Difficult Dogs E-Book

Ann Stead

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

When your dog's behaviour becomes problematic no matter how understanding and patient you may be it can leave you feeling distressed, unhappy and unsure of what to do. Your dog's behaviour can have significant implications for everybody concerned, both in and out of the home and in severe cases you may even be contemplating parting with your dog as everyday life becomes seemingly impossible.This invaluable book aims to help you understand your dog's negative behavioural traits, displays and actions; whilst explaining why they are likely to have occurred and how you can put into practice effective methods to solve unwanted behaviour.Topics covered include:Stressed owner; stressed dog; Second hand dog, first hand problems; How to deal with problem behaviour both in the home and outside; Understanding aggression; Effective training for obedience. An invaluable book that covers the common problems dog owners experience, from separation anxiety to disobedience to fear and aggression.Gives the reader a theoretical understanding of why dogs behave in certain ways and instruction on how you can re-train your dog successfully and ensure that their behaviour is desirable.Superbly illustrated with 609 colour photographs.Vanessa Stead is a canine behaviourist with extensive experience in helping dogs to overcome behavioural problems.

Leseprobe

Copyright

First published in 2011 by The Crowood Press Ltd, Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book edition first published in 2013

© Vanessa L. Stead 2011

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

ISBN 978 1 84797 498 3

Acknowledgements

I would firstly like to thank Mr and Mrs Player and their wonderful dog Giles for being so obliging in taking so many of the training shots invaluable for this e-book. I would like to thank all the staff and dogs at the Dogs Trust Newbury for all their help and ongoing support. Lastly I would like to thank my husband Sandrijn whose support and assistance have been invaluable while making this e-book; as well as helping rehabilitate the many lost canine souls coming routinely through our house.

CONTENTS

Title Page

Copyright

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1 Health and Behaviour

2 Problem Dog, Learnt Behaviour?

3 Development and Problem Behaviour

4 Environmental Causes of Problem Behaviour

5 Stressed Owner, Stressed Dog

6 Second-Hand Dog, First-Hand Problems

7 Genetic Inheritance

8 Fear and Distress

9 Aggression

10 Problems in the Home

11 Problems Outside

12 Training for Obedience

13 Conclusion

Further Reading

Further Information

Index

INTRODUCTION

When your dog’s behaviour becomes a problem, it can leave you feeling unhappy and unsure what to do, no matter how understanding and patient you may be. Problem behaviour can have significant implications for everybody concerned, both within and outside the home. In severe cases, when everyday life becomes seemingly impossible, you may even contemplate parting with your dog. This book aims to help you understand your dog’s problematic traits, displays and actions, and show you how to decipher why they may have occurred. It explores problem behaviour in everyday life to show you that you can take control of it with dramatic impact. Each chapter uses real-life case studies and practical know-how to enable you to effectively change what is going wrong.

WHAT MAKES A PROBLEM DOG?

Quite simply, any dog can become a problem, usually when their behaviour has a disruptive and negative impact on everyday life. As a canine behaviourist I find particular problems crop up repeatedly: aggression, fear, attachment/security and general disobedience are four main reasons for concern. Stress entwines behavioural problems for both dog and owner and can’t be underestimated. To understand how to change things, your first priority is to consider why these problems are occurring and where they have come from. Determining the answer to this part of the puzzle allows you to tackle the cause of concern, which is absolutely critical. Without this knowledge it is easy to become trapped in a downward spiral and often make the issue worse through the use of incorrect treatment, usually punishment administered at the wrong time. This book aims to show you that your dog’s behaviour is the result of changeable factors both internal and external. The interesting thing is that you can influence your dog on many levels, all of them connected, as the diagram opposite reveals.

UNDERSTANDING THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT BEHAVIOUR

The first section of the book begins by examining the link between health and behaviour, highlighting why you should always ensure your dog receives a clean bill of health before any training begins. Understanding how your dog learns and the factors that affect this process is vital to getting to the bottom of any problem and deciding how to change it. Your dog’s environment, including the treatment he receives, is equally important. This is where the principle of dominance hierarchies and the use of different training methods come into play. These ideas are examined in detail in order to show that there is a far more effective way of changing behaviour than being aggressive, confrontational and physically forceful. The book then explores the dramatic consequence for behaviour that can take place when the dog’s environment doesn’t cater for his maintenance behaviours and core needs. Finally, I examine the often underestimated effects of stress for you and your dog and highlight some everyday training and modification techniques that you can use to tackle these concerns successfully.

