Body Language

Even though few of us are fluent in the many dog languages, most of us can tell the difference between a friendly dog and an unfriendly one. The dog seems to get the message across with very little difficulty. It is as easy to sense the aura of a confident, relaxed and easygoing dog as it is to observe specific behaviors and body postures. Such dogs fairly exude warmth and friendliness — head held high with a big doggy laugh, gamboling gait and curved tail wagging the dog's rump. Similarly, one can literally feel the tension emanating from a dog that is not friendly — head lowered, ears flattened, piercing stare, teeth bared and growling, pilo-erection along the back, stiff-legged, and tail held high, straight, stiff and usually vibrating.
It is hard to live with a dog for even a few days without learning a wide vocabulary of his body language. Most owners have a fairly firm grounding on how a dog acts when he is happy, confident, friendly, deferential, fearful, or aggressive. In fact, most dog owners have successfully compiled a comprehensive and descriptive doggy dictionary of body language covering much of the dog's behavior repertoire, with sound interpretations for each posture.
Doggy Feelings
Most people's interest in dog behavior and body language focuses on their desire to gain insight into the dog's emotions, feelings and preferences: To get a better idea of how the dog is feeling and what she would like to do. Most owners care for their dogs and they care about how they are feeling. They want to know whether their dogs are contented, or if they are upset. It adds warmth to the soul to empathize with another individual and especially so with another species. Also, it is just plain fascinating and heart-warming to watch a dog attempt to communicate with her eyes, furrowed brow and maybe a few ear twitches — that for example, she would like to have dinner earlier on Sundays, that she would like to go outside to take a leak, that she has lost squeaky hedgehog under the bed, or perhaps that she would like to be asked to snuggle on the couch. These are the delights of sharing life with a dog.
But, "Beware of heartless them... given the scalpel they would dissect a kiss!" For some, learning about dog language has little if anything to do with interpreting the dog's feelings and emotions. Instead, the interest in body language is for predicting bad behavior and devising different means of punishment. Whether the dog is upset is of secondary significance; the prime concerns appear to be whether or not the dog will bite and how to punish it in some ersatz wolfy way. As if this were not a sufficiently negative outlook with overtones of schadenfreude, ironically, the continued manhandling and bullying (abusive human body language) is the major reason why the dog was upset and felt like biting in the first place.
A rudimentary and utilitarian interest in body language to predict whether or not the dog will bite certainly makes sense for those professions who deal with numerous adult dogs of unknown disposition. However, the predictive value of body language is not as reliable as most think, largely because many body cues may have a variety of meanings and because fearful, rambunctious and uneducated dogs are more likely to bite than those that are aggressive. In fact, most growly dogs don't bite, whereas some dogs appear to bite without warning.
Ambiguous Behavior
It is not always true that a dog's actions necessarily mirror his intentions. Whereas we may easily observe and quantify a dog's behavior, we can only hazard a guess as to his feelings and intentions. This is not to say that dogs are intentionally deceitful, double-dealing or deceptive. Duplicity is after all a quintessential human foible. Rather, many dog body postures and vocalizations simply have a variety of meanings. For example, a growl may be a threat, or it may signify frustration, fear, lack of confidence, or learned helplessness. Alternatively, a growl may be an invitation to play, or it may be a learned communication that has very little to do with underlying emotions. Some dogs growl as a solicitation to play, some growl as a request to be  etted and some will growl if you try to stop petting them. Obviously, the dog's growling quickly becomes a learned behavior because it has been invariably (albeit unintentionally) reinforced by the owner playing or petting the dog. Growling is one of the most misunderstood vocalizations in the doggy dictionary, especially in some breeds, which seem to growl, or “talk” about every conceivable topic including the weather.
