I am Dr. Tammie King, animal behaviour expert working at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute (https://www.waltham.com/). I’m here to talk to you about dog behaviour. Ask Me Anything!

What is the biggest mistake you see dog owners make when getting a new dog? What’s the most common issue you see?

Great question. I would say that the biggest mistake people make when they get a new dog or indeed even have a dog, is that they expect it to be "well behaved". What they are forgetting is that all animals "behave" and we are the ones labelling it "good" or "bad" - the dog is simply doing what works for him or her. This is fundamentally what behaviour is all about, it occurs because it serves a function. People need to be mindful of what behaviours they want to occur more frequently and reward/reinforce those when they occur. Don't just take them for granted. For example, the dog is laying down quietly on his bed, reward him! Many people just ignore their pet when they are doing "good" things but take action when they are doing "bad" things. If we can encourage people to swap this around we would have happier pets and people!

The most common behavioural issues tend to be those relating to fear, anxiety and aggression. These all generally occur when an animal is feeling stressed.

I still really don't understand this concept with my chuwawa. He is so difficult to control. I swear he's doing it on purpose. We are on the road in a small truck. It is a hassle trying to train him while I'm out and about taking care of my responsibilities. One of the most regrets I have is not knowing how to train him to fetch something. I got him to pick up a small stick, once or twice. I still have the same stick because it was such a win to see him pick it up. I plan on framing that first stick.

I'm a bit disappointed that I haven't been able to get him to do the stick fetching because literally it would make him so much healthier as he mostly sits in the truck all day. I take him out a few times to go to the bathroom. Sometimes when I have a breather, I take him on a walk. The walk is just a fuckin war everytime unless I make a huge seen by training him how to walk correctly. Not pulling the leash, and jumping at other Alfas in the room. Then he forgets this, and it's back to square one. Drives me nuts sometimes as he is a burden more than a pleasure. I have to constantly say "No"...I have a deep voice of presence, and pretty much get everyone's attention when I am conversing with my dog. It's quite annoying, having people gawking at me when I simply just want to walk him.

The other thing is the shit. Other dog shit. Human shit. He loves it, and after he sniffs it out. He steps in it, he will try and eat it as soon as I take my eyes off of him. God it's a nightmare sometimes. Fuck that. I know he "loves" me, but I'm wondering if I am really fit for this task. I wish there was a magic button I could press to not do all the things I described above. I don't think I understand positive reinforcement. He mocks me, tests my limits, and all around a pain in the ass to control. Please help.

Thanks for sharing you experiences. It sounds like you are quite frustrated and your relationship with your dog is suffering as a result. You raised a few things so I will do my best to address each one, but I suspect you will also need to take some time to decide how much energy and time you are willing to invest to improve your pet's behaviour. This will have a direct impact on the human-pet relationship.

Firstly, he doesn't do things "on purpose" or to "annoy you" or "drive you nuts" or to "mock you". He is simply behaving in a way that he has found to be reinforcing in the past. Try to remember that when you are with him. It will influence how you treat him. He doesn't do things out of spite and you have the ability to modify his behaviour. The best way to modify behaviour is to use positive reinforcement - simply adding something of value when he exhibits a desirable behaviour. Therefore, first write a list of your dogs favourite things. If you don't know what they are, find out! Does he like food? If so, which types? Make list of the most to least enjoyed and use the high value ones when you are teaching him a new behaviour. Does he enjoy games i.e tug of war? Does he like pats/scratches? if so, where? Once you are armed with this knowledge you can use these "rewards/reinforcers" and give them to him during/directly after he is displaying a behaviour you want to see again. Make sense? Begin training in a distraction free environment. You mention it is a "hassle" out on the road. This is not the best time to train so do some groundwork at home before you go in the car and then also in the car before you have to work.

Not all dogs have natural retrieval instincts and others might not enjoy playing fetch. Be respectful of what he does/doesn't like and use them to your advantage. I also think, after reading your post, that it would be beneficial for you to build up your bond with one another. I suspect there is frustration both sides which doesn't help. Go back to basics. Play games, feed him this meals by hand, play scent games where you hide a favourite toy, conduct basic obedience (using positive reinforcement). All these things will help build a stronger bond, trust and make behaviour modification easier.

In regards, to eating poop. Dogs do this. If we simply think of the behaviour without any emotion attached to it - he does it because he likes it. It is our responsibility to manage the situation by reducing/eliminating the opportunity for our dogs to encounter poop and provide an outlet for this behaviour. So, as I stated above - make yourself more fun to be around, provide enriching experiences and start investing time to teach him new things that will help make your relationship better. If you are committed and dedicated you will get there! But, be honest with yourself. It is important for both you and your dog.

Good luck!

My dog was clingy before my husband and I were furloughed and worked out of the home full time. Now, we've been home since March 2020. While my husband and I are not yet going back into work, we're concerned about how our dog will adjust. We are in the event industry so there is no real expectation for what going back into work will look like. What can we do to help her adjust back to being on her own during the day again? We think she's about four years old and she is a Chow, Shepherd, Rottweiler mix. We've had her since April 2018, so she had had about two years of us working full time. We've kept her on her walking, eating, and sleeping schedule but we know it'll be hard for honestly all of us when we're not working from home.

