I have received the question why it is that I prevent my dogs from approaching other dogs? But it’s not that I’m avoiding it, actually. It’s more that I respect my dogs. And the other ones.

A couple of weeks ago my Goku (greyhound) had an encounter with a Belgian Tervuren Shepherd. The Tervuren was approaching head on. At a distance of about five meters, the two dogs stopped and looked at each other. They then began to sniff their immediate surroundings and both put on a urine mark. After that, they switched positions, there was never less than three meters between them, and they smelled the mark the other had put. Then they looked at each other once again and that, they continued on their way. Each one minding their own business.

It is quite clear to me that here we are talking about two mature and experienced dogs, who know how to interact with other unfamiliar dogs. Neither of them had the need to get close to the other. There was no reason to smell each other’s butts. They greeted each other politely and with respect, from a distance. This entire sequence was a master class in canine communication, through eye contact and olfaction.

Another event with Goku, was a few years ago. He and I were walking along the Altea promenade and we probably met about 20 dogs during it. Goku had absolutely no interest in the vast majority of them, but he clearly avoided three. Actually, there was only one – one of about 20 – that he wanted to interact with. This was a small Shi-Tzu looking dog. He didn’t have anything resembling a Greyhound, but he was the one Goku wanted to have a chat with.

To be honest, the only reason why my dog has to stop to greet another dog is because I make him do it, or because it’s something he’s learned he has to do.

A study of 13,700 domestic dogs in Finland, showed that 17 percent of the dogs showed fear when approached by a strange dog. To me this is amazing. There can only be one reason for this:
My dog doesn’t think he has any other choice, but to approach the other dog.
And if 17 percent show fear, what is the percentage of dogs that feel uncomfortable or have some discomfort?

Think about it!

We don’t walk around stopping, extending our hand and telling everyone we meet about our life when we go for a walk. So why do we put our dog in that position?

If you make your dog understand that he has the option of not greeting the other dog, what do you think he will do?

I can assure you that he will not approach everyone, whom he meets, to say hello…

So NO!
There’s no need to say hello.

This article was first published on Slow Dog Movement Limited Edition ‘On the ground’ ZINE – Issue No. 3 – February 2023

This clearly collides, and hence is controversial, with a large part of the canine industry.
Ok – I get it…

Well, now I’m going to drop another one…

We have to let dogs pee

We are talking a lot about the importance of letting our dogs sniff and one of the reasons is that we must not forget that smell is a very important part of the way dogs communicate.

We might feel frustrated and impatient when our dog wants to sniff out every lamp post in the neighbourhood. They generally only observe the scent marks of other dogs around. These scents let them know if a female or a male has passed by, if it is someone they are familiar with, and if they are nearby or not. Certainly, they can also receive information about the emotional state of the other dog, when he put the mark.

My personal opinion, which has no scientific basis, is that if we know that the sense of smell is by far the dog’s most highly developed one, it is also very likely it is the most important means of communication. To the extent that, for me, it becomes absurd to think that the sense of smell has an inferior role in canine communication.

That we humans do not understand olfactory communication is an entirely different matter.

So if we should let our dog sniff, we should also let him pee. And that is something that definitely collides with the way we see the dog, in our society.

The Problem

Out of sheer self-interest, I googled and typed in ‘dog urine marking’. It turns out that nearly 100% of the articles are about the “problem” of excessive marking or marking in the wrong places. And, of course, the problem with territory marking. All the articles dealt with how to avoid these problems and in terms of possible remedies, castration is the winner. By far…

Yes – in the middle of all these articles, there was also one dealing with a very interesting study on the marking of dogs in shelters. One observation made was that small dogs tend to mark more frequently than larger dogs. This may be because they prefer to interact from a distance rather than directly, due to their smaller size.

The funny thing is that in almost all the other articles they start with recognizing the incredible importance of markings in terms of communication between individuals. But for us, it is a problem and it has to be eradicated.

Dear reader, I invite you to reflect on dealing with the problem of our dog’s markings. To me, inhibiting the dog from marking is equivalent to repressing his ability to express himself. Passing this on to us, a scene in a well-known film comes to mind:

Because, in the end, that’s what it’s all about. Inhibition and repression of the ability to express oneself.

It must be said that there is very little study on the subject and I have not been able to see that anything concrete can be concluded about how much castration influences the number of markings. A study that was done with dogs in two shelters (in the USA), something that conditions the result, said that “Individual differences characterized male behavioral response to castration: while one male showed a very slight increase in mean rate of urination after castration (4%), the remaining sixteen males differed in degree of response, with percentage decreases in mean rate of urination after castration ranging from14% to 72%.”

This study has not been replicated and, at least as I see it, does not show that castration solves the marking “problem”. Even so, it is what is recommended as a universal remedy.

I can tell you that my three dogs are castrated, as they have come from rescues and that is how the protocol establishes it. On a normal walk my dogs mark four to six times (not counting bladder emptying) and I can’t say I see intact dogs marking significantly more.
Is this a problem?
Really?

Marking on the walk has absolutely nothing to do with marking territory. I see it as normal for a dog to mark territory in its most immediate environment, but outside of there definitely not. It even seems absurd to me to think that a dog after being in a car for half an hour, to reach an unknown place, when leaving the car begins marking territory. Bearing this in mind, territorial marking is a minor part of this behaviour.
Is it necessary to castrate a load of dogs, to prevent territory marking?

Dog Social Media

Then we can conclude that the dog marking on a walk, is communication with another purpose. I (and other colleagues) usually compare these markings with social media. A dog posts an entry on his wall, telling a little about who he is and how he feels. Then another reads it and, if he thinks it appropriate, he comments on it. Or maybe, a little further down, goes and publishes a post of his own. Humans must be careful and not abuse social media, but in the canine world this is not a problem. So, we must let them read, comment and publish their posts, as much as possible.

Dog Meetings

Another moment of important markings is in meetings between dogs. Here, after greeting each other, with more or less intensity, dogs usually mark with urine. The meaning of these markings depends so much on the situation and the environment that I will not go into detail here. (In fact, there is a very good range of courses and seminars on this subject, in case you are interested.) But I do think it is very important that we recognize that this is an integrated part of the presentation between dogs and that it is essential in their way of communicating.

Dog Dishonesty

Another study says (I haven’t seen it replicated) that there can be dishonesty in marking due to the angle of the raised leg (males) and the size of the dog. That small sized dogs tend to lift their paw more than larger dogs. This is supposed to mislead about its size. (This would debunk one of the myths about small dogs. That they don’t know they are small. AN) This would mean that there is a clear intention in the marking. The dog has a very clear perception on why and for what he is marking.

Laws and Hypocrisy

In Spain we have a certain stigma about marking and every day I see nervous dog handlers yanking the dog, so that it does not stop for too long sniffing and then marking. We are also supposed to carry bottles of water (mixed with vinegar or some detergent) to clean up where the dog has put his mark. Honestly, I think we have gone too far.

If we are passing laws to improve animal welfare on the one hand, but at the same time inhibit the animal from living as full a life as possible, we are guilty of tremendous hypocrisy. I say this to make you reflect and to perhaps open a debate on the subject.