Behaviour is the result of a multitude of factors and is a variable system depending on internal and external components.

MAKING THE CHANGE

The second part of the book focuses on the next part of the process, one critical for all owners struggling with their dog’s problems: shaping and changing behaviour.

We begin the process by examining what owners of rescue dogs struggle with on a daily basis: how to take control and manage and modify problem behaviour relating to dogs that have been through upheaval in their lives. Aggression and fear are major areas of concern for a huge number of owners; each needs a chapter to unravel the common problems associated with them. The next phase of the book takes you through an average day and shows how you can successfully address the common problems that occur in the home. However, behavioural problems are not limited to inside the home environment. When issues occur in the outside world they pose a whole new level of concern, mainly because it is a very difficult environment to control. This makes coping with problems, especially those posed by other people and other dogs, much more complicated and stressful, so I have developed a chapter to help you to tackle your dog’s problems successfully when you leave the constraints of home.

Dogs are amazing animals, with individual personalities, likes and dislikes. This springer spaniel loves the water and is showing the inquisitive nature characteristic of man’s best friend.

These two dogs are enjoying a run outside, but you never know what’s round the corner. This is why behavioural problems outside can be of great concern.

The final section of the book tackles concerns relating to general obedience. Even wandering attention and lack of focus can become problems and make a difference to successfully tackling greater concerns. Effectively fine-tuning your dog’s response to commands and improving his reactions can polish behaviour and restore harmony. The good news is that you can achieve this by positive reinforcement; training using kind, reward based methods will not only help your dog to learn desirable behaviour but can also develop the bond and relationship you have together. This book aims to show you how to manage and modify problem behaviour successfully by enabling you to see behaviour as a system.

Cohabitation with dogs can be rife with potential problems; the upside of this is that it can also be a wonderful relationship with friends, companions and bonds made for life. This book is dedicated to showing you how to repair the weak links in this relationship and build upon them by tackling the problems along the way. At each stage, kindness and thought are favoured over force and aggression, to help you build and shape behaviour rather than suppress it and break bonds.

1 HEALTH AND BEHAVIOUR

Before attempting any training or behavioural modification, it’s vitally important to exclude any medical causes behind your dog’s problematic displays.

A significant number of behavioural problems arise from health and pain issues, and if these aren’t treated or taken into consideration you will miss a key part of the puzzle. Without this knowledge, you will definitely reduce your chances of successfully tackling the concern and possibly even risk increasing the severity of the problem.

Pain and the many conditions that cause it, hormonal imbalance, sensory dysfunction and sensory deterioration are four of the main health-related concerns that can lead to behavioural problems. Both here and later in the chapter I give you the same advice: take your dog to your vet for a full health check to exclude any medical concerns. This chapter will show you why this is so important and give you practical advice on how to help and support the behaviour of dogs suffering from health concerns.

PAIN

Quite understandably, pain can be a very common cause of problem behaviour. Pain is simply an unpleasant sensation that can range from acute (short term, such as somebody stepping on a dog’s paw) through to chronic (long term, such as arthritis). Physiologically, pain often relates to potential and actual damage to the body’s tissue, which commonly causes behaviour to change. Heartbeat, blood pressure, respiration and general activity can become dramatically different when pain strikes. Therefore it is essential that owners can identify what is normal behaviour for their dog as well as recognize changes, even subtle differences. Interestingly, the experience of a pain-provoking event can affect learning and cause the dog to be suspicious and react with fear/stress, avoidance and even aggression in the future. This highlights why every owner should look out for pain-related behaviours and be able to identify them, noticing any relevant changes in their dog’s behaviour as an individual. It is important to remember that ‘normal behaviour’ varies from dog to dog; some dogs have higher pain thresholds than others and these thresholds can change as they mature and get older. You know your dog best, so if you see any signs of change, especially if they are presented repeatedly, seek veterinary help straight away. And try to note not only the behaviour being shown but also when and for how long it occurs. This will help you to judge your dog as an individual and if any of these signs are not in character, all may not be well. There are, however, standard signs of pain to look out for, together with the behavioural changes that accompany them.