You are not alone in this situation. It will be very common for many people and dogs to adjust to new ways of living once people are able to spend more time out of their homes for work/leisure etc. Well done to you for thinking of your dog now and preparing her in advance. You're doing the right thing by maintaining a predictable routine of walking, eating, sleeping etc which will help your dog a lot. What you need to start doing is getting her used to you being out of the house more. I would start this gradually and build up your absences over time, making sure she is calm and comfortable throughout. I have written a blog on this very topic you may find helpful -> https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pets-pandemic-your-pet-ready-life-post-lockdown-tammie-king/ My colleague has also written a blog which may be useful: https://www.waltham.com/about-waltham/pets-and-the-coronavirus#keeping-pets-active

Happy training!

My dog often takes a few pieces of her dry food from her bowl in the kitchen and drops them in the living room. Why?

Hmm interesting question and I am not entirely sure without more info. Does she eat them after she takes them to the living room? It could be that the kitchen is a room where it may be busy during meal times so she prefers to snack elsewhere? She may have got attention from you or other household members in the past, which she found reinforcing, so she displayed this behaviour again. Maybe also there are other dogs/cats in the household and she might feel safer taking her food elsewhere.

What is important to remember is that behaviour ALWAYS serves a function to the animal, even if it may not be immediately obvious to us. :)

She occasionally will eat them but they are usually picked up by a human. She’ll usually go back to her bowl and eat some there. She rarely eats all of her food. We’ve tried to get her on a regular eating schedule, feeding her twice a day at regular times. But, it’s a toss-up on whether she’ll eat anything at feeding time or wait a few hours or just leave some overnight.

I don’t think she’s crazy about the food but she eats and is a healthy weight.

We have a cat now but the behavior predates the cat. He sometimes eats the food she dropped.

I’ve read comments on Reddit from others whose dogs do the same and thought it might be a known phenomenon 🤷‍♂️

It sounds like she is very good and self-regulating her food intake and it may be that she isn't hungry. It simply is a fun thing to do with her kibble. As long as she is a healthy weight and is receiving adequate nutrition I wouldn't be too concerned. :) https://www.waltham.com/sites/g/files/jydpyr1046/files/2020-08/Essential%20cat%20and%20dog%20nutrition%20booklet%20V2%20-%20electronic%20version.pdf

https://abetterworldforpets.com/pet-nutrition

To my knowledge it is not a known phenomenon but it's definitely a cute, quirky behaviour!

I have a 4 year old Akita. He is a rescue, been part of the family for 6 months. He was mistreated by his previous family (has old injuries). He is afraid of feet in certain circumstances, mainly when he is laying on the floor in a tight spot (spot is of his choosing, near where we are sitting) and has fear bitten once and has reacted aggressively on a few occasions (barred teeth, snapping but stopping at the foot) on a few occasions. Otherwise fitting in great, typical Akita, very loyal and protective. Other than time and patience, any suggestions to help with this?

I am sorry to hear your dog has had a rough past but it sounds like he is lucky to have a caring family now who are mindful of his behaviour. Aggression in most cases, occurs due to an individual feeling threatened in some manner. You have identified that your dog is afraid of feet. As such, it is important to be mindful of this when you or others are interacting with him. He is a big dog and safety should be a priority. It also sounds like he is prone to react defensively rather than avoid or remove himself from the situation (as you pointed out, being in a "tight spot" makes it difficult to retreat - so he is more likely to act aggressively in these instances). Try to set up the environment so he always has an escape route if he his feeling uneasy. Give him choice. In any case, he will show a number of behaviours warning you that he is feeling threatened, some of which you mentioned. This is actually great! Don't ignore these valuable behaviours. They are gold! He is communicating effectively and it is your job to listen and react appropriately to make him feel more comfortable. Do not punish him but acknowledge him and remove the thing (feet) he is feeling uncomfortable about.

Simultaneously, you can be implementing a desensitisation and counter-conditioning program to make him feel more comfortable around the things he fears. This can be achieved by pairing the fearful stimuli (feet) with things he loves like toys/games/tasty treats. Always start at a safe distance and be mindful of his threshold (the point where he is becoming uncomfortable), work at his pace. The aim is to change his underlying emotional state from scared to happy! Don't be afraid to seek help from a qualified behaviourist who can coach you. Good luck with your boy!

Hey Dr.King. My partner and I have a 16 year old dog who we believe is experiencing senility. He's fine and calm almost all day until the sun sets. After which he paces back and forth, barking almost non-stop from sunset until he passes out around 11pm.

We already give him all the attention he wants at night (I offer the affection and wait for him to come to me instead of chasing him). We take him for long walks in the early evening and a shorter one midway through his evening stress. We have been prescribed sedatives for him, which we would prefer to avoid and they also don't seem to make a difference for him.

Any advice on how to help him through the night?