So

For mammals, leaving humans out, olfactory marking through urine (and faeces) is a fundamental part of communication between individuals and groups. That is why we have to let our dog sniff and pee because if don’t, it is comparable to us walking around gagged and blindfolded.

#givepeesachance

This is an issue that, in terms of dog welfare, seems tremendously important to me and therefor I have decided to launch a campaign. With this I will offer t-shirts with the image of ‘give pees a chance’ that you see here to the left. I’ll let you know as soon as they’re available…
I also challenge you to, once in a while, take a photo of your dog marking and upload it to your social media with the hashtag #givepeesachance

If you don’t like what I have written in this article and/or you are in any way offended, you can send an E-mail to:
youhaveoffendedmesomuch@jonasthulin.com
I will answer. I promise.

It is quite obvious that neither you nor I like to put on a bunch of clothes when it’s +30 degrees centigrades, but the dog’s coat actually gives him relief from the heat. Acting as insulation, a dog’s coat keeps it from getting too cold in the winter, but it also keeps it from overheating in the summer.

The coat is the dog’s thermostat and slows down the process of heat absorbing.

With the shedding in warmer seasons, dogs are adapting their coats to be better suited for protection against heat rather than conserving it. The thick undercoat needed to trap body heat in cold weather is not needed in hot weather. But in fact, the remaining outer shell is optimal for handling heat, as long as it’s not extreme.

For this reason, experts agree, it can be a mistake to shave or drastically trim a dog’s coat in the summer. Although it may seem that we would give it more cooling, it can actually heat up the animal more. The coat also provides protection against insect bites, which are very common during summer.

Come on – dogs have developed their coats for a reason. It is a barrier between the dog’s skin and the sun. The more heat and sun reaches the skin, the warmer the dog will be.

In a high environmental temperature, the dog will suffer with or without a coat and maybe we have to help him with internal or external relief. But a dog with a preserved coat has a much lower risk of suffering heatstroke from sun exposure. The coat does not keep your dog cool, but it protects him against rapid rises in body temperature.

By definition, insulation reduces the transfer of energy through the insulating material in any direction, whether the temperature on one side is cooler or warmer than the other.

For example, insulating a house will keep it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Likewise, the insulation inside a thermos will help maintain the temperature of any hot or cold liquids that are put into it. So, by extension, an animal with a shaggy coat should lose less heat in cold conditions and gain less heat in a hot environment. That is, the insulation helps isolate the animal’s own body temperature from the external ambient temperature.

We sometimes hear arguments that this conflicts with our own experience, but simply extrapolating our physiology to other animals can be problematic. If you wear a thick winter jacket in summer, you will quickly overheat, especially if you also do some exercise while wearing it.

But this is one of those cases where paring the dog with the human is clearly wrong. What’s missing here is the difference between how dogs and humans regulate their body temperature in hot environments. Our main way of losing heat in hot conditions is through the evaporation of sweat from our skin. Putting insulation on the skin, or simply preventing air from flowing over it, stops our ability to lose heat and therefore we quickly get too hot.

In hot environments, dogs don’t lose much heat by sweating. Like us, they still lose heat by evaporating water, but that water comes from panting, and the fur doesn’t prevent that process. Dogs can also lose heat by lying down on a cold surface, and the coat doesn’t prevent this either: the dog’s coat collapses and loses its insulating properties as trapped air is forced out of it.

So, like in most mammals, the dog’s skin does not interfere with active heat regulation. Instead, it defends body temperature from a potentially changing external environment, and in this case, we humans are unique, since we rely primarily on sweating to keep us cool.

Heatstroke

Heatstroke occurs when dogs’ normal body mechanisms are unable to maintain body temperature in a safe range. Dogs sweat only through their paws and panting can’t always completely cool a dog down, when he’s getting overheated.

The normal body temperature of a dog is about 38 to 39 degrees centigrades. A body temperature of over 41 degrees centigrades is deadly and requires immediate veterinary assistance.

Signs of heatstroke include:

• Rapid panting
• Bright red tongue
• Red or pale gums
• Thick, sticky saliva
• Suffocation
• Weakness and dizziness
• Vomiting, sometimes with blood
• Decomposition
• Shock
• Coma

Keep in mind that any dog that can’t cool down, is at risk of heatstroke.

What can I do to prevent my dog from suffering a heatstroke?

• In high temperatures, do not let the dog stay on hot surfaces such as asphalt and cement. Being close to the ground can quickly heat up the body and is also an invitation to burn sensitive paw pads. Keep walks on these surfaces to a minimum.
• Access to fresh water at all times. Make sure an outdoor dog has access to shade and plenty of fresh water.
• Cold therapeutic bones. For example, a frozen cow’s knee is an excellent remedy.
• Restrict exercise when temperatures rise and don’t muzzle your dog as it inhibits his ability to pant.
• Many dogs enjoy swimming, splashing in a pool, or running through a sprinkler. This can help to lower body temperature.
• Never leave your dog in a parked car, even if it’s parked in the shade or “it’s only going to be a couple of minutes.” The temperature inside a car can reach oven-like temperatures in a matter of minutes. They often reach temperatures above 60 degrees centigrades. These ranges of temperatures can turn into disaster and could be lethal.

If you suspect your dog is suffering a heatstroke, quick action could save his life. Take him out of the hot environment immediately. Wet him well with fresh water and try to ventilate the air around him.

Do not use ice or very cold water: it can be counterproductive as cooling too quickly can trigger other life-threatening conditions. Allow free access to water, but do not force him to drink, as he may inhale it or choke.

Even if the dog seems to be recovering, always take him to the vet as quickly as you can. Dehydration is just one of the complications of heatstroke that your vet will need to address. A dog with heatstroke should be monitored for shock, respiratory distress, kidney failure, and cardiac abnormalities and treated accordingly.

Keep in mind that dogs are, by nature, our protectors. As responsible carers we must return the favor by protecting our dogs from the dangers of excessive heat, so that they can safely enjoy this pleasant and warm season.

Be your dog’s best friend and take care of him – in the summer as well…

More info at:

http://neacha.org/resources/Short%20Technical%20Report.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256101979_Heatstroke_Thermoregulation_pathophysiology_and_predisposing_factors

“The Greatest Wish” is a song by the American artist Curtis Salgado that tells us that we want so many things in our life, but the greatest wish of all is “I want my dog ​​to live longer.”

Nuiana is gone…

For about four and a half years we, my family and I, lived with a dog that inherited a parasite from her mother. This parasite evolves into the fearsome Canine Leishmania disease. A chronic disease that, in Nuiana’s case, periodically meant declines in her general health and from the moment of the diagnosis we knew that we had Nuiana on loan. About a year ago she went deeper down than usual. In fact it was the deepest up to that point and I came to think that she was going to lose her. To such an extent that one night I gave her permission to leave. We looked very deeply into her eyes and I told her that she did not have to fight anymore, that everything would be fine and that she could go quietly.