Signs of pain-behaviour changes

The following are signs of pain that influence behaviour:

Avoidance, including lifting limbs, and mouthing and pulling away when handled.Fear: freezing, staring, glaring, flight or fight mechanism including potential displacement behaviours such as fidgeting.Stress, producing panting, pacing, listlessness, facial ridges, displacement behaviours and repetitive or stereotypical actions.Irritability and potential for aggression both defensive and offensive, depending on the level of pain and past learning.Depression.Reduced mobility and muscle constriction; the dog may appear hunched up and stiff.Reluctance or excessive motivation to eat or drink.Vocalization such as whimpering, groaning, crying and yelping, usually high-pitched and especially when touched or handled.Increased attention to a particular area: licking, nibbling or biting, and repeatedly turning to look at a certain area of the body.

The Conditions that Cause Pain

A common cause of acute pain is injury, often caused by trauma such as impact, force and constriction (remember that the use of a choke chain covers all these three!). Anything that tears, pulls, stretches or actually damages the dog’s tissue fibres can lead to pain anywhere in the body; organ failure and disease can also cause this response. Rubbing the same area of the body through repetitive movement such as pacing or through poorly fitting equipment such as collars and harnesses of the wrong size are examples of mechanical force that can cause pain.

This dog is suffering from a severe stomach upset and painful sores. He’s depressed and listless; his facial expression says it all.

Three different painful conditions and their corresponding behaviour.

Extremes of temperature, chemicals, and electric shocks can also provoke pain, and acute pain can be caused by toothache, cuts, bruises and abrasions. This can result in the behaviour changes mentioned above, but it is also worth remembering that if your dog is suffering from any painful complaint, stress will be a very likely by-product.

This lively pair are enjoying a rough play session. Some dogs can find this difficult to cope with if they are in pain.

I can’t continue this chapter without briefly referring to examples of training implements that can cause acute pain. Although these methods are designed to be relatively short term and abrupt, through repeated use they can lead over time to long-term physiological and behavioural effects. Continued use of pain when the dog is unable to escape and avoid it can lead to a state called ‘conditioned suppression’, where a dog’s behaviour ceases and he shuts down altogether. Some may think that this means that the treatment has worked; however, far from dealing with the cause of the problem such methods merely suppress the true behaviour and can have dramatic and detrimental impacts for the dog’s future mental state. The simple message is: don’t use choke chains, electric shock collars and prong collars, and remember that using painful methods (even yanking or pulling the dog on a flat collar) can be hugely detrimental to your dog’s overall behaviour.

Chronic Pain

If a painful condition continues and even exceeds the ‘normal’ healing time for the condition, it can become chronic, which has additional implications for both behaviour and welfare. Conditions that cause chronic pain in dogs include: hip dysplasia, arthritis, organ disease or failure, cancer and back/limb problems. When pain continues to plague the dog the signs are likely to become increasingly severe. If any of the dog’s maintenance behaviours (eating, drinking, sleeping, urination and defecation) are affected, this is very likely to result in behavioural consequences. Chronic pain can cause a dramatic increase in irritability and disturbance to sleep. Some dogs may even struggle to reach the deeper sleep stages where rest and repair take place. If you do have a dog suffering from a concern related to chronic pain and under veterinary supervision, there are ways to help it both in and out of the home.

Always ensure that you cater for the basics and give priority to your dog’s maintenance needs. If he is a little stiff or immobile, ensure that food and water stations are within easy reach (maybe even raised on a stand). And be sure to help these dogs go to the toilet area regularly; don’t wait for them to struggle to hold themselves in. Remember that if they are suffering from a painful condition it may take them longer to get to this area and helping them to do this can really make things easier.Protect them: it’s even more important to ensure that dogs suffering from painful conditions have a quiet, restful place in the home that is warm, safe and secure and away from comings and goings. This will enable them to rest away from the hustle and bustle of family life and provide valuable respite from children and other pets. Dogs in pain can be more sensitive to movement and become particularly concerned, even defensive, if threatened. So take care to allow space when walking past them and avoid walking over the top of them. Limit play and particularly keep watch over youngsters interacting and playing with your dog as they may be more inclined to instigate rough games – absolutely not advisable with a dog suffering from long-term pain.Keep watch when out and about. On walks, judge interaction with other dogs carefully. If your dog starts to show concern, keep moving and encourage him to distance himself. Another dog instigating a rough or over-zealous game could worry your dog, who may already be more sensitive to interactions and potentially defensive or aggressive.Look, listen and learn. Watch out for any sign that your dog is experiencing pain or feeling threatened by a stimulus from inside or outside the house. This may be the first indication that something isn’t right, perhaps telling you to stop what you’re doing or that something needs changing. Freezing, staring, glaring, growling and showing teeth are all signals that your dog may be experiencing pain during an interaction. Activities such as grooming, fitting equipment, bathing and general handling are potential risk areas, and it’s advisable to take notice of any signals, however slight, that indicate that your dog is not confident about the situation.

THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

Hormones have a vital part to play throughout a dog’s life. They are chemicals produced in the body and released to influence cells, organs, body function, physiology and psychology. Hormonal changes and influences can have dramatic effects on behaviour, emotions and mood. They are responsible for many physiological processes from development (for example, regulating growth and sexual development) to processing food and blood sugar levels (metabolism) and regulating the energy system in times of threat and conflict through the stress response (the flight or fight reaction). Hormone production and release occurs in particular glands (including the pituitary, thyroid and adrenal glands) as well as in organs such as the testes, ovaries, kidneys and liver, which have other functions besides hormone production. As hormones are responsible for such a large part of the body’s function and process, any imbalance can have major effects on health and behaviour. Similarly, disruptions to the natural hormonal system such as spaying and neutering can cause changes in behaviour.

This terrier is having his paw checked as he appears in pain. Take care to handle situations like this carefully.

Endocrine System

Endocrine disease can relate to over-production (hyper secretion) or underproduction (hypo secretion) of hormone levels; both can unbalance the system. Therefore anything that changes the ‘normal’ hormone quantities can have effects. Damage, deterioration and the effects of tumours can cause major disruption to hormone secretion. The following endocrine diseases can affect your dog’s health and behaviour:

Diabetes mellitus. In Type I there is insufficient production of insulin in specialized cells in the pancreas, possibly through damage to these cells; this prevents the metabolism of sugar and interferes with energy production. Type II diabetes, when insulin is produced but can’t be used effectively, is much rarer in dogs. Symptoms can include increased thirst, frequent urination and increased hunger, weight loss (despite eating), rapid onset of blindness and general lack of energy.Addison’s disease (hypoadrenocorticism) is a deficiency of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, the main hormones cortisol and aldosterone from the adrenal glands. It can create symptoms of increased thirst, lack of energy, weight loss and weakness, depression and mood changes, diarrhoea and dehydration, as well as critical signs of low body temperature, shaking, collapse and low heart rate. Particular times of concern are stressful situations, due to the imbalance of a principal stress hormone, cortisol.Cushing’s disease (hyperadrenocorticism) is over-production of adrenal gland hormones such as cortisone, and is often related to tumours, usually linked to the pituitary gland and causing growth of the adrenal glands and increased hormonal production. Tumours in the adrenal glands can also cause concern. Sufferers often show increased motivation to eat and drink, and increased urination. They may also have a pot-bellied appearance and suffer from hair loss, lethargy and weakness.Hypothyroidism is deficient production of thyroxin, which is responsible for metabolic function, and it slows the energy process. Causes can relate to inflammation, degeneration, or tumours located in the thyroid or pituitary glands. Hypothyroidism can cause weight gain (without the appetite growing), general decreased interest in daily life and activities such as play, exercise and training, irritability and aggression, more frequent/longer bouts of sleeping and rest, increased suffering or concern in the cold, and stomach problems such as constipation and diarrhoea.Hyperthyroidism is increased production of thyroxin in the thyroid glands, which increases metabolic function. Potential causes are tumours of the thyroid glands. This condition is much rarer in dogs than hypothyroidism. Symptoms include increased appetite, weight loss (though eating the same amount), excessive thirst, diarrhoea, and frequent and increased urination.

The principal areas of sensory dysfunction to be aware of, and what to do to help.

Problem Behaviours Associated with Endocrine Disease

Dogs suffering from endocrine disease may show a number of presenting signs but their imbalanced internal state can have an adverse effect on their behaviour. Hormone deficiency can cause a general lack of interest in life, irritability and depression; increased hormone production can lead to hyperactivity, nervousness and even aggression (including sudden onset). Hormone imbalance can cause fatigue and muscle weakness, and cause your dog’s behaviour to change. This can disrupt normal walks and play sessions and some dogs can even become agitated when introduced to new individuals. Others experience mood swings and a change in greeting behaviour. They may find times of stress particularly difficult to cope with and become easily concerned. Toileting accidents may occur much more frequently despite your dog being fully house-trained in the past. Veterinary intervention and care is needed in all cases but the following points will help you to manage problem behaviours often associated with these health concerns and support and encourage favourable behaviour.

