In all the above actions, when the pup shows panic, reassure it with gentle patting and low voice tones.
• When it struggles, shake it by the scruff and growl like its mother would do. Then provide reassurance.
• Discipline must be immediate - a delay of a few seconds is too long, as the pup will not associate the punishment with the crime.
• Do you want your dog only to accept food from you? This needs to be taught in this early socialisation period.
• If you feed the pup yourself it will associate you with control of its food supply. This is also a good idea these days to stop your dog being doped or poisoned.
• Interrupt the pup during feeding. Take the food away, then replace the food and give it plenty of praise.
• Don't call a dog to you to administer discipline. Discipline must be instantaneous.
• Don't change the rules or let anyone else change them and make sure the rules are applied similarly by everyone in the family.
  

Greeting you should receive from a well-socialised dog

• A vigorous welcome.
• Ears held back.
• Head and body in slightly lowered position.
• Tail held down but wagging.
• Mouth open and lips drawn back in a grin.
• Licking your hands and face.
• Some dogs will even lie on their backs and urinate.
  

Faeces and urine

• This is a major reason for man's love/hate relationship with the dog. We love dogs but don't like their faeces on our shoes!
• Well-adjusted dogs are taught by their mother not to foul their nest and home territory, so that's why they go next door to eliminate.
• Females from pups to adults squat to urinate and they do the same to defaecate.
• In males urinating and defaecating are also part of scent marking.
• Only after 5 weeks do male pups learn to cock their legs.
• Bottles filled with water do not put dogs off fouling your front lawn.
• Dogs can easily be taught to defaecate on a specific area of their territory, and even to defaecate on command.
  

Animal behaviour and welfare: Dogs Part 4

DOG BEHAVIOUR BASICS: PART 4

Man-dog problems

By Dr Clive Dalton

Dogs want to be dogs!
There are no such things as “dog problems” –humans are giving the dogs grief, not letting them behave as dogs! This then disrupts the human’s life – which they see as a dog problem.

So dogs see life differently to humans and these “dog property laws” (From Pet NZ, Issue 21, Dec-Feb 2002-2003) are a great way to start thinking about this.

Laws for smart dogs:

• If I like it, it's mine.
• If it's in my mouth- it's mine.
• If I can't take it from you, it's still mine.
• If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
• If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
• If I'm chewing something up - all the pieces are mine.
• If it looks like mine, it's mine.
• If I saw it first, it's mine.
• If you are playing with something and put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
• If it's broken - it's yours.
  

1. Separation anxiety

• As pack animals, dogs need company and they need a clear hierarchy with strict rules. In this they feel safe and contented.
• Separation anxiety is a massive problem as more people have dogs for a multitude of reasons including security, and then have to leave them and go out to work.
• One third of all households have a dog, and 1 in 4 marriages end in divorce. There are probably as many splits in de-facto relationships so dogs becomes traumatised by all this human behaviour.
• Death of partners, separation and divorce are now major threats to a happy man/dog relationship.
• Humans make it worse by feeling guilty and showing this to the dog by making a fuss on leaving and when arriving home.
  
• The dog becomes totally neurotic, and totally bored so starts to wreck the place.
• The trick is to get the dog to realise you will return, and to just go away and relax till that happens - that's the theory! It's not always easy to achieve.
  

What anxious dogs do

• Dig in pot plants.
• Dig in the garden and bury toys.
• Chew furniture.
• Chew the car interior
  
• Barking, barking and more barking
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Ignore the dog when leaving.
• Start by standing up dressed for work, rattling keys etc.
• Then go out the door and come back in again without fussing the dog.
• Repeat this at a longer interval - coming back in without fussing the dog.
  
• Never make a big fuss of your dog when coming home.
• Get everyone else to stick to these rules.
• Get the dog used to being in a room on its own.
• Employ a dog walker to take the dog out for you.
• Get another dog as company - but this may double the problem!
• Try an electric collar or spray.
  
• Never use surgical debarking!
  

