Everyday I play the same game with my Houndy-mix Eddie. I give him a rawhide and he buries it in the yard. He spends a few good hours being paranoid about it -rushing to the back garden at the slightest sound; leaping to his feet if the other dogs go outside; and finally not-so-cleverly giving away the secret location. When its time to collect the bone I move around the yard and watch Eddie's face. I can tell by the paranoid look in his eye when I am getting warm... getting warm... RED-HOT! Then, I collect the rawhide and store it for the next day.
Today's "Secret" Location
Why do dogs bury things?
There appears to be no answer. Don't get me wrong, there is a good deal of conjecture and lots of opinions, but no real scientific answers. The common theories seem to be that dogs are:
1. Saving snacks for later
2. Hiding food from other hunters
Whatever the reason, some dogs are compelled to bury their stuff. From a behavioral perspective the "WHY" is only one part of the mystery. The "HOW" is equally as interesting. The burying of bones (and other stuff) is a Fixed-Action-Pattern. This means that all dogs follow the same basic recipe and that they don't need to learn the ropes from any other dog -it comes pre-installed as a complete behavior.
Scratch with paws...
Push with nose...
Scrape with muzzle...
Push with nose...
Scrape with muzzle...
There are variations for sure, but the basic building blocks are performed the same way by the tiniest lapdogs and the biggest hounds.
So, why do dog's bury bones?
Because their genes tell them to; because long ago dogs that buried stuff had some kind of advantage over those that didn't and they survived and produced more dogs that buried stuff.
Even A Well-Behaved Dog Is A DOG!
Dogs need to do Dog-Things. Puppies, like children need to do everything and they have short attention spans.
A common behavior concern is chewing! Punishing a dog for being a dog is a sure way to ruin your relationship with your new pup. Dogs need to chew. They should not be punished for being dogs.
Puppies and inexperienced dogs see the whole world is an unexplored chew toy. There are endless places to find new chews and hundreds of ways to sneak a chew. If your dog isn't getting the chew-fun she needs from her toys, your dog will find something new to chew.
My clients are constantly frustrated and overwhelmed when they focus all their energy on catching their dog chewing forbidden items (table legs, tissue, clothes, remote controls, etc...) Make your life easier; make your puppies day. Put most of your energy into creating chew options, not just limiting them. Make toys and chew puzzles fun and exciting for your dog.
Then watch your dog! I spend countless hours just watching my dogs enjoy their chew-time. Their chewing pleasure is a site to behold. You too can learn to marvel at their canine abilities to chew, nibble, rip and dissect.
Just pick the items they chew on for them and make them worth their while so they won't want to waste time experimenting for better options. Then take some time to appreciate what they liked most, what they were good at chewing and how they can lull themselves into a near meditative state on the perfect chew.
Training Small dogs can be a challenge. Dogs that weigh less than 10lbs move quickly. They are also so close to the ground already that using a Food-Lure (a treat held in your hand, close to their nose) can be challenging. For medium and large dogs Food-Lures are a convenient ways to move dogs into positions like sit or down. However, with small dogs Food-Lures can sometimes cause more jumping-bean action than is conducive to training.
For really small, fast-flying dogs I prefer to sit back and relax when training. For this type of training a CLICKER is really, really handy. A clicker is a small device that makes a click-sound when the metal flap inside the small box is pressed down and released.
Clickers are used to train dogs, horses, cats, pigeonsrats and even marine mammals. Using a clicker is simple. In the beginning the animal in training needs only to learn that each click-sound will be quickly followed by a small reward (technically it must be a reinforcer) that the animal will enjoy and working for. I like using small, tasty bits of food like cheeses or meats.
The rules are simple.
1. Click what you like.
2. Click at the EXACT moment the behavior is accomplished.
3. Don't command the animal to DO anything, JUST WAIT for something -be patient!!!
4. Reward the animal after every click.
5. Train is short intervals 5-10minutes
Sometimes it is helpful to think of the clicker as a camera. At the end of the training if each CLICK was a PHOTO, and if you placed all those photos on your kitchen table you would have only photos of the behavior (sit, down, bow) that you were hoping to train.
Here are two Kinder-CLICKER lesson for fast-flying, jumpy little-dogs.
1. Click (and reward) the dog anytime they are NOT moving. Click the dog for being still in any position. Offer extra treats for clicks that marked exceptionally cute still positions (like sit or down). After 2 or 3 sessions, raise the bar and click only certain positions.