Nuiana, like an Amazon, fought back and gave us one more year of a simply amazing relationship. We often say that my dog ​​is the best dog in the world and that we have a unique relationship with him. In our case, with Nuiana, it may be that the fight we fought brought us together in an unusual way. I don’t know, but it is clear that Nuiana has a very special place in our hearts.

Nuiana is gone and she has left a huge void. I pass a corner and hope to see her on the other side. Preparing dinner I look up and where she used to be, looking at me with deep black eyes, she is not. And it hurts. It hurts much more than I expected and it is clear that this is going to be a hard road, but I know that little by little this pain turns into joy and gratitude for the time that this wonderful dog gave us.

Now it is mine and my family’s turn to carry out the grieving process in the best possible way and to take the advice that I give to others, who have just lost a loved one…

The loss…

As Curtis Salgado says in his song, the life of a dog often seems way too short. At regular intervals (if you have more than one dog in your life) the inevitable happens: your friend crosses the rainbow bridge and you stay behind with your heart in pieces.

But losing someone you love doesn’t have to deprive you of all your power and zest for life, at least not for long. You don’t have to be a complete “victim” of your emotions. Your pain can be overcome in different ways and it takes different people more or less time. You just have to allow yourself to do it “your” way.

Grief and loss can be quite difficult on their own, but sometimes we make it even more difficult for ourselves. For example, by not allowing ourselves to grieve as much or in the way we need to. Sometimes we think too much about what is “normal”, how “others” grieve and what others may think of us. We don’t want to cause “trouble”. We try to be “strong” and we don’t want to “sink” into our own pain. Especially if it is “just a dog”. By doing this, we waste a lot of our energy on everything other than what we really need energy for, that is, to cry and heal.

Pain has many faces…

Grief is different for different people and is usually also proportional to the ties you have had with the one you have lost. Also, grief obeys its own trajectory and there is no timetable for feelings of pain after loss. The course of grieving, the feeling of guilt, despair, shock, etc. is also related to how and when the loss presents itself. When a dog dies suddenly and unexpectedly, when you haven’t had time to prepare, the impact can be overwhelming and can last a long time. And while you’re in shock, you can’t really deal with or process your loss.

For some people, and I think that myself is in this category, grief is a short-term deep phenomenon, also known as acute grief, although the pain may return unexpectedly somewhere further on up the road. But some people may experience a prolonged grief, lasting months or years. This grief is also known as complicated grief and without help and support, such grief can lead to isolation and chronic loneliness.

So it’s about giving yourself the time you need. Losing a young dog has usually a slightly greater impact than to lose an older dog. But then again, this is not always the case. We are all different individuals and we react differently. Additionally, it can definitely be shocking and take time to recover if the older dog passed in a sudden and traumatic way. Obviously there is a big difference if you are facing the loss on your own, or if you are surrounded by family, friends and loved ones.

If the loss presents itself when you are in an active and creative phase in your life, usually leaves completely different tracks than when you have nothing that really occupies you. It is not that one loss is greater than the other, but the way we experience the loss or the opportunities we have to deal with it may differ significantly for the same person during different stages of their life. This is an important fact for you to consider and keep in mind.

No matter how you react and no matter what your life situation is like, it is important to try to recognise and accept all the different emotions that follow a loss. It is self-evident that negative emotions have an essential role in our evolutionary past and under specific conditions in the modern world. However, when emotions such as anger, sadness, and fear take over and negatively impact the quality of our lives, it may be time to seek professional help. Sometimes a single call may be enough to give you the guidance you need to move on.

And sometimes what’s needed is a close friend. Many mourners want those around them to listen, ask questions, and share memories, thereby confirming the depth and validity of the griever’s feelings and helping them heal. Just knowing that there is someone to talk to about what is closest to your heart can be comforting. And if we don’t have such friends (unfortunately, many disappear when the wind blows a bit) well then we have to trust ourselves and try to be our own best friend. This can be such a good time for us to get to know our own inner strength, become my own friend, and maybe find someone who has been there my entire life without me knowing.

The substitute dog…

Sometimes we panic when the loss hits us like a Mike Tyson right. We will do whatever it takes to ease the anguish and despair – whatever it takes. And sometimes we get the advice, well-intentioned but, in my opinion, a really bad one, to get a new dog. It is an advice with great lack of understanding.

Another dog cannot replace the love you felt…
A new life does not make the previous one continue…
The unique connection cannot be exchanged…
You cannot transfer your feelings from one to another…

It is not only a mistake for you. The error also applies to the new one coming in. During the time of mourning you cannot give your heart to another, as it is full of pain and suffering. So my advice would be that not until the process of grieving is completed, you get yourself another dog.

The Guilt…

For some people the feeling of guilt is a big part of the process and it does not matter if it is reasonable or not. Guilt is to have something to direct our pain to. But guilt is an illusion.

Of course there are a lot of things we could and should have done differently. A lot of times we have done or said something that we regret. This exists in all relationships, with humans and with animals. We are not perfect and we do and say things that we later regret and one day it becomes guilt.

We all make mistakes – no one is perfect. So we have to forgive ourselves. Face the guilt-ghost and don’t let it make the grieving any more difficult than it already is.

The Shame…

We may also be ashamed of grief over losing our dog. This is a projection that we believe others thinking it is wrong or a sign of weakness to mourn a dog.

Shame is like guilt, an illusion. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, neither for ourselves, nor for others. Most likely, our closest environment understands perfectly and if not – maybe it should not be our closest environment.

Mourning a loved one is normal, necessary and yes – healthy.

Tips for dealing with grief…

Don’t cry alone. It is vital that we stay connected with others during the time of grief. Our supportive environment may include our family, friends, our dog trainer, a bereavement support group, and / or a licensed mental health professional to help us cope.

Our supportive environment can help with:
Preparing and facing the farewell.
Sharing our pain with other people who can understand.
Process our difficult emotions in a safe environment.

Take good care of yourself. It can be easy to forget your own needs when you are recovering from a loss, but neglecting yourself will not help you deal with your pain effectively.

Remember

You should do something creative to express your feelings (write something, paint, make a photo album).

Eat, sleep, and exercise to avoid adding physical fatigue to the emotional one.

Be patient with yourself and allow yourself to feel what you feel.

Understand what triggers your pain and prepare for those triggers (plan to take a day or two off work, let your friends and family know that you will need additional support, etc.).

Conclusion

Grief is difficult and hard, just as intense and deep as the love you felt for your dog. The pain goes so deep that no remedy can make it go away.
But think about it for a moment – your best friend deserves all that grief.

It’s that simple…

References

https://positivepsychology.com/grief-counseling/
https://positivepsychology.com/understanding-emotions/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/grief

I also had inspiration from the Anders Hallgren book “Farväl till en vän”. A book on this topic, but unfortunately only published in Swedish and Danish.

Every day we see more dogs with “behavioural problems” and I think it is about time that we started to ask ourselves why? It is about time that we realize that these behavioural problems are actually symptoms of problems in the dog’s well-being.

It’s about time we turn around and stop treating the dogs with
Sit!,
Stay!,
Heel! …

We have dogs living with us, in an environment where they understand absolutely nothing of what is going on around them. The dog is continuously asking us What’s that? What should I do? and we are controlling it with a Sit!.