On the other hand, characteristically friendly behaviors may have alternative unfriendly interpretations. A dog may bare her teeth as a submissive grin, or as a threat. A dog may paw you as a sign of friendly appeasement and deference in greeting, or she may pin you with straightened forearms as a threat. A dog may sidle up to you for company, or as a spatial ranking maneuver. A dog may bring you a present, or it may proffer a “gift” as a test — to see if you dare try to take it away. And all of us know a wagging tail signifies a happy friendly dog — right? Well certainly a high frequency, large amplitude wag augurs well for a happy social encounter, but there are several different types of tail wag. For instance, it is not uncommon for a dog to wag his tail furiously when barking and lunging at another dog. Similarly, a large amplitude, slow frequency cat-like tail swish means the dog reeeeally doesn't like you and a high frequency, small amplitude vibration at the tip of the dog's perpendicularly held tail, generally signals the animal is extremely tense and stressed and about to react.
Stressed?
Other signs of stress may also have alternative simpler explanations. For instance, whereas excessive scratching and urine marking are usually signs of low-level stress, itchiness might be caused by a flea and frequent urination may follow a good sniff and frolic with the female dog next door. When a dog yawns, he may be tired. More likely though, he is mildly stressed. Similarly, baulking, slumping down, and rolling-over may suggest the dog is tired, or it may reflect increasing levels of underlying stress in training, stemming from the dog's confusion and the owner pushing him too far too fast. The dog acts helpless and eventually the owner stops bugging him and leaves him in peace, thus reinforcing the dog's act of helplessness. The dog may now learn to act helpless as a ploy to stop training at other times. Some dogs even growl out of learned helplessness. The poor dog just wants the bullying to stop and usually growling does the job. Sometimes though, the growling is erroneously perceived as stubbornness and dominance and so, the bullying increases until eventually and inevitably, the dog growls for real!
The interpretation of ambiguous cues can be difficult at times and often depends on context. Sometimes, quite subtle atmosphere cues help provide the answer. For example, a protruding tongue, a brief paw raise or even an obvious playbow would all signify the playful intentions of subsequent behaviors, such as growling and chasing.
If you miss the interpretive atmosphere cue, ask the dog “how he is feeling” by instructing him to come, sit, lie down, and rollover. If the dog does not come, if he freezes, baulks, cowers, or runs away, usually you are in trouble. But if the dog comes quickly when requested, he is advertising that he is friendly and prosocial. And of course, rolling-over is the penultimate sign of doggy deference. What more could we ask for? Also, worthy of note, he is demonstrating compliance. In fact, he is being willingly and happily compliant. A prompt response by the dog is good evidence that the owner is in control.
When a dog promptly (and happily) comes, sits, lies down, and rolls over when requested, the dog is demonstrating compliance and the owner is in control. This is a simple but revealing test if ever you are confused concerning your dog’s feelings or emotions. The above procedure also helps rebuild confidence in a dog that is upset. If the dog concentrates on responding promptly to all four requests, most likely he will stop growling before completion. Welcome to the wondrous magic of counter-conditioning.
With ambiguous cues, as with any doggy behavior, the important questions are: 1. Do you think your dog likes you? (Or, do you have an adversarial relationship?) And 2. Can you control the dog's behavior? For example, if a growly dog will shush and settle down on request, it is unlikely the dog is growling because he is aggressive.
Growly dogs
What if you have a lot of difficulty stopping the dog from growling? Are we dealing with a dreaded dominant dog? An aggressive cur? An alpha leader of the pack — planning to take over the family today and tomorrow, the world? Most likely not. Characteristically, growly and blustery dogs are middle-ranking males, who have limited experience and are insecure of their social standing and so, usually resort to bluff and protracted threats. (Not too dissimilar from people really.) Often the dog may growl incessantly to add major emphasis to a minor point. Most overtly aggressive dogs are all bark and no bite. "If you really have it, you don't need to flaunt it." Indeed, a true top dog is a rather cool and relaxed customer, who very rarely resorts to lengthy threats, let alone prolonged blustery bluffs — he doesn’t need to. Instead the threat is subtle and the follow up is immediate, short, and sharp.
The Quiet Type

