Stage 1: A Basic Overview of Canines Flashcards
Types of dog
- Purebred
- Mixed breed
- Mongrel/Mutt/All American
American Kennel Club
- Establish in 1884
- non profit devoted to advancement of purebred dogs
What American Kennel Club does
- Maintains registry of breed
- Adopts/Enforces rules around dog shows
- Fosters interest in health and welfare of purebred dogs
- Registry for purebred dogs
- Compiles registration status and protects stud books
National individual breed clubs …
set breed’s standards
some events …
- Conformation
- Agility
- Obedience
- Tracking
- Rally
- Herding
- Lure coursing
AKC recognizes _ breeds
192
7 breed groups
-Sporting
- Working
- Herding
- Hound
- Terrier
- Toy
- Non Sporting
Sporting group
- Includes pointers, retrievers, setters, spaniels
- Bred to retrieve game on land and in water
- Specialties: pointing, water-working, retrieving, flushing
- Strong desire to please
- Intelligent, love to learn
- Playful, need active lifestyle
- Require vigorous daily exercise
Working Group
- Diverse breeds - herders, hunters, guardians, rescue/service
- Flock guardians: bred to protect livestock (Pyrenese, Komondor)
- Bond completely with flock
- Can be aloof w/ people, suspicious or aggressive towards dogs
- Malamute, Bernese Mountain Dog, Boxer, Bullmastiff, Pyrenese, Doberman, Rottweiler
- Intelligent
- Can be more independent, territorial
- Some breeds have aggression towards other dogs written into breed standard
Herding Group
- Australian shepherd, Border collie, corgie
- Herders create order
- Good at service work
- Devoted to owners
- Rugged, alert, intelligent
- Need exercise and mental stimulation
- Get bored easily
Terrier Group
- Bred to hunt and kill vermin
- Common trait: tenacity
- Airedale, Norwich, Russell terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier
- Bred for digging
- Fast, fun, need lots of exercise
- Digging pit
Non-sporting Group
- Diverse group - some bred for working, sporting, guarding, etc
- Includes bulldog, boston terrier, dalmation, poodle
Hound Group
- Sight or scent
- Sight hounds - sleek and light boned - are some of the oldest breeds Afghan hounds, salukis, greyhounds
- Can be easily distracted by small moving objects
- Scent hounds - sturdy, muscular, alert owners with distincting baying, many have white tail tip
- Beagles, bloodhounds, bassett hounds, etc
- Excellent sense of smell
- Daily exercise and plenty of stimulation
Toy Group
- Companion dogs
- Long-lived
- Intelligent, energetic, protective
- Can be ‘yappy’
- Need exercise and mental stimulation
Miscellaneous Group
- Transitory group for any breed desiring AKC recognition
- Must meet certain requirements - nation wide interest, active parent club with serious and expanding breeding activity
Foundation Stock Service
- Enables breeds not yet in Miscellaneous group to continue to develop
- Gives breeders reliable way to maintain records
- Can compete in Companion Events
If client asks for advice on breeder
- Suggest purebred rescue
- Point to AKC parent club for list of breeders
- Must follow strict code of ethics, show dogs, strive to better health of breed
- Should provide lifetime contracts on health and temperament
- Should microchip, take back any dogs they produce, provide lifetime support
Developmental Periods
-Fetal - up to birth
Neonatal - 0-10 days
Transitional - 11-21 days
Socialization - 3 - 12-14 weeks
Fear - 8 - 10-12 weeks
Juvenile - 3 - 12 months
Juvenile/Adolescent Fear - 6 - 14 months
Adolescent - 8 months - 2-3 years
Adult - 3 - 7 years
Senior - 7 + years
Puppies are born …
incomplete - can’t see, smell, or regulate body temp
In utero
- Mother should have physical and emotional needs met
- Exposing mom to fear, puppies more likely to be emotional unstable/reactive
Neonatal
- 0-10 days
- can respond to limited stimuli - temperature, pressure, movement, taste, smell
- Mother encourages them to eat, stimulates elimination, cares for them in every way
- mostly sleep and eat
Transitional period
- 11-21 days
- Change quickly
- Progress towards partial independence
- Begin to crawl, walk, interact with world
- Eyes begin to open 12-14 days
