Doggy Times: How Do Dogs Think?

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March 10

Struggle For Power: Alpha and Omega, Or Orderly Chaos?

For many years, people have debated on how dog packs function. So I'd like to take some time to put my two cents in. This blog entry is based on my most recent (as of the date of the entry) findings as I've been observing dogs in a daycare environment. Therefore, it may be different than in previous blog entries.

The most popular theory is that dogs have a pack hierarchy. This theory states that there is an alpha male and/or alpha female that control the rest of the pack. The rest of the pack then has rankings amongst themselves. The theory is that there are 3 different types of hierarchy. Linear, Triangular, and Monarchy. The linear hierarchy is similar to a human hierarchy where there is a clear leader and then other ranks that fall under the leader in command. A good example of this type of hierarchy is the military, or even the Catholic church.

A triangular hierarchy is complex. This type of hierarchy can have many dogs that are higher ranking than others, but there is no clear leader of everyone. So in example, dog A is over dog B. Dog B is over dog C, but dog C is over dog A. This type of hierarchy is also referred to as a circular or (less commonly) a squared hierarchy.

Of course a Monarchy hierarchy is simple. There is an Alpha male and/or female and everyone else in the pack is of equal rank. Therefore, the rest of the pack must fight for resources since no one other than the alpha is actually entitled to it. The alpha is entitled to first dibs.

Although all of these are great theories, and may each be at least a little bit correct, I must say that none of them seem to be right on. I work in a place where the pack is constantly changing. Dogs are coming in, and going home at random times. While they are at the daycare, they have to form a pack or even several packs to get along and coexist. Being that canines are very social animals, the forming of packs is very natural and very important to them. Being in a pack means surviving, so it's only natural for them to form them.

I must say that during my studies, I have seen traces of all three forms of hierarchy described above. However, I have never in my life with dogs seen any of the hierarchy theories stay consistent. In my experience with dogs, I have found that there always has to be at least one dog that seems in control of every situation. There needs to be a peace keeper, a guide or teacher, a look out, a cop and when puppies are involved, a nanny. These jobs can be spread out between dogs, or done by one dog. Most often, these jobs are spread out between dogs. However, as a human, I have found that I can do them all, and so can certain dogs.

Alpha dogs are simply, in my opinion, the strongest dogs. These are the dogs that are willing to fight for their resources. In the animal kingdom, you have four options. Fight, flight, avoidance, submission. Confident dogs are willing to fight, but they are clever enough not too. This makes them the alpha, because they are so confident that they are often able to intimidate other dogs without having to fight. Other dogs will simply submit with a look, snarl, or growl from this dog.

So, in my opinion, the hierarchy theories may not be entirely accurate. I don't have any reason to believe at this time that dogs are so complex that they have actual ranks. I believe simply that dogs judge each other based on confidence and power, mental and physical. Ever seen a chihuahua control a great dane? Also knowing that dogs learn best from positive reinforcement, adds to my theory that dogs learn what is acceptable in the pack by doing the behavior and then being rewarded with the strongest dogs, or alpha dogs, blessing. Seeing as how most dogs are bred to please, this makes a lot of sense. Especially with people. Your dog wants to please you as long as he sees you as stronger than him. However the reverse is also true. If your dog sees you as weaker than him, then he will expect you to please him. That last sentence is why I have a job as a behavioral and obedience trainer! Most people that come to me for help training their dog to mind have dogs that see them as weaker. You can definitely tell when a dog sees you as the stronger one, because he will listen to you. After all, the strongest member of the pack is supposed to keep him safe and fed.

I have tried walking into my ring and managing it as a weak personality and as a strong personality. What I found was that I am treated with more respect when I act strong and confident, and was peed on when I was seen as weak. (When a dog marks you, that means that the dog is claiming you as his and/or establishing that there is nothing you can do about it).

Bottom line, dogs respect confidence and strength and reject the weak. Weakness is not something that should be passed on down the bloodline in a dog's eyes, because the weak will not survive. This is why dogs will attack another dog whom is showing signs of weakness such as whimpering, unsureness, and other physical signs of weakness. The same is true for unstable dogs. Often at the daycare, attendants will try to stick a weak dog into a ring and a stronger dogs will growl and attack that dog upon entry. The strong dog is rejecting the weak or unstable dog, because it will be of no use to the rest of the pack. This behavior from the stronger dog only increases the weak attributes of the weaker dog. In the wild, the weaker dog would be killed for attempting to barge into the middle of a pack of other dogs.