Basically, most dogs have two bona fide reasons to bite: 1. Because they are dogs and that's what dogs do and 2. Because by and large, people are not very nice to them.
When dogs are upset or frightened, they don’t call a lawyer, or write a letter of complaint, they simply growl and bite. Ironically, in the rare instances when a (usually) fearful dog does follow through, he is often accused of unpredictably biting without provocation — without warning and without reason. In reality though, there were most certainly many good reasons for the dog to bite and he most certainly gave numerous warnings, even though the warnings may have been too subtle for most human observers.
Many dogs do, however, bite with little threat or warning, but this has very little to do with aggressiveness. On the contrary, the vast majority of dogs bite because they are fearful, frightened, unsocialized, and/or lack confidence. A bite might be expected if the dog were cringing, or snapping and lunging, but often the dog's standoffish demeanor is the only overt warning. And of course an unsocialized sleeping dog may bite if disturbed or frightened. Other dogs bite due to uncontrolled rambunctiousness. The dog may be in a decidedly happy frame of mind and is only doing what he did as a puppy, because no one taught the puppydog that unsolicited playbiting was unacceptable. Now the adolescent dog's playfulness is out of control and he hurts people. Thus a dog may bite with nary a growl. Indeed, the biting dog may be playfully wagging his tail!
There is an additional, quite insidious reason for a dog to bite without warning. Originally the dog would growl whenever he was upset. Although people heard the growl, they did not listen to what the dog was saying. The dog was upset but no one paid heed. Instead they punished the dog for growling. The dog now had two reasons to be upset, the original reason and the fact his owner is angrily bullying him — and so, the dog growled more. Unfortunately, the level of punishment was increased until it effectively inhibited the dog from growling. The dog no longer growled, but he was still upset, in fact, very upset. Now we have the equivalent of a time bomb without the tick. The dog is doubly upset but no longer shows it, because the owner systematically punished him for trying to communicate his feelings. By all means instruct a growling dog to shush but ALWAYS investigate and attempt to resolve the underlying cause.
The Quest for The (Un)Natural Punishment
Some misguided folks' interest in dog body language is limited to their quest to devise socalled “natural” ways to punish a dog. For example, to employ stare downs, scruff shakes, and alpha rollovers in an attempt to punish a dog in the same manner a top dog might reprimand a lower-ranking individual, or a she-wolf might chastise a cub. This approach is really too silly for words and an insult to the dog's intelligence. Nonetheless, such tabloid,
pseudo-science obvious appeals to some types, even though it may be a little thin on logic and scientific backing, and often, next to ineffective. And all of this rigmarole takes place under the guise of training. If it were not so abusive, it would be laughable.
The very concept that one has to manhandle a dog to gain his respect is just plain wrong — and as potentially dangerous as it is ludicrous. What if a child tried to manhandle a large dog? Should the poor dog object, no doubt he would be punished, surrendered to a shelter and likely euthanized. Why assume such an adversarial and combative relationship with an animal? Why treat our best friend like our worst enemy?
Surely, any punishment is an indication the dog has not yet been trained effectively, otherwise the dog would no longer misbehave and therefore no longer require punishing. Any punishment should prompt the owner/trainer to go back to step one and retrain the dog, preferably using different methods (since the previous techniques obviously did not work that well). Repeated punishments, however, are a blatant advertisement of a trainer's incompetence. The punishment-oriented “training” method has obviously not worked at all because the dog continues to misbehave, (or rather, to act in a manner which it has not yet been taught is
unacceptable). I think we are talking about a bad teacher here, not a bad dog.
And just what is it with these campy she-wolf impersonations? Some people are just itching to grab a pup by the scruff and roll her over and pin her to the ground. Under the guise of training? No. It's just an excuse to bully and frighten puppies and dogs under the misassumption that this is how dogs do it in the wild. This borders on full-blown lycanthropy, whereby the “trainer” feels he/she has been transformed into a wolf and so administers wolfy punishments. Soon these people will go the whole hog (or dog) and resort to dressing up in doggy suits (with moveable ears and waggy tails) to muzzle-bite puppies on gaudy television shows — Trainer Gladiator, Owners Gone Wild or Puppy Survivor. Or perhaps, they will even resort to urine marking in their futile quest for virtual-reality, olfactory communion. I am sure no dog in his right mind is even remotely duped into believing that his owner is a wolf, a top dog, or a postpartum bitch. Too silly for words.
The vital flaw in this lycanthopic fiasco is that when trainers cite the supposed dominant behavior of alpha wolves, top dogs and bitches, they actually give an accurate description of insecure, middle-ranking males — the annoying blustering of little furry sacs of testosterone. They have utterly overlooked the true subtlety of dog behavior and body language and completely failed to notice how a true top dog can put down a lower-ranking transgressor at fifty paces with a mere glance. A true top dog uses mental control (not physical domination) to prompt respect and active appeasement in lower-ranking individuals. Perhaps we should learn
from this.
Human Body Language
With all the abusive silliness in “training,” no wonder many dogs become upset. In fact, I am continually amazed by the unreserved patience and tolerance of most pet dogs. Of course the dog feels ill at ease with the incessant mindless, physical manhandling, bullying, and other grotesque human body language. All too often, the so-called “treatment” is the cause . In reality, we will never know for sure what a dog is thinking or how she feels, simply from observing her behavior. Instead, the interpretation of the dog's feelings has to transcend mere clinical and objective observation and instead, we have to feel how the dog feels. And surely it shouldn't take the brains of Einstein to realize, frightening and bullying dogs probably doesn't make them feel very good. Why on earth don't we just respect a dog as a dog and train him as if we are both human and humane? Dog training is hardy rocket science. Training comprises teaching dogs ESL (English as a Second Language) — teaching dogs human words for doggy behaviors and actions, so that they understand how we would like them to act. Let’s use our supposedly superior intellect to simply teach dogs what we would like them to do and then, to want to do what we would like them to do.
Training is all about communication, motivation, and building a good relationship. Training is really quite simple and a lot of fun. Most important, children must be taught how to gain a dog's respect, so let's make sure that we use training methods that are suitable for all family members — user-friendly and dog-friendly techniques to create people-friendly dogs.