Hi, thanks for the question. What a grand age your dog is! It is perfectly normal for senior pets to experience cognitive decline but it can be distressing for both pet and owner. It sounds like you have already had him vet checked. I would also make sure his vision has been checked as this could also explain the behaviour you describe. If the behaviour is directly related to cognitive decline it is important to keep him comfortable and in a predictable routine. Vocalisations can be a symptom of senile behaviour and they occur as the dog is often feeling confused. It will help to distract him as you are doing, going on walks and offering him a a favourite chew toy or long lasting treat in the evenings, as well as maybe some scent games. It may also be necessary to consider medication in future if behavioural strategies alone aren't helping. In which case, I would encourage you to consult a veterinary behaviourist who can help further.

All the best with your senior friend :)

Does a wagging tail always mean a dog is happy?

Good question and the short answer is no. Dogs will wag their tails for a variety of reasons, happy yes, but also when they are feeling uneasy, stressed or threatened Happy dogs tend to have "soft" body language, be all wiggly, big low wags while stressed dogs will be stiff with tail upright & short sharp motions. It's important to look at the big picture - i.e. what is the rest of the dog doing, ears, eyes, mouth, body etc. That will give you a better understanding of how that dog might be feeling.

How can I encourage my dog to eat more? He routinely refuses his main meals and I'm concerned he isn't getting complete nutrition?

Thanks for your question. Is your dog a healthy weight? You can learn more about this here -> https://www.waltham.com/4-ways-understand-and-monitor-your-pets-normal-weight

https://www.banfield.com/pet-healthcare/pet-healthcare-resources/nutrition/food-amounts-and-helping-prevent-obesity

If so, he may not need the extra food. As long as he is getting a balanced diet he should be fine and might just be very good at self-regulating his intake :)

https://www.waltham.com/sites/g/files/jydpyr1046/files/2020-08/Essential%20cat%20and%20dog%20nutrition%20booklet%20V2%20-%20electronic%20version.pdf

My service dog is obsessed with socks. Obsessed. He's a Very Good Boy otherwise but will always carry socks around and once had to have surgery to remove one.

We have worked with the trainer on several strategies- exchanging the socks for a toy, ignoring him, etc. Nothing works. Any advice?

This is not an uncommon problem (dogs who seek out household items to chew/play with), which can lead to medical emergencies (if the dog consumes items) as you have unfortunately found out. I have seen this many a time having worked in the veterinary industry! I would work on firstly managing the situation to prevent the unwanted behaviour occurring. So step 1) Prevent access to socks and 2) provide a suitable substitute to socks. Something such a food-filled dog toy. Hope that helps.

What are your top 3 behaviours that you wish dog owners would recognise and understand?

Nice question. I think it's difficult to pick just 3 but I would love for more dog owners to be able to recognise subtle behaviours and body language related to canine stress. I commonly see dogs displaying body language indicative of stress and anxiety but owners (and others) are oblivious to what the dog is trying to "tell them". If people were better at this then they could act accordingly and help their pets more, therefore improving dog welfare. Similarly it would reduce many negative dog-dog and dog-human interactions such as dog bites.

There are some great videos out there for anyone who wants to learn more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00_9JPltXHI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bg_gGguwzg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bstvG_SUzMo

That ideal pet dog in Australia research you have done seems neat. Can you tell us a bit about it?

And what are your thoughts on the different sight hound breeds? Specially since greyhounds are becoming much harder to find on the usa.

Thanks for showing interest in my research. You can access the full paper here -> https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228353223_Describing_the_ideal_Australian_companion_dog

In summary, I was interested to know what the Australian public considered "ideal" in a pet dog. I conducted a nationwide survey which was also conducted in the USA and Japan (which showed some different results), and asked what characteristics people considered "ideal" in a pet dog. Interestingly, there were a number of desirable physical characteristics including "medium sized, short haired, healthy and neutered" but behavioural characteristics were considered more important. Things like "safe with children, doesn't escape my property, calm, comes when called, affectionate, housetrained, friendly and obedient" scored highly. It was also interesting to see that desirable characteristics differed significantly between men and women! Women preferred a calm, relaxed, easy going dog whereas men wanted an energetic, faithful, protective dog. I have grown up with sight hounds so I am somewhat biased. I am very fond of them. I wasn't aware greyhounds were becoming harder to find in the USA.

Hello! I have a 3 month old puppy (I was always going to get one around this time, it wasn't pandemic-related). And I have an older dog, as well. Right now, potty training is going relatively well, he sleeps most of the day in my office while I work but otherwise gets a lot of potty breaks when he's awake. He's done very well with crate training. I'm wondering when it'll be safe to leave him at home during the work day. I'd try leaving him for increasing increments of time, but other than work we don't really go anywhere (b/c of Covid). I want to avoid coming home to a bunch of potty accidents and I don't think he'll sleep all day since he'll have my other dog to play with. I'm assuming I shouldn't crate him the whole day, but wasn't sure if that might be an OK option at first. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Hi, thanks for the question and congrats on your new puppy!