I know that it goes against the dominant culture of how we look at the dog, but I am convinced that if we do not change the way we work with the people who come to us for help with the problems they are having with their dogs, it is only going to get worse.

As I see it, it is imperative to give people the knowledge to help them make better decisions regarding their dogs. If we professionals are telling them – “Don’t worry. You just need to take my wonderful course that works with all dogs, of all breeds and all sizes. “ – we are simply lying.

It is about time that we turn around and start realising that the dogs are not well and it is not their fault.

We have been selecting specific traits for hundreds of years, because it suited us. The dog took care of certain jobs that turned out to make life so much easier for us. From there we have shepherds, livestock guardians, gun dogs, sighthounds, terriers …

Now it turns out that it is annoying that my Beagle barks, that my Mastiff does not let my friends in the house or that my Border Collie runs after children on bicycles. That – ladies and gentlemen – are different carefully selected traits brought to perfection. We cannot continue to make the carers of these dogs believe that it is fixed with obedience commands.

It is about time that from the very industry we turn around and make it clear to the person who comes and wants us to fix the behavioural problems their dog is displaying by training him, that it really has nothing to do with training.

It worries me enormously when renowned professionals, with years and years of experience and authors of books that are used as a reading reference in the dog training industry, on YouTube defend the use of E-collars as a useful tool to train the dog not to “run away”, when off leash. That it is less abusive to give him a couple of sparks than to keep him on a leash, from fear that the he will escape. It worries me that a person with all that experience has so little knowledge about dogs. If the dog really escapes there is a huge problem in the relationship between dog and human. And that, ladies and gentlemen, most definitely cannot be fixed with an E-collar.

It also worries me when I see a post on social media, from another renowned professional, telling us to use positive reenforcement by giving treats to the dog every time we say hi to someone. This is supposed to help the dog to not efusively run towards this someone, wanting to say hello. Instead, every time we greet someone, the dog turns to us for a treat. In this case it is all good and well that we are not using a E-collar to correct the dog. But through this positive training we actually condition the dog, in an extreme way. We are conditioning the dog to express a behaviour that is acceptable for us, but in no way natural for him. Sooner or later, the dog will have to let it out in another moment, some other place. And what do we do then? I am sorry, but I can’t see anything positive in this. Surpressing emotions is harmful, not only for us humans.

It is about time that we, the professionals in the dog industry, turn around and begin to see things as they are. A Border Collie running after children on bicycles is not displaying any aggressive behaviour. He is doing his job. That job, for what we have programmed him, during hundreds of years. A Greyhound that suddenly runs after the neighbour’s cat or the Mastiff growling at the guests, is just more of the same. Trying to fix these behaviours without taking into consideration the underlying reasons the dog might have, is not only cruel.
It is downright stupid.

What we have to do, and it is about time, is to get the carers to know that they have to start getting to know their dog and communicate with him in order to really help him with his day-to-day life, in this world. A world which is definitely not his. We have to help him better understand his surroundings so that he can manage it.

It is about time we turn around and stop castrating male dogs and spaying females right, left and centre. If what we are looking for is not to have unwanted litters, there are other ways that do not alter the dog’s hormonal system. You can sterilise the male through a vasectomy and make a tubal ligation to the female and thus inhibit the possibility of reproduction, but it does not alter the hormonal system of the animal. Altering the hormonal system means leaving the dog unable to manage its emotional life.

And please, do not try to fix aggressive behavior problems by neutering the dog in order to lower its testosterone level. Testosterone does not make the dog more aggressive. In fact, the most defined aggressiveness in the world is that of a mother defending her offspring, regardless of the species. Think about it – testosterone has nothing to do with it there.

It is about time we turn around and begin to look for the dog’s well-being and not only for our own comfort. If we continue to treat the dog’s behaviors with command training and overpopulation through neutering (or spaying) – don’t fool yourself – we don’t care about the dog’s well-being.

We need a paradigm shift and I hope it can be done. If not, every day we will have more dogs that cannot lead the life that we impose on them. From the very industry we need to turn around. For the dog’s well-being – and ours.

Let’s turn around – It is about time!

*Note:
When the gender of the dog is unknown it is taken as masculin. I do not like to treat the dog as an “it” and apart from that, I am just lazy – nothing else.

If you don’t like what I have written in this article and/or you are in any way offended, you can send an E-mail to:
youhaveoffendedmesomuch@jonasthulin.com
I will answer. I promise.

How much does a dog sleep?

How much a dog sleeps a day depends on what we define as sleep. This comes from that the dog is sleeping for about 12 hours a day and is lying down in a state of drowsiness for about five hours a day (average). There is an ongoing debate among researchers about if this drowsiness should be called a light sleep or just a transitory state.

The time a dog actually sleeps, ranges between eight to 16 hours a day. Much of this takes place at night. Here it can be said that large dogs tend to sleep more than small dogs. The drowsiness, which is mostly spent during the day, actually varies very little between individuals and occupies some five hours.

With this it can be concluded that the dog’s rest, either drowsing or sleeping, totals between 13 and 21 hours a day. It should be clarified that the ideal is not sitting in the extremes and therefore a healthy dog rest includes 11 to 13 hours sleeping and five hours a day drowsing. I.E., the dog rests lying down about 16 to 18 hours a day. If the dog does not reach, or exceeds this resting time, we can deduce that the dog’s time of rest is not optimal.

Now, found in studies over the past 40 years, there are clear indications that the dog has sleep homeostasis or self-regulation. This means that if the dog suffers a lack of sleep (for example due to a day of great physical activity) he will sleep more, while an excess reduces the predisposition to sleep.

The dog’s circadian sleep regulation

Sleep with motor inactivity occurs mostly during the night, between nine in the evening until six in the morning. Drowsiness is mostly during the day and especially in the afternoon. The highest quality night sleep is characterized by efficiency and continuity. Day rest is more defined by a state of “wake sleep”.

The domestic dog’s daytime activity is believed to be a reflection of its adaptation to humans. In other canids we see a lot more nocturnal and crepuscular activity. This has reached such a point that circadian variations in cortisol levels are not always detected in the domestic dog. Therefore, the dog has greater flexibility in activity time and adjusts more easily to routine changes. For example, studies with drug-sniffing dogs showed that they had no variations in the awake-sleep cycle when changing from day to night shifts, or vice versa. These changes are quite a bit more difficult for their human guide.

The dog’s ultradian sleep regulation

The dogs ultradian sleep cycles are some 20 minutes, with an average REM sleep of six minutes, keeping in mind that the dog does not reach REM sleep in all cycles. For comparison we see that the same cycle in humans is about 90 minutes long with seven minutes of REM sleep. Also, the dog has a much quicker wake-up and can assume physical activity after REM sleep a lot faster than the human. Therefore they can enter a state of alertness directly after a period of reduced vigilance.

How does sleep affect my dog?

Dogs with good rest have been found to have significantly greater memory and cognitive capacity than dogs with poor rest.