©2006 Ian Dunbar

Puppy Personality Development

All owners hope that their young pup will develop into a happy-go-lucky, well behaved, good-natured adult dog that above all, lives to a fine old age. Without a doubt, appropriate puppy education is the single most important factor to ensure this outcome. The nature of the puppy's socialization and training depends very much on the changing physical and mental capabilities and constraints during the various stages ofpersonality development from birth to maturity.
Ease of learning changes considerably throughout a dog's development. Just as very young puppies commonly experience difficulties trying to master and remember new obedience instructions, older dogs often show similar severe learning constraints when attempting to change their behavior and
temperament. For example, it is much harder to teach an older dog good habits, if he has already been allowed to develop bad ones. Moreover, modifying temperament problems becomes progressively more difficult as the dog grows older.
Socialization, confidence building and temperament training must be accomplished during puppyhood. So many training and behavior problems are created within the first week the pup is at home and so, think ahead — a spoonful of prevention is worth buckets of cure. Without a doubt, education is the key to effortlessly and enjoyably raise a good-natured and wellbehaved adult dog. To allow a puppy to achieve his full potential, intelligent owners must know exactly what they are going to do vis a vis the pup's educational curriculum and social agenda, before they acquire a new puppy. Extremely intelligent owners will make sure they know exactly what to do even before they chose a puppy. Attend a number of local puppy classes to educate yourself. By observing the pups and chatting to their owners you will quickly get an idea of what to expect.
Stages of Development
Following John Paul Scott and John Fuller's pioneering studies on dog behavior, puppy development has been traditionally divided into five fairly distinct stages:
1. Neonatal (birth - 2 weeks);
2. Transitional (2-3 weeks);
3. Socialisation 3-13 weeks);
4. Adolescence (13 weeks - 6 months);
5. Adulthood.
A neonatal or newborn pup is equipped to do little but suckle and sleep. During the transition period, the pup's eyes and ears open and he begins to move about. The puppy becomes progressively more aware of his environment, such that by the end of the third week, littermates begin to establish important social relationships, which are the harbingers of the social hierarchy of adult dogs. The bitch gradually becomes less important to the puppies and the period of socialization arbitrarily terminates after weaning. The adolescent period extends until puberty, whereafter the dog attains sexual maturity.
Developmental Transition
Scientists divide development into separate stages largely for descriptive convenience. However, development is a continual and dynamic process: Dogs do not abruptly leave one stage and enter another, rather the progression is smooth and the stages overlap considerably. Few puppies conform to the precise developmental time table described by scientists and pinpointing developmental dates, such as a hypothetical “fear imprint” period to a specific week, let alone a specific day, really is as simplistic as it is unrealistic. Specific transitional dates represent averages of many dogs and the very existence of even a single individual “textbook” dog à la Dr. Spot is highly unlikely.
In reality, a dog's behavior and temperament are always in a state of flux, or developmental transition. For example, puberty is not a precise point separating puppyhood from adulthood but rather, puberty is a progressive developmental process per se — an ongoing period of social as well as sexual maturation, starting as early as 18 weeks and lasting until two years of age in small dogs and up to three years of age in the larger breeds. It would be more accurate to describe the dog's entire lifespan as a single extended transitional phase of development.
Critical Period of Socialization
Some researchers have termed the socialization stage as the “Critical Period” believing it to be so incredibly important for the dog's behavioral development. Indeed, the period of socialization is critical in terms of its crucial importance in producing a friendly companion dog. After the eyes and ears have opened, the pup is literally bombarded with new and intriguing stimuli and experiences, which exert a maximal and long-lasting effect on shaping the dog's future personality and temperament. However, the socialization period is not critically restricted to the arbitrary and limited 3-13 week time constraints as suggested by original researchers.
Basically, in any young animal, whether precocious or altrical, the earlier the experience, the more crucial its role in the development of the adult's future temperament. And so is the case with dogs. Both the magnitude and the permanence of the effects of experience decrease as the puppy grows older. Specifically, physical and social stimulation during the first six weeks of a dog's life is of the utmost importance for forming and modifying the dog's adult temperament. However, since pups are essentially blind and deaf when born, visual and auditory stimuli were considered to be of minor experiential importance during the first two or three weeks of life. Consequently, the Critical Period of Socialization was deemed not to commence until three weeks of age. But neonatal puppies actually can see and hear to some extent. Also they can smell, they can taste, and they can feel. Therefore, early tactile and olfactory/gustatory stimulation are vitally important and to all intents of purpose, social development begins at birth. Similarly, citing 13 weeks of age as the termination of the Critical Period was merely an arbitrary decision made by researchers — a decision which had very little relevance to the social world of companion dogs. In reality, the period of socialization never ends. When socialization continues, dogs become even more socialized, whereas when socialization is discontinued (e.g., when dogs are kenneled, or not walked regularly), dogs gradually de-socialize until eventually they may become fearful, asocial, or even antisocial.
If as adults, dogs are to be expected to amiably socialize with other dogs and people, then especially during the impressionable Critical Period, i.e., as early as possible, puppies should be exposed to a wide variety of sociable and friendly dogs and people. This might sound obvious, but all too often, the obvious is neglected.
Applied Behavioral Stages of Development
From a pet owner's perspective and especially with regards the ease of training and the prevention of potential behavior and temperament problems, development could be simplified into three stages: 1. Socialization; 2. Adolescence; and 3. Adulthood.
The period of socialization and training lasts for the dog's entire life. Behavior never remains the same, it is always changing — sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. No matter how friendly and well behaved your dog, always continue socializing and training —
there is always room for improvement. Perfection is a worthy, yet illusive and Sisyphean goal. Moreover, if the dog's education is discontinued, his demeanor will likely deteriorate. Indeed, a dog may become a delinquent virtually overnight when he collides with adolescence, or he may
become crotchety during old age.
Doggy adolescence is an abrupt and cataclysmic, yet extremely protracted period of change, starting as early as 18 weeks and sometimes dragging on until three years of age. (At least this state of affairs is not as bad as in the human male, wherein adolescence may persist for a lifetime!) Inadequate socialization and training during puppyhood makes its mark during adolescence. Characteristically, minor puppy rambunctiousness and rumbustiousness become manifested as major-league unruly behavior — jumping up, pulling on leash, hyperactivity, incessant barking and heavy duty household destruction. More disturbingly, the puppy's lack of confidence may rear its ugly head as fearfulness and/or aggression to other dogs or people.
