Dr_T_King

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.

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!

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!

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.

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