Studies with well-rested dogs compared to poorly-rested dogs clearly teach us that the rested dog has a much shorter learning process (and is more eager to learn). In addition, they have a higher working memory index than dogs with bad rest. These findings can be applied to dogs playing in the same way. From this we can deduce that the dog with a good rest can enjoy a much richer social life.

Therefore, if we know that a dog with better rest is more cognitive and has better memory, we can conclude that the rested dog has a much simpler life and therefore a better life and so lives happier.

Linked to this we have the different behavior problems that a dog can show. If he gets a good rest, my dog ​​is less irritable (just like you and me) and has a better capacity to withstand different stressors that occur during the day.
Ergo – fewer behavior problems.

How can I help my dog rest better?

Leave him be!

Let him rest. That has to be number one. Unfortunately we have our dog as some kind of emotional slave and toy, that has to be at our disposal at all times. If a dog is resting, let him rest as long as he needs. I know he can look like the cuddliest thing we have ever seen, but please let him be.

Many dogs quite simply do not believe they have the right to rest. It is our obligation to give them that right.

Let him choose place

Secondly, I think it is essential to give the dog the chance to choose his preferred resting place. His preferences may vary and so he should also have the right to switch. If for some reason it is necessary for the dog to rest in a unique place, observe him and let him choose his place and make sure it is comfortable. This is something that is almost impossible to fulfil. Comfort depends on a lot of factors that continuously change.

I live in a multi-dog home and my dogs sleep and rest wherever they want to (none have chosen to rest on a table – yet). At night as well. This includes with me in my bed, or on a mattress next to me, in the living room, etc. I do not interfere with their choice of place. If you don’t like having the dog in yuor bed, at least let him be by your side. I find it hard to understand why force a social and gregarious being to sleep away from us.

Activity

For the dog to rest well, it is also necessary that he has a rich active time. This does not necessarily mean that he has to be physically exhausted. Physical exercise turns out not to be as important as we have been believing. For the dog, running for the sake of running does not make sense and can even become confusing and tremendously frustrating, and from there lead to behavioral management problems. The exercise that does make sense and turns out to be very important is mental exercise. In this we help him a lot by simply slowing down on our walk and letting him sniff and giving him the time he needs to process the information he is collecting.

Diet

Food plays a very important role on the dog’s rest, as in everything else in life. I will not go into detail, but it is clear that the lack of nutrients in the dog’s diet directly influences the state of health, physical and emotional. Just like the lack or excess of food. If the dog is hungry he cannot rest well and dogs with obesity problems cannot either.

When worry?

Every dog is unique. They are individuals with different habits and routines. If you are attentive and observant, there is no one who knows your dog better than you do. Clear signs that something is not the way it should is if it is difficult for your dog to go to sleep, or the other way around, has waking up difficulties. If anything happens in this regard, first you should take your dog to the vet to discard any physical or neurological problem. For heaven’s sake – DO NOT ask on Facebook and DO NOT consult Dr. Google and if you call me, I will tell you to take him to the vet, as any responsible dog trainer or behaviourist would.

If the veterinary check does not find anything, I recommend looking for a professional canine behaviourist who can advise you on your dog’s emotional state.

*Note:
When the gender of the dog is unknown it is taken as masculin. I do not like to treat the dog as an “it” and apart from that, I am just lazy – nothing else.

We all understand how important it is we take our dog for a walk. However, I think a large part of us, if not the most, have not realised the importance of letting the dog smell and sniff. For many of our dogs, going for a walk is the moment of the day. They are happy to go anywhere as long as they are outside together with us. When we go out with our dogs, they tend to want to stop to sniff every rock or stone. Some dog handlers become frustrated that the walk lasts longer than planned.

Should we let the dog sniff during the walk?

Oh yes!

Dogs have the same five senses as us humans, but their sense of smell is infinitely more developed. We smell all the time. However, the smell is in most cases just a confirmation that something smells good or bad. We rarely use smell to collect information. In fact, for dogs, the sense of smell is the number one mode in which they collect information about the world around them. For dogs, smelling things is an automatic behaviour. That way they “see” the world, just as we experience it when looking at it. This is why it is so important that you let your dog smell things while he is out on a walk. It is not necessary that you dedicate yourself to it every time, but you must remember that the walk is for him. If your dog wants to smell something for a few seconds – let him! 

It is not just better for the dog’s general well-being, but it can also help prevent problem behaviours resulting from stress, boredom, or frustration.

We buy many enriching puzzle toys for our dog to solve, but handlers often overlook one of the simplest enriching and natural behaviours: sniffing.

By giving dogs more opportunities to use their great sense of smell, they will certainly enjoy their walk more. Also, if we give them possibilities to make decisions and a little more freedom, they will be naturally stimulated in a bigger way. Therefore they will be more relaxed when they get home.

Do not underestimate the power of the dog’s nose

We should never forget how powerful the dog’s nose is. The dog’s capacity for scent detection has been reported to be as much as 10,000–100,000 times that of the average human. In her book “Inside of a dog: What dogs see, smell and know”, Alexandra Horowitz goes as far as to suggest that a dog can detect the sugar from a teaspoon diluted in an Olympic swimming pool.

Dogs’ sense of smell is fundamental to communicate, explore, and evaluate.

Slow down and let the dog choose

Unfortunately, many dog handlers believe that faster and longer-distance running is the best way to tire a dog (I did). Dogs are on a short leash, usually on narrow paths and sidewalks next to their carer. Some are taken to a dog park where they can “hang out” with other dogs.

The walk is probably not particularly interesting, and the dog park can be overly stimulating or stressful. Above all, when the interaction with other dogs is not managed properly.

We can choose a calmer trail with changing surfaces and leave our dog loose (or at least on a longer leash) and let him follow his nose. As a result, we offer him a richer experience.

Further, if we let our dog choose and decide what he wants to smell and investigate and give him the time he needs during the walk, or in another suitable environment, we will positively strengthen him. The sniffing dog processes the environment better and it is more difficult to surprise him and thus he will be less reactive.

The sniffing dog feels more free

Dogs depend on their carers, and along with regulated meals and a place called home, it is an arrangement that can become a confinement. Their movements are limited by walls and leashes. They have to sit where they are told and they eat what they are told to eat. When the carer decides it is time, they go for a walk. They can’t even decide when to go to the bathroom.

The control the four-legged members of our family have over their lives is close to none. Therefore, they get a feeling of being held back all the time and this can play an important role on their mental health. Research shows that lack of freedom often leads to stress, anxiety, and depression.

According to Pet Dog Trainers of Europe:
“When taking away choices, we take away any control dogs have over their lives as well as the possibility to fulfil their own needs. This is true for many, if not all areas in a dog’s life, such as sleep, nutrition and activity.”

To guide or not to guide

Guiding our dog through life is not always wrong. For the most part, it’s a matter of safety, not letting him run loose in uncontrolled areas. There are also situations where the dogs’ decisions are inappropriate (for us), such as deciding to urinate indoors or run to the neighbour’s house to play.

However, too much control affects our dog in a negative way. The daily walk is our chance to give our dog some space and let him make his own decisions. The easiest way to do this is to let your dog smell what he wants to smell and to spend the time he wants doing it. If he wants to spend a full five minutes sniffing every inch of a lamp post, let him!