Luckily, incipient adolescent problems may be nattily nipped in the bud by intelligent puppy training. However, even if your adolescent dog still remains a paragon of puppy good manners and exquisite temperament, do keep socializing and training. Remember, early socialization during puppyhood has enabled you to continue to socialize and control your dog as an adolescent and so, by the same mark, continue socializing and training throughout adolescence so that you may further continue to socialize your dog during adulthood.
If, on the other hand, a puppy's early education were insufficient or inappropriate, adolescence usually represents a period of frantic retraining. If this is the case, get to it and enroll in an adolescent class right away and nip these problems at the early flowering stage. Otherwise, the problems will get worse as the dog grows older — much worse in fact!
At long last, by three years of age, most dogs start to achieve social maturity — adulthood — delightfully dependable, calm, controlled, well-behaved, happy and friendly adulthood, which drifts into the dog's glorious sunset years. The dog's adulthood is a time for both dog and owner to reap the benefits of early puppy education, especially for the owner to enjoy the dog's good company, marvel at his endearing personality and to showcase his golden doggy demeanor.
Looking at development from an applied viewpoint, it is apparent that socialization, and especially puppy socialization, is the sine qua non of doggy husbandry — the hallmark of successfully raising a well adjusted canine companion. Certainly socialization, training, and education last forever, but from a couple of important practical considerations, (namely the puppy's current residence and his level of immunity), early puppy socialization and training may be divided into three separate substages — each with differing yet quite distinct objectives.
Applied Substages of Early Socialization
Neonatal pups are pretty fragile and helpless critters — they are barely ambulatory and have a number of sensory constraints. This does not mean to say socialization is out of the picture. On the contrary, neonatal pups are extremely sensitive and impressionable, and neonatal and early puppy socialization is of paramount importance, but it must be done carefully and gently.
Obviously the youngster is not yet sufficiently resilient to physically “run with the pack” and so, apart from interactions with the mother and littermates, dog-dog socialization must be put on hold for a while. This partial social vacuum offers an ideal opportunity to concentrate on desensitizing the puppies to the physical aspects of the home environment (especially noises) and to embark on the most important aspect of canine husbandry — socializing dogs with people. Unfortunately, by the time the puppy is old enough to start to play with other dogs, his immunity against the more common and serious canine diseases reaches an all-time nadir. By six weeks of age, puppies have an extremely depleted maternal immunity but have yet to acquire sufficient active immunity from their puppy shots. Until the pup has received, at the very least, a couple of puppy shots and has developed adequate immunity, it would be too silly to risk the pup venturing onto the streets, where he may come into contact with other dogs and/or their eliminatory products (which may be contaminated with bacteria and viruses). Thus unless there are other vaccinated adult dogs at his new residence, until the puppy is old enough to safely venture onto public property, he often lives within a complete social vacuum in terms of dog-dog interactions. This offers yet another ideal opportunity for the new owner to concentrate on pet dog training's prime directive — intensive dog-human socialization.
1. Original Home
Most puppies have adequate opportunity to socialize with their dam and littermates during their first few weeks. Additionally though, regular (several times a day) handling, gentling and calming by a wide variety of people (especially children, men and strangers) should be an
essential ingredient of puppy husbandry, especially during the early weeks and especially with those breeds which are notoriously tricky when handled by strangers.
Exposure to a variety of sights and sounds should commence well before the eyes and ears are fully opened, especially with sound-sensitive and hand-sensitive breeds. Keep the television tuned to ESPN (male voices, shouting and screaming), or the occasional rock radio station. In order to prepare puppies for domestic living and desensitize them to noises and other household stimuli, it is essential the litter is raised indoors. If not, you will be playing catchup before you even start the socialization timetable.
2. New Home — Puppy Younger than Three Months
Until the puppy has acquired sufficient active immunity, it is too risky to allow her to socialize with dogs of dubious immunization history, or dogs which have been in contact with the urine and/or feces of potentially infected dogs. Instead, during this time, concentrate fully on socializing the puppy to people. Never forget: Being accepting and friendly to people is the most important requirement of any companion dog.
Do not keep the pup a secret. Invite people home to meet the puppy. Invite family, friends, and neighbors. Of course, maintain routine hygiene at all times and certainly insist guests leave outdoor shoes outside and wash their hands before handling the puppy. But, during this impressionable phase of pet ownership, parties chez puppy should be de rigeur. Make sure to invite a few different people each day. It is not sufficient for the pup to meet the same people over and over, the puppy needs to grow accustomed to happily meeting at least a dozen strangers each day.
Have all the visitors handfeed dinner kibble while handling the pup. Carefully supervise all children. Instruct visitors how to use the kibble as lures and rewards to teach the pup to come, sit, lie down, stand, and roll over. In particular, insist all visitors practice teaching the puppy a few canine social graces, especially to sit when greeting people. Do not waste this golden opportunity: Rock solid temperaments are forged during this period.
3. New Home — Puppy Over Three Months
As soon as it is safe for the puppy to go on walks — take her on walks — lots of walks. There is no better overall socialization exercise and there is no better training exercise (teach the dog to sit or lie down every twenty yards or so), than the good old dog walk. And as an added benefit, dog walks are good for human health — good for the heart and good for the soul. Walk that dog! And, tie a pink bow to his collar and you will not believe the smiles you see and the new friends you make. A by-product of socializing your dog is a quantum leap in your own social life.
Also, the time is nigh to enroll the pup in a number of puppy play groups and puppy training classes. Singleton pups and puppies from small litters especially require socialization with other puppies and dogs at the earliest safest time. But above all, it's time to get out and have fun with your dog. For puppy classes in your area contact the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (www.apdt.com). And do not neglect your periodic Puppy Parties at home. Continue teaching all your friends, how to teach your puppy to come and sit etc. Why train the dog yourself? Train your family and friends to teach your dog!
The most important quality in a pet dog is her temperament: A dog with a good temperament can be a dream to live with but a dog with a tricky temperament is a perpetual nightmare. Moreover, regardless of breed or breeding, a dog's temperament — vis a vis his feelings towards people and other dogs — is largely the result of socialization (or lack of socialization) during puppyhood — the most important time in a dog's life.
Just as William Wordsworth wrote, "the child is father of the man," it would be appropriate to say: The pup is parent of the dog.

