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Selasa, 02 September 2014
Dogs as pack animals or not
The following post is a compilation of some e-mails I shared on the subject to a dog list I am on. I thought it was good info to share so here it is as well.
Pretty much everything about dogs as pack animals has been extrapolated from wolf behavior. And not all of it is correct. For instance, wolf packs in the wild consist of a breeding pair and their offspring. The breeding pair is a pair that found each other and mated because they were sexually mature. Their offspring stay with them until they reach sexual maturity, which in wolves is about 3 years of age. Then those sexually mature wolves go off in search of their own mates. So the pack is a breeding pair plus more than one litter of pups at a given time of different ages. (I am speaking of a wild wolf pack not messed with by humans or one that is captive.)
Dogs that have been studied "in the wild" (such as the original Carolina dogs) or as feral dogs have been found to form loose transitory associations IF it is to their mutual benefit. (like finding food or to mate) They do not form packs to live with long term in general. So consider that the packs of our own dogs are manufactured and this is one reason not all of them get along. Left to their own devices they would pick and choose who they made long term associations with, if any. This is also one reason why the early socialization we do with them is important. (but it also explains why it doesnt always solve all problems) Dogs are a social species in general, which is one reason we were able to domesticate them in the first place. And why we can mold them to an extent by doing early socialization with them.
Lets also not forget that our dogs arent wolves, because they have been domesticated this changes their behavior. In our case dogs are like a permanent form of an adolescent wolf. (you can look up the tame silver fox study done in Russia for more on this domestication/behavior link)
So while good leadership is very important, I look at it more as being a good leader in a parental role. Sure I may consider my group of dogs a pack, but one of my own formation and not a natural one. They may have evolved from a pack animal, but one that had a very specific reason to be a pack that lived together for its mutual benefit like having a good food source. (wolves that hunt together eat better and live longer than wolves that live alone)
Dogs that have been studied "in the wild" (such as the original Carolina dogs) or as feral dogs have been found to form loose transitory associations IF it is to their mutual benefit. (like finding food or to mate) They do not form packs to live with long term in general. So consider that the packs of our own dogs are manufactured and this is one reason not all of them get along. Left to their own devices they would pick and choose who they made long term associations with, if any. This is also one reason why the early socialization we do with them is important. (but it also explains why it doesnt always solve all problems) Dogs are a social species in general, which is one reason we were able to domesticate them in the first place. And why we can mold them to an extent by doing early socialization with them.
Lets also not forget that our dogs arent wolves, because they have been domesticated this changes their behavior. In our case dogs are like a permanent form of an adolescent wolf. (you can look up the tame silver fox study done in Russia for more on this domestication/behavior link)
So while good leadership is very important, I look at it more as being a good leader in a parental role. Sure I may consider my group of dogs a pack, but one of my own formation and not a natural one. They may have evolved from a pack animal, but one that had a very specific reason to be a pack that lived together for its mutual benefit like having a good food source. (wolves that hunt together eat better and live longer than wolves that live alone)
The studying wolves as a basis for dog behavior can also be flawed in other ways. For instance with the use of the "Alpha Roll". The original alpha roll concept was passed on by the Monks of New Skete. They based it on wolf behavior that was known at the time. Ive already covered how dogs differ from wolves. However the rest of the story is this, the behavior they were seeing was misinterpreted. They saw one wolf "pining" another down in a dominance display or, as they thought at the time, as one was wining a fight. Now they know that it is merely a body language display. The wolf being "pinned" is actually choosing to submit. If that wolf doesnt want to submit there would be an actual fight. Behavior that is considered very expensive in a wolf pack because of the risk of a serious or fatal injury.
In dogs we see far more willingness to fight because of the fact we are creating their packs and I believe because since we protect them (they are domesticated) they lack the survival skills a wolf has. If fighting were to expensive a behavior for dogs (meaning they know the consequences could be death) they would not engage in it nearly as often.
The tv trainer that still uses this method shows what looks like success because he is not changing their behavior, he is suppressing it. He is forcing the dogs to submit IN BODY LANGUAGE ONLY. It looks like he is creating a calmer state however in many cases he is simply causing the dogs to go into a state of what is called learned helplessness. (typical whenever you use flooding) They know they cant fight back because they may be physically outmatched. Try this on a strong enough dog or one with true dominance aggression and you will be provoking a fight.
The tv trainer that still uses this method shows what looks like success because he is not changing their behavior, he is suppressing it. He is forcing the dogs to submit IN BODY LANGUAGE ONLY. It looks like he is creating a calmer state however in many cases he is simply causing the dogs to go into a state of what is called learned helplessness. (typical whenever you use flooding) They know they cant fight back because they may be physically outmatched. Try this on a strong enough dog or one with true dominance aggression and you will be provoking a fight.