2. Phobias

• Dogs can easily develop a wide range of phobias or fears.
• Examples of causes are thunder (very common), gunshots, people, other dogs, other species like cats, polished floors, hot air balloons, fireworks.
• Phobias are generally a "conditioned emotional response" and the challenge is to re-programme it.
• Phobias can be hard to get rid of and may take a lot of work to re-build the bond with owner.
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Go back to basics and re-socialise the dog.
• Try "habituation" - expose dog to the phobia so often (with reassurance) that it gets used to it.
• Try to "desensitise" the dog from the fear by repeated exposure and then "counter-condition" it as something new.
• Try "flooding" - giving the dog so much of the stimulus that it gives up exhausted and realises it has survived and is OK.
• Your veterinarian may prescribe drugs to reduce anxiety.
  

3. Aggression towards people

• Sadly this is an increasing problem these days with crime increasing.
• It has legal consequences as you are responsible for your dog's actions under the Dog Control Act.

Under the NZ Dog Control Act a dog is only considered dangerous if:

• There is evidence of an attack
• There is sworn evidence of aggressive behaviour
• The dog owner admits their dog poses a threat
• The DCA says that dangerous dogs must be:
• Securely fenced
• Muzzled in public
• Desexed and the owner has to pay a higher fee.
• BUT at present there no specific legislation to control them.
• Aggressive training may have been deliberate for guard dogs.
• Aggression is a very nasty problem as it is often unpredictable.
• Poor socialisation of pups is the most likely cause of aggression.
• Most often aggression to humans is territorial:
  
• Within the property
• Outside the property - dog confused about its boundary.
• Dogs can often start biting after successfully attending puppy training, where food rewards and lavish praise are used. They expect (demand) this all the time which leads to aggression towards the owner.
• Dogs may clearly discriminate who they bite in the family - caused by varying rules by different members.
• Aggression to humans is often hard to fix. You will need to re-socialise the dog which may not be possible.
• Police dogs may start to enjoy aggression and get out of control. The need to be re-schooled for the handler to regain dominance.
• An aggressive dog will always be a risk and should be muzzled in public.
• Euthanasia an option but this depends on owner who is usually the cause of the problem!
  

Possible cures/prevention (Dominance aggression)

• Determine the cause of the aggression - and fix it.
• Vets say 30% of cases have a medical cause.
• Punishment will only make things worse.
• Get the cooperation of everyone involved with the dog.
• Re-establish yourself as the absolute pack leader.
• You may have to walk away - avoid the confrontation and find another way.
• Check the dog is not being teased. Some people think they are training and in fact they are teasing the dog.
• Keep doing this at every opportunity - feeding, play etc.
• Ignore the dog when it seeks attention - YOU decide this.
• Use frequent grooming to add dominance.
• Prepare the dog's food but don't let it eat.
• Let it eat in sight of you eating, but make it wait.
• Make it last to leave a room behind you.
  

Possible cures/prevention (Fear aggression)

• You‘ll see it in a dog which is very timid and scared of strangers.
• May be fear of men or a different race of people.
• The dog may have been beaten so watch rapid arm movements to avoid attack.
• You will need to start and re-socialise the dog to others - could be a long slow process.
• You may need help from a stranger. Get them to walk past, then feed the dog but with no eye contact.
• Work on this till dog can face a full frontal eye meeting with the stranger without being aggressive.

4. Aggression towards other dogs

• This is often seen in very dominant dogs when they are on their home territory or away from it and they'll defend their territory or property.
• It's not just large dogs - small dogs can be equally aggressive.
• Usually found with male-male or female-female combinations, but some dogs will be aggressive against any dog.
• Usually found with male-male or female-female combinations, but some dogs will be aggressive against any dog.
• Caused by poor socialisation of pups and these days it may have been done deliberately.
• It's dangerous as it's often unpredictable and may take the dog's owner by surprise.
• Keeping dog on short lead and choking it can make it worse, as it interprets discomfort or pain as being the other dog's fault.
• Humans can get injured sorting things out and large vet bills and legal costs can result.
• You'll need to try to re-socialise the dog to other dogs and this may need specialist help and considerable time.
• If all else fails, euthanasia may be the only solution for very aggressive dogs.
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Get back to basics to re-socialise the dog to other dogs.
• Get your dog under better control on the "come" and "stay" command.
• Try to deflect the dog's attention when potential trouble approaches.
• Always keep your dog on a lead, but don't choke it on a short lead.
• Don't hit it when facing up to another dog - it will blame the dog
• Recognise dogs that will never agree to get on so avoid contact between them.
• Recognise breed differences and the importance of genetics and environment.
• Neuter aggressive males.
• Discuss drug therapy with a veterinarian.
• Get the dog used to wearing a muzzle - this will take time.
• Euthanasia may be the only solution for very aggressive dogs if you realise your legal responsibilities to victim.
  