My heart beats fast when I can sniff
The odors on the grass:
So was it since the first prologue,
So is it now I am a dog;
So be it when I'm old and stiff,
Or let me pass!
The pup is parent of the dog:
And I wish my days to run
Bound each to each, domesticum.

  Dog's Basic Instinct

 

Many years ago, I asked my malamute Phoenix, whether she wanted to drive down Solano Avenue to get some frozen yogurt and she didn't reply with her usual WrrrWrrrooooo and so, convinced she was up to some mischief, I quietly crept upstairs, only to find her puzzling with The Times crossword while listening to CNN. This may surprise some of you. It certainly surprised me. Normally I expect dogs to chew, dig and bark for amusement, not to read a book, enjoy needlepoint, or watch soaps on the television.
Normal, Natural and Necessary
Dogs chew for a variety of reasons but primarily, because that's what dogs do. Dogs chew because it's fun. In fact, the majority of canine investigatory of occupational activities involve using their jaws and paws to chew or dig. For many domestic dogs one of these activities becomes their hobby and just like young boys, puppy and adolescent dogs can become quite fanatical about their hobbies. Chewing is basically a normal and natural doggy behavior, which is also necessary for maintaining healthy gums and clean teeth.
Puppies are especially mouthy and it is often assumed they chew to soothe the irritation of teething — which is certainly true. It is also assumed, puppies will magically grow out of the habit. This is frighteningly untrue. Certainly the puppy's rapacious penchant for chewing will wane as he gets older, but the adolescent dog will still chew for amusement and if you have allowed him to chew inappropriate items as a puppy, then more likely than not, he will continue chewing inappropriate items as an adult.
The truth is, puppies will chew just about anything and everything because they are inquisitive little blighters. Mother Nature made little puppies perpetual chewing machines, so they may learn the difference between sentient living beings versus inanimate objects. When they bite too hard on mum's teats, dinner service is curtailed and when they bite too hard on another puppy's ears or tail, or little children's fingers, they lose a playmate. Thus, the pup learns to inhibit the force of their biting/mouthing behavior before weak puppy jaws develop into the formidable weapons of adolescent and adult dogs.
Boredom
We must try to see things from the dog's point of view. The dog is a social animal. We invite the pup to share our home but once puppy-novelty has worn off, we tend to ignore the pup for much of the time that we are home and leave her in solitary confinement whenever we are gone. The poor dog is simply searching for some form of occupational therapy to pass the time of day when left at home alone. The dog has to do something. And lacking sufficient direction or instruction from the owner, she naturally resorts to normal means of doggy entertainment — chewing, digging and barking.
Separation Anxiety
House destuction usually occurs in the owner's absence, primarily because the puppydog is more likely to be bored when left at home alone. Also, a dog may resort to chewing because she becomes anxious when left alone, either because she misses her owner and/or because she lacks sufficient environmental stimulation. To compensate for the social void, the dog provides her own proprioceptive and kinaesthetic stimulation by vigorously and repetitively chewing clothing, household items, furniture, walls and in some cases, by chewing herself. Anxiety-fueled chewing often becomes stereotypically excessive and eventually assumes obsessive and compulsive proportions. Dogs chip and shred furniture like they are possessed, but even more disturbing, excessive grooming may lead to self-mutilation, whereby the poor dog licks herself raw, or gnaws away at her paws and tail.
The dog's anxiety is often exacerbated by the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the home environment: When the owner is home, the dog receives unlimited attention but when the owner is away, she is subjected to solitary confinement. Ironically, showering the dog with love and affection, causes the dog to miss the owner all the more. In such cases, the owner must build the dog's confidence and teach her to enjoy her own company when left alone, as well as resolving the manifested chewing problem. Luckily though, redirecting the dog's obsessive and compulsive chewing behavior goes a long way to assuaging the dog's fears and anxiety. Once the dog is happily ensconced chewing an appropriate object, she will not feel so lonely and depressed when left alone.
Separation Fun!
There is an additional reason why dogs invariably chew in the owner's absence. After repeated punishments, the dog quickly learns it is generally a bad policy to rip socks, shred carpets and destroy furniture when the owner is around. But since chewing is normal, natural and necessary, the dog simply waits for the owner to leave, before indulging her natural pastime. In fact, many dogs just can't wait for the owner to leave, so they may safely and peacefully act like a dog!
For any punishment-oriented training program to be effective, the dog must be punished each and every time he misbehaves. This, of course, is impossible because by and large, humans are inconsistent beasts. Rather than learning that chewing certain items is wrong, the dog surmises it is OK to chew when the owner is away or preoccupied. Thus the problem is unresolved. The dog continues to “misbehave,” the owner becomes increasing frustrated and the dog is frequently punished when the owner returns home. In such cases, many dogs become anxious with their owners' return, not their departure.
Even if humans were consistent, trying to curtail inappropriate chewing using punishment becomes an ineffective folly akin to The Myth of Sisyphus. For example, the average Labrador, without even moving his brain from first gear, can think of hundreds of wonderfully inappropriate items to destroy. This means hundreds of reprimands are necessary to even attempt to contain the problem. This is not much fun for the dog or for the owner. Much easier, more efficient, more effective and certainly, much (MUCH) more enjoyable, is to simply teach the dog what you would like him to chew.
Solutions
Whether teaching a new puppy household manners, or retraining an older dog with an existing chewing habit, the same sense of urgency exists. Puppies may develop a bad chewing habit at the drop of a hat and adult chewers can cause a lot of damage in a very short time. My record chewing case involved a male Akita that meted over $10,000 worth of damage to the interior of a Mercedes in less than 25 minutes!
Whatever the reason for the dogs ill-directed chewing activities, the solution is always the same: To redirect the dog's chewing activities to articles which are both acceptable and appropriate and specifically designed for that purpose, i.e., to teach the dog to chew chewtoys. We must remember, it is not so much the dog's inclination to chew that is abnormal or wrong but rather, the dog's choice of chewtoys is inappropriate. Moreover, it is not the dog who considers his choice of chewtoys to be inappropriate but rather, the owner. Consequently, it behooves owners to provide chewtoys AND to teach the dog what they are for. It is no good just plonking down a bunch of toys and praying the dog will use them. The dog may still feel the couch is the Fisher Price of all chewtoys. Dogs can not read the instructions on chewtoy packaging, hence they may have no idea what they are for. The owner must actively teach the dog to chew chewtoys.
Whether training a new puppy or retraining an adult dog, try to prevent the puppydog from making a single mistake. Obviously, until the puppydog has been trained to chew chewtoys exclusively, never allow the puppydog unsupervised access to the whole house whether you are home or not. When at home, supervise the puppydog's activities, actively and passively teach the dog to chew chewtoys, and teach the dog how to wile aways the long hours of social isolation when nobody is home. When not at home, make sure to leave the puppydog in an area where he can not damage household possessions but where there are many enticing and appropriate chewtoys to help pass the time of day.
A surprising number of chewing problems start when the owner is at home. The owner is reading a book, watching the telly, daydreaming, or sleeping in one room, while the dog is methodically dismantling another room. The owner may be catching a few rays in the garden, whilst the dog is demolishing the house. Or the owner may be indoors, whilst the dog is destroying garden furniture, hoses and plants. Do not set up the dog for failure. An unsupervised and untrained dog will invariably make mistakes and break rules he doesn't even know exist, whereupon the owner will become exasperated and invariably the dog will be punished once more. This is simply not fair. Consequently either pay attention to the dog, or confine him to an area where he can cause little, if any, damage.
Chewtoys