In dog language this can be read from the dogs viewpoint as an attack, because they do not understand being forced to submit. A dog can only choose to submit, not be forced into it. You are only holding down their body, not changing how they feel about an event. (or forcing them into a submissive state internally. The dog being held down may be thinking, "Just wait until I can get up again so I can fight back". A dangerous proposition) You may even be causing more stress about the event because the dog makes a negative association to the event and the forthcoming physical attack from the person.
Like I said before, once the Monks learned what the body language really was they realized their mistake and recanted it as a reputable training method. The interesting part of that is that they still use traditional compulsion training methods. Though in their defense they use it the most fairly for the dogs that I have seen. With that method timing is everything.
Like I said before, once the Monks learned what the body language really was they realized their mistake and recanted it as a reputable training method. The interesting part of that is that they still use traditional compulsion training methods. Though in their defense they use it the most fairly for the dogs that I have seen. With that method timing is everything.
And for fun here is video of Jack in todays snowstorm. Boy he sure loves the snow!
Rabu, 23 Juli 2014
As promised pug history in photos Part 1
I finally whipped my scanner into submission so I could share some of the pug photos from a couple of ebay finds. The following photos are from "The complete pug" by Milo G. Denlinger second edition 1958, copyright 1947. I am facinated with breed histories and love looking at old photos. It is interesting to see them before we changed them so much.
The 4 photos above are originally from Watsons dog book - 1910 stated by author.
This is a terrible angle but she has the "rose" ears which arent seen in many of the older photos.
"Button" ears are the one that flop down as above.
I find it interesting that so many of the dogs get their championships so young. What if they change as they completely mature? I also wish there were more dates listed of the photos.
She obviously had at least one litter by the time the photo was taken.
Is it me or am I seeing more noses and less fat on these dogs?
I had to add this one. Not the best photo but a great action shot!
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The 4 photos above are originally from Watsons dog book - 1910 stated by author. This is a terrible angle but she has the "rose" ears which arent seen in many of the older photos. "Button" ears are the one that flop down as above. I find it interesting that so many of the dogs get their championships so young. What if they change as they completely mature? I also wish there were more dates listed of the photos.She obviously had at least one litter by the time the photo was taken. Is it me or am I seeing more noses and less fat on these dogs? I had to add this one. Not the best photo but a great action shot!Sabtu, 19 April 2014
As Pet Owners, We Tend To Forget That Dog's Are Nature's Animals
Several thousand years ago dogs were initially domesticated for their functional value; hunting helpers, village and stock guards, even body-warmers in bitter cold climates. These basic functions are no longer required by modem civilization and, the dog's capacity to cooperate within a group for the mutual benefit of its members is stifled - frustrated. Without some meaningful functional nurturing, dogs grow older, mature physically, but behave like puppies emotionally - seeking attention and care, totally frustrated, denied any competent guidance toward filling an acceptable role in the family.
On the human side of the equation, as we become increasingly dependent on verbal skills and electronic communications, a pet animal is sometimes our only meaningful daily contact with the animate, natural world. However, without an opportunity to develop nonverbal communications with animals, dog owners tend to use human verbal and physical abilities (vocal commands, scolding, manipulation, force, punishment) to communicate with their pets. Most people mistakenly think dogs must simply be "trained" if they are to learn how to behave properly. When training fails, both owner and dog become frustrated, and problems develop. While formal (deliberate) training is an important element in a satisfying relationship, informal training is at the root of most problem behavior.
Dogs learn from, and react to, the way people behave. Movement, stance and sound communicate with dogs. On the other hand, as dogs struggle to communicate with people through their own movements, postures and sounds, they are too often misinterpreted; or ignored. This only widens the frustrating communications gap for both parties.
It may seem far-fetched to propose that behavior consultants should help dog owners learn how to interpret their pet's behavior, then use movement, stance and special sounds, in order to communicate effectively, and hence, live together harmoniously. However, it is not unrealistic at all. Once the basics of effective human/canine communications are learned and applied, they play a crucial role in correcting behavior problems humanely and effectively.
It doesn't occur to most dog owners that shouting at a barking dog is, in fact, joining in the racket - responding with the human version of the same behavior. When their dogs do become silent, it is because they associate the owner's tone of voice with disapproval and/or fear of impending pain from punishment. Excitable types, or those with some prior traumatic experience, usually become worse.
In the non-verbal world of dogs, silence means quiet, inaction begets stillness, and movement stimulates action. The fact that this patently obvious facet of non-verbal communication must be written or talked about to gain attention among dog owners further points up the extreme verbal orientation of humans. Spoken language is just noise to dogs. It is a tribute to their adaptability that they actually learn the meaning of certain key sounds, which usually comes about through a combination of the dog's intelligence and the owner's almost accidental consistency when referring to certain events or objects.
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