- Ears being to open 20-21 days
- Should be gently exposed to new stimuli
Socialization period
- 3 - 12-14 weeks
- Everything puppies experience will affect later behavior
- Experience different periods of change - primary development, primary and secondary socialization, fear, optimum bonding
- Dogs who are fearful often were not socialized during this period
- Can sometimes be remedied but process is time consuming and laborious
- Improperly socialized dogs have much greater tendency to bite
Primary development
3-5 weeks
- Master sight, hearing, walking
- Learn how to communicate with humans and other dogs
- Should be handled several times a day
- Should expose puppies to new stimuli
- Provide different toys
Primary socialization period
- 3-7 weeks
- Learning rapidly
- Should be exposed to new things
- Should be encouraged to approach and investigate new stimuli
- Learn chasing, barking, body posture
- Learn bite inhibition
Secondary socialization
- 6-8 weeks
- Should stay with littermates until 8-10 weeks
- Socialization still crucial
- Should get first vaccinations
- Continue to meet strangers, other dogs
- Reward with high value treats
Fear period
- 8-10 weeks
- May suddenly become fearful of novel stimuli even if previously introduced
- Any frightening stimulus can cause trauma
- Fear could become generalized
- If dealing with dog with history of fear during this period - pair fearful stimulus with high value treats
- Work up to full exposure gradually
- Any positive, non fearful interaction should be avoided
Optimum bonding period
- 8 - 10 or 12 weeks
- Optimum time for puppies to move into new home (unless in fear period)
- Continue to work on socialization
- Never force puppy to endure something
- Stressful situations should be discontinued
- Puppies should have choice
General Socialization Period
- 7 - 16 weeks
- Take every opportunity to socialize
- Enroll in puppy group class
- Avoid dog parks, only socialize with vaccinated puppies to reduce risk of parvo
- Start to lose puppy teeth - provide chew toys
Vaccinations
- Can start socializing as early as 7-8 weeks
- Should receive first set of vaccinations and deworming prior
Juvenile
- 3 - 12 months
- Begins with end of socialization period, ends at sexual maturity
- Continue to socialize
- Approach and investigate novel stimuli
- Basic training group classes, nose games, introduction to agility
Juvenile/Adolescent Fear Period
- 6-14 months
- Can last 1-3 weeks
- Can become frightened of new or familiar things
Adolescent Period
- 8 months - 2-3 years
- “teenage” period
- Have acquired most of adult teeth
- Still not socially or sexually mature
- Males begin lifting leg to pee, females have first heat
- Develop differently depending on breed, environment, etc
- Starting around 1 year, become more confident
- Exhibit characteristics of breed
Adult Period
- 3-7 years
- By 3, dogs have matured
- Should be trustworthy if properly trained
- Rule breaking less common
Senior
- 7 + years
- Less active
- Still need physical and mental stimulation
Socialization is
Positive exposure to many different things
Desensitization is
gradual exposure in small increments with positive reinforcemenr
First _ is most important for socialization
3 months
By overexposure you could cause
sensitization
By overexposure you ….
cause dog to make fearful associations
How to do positive socialization
- consider environment - what does puppy need to acclimate to?
- have lots of high value treats
- upon seeing something new, let puppy examine - say ‘yes’ and reward with high value treats
- If puppy sees something and looks at owner - reward
- If puppy becomes afraid, move away from stimulus until she can calmy accept treats
- When she looks at stimulus, reward
Dogs with improper socialization…
- Can be shy, overreactive
- Might freeze, flinch, withdraw
- might startle easily
- Could be fearful of direct eye contact, frontal approach, movements above head
- Use not abuse
Poor socialization leads to …
sensitzation - leads to aggression
When puppies are forced to meet things … If it continues …
Leads to fear. Puppy may bite, never become comfortable.