5. Fear of other dogs

• It's mainly a problem of poor early socialisation.
• Pup may have been kept isolated with little handling until completing their vaccinations usually at 16 weeks of age. This is too late.
• Dog may have been mauled when growing up.
• Caused by owners preventing their dogs having social contact with another dog. For example owners of small dogs lift them up when they meet large dogs suspecting danger.
• It may be a breed or strain problem.
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Proper socialisation of the pup.
• Take to dog obedience training to meet other dogs.
• Use a friendly dog to meet and build confidence during a walk.
• Keep them walking and active.
• Feed dogs together from separate bowls at end of walk.
• As you progress, bring bowls closer together at end of walks.
• Include more dogs in the next walk.
  

6. Fear of humans
The cause of this is poor socialisation when a puppy.

Possible cures/prevention

• Use food to make contact with the dog when it's hungry.
• Put the dog on a light lead.
• Get stranger to walk ahead of dog holding out food but not to face the dog.
• Let the dog get closer to the stranger who keeps walking.
• Then get stranger to offer food face on with your assurance.
• Build up positive bond with stranger and dog.
• Test dog with other strangers - don't trust the dog.
• Chewing furniture and fittings.
• These dogs chew house furniture and car interiors and it can be very expensive.
• The cause is generally boredom and separation anxiety.
• It may also be caused by severe stress and an attempt to escape - e.g. a dog locked in a hot car.
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Don't give a pup or dog old clothes or shoes to play with. Teach it to play only with its own toys you have given it.
• Dogs can't discriminate between new and old.
• Provide company or challenging toys for the dog in the owner's absence.
• Teach the dog to accept that special toys belong to the owner - take them off the dog and show that it's in a bag or box.
• Don't make a fuss of the dog when you leave it on its own, or when you return.
• If you have two dogs, don't let them have a tug-o-war over items - they may start this when you are out.
  

7. Wandering (roaming)

• This is usually seen in males looking for sex.
• It's also seen in dogs looking for company.
• It may be a dog looking for food such as an underfed lactating bitch that is hungry.
• The dog may be wandering off to worry stock.
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Find the cause and work out a strategy. Think like dog!
• Castrate males leaving home regularly to look for sex.
• Keep dogs in secure areas so they cannot wander off, dig their way out or jump the fence.
• Use an electric fence or electric collar for a while where they are escaping.
  

8. Stock worrying
Some valuable research was done by Dr Garth Jennens from Murdoch University in Perth, WA. Here are the key findings:

• Any dog is capable of killing sheep, and the fact that it's back home in the morning is no proof of innocence.
  
• Attacks can happen anytime but 80% are between 5am and 7am. You cannot breed this killing instinct out of the species. If you did they wouldn't be dogs!
• The image of killer dogs going around in packs is a myth. Ninety percent of dogs that kill sheep are pets, working on their own or with another dog and they come in all sizes and breeds.
• You can't predict which dogs will turn out to be killers. They can be pets for years or your top working dogs, and then all of a sudden something triggers off a desire to be a dog and go out and hunt to kill.
• One common factor to all sheep killers though is that they are wanderers. So if you have wandering dogs near stock, you can very easily have a killing problem. Wandering dogs are the key.
• Most dogs that kill sheep don't have a mark on them. This is because after their bit of fun, they regularly go and have a swim and cool off. Check the collar (if they have one - most don't), as blood stains can be seen in the leather.
• Killer dogs have a set pattern. They enter and leave properties by a set route, and have usually been around the area they kill in for a few visits before they get to work.
• These dogs are predictable and stick to their pattern. They like to travel near water or up valleys where scent is funneled down to them.
• The cold of winter and the heat of summer are the off season for sheep killing. It's more comfortable at home! But the cool of the Autumn or the freshness of Spring get them going. They like the damp spell after rain and the full moon for their sport.
• You can predict the breed and size of dog from the kill pattern such as where the sheep is attacked. Experienced dogs will actually kill a few sheep and not maim many.
• Learners will maim a great number but not be able to kill any. Dogs have got to learn to kill sheep - and they do some awful damage while they are learning. If it's a food kill, only one sheep will be killed. Generally it's all a big game of chase and catch for the dog or dogs.
• A dangerous combination is a large and small dog. The big dog heads and catches and the little fella goes in for the kill. Heading dogs and terrier combinations are lethal. They can be very cunning too and quick. Many of them can disappear and kill a sheep or two in no time and nobody notices them disappear.
• The real long-term answer is to start and educate children about how dogs behave and their responsibilities as owners of animals. It's no good trying to educate those with closed minds.
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Know exactly where your dog is at all times.
• If you live in a rural area - be particularly vigilant.
• "Stock proof" your dog when a pup - i.e. train it to leave stock alone.
• Use an electric collar or electric fence to stop wandering.
• Castrate male dogs.
• Once dogs have killed stock - they are never safe. Euthanase them.
  