From the outset, encourage the dog to play with chewtoys. To heighten the dog's interest, waggle the chewtoy in front of his nose, toss it for the dog to retrieve, tie a string to the toy and drag it around the house, or hide the toy and encourage the dog to search for it. Pay absolute attention to the dog whenever he is allowed to investigate the house. Praise the dog when he plays with chewtoys and if ever the dog even starts to pay particular attention to any inappropriate item, instruct him to find a chewtoy and praise him for doing so. Characteristically, dogs resort to numerous attention-seeking ploys to train their owners. Once your dog learns, he only has to pick up a chewtoy to successfully solicit your approval and affection, he will happily chew chewtoys and you may happily praise your dog.
So what exactly is a chewtoy? A chewtoy is an item that is neither destructible nor consumable. Toy destruction necessitates regular replacement, which is bad for bank balance and eating toys may be decidedly bad for the dog's health. For most dogs, highly resilient Kongs, Big Kahunas and sterilised long bones are ideal, and rawhide chewies and cow hooves are fine for others. It is generally a bad idea to allow a dog to chew items of clothing, such as old shoes, or knotted towels. Not only may the pup destroy and consume these items but also, the dog may later generalize to new items of clothing. Puppies especially must be supervised when playing with plush toys and squeaky toys, to teach them to play gently and not destroy or eat the toy.
Whenever you cannot devote full attention to puppy supervision and training, restrict the dog to a small area. Get the pup used to little quiet moments in a suitable doggy den. A doggy den may be the dog's basket, mat, or bed, or a traveling crate, which is kept in the same room as the owner, so the owner may periodically praise the dog for settling down quietly and chewing chewtoys. If you have problems getting a young pup to stay in his bed, you may want to consider putting the pup on a short leash and clipping the leash to an eye-hook in the base board. When the dog is in his den, make sure chewtoys are the only chewable items within reach. This is a passive learning process. All you have to do is settle the dog in his den with a good supply of chewtoys and the dog learns to chew chewtoys (because there is little else to chew). In no time at all, the dog develops an acceptable chewtoy habit. And once established, good chewing habits are just as hard to break as bad habits.
Additionally, the owner should endeavor to prepare the dog how to cope with those unavoidable periods of confinement and/or social isolation when the owner is away. And of course, the owner can only do this when at home. Periodically confine the puppy for short periods to his playroom (confinement zone), such as the kitchen, garage or dog run. This gives the dog an opportunity to learn to enjoy confinement at a time when the owner is present to monitor the dog's behavior. Offer a couple of pieces of kibble each time you confine the dog, turn on the radio and make sure to leave plenty of extra special toys in the playroom.
Gourmet Stuffed Chewtoys
A wonderful ploy is to stuff a number of Kongs and Squirrel Dudes with kibble. Each evening, measure the dog’s daily ration of kibble for the next day. Let the kibble soak in water, stuff it into the hollow chewtoys and then put them in the freezer overnight. The next morning you will have a handy supply of Kongsicles. Your dog will busy himself trying to extricate the kibble from the chewtoys. Your dog will happily amuse himself for hours on end. Reserve stuffed chewtoys for playroom enjoyment only and the dog will soon view confinement as an extra special opportunity to indulge in his favorite hobby — chewing chewtoys.
Once the dog enjoys the peaceful solitude of his own company, gradually and progressively increase the length of time he is confined. A dog, which is periodically confined to its playroom at times when the owner is at home, will be better equipped emotionally to weather confinement when the owner leaves.
And of course, once your dog has learned to chew chewtoys exclusively, whenever you are gone, he may enjoy full run of your house .
Reprimands?
If your ever catch the puppydog in the act of chewing inappropriate items — immediately instruct your dog, "Find your chewtoy!" and then praise the dog as soon as he starts to chew an appropriate item. Should you ever return home to find your home destroyed, go to some quiet corner, roll up a newspaper and reprimand yourself, "Silly owner!!!” How can you be so unbelievably silly, to let an uneducated puppy, or a dog with numerous prior chewing convictions have the run of your home with unrestricted access to valuable items. Please reread this article and then, confine your dog with stuffed chewtoys so that he learns to want to chew chewtoys. And then as an attractive bonus, once your dog is profitably employed as a recreational chewtoy chewer, it is unlikely that he will become a recreational barker.