Puppies should always be given …
a choice
Development of fear
- It can take one distressing event to intill fear
- Both learned and innate
- Even if socialized, can still occur, but chances are less
Reactive dogs
- Dogs who overreact to things or situations
- Could be improper socialization or genetics
- Could have specific trigger
- NOT the same as aggression
Socialization for rescued dogs
is even more important. You don’t know background, genetic makeup
Canine nutrition
- Dogs originated 30,000 years ago
- Digestive system not exactly like wolf
- Like wolves, dogs have short digestive tract suited for meat
- Dogs diet is more flexible
- Better ability to digest carbohydrates
Dog food history
- First commercial dog food in 1860s (type of biscuit)
- By 1920s could buy canned horsemeat
- 1950s - invented kibble
- FDA began regulating
- Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) began publishing Dog Food Nutrient Profile
Dietary requirements
- Protein, carbohydrates, and fat
- Vitamins and minerals
Protein
- Make up large part of every cell
- Made of amino acids (about 20)
- 10 amino acids dogs cannot make (essential)
- Protein provides all amino acids
- Grain provides some
- Deficiency can cause serious health problems
- AAFCO: Dog food should have at least 18%, puppies 22%
Fats
-Made up of fatty acids
-2 essential fats, omega-6 and omega-3
-Keeps dogs coat shiny and skin healthy
-Found in fish, some nuts
-Deficiency can cause dry hair, sores, weakened immune system
Adult dogs: should have 5% fat, puppies 8%
Carbohydrates
- Not essential but provide energy
- Made of sugars, starches, dietary fiber
- Less expensive than meat
- Dog food may contain oat bran, rice hulls, peanut shells
- Not as easily digested as protein
- Most dog food has 30-70% carbs
There are _ essential minerals
12
Calcium and phosphorous
Strong bones and teeth
Iron
Binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells
Magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride
Important for nerve functioning and muscle firing
Zinc
Essential for cell reproduction, wound healing
Iodine
Thyroid function, metabolism
Minerals maximum and minimum set by
Dog Food Nutrient Profile
Which vitamin can dogs make?
Vitamin C
Vitamin A
Vision, growth, immune function
Vitamin D
Helps maintain proper levels of minerals
Vitamin E
Antioxidant, protects cells from damage
Movement away from commercial dog food grew when
hundreds of dogs died from melamine contamination
Dog food regulated by …
by FDA and AAFCO
FDA regulation
-FDA requires food to be safe, produced in sanitary environment, free of harmful substances, truthfully labelled
AAFCO
- Groups of local, state, and federal officials that define ingredients and set nutrient requirements
- Establishes standards for pet food names, nutrition claims, and feeding instructions
AAFCO does not _
have enforcement powers, does not test and certify food
_ enforce rules about ingredients and labeling
State feed control officials
AAFCO rules
- Maintains list of allowed ingredients
- Must list ingredients in order of descending weight
- Must list minimum percentage of protein and far, max percentage of fiber and moisture
- “complete and balanced” food must have proper amounts of all nutrients set forth by AAFCO
- If not, must be clearly labelled as a treat or snack
- Set guidelines for different life stages
Feeding instructions
- How much food dog needs depends on variety of factors
- Instruction on label only a starting point
Other words on labels
“organic” - must meet standard set by USDA
“premium” “super premium” “gourmet” - no special requirements
Preservatives
- Questions raised about safety of some preservatives - BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin
- 1990s - dog food producers told to reduce amount of ethoxyquin after studies showed it could cause liver damage
- Some dog foods use natural preservatives (vitamin E) and vitamin C but has shorter, shelf life
Under FDA rules if food says “beef for dogs” or “chicken for dogs” must contain
95% beef or chicken, not counting water
70 percent including water
Food name with “dinner”, “platter”, “formula” or “entree” must contain
25 percent of named ingredient not counting water
Dog food with beef has to have
3 percent beef
Protein in dog food
- Better foods specify source
- Meat byproducts - livers, lungs, spleen, but NOT hair or teeth - can be highly nutritious
- Meat meal, bone meal - comes from rendering, high heat removes water leaving residue
- Critics say meal can come from expired meat or diseased animals
Grains in dog food
- make up to 70 percent of some foods
- cheap filler
- dogs can digest grains to some extent
