December 2009

No doubt you’ve seen a dog in a car somewhere and thought, “What a nice dog. I think I’ll go speak to him.” Then as soon as you get close to the car that nice dog goes ballistic. That dog doesn’t want any part of you — except maybe to take a bite.

Why do dogs guard their vehicles? Is it really a good idea to go up to a dog in a car or to knock on the window when there’s a dog inside?

First, you should know that you really can be bitten by a dog in a vehicle. That dog is not bluffing. It doesn’t matter if the dog is a cute Chihuahua or a Mastiff, when that dog barks, growls or shows you his teeth he is just as serious as a dog that is defending his home. In fact, as far as that dog is concerned he is defending his territory. He may not be in his house but he is defending his owner’s property and he knows it. This is where his owner left him and it’s his job to guard it until his owner returns. That is basic knowledge that every dog instinctively knows. And he knows that you have no business coming near the vehicle unless his owner says it’s all right.

If you want to avoid being barked at or bitten, you should look at the situation from the dog’s point of view and take it seriously. You may be trying to be friends but the dog is guarding his owner’s property.

Even for dogs who may be relaxed at home when someone comes to the door, when they are in a vehicle they may be in a strange place, such as a parking lot. They are surrounded by windows which may make them nervous. When a stranger approaches they will act defensively. At the very least they will bark. If a stranger tries to reach inside and pet the dog they may very well bite.

If you leave your own dog in your vehicle you cannot expect him to remain completely calm and relaxed while you are away from the car. Some dogs may be relaxed but others may be anxious while you are gone. Any dog may be prone to barking in the car when an owner leaves them alone. If you travel with your dog a great deal and he gets used to occasionally being left in the car alone then he may relax more when he’s left alone, but he is still likely to become upset when a stranger approaches.

If your dog becomes protective of the car while you are still in the car then you should be able to tell your dog to stop and he should pay attention to you. Your dog should be able to relax in the car when you are present even if a stranger approaches. You need to be able to speak to people when your dog is in the car without him overreacting.

But, when it comes to dogs that guard their vehicles when the owner is away for a few minutes, this is a normal dog behavior. Your dog believes that he is protecting his territory and the owner’s property from a potential intruder. It’s not wise to disturb a dog in this situation.

Until next time…..

There is no direct link between dog food and aggression in dogs. It’s probably not possible to point to one particular dog food and say that you shouldn’t feed it because it will make your dog more aggressive. However, feeding a dog a generally poor diet can be a contributing factor in aggression.

There are studies which have suggested that feeding a dog poor quality foods can contribute to aggression. Preservatives and sugar in dog food may be linked to hyperactive behavior which may increase the possibility of aggression. Artificial coloring in some foods have been linked to aggression, hyperactivity, timidity, learning difficulties and other behavioral problems. Insufficient cholesterol in the diet may also be a contributing factor in some dogs since it is needed for proper brain function. Poor diet can also contribute to allergies which can, in turn, increase a likelihood of aggression if the dog is in any kind of physical distress.

At this point some of these links between diet and aggression have only been suggested. There may be little scientific data to back up the assertions. But a poor diet can worsen health and temperament problems in general.

None of this speculation changes the fact that all dogs need to be raised with firm and gentle kindness. Puppies should be well-socialized from an early age and introduced to lots of other friendly people and dogs. But dogs should also be fed a good, nutritious food.

Dogs in general should have a diet that begins with several named meat sources. Owners should try to avoid generic fats and proteins. They should avoid foods that use corn gluten meal. They should avoid meat by-products and digest. They should avoid BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin (artificial preservatives). They should look for foods without artificial colors, sugars and sweeteners. Look for foods with fewer grains. Look for foods that meet AAFCO specifications.

If owners follow these suggestions then they will usually find good dog foods. If there is any truth to the idea that dog foods can contribute to behavior problems and to aggression, then these foods will be much less likely to have a negative effect.

One theory that should be debunked is the idea that feeding your dog meat leads to aggression or that feeding your dog a vegetarian diet will make him more peaceable. Your dog is a carnivore in the broadest sense. He is actually an omnivore in practice — something of a scavenger and able to eat lots of different kinds of food. But physically, he needs meat protein to survive and be healthy. Feeding your dog meat or diets that are based on meat protein do not make him aggressive. They merely meet his dietary needs.

On the other hand, feeding your dog a vegetarian diet can lead to poor nutrition. Your dog is not a vegetarian in any way, shape or form. One of the reasons that you so often hear corn and other grains blasted for their use in dog food is because they are vegetable-based and, therefore, harder for your dog to digest. The same is true for vegetarian-based diets for dogs. They are harder for your dog to digest and they do not contain the meat protein that your dog needs to be healthy. In addition, they do not make your dog more peaceable or do anything to prevent behavior problems. In fact, by contributing to poor nutrition, vegetarian diets are likely to worsen behavior problems.

