Most dogs are pleasant and well-behaved, especially with those that they share a home with... otherwise we wouldn't have so many pet dogs in our homes!
While you may accept that not all people understand dog language, and you can read a lot about how people, especially children, need to learn how dogs communicate - would it surprise you to know that such skills aren't necessarily 'natural' for all dogs, and they may also need to learn how to read any warning signals and when to stay away from or leave other dogs alone?
It all starts with puppies who, just like toddlers, can behave in ways that irritate adults!
Breeders do not always prepare puppies with necessary life skills and this can lead to problems later on. It can even be the reason why some dogs are put up for re-homing - often more than once - and you can appreciate that, just as with children, being re-homed can cause further behavioural issues with dogs!
Puppies do not always have many siblings to interact with; depending on breed, average litter sizes may vary between about four and eight. The smaller the litter the less puppies will learn from each other about how to
communicate and socialise with their own kind. With a single puppy there are no immediate peers to learn from and even when there are two puppies, one will inevitably have a stronger character and may assume 'top dog' position in the litter.
It is possible that the lessons a puppy learns, or doesn't learn, in its very early weeks and months will determine how they will relate to other dogs throughout their lives.
A great breeder will be aware of the potential issues and will endeavour to overcome them by controlling the social development of puppies from an early age. Conversely puppies will not develop appropriate social skills if reared in the wrong environment (puppy farms and pet shops do not provide a loving, supportive, clean, domestic environment in which puppies can properly learn).
Puppies need to be in an environment where they can do and try behaviours which have consequences they can learn from. This does not mean only with other puppies - it is important for them to experience how to succeed in relationships with older dogs.
Early 'socialisation' is important, though is often assumed to mean getting dogs used to all the sights, sounds and things they will encounter in our world and our homes. While this is important, it is equally important for puppies to be socialised with other dogs, preferably well-balanced, confident, tolerant, adult dogs.
Puppy classes may help with socialisation, but they don't always provide positive experiences for a puppy; this will depend on the individual personality of the puppy and how well the classes are run.
If a class is chaotic then a puppy can just as easily learn bad social skills. A sensitive breed can easily become fearful of other dogs if they are subjected to attack or bullying by a larger, stronger puppy. When a puppy retains the memory of a frightening experience it can make them more fearful or defensive in later life.
Adult dogs have normally learned to approach each other with caution, paying attention to body language and not wading in head on. If the signals indicate acceptance of contact, dogs will normally curve round each other and start greeting by sniffing each other's rear and following this they may sniff ears and muzzle to gain information about each other.
Greeting actions show whether or not there is willingness to interact. However, if a dog turns away or at the very least turns their head away, this is the first indication that they are not in the mood for interaction. If a dog persists in an approach in the face of such signals, the next signal may be more aggressive.
Dogs are not naturally aggressive to each other - they normally provide adequate body language signals as to whether or not they want to be approached.
Remember the three Fs: "Flight - Freeze - Flight". If a dog doesn't want to interact with another dog and can get away (i.e. they are neither on a lead nor backed into a corner) then they will perform the three Fs in order.
If dogs are a distance apart then turning and walking away or turning their head away can indicate that they want to be left alone. If they are close up and it is not possible to escape (i.e. they are either on a lead or backed into a corner) then they may first turn their head away and freeze, probably with their mouth closed too and sometimes showing the whites of their eyes.
If they are made to walk towards it, because their owner doesn't understand their signals, or an approaching dog doesn't understand and continues forward there may be a warning lip curl, showing teeth, then a growl and if that doesn't get the message across the next communication may be raised hackles, a snap - not necessarily a bite, just enough to show that they are an unwilling participant in the encounter.
Pushed further there is likely to be a dog fight!
Most importantly you need to stay calm yourself when your dog meets another, because your dog will sense your reaction and may even mirror your fear or anxiety if you are not comfortable.
While of course it is very useful for people to understand the body language of dogs and use this knowledge in interactions with their own dogs, they should also watch to see that their dogs understand the signals it is given by others and if they don't, then doing some training with their dog is called for!
It is always good to set up training for your dog with other dog-owning friends who have well-balanced, confident, tolerant dogs that you are familiar with. And always train your dog when you are calm and are not under time pressures.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8764742
No comments:
Post a Comment
Welcome