In conclusion, dogs seem to be less organized than the theory of rank suggests. It seems to me that they see each other as individuals that are either strong, or weak. Individuals that are either willing to fight for that bone between their paws, or not. If a dog does not believe himself to be strong enough to fight another dog, he will either flee, avoid, or submit. The "leader" of the pack does not care what the other pack members do, as long as they do not break the rules. Usually the rules set by the alpha are, you can't have my bone, food, or bed, and you can not mate with my mate. Sometimes the rule is that you can not have my human! However, the theories of rank are partially true. Especially the Triangular hierarchy. Because sometimes, there is no clear alpha. Just some dogs are stronger than others, but no dog is stronger or more confident than all. Whatever the case, make sure your dog(s) see you as the strongest and most confident of your pack.

February 24

Why do dogs do that?

Dogs are cool. They make us laugh, cry, scream, and ponder. They are there to comfort us, remind us what life is really about, and show us that vanity is far from the answer to life. Dogs don't care if they are beautiful primped stars, or mongrels with their tongue hanging out. If a dog has a booger on his nose, he'll simply wear it proudly...and then lick it off! They usually don't think about what they're doing, unless trained to, and often just react when in a situation.

Dogs often show us humility, humbleness, innocence and personality rapped into a big ball of fur. But sometimes, it can be difficult for us humans to inturpret a dog's behavior. How many times have you asked yourself, "Why is my dog doing that?" Well, if the answer is a lot, your not alone. Millions of dog owners often find themselves asking that exact question. I hope I can be helpful in answering that question in this entery. I will offer some scenarios, then try to explain them. There's no way I can review every strange thing that a dog does in one blog entery, so if you have one to share, please do. I will try to answer it for you as soon as I can.

1.)So you find yourself sitting at home, reading the paper or watching T.V. when out of no where your dog goes berzurk. He starts running all around, cutting corners hard, jumping on the couch and then off again, with no real purpose behind this odd behavior. You sit in awe, wondering and pondering why your dog is acting like a nut. You ask yourself, "Did my dog drink some jet fuel, or ingest some kind of enhanced caffine pill or something?" The behavior lasts for what seems like 30 mins before it finally ceases and your dog colapses on the floor.

So why do dogs do that? Well, some dogs do it more than others, and still some dogs don't do it at all. Some reffer to this phenomena as the "Hebbie Jebbies" or they call their dogs "spastic." The truth is... dogs that display this kind of behavior need more exercise. If I had to name one thing as a trainer that the general public doesn't understand about dogs, it would be that dogs create and store energy all the time. If that energy is not released in a healthy manner, like a walk, run, or jog at least once a day (whether they are outside dogs or not) this energy explodes, or releases in some other form. Some dogs run around like crazy, others become destructive. Imagine drinking so much coffe, or soda, that you are wired. Then imagine that you have to sit still and not move for an entire day while you are wired on caffine. Try it, even for 30 mins. Eventually, you wouldn't be able to contain yourself. You'd need to move, run, jog, jump up and down, or something to depense all that built up energy, right? Same applies for a dog. Only dogs don't need to intake caffine to feel that way, their body chemistry already produces that kind of energy. As a matter of fact, that's why its bad to give your dog caffine, and chocolate. It speeds up their heart so much, that they can have a heart attack and die. So just remember, your dog is telling you to help him release that built up energy, and staying in the back yard all day doesn't do anything to help that.

Other signs that your dog has to much energy built up in his system include behaviors such as: Chasing his tail, digging, excessive barking, excessive jumping up, intense chewing, and sometimes even aggression.

2.)In this scenario, picture yourself at home laying in bed next to your dog. You notice that every night while you are in bed, your dog likes to lick you on the ankle. If not your ankle, then maybe she licks your hand, or her paws, or even another one of your dogs. She licks and licks until her tongue is dry. The sound of the licking is driving you mad. You tell her to stop, she turns her head to look at you, and then continues to lick anyway. You ask yourself, "Why is she doing that?"