Glad to hear toilet training is going well. I would advise getting him into a routine that he can continue when you need to leave the house. It sounds like you have done a great job with crate training and there is no reason why he can't be crated while you are out for short periods of time, as long as he is safe, comfortable and has access to water and toys to keep him occupied. It might also be good for him to be in another part of the house (at times), while you work from home, unless the office will be his place when you need to leave the house? This way he is not reliant on you being around and you can begin to extend the time he has between toileting. You may also want to consider a doggy-door/flap or putting him in a secure area of the house (laundry, utility, kitchen etc). He will learn over time to hold on and wait until he is taken to the appropriate toilet area. He is only baby so it takes time for learning and physical maturation. Just keep up the consistency.

Whilst you are toilet training and he is puppy, I would avoid leaving him with your older dog while you are out. It prevents the likelihood of toileting accidents, prevents any chance of negative interactions and teaches each dog not to rely on the other. This is helpful if one ever has to go away (i.e to the vet/kennels etc), the other won't be distressed. As he will also need to get used to your absence post-lockdown this may help further -> https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pets-pandemic-your-pet-ready-life-post-lockdown-tammie-king/

Happy training!

Hey Dr. Tammie! We adopted a puppy, which was advertised as a chow mix, of which I have had many. What we ended up with is a shepherd mix that closely resembles a Belgian Malenois. She is so smart and well behaved it is amazing. She's now a year old and almost full sized. She has a strong tendency to be vocal and demonstrate aggressive posture when there is a potential treat. Protecting the family is obviously a core behavior for her, but not really desirable. How can I get her to relax her vigilance without damaging her reason d'etre?

Hi there! Well, you certainly didn't get what was advertised but it sounds like you are very happy with her nonetheless. You mention she becomes "vocal and demonstrates aggressive posture when there is a potential (threat)" - Have you identified what the stimuli are that cause this behaviour? Is it consistent? In certain situations - inside/outside? This will be helpful to understand what might be triggering her behaviour. Nonetheless, there are strategies you can employ to relax more in these situations. Generally it helps to build up a great trusting partnership, be someone she looks to for guidance when she is feeling uneasy. Play games with her, teach her fun commands that she reliably responds to using positive reinforcement. That way, when she is in a situation she is feeling a bit "on edge" you can distract her with a game, a treat or ask her to display a certain behaviour, reward her, she has fun, learns she doesn't need to be vocal and she trusts you are there to support her.

All the best with her!

I have a two and a half year old black lab. Super sweet and submissive girl in general. She is very attached to me (mom) and does listen well to me but my husband is definitely the ‘Alpha’ in her eyes. She loves to come lay on me and cuddle on my lap, it seems comforting to her. Is this just her pack mentality and wanting to be close, or is she trying to be dominant in some way? I should be clear when I say cuddle she will sleep on me (front, back, sideways) until she gets uncomfortable then move somewhere she can stretch out. She never does this with my husband only will lay beside him or at his feet on the floor (she does this with me too) I guess just curious if I am just her favourite or she thinks she ranks higher than me in our house? Thanks!

Hi, your Labrador sounds like a lovely girl. Interestingly, the whole "pack mentality" and "dominance" theory became popular in dog training following research studying captive wolves. These theories have since been discredited (by the original researcher) after it was shown that 1) wolves don't exhibit these social organisations in the wild - it's far more elegant than that and 2) dogs aren't wolves! I am sharing this as it is has unfortunately meant that a lot of outdated information and theories found their way into the dog training. This resulted in many trainers undertaking inappropriate methods in an attempt to modify dog behaviour.

So, my message to you is, your dog doesn't view your husband as Alpha, she will just behave in a way that is reinforcing. It may be that she is afraid of him so prefers to lay on you. It is not dominance. She likes you!

Two questions:

My dog howls a lot when I leave her alone. I work from home for now but she's obviously lonely/stressed by my absence. She doesn't have accidents or any other issues. How do I get get to relax when I'm not home?

The other question is my mother's dogs are excited to see be when I'm there but when they rush up to be they put their butts down low in a submissive posture. I don't really mind but it seems extreme (they do it so much that they kind of drag their butts). Is there a way to get them to chill out, that they don't need to do that?

Hi, thanks for your questions. It sounds like your dog is used to you being at home more often. If she was previously ok when you left her alone, some re-training should help make her feel more at ease. My article should help ->https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pets-pandemic-your-pet-ready-life-post-lockdown-tammie-king/

To your second question, it's difficult to fully understand what your mum's dogs are doing without observing their behaviour directly but I would suggest simply ignoring the dogs when you first arrive in the house and wait for them to display different body language/behaviour before you interact with them. It may also help to redirect their behaviour to something incompatible with "dragging butts" like going a fetching a toy or sitting on their bed etc. Hope that helps :)

There's a stray pup in my neighbourhood that was wounded when he stumbled on my street, I personally love animals so I decided to give him some aid as there was no vet nearby where I lived he was harsh at first and kept howling and trying to bite but eventually I managed to put meds on his wound (the wound was on his paw and deeply scarred), for a few days he kept howling at me whenever I left my home but within a few days of aid he could walk properly and suddenly started to be a good boy around me;like coming for pats and the breads I offered him and now is a good pup. Does it mean that dogs have trust issues too? Did he considered me a good person after his wound was alright? I don't get it. Please tell me.