9. Catching stray dogs
Having to catch a stray dog is not easy, but it's a very basic part of an Animal Control Officer's job. Here are some points from a New Zealand Dog Control officer's experience:

• Dogs you see running around the streets are generally of two kinds.
• They are dogs that are just having a quiet wander out of boredom.
• They are dogs that are running away.
• It's important to realise that they need to be treated differently.
• The quiet wanderers are not stressed - they're having fun. They see the street as their extended territory, especially if they have scent marked all along it on previous visits.
• Their dog territory ends at their last scent mark - not at the human territory of the garden gate!
• Dogs running away are usually more stressed as they realise they're off their territory and could run into threats such as other dogs or humans.
• Being chased can be seen by friendly dogs as a game - so use it to catch them. Run after them and then turn round and run in the opposite direction.
• For dogs that appear to be under threat, reduce the threat to the dog.
  

Try this to get them to come up to you without fear:

• Crouch down to their eye level.
• Get down even lower - even lie on the ground if not responding to your crouching.
• Talk to the dog in "happy" tones.
• Regular wanderers are very "street wise" and they recognise a uniform and a truck, as the last time they saw and smelled one, they had an experience they didn't like.
• Smell. Dogs have long memories, particularly of smells and their associations.
• The person trying to make friends may not smell to their liking, and will be different to their owner's smell. The human's breath and crutch smell will certainly be different - and the dog will pick up strong messages from both areas.
• So don't wear strong deodorant.
• Dogs that are a big threat are generally too cunning to be approached so have to be cornered and caught with a pole which requires considerable experience.
• Totally feral dogs or town dogs that are hard to find need to be caught in traps.
• Dogs worrying stock can be shot, but study the details in the Dog Control Act.
  

10. Scent marking

• This is usually a problem with male dogs on leads that want to stop at every upright structure.
• They urinate as high as possible to leave a "large" dog impression.
• Scent marking is often associated with turning round and scratching backwards.
• Urinating is a means of defining territory which is a strong male innate trait.
• Scent marking is seen regularly when a dog is anxious or threatened - before a fight or with strangers in the house.
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Increase dog's activity and extend its territory. This may include visitors so the dog does not see them as novel or different.
• Reassure the dog inside the house to remove anxiety and perceived threats.
• Try to remove threats from territory outside the house.
• Try immediate reprimands when seen - but they must be immediate.
  
• Use an electric dog collar.
• Use an electric fence to protect areas used by visiting dogs.
  

11. Defaecating

• Dogs don't naturally foul their den area and pups learn this early in life.
  
• In the first stages the bitch encourages the pups to eliminate by licking their genital area and ingesting any faeces and urine.
  
• Then the pups wander outside the den and eliminate there. The have this reinforced by their mother and they use smell to direct them to the toilet area.

Possible cures/prevention

• Take the pup outside frequently to a designated area with plenty of toilet smells, especially after meals and sleeps.
• Restrict the pup's area so it has a clearly defined "den" area and a "toilet" area. Even in high-rise apartments, the principles are the same - teach the dog to find the designated toilet area.
• With an adult dog, keep reinforcing the toilet spot by restricting the other areas of the garden - the dog is either in its extended "den" or the "toilet" area until it re-learns the rules.
• The problem of dogs fouling the neighbour's garden is simply a natural tendency - the garden is just a nice distance from its own territory. Plastic water bottles don't work but an electric fence does!
  

12. Jumping up

• This is a really annoying habit which too many owners happily accept.
  