Be stress aware. Dogs suffering from hormonal imbalance can find stressful events very difficult to cope with. Try to keep things calm and relaxed and diffuse tension by keeping calm yourself and managing situations carefully. Trips to the vet and car journeys may be red zone areas; plan events in advance so that you are prepared and always ensure you have water available.Don’t forget the maintenance behaviours: ensure that you cater for your dog’s basic needs, which may be elevated due to hormonal influence. Make certain that food and water stations are kept in the same place and that water is always available and topped up, and give your dog plenty of opportunities to go to the toilet, because increased elimination behaviour can cause toilet mishaps if not addressed. Just as dogs in pain suffer from increased lethargy and depression, hormonal imbalance can change the dog’s metabolism, causing him to need higher levels of rest; give him plenty of time to rest and relax undisturbed.Maintain a balanced routine. Keeping your dog’s routine simple to follow and the same every day can help to relieve stress and build his confidence and security. By stabilizing feeding and exercise opportunities you can successfully put balance into the imbalanced dog’s life.Don’t ask too much: keep things simple, including commands and training. Try to work at your dog’s level and don’t confuse them with complicated instructions. Perfecting the basic commands is a great starting place, and be sure to use lots of reward to support positive emotions. Remember, hormone imbalance can really affect how your dog is feeling, so anything that builds and supports security will be really beneficial.

SENSORY DYSFUNCTION AND DETERIORATION

Your dog’s senses are very important in facilitating everyday behaviour. Sensory dysfunction affecting sight, smell, hearing, touch or taste can cause considerable behaviour problems and put pressure on the dog’s ability to cope with ‘normal’ situations. Owners should be aware of any changes to their dog’s sensory abilities. The most common concerns relate to the dog’s ability to see and hear.

THE AGEING PROCESS: SENSORY LOSSES

As a dog ages, changes occur to the sensory system that feeds information into the dog’s brain. Food may lose flavour, sounds become less easy to hear and sights become distorted and blurred. Dogs use their senses as part of their danger detection system; failure to detect threats can be very disturbing. Failing eyesight creates similar problems (cataracts are a common eye concern in older dogs). With age comes the loss of both types of retinal cell in the eyes, and lenses can lose their elasticity, causing blurring and difficulty in focusing. Misjudging spaces or walking into objects can be a sign that your dog’s eyesight is deteriorating, as well as changes to the eye’s physiology such as clouding, inflammation and redness.

In a youthful dog, the brain sends messages from cell to cell through connecting filaments. In the ageing dog, the filaments contract and lose some of their contacts with other cells. This means that information must pass through a different route and will be processed more slowly. Another problem is that, once stimulated, the cells remain programmed for abnormally long periods, preventing further information from being absorbed. This affects a dog’s short-term memory, making dogs irritable when disturbed, slow to obey commands, and causing problems with orientation and learning. Previous daily activities may become ritualized; for example, some individuals may ask to be let out to urinate not because of need but because some cue has stimulated the cell linked to this action. The cell cannot evaluate the cue; it merely triggers imprinted actions. The dog may also return to his feed station as if he is hungry because the original cue remains and the cells cannot override the imprinted actions. Repeated behaviours and displacement actions can become common signs of cognitive deterioration. Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) can cause aggression and uncharacteristic behaviour due to brain degeneration. Symptoms of old age, sensory dysfunction, hormonal imbalance and general pain show significant similarities. This highlights once again why it is so important to ensure that your dog undergoes medical examination by your vet to get to the bottom of your concerns.

SENSORY DETERIORATION IN ELDERLY DOGS

Sensory deterioration accompanies many dogs as they move through maturity into their senior years. The general definition of old age is the last third of the normal life expectancy for any particular breed. Larger breeds tend to age more rapidly than smaller dogs, so a St Bernard will be more mature at five years old than a miniature poodle of the same age. Elderly dogs can develop specific behaviour problems due to declining sensory abilities. These include ‘grumpiness’ and irritability, even outbursts of potential aggression, confusion, stress and anxiety.

Mainly because of physiological and sensory deterioration, dogs are less able to cope with stress as they age. I examined the implications of vision and hearing dysfunction in an earlier table and the same management rules apply. It’s also important to reduce stress wherever possible and there are measures you can take to deal effectively with these problems.