On the whole, this is a tiny decision, but the ability to choose will do a lot for the dog’s mental health. If with each step we take on the walk we are forcing our dog to walk beside us and making all the decisions about the path we take, we add more stress, when what we should do is reduce.

But…
Like everything in life, sometimes it can be too much. If the dog sniffs something out that, for one reason or another, is too exciting or anxiety-provoking, he can spiral into a situation he can no longer handle.
In fact, for a dog that goes into sensory overdrive, compulsively sniffing, gathering information and not processing it, it can become too stimulating, too arousing and can even cause increased anxiety. In some dogs that are experiencing anxiety or have experienced high arousal, sniffing can have an unintended effect.
In the end, it is our obligation, as a caregiver of our dog, to know him well enough to be able to see signs of overstimulation and anxiety so that we in these situations can help him turn around and guide him towards an emotional state that he handles better.

The sniffing dog feels better

Dogs with a high energy level are mostly overstimulated. By using the dogs’ natural sniffing behaviour, we get a calming and generally relaxing result.

Anne Lill Kvam, the esteemed nose work expert, says that  
“Nose work is the only thing that allows the dog to live its own instincts and use its natural abilities in a pleasant way for both himself and for his human companion. Thus the dog manages to find balance and security, and builds a relationship of quiet collaboration with its handler who discovers a new way of looking at his own dog and his peculiar capabilities.”

Charlotte Duranton and Alexandra Horowitz published a study in 2018 that even suggests that enough sniffing opportunities can make dogs feel more optimistic. The study highlights:
• Nosework reduced dogs’ latencies to reach an ambiguous pot in a cognitive bias test.
• Nose work increases dogs’ positive judgment bias or “optimism”.
• Practicing nose work allows dogs to express a natural behaviour and be more autonomous.
• Behaving naturally and making active choices are two key factors in animal welfare.
• Olfaction-based activities contribute to dogs’ welfare.

Anders Hallgren, probably the world’s first dog psychologist, says that
“dogs live in a world full of odors that define their emotions as much as visual and auditory stimuli influence our feelings, or perhaps even more. In dogs, there is a direct relationship between the sense of smell and the state of mind.”

The sniffing dog rests better

The mental enrichment your dog gets during a slow walk with longer sniffing time is much bigger than it would get on a faster walk. This means that a shorter slow sniffing walk can tire them more and they will generally be more relaxed and rest better. Therefore they are less likely to exhibit destructive or rebellious behaviour at home.

The sniffing dog communicates better

We must not forget that smell is also an important part of how dogs communicate. We may feel frustrated and impatient when our dog wants to sniff every lamp post in the neighbourhood, but they generally only observe the scent marks of other dogs in the area. These scents let them know if a female or male has passed, if it is someone they are familiar with and if they are close or not. Certainly they can also receive information about the other dog’s emotional state when he put his mark there.

My personal opinion (which has no scientific basis) is that if we know that the sense of smell is by far the dog’s most developed sense, it is also very likely that it is its most important means of communication. For me, it seems absurd to think that the sense of smell only has a small role in canine communication.

That we humans do not understand olfactory communication is a completely different matter.

Other sniffing activities

In addition to dogs having opportunities to sniff when they are out on walks, there are other enriching activities we can carry out to stimulate nose work.

SEARCHING FOR FOOD

Distributing treats in a safe, distraction-free, grassy environment and then letting our dog search for food can be an easy and inexpensive way to offer additional enrichment.

This is an excellent activity for older dogs or for dogs with limited mobility. In addition, it is also a useful tool to help anxious dogs feel more relaxed and safe.

On rainy days, we can do this type of activity on a smaller scale indoors. For example, with the help of a sniffing rug. There are a wide variety of types that can be found on the Internet.

NOSE WORK CLASSES

If you are looking for a more structured learning environment to stimulate the dog’s sense of smell. You should considering a nose work class of some sort. This will not only refine your dog’s skills, but can also be a great way to strengthen your relationship.

Look for a canine education centre near you that offers these types of classes. The dog will learn to identify and find certain scents and then show the handler the position where it is hidden.

Conclusion

So the next time you take your dog for a walk, try be more patient when he want to stop and sniff. It is a behaviour that must be accepted and in the end you realise that as a result you have a happier dog.

*Note:

When the gender of the dog is unknown it is taken as masculin. I do not like to treat the dog as an “it” and apart from that, I am just lazy – nothing else.

If you would like to listen to some dog sniffing talk, I can highly recommend these two Podcast episodes:
– Dog Tails – Conversations with the Pet Dog Trainers of Europe – Follow your (dog’s) nose (Anne Lill Kvam)
– Teach Me About Doggies – Toronto dog walker Amanda Factor is on a mission to learn more about dogs. – Why is sniffing so important for dogs (Helen Moore)

House-training

Pro Crate Argument

When house-training a puppy, you just can’t beat using a crate. If you ever had a puppy, you have most certainly noticed that they are reluctant to soil in their own space. So making the space small enough for the puppy not wanting to use one area as a litter-tray, problem solved. Whenever we can’t keep an eye on them we put them in the crate, because the worst thing that can happen, during house-training, is an accident indoors.

Debunking

During this period we need to have time. Time to be able to watch and observe. Every time the puppy has woken up from a nap, eaten, had a drink or finished playing, we must take him out so that he can relieve himself. Locking him in a cage to take that job off me is downright cruel. It is cruel in the sense that we force him to hold on much longer and cause him great discomfort. Also in the end he will have no choice but to relieve himself within his own space and if this is reproduced, in the end he does not care. Something completely counterproductive and in essence it can be converted into learned helplessness, one of the saddest thing you can see in a dog. That is undoubtedly a lot worse than an accident indoors.

Puppies chew

Pro Crate Argument

Give your puppy some “legal” things to chew inside the crate whenever you can’t keep an eye on him. This way you know that he won’t chew on your dining room table.

Debunking

Give your puppy some “legal” things to chew and make sure that the “legal” thing is tastier than the dining room table. During this stage in the dog’s life you need to be with him. Take time off work or make sure someone else can be with him. He should never be left alone…

Time to be Calm

Pro Crate Argument

Crates are excellent for calm time. Whenever your dog is over excited, you tell him to go to his crate and you will most probably see him calm down pretty quick. He learns that the crate is the calm down area.

Debunking

Let your dog know he has a right to be calm. That he has a right to be relaxed. And whenever he is calm and relaxed, he will be left alone. Whatever place he might be in. I find it terrible that a dog will only be able to relax when he is in a crate.

Dogs want to den

Pro Crate Argument

A crate is like a den and dogs like to den. It’s a safe haven, the place where they feel safe.

Debunking

Firstly – dogs don’t den.
Secondly – Does your dog really need a place to feel safe? In his own home? Excuse me, but seriously…

When we have visitors

Pro Crate Argument

It is so handy to be able to put your dog in the crate (and even better if the crate is in another room) when you have visitors in your home. You also get rid of the hassle at the door.

