A Dog in Wolf’s Clothing? Part 2

Part 2: Dog in Wolf’s Clothing

What if your belief system regarding how a dog thinks and acts were incorrect? If dogs are like computers, Junk in = Junk out, it is little wonder why so many women are experiencing problems with their dogs.

For example, women tend to dread the puppy stage, especially the house-training phase and with good reason. Most of them are left with the task for housetraining the family pet. I will address this issue in future blogs. For now, if you follow the advice of most trainers, your puppy may take several weeks longer (if ever) to become reliable and trustworthy in your home. Using treats to house trained a puppy can be counterintuitive and cause it to have more accidents. Are you aware that staring at a puppy while it is eliminating outdoors may be misinterpreted by your pet as a threat? 

How many times have we heard an owner lament, “My dog flunked obedience class at Petdumb.” Worse still, “My dog and I were asked to leave before the course ended!”  Ladies:  It’s not your fault. It’s not the dog's fault. You have been working with the wrong information.

As preschoolers, most of us were introduced to the “Dick and Jane” series to help facilitate our reading ability. Dick and Jane run and jump and play with their dog, Spot. We delight in the fact that the dog is having a wonderful time with its human playmates. Unfortunately, for the remaining 12 or more years of our education, few of us receive any further information regarding dogs.

For centuries, some historians have perpetuated the idea that a cave man one day found a cute wolf puppy and brought it home as a companion for his mate and

children.  Survival was a daily struggle, it is pure conjecture and highly unlikely that the wolf puppy would have been regarded as anything less than a source of food and clothing. Wolves are also wild animals, not amenable to human contact or being confined and would require too much attention. If you were stranded in the Yukon and 1000 miles from civilization with limited shelter or food resources, would you go out and adopt a wolf puppy?

Research facilities focusing on wolf studies continue to report incidents of caretakers being challenged or attacked by a wolf that the attendant cared for since it was a pup. This is more likely to occur during the wolf's mating season or when vying for food or attention. A dog owner should never encourage or forcibly teach her dog to display wolf-like behavior.

Although wolves are capable of developing a lasting though perhaps unpredictable bond with humans and perform rudimentary tasks, they cannot pass this trait to their offspring. Wolf puppies, not unlike tiger kittens or bear cubs, are wild animals. They will not adopt their parents' passive behavior around humans unless imprinted at an early age or trained to do so. Many circus trainers and zoo animal handlers are mauled and killed every year by their unpredictable, wild charges. Even domesticated dogs that are one-quarter or more wolf stock must be considered potentially dangerous, because unlike their wild wolf, the hybrid has lost its fear of man.

Archeological research of primitive cave drawings provides no conclusive evidence that wolves ever mingled with humans. Sandia Cave in Las Huertas Canyon, New Mexico, one of the oldest sites to contain both human and wolf bones, cannot confirm that cave dwellers and wolves lived together. It would take another 100,000 years and the inception of agriculture and village life before the human-canine bond could develop.         

If the current theory that dogs are domesticated wolves continues to go unchallenged, dogs will continue to suffer the consequences. How many dogs have been abandoned, relinquished to animal shelters or euthanized by their owners because the dog couldn’t comprehend obedience instructions or behavioral modification directives based on wolf behavior? Your dog has no concept of pack order and is even less inclined to comprehend or obey the whims of that mythical creature, the alpha dog. No other domesticated animal (cat, pig) is compared with or expected to display similar behavioral traits as its wild (lion, boar) counterparts. What brought us to the belief that dogs are somehow domesticated wolves? 

Dr. Kohler, an internationally recognized and respected canine trainer and behaviorist during the late 1940s, developed a theory that dogs shared many behavioral commonalities with wolves. Although Dr. Kohler is to be praised for the significant contributions he made to the field of cynology (the study of dogs), he appears to have overlooked two important details: Dogs are not wolves. Dogs are not pack animals.  

A Dog in Wolf’s Clothing? Part 1

A Dog in Wolf’s Clothing?

How women who own dogs are being mislead.

