Many of us have moments when we hold our breath and
cross our fingers, wishing, hoping that, just this time, please, our dogs will
do the “right” thing – and most of the time they do. And then, we’re relieved,
crisis averted. But sometimes they
don’t. And depending on what it is that
we fear might happen, sometimes just wishing and hoping can have serious
consequences.
In daily life, if our dogs are “good” 95% of the time, we
consider our dogs close to perfect. But
what happens during that other 5% of the time?
Do our dogs dive enthusiastically into kitty litter for tasty
morsels? Indulge in intense crotch
sniffing with our guests? Or is it
something more disturbing, our dogs stiffening and staring one day when we
reach to remove the food bowl or they suddenly fight other dogs for “no reason
at all?” Because we want our dogs to be
“good,” we tend to dismiss those rare “bad” moments, attributing the behavior
to a unique set of circumstances.
The first time we see disconcerting behavior from our dogs,
we want to think it’s a fluke. It’s
unfortunate that we are taught to ignore our instincts. They are frequently right. With animals, including people, a look, a
certain twitch, a hesitation can indicate that something is amiss. Our amygdala catches it, sends a warning, but
because the behavior didn’t make an obvious impact, a logical impact, we tend
to do nothing, even if we don’t like it, for fear of looking foolish. We hope we won’t see it again, but now
there’s that seed of concern in the back of our mind. If we don’t see it again, we’re hoping it
never existed in the first place. But then it happens again.
As humans, we want people to think well of us, to think of
us as decent and responsible. The
behavior of our dogs is often seen as a reflection of our own character. We want our dogs to be friendly,
well-mannered and responsive. So, when they aren’t, usually our gut reaction is
“What are other people thinking about me?” While hoping the bad behavior is an
exception, refusing to address the behavior and continuing to wish and hope can
result in the behavior happening more frequently or even escalating. Recognizing our dog has a behavior issue is the first step towards prevention.
For some people, it is difficult to seek assistance,
particularly for problems within our household.
We often feel that we should have control over our dependents’ behavior,
and we think a failure to do so suggests a lack of respect and competency. We love our dogs and there is an emotional
conflict within us when someone we love does something “bad.” “Good” dogs shouldn’t be doing “bad” things,
especially when we are being good caretakers.
So, with our dogs, it’s usually after something serious happens, usually
a bite, that a trainer is called in to help.
Addressing a minor behavior issue is much easier than trying
to change an established behavior. Success in altering a behavior improves when
dog handlers aren’t intimidated or fearful of possible outcomes of that
behavior. For some behavior issues, there is a time factor to consider. The more established and extreme a behavior
is, the more difficult it is to either teach dogs better coping mechanisms or
to change the dogs’ perspective of the world.
It’s simple to teach old dogs new tricks, it’s “unteaching” old tricks
that’s the challenge. Shyness, intent
staring, growling, seeking isolation, demand barking, and showing stress during
what shouldn’t be a stressful situation, are all behaviors that should cause
concern and aren’t behaviors that will disappear or be resolved without
training.
Wishing and hoping won’t result in behavior
changes. While our dogs’ behaviors and
reactions are not necessarily a reflection of us, the way we address the
behavior is. It’s our responsibility to our
community and our dogs. A Holiday Reminder:
Halloween can be a frightening and exciting holiday for dogs. They don't understand that there are people or even dogs under those costumes and may become frightened. Keep dogs secure indoors during trick-or-treat-ing hours. We don't want our pets dashing out the door into the night while we hand out candy.
And for those humans who enjoy a little scare, Specter Spectacular: 13 Ghostly Tales includes one of my short stories, "Safe Upon the Shore." Available in paperback and on Kindle at Amazon.