Believe it or not, dogs can suffer from neurological problems just like we do. Constant licking in a certain spot on you, or your dog, at the same time every day could mean your dog has an OCD. Or obessive compulsive disorder. In the wild, dogs thrive on routine. They hunt at the same time (generally) every day, wake up around the same time, etc. But domesticated dogs don't really need a routine to survive, however, they do need a routine to stay sane. When dogs don't have a set routine everyday, they don't know what to expect next, and that can make them quite nervous. Some dogs over compensate by creating their own routines. Your dog may tear up the trash a certain time everyday, or ask to go out only certain times of the day, etc. Dogs feel they have to do it because it is routine, and with out routine, there is no sturcture to their lives. But they also do it to nurture. Dogs in the wild bathe themselves, keep wounds clean, and love on eachother by licking one another. So how do you know if your dog has an OCD, or is simply nurturing you? Simple, a dog that has developed a licking OCD, has taken licking to a whole other level. Poodles are often known to lick their own paws until the fur is gone, as well are some other breeds. Why? Because it soothes them.

How do you keep your dog from developing an OCD? Simple. Set up a routine for your dog and follow it everyday. In example, start your dog on a feeding schedule, maybe once in the morning, and once in the evening. Leave the food out for about 30 mins then pick it up and don't offer it again until the next meal time. Your dog will figure it out within a day or two. Also, take your dog for a walk everyday around the same time. Maybe you could even set up a specific time every night to train your dog. The sky's the limit. If you do this, and stay consistent, you'll notice your dog will start reminding you when it's time to do the routine.

3.) Ok, lets say in this scenario you find yourself asking why your dog loves to chase things. Every time you throw a ball, or a car or squirrel goes by, your dog takes off after it. Your dog even chases a light or reflection that goes by him on the floor.

So why do dogs seem to love to chase things? Well, believe it or not, there is a name for it. It's called "prey drive." Dogs with a high prey drive will chase just about anything. While others seem to only want to chase balls. A phenomena called "ball drive" found in domestic dogs, seems to stem from prey drive in wild dog species, and we'll talk about that more later.

Wolves use prey drive to catch prey. Prey drive is the instinctual urge dog species have to give chase. With out it, dogs would not survive in the wild, because they would not be motivated to chase down their food. Ball drive is the domesticated dog's version of prey drive. Ball drive is the urge domesticated dogs have to chase balls. Some trainers and behaviorists believe it to be a seperate drive from prey drive, while others believe it is one in the same. It is described as the urge domesticated dogs have to only chase balls, or to chase balls with more enthusiasm than anything else. Prey drive has been bred more into some dogs than into others. The hunting, sporting, hound, herding, and terrier groups (AKC) should have higher prey and/or ball drive than the other two groups, because it is their job to find, chase, and retrieve. Those two groups of dogs where specifically bred for those tasks. While the non-sporting and toy groups where bred specifically to be companion dogs.

Prey drive can become out of control in a dog when the dog is bored, or has excessive energy like in the first scenario. They may begin chasing cars and even people walking or jogging down the street. This can also become an OCD like in the second scenario, because the dog may feel compelled to chase intruders away regardless of the "intruder's" intentions.

So there you have it. You now know why dogs do some of the crazy things they do. I could write about this forever, but I do not have the space, nor the time. I have only listed 3 of the most common things I get asked about. So I encourage you to share your scenarios with me and everyone else. I will try and respond with an answer to them as soon as I can.

August 16

Doggy Mentality And Random Thoughts

Oh boy... dogs are silly sometimes. Dogs make us laugh, which is good.. without laughter, we get depressed and don't always focus on the important things in life. How is it that dogs are so good at making us laugh? Possibly because they are so much like us! So when they do goofy things, it reminds us of something we might do. Admit it.. how many times has something you were wearing just happened to get stuck on something? My dogs always get there harnesses stuck on there blankets and then they drag them all over the house! How many of you have walked into a sliding glass door thinking it was open? I know some dogs that have done that. Or, how many of you have gotten stuck under a recliner? Uh.. ok then, just my dog Chance.. don't ask. The point is that dogs are so much like us.. that it is incredibly easy to bond with them. Sometimes the bonding goes a bit to far though, and we start treating our four legged friends like people. Don't get me wrong.. I'd rather see a Paris Hilton type walking down the street with all kinds of crazy clothes on her tiny pooch than some poor abused dog who doesn't get any love at all. All I'm saying is that dogs do not totally think like us, that is why they are dogs and not people. A spoiled dog thinks of himself as a dominant male.. or female.. and can be very difficult to train. Behavior problems start, and before you know it.. you have a diva on your hands! Nothing will be good enough. I've known dogs that were so spoiled they wouldn't eat a peice of bread with out having it cut up for them! At this point, they become nearly impossible to live with. They will expect everything to be catered unto them, you are a submissive to them. The horrible thing about it is that you put yourself there! So when you try to finally correct the problem, what makes you think your dominant dog is going to listen to you.. a meer submissive? However, some dog trainers enjoy this because it means big bucks. This kind of thing will take a very long time to over come. By the way, I just heard on the radio today that Paris Hilton got rid of her little chihuahua Tinkerbell because he got to big! Crazy!