- some “grain free” foods use alternatives like potatoes or peas
- Can cause allergies, but meat or dairy allergy is more common
Gluten
- Food can be gluten free but not grain free
- Gluten allergies in dogs are rare
Wet food
- Meat/byproducts ground to desired texture
- Mixed with grains, minerals, vitamins, gravy and gel
- Slow cooked and poured into cans
- Heat/pressure used to kill bacteria and seal cans
- Can come in rolls or “chubs” - some are shelf stable, some require refrigeration
Pros of wet food
Usually has more meat
Doesn’t contain as many preservatives
Dogs may find more appealing
Contains more water
Easier to eat
Cons wet dog food
More expensive
Must be refrigerated
Dry dog food production
Ingredients mashed into dough
Cooked under high heat and pressure
Cut into pieces
Sprayed with nutrients, oil
Preservatives added
Pros dry food
Less expensive
More convenient
May be better for teeth
Cons dry food
May have less meat
Less appealing
Comparing wet and dry food
Wet food is mostly water, appears to have lower levels of nutrients
Need to convert wet food to dry
Assume dry food has 4x as much dry matter
If wet food has 8% protein, multiply by 4 - 32%
Raw diets
“BARF” - bones and raw food
-typically includes muscle meat, organ meat, whole/ground bones, eggs, vegetables and fruit
Cons raw diet
- May be deficient in some nutrients, too high in others
- Danger of salmonella, listeria
- Bones can damage teeth, cause punctures
- More expensive
Pros
Advocates say dogs have shinier coats, cleaner teeth, more energy
Say food poisoning concern is overblown
Obesity
- Most common nutrition related problem
- Overweight = more than 20% above ideal weight
- High risk for arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, some cancers
- More likely as pets age
- Some breeds more prone to obesity
- Results from too much food and/or too little exercise
Nutritional deficienies
- Rare in dogs that eat “complete and balanced” diet
- Vitamin excess is more common
Calcium deficiency can cause
Bone loss, fractures
Vitamin A deficiencies can cause
motor and vision problems, sores, breathing problems, weakened immune system
Vitamin E deficiency can cause
muscle weakness, eye problems
Harmful foods
- Chocolate
- Grapes, raisins
- Macadamia nuts
- Onions
- Garlic
- Xylitol (in sugar free gums)
Nutrition and behavior
- Diet rich in vitamins, minerals, fatty acids reduce antisocial behavior in children and adults
- Hormones and neurotransmitters affect behavior
- Research is limited
Amino acids and agression
- Some amino acids affect neurotransmitter levels
- Tryptophan becomes serotonin
- Having more serotonin made monkeys less aggressive, helps them recover from stress
- Dogs fed low protein diet with tryptophan showed less territorial aggression
DHA
- Linked to reduced inflammation and improved mental functioning in humans
- Rodents with DHA became better learners
- Study with 28 litters of puppies, puppies with DHA scored better on training exercises
- Another study with 8 week old puppies - high DH group showed better reversal learning and obstacle course navigation
Nutrition and mental decine
- Dogs can have form of dementia called “cognitive function disorder”
- May get disoriented, lose interest in socializing, have accidents in house, sleep disruptions
- Nutrition may affect cognitive decline
- 1 study - older dogs with antioxidants learned complex tasks better than control
- Older dogs fed antioxidants had fewer age related changes in behavior
Puppy vaccination schedule
start at 6-8 weeks, then 3-4 week intervals until 16 weeks
Core vaccinations
DA2PP or DHPP
DA2PP - Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus
DHPP - Distemper, Hepatitis/Adenovirus type 1, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus
-Can also contain leptosirosis
-Rabies
Non core cavvinations
- Bordetella
- Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease)
- Leptospirosis
CAV-1 versus CAV-2
- CAV-2 produces respiratory symptoms, discharge from eyes and nose
- CAV-1 - abdominal pain, vomiting
- Both are highly contagious
- Spread by urine, stool, saliva
- DHPP contains CAV-1, DA2PP contains CAV-2
- CAV-2 cross protects against CAV-1
Distemper
- Spread through air, infected bodily fluid
- Highly contagious
- Dullness, redness of eyes, nasal discharge, vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, seizures, “chewing gum” fits, thickened footpads
- Often fatal
- Permanent neurological problems, seizures, etc
Vaccine types
- Recombinant - contains selected portions of pathogen RNA or DNA
- Modified live (attenuated) - contains altered or weakened pathogen or pathogen rendered inactive - creates strong and long lasting immune response