• Jumping up is an enthusiastic greeting that gets out of hand.
• The dog enjoys you patting its head, so much it jumps up for more.
• It also jumps up to greet your face and lick it.
• Responding to the greeting reinforces the dog’s actions and its energy– the dog takes it as your enthusiastic approval so gets even more excited and jumps up more.
• It can be dangerous as their claws can scratch and damage skin and clothing, and they can easily knock over children and scare them off dogs for ever.
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Go back to basics and reinforce the sit and stay command.
• When greeted, totally ignore the dog, and don't touch it anywhere – give it negative signals.
• Turn your back on the dog when it tries to jump up and walk away.
• Don’t acknowledge the dog.
  
• Reward it for obedience by NOT stroking its head, nose, scruff, shoulders or back.
• Leave its leash on the ground and stand on it when it jumps.
• Keep a water pistol handy and squirt it in the face when it jumps.
• Keep your hands and arms out of the way and stick you knee out firmly towards the dog's chest when it jumps up.
• Put the dog on a leash before opening the door to strangers to prevent the dog's over-active greeting. Make it sit well back from the door and until the visitor is inside.
  

13. Sniffing people

• This is often a part of the jumping up problem above.
• It's seen mainly in large dogs with a nose at human crutch height.
• Visitors are of special interest as they carry new and interesting smells.
• Women’s smells are of special interest to male dogs.
• Smaller dogs jump up, but they are not such a threat.
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Avoid over excitement of the dog on greeting.
• Don't pat the dog's head as it will see this as a compliment and continue with greater enthusiasm.
• Reprimand the dog at the puppy stage as soon as you see it start.
• Reprimands must be instant.
  

14. Leg mounting

• This is a problem of male dogs that have not had companions so see their owners as substitutes.
• It's usually most common in smaller dogs such as terriers.
• They can be very determined and develop clasping skills so as not to fall off - even when kicked! The more you kick the harder they hang on.
• It starts with puppy play and develops from there.
• Visitors are often caught by surprise as they don't expect it and the dog sees them as fair game.
• The habit seems to start with pups as part of play and they'll often mount other objects like rugs or stools.
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Remove the temptation.
• Distract the dog's attention when it starts - noise or water spray.
• Give an instant reprimand from the first time you see it happen.
• Put the dog on a lead and shut it away.
  

15. Car sickness

• This can be very stressful for both owner and dog.
• It's true motion sickness and the animals needs to get used to it just as in humans.
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Start off when dog is a pup by making short journeys.
• Let the dog out for fresh air and exercise often.
• Let the dog think the car is part of its home. Give it feed and water in the vehicle.
• Get someone to sit with it for security to discourage whining or barking.
• Spray the upholstery to prevent stress digging.
• Put the dog in a cage or crate inside the car or use a car box outside the vehicle.
• Use dog seat belts, especially for large animals
  

16. Chasing vehicles

• This is a very frustrating problem and can be hard to cure once established.
• It's part of the chase and kill instinct. Border collies are the worst (or best)!
• Dogs get very smart and you cannot bump them as a possible cure!
• The faster you go to get away - the more the dog likes it.
• They also try to bite tyres which is especially dangerous for cyclists.
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Come down hard with discipline as soon as you see the problem starting in puppies. Pups will soon learn from an older dog.
• Don't leave dogs loose around vehicles. Tie them up.
• Get help to give dog a disincentive when it takes off in the chase.
• Water pistol, toy, food, choke chain, electric collar.
• It may be too hard and too late to cure a dog, so euthanasia may be the only option to prevent a serious accident to both dog and humans.
  

17. Pulling on the lead and not walking to heel

• Here dogs won't walk to heel for more than a few seconds, and then take off and drag the owner along. It's a very common sight - dogs taking their owners for a walk!
• Dogs like to work. They love to pull and it seems to be an innate trait and has been used throughout history for man's benefit - sledge dogs and dogs for disabled.
• What happens is that when you pull back, the dog pulls forward, using the strongest part of its body -the neck and shoulders.
• When the dog pulls, it changes its stance and posture, which is unhealthy for it.
• It can be very frustrating for owners and dangerous if dog is large
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Go back to basics and teach the heel, sit and stay commands.
• Never let it go through a doorway or gate infront of you. Make it sit until you go through and then call it to sit again and wait.
  
• Never let the dog go silly, jump up on you before going for a walk. Make going out a serious business of the dog obeying pack rules.
  