Mr. Babcock, knowledge is power! – Auntie Mame

The erroneous theory that dogs are wolves must end because it has no foundation in scientific fact, and it supports the dominant-submissive approach to dog ownership and training that is counterintuitive to the way women create, maintain and nurture relationships. The whole wolf/dog theory premise can compromise some aspects of the human-canine bond.  

            Dogs are the oldest and most diverse domesticated animal. Their population today exceeds 400 million and comprises perhaps more than 1,000 breeds. Breed diversification will undoubtedly increase as new genetic dog mutations become available. Who would have predicted ten years ago the popularity of the Labradoodle?

Leave it to a breeder to become creative. What do you get when you cross a miniature bulldog with a Shih Tzu? Answer: Bull****!

            Despite the popularity of dogs today, many women simply do not understand how their pet perceives its world. Did you know that the most dogs, (with the exception of sight hounds) tend to have relatively poor eyesight and can’t clearly discern objects beyond 60 feet? They didn’t need to develop keen eyesight because the things they eat, small rodents, dried worms, insects, berries and grasses, are typically within 45 feet of their mouth. 

            Most dogs are also colorblind. They have had no need for color perception because a brown, white or black rabbit all taste the same. And when it comes to taste, dogs reign supreme with more than 250 million scent receptors in their nose. You read that right. A dog eats first with its nose because it has relatively few taste buds. This might explain why a dog will ingest objects or food we might find repulsive, and how commercial dog food manufacturers who add pallatants (chemical additives which smell like chicken or beef)) can create a feed designed more the digestive tract of a cow or horse, but dogs will also eat.

            A dog’s sense of hearing is acute (unless you are calling him to come to you). Many human devices, such as vacuum cleaners, food blenders and even the music we play in our home or car can cause it discomfort. Don’t confine a dog in a room or car with the music blasting. You may not want to maintain good hearing into your later years, but the dog will need his to maneuver and survive when his eyesight becomes even less refined.   

            Jane Goodall’s extensive work with chimpanzees, Desmond Morris’ scholarly books on animal behavior and the oceanographic studies by Jacques Cousteau have provided us with a better understanding and appreciation for the animals that inhabit the forest, jungles and seas. But dogs have not been given the same positive press

because many of the canine books available to the general public appear to regurgitate the same information but negate several important facts.

            Did you know that men and women acquire, maintain, interact and then train their dogs in dramatically different ways? (So much for the group training method) Men also tend to experience fewer behavioral problems with dogs than do women. Perhaps the reason for this is – men act more like dogs, but women tend to act more like human beings.

            Are you also aware of the fact that the mother dog, the most influential factor in a puppy’s early development, has been completely ignored by most canine authors, behaviorists and trainers? When was the last time a trainer asked you to act more like a mother dog and less like an alpha?  Momma dog does it all, with efficiency — no leashes, clickers or treats — and with expedience because her puppies will attain adulthood within a few months and must learn quickly to be prepared to survive in the real world. Interesting isn’t it? Momma dogs know she can’t train her puppies in a pet food warehouse, I wonder why humans who invite a dog into their house would think otherwise?

Canine Common Sense: Things women who own dogs need to know. (Part 2)

Why does the professional canine community continue to support, promote and conduct group training classes and other questionable practices for training dogs?”

Answer: It might surprise readers to discover that no standard of professionalism or criteria for competency exists for dog trainers or behaviorists. There appears to be no limits to the incredulous claims some canine professionals can imply regarding their experience or expertise. Even those who have matriculated from a training school may still have to be viewed with suspicion. Far too many of them continue to use treats for training, which in my opinion is a form of bribery and counterintuitive to a mother dog's natural training methods. I am also dismayed at the increased use of questionable training devices such as prong and electrical collars, which can use pain as a stimulant for learning. This approach would never be used or advocated to expedite a child’s learning curve. Why must dogs suffer?

·         Always contact your local Better Business Bureau before engaging any professional canine service.