Dogs are cool. No doubt about it. I look at dogs and they inspire me. When they want something, they usually go for it. They are brave in the midst of danger. I've seen a little 8yr old Yorkshire Terrier with only three molars in his mouth stand up to a perfectly healthy 2yr old German Shepard and somehow the Yorky scared the German Shepard off! That's just amazing to me.. and a little funny. Dogs rock! They respect eachother. Dogs will not fight eachother unless nessicary. It's kinda like they have their own code of honor like knights used too. Of course there are the rebels out there of the dog world, but for the most part, this is what I've observed. Have you ever noticed that chihuahuas seem to be a bit more aggressive than Great Danes? Why is it that the smaller the dog, the tougher he acts, and the bigger the dog.. the more friendly he seems? Now it's not always like that of course, but you know what I mean. I think it has to do with self esteem. Smaller dogs have to work harder to be taken seriously than big dogs. You see, dogs can smell fear and other emotions in people. There is a chemical change in your body when you change moods, and dogs can pick up on that with their sense of smell. So maybe the little chihuahua feels if he barks a lot and looks mean, you will respect him, and the Great Dane knows you respect him because you are weary around him. Now breed temperment has a lot to do with it too, but this is just my guess.

Now I can't stress this enough.. DOGS ARE A LOT LIKE KIDS! They have the mentality of a 2 to 3 year old. They will push buttons and test you to see what they can get away with. If they do something wrong, correct it right away or you will develope a problem. Dogs can be very clever, and sometimes they out smart us. Remember, they may act like a 2 or 3 year old, but they are also programed with natural instincts. It's like they just know how to do things to survive. Although, raiding the kitchen trash has less to do with survival and more to do with fun. But they are problem solvers when it comes to food. That's why I recomend the "Kong" toy for dogs. You can stuff treats and food in to it and it will keep your dog occupied and out of trouble for hours. Basically, the point I'm trying to make here is that dogs are just like us in a lot of ways. They don't like to be bored, they enjoy routine, yet also love to be spontainious. Dogs rule and cats drool! Just Kidding! Enjoy your dogs as the friends that they are meant to be. Don't neglect them, they have feelings too. Dogs need us as much as we need them.

April 30

How Do Dogs Think?

How many of you often wonder,"what is my dog thinking about"? That is a pretty common question. Dogs can't communicate with us the way we communicate with eachother. So it is often difficult to figure out what they are really thinking. So how do dogs think? What do they think about? Well, in reality, your guess is as good as mine. But if we really analyze it, I think we can figure it out.

Mostly, dogs care about survival. It's in their blood. That's why it always seems that a dog is never full after eating! If you give a dog a nice juicy steak after he's eaten all of his dog food, there's no way he'll turn it down! After all, it's probably pretty rare that he gets a steak all of the time! A dogs goal is to have enough to eat, and a place to sleep. If your dog has those bare necessities, he's probably pretty happy! Of course, most dogs crave companionship as well. That is also important.

When training a dog, it is important to teach the dog why he's doing the behavior as well as teaching him to do it. If he doesn't understand why, he's less likely to learn that behavior. For example, if you want to teach your dog to turn on a light, you need to teach him why as well. Dogs don't need to turn on a light. They can see in the dark. So it doesn't make sense to them to turn on a light. But, if you teach your dog that you need the light to see, then it will be much easier to teach him the behavior, because it will please you when he does it. If he knows that a certain behavior pleases you, he will be more likely to do it again. By the same token, if he learns that a certain behavior upsets you, he won't repeat it. However, if you're not careful, he may repeat that behavior when you are away. That is a whole other can of worms!

In conculsion, how do dogs think? Well, I don't know of any scientific studies to prove how dogs think. But from my experiences, dogs just are! They live in the moment. Not in the future, not in the past, but in the present. They want to please us, they want to eat, they want to check things out, and defend their territory. Don't forget, no matter how human we try to make them, they are still animals with instincts. They are loyal, compassionate, and if trained correctly, our obedient best friends.