- Killed (inactivated) - contains dead version of pathogen
- Toxioid - made from selected proteins that have been rendered harmless
Parvovirus
- High contagious and potentially fatal
- Attacks lining of small intestine
- Puppies are especially vulnerable
- Passed through infected stool
- Vomiting, bloody diarrhea, fever, dehydration
Parainfluenza
- One cause of “kennel cough”
- Mild respiratory tract infection
- Spread through nasal discharge
- Highly contagious from sneezing or coughing
- Symptoms: harsh dry cough, retching, gagging, loss of appetite
- Nasal discharge, lethargy, fever, productive cough - could suggest secondary infection
Leptospirosis
- More common in warm climates with lots of rainfall
- Drinking from streams, exposure to infected wildlife, farm animals, other dogs
- Bacterial zoonosis: can be spread from dogs to humans although not likely
- Can be spread from infected urine, urine-soaked soil, water, food, bedding, being bitten by infected animal or eating infected carcass
- Bacteria attacks kidneys and liver
- Loss of appetite, excessive water consumption, vomiting, jaundice
Rabies
- zoonotic disease spread through bite (infected skunks, foxes, racoons)
- extremely dangerous and fatal
- no treatment, contagious to all mammals
- 1st vaccination 12-16 weeks, second dose within year
- Booster shots every 3 years
- Vaccine laws vary by state, county, etc
Bordetella
- one main cause of kennel cough
- Highly infectious bacterium that causes tracheobronchitis
- Dry, hacking cough, retching, watery nasal discharge
- mild cases, can eat and drink normally
- severe cases - lack of appetite, fever, lethargy, productive cough
- most severe in puppies and immunocompromised dogs
Burrelia burgdorferi
- Lyme disease
- Spirochete bacteria
- Usually spread through ticks
- Risk can be very low or very high depending on region
- Prevent exposure
- Most infected dogs show no symtpoms
Bacterial cystitis
- Bladder infection caused by range of bacteria
- Frequent, difficult, painful, urination, sometime bloody
- Can cause indoor accidents
- When dealing w/ inappropriate urination get vet check
Urinary stones
-Formed from minerals/salts
-Can appear in kidneys, ureter, bladder, urethra
-Can occur from variety of conditions:
PH, genetics, diet, medication
-Large stones can cause blood in urine, painful urination
-If stone blocks ureter - can cause vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pain
Tumors
- Abnormal growths of cells
- Can be benign or malignant (cancerous)
- Most common in dogs: lipomas made of fatty tissue
- Even though benign should not be ignored
- Always see vet for lumps
Parasites
- Internal (heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms)
- External (Fleas, ticks, mites)
Fleas
Can transmit disease (tapeworms)
Can cause allergies, anemia
Can bite humans
Scratching, hair loss
See vet
Ticks
Blood sucking parasites that attach to dogs and humans
- can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease
- Release toxins
- Can cause anemia/death
- Feed until engorged, then drop off
- If in infested area, should check for ticks daily
Ear mites
- Infect external part of ear
- Symptoms: vigorous head shaking, ear scratching, dark crumbly red-brown discharge
- Moaning/whimpering
- Can spread from animal to animal
- Visible to naked eye as tiny white specks
- Refer to vet
Sarcoptes scabei
- burrow beneath skin causing scabies aka sarcoptic mange
- -Highly contagious, can spread to humans
- small solid bumps on skin, intense scratching which causes thick crusted sores on abdomen, chest, ears, elbows, legs
- See vet
Demodex canis
- Can also cause mange however not contagious to other dogs
- Symptoms: itching, hair loss, red/dark skin, inflamed footpads
- Live symbiotically in hair follicles and sebaceous glands
- If immune system suppressed, can reproduce rapidly, cause inflammation, hair loss
- Can still participate in group activities
Heartworms
- Come from infected mosquitoes
- Mature in dog’s heart
- can grow up to 12 inches
- Tire easily
- Chronic coughing, weight loss
- Life threatening
- Preventive medication available
Hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms
- Gastrointestinal parasites
- Commonly infest puppies
- tapeworms - contracted by fleas or infected prey
- tapeworm “eggs” resemble grain of rice
- Can be seen in feces
- Usually goes undetected unless eggs are noticed
- Weight loss, malaise, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, blockage
- Roundworms also pillage nutrients and cause nutritional deficiencies, weight loss, lethargy, poor coat