If something feels wrong or contrary to the ways you would normally interact with your dog during a canine obedience class, or in-home canine evaluation session, then it is wrong. It is relatively easy, for example, for an unscrupulous or incompetent canine trainer to convince a client that the family dog first needs behavioral work before beginning an obedience training program. (An ignorant or unaware consumer makes for a perfect cash cow.) The trainer might place a puppy or dog on its back, hold it down and expect the animal to remain motionless and compliant for several minutes. If the dog nips or scratches the evaluator while attempting to break away (Wouldn’t you?), it might be deemed potentially aggressive. $Ka-ching$.

            Many canine professionals, canine authors and television personalities are also likely to ignore another very significant detail. Most of them assume that men and women who own dogs have the same needs, objections, abilities and expectations and therefore can receive the same instructions for teaching their dogs’ obedience commands or implementing a behavior modification program.  Many women however have three to five natural characteristics that can cause a dog to display aggression or unruly behavior. Think the dog can’t detect a difference between the sexes? Think, again!

            The Department of Agriculture could rectify my concern — and those of the consumer, once they realize a problem exists — if the agency required all dog trainers and behaviorists to pass a state certification program which included a basic understanding of the following:

·         canine nutrition

·         animal physiology

·         rudimentary human & canine first aid

·         professional & business ethics

·         basic human psychology

·         universally recognized training curriculum

This is unlikely to happen because many self-proclaimed (but dubious) dog trainers and behaviorists, as well as large national pet store chains that offer training, services, continue to lobby against such a proposal. Adherence to the aforementioned criteria would be a time consuming and costly venture for many of them.

I require all potential clients to participate in a 90-minute, in-home canine evaluation program. This session provides me the opportunity to determine if the home environment is clean and safe for the dog before conducting a canine psychological profile. I also explain during this presentation how my training and behavior modification program are dependent on three important criteria:

            Scientific Evidence: If information can’t be backed up with substantial evidence, what is the point in giving it any credence? For example, have the claims made on specialty dog foods been verified by an independent research group? Ask your veterinarian for evidence to support their trust in the products they sell.

            Practicality: If the client is unable to execute a behavioral modification or training recommendation due to a physical impairment, an alternative solution must be found. I witnessed someone on crutches participating in a group training program with her dog, but the trainer appeared reluctant to offer any alternative methods to make the woman’s experience more comfortable. The trainer also failed during that time to explain how some dogs might be inclined to take advantage of an owner with disabilities because it might perceive the owner at times as weak, incapacitated or needing protection.

            Common sense: Isn’t it astounding how the mother dog has been negated by most of the canine training community despite the fact that she is the most influential factor in a puppy’s life and development? Conversely, the domesticated daddy dog, the

alpha dog everyone is supposed to admire and emulate, seldom bonds for life with its mate, or provide its offspring with food, protection or even instructions in basic survival skills. Talk about a deadbeat dad!

            During an in-home consultation, I also stress ownership responsibilities as well

as several canine behavioral guidelines to enable the client to begin creating a positive

human-canine partnership.

Canine Common Sense: Things women who own dogs need to know. (Part 1)

Despite the numerous books on dog training and behavior, the almost mushroom-like growth of national pet supply stores offering dog obedience training courses and the increased number of celebrity canine trainers on television, I continue to receive questions from women that reflect a lack of knowledge or naiveté regarding canine behavior.

“Will spaying or neutering my dog make it calm down?”

 Answer: No. A dog’s personality and temperament, two key components of a dog’s psychological profile, cannot be altered by a medical procedure.

“What steps do I need to take to gain control of my alpha dog?”

Answer: There is no such thing as an alpha dog because dogs are not wolves or pack animals they are scavengers. Out-of-control dogs, often misdiagnosed as alpha dogs, typically belong to owners who fail to establish house rules that provide a dog with behavioral boundaries. These same owners will sometimes deliberately or inadvertently allow the family dog to become a decision maker, opening the door for many unwanted, aberrant canine behaviors to foster and develop. This could potentially (and usually does) allow the dog to control its owner's behavior. 

“Can I use a squirt bottle or a can filled with pennies to control my dog’s jumping-up behavior?”

Answer: No. A human implement used as a disciplinary tool can trigger some dogs to attack or display fear when the object is later used for its intended purpose.