Hi, well that was certainly brave and kind of you to help an injured dog. Often dogs (and other animals), can react aggressively when they are hurt or afraid so it is not surprising he was trying to bite you. Being a stray dog, it is unlikely he has had much exposure to people, so he was probably frightened and in pain. It sounds like his wounds are healing after your treatment so he will be feeling better. You also mentioned you feed him bread. This will mean he considers you someone who provides a valuable resource (if he is hungry), so he will want to be around you more frequently. I suspect he does think you are a good person :)

Do you think dogs are body language experts?

Its been my observation that dogs can almost read intent of a person and react accordingly.

If someone is looking to steal or lie or just being a shady person I have noticed dogs being very wary around that person. As if the dog knows the person is hiding something.

And everyone who doesn't have ill intent seems to get a pass.

Thanks for the question. Dogs rely heavily on olfactory information to understand their world. Unlike humans, they have a vomeronasal organ situated inside the roof of their mouth that detects pheromones, they also have many more olfactory receptors than us. I suspect that dogs use their amazing sense of smell & may react differently to people who may be worried, anxious, stressed or under the influence of drugs etc. These people are likely to be releasing different pheromones/chemical compounds that we might not be able to detect but our dog can. We are a very visual species so tend to rely more on body language of another human to make judgements about them.

Dogs are also very good at recognising change so if someone “looks” different to what they are used to/had experience with, then this can elicit a behavioural change. For example, dog barks at a person wearing a baseball cap or backpack. This tends to occur as the person suddenly looks “different” to what they consider “normal”. That’s not to say dogs don’t use our body language, they do, but I suspect this is more learned. So they learn very quickly what precedes certain events. For example using hand signals as cues when teaching “sit” “down” etc. Then they receive a food reward etc. They learn to watch out for this cues in future.

Hope that helps answer your question!

My 2 yo Doxie-poo is hit or miss on potty training. It’s almost as though he can’t feel when he needs to poop. He licks his pee as it comes out of him despite plenty of access to water. He also poos and pees in his crate even though he is let out to go potty right before bed. He’s such a good boy otherwise. Any thoughts?

Thanks for your question. Inappropriate toileting is a common behavioural concern. My first bit of advice is get him vet checked to rule out any underlying medical issue like a UTI or IBS. Once he has been given the all clear health wise, we can focus on modifying his behaviour around toilet training. In these cases, my recommendation is to go back to basics and pretend he is not toilet trained at all. Treat him like a puppy that you are teaching from scratch. It maybe he has never fully learned where is an appropriate place to toilet. This can occur more regularly in dogs who have been bred and raised in confined spaces prior to going to their new owners, or they haven't had sufficient learning experiences to understand what is expected of them. He sounds like a lovely boy so go back to basics and use positive reinforcement when he toilets in the "right" place - save his favourite treats for when he pees and poops outside. Make a huge deal about how fabulous he is when he does it and he will learn to hold on his pee/poop and cash them in outside for tasty treats! :) Simultaneously, restrict free access to areas where he is likely to toilet. Watch him closely or tie a lead around your waist so he is with you at all times during the training phase. Also regularly take him to his toilet spot, every hour or so and always after waking, eating, playing. This way you can capture and reward the "right" behaviour more often. You may need to let him out a few times during the night to begin with in order to prevent accidents. It won't belong before he understands. All the best!

We adopted a one year old dog from a shelter in Spain four months ago. He was neutered at seven months, and underweight when we got him, and comes with a lot of trauma (which we expected). His base behavior is submissive, his first reflex when meeting a human or a dominant dog is to lie down on his back, exposing his belly. That behavior has become much less frequent over the past four months, which I take as a good sign. He was claustrophobic, which also has become much better over time.

One thing that started happening fairly recently is that he growls at my partner when he approaches his crate or his space in the living room. It's not overly aggressive, and he accepts that my partner is close, but keeps growling. If I approach he turns on his side and almost goes into the submissive position, but no growls (he did growl at me in the beginning, when I had to get him into a car to transport him home, but not since).

We have tried the approach that my partner always brings him good treats, but the behavior has not changed. He takes the treats and eats them, and wants to be petted (he uses his paw and nose to indicate "more pets"). It also started happening on the living room carpet, where he prefers to lie during the day (he spends maybe 80% of time on the carpet, and 20% on his mattress). Yesterday, when I was out for a short bit, he refused to listen to my partner's order and started growling more aggressively when not allowed upstairs (which he never is unless we give explicit permission, and we have a gate at the bottom of the stairs).

I think this could be pack behavior, and our failure to properly show him the order in the pack which led to him being comfortable enough to initiate a power struggle whenever I'm not near. Is there something more we can try before moving on to contacting a professional?

