Showing posts with label is. Show all posts
Showing posts with label is. Show all posts
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Max is learning
Kind of....
Today Max did not wanted to go out side in we front yard AT ALL. He do thinked he might get zzztttd!
He scratched at we door to come back in we house and he would not go pee or poop cuz he was a bit skerred.
Silly Max! It do not be hard to learn where the clickies are and stay away from they!
I do not even had my collar on becuz Max do had my collar on but I do not go to the clickie part anyway cuz I do knowed where they be so I do not needed a collar.
Maybe I might could be just a little bit smarter than Max!
But I will not sayed so cuz that might could be rOOd.
Read More..
Today Max did not wanted to go out side in we front yard AT ALL. He do thinked he might get zzztttd!
He scratched at we door to come back in we house and he would not go pee or poop cuz he was a bit skerred.
Silly Max! It do not be hard to learn where the clickies are and stay away from they!
I do not even had my collar on becuz Max do had my collar on but I do not go to the clickie part anyway cuz I do knowed where they be so I do not needed a collar.
Maybe I might could be just a little bit smarter than Max!
But I will not sayed so cuz that might could be rOOd.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Is There a Black Dog Syndrome
Hi Mia,
This was a summer of conferences squared! One of the topics that kept buzzing through my ears was a phenomenon commonly described as “Black Dog Syndrome,” an affliction suffered by dogs who turn black after eating too much licorice. But seriously, as you know, this is the commonly held belief that dark-coated dogs in shelters are less likely to be adopted than other dogs.
A recent proponent of this belief is Amanda Leonard. At the Association of Pet Dog Trainers 2012 Conference, Leonard gave a talk titled, “The Plight of the Big Black Dogs and Gender Myths.” As her website explain, "My year at the Washington Humane Society served as the inspiration and field work for a term paper for my very first class at [George Washington University]. That term paper turned into a multi-year project to expose Big Black Dog Syndrome and help shelters find homes for their black dogs (and cats)."
Leonard is not alone in believing in a “Black Dog Syndrome,” but does it really exist? In animal shelters, is there an adopter bias against dogs who are all black? Or maybe there is just a bias against dogs who are big and black, as some have suggested? Or maybe, people have less favorable opinions of black animals when explicitly asked but maybe it doesnt reflect in adoption rates? Maybe there is no bias against black dogs, there are just more of them in the dog population and therefore more in the shelter? Ultimately, how might researchers investigate this idea of a Black Dog Syndrome?
Research on Black Dogs
There has been lots of research presented on this topic this Summer! At the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ), Heather Lum, Nicole Nau & Kymberly McClellan presented their study, Exploring the “Black Dog” syndrome: How color can influence perceptions of companion animals. In this
questionnaire-based study, sixty-five people looked at pictures of animals of different colors and offered opinions on areas like the animals friendliness, aggressiveness or adoptability. They found the black dog was rated as least friendly and most aggressive and the lighter colored pets were considered more adoptable (study summary available here).But there was even MORE black dog research this summer! Later in July, at the 50th Animal Behavior Society Conference in Boulder, Colorado, Patricia McConnell, Taylor Jarmes and Keira McIntyre presented The Black Dog Syndrome: Factors influencing difficulty of canine adoptions. (McConnell is the PhD, CAAB we often mention on this blog, and she has been thinking about this topic for quite some time, see her earlier post). Their study on the Black Dog Syndrome had an interesting twist, so lets take a look...
TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER black dogs are less likely to be adopted than other dogs, McConnell and her students looked at the amount of time dogs spent on the adoption floor, as opposed to the amount of time dogs spent in the shelter overall. There could be a myriad of reasons why a dog does or does not make it onto the adoption floor, and coat color is not necessarily one of them. For example, depending on the shelter, a dog might be held back from the adoption floor if its sick, has behavioral issues, was recently picked up as a stray or if all the runs on the adoption floor are taken. So time spent on the actual adoption floor is an important detail when investigating whether black dogs are bypassed.
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| (How much time is spent on the adoption floor? Source) |
Ultimately, they determined that “coat color did not significantly alter a dog’s days on the adoption floor when analyzing the entire population or when eliminating puppies.” Additionally, the amount of black found in primarily black dogs did not influence how long dogs stayed at the shelter.
Where Are We With Black Dog "Syndrome"?
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| Newfoundland & Labrador |
WHAT ABOUT A REGIONAL or cultural Black Dog Syndrome? Kalita McDowell of the Canine Research Unit at Memorial University of Newfoundland explored this question in her research, which she also presented at the 50th Animal Behavior Society Conference. McDowell wondered whether “breeds of dogs native to, and largely celebrated in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Labrador Retriever and Newfoundland, both of which have a dominant black coat colour, will be preferred by the residents of the province and thus contradict the BBDS [Big Black Dog Syndrome].”