Until next time……

Have you ever come home and discovered that your dog has toilet-papered your house? More than a few dog owners have dogs that seem to have a toilet paper fetish. They love to grab the toilet paper in the bathroom and then race around the house with hit, seeing how far they can go. Or, some dogs will park themselves in the bathroom at the roller and just roll it with their paw, watching it pile up in the floor. Other dogs, perhaps less creative, will try to bite the toilet paper off the roll. Why do they do that?

Well, the short answer seems to be boredom. Dogs play with toilet paper because they get bored. Perhaps they think you’ve attached a little toy machine with paper products in the bathroom. They already think the bathroom is the most interesting room in the house — next to the kitchen, of course. They find nearly everything in the bathroom exciting, from the flushable water fountain (the toilet), to the fatty snacks you leave lying around for them (the soap). Of course the little squares of paper must be for doggy games.

There are a lot of dogs that eat toilet paper and other paper products. Dogs will also eat paper towels, if you haven’t already discovered that fact. No one is quite sure why dogs eat paper products. They don’t have fat or grease in them, like soap. They probably don’t taste very good. Yet, dogs still eat them.

Dogs also love to decorate with paper products which suggest that they may have a hidden artistic side. Ask any owner who has found her home draped in toilet paper. Dogs even like to take the paper products outside where they can paper the yard.

The only real way to stop these toilet paper sprees is to keep your bathroom door firmly closed in order to keep your dog away from the toilet paper. Keep your paper towels up where the dog can’t reach them.

The veterinary term for eating strange objects — paper, rocks, rubber bands, string, clothing, socks and even feces — is pica, and there are lots of dogs who do this. Dogs usually outgrow the behavior by the time they’re about two years old. In adult dogs it can be related to stress, diet, diabetes, intestinal cancer, and the need for attention.

Keep in mind that if your dog consumes a great deal of toilet paper or paper towels it is possible that he could develop a gastrointestinal blockage that would entail an emergency visit to the vet. This can be quite serious. So, please do keep the paper products away from your dog. This habit is more than just annoying; it can be very bad for your dog’s health.

If your dog continues to eat paper products you may want to mention the problem when you take your dog in for his regular check-up at the vet. Your vet may be able to find out if there is any physical cause for the problem. In all likelihood it is a behavior issue. Playing with paper products and eating this is said to be a behavioral issue in 90 percent of all cases.

Have you solved the toilet paper problem at your house? Tell us how you did it.

Until next time…….

There are many reasons why a dog may like to sit on an owner’s feet. It all depends on the dog and the other behaviors they exhibit. What kind of dog is it? Is he a pushy dog? A love bug? A dog that always like to be touching someone? Is this an anxious dog who doesn’t like to let the owner out of their sight? The same behavior can be caused by lots of different things, depending on the particular dog.

If you have a dog that is very dominant, then your dog could like to sit on your feet as a way to assert himself over you. He is physically pinning you down and putting himself in a more powerful position. But this would only be the case if this particular dog does other things that make you believe he is trying to be dominant.

Does your dog need constant reassurance? Are they always looking for love and affection? Do they want to be touching you all the time? In this case, the dog may be sitting on your feet simply as a way to stay in physical touch with you.

Does your dog suffer from separation anxiety? Do they follow you from room to room? Do they go to pieces if they can’t see you? In this case the dog may be trying to reassure himself about your presence. He may be looking for comfort by touching you.

Maybe your dog simply likes to be near you. There doesn’t have to be any particular reason why a dog likes to sit on an owner’s feet. Maybe the dog gets some petting when he does this and he likes it.

Your dog may also like to sit on your feet as a way of “claiming” you. Perhaps he feels that he needs to let your spouse or another dog know that you are “his.” Dogs do display this kind of possessive behavior and can become very jealous of an owner.

This is a good example of the way different behaviors can have lots of different interpretations depending on the particular dog — and the owner.

If you like for your dog to sit on your feet then there is no particular reason to make your dog stop it. If you don’t like the behavior then you can discourage it. Don’t pet your dog when he sits on your feet. You can teach him to do something else that you like better instead. Toss a treat for him and teach him to lie down a few feet away, for example. Make sure that you give him lots of praise for keeping his distance.

If you have a very needy dog then it may take some time to teach this lesson because your dog thrives on being closer to you. Be patient.

If your dog is being jealous of you and showing possessive or guarding behavior then you do need to do something about it. Your dog looks upon you as a “resource” and he is guarding you just as he would a bone or a bowl of food. You should let him know that this is not appropriate behavior. If this is the case, then when he sits on your feet to claim you, you should get up and move. Let him know, in subtle ways, that you are not exclusively his. If you let him guard you then it will eventually make life difficult with a spouse or with other pets in the household, or even with children.

Do you have a dog that exhibits this behavior? What have you done to eliminate it?

Until next time…..