• You need to use a positive stance all the time- giving the dog the message that YOU are the pack leader and will lead the pack.
  
• You'll need to do this on the lead first, so the dog learns why you expect that behaviour.
• If you cannot trust it, keep it on a very short choke chain and walk very slowly then at different speeds so the dog must learn to keep pace with you at all times. Hopefully it will get tired of being choked and learn to walk beside you. This may not work with a large strong dog.
• Choke chains can be abused and you need to use them pulling forwards not backwards.
• If you can trust the dog not to run away, make it walk at heel without a lead and use treats if necessary. But using treats can be a nuisance - it should learn without them.
  
• Then put the lead on - keeping it loose.
• Use a "halter" on the animal's head to give more leverage to hold it back. Make sure the halter fits correctly or the dog will hate its eyes being touched and will rub its head along the ground all the time.

18. Excessive barking

• There's nothing more disrupting to good neighbour relations than dogs that bark all day - and often all night too.
  
• It seems as if the owners of barking dogs never hear them! It's becoming a greater issue as people who go out to work all day seem to think that a dog, or dogs will keep their property safe in their absence.
• An Australian study has found three main causes:
• First. Breed:Herding and working dogs (e.g. Border Collies) are worst as they have huge amounts of frustrated energy which they express in continual energy.
• Second: Young dogs (under one year old) are more likely to keep on barking than older dogs. The younger dogs are more attention seeking from their owners and bark to get this.
• Third. Dogs kept with another dog are more likely to bark than a dog on its own.
  

Possible cures/prevention

• Chose the right kind of dog - take veterinary advice.
• Recognise what a major problem 'separation anxiety' is if you go out working all day.
• Take professional advice on how to train your dogs to deal with this anxiety.
  
• Check regularly with your neighbours if your dogs bark during the day and are a nuisance.
• Teach you dogs to stop barking on command when you home.
• It is illegal in New Zealand to have dogs surgically de-barked.
  

Welfare of racing dogs

• People are not as concerned about the fact that dogs like Greyhounds genetically bred for racing would prefer not to run fast. They were bred to hunt, which is a natural trait in any dog, and using them for racing over short distances is not seen as a welfare problem.
• The same would apply to foxhounds, deerhounds, otterhounds and beagles. The welfare of their pray is another issue that must also be considered under the law.
  
• Attitudes to racing dogs is very different to that of racing horses.
  
• The problem: The Greyhound racing industry's concern is what breeders do with dogs retired from racing, that still have many years of a healthy life left.
• The ideal is to find good caring homes for them, but even if you like Greyhounds which make good companions and have a large house and area to keep them, there are always more dogs than homes.
• So a large number of healthy dogs have to be euthanased, and this is seen as a welfare problem.
• The same applies to hounds, and apart from carers needing large premises, the bark of a hound is not something neighbours enjoy at all hours of the day and night.
  

Dog training - some basic principles

• Socialise the pup properly.
• Teach the pup a name, and the "come" command when feeding it.
• Play with the pup to build a strong bond.
• But do NOT over stimulate it during this play.
• Using "treats" may make training easier but they are not essential.
• Teach the pup to walk on lead, and "sit".
• Then teach "stay". Place the pup off ground for this - use a stool.
• Then when it's ready - start your full programme.
• Use short lessons 2-3 times a day. Don't tire the dog.
• Give plenty of reward - touch and voice praise. Avoid food rewards if possible.
• Do NOT go overboard with this "food reward and lavish praise technique."
• Use "shake and growl" for discipline. Never hit the dog.
• Lay the pup prone and reassure if you need to dominate it further.
• If the dog gets bored then go back to the start and strengthen the bond.
• Dogs love to learn at all ages - so keep on teaching them things.
  

Dog Behaviour and Welfare

People and dogs got together 15,000 years ago for very sensible reasons – hunting, guarding, rubbish disposal and warmth. Since that time dogs have had plenty of time to work out how to stake a claim in the human family hierarchy, manipulate pack leaders, and suffer the abuse (both intended and accidental) that humans have heaped upon them.

This hasn’t stopped, and there are more professional “therapists“ and “dog whisperers” sorting out so-called dog problems today than ever before. There are NO dog problems; they‘re all problems inflicted on dogs by humans who don’t understand that dogs just want to be dogs.