I checked in with McDowell for more details and heres what she had to say: "I found that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians only preferred more black Newfoundlands than other participants, however they did not prefer more black-coated Labrador Retrievers than other participants (everybody preferred black Labs to yellow and chocolates, and yellow more so than chocolates)." Lots to mull over!
Regardless of color, when it comes to dog adoptions, people give a hoot about the way dogs look, which kind of stinks because behavior is very much where it’s at! After all, looks fade, even in dogs ;) (kidding, totally kidding).
Glad y’all are getting some sun and beach and looking forward to next week’s guest post by Heather Svoboda!
Cheers!
Julie
More reading
McConnell, P. The Black Dog Syndrome: Fact or Fiction? The Other End of The Leash Blog. (Additional studies on coat color mentioned in this blog post).
References
Weiss et al., 2012. Why did you choose this pet?: Adopters and pet selection preferences in five animal shelters in the United States. Animals 2, 144–159. (Full article here)
ISAZ 2013 Conference Program
ABS 2013 Conference Program
The Black Dog Syndrome – Fact or Fiction?
The Black Dog Syndrome – Fact or Fiction?
The Black Dog Syndrome – Fact or Fiction?
Saturday, October 25, 2014
DOGS DOG CRATES TO USE OR NOT USE A DOG CRATE THAT IS THE QUESTION…
It has been my experience, that when we (humans) take a dislike to the whole idea of crating, it is an emotion based reaction. I know that when I first started enjoying the companionship of dogs I thought that putting a dog in a crate was an awful and unnecessary thing to do. That was a long time ago.
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| Robbie, My Boxer, thinks that this crate is very comfy! |
My experiences since, have taught me that – when used the right way for the right reasons a dog crate can be an important supportive, comfortable and safe space for a dog. Used in the wrong way it can be a psychologically & physically punishing place for a dog.
Should all dogs be confined to a crate at some point – I do not think so. I believe crates should only be used when there is a real benefit for the dog in doing so. Crating should never be viewed or utilized as a place to put a dog as a punishment.
As a Dog Whisperer, understanding and using psychology is essential to making the world a better place for dogs. Whether I am teaching people how to have a great relationship with their new dog, or repairing a human-dog relationship that has gotten ‘off-track’ – my first focus is always the psychology of the situation.
In light of the psychological side of things – what do you think…does a dog need to be ‘crate trained’ or is it the dog’s people that need to be trained on how to properly use a crate for their dog? Whether your dog will ‘like’ using a crate is 99% up to you. If you are not comfortable with the idea your dog will not be either. Dogs are very sensitive beings – they take their cues from their human companions, on how to regard situations, people/other animals, places and things.
What is the worst thing about this crate? - Its so comfy I hate getting up and getting the sleep out of my eyes, so I can go for my walk!
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF THE WORD ‘CRATE’…and why some people dislike the very thought of crating a dog. The word ‘crate’ has a harsh sound as it starts with a hard ‘C’ sound it is not a pleasant sounding word. I think names can influence how we think about people, places and things. Don’t believe me? Then why do so many celebrities change their names? We also associate the word crate with the word ‘cage’ After all, a crate is a cage. From a human perspective, one might think of being confined in a cage as part of a nightmare or of being imprisoned. We know for a fact that people who experience torture at the hands of other humans are often confined & caged. Most of us have seen (either first hand or in the media) dogs and other animals who have been confined to cages in an abusive, neglectful manor. For those with soft hearts it seems a cruel device, a cruel approach to place a dog under such restraint – enforced and absolute confinement. For those with domineering and cold hearts it seems the perfect tool to support their absolute control and dominance of another living being.
The pathology of ‘’dislike’ becomes very evident – there can be a lot of negative emotions and negative images wrapped around one word!
SO, WHEN DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO USE A CRATE?
Puppies and Adult Dogs –
If you are leaving your puppy unattended for any duration of time and you have not yet coached/mentored your puppy regarding what not to ‘get into – a properly set-up crate is a safety net. After all, you would not leave a young child alone under similar circumstances – a puppy is no different. If the crate is set-up properly, the puppy stays safe and disasters are avoided. The notion of having access to unlimited space in the absence of other people or dogs can be completely overwhelming for some puppies and adult dogs. Using a crate can enable and support a calm, confident state – for you & your dog! Trouble can be as simple as a few shredded tissues to a completely chewed, destroyed couch! It should be noted that not all puppies or adult dogs will get into such trouble when left alone – but some will! The introduction of proper leadership early on in your relationship with your dog has a huge impact on your dog’s ability to cope with and adapt to situations.