- Hookworms: ‘hook’ onto intestines, similar symptoms , blood loss, tarry diarrhea, anemia
- Zoonotic
Canine external anatomy
Canine smell
- 10,000 - 100,000 times stronger
- 300 million receptors vs human’s 6 million
- Can detect what direction smell is in because of nostril’s size and distance
- Exhale through slits on each side of nostril, pulling in fresh air, so they can smell continuously
- Vomeronasal organ detects pheremones
- Dogs can be trained detect low blood sugar, seizures, cancers, gluten
Canine hearing
Can hear between 67 - 45000 Hz
Humans 20-23,000 Hz
- Can hear softer sounds
- Can move ears independently
- 18 ear muscles
- Also depends on ear shape
- By moving ears independently, dogs can direct which direction sound is coming from
Canine vision
- Dogs can see blue, yellow, gray
- Humans have 3 cones, dogs have 2
- Dogs have more rods (detect motion)
- Greater peripheral vision
- Pupils fully dilate
- Tapetum - mirror like structure in back of eye, increases ability to see in dim light, causes eyes to ‘glow in dark’
Canine taste
- Greater than cats, worse than humans
- Dogs: 1700 taste buds, humans: 9000, cats: 470
- Can taste 5 basic tastes, less ability to detect salt
- Additional receptors for meats, fats
- Specific taste receptors for water
Canine touch
Dogs use physical contact as communication
Use face and snout to explore
High concetration of touch receptors on muzzle along with whiskers (vibrissae)
Use whiskers to detect shape, size, speed of nearby objects
Dogs typically enjoy scratches on rump, chest, along spine
Pats around head or paws unpleasant
Dogs have _ base pairs, humans have _
2.8 billion, 3.3 billion
Humans have _ pairs of chromsomes, dogs have _ pairs, cats have _
23, 39, 18
Dogs have around _ genes
19,000
Genotype vs phenotype
Genotype: organisms entire collection of DNA, phenotype: observable characteristics
Innate versus Learned Behavior
Innate: Present at birth: Vocalizing, chewing, squatting to urinate, drooling
Learned behavior: Acquired through interaction with environment
Innate behaviors can be managed but not eliminated
Congenital diseases
- present at birth
- many cause pain and are deadly
Most common congenital disease and what is it?
Hip Dysplasia - Deformation of hip joint
Hip dysplasia
- Can appear at 4-9 months
- Hip pain, limping, difficulty getting up from laying down or sitting
Management: Weight control, curtailing exercise, keep living area warm and dry
-If dog suddenly becomes aggressive, see vet
Orthepedic Foundation for Animals
- Maintains database to reduce inherited disease and improve health
- Covers all dog and cat breeds
- Can research parents, grandparents, etc
- Evaluates blood, x-rays, and DNA for disease
- good idea not to purchase puppy unless clearwed buy OFA
- certifications include hip, elbow, heart, thyroid, eye health and more
Reputable breeders
- Belong to parent clubs
- Study pedigrees
- Follow strict guidelines
- Compete in shows
- Do health testing
- Offer lifetime contracts
- Take back puppies
Canine reproduction
- Male puppies become fertile around 6 months, sexual maturity by 12-15 months
- Can remain fertile till 8-10 years
- Large breeds mature slower
- Females have specific times they are fertile (heat)
Heat phases
- Proestrus: Female is attractive to males. Lasts about 9 days. Vaginal discharge and vulva is swollen. Female will not allow intercourse
- Estrus: About 9 days. Female will accept male. Fertile phase. Ovulation within about 48 hours of beginning
- Diestrus: No longer accept male, lasts just under 60 days.
- Anestrus: period until next proestrus cycle. About 4 months
If female in class is in heat
OK if she wears appropriate sanitary garment
Keep away intact males
If agression arises, remove her from class
Normally calm males could become agressive
Benefits of neutering
- reduction in mammary cancer
- elimination of pyometra
- Elimination of testicular and prostate diseases
- Some aggressive behaviors removed
- Reduces pet overpopulation
Canine body language
Dogs do not bite without warning
Bite to stop something that scares or upsets them
Indicates whether dog wants to greet someone
Look at entire body
Emotions can be affected by temperament, personality, mood, motivation
Relaxed body posture
- Ears up, moving back and forth
- Head high
- Corners of mouth relaxed
- Soft eyes
- Stands on all four legs
- Tail relaxed, slowly wagging,
- Not moving with any urgency
- Muscles relaxed
- Mouth can be open, even smiling
- Curved body - “wiggling” or “cashewed”
- Danving around
Alert posture signs
- Taily straight out, stiffly wagging
- Eyes focused
- Corners of mouth taut
- Body leans forward