“If I give my dog human food, will this cause it to beg at the table?”

Answer: It is impossible for a well-trained, uninvited dog to beg at the table. But don’t refrain from occasionally giving a dog (away from the table) unprocessed human food (chicken, fish, beef, a few grains, vegetables and fruits). They have been eating what we’ve been eating for more than 8,000 years.

                                                           

“My husband dislikes having our dog sleep in the bedroom, but several national canine celebrity trainers promote the idea. What should I do?”

Answer: My concern with dogs sleeping in the bedroom will be addressed in future blogs: “What’s really happening in the Bedroom? For now, the main issue that needs to be addressed is how any canine professional can theoretically advocate such a position, and then offer behavioral modification advice when so many unknown factors such as the dog's home environment, temperament or health profile is unknown. 

Before venturing an opinion or recommendation, I believe it is imperative for any canine training professional to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Observe the dog in the home to determine if the environment is conducive for supporting its needs. To my knowledge, no in-home consultation service is offered at any national pet store facility, yet these same facilities will offer group training sessions and puppy socialization programs before ascertaining this vital information. Ultimately, consumer dollars decide the success or failure rate for businesses offering, in my opinion, less-than-stellar services.   

• Conduct a canine psychological profile to determine the dog’s temperament and personality. This information will aid the trainer to determine if the dog is mentally prepared to receive training instructions and predict the dog’s behavior when subjected to a familiar or alien environment.
• Recommend owner lifestyle changes for creating a positive human-canine bond. 

• Help the owner to establish house rules so the dog will receive consistent guidelines for acceptable canine behavior.

“My dog failed obedience class at a local pet store. Now what do I do?”

Answer: Your dog didn’t fail, nor did you. Group training classes are conducted with the implied assumption that all dogs are the same. This one-size-fits-all approach to training a dog negates several important facts. Dogs participating in a group training session will vary in breed affiliation. And, much like their owners will also vary in age, temperament, personality, physical and mental ability as well. This hodgepodge of characteristics and traits will undoubtedly cause unnecessary distractions or concerns. How could this possibly be considered by anyone as conducive to learning? 

Will You Stop the Suffering? (Puppy Mills) Part 3

Pet stores purchase puppies wholesale. The wholesale price may be $300.00 - $500.00 depending on the breed and age of the dog. They then keystone or triple the price. Even a 50% discount sales incentive still nets the store a handsome profit.

Pet stores are also often guilty of presenting puppy mill disclaimers. (Approximately 90% of puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills (http://www.pugrescuent.com). These same establishments will often contend that only quality breeders are associated with their business, but logic compels the consumer to think otherwise, because most professional breeders love their particular breed of dog and respect their profession. They are often requiring prospective clients to fill-out an extensive questionnaire detailing their home and work schedules, number of children, pets or previous experiences with owning a dog. Breeders may also suspend a sale and request the client to wait until a future litter becomes available, as a means of weeding out impulsive buyers or those deemed unprepared to own a dog.

The breeder typically plays a decisive role in the adoption process. Some clients report that they found the experience at times intimidating, but soon realized that the breeder loved his dogs and wanted to be sure that a positive human-canine bond would remain long after the adoption took place. Does it seem even remotely possible that any professional breeder, concerned with the welfare of his charges and the advancement of a particular breed of dog would consider having a business relationship with a pet store?

Many pet stores are also guilty of purchasing puppies through international channels. Good Morning America reported (December 17, 2007) an alarming rate of puppies entering the United States emanating from Russia, Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Central America. The C.D.C. (Center for Disease Control) found a shipment of puppies from India had not been inoculated for the rabies virus −  a painful and potentially lethal disease for humans. Puppies from foreign countries were often found ill, infested with worms or skin parasites. Veterinary services, medications, and special needs diets to correct these problems can exceed the puppy’s original sale price!

Further reports cited incidents where puppies were crammed into shipping creates designed to accommodate the needs of a single occupant. Many of these puppies suffocated during transport. In one particularly disturbing scene, crates filled with puppies had been enclosed in bubble wrap and the entire shipment of puppies perished.