Debunking

If you can’t have people coming to your home because they don’t accept your dog – don’t have them coming over.
If you can’t have people coming to your home because your dog doesn’t accept them – don’t have them coming over.
Again, this is just downright cruel. Your home is your dog’s home. It becomes extremely stressful for a dog when he is not able to control what is going on in his own home (as for you).

Vet visits

Pro Crate Argument

Your dog might be crated at the vet. If he is used to be in a crate, there will be no problem crating him at the vet’s .

Debunking

Be with your dog. Don’t just leave your dog at the vet’s and go away. The whole situation is stressful and he needs you to be with him. For example, waking up after being sedated is a moment of great confusion and stress and can easily be turned into a trauma.
Be with your dog in bad situations.
Be there for your dog.
Be your dog’s best friend.

In this article I am referring to the single dog as masculine – I don’t like to refer to a dog as “it” and apart from that I am just lazy. There is nothing more to it…

Prairie Dogs

An example of how wrong we are is if we take a look at the Prairie Dogs. It has been shown in several studies, especially by Professor Con Slobodchikoff who has been studying these animals for more than 30 years, that these animals really do speak.

In 2009 Professor Slobodchikoff, together with Bianca Perla and Jennifer Verdolin, published a book on the Prairie Dogs communication and community life. The book describes the entire society of these animals and the different communities into which it is divided.

But the most interesting for this article is the books fourth chapter. It describes the intraspecific communication and goes into detail about the vocalization and complexity of alarm signals. The alarm signals describes the type of predator and its size, if it is terrestrial or airborne, with what speed and from which direction it is approaching and even its colour. It is mentioned, as an anecdote, that when the team of human researchers had difficulties in differentiating between a German Shepherd and a Coyote, the Prairie Dogs made the distinction immediately and communicated the different kind of threat to the rest of the community.

They do speak

The authors present arguments that due to its complexity we must consider the vocal communication system of the Prairie Dogs a language. It is a system that contains nouns (Coyote), adjectives (grey), verbs (runs closer) and even adverbs (fast, left). They can also accentuate even more by adding olfactory and visual cues.

Another interesting observation is that it was possible to demonstrate that between the different species there are different languages and within the languages you can see various dialects in geographically separated communities.

Moscow Metro Dogs

With this we move over to an example of interspecific communication between stray dogs and humans in Moscow. In Moscow there is a small group of very famous stray dogs that are using the subway to commute. On YouTube there are tons of videos about these dogs and you can even read about them on Wikipedia. Dogs travel daily to move from their resting area to the food-finding area.

Biologist Andrey Poyarkov has studied stray dogs in Moscow for thirty years and considers dogs using the subway an intellectual elite. Dogs also know how to use traffic lights to know when to cross the street. They also know from whom they can order food. They read people’s body language extremely well and even judge them by their clothing.

They do understand

Andrei Neuronov, another animal behaviour expert, has observed that dogs have learned to recognize station names, just as dogs can recognize short commands and their own names. But this ability is used for different purposes by different groups of subway dogs.

Researchers, including scientific writer Eugene Linden, say that the dog’s use of the transit system is evidence that the Canis familiaris possesses what can be called flexible open-ended reasoning and conscious thought.

According to Neuronov, there are three types of subway dogs: the ones that live on the subway but don’t travel, dogs that use the subway to travel short distances instead of walking, and entrepreneuring dogs that spend the day commuting. This last type of dog makes long trips, working the crowd to receive food, emotional contact and interaction.

They break the rules

Dogs are not allowed to use on the subway, although humans sometimes allow them to enter they generally enter through the doors on their own initiative. In doing so, they question, albeit unconsciously, the fact that the subway is reserved for humans – they take the right to use the subway. With their behaviour, they also influence prevailing stereotypes and demonstrate that stray dogs can be intelligent, smart and skilled. Dogs behave with good manners, they stay calm, or lie under the benches. Photos and videos of them are broadcast online, so every day more and more people are beginning to look at stray dogs and dogs in general in a new way.

Through their behaviour the dogs question the boundary between man and animal, since they occupy a place within a specific human space. Their actions can be compared to situations where we violate the rules and therefore criticize the privileges of a particular system or group. On a small scale, the condition of other stray dogs and how they see themselves is affected. This in turn has an influence on public opinion and the legislation related to the dogs. In Moscow, stray dogs affect, through their behaviour, the vision that people have of them.

Language Speaks

The German philosopher Martin Heidegger demonstrated that language provides knowledge of the world around us and shapes that world. Or as he said in a conference – Language speaks. Language gives us knowledge of how others think and the opportunity to show what we think. In addition there are two clear benefits of talking to animals: it teaches us to understand them better and it helps create new and better interspecific relationships.

We Need to Talk to Them

To get to know what animals want, it is not enough just to study them. You need to start talking to them. Eva Meijer (Dutch artist, writer, philosopher, singer and songwriter) says, in her 2019 book When Animals Speak: Toward an Interspecies Democracy, that talking to animals requires a radical change in our thinking about the hierarchies between humans and animals. But as humans begin to see animals differently this can also happen in the dialogue itself. In addition, a radical change is needed in our vision of language.

Dialogue with the Dog

In our daily life with our dogs, we must find more space for dialogue, and also language helps us live with them in a new way. Every day, dogs show us that their language is much broader and richer than we think. Likewise, there are infinite possibilities to express yourself meaningfully not only with human words. Instead of dismissing these forms of expression as inferior, we can learn from them. For the dog language to be a language, dogs do not need to learn anything, however, it is necessary that we change our vision about them.

The dogs spoke from the very beginning.

We try to give it other names and we are desperately looking for other reasons, but what really kills our dogs is stress. The companion dog is not accompanied. He spends the vast majority of his time being alone and when we give him a little bit of our time, we are in a hurry. Well, we are stressed as well.

We take them out for a walk around the neighbourhood to pee and leave the heap. When they dare to put their nose to the ground, they smell a lot of things that have passed. 20 dogs, seven cats, three squirrels, a couple of rats and even quite a lot of bugs. The question is that we don’t give them no time to process absolutely anything. It is like taking our kids to the cinema and when we arrive we tell him to go to the toilet and when they come back out we go home. Honestly, it would have been better not going at all.

Furthermore, the vast majority do not have their basic instincts covered, nor do they have a social life in the slightest way fulfilled.

So, what stressors are there and what makes our dog the stressed dog?

Genetics

There have been different studies made on the importance of the breed in the dog’s ability to manage different stressors. A fairly extensive study conducted in Finland¹ on 13,700 domestic dogs, published the 5^th of March, 2020, showed (with some reservations) that distinct breeds react in various ways to different stressors.

To give some examples, it was shown that the Spanish Water Dog tends to have difficulties managing strange people and can show aggressive behaviour towards them. On the other hand, one of the breeds that work this out the best is the Staffordshire Bullterrier (A breed that in Spain is considered a Potentially Dangerous Dog. A/N). The Rough Collie does not like slippery surfaces while the Border Collie handles that in an excellent way. In turn, the Border has a hard time standing still when a fly passes by, while the Miniature Schnautzer could not care less.