Move Forward Through The Grief of Pet Loss.

Who Else Wants To Move Forward Through The Grief of Pet Loss...? Rather Than Sitting and Crying Helplessly?”

As a kid I was heartbroken when my favorite pet passed away, his name was max the most amazing dog in the entire world. My father came home one day with max in his hands and gave it to me for my birthday, my very own beagle to play with. From that very day max and I grew together running through the house making mom go crazy at times.

Man how I love that dog even now that I am forty years old I remember max all the times. I always talk to my kids about max and how good was the dog at finding things. I could hide my toys any where inside the house or even the park near our home in little rock and max would always found it. After the entire beagle dog breed in one of the best hunting dogs in the world. Mr. Stevens our next door neighbor told me all about the dog and its powerful scent of smell. Perhaps max was one of the best things in my life and now a share that story with my kids. Unlike me they preferred cats for pets; hey the world is not perfect but we manage our pets’ preferences in the family pretty good.

Now comes the sad part of the story of max and me. Like all living organisms in our planet he passed away. The vet simply explains to me that he had die of old age and that years in dogs were calculated different than human beings.  I could not accepted that my best friend pass away son soon, for weeks I was very sadden and I did not wanted to go to school. My father tried getting me down to the local pets shop but I refused to go.  But I was pretty grown to understand that I have to move on and that feeling the painful grief for the lost was normal.  Now that I am an adult I fully understand the importance of loving someone from the heart, I always tell my kids that.  Max was too much of a good friend to me and one that was always by mi side so it is understandable to have felt that way when he passed. However like me there are so many people in the world that could not move on from losing a pet. I read a book about pets a few months ago that explain some good points about the topic. I am not much of a reader aside from the newspaper but I did read the entire book and it was great.  The author clearly knew what he was writing instead of trying to sale a book.

I decide to learn more about the topic online and I found a forum that brought many animals lover together to tell their stories. So for the past three months I learn so much about dogs is amazing. One topic that kept always being brought up was the aftermath when pets passed away. One post in the forum have more than four thousand comments, the post was from a frequent user his name is Josh Bash great guy. We learn so much from each other and of course other participants in the forum as well. One of the most important thing when going to a sad moment like this is to have someone to talk to, it feels really good that you will not be ridicule or taken for a sucker when expressing your feelings out in the open.

In some cases people need counseling to help with the lost and to be honest with you I highly recommend you speak with someone and learn how to deal with the greed.  I want to take the time to thank you all for taking time of your day to read my story and it you want to speak to me or want me to help you in any way to move on with the lost I will leave a link here to all my forms of communications. I will also encourage you reading what Josh Bash has available to further assist you.  “Learn How to Deal With Grief of a Pet Loss”

George H.W. Bush's service dog, Sully the viral story

The United States mourned the pass away of the 41st president George H.W. Bush; however there was a beautiful yellow Labrador retriever that appeared woebegone in front of the casket. That one photo caught the eyes on the entire world and in an instant Sully the dog that accompany the late Director of Central Intelligence in his  final months of his life have become an internet celebrity.

We often as the magical question, are dogs men best friends? And in more ways than ever we could see it unfold here. Sully just lay near the casket giving the veteran the final goodbyes. We write this article in the blog to honor that great dog sully for being the dog of the year.

Now how good is a Labrador retriever, well the dog is a gift from God to any elderly person or blind person. The breed is very famous in countries like Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States and in recent years many other nations have felt in love with this great animal. In the Dominican republic the dog is part of a goberment program to assist the blind community. 

The Awesome World Of Pets

Welcome to the awesome world of pets and individuals who love their animals. We created this blog to showcase the many different pets in this sphere we call earth, if you call yourself an animal lover them this is the perfect place for you. 

This is the very first article in the blog and it is more like a welcome essay to the blog. In this site we will deal with everything that is pets related. So many people in the United States own cats and dogs that the number is just around 30 millions. Now many of us make the big mistake of owning a pet without the proper training to really care for that love critter. For example one of the best pet to own is a cat, simply because cats are self establish and can care for themselves a lot better than other pets. However how about a snake. To many surprise snakes are a very exotic pet to own and there more than twenty thousand owners. The point is that in this blog we will help you in so many ways to learn all about your favorite pets. Not only that we also want you to fully participate with us by sharing your stories, pictures and videos.

In conclusion this blog is more like a community to share and learn all there is to the awesome world of pets. We welcome any pet story from any parts of the world, come and be part of the community. Sign up with your email address and recipe our tips about pets’ health care.