Thanks for your question & how lovely you could give a rescue dog a much needed home. Firstly, I’d encourage you to read my response to an earlier question. -> https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/lw250c/i_am_dr_tammie_king_animal_behaviour_expert/gpfmy44/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3

In short, don’t think of this behaviour as a “power struggle” in the “pack”. Your dog is simply telling you he’s scared in certain situations. You’ve recognised it’s generally when your partner approaches. That’s good information to know. Also, if he growls & keeps growling when your partner is there, he’s telling you very clearly he’s feeling uncomfortable. Tell your partner to please respect that & move away. If he doesn’t, it’s likely the aggressive behaviour will escalate as the dog learns that growling simply doesn’t work to make the “scary thing” go away! A bite could follow all due to your partner not respecting your dog’s feelings.

All is not lost though, you’re doing the right thing having your partner feed treats. This will help change your dogs underlying emotional state from afraid to happy but I suspect you’re moving to fast & pushing your dog over threshold. Meaning your partner needs to to increase the distance between themselves and the dog. If necessary, throw high value, yummy treats from this distance. Where no growls should be happening. Over time the distance can be reduced, but only on the dog’s terms. Equally, there’s no need to “order” a dog. It should be a mutually beneficial relationship that is built on trust not dictatorship. I would encourage your partner to spend time ensuring a trusting bond is built, that way the dog will be more comfortable & more likely to respond to requests.

All the best with your dog!

My dog has happily slept in his crate at night for the last 7 years. This week he decided he no longer wants to sleep in his crate and will bark continuously until we let him out. I have cleaned the crate and all the bedding. Any idea what this means? Any suggestions on how to get him to sleep on the crate?

That's an interesting question. I suspect an event as occurred which has caused him to become concerned about being in his crate. Can you think of any changes or events that may have coincided with this behaviour? If not, it may have been something he heard, saw or felt that startled him and caused him distress. I would also suggest getting him vet checked in case there is an underlying medical issue which may have caused him pain.

If he has to sleep in the crate, first check it to make sure it is still safe and secure. I would suggest moving it to another place in the house if possible. Then act as if he has never seen a crate before. Desensitise & counter-condition him to being in there, gradually build up him voluntarily going inside the crate (baby steps. Don't force him) and pairing something really fun/nice with being inside the crate like a tasty treat or his favourite toy. Avoid closing the door straight away. He should feel safe and be in control of the session. I hope that helps!

Do you think a dog's breed has an effect on behavioral traits like aggression (for example the common thought that pitbulls are more aggressive by nature) and to what extent? I've read a lot on the topic and it seems that among the average person and even dog experts themselves there is disagreement. Why is the answer not obvious?

Thanks for the good question! Short answer, yes. However, it’s complicated so that’s why it’s probably not completely obvious. We know behaviour is influenced by three main factors - 1) inherent temperament (genetics/nature) 2) learned experiences (nurture) 3) current environment -either internal or external (so hunger or whether it’s night/day for example)

With that said, of course a dog’s breed will likely have an influence on behaviour if they have been genetically selected for certain attributes. Now, here’s the complicated bit - just because you’re a certain breed (I.e Pitbull) does NOT guarantee that you’ll exhibit a certain behavioural trait (I.e aggression). This is exactly why breed specific legislation is ineffective in reducing dog bite statistics. Also, it is impossible to predict the exact amount of that trait that will be expressed. Basically, it’s not just genetics that influence behaviour. So many factors are at play. Yes, certain breeds might be predisposed to exhibit certain behaviour but they never express this due to their upbringing etc.

I hope that helps shed some light on the topic,

Hi Tammie! My husband and I have a sweet male beagle mix that is going to be six years old this year. He was a pretty normal puppy when we first got him, maybe a little on the shy side... Unfortunately, when we left the house for a few hours one of our water pipes burst in the same room he was confined in (this happened within a month of adding him to the family, so he was still a young puppy). The room was flooded and his demeanor changed to being more clingy and shy/nervous. We've tried a lot of things to make him more confident, but this is just how our boy is and we love him.

My question: Whenever my husband and I hug, our dog likes to move in between us... Why?

Also, whenever either of us are standing around and doing something (dishes, cooking, makeup, etc) our dog also likes to be very close to us to the point of touching or leaning on our leg. Why is this?

Thanks!

Sorry to hear that your pup had such a frightening experience. I’m sure that would have been quite upsetting for all involved.

Your question about hugging & your dog moving between you is not uncommon. It verbally happens as they dig also wants attention!

Dogs are incredibly social species & form close bonds with other dogs & humans, as well as other pets too! Your boy just wants to be near you. You also mention he’s a little bit shy & nervous so he may get reassurance being close to you when he might be feeling uneasy.

About 3 or 4 weeks ago we adopted a dog who was abandoned when the owner moved. We think shes an australian kelpie mix, and weve been told shes two years old. Shes a very sweet dog, generally well behaved, though she has started testing boundaries more as she gets more comfortable with us.