Puppies deemed old enough to be taken from their mothers are placed in travel crates and shipped throughout the United States. The frightened puppy may have to remain in its crate for several hours or days. Except for an occasional drink or nourishment, few positive human interactions occur while the dog is in transit.

Throughout the world, millions of dogs and puppies are being forced to endure inhumane treatment in order to fill product quotas for pet store profits. A puppy purchased in a pet store may be saved from its ordeal, but an equally damaged or traumatized distant cousin will soon replace the one recently sold and the suffering continues. The ignorant American consumer supports and engines this abusive system.

Will You Stop the Suffering? Part 2 (Puppy Mills)

In the early 1990’s, the Humane Society of the United States began a campaign to inform the general public about the puppy mill industry. The seven worse states: Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania where boycotted by the Society and thus captured unwanted national media attention.  It is no coincidence that many pet store puppies come from these states. Always check registry or point of origin statements on the bill of sales before purchasing a puppy or dog.

Shortly after World War II, many mid-western farmers were looking for alternative methods for making money if their crops failed. The United States Department of Agriculture encouraged farmers to raise puppies as a designated crop for the burgeoning pet store industry. As the number of retail pet stores grew, so did the need for more puppies.

Many of these farmers unfortunately lacked even basic animal husbandry backgrounds especially regarding the breeding and care of dogs. During routine humane inspections their animals were sometimes found being kept in filthy chicken coops and rabbit hutches and denied basic veterinary attention. Seldom did these farmers provide breeding mother dogs’ exercise or her puppies any form of canine-to-canine or human-to-canine socialization. An unregistered puppy mill operator in Virginia was forced to relinquish 900 pure breed puppies to authorities. Estimated value - $500.000. Good Morning America report, December 17, 2007.

During shipping, hutches containing puppies are stacked to conserve space. Occupants on the higher levels urinate, defecate and vomit on those below. These unsanitary conditions can compromise a puppy’s immune system and plague it with chronic ailments.  The National Animal Welfare Act was created to address the deplorable conditions found in many puppy mill facilities but a lack of inspectors gives ample opportunity for many puppy mill operators to ignore the guidelines set forth by the law.

Will You Stop the Suffering? (Puppy Mills) Part 1

“The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference.”- Elie Wiesel, A holocaust survivor, world-renowned author, and political activist. (1928 - )

Will You Stop the Suffering? Part 1

Consumers have tremendous purchasing powers and the ability to influence market trends. 2012, has been designated as the year for change. Campaigns to encourage them to support global awareness issues; such as the world AIDS crisis, global warming, breast cancer awareness, autism or making better personal choices by purchasing earth friendly building or cleaning products are gaining momentum and support. With all the day-to-day important issues confronting us, one heart-breaking aspect of ignorant consumerism is struggling to be noticed – the plight of puppy mill dogs.

A puppy mill can be loosely defined as a facility that produces puppies for a mass market, with little regard or concern for proper breeding practices or the puppy’s final destination.  Puppy mill operations often include conditions of over-crowding, poor sanitation, lack of medical services, neglect and animal abuse.

Robert Baker, formerly an inspector for the Humane Society of America, found deplorable conditions of puppy mills throughout the United States. He discovered during an investigation that more than half of the facilities he inspected failed miserably to meet approved housing, or appropriate feeding and sanitation standards. His findings would be little altered in 2012.  Many of the violations were appalling. Fecal material piled two feet high in dog runs, puppies’ feet trapped in wire mesh cage floors, the use of dog carcasses as feed for dogs, and extreme overcrowding.”- Anna C. Briggs, President, The National Humane Education Society, “Because we love them: A handbook for Animal Lovers”, 1994

Ordinances and laws designed to provide puppy mills with humane guidelines are often loosely regulated.  Lack of inspectors to enforce industry compliance means many puppy mill operators and the pet stores they sell to can go unregulated or inspected for weeks, months, longer, or not at all. Adding to the complexity of the situation, laws governing what puppy mill operators and pet stores are required to do vary from state to state and county to county. It is illegal, for example, to bring a camera or video equipment into an alleged puppy mill in Kansas!