- Ears forward
- Mouth open or closed
- Stands all on toes
- Piloerection
Alert body posture meaning
- Indicates dog is aware of something but not sure how to react
- Can be prelude to other behaviors
- What happens next depends on how she reacts to stimulus
- Will give stress signals before she engages
- Can occur just before dog reacts fearfully or aggressively
- Redirect dogs attention with toys or food
Offensive threat posture
- Tail up and stiff
- Piloerection
- Pupils dilated
- Ears forward and stiff
- Nose/muzzle wrinkled
- Corners of mouth forward and taut
- Mouth closed
- Furrowed brow/forehead
- Stands tall, forward on toes
- May lean forward
- Eyes focused/staring
- Body standing still or moving very slowly
Offensive threat posture meaning
- Suggests dog is aggressive, ready for attack
- Learned behavior
- Difference between alert and offensive posture is movement
- Alert dogs move around, jump, offensively aggressive dogs are still or moving slowly
- If dog becomes offnesively aggressive, have owner leave and redirect attention with treats
- Get in habit of moving away from distractions
- Focus on desensitizing and counter conditioning
- Never give corrections, could cause dog to redirect aggression
- Instead move away from threat
- Front clip harness or head coller
Defnesive threat posture
- Whale eyes
- Tail down or tucked
- Piloerection
- Ears pinned down
- Pupils dilated
- Corners of mouth pulled back
- Body lowered
- Leaning backward
Submissive posture meaning
- Indicates dog is afraid
- Don’t approach or attempt to pet
- Stop whatever is happening and toss several treats
- Dogs may flop onto back before fighting
Defnesive posture meaning
- Means dog is fearful
- Would prefer to move away
- May bite if provoked
- Stop stimulus
- Move away and toss treats
- Focus on desensitizing and counter-conditioning at dog’s pace
- Avoid corrections
Submissive posture
- Tail tucked
- Round eyes
- Whale eyes
- Eyes looking away
- Corners of mouth pulled back
- Ears pinned back
- Rolls onto back
- Grovels
- Freezes
- Urinates/defecates
- Expresses anal glands
Play bow
- Tail up, wagging
- Ears up
- Mouth open
- Front end lowered
- Friendly eye contact
Appropriate puppy play
- Prefer to play in pairs
- Equal give and take
- Body outlines should look soft, round, fluid
- Can include growling and face biting
- Should share toys
- When puppy needs break, other puppies respect this
Inappropriate puppy play
- One puppy should not be singled out, chased , be pinned down, bark in her face
- Never allow puppies to “work it out”
- When bullying: body is stiff and straight, freezes and stares, tail held tightly over back
- When bullied: Rolls over, ears plastered back, yelping, wide eyes
When in doubt, interrupt
- Make smoochy sound and call puppies back
- If this doesn’t work, pick up bullying puppy
- If it was bullying, other puppy will run for safety
- Give bullying puppy a time out
Stress signals
- Licking lips or nose
- Tongue flicks
- Blinking
- Averts eyes
- Yawning
- Sniffing around
- Walking slowly
- Holding one paw up
- Sitting or lying down
- Freezing
- Walking in curve
- Shaking off
-Extreme stress signals
- Drooling
- Sweaty pads
- Round eyes
- Whale eyes
- Panting
- Shaking
“Guilt” in dogs
- Dogs do not feel guilt
- Is really stress/fear - dog is fearful from owner’s anger
- If dog displays extreme stress signals, they are one step away from offensive or defensive threats
- Need to move dog away from stimulus
Vocalizations - barking
- May have different barks depending on situation
- Can bark when excited, fearful, stressed or bored
- Excited - quick high pitched, ‘yodeling’ bark
- Suspicious - long, deep barks
- Some breeds will ‘bay’
Growling
- Dogs growl for many reasons
- Normal when playing, or when afraid
- Never punish growling
- Pay attention to growling - could mean dog is uncomfortable
Whining and whimpering
- Usually something is wrong or dog wants something
- Can whimper when scared or in pain
- Can also whimper when excited
- Ending on up note - stress, on down note - excitement
Dominance theory history
- Proponents say it is fastest, most effective training method
- Critics say it is too aversive and has serious behavioral consequences
- Dates back to German military dogs at beginning of 20th century
- 1940’s - “dominance theory”
- Stems from studies on captive wolves by Rudolf Schenkel and Konrad Lorenz
- Schenkel - surmised that wolves and domestic dogs have firm hierarchy
- Lorenz, same idea but dominance hierarchy completely rigid
Dominance theory modern view
- Has been disproven
- Even groups of wild dogs do not conform
- Pack status is highly fluid
