• Walking can be such a drag
• Modern wolves and domestic dogs are distantly related
• Autism, oxytocin and dogs
• Is my dog being “dominant”?
• Links and Social Stream Activity

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Walking can be such a drag

The title of this post, for most of you, conjures a picture of your dog dragging you down the sidewalk. However, for a few people, this title conjures another picture – one of you having to drag your dog to go anywhere.

With so many dogs not getting walked often enough, it’s sad to see people who want to walk every day. . . but their dogs won’t budge. Instead of forging ahead, it’s like trying to take a ton of bricks for a walk.

If this is you, take a look at whether this is something new or on ongoing issue. If it’s new, what caused the change? Is it too hot? Is your dog not feeling well? Is your dog injured? Did he have a scary experience on your usual route? Try to determine first if there is a legitimate reason your dog is not comfortable walking. If there is, help him past that hurdle before getting out walking again.

If it’s an ongoing issue, you might try going for a shorter walk for now. You might need to build up some endurance. We think our dogs have endless energy – understandably so! Just as some people are better sprinters and some are better distance runners, so are dogs. Some do better with shorter bursts of energy but not long walks or hikes. They need to build endurance just as we do.

Romeo can be difficult to move when he catches a scent

Some dogs do better with plenty of mental stimulation. Some dogs prefer a leisurely walk with plenty of time to sniff. Some prefer a chance to hang out and observe passers-by. While that might not be the best exercise for you, it might be better for your dog. They can burn lots of energy following scents or practicing their training skills by waiting politely to say hello. Create a way to provide you both with what you want. Perhaps you take a faster, longer walk without your dog. Then take your dog for a leisurely sniffing walk separately. Or walk to the park, bring a book and sit on a bench while your dog rolls in the grass. Perhaps you walk fast to the local park and then allow some sniff time or visiting and then walk fast back to your house.

Figure out what your dog wants and then see if you can find a happy compromise for both of you.

Places to comment on this article:  My Blog or Google+ 

Modern wolves and domestic dogs are distantly related

I have mentioned John Bradshaw’s book Dog Sense in a previous post, and will discuss parts of it further in future posts. There is so much good information in there, it’s hard to choose just one thing to discuss. Over all, it is one of the best reads available today at debunking the myth of following the “wolf pack” theory of dog training. Too many trainers are still using the whole “act like the alpha wolf” and prevent your dog from taking over the universe (ok, the household) when everything we know about dogs and wolves today really do not support this theory.

According to Bradshaw, “modern wolves are only very distantly related to the domestic dog, and they have been under intensive selection pressure, especially over the past few hundred years from those who wished to exterminate them.” Given the environment that today’s wolves live in, the wolves who survive are those who are least social toward humans. The biggest threat to their continued survival is humans, so it’s not a big leap to understand why today’s wolves would be far less likely to want to hang out anywhere near humans. The wolves who first took steps toward domestication would have had to be just the opposite. They had to be curious and overcome their potential fears to venture close to humans. Today’s wolves who are too curious are more likely to end up dead.

My Romeo - No wolf in this face!

Dogs are descended from wolves, there is no question about that. But they are descended from a population of wolves that no longer exists! In my post dated 8/25/11 on The Domestication of Dogs, I cited a National Geographic article, this book, and another book that all point to the first domesticated dogs being present around 30,000+ years ago. Dogs and wolves separated a long, long time ago.

While they still share some similarities, it really makes no sense to look at modern wolves as the model for how to live with and train our dogs.

Places to comment on this article:  My Blog or Google+

Autism, oxytocin and dogs

I just finished reading Meg Daley Olmert’s book Made for Each Other. (I got a copy from the local library, but when I look up the title on Amazon.com, the cover is different. It has a Vizsla on it – go Vizslas! But I digress.) I also just finished reading the September issue of The Whole Dog Journal with an article by CJ Puotinen titled “More Than a Friend.”