Prenatal Period

We know that females suffering a high level of stress during the gestation are known to influence the offspring’s entire life. Early life or prenatal programming of the neuroendocrine systems and behaviour by stress and exogenous or endogenous glucocorticoids appears to have a fundamental effect on common disorders². Psychological effects can be learning and socialisation problems and elevated levels of anxiety. Physiological effects such as obesity problems due to insulin resistance, a weak immune system and altered pain sensitivity can also occur.

There have not been many studies on dogs publicised on this subject, but Dr. Franklin D. McMillan (Best Friends Animal Society) published one³ in 2017 on puppies sold at pet stores and/or born on puppy farms.

The First Few Weeks

The puppy’s first few weeks is another essential part. The incredible role that the mother plays during this period cannot be exaggerated. For the first six to eight weeks the mother teaches him everything. The puppy is not prepared to be separated from its mother before the seventh week either physically or in terms of social behaviour. Although there are small differences between breeds, we know that, for example, the puppy’s brain is not even fully developed until the fifth week⁴.

We hear that in order to make a good imprint, the puppy should not be left with its mother for more than 12 weeks. This meaning puppies that are going to be used to make a dog for a specific type of work. Personally I believe that if a puppy bred for company is socialised, adapted and prepared for a life in our society with his mother by his side, we can prolong that time many weeks.

It is during this stage we start with socialising and adapting to different environments and settings. Puppies must be exposed to as many different environmental stimuli as possible, observing at all times their ability to manage and resolve these stimuli. Puppies that grow up with little or no stimulation will have huge difficulties in managing strange situations and environments in their adult life⁵.

Diet

A poor diet can cause stress, either through excess or insufficiency. If it is unbalanced or does not meet nutritional needs. In this tryptophan has an important role. A diet low on tryptophan⁶ and/or B vitamins directly influence the production of serotonin⁷. Though there are not yet enough studies to conclude on the importance of this in dogs, we do know that in humans the serotonin level has a direct influence on the capability to manage stress.

However, a study⁸ published in 2018 confirmed differences in canine behaviour on numerous parameters. It does state though, that more studies should be carried out with higher tryptophan level diets, in order to reach more solid conclusions.

We should also take into account that tyrosine⁹ competes directly with tryptophan and can cause a disproportion in stressed dogs. If a dog is anxious, excited, or in general difficult to control, we may have to check the cereal content in the dog’s food.

Us

We should not ignore our importance on the dog’s stress level. Last year there was a study¹⁰ showing that long-term stress hormone levels were synchronised between dogs and humans. Two different species sharing a daily life. Furthermore, since the owners’ personality was significantly related to the dogs HHC (Hair Cortisol¹¹ Concentration) level, it concludes that it is the dogs are reflecting their owners stress level and not the other way around.

Understimulation

The dog has a past of physical and mental activity for survival and is also a social animal that coordinates its behaviour through its social environment.

We are active while we are away from home and when we get back home, we rest. For the dog it is the other way around. They rest, or at least it is what we want them to do, while we are away and are activated when we get back. Well, it simply does not add up and the dog does not receive the stimuli it needs and gets bored.

Boredom is often associated with cortisol that creates stress. Even a seemingly relaxed sleeping dog can actually be a volcano about to erupt.

Overstimulation

We are living in a society where doing nothing is frowned upon and it is said that a tired dog is a happy dog. These two things lead us to overstimulate our dog with unsuitable games.

The most typical game in this case is undoubtedly ball chasing. Games of this type give the dog a shot of endorphins, adrenaline and dopamine that can, if prolonged, become addictive. If it is repeated chronically (daily or several times a week for a long time), testosterone and cortisol levels will generally increase, rising the reactivity, irritability and nervousness in your dog.

It can also cause obsessive compulsive disorders similar to those of humans. The equivalent of having to close the door three times in a row behind you would be chasing a ball and returning it for hours on without rest. And we are not getting into the physical problems that this type of game could cause¹².

The Day to Day

Our environment is surrounded by unnatural things for a dog. We have to take into account that the dog does not perceive the environment the same way we do.

A dog can perceive smells that we do not even notice as something tremendously stressful. Noise is also something that we perceive differently. Sounds we don’t even notice. One example is a metal identification we put on the dog’s collar. At a distance of ten centimetres, it transmits a sound that can reach a level of 84.5 decibels. There are dogs that live with that 24/7 their whole life. Karen Webb from Let Your Animal Lead¹³ talks about this on a really interesting podcast¹⁴.

The only way to handle this is to observe our dog and when we notice that he is stressed we have to look for the stressor’s origin.

What Can We Do?

For us, the stress in our dog shows up as a behaviour problem and most often we try to fix it with patches. We teach him to sit and lie down. He does a perfect heel and he has a fantastic impulse control. He can walk beside me on a short leash, head high, and at a fast pace. No problem.

What we probably have done though, is we have added even more stress and taken away any form of self-control and management on part of our dog. This taken to an extreme can lead to learned helplessness or a passive resignation which in the end could reach a deep depression.

My view is that we, first of all, have to ensure that the dog can feel safe. If we don’t feel safe and have to be in a state of vigilance all the time, obviously it’s impossible to relax. Not to mention being able to sleep and receive a restful sleep. From there, it is about reducing the stressors in the dog’s life as much as possible and giving him more freedom to be able to choose and make decisions for himself. The dog, just like us, needs to have a sense of control over the situation in which he finds himself. It is important to give the dog time to process new situations and environments.

The more you frustrate, dominate and control a dog, the more passive and submissive it becomes. Constraints like constant “no,” “go,” and “lie down” just tells him nothing is allowed.

As I see it, it is better to have a confident and active dog than a too obedient and passive one. Dogs that live in a generous environment that allows them to do things take more initiatives. They communicate better and are more sociable.

Exercise is important, but let it be a free and loose exercise. Let the dog decide how much (it is probably less than you think). Keep an eye on him and if he gets tired or tells you he has had enough, stop. In addition, mental exercise is fundamental. Enriched environments and sniffing games increases self-confidence and also makes him able to control his energy. That way he does not overreact to sudden situations that could give him a stress boost.

Finally, the dog must have a sound socialisation with companions of his species.

*Note: When the gender of the dog is unknown it is taken as masculin. I do not like to treat the dog as an “it” and I am just lazy – nothing else.

Interesting read on the topic:
Anders Hallgren: Stress, anxiety and aggression in dogs (2012)

References:
 ¹ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-59837-z
² https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11168837/
 ³ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787817300102
 ⁴ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787815000313
 ⁵ https://www.st-va.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6067676/
 ⁶ https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tript%C3%B3fano
 ⁷ https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonina
 ⁸ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6168022/
 ⁹ https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirosina
¹⁰ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-43851-x
¹¹https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol
¹²https://caninearthritis.co.uk/cam-conversation-with-cam-lynsey-mel-rebecca-kathryn-and-danielle-about-ball-throwing-for-dogs/  
¹³ http://www.letyouranimallead.co.uk/  
¹⁴https://anchor.fm/pdte/episodes/When-noise-isnt-music-to-your-dogs-ears-Karen-Webb—UK-ecvkd7