One behavior that has been concerning me is she has a tendancy to use her mouth sometimes. She seems to do it playfully when she gets excited, and a few times if she doesnt like the way im handling her. Like if im taking her by the collar out of an area she where she isnt allowed. She hasnt bitten anyone, or caused any harm, but im worried that she might get mouthy with someone in public and it could be misinterpreted.

I am trying to use positive reinforcement as much as possible, but I'm a little lost on how to discourage a specific behavior like this. Reward her anytime shes not being mouthy?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks for the question. It sounds like there are two separate situations here that you are trying to address. One is mouthy behaviour when excited & the other, when you grab her collar. I suspect there are also two different underlying emotions she is feeling during these events.

In the first instance it’s important to remember that dogs use their mouths to play. This is completely normal canine behaviour. It’s our responsibility to teach & guide our dogs what’s appropriate. So first decide what is acceptable to you. Are you happy with light mouthing during play or none at all? Once you’ve decided, it’s simply teaching her that if she plays too rough, the fun game ends. We tend to see mouthing increase when dogs get over stimulated, so during the training phase try to keep games together low key & use the opportunity to teach her mutually exclusive behaviours like “sit” or “on your mat” or “get a toy” this way you can reward these more appropriate behaviours. It also helps to play with an object like a tug etc to prevent the dog mouthing hands/arms. If you’re consistent it won’t be long before she is playing beautifully as she won’t want the fun game to end!

The second situation is slightly different. She’s trying to communicate with you that she is uncomfortable with you (& others) touching her collar. I suspects she has learnt that when you take her collar, she is removed from doing somethings she really wanted to do. It’s her way of telling you to back off & leave her alone.

Obviously there are times where we need to physically remove our dogs for safety reasons, but we can teach our dogs that grabbing at their collar can predict fun things too! To do this, practice grabbing her collar in neutral situations & pairing that with a high value, tasty treat. Repeat this at home in various rooms, over & over, over a period of days, until you notice her being excited when you grab the collar as she knows a treat will appear! Then build up to other parts of the house or in the yard, always release her afterwards so she begins to learn that when you grab her collar, she not only gets a treat but she gets freedom too. Get friends to practice with her as well in this environment & finally build up to being in the park etc.

Happy training!

We have a 3 year old French Bulldog. She loves people and children. Does not defend her food or toys, no issues at all.

Her best friend is our neighbours male dog, they have play dates all the time, both indoors and outdoors. That works great.

One time she got out without us noticing, our children let her out (yey!) And she went to another neighbours to play with their dog, a young male. And they brought her back to us. When I came put on the porch and I petted our neighbours dog, she "attacked" him. Just to put him in place?

When we go on walks and she sees another dog she locks in an gets stiff, neck hair stands, but never growls or lunges unless the other dog does. Some dogs she bows to and wants to play after sniffing.

Is she protecting me and how should it be adressed?

Thanks for the questions. A lot of people assume their dog is protecting them when they observe their dog displaying aggressive behaviour/body language. However, it’s important to remember that aggression more often comes from a place of fear. It occurs when an individual is feeling threatened. That’s not to say she doesn’t see you as a valuable resource worthy of defending, but more likely is that she is a little bit worried about some other dogs. Also, from what you describe, she may also be in a state of conflict at times. She’s worried but also wants to be friends. I suspect with ongoing positive socialisation experiences with other dogs, she’ll learn how to relax a little more.

My 7+year staffy has always chewed at her paws, so much so she takes the skin off sometimes and causes sores, We've tried putting socks on her and using bittering lotion - but she still does it. She's a rescue pup, so I don;t know if that's relevant. Vet has said it's just habit. Any tips you can give me to help her?

Yes, I’d agree with the points made above. It’s first important to rule out any underlying medical issues. Often excessive licking begins due to a medical issue, then it becomes habit. If this is the case, then it’s about preventing the behaviour occurring & providing an alternative to the licking behaviour. You could yet dog boots or a large Elizabethan collar to prevent her from licking. But also include another outlet for this behaviour like chewing/licking a dog toy filled with kibble/treats/peanut butter. Try scattering her food rather than feeding from a bowl so she has to work for her food. Habits/stereotypies can also occur out of boredom or stress, so make sure she is adequately mentally & physically stimulated, and nothing is causing her undue stress.

Hey there Dr.King! Thanks so much for this AMA, I appreciate your expertise.

I am a Registered Vet tech working in ICU/Emergency, within a large teaching hospital. Over the COVID-19 pandemic, there were periods of time where we were doing 'curb-side' medicine, meaning from the get-go, we were taking the pet directly from the owner to limit contact between humans. As you can imagine, this was incredibly distressing for pets and their pet parents. My colleagues and I were cognizant of this and tried our best to use Fear-Free handling methods. Do you have any tips for veterinary professionals in similar situations?

I am sometimes jealous of general practise Vets being able to (COVID pending) have clients in the examination room with their pet. Being that I work within the ICU - clients are almost never present as the animals' condition is too critical. Any tips are appreciated!