Helping and Curing a Dog with Separation Anxiety -
If a dog has separation anxiety a crate can be an important tool in their rehabilitation. Like people who have a phobia of large open spaces, a dog left alone in a home can feel overwhelmed. If the separation anxiety is left untreated a dog can quickly progress from mild anxiety to a state of intense anxiety – this is psychological harm and can also result in physical harm. For example, a dog that is in acute stages of separation anxiety can chew through walls, wood, metal – in so doing they can cut their mouths and cause other bodily harm. Crating is not a cure, but it can be used to support the rehabilitation process. Crating coupled with good leadership including a structured approach to coaching/mentoring the dog to navigate through situations that it fears, etc. will help the dog become a secure, confident, well-balanced canine.
Working with a ‘red zone’ dog who is in the early stages of rehabilitation -
Time in a crate can be a time to relax, for human and canine. If the dog is introduced to the crate in the right way, it can become a place that the dog will associate with being in a calm/relaxed state. If introduced & used in the wrong way a crate can become a place of power & subsequently aggressive behaviour. A dog should never exclusively ‘own’ the space around or within a crate.
Helping a Dog who becomes anxious during thunderstorms –
A dog’s sensitivity to environmental changes that occur prior to or during a thunderstorm (changes to ambient air pressure, noise, visual, electrical energy, etc.) vary from individual as it does with humans. A dog’s fear may be triggered by one or more of these typical factors. The dog’s fear can also be triggered by its human companion’s discomfort (tensions, fear, etc.).
One of the worst things to do is to allow a dog to run around, pace, etc. in an anxious state. At this point the dog is driven by fear and does not know where to go or what to do to feel safe. It is really important that the dog’s human takes the leadership role and shows the dog what it should do. Crating can be used to help calm the dog. Crating coupled with calm, well-balanced human influence can be one step in assisting the dog to change its fearful association with thunderstorms.
IF YOU INTRODUCE YOUR DOG TO A CRATE THE RIGHT WAY – in almost all cases the dog will not fear or dislike the crate. Once a dog has found a crate to be a calm and comfortable place to be, the dog will often choose to use the crate as a place to go and rest. As long as you leave the crate door open when not in use, the dog can choose to use it when he/she pleases.
I have ten dogs in my dog pack and they all enjoy going off to lie in their crates when they feel like it. They are allowed to lie down wherever they like in the house – including on couches. Sometimes they prefer a crate. No one dog in my pack owns a crate – they all share the spaces in the house including crates. For example, when I am preparing their food, my smallest dog (a four-pound Pomeranian) will sometimes go to lie down in a large crate located in the kitchen and share the space within the crate with one of my German Shepherds or with my Australian Shepherd. There are other places in the kitchen they can ‘hang-out’, but they often choose the crate. Why do they choose the crate? The crate is a space of comfort and calm and all of the crates in my house are comfy – they are lined with dog beds and some have pillows too!
Even dogs who are capable of escaping any crate – like my dog Sarah (German Shepherd X Husky) will accept being in a crate as I have coached & mentored her in the right way. She is a wily, intelligent and resourceful canine who spent the better part of her first year as a stray – wiliness meant survival!
CAN A CRATE BE MADE INTO A COMFORTABLE SPACE?
Yes absolutely! The following provides a few guidelines / ideas…
Make sure you get the right size crate for your dog; a dog should be able to stand up & turn around in its crate.
As long as your dog does not chew and destroy (if your dog does this, your dog has an issue that need to be addressed. The chewing is just a symptom of the issue!) you can put a dog bed or crate liner on the bottom of the crate to make it a comfy place to be. I also put pillows in some of my dog’s crates.
Never place a crate in a location that gets overly warm or where the air quality is very poor. We humans don’t appreciate such conditions neither do our dogs! Remember that cold air stays close to the ground. If your dog is not great with cold temperatures make sure the crate is not located where there is a cold draft.
For more information on making simple, easy slip covers and liners for crates, you can go to the ‘Tips’ page of my website, scroll down the page to ‘A slip cover for your pet’s bed – simple to make, easy to remove and clean’. For more tips, click here.
Additional Assistance
If you require additional support and guidance I would be pleased to assist you via my In-Person or On-Line Services…
Dog Obedience Training and Behaviour Modification Services:
- In-Person sessions are available via this service
- On-Line consultation and sessions are available via this service
Diet, Nutrition Wellness Services:
- Unbiased Diet, Nutrition, Product Advice is available via this service
- Holistic Diet, Nutrition Wellness Plans are available via this service
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