2. Click (and reward) All Cute Behaviors. This is my favorite. I will click anything cute!!! Head-tilts, play-bows, prairie-dog position, sit, down, waving. Then I pick one behavior that gets clicked and a special bonus treat (gorgonzola). I like to see how long it takes for the dog to offer only that behavior.
This article is for those who have already read these postings:
Are off-leash parks and fenced dog parks safe for your small dog?
What is Predatory Drift?
Should dogs of different sizes be allowed to play together?
Have I seen Predatory Drift?
Many people witness Predatory Drift without knowing what they have seen; frequently it is mislabeled as a routine dog fight. So, what might Predatory Drift look like? Here are some scenarios.
The scenarios below are made up to illustrate what can happen. They are based on incidents that I have witnessed or heard about from colleagues. I have tried very hard to be descriptive, but not graphic. If you have witnessed or lost a dog to Predatory Drift you may not want to read. My intent is not to shock or upset, but to give the reader the opportunity to grasp an understanding of a phenomenon that poses a real risk to small dogs.
Several medium and large dogs playing in an open area -all the dogs are well behaved and playing appropriately. The owners and guardians are interacting with the dogs and monitoring the play. Nearby several small dogs are playing they are tiny but wrestling loudly and roughly. All the dogs are having fun.
Suddenly the small dogs are fighting and one of the little dogs (not even in the fight, but scared) starts screaming and running to her owner. The large dogs, startled by the commotion, stop playing. Suddenly two of the large dogs are running very fast, directly for the small dog that is screaming. The small dog is the treated as if it was a bunny.
This can happen with a puppy or any small dog.
In another scenario the small dog and the large dog are playing together. They chase, wrestle and play very nicely for about 15 minutes. Suddenly during chase the small dog looks scared and starts running quickly in one direction and does not turn to bow and return chase. As the small dog continues running it looks more and more panicked and the larger dog looks more and more serious. The game is no longer a game -the instinct to catch small prey and kill it has been triggered.
Not all scenarios are this slow to build, a large dog can grab and shake any small dog quickly without any warning. Dog fights can be broken-up because there is much noise and posturing and little contact. However, when a large dog grabs a small dog like prey, it will grab it by the neck and shake it. It can take as little as one shake to break a neck.
Finally a couple stops at a corner of a grassy park to let their small dog play. The small dog, while rabbit-sized is genetically a predator and has little instincts for prey-animal freeze (play possum) or flight (squirrely escape). In another corner of the park a large dog catches sight of the small dog bouncing and prancing in the grass. Unlike dogfights, which are loud and proceeded by warning barks and growls, incidents of Predatory Drift are silent and swift. The small dog has no more chance than a rabbit caught by a coyote or wolf.
If you have not read the articles above, please read them now.
Predatory Drift is a sudden, and drastic change in a dog's demeanor that is characterized by behaviors associated with hunting small prey.
The term is most often used to describe a medium to large dog who has suddenly and uncharacteristically targeted a smaller dog as prey (dinner).
Predatory Drift is NOT Aggression, but it can mean injury or death for small dogs.
Predatory Drift happens when the larger dog's instinct to hunt are triggered.
These instincts can be triggered when play escalates or gets too much like the real thing (an out of control chase game). It can happen when a small dog gets scared or injured and squeals or wriggles in a way that makes them look like prey (dinner), Predatory Drift can happen just because thesize difference says, "You are comparatively bite-sized, or move like something that is bite-sized, and I am a canine predator."
The most alarming fact about Predatory Drift is that it can happen even with well-behaved, well-socialized, playful dogs who play well and often with no aggression, and no fights.
Dogs who are triggered into predatory drift, may or may not have ever been in a dog fight, and may or may not be generally well-behaved and obedient. There is NO protection against predatory drift. It is not a good dog/bad dog problem.
Predatory Drift is not about how brave, strong, feisty, or fearless the small dog acts. Predatory Drift is not about how well your medium or large, or extra large dog plays, listens to you, or how many times they have met, played with or been around a small dog.
Predatory Drift can even happen between two dogs that know each other well and have lived, played, and or known each other for years. In the right situation, a sudden shift happens and the predatory sequence (like dominoes falling) is triggered and completed with lightening fast speed.
While it is not a problem seen every day, all it takes is the slightest trigger -an injury, a fight, a response to something startling or scary. Predatory Drift is a SIZE MATTER! It usually involves a grab and shake, which instantly breaks the small dog's neck. There is no time to react. This in not a fight, it does not escalate. There is a trigger and then it is over.
Read more...
Should dogs of different sizes be allowed to play together?
Are off-leash parks and fenced dog parks safe for your small dog?