Firstly, thank you to you & your colleagues for the amazing work you do! It can be a very stressful, tiring, emotionally & physically draining job, where you’re not often appreciated for the hard work your doing.

Great question. Sounds like to me you’re already very mindful on how the environment the pet is in, can effect their behaviour & you’re employing techniques to reduce stress. Well done!

We know that veterinary settings (not just ER but GP too), can be incredibly stressful for pets. This coupled with pain, can compound this stress & result in animals displaying behaviour that can result in harm to staff, not to mention prevent a full diagnosis &/or appropriate treatment. My advice is to always consider the animal you’re working with as n= 1. Focus on this pet’s body language & behaviour as soon as you see it. Be mindful of your own & colleague’s body language, posture, tone of voice, clothing etc & how it may influence the pet. Also, the immediate environment, substrate (metallic, rubber, vinyl, concrete etc), lighting, acoustics, other pets, people etc. Intervene & alter the environment if possible, to alleviate stress. Most vet clinic settings are designed for humans not the pets (I.e. ease of cleaning, adequate lighting to see etc). It’s important to consider how these things may negatively effect the pets who are treated there.

Of course there will be situations where you have a fearful animal & they have to be restrained or you don’t have time to move slowly but I think there are still strategies staff (& owners where possible), can employ to make vet visits easier on the pet.

I’d also love to see more pet owners undertaking basic husbandry training in preparation for vet visits. Whether that be muzzle training, target training, physical exam, TPR etc etc.

I hope that helps answer your question!

How can I Keep my new puppy from destroying my house? I'm not sure if I want to crate train her.

A common issue. Firstly, it is important to better understand why your puppy might be "destroying your house" then we can develop an appropriate behavioural modification strategy. For example, it could related to boredom, teething and/or separation-related behaviour. Nonetheless, there are strategies you can employ to manage and reduce this behaviour. It is important to prevent your pup having access to the things you don't want destroyed so if you don't want to crate train you will need to provide a safe and secure area of the house when you are not there. Then, teach your pup what it is they can destroy! Provide him/her with appropriate toys etc so he/she has an outlet to express natural canine behaviour (chewing etc). My colleague has written a helpful blog which may help you further -> https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dorothy-diaries-how-i-learned-stop-worrying-love-my-dog-joanna-gale/

If you suspect it may be occurring due to separation-related anxiety, I have written a blog about this topic which may be helpful -> https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pets-pandemic-your-pet-ready-life-post-lockdown-tammie-king/

hello doc!

My 1 year old corgi has a great temperament most of the time but when we take him on walks he absolutely loses his mind when he sees a moving car. Barking, pulling on the leash, doing his best to run towards the car, etc. This is obviously a safety problem for him, us, and the driver of the car. He is highly treat-motivated and we can sometimes distract him from the cars, but we can't seem to get rid of that initial high-octane reaction whenever he sees the car. We think he's trying to herd the cars, not harm them. As soon as the car parks or he can't see the car anymore, he's fine.

I personally think he needs a training collar. Right now we have him on a harness that the leash attaches to on the top of his back. Do you have any tips to help us correct this behavior?

Hello! Thanks for your question. This is not an uncommon problem, especially in herding breeds. Please refrain from using a training/electric collar (if that’s what you meant).

I’d start by putting in a lot of foundation training, building up your dog’s responsiveness to your requests, training mutually exclusive behaviours to chasing cars - like focus on you or loose lead walking, make sure you are exciting to be around, play games of tug etc, find out what your dog loves! I suggest chasing games etc. Get a flirt pole & have fun with your dog. Add in requests during play & reward quick responses.

Avoid seeing moving cars to begin with & once you’ve completed foundation work as described above, employ the help of a friend & their car. Have your friend drive very slowly past & you practice the exercises you’ve been working on. Be careful not to go over threshold so your dog doesn’t practice lunging/chasing cars again. Take it slowly. The aim is make you & your new games, interactions together, more fun than chasing cars.

Good luck!

To what degree can dogs understand human speech or key words?

Chaser knew over 1000 words!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=omaHv5sxiFI

My friend Big Al says dogs can't look up, is this true?

Haha. Big Al is somewhat correct. They can move their heads up to look up, but their eyeballs don’t have the same upward range of motion that we do.

I have an eight year old Yorkie Poodle mix and her whole life I've let her lick my face, particularly my nostrils. She likes the taste of boogers apparently. I let her do this because I see it as a sign of respect and love but my mom hates when I let her give me kisses in front of her. She thinks that it's not a good way to play with my dog.

Are puppy kisses a show of affection or are they just gross like my mom thinks?

It seems you have already identified what is reinforcing her behaviour... ;) I wouldn't say it is necessarily a sign of respect as you mention, like any behaviour it occurs for a reason. You have already highlighted a tasty reason for her, but dogs also lick as sign of affection too. They are social animals and young puppies will often greet older dogs in this manner. Often these behaviours can persist if they are continually reinforced. If you are happy with her behaviour there is no real reason for it to discontinue. Each to their own!

It sounds like this is matter between you and your mum. ;) Good luck!