I am called so many times being asked to help a family save their dog once it has bitten. There are so many things that go into making a decision about how to handle a dog that has bitten, and there is no easy solution. What I think, however, is very rarely addressed are the liability issues involved once a dog bites. “My dog would NEVER DO THAT!”
Just how does a dog lose her identity enough to call it a crisis? The big word to describe this crisis is called anthropomorphism or humanizing dogs. The media and pet suppliers, the dog training community and dog care specialists have begun to refer to dogs as “fur babies”, or “fur children”. Not a day goes by that we don’t see dogs in clothes that make them look like little children. They wear dresses and jackets. Now, it’s dyed hair and tails, too! I saw a dog on FaceBook that was a Weimaraner with painted toenails and a bracelet on her leg.
Most of us are so enamored with a new puppy that we get on the floor, roll around, play rough house, among a myriad of other things when trying to bond with our new family member. What is critical to remember is that what we teach our dogs as a puppy is what they will do when they mature. I hear excuses all the time that the mouthing and biting is, “soft” and just because they are a puppy, “It’s okay.” NO! It is NOT!
As our love for dogs and these incredible natural surroundings grow, so does the pressure on our dogs and the environment. Sadly, many popular places where we walk our dogs are becoming filled with trash – dog trash, as in poop. The risk of disease comes along with that, especially for younger puppies. Pressure mounts on our dogs in terms of having to deal with other dogs that are true bullies. Bullies are dogs that disrespect another dog’s personal space by rushing up to them, barking and flagging with a stiff tail. The owners gleefully yell, “He’s friendly!” when other dogs know in an instant this is not friendly behavior, but intimidation. Many dogs enjoy the walk experience but are not comfortable with other dogs, yet so many owners force them into these situations believing that the dog needs more
These days, if you do an internet search about dog training, you will find extremes from one end of the spectrum to the other. I read an article the other day that talked about “the state of your dog’s mind” in how it relates to the dog responding to a simple command like “sit.” It was encouraging that we consider what the dog was feeling before we ask a dog to do something.
One of the reasons many of us live here in the Wood River Valley is because of the many hiking opportunities for us with our dogs. Unfortunately, there are dogs lost all the time in our National Forests due to chasing animals, not coming when they are called or sometimes because something scared them into running away. Dogs and their owners that come from the cities may have no idea of the dangers of allowing a dog to run loose without prior training.
Because of the popularity of rescues, there are many mixed breed dogs in our lives. There are many pros and cons to mixed breeds, however we can do a few things to help us see more clearly how to live with and nurture our mixed breed dogs. We are now capable of doing fairly reliable DNA testing, which is so easy to do with a cheek swab, to find out why our dog may be behaving a certain way.
Somehow in the past couple of years I ended up on an email list for veterinarians. I have no idea how that happened, because I sure am not a doctor, but I get some really wonderful news about what’s new in veterinary medicine. Things that keep popping are new devices, supplies and medications to help calm dogs. Everywhere on the internet and through any animal retailers are devices, hormones, homeopathics, essential oils, flower essences, medications, and behavior modification techniques to help dogs cope with their anxiety and anxiety producing aggression.
Enriching your dog’s life is so much more than walking in the woods, the dog park, or Trail Creek. In fact, many of my clients are overwhelmed by the dogs that mug, jump and aggress their dogs when they try to take their dog for a walk. With the most regretful and saddened heart, I must say that our valley, which used to be dog friendly, is becoming dog unsafe. I am not here to discuss aggression at this moment, but I am here to discuss alternatives to putting your dog in an unsafe environment.
I can hear it now, “You have got to be kidding!” I am dead serious! I talk to no end about leadership and how critical it is to dog mental health. Very few dogs these days do not have some sort of anxiety, whether it is separation anxiety, approval anxiety, inability to calm themselves in the house, re-directed aggression, even reactivity to events or other dogs. What is even more unfortunate, is that so many people do not recognize the signs of anxiety and continue to let their dogs live in quiet misery. Our dogs cannot tell us or even talk about how they feel. To top it off, we place feelings on them as if they were people instead of dogs, which is good old fashioned anthropomorphism. This doesn’t mean dogs don’t have feelings, but they do not have feelings for the same reasons as people do. This is where the dog identity crisis begins.
AFTER AN EXTENDED MEDICAL LEAVE, I WILL BE RETURNING TO WORK MARCH 1st!