Practising simple commands and tricks for praise and reward can be a great way to gently exercise your older dog.

Deterioration of the brain can be lessened by providing a stimulating environment, but ensure that you keep things simple. New toys and simple games can help to exercise the brain. We know that a reduction of oxygen to the brain results in impaired brain function, so encourage more oxygen to circulate by gentle exercise. Once again, monitor your dog’s reaction to any games you play with him, and avoid them if he becomes frustrated or confused.

Deteriorating eyesight and hearing can make it more difficult for dogs to rest, so it is important that your dog can get out of his bed easily and that his weight is evenly distributed to reduce pressure on his joints. Make sure that his bed is in a warm, quiet, draught-free place where he will not be disturbed by people constantly walking past, or be pestered by children or other pets.

Sensory deterioration can cause elderly dogs to be slower in both recognizing the need to relieve themselves and in getting to the place where they can do it. Bear this in mind in your planning.

EPILEPSY

Besides the four health-related concerns that we examined in this chapter – pain, hormonal imbalance, sensory dysfunction and sensory deterioration – there are also neurological concerns. I come across behaviour cases on a daily basis that are fuelled by health concerns. Sudden-onset aggression where the dogs don’t remember or recollect what they have done can be linked to neurological problems such as idiopathic epilepsy (epilepsy with no known cause). Thankfully these occur more rarely than other aggressive motivators but truly random incidents of unprovoked aggression are very serious and as such should be examined professionally. Medical and behavioural treatment can work fantastically well alongside each other to address the multitude of factors surrounding these concerns. The table overleaf reveals an insight into epilepsy and the problems it can cause as a major neurological concern.

One of the principal health issues that can cause behaviour to change and become problematic.

2 PROBLEM DOG, LEARNT BEHAVIOUR?

You probably began reading this book in order to try to unravel your dog’s problem behaviour, because you need and want to change it. When a dog’s behaviour is problematic, troubling sights and sounds, and upsetting feelings, make owners think back to how it came about. This seems very reasonable; if you can untangle how a problem behaviour has been learnt, you have gained an essential tool that will enable you to understand how things have gone wrong and, very importantly, how to put them right. In this chapter I will show you who the problem dogs really are, how they may have learnt to be this way, and the contribution made to this process by the dog’s acute senses. Real case studies will help you to understand your dog’s behaviour in a way you may never have been able to before.

The little black and white dog (standing) is posturing in what could be seen as a threatening position to the dog underneath.

WHO ARE THE PROBLEM DOGS?

Quite simply, any dog can be or become a problem to live with! This huge generalization is based on three main factors:

Many of the dog’s natural behaviours and core needs can be incompatible with life with their owners. For example, dogs with very high energy levels will be at odds living with a family who don’t have time to give them any exercise.Owners can miscommunicate with their dogs and misunderstand them. For example, behaviour perceived as dominant may actually be the result of other motivating factors such as fear. The misunderstanding of behaviour often leads to incorrect treatment, which usually makes the problem worse because the cause has not been taken into consideration!Owners can use inappropriate and unnecessary training methods and treatment, such as pain, fear and punishment. For example, striking a dog for growling when approached while eating from his food bowl can teach the dog a negative association and insecurity around food resources in the future.

The good news for both our species is that dogs can and do make wonderful companions and have a natural affinity with human society. This affinity depends on several factors such as the dog’s genetic disposition, development, environment, treatment and, of course, learning. Imbalance in any of these or disruption to them can create potential problems, but begin by considering that dogs are intelligent, intuitive animals that learn, remember and change depending on the experiences they go through internally and externally. Always try to remember that dogs interact with humans on an individual level; the best relationships require give and take on both sides. Rules are important in all relationships; however, it’s critically important to enforce these in a way that does not disrupt trust, confidence and security. Trust, confidence and security are critical for a stable relationship; repeatedly in my work I see these key areas in jeopardy.

Stable relationships require trust on both sides. Giles’s slight head tilt and focused expression show him trying to work out what to do.

HOW DOGS LEARN BEHAVIOUR

As a dog owner you probably recognize that you can teach your dog specific behaviours and tasks. While teaching dogs, it is easy to forget how they actually learn to act on command: learning is inextricably linked to teaching, which is an invaluable tool for all behaviourists, trainers and owners, but especially for those needing to identify, manage and modify problem behaviour.