So to survive with a dog, you need to understand dog senses and how important these are in social behaviour. The dog lives in a world of odours, which homo sapiens left behind – probably relying on the dog for this service. Smell has special significance in reproduction which is covered.

Poor socialisation of pups from 4-12 weeks is vital for a happy man-dog relationship and is a reason for nearly all the problems discussed in this document. This is all valuable information for understanding the dog training principles touched on in the Dog Behaviour Knol and the Working Pup training knol as well.

Chapter 2 in Clive Dalton's Knol series on animal behaviour and welfare is now available by clicking here. Read it to understand the simple science of dog behaviour, and find out how it can be applied to practical dog behaviour problems - applicable to farm dogs and town dogs alike.

You might also read the first chapter in this series, an introduction to the Basic Principles of animal behaviour and welfare, to gain an understanding of the key concepts and principles.

Dog Glossary

Approach: Action of a dog when it comes up to stock.
Backing: Action of a dog when it jumps up and runs along the back of penned sheep to move them on.
Bark: To “give tongue” or “speak up” on command to frighten and move stock.
Beardie: A type of dog of Scottish origin – usually with long hair. Used as a “handy dog” for all jobs (head and hunt).
Bitch: Female of any age.
Bolt: To run away in fear; out of control.
Brace: Pair of dogs that work together.
Cast: Action of a dog when it leaves the handler to encircle or gather stock. It can be a right hand or left hand cast.
Collie: A breed of dog of Scottish origin. Most common type is the Border Collie.
Dingo: Australian wild dog.
Dog dosing: Drenching or dosing dogs to obtain a sample of faeces to test for internal parasites.
Dog tucker: Food for dogs.
Eye: The trait in a dog to stand and stare at sheep. Dogs are described as “strong eyed” or “plain eyed”.
Eye dog: Same as heading dog that casts around stock to gather them.
Face up: the action of a huntaway to always face the sheep and bark at them.
Handy dog: General-purpose dog that will both head and hunt stock. It will also back sheep, work in sheep yards, wool shed and in the lambing paddock.
Heading dog: Dog that goes around or “heads” stock to gather and hold them, and then bring them back to the shepherd.
Heel: To bite the heels of cattle to make them move. Can be a command to return to the handlers side or heel.
Hunt: Ability of a dog to drive stock away from the handler.
Huntaway: A special type of dog bred in New Zealand for mustering where the main job is to drive stock while barking on command.
Kelpie: Australian sheep and cattle dog.
Lead dog: Dog used to go in front of a mob of stock to control their progress.
Lift: Action of a dog to move sheep from a standing position.
Long head: Task at a dog trial where the dog has to gather sheep placed a long distance from the handler.
Night barker: Dog that barks or howls when chained up at night.
Novice: Young dog that has competed in a limited number of trials.
Outrun: The action where the dog runs away on command from the handler to gather stock.
Overrun the head: Action of a dog that goes too far when heading and does not stop opposite the handler.
Point of balance: Position of the dog directly opposite the handler where it can go in either direction (on command) to move the stock.
Pull: Action of a bringing sheep directly to the handler.
Pup: Young dog of either sex from birth to weaning (6-8 weeks), and may be used up to 6 months.
Ringing sheep: Fault in a dog where it goes in a complete circle around sheep and comes back to the handler. It fails to stop after its outrun directly opposite the handler.
Shed: To separate or cut off one or more sheep from a group.
Short head: A task in a dog trial where the dog has to gather sheep placed a short distance from the handler.
Socialising: Letting a pup from 6-12 weeks old experience different situations such as people, other dogs, vehicles, etc.
Sundowner: Dog that leaves its work, especially when it’s hot. A lazy dog.
Team: Group of dogs owned by a stockperson. Usually made up of a heading dog and couple of huntaways.
Trucking dog: Dog used by truck operator to load stock. Usually a huntaway type that barks and backs stock.
Turning tail: Fault in a dog where it turns away from sheep, often in a circle. It fails to face up to the sheep.
Weaning: removing pups from their mother, usually at 6 weeks old.
Whelp: the action of giving birth to pups.
Whip shy: Dog that is scared of a cracking whip.
Wing heading: Action of a dog going out to the sides of a mob to stop their movement.
Worrier: Dog that chases, attacks or kills sheep.
Yarding: Putting sheep into yards or woolshed with a dog.
Yard dog: Dog that is good at working in the close confinement of stockyards.