What do these two things have in common? Olmert’s book has a section discussing autism and the article mentioned above also discusses autism. While discussing autism in children, the subject of dogs is bound to come up. In the Whole Dog Journal article, Puotinen discusses how dogs are utilized as both service dogs and therapy dogs for children with autism. According to the article, one of the most widely reported benefits of canine-child interaction is reduced anxiety. The study cited in the article discusses the findings of reduced cortisol in the children with service dogs.

In Olmert’s book, she states that researchers suspect a defect in the oxytocin gene or the gene that regulates the oxytocin receptors as part of the cause of autism. An oxytocin deficiency has been linked to some of the physical behaviors and social isolation associated with autism. Olmert believes that part of the reason for the huge increase in autism today – double that of just ten years ago and ten times that of a generation ago – is our increasing distance from animals and nature. Animals have been shows to significantly increase our oxytocin levels – the hormone most well-known for creating bonds between  mothers and their babies. Autism, along with other increasing issues in our society, Olmert believes are partially caused by our lack of connection with animals that we once had as primarily hunter/gatherers or farmers.

This all indirectly also relates to my prior career where I was the Controller for Denver Options, a nonprofit organization serving the developmentally disabled in Denver. One of many developmental disabilities they work with is people with autism. Kudos to all those – dogs and humans – who work to help make the lives of those with developmental disabilities better!

Places to comment on this article:  My Blog or Google+

Is my dog being “dominant”?

If I had a dollar for every time people tell me their dogs are being dominant, my bank account would look a lot better than it does right now. If I then lost a dollar for every time that statement turned out not to be true, my bank account would look exactly like it does now.  The term “dominance” has been so over used, that it really has lost it’s meaning. Unfortunately, a popular television show and those who promote it’s incorrect ideas about dominance have misled many people with dogs into thinking their dogs are trying to dominate them when it simply is not true.

In John Bradshaw’s Dog Sense, he discusses the true meaning of dominance as biologists who study animals use it. Dominance describes a relationship between two individuals at a specific moment in time with no assumptions about what has happened in the past or what will happen in the future. It is not a personality trait or a prediction of how an individual will behave or relate to others in the future. It simply identifies which individual has priority access to a valued resource at a moment in time.

Is a dog trying to be dominant by walking out in front? No!

The September/October 2011 issue of Bark magazine has two articles that also address the “dominance” issue. Victoria Stilwell, star of Animal Planet‘s television show It’s Me or the Dog, writes on page 28 about a puppy who is thought to be dominant but is, in fact, just being a pushy puppy.

In the same Bark issue, Patricia McConnell, PhD, writes on pages 43-46 about “Action/Re-Action: The temptations of the dominance fallacy.” She discusses some of the misconceptions about dominance and why it is such an alluring topic for people.

All three are worth reading if you get the chance.

Places to comment on this article: My Blog or Google+

 Links and Social Stream Activity
 

• From quiet cars to baby strollers, guide dogs deal with more distractions than ever:wapo.st/oaD63u
• Evolution Explains: Why Dogs Eat Poop:bit.ly/nv6DlD I didn’t know that in the wild, a poo nugget is a nutrient dense.
• Your pet’s bad breath may be sign of dental disease: http://j.mp/qAElrr: We try to brush our dog’s teeth twice a week. How about you?
• Teach kids how to be safe around dogs: http://j.mp/o9nlwy
• Fired Scientist Alleges Heartgard Plus Cover-Up: http://j.mp/qhK54V

Sue Brown, MNM, CDBC, CPDT-KA
Certified Dog Behavior Consultant
Certified Professional Dog Trainer
AKC CGC Evaluator
APDT Professional Member and Colorado State Greeter
Co-Founder, Colorado Dog Trainers Network

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I am a dog trainer and behavior consultant.  The Light Of Dog Newsletter is sent every other week.  I post regularly about dogs, especially dog training.  I also offer eClasses, workshops and seminars and products including e-books and DVD’s. My upcoming book, Juvenile Delinquents, will be published in Fall 2011 in both print and e-book format.  

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