When we work from a functional perspective, taking a constructional approach, stopping behaviour is not the goal, and not really part of our teaching journey. Even when we don’t like that behaviour.

Instead we build behaviours (constructional) that provide our learner with access to the same outlets they seek with ‘unwanted’ behaviours. These new behaviours become more efficiently reinforcing so those other behaviours are less attractive.

Behaviour works!

Animals do behaviours that work for them, that lead to them accessing reinforcers; outlets satisfying their behavioural needs. Our animal learners tell us about these needs through their responses.

We tend to categorise behaviour via our human-lens, as good or bad, as being acceptable or unacceptable in human society.

But behaviour is just behaviour. And your dog has already chosen preferred outlets for their behaviours; what they’re doing works for them.

Try as we might, humans coming along and telling dogs that they need to change their ways and do behaviours for these tantalising treats instead may not be good teaching or even good welfare.

Our dogs are already telling us about their needs…we just need to listen.

Don’t stop!

Our cultural approach to unwanted behaviour is to stop it; we live in a punishment based society, after all.

But behaviour works! And that’s why I emphasise that behaviour is information. Our dogs’ behaviour is telling us what they need so it’s not really up to me to decide that this individual doesn’t get outlets for those needs.

There are still behaviours that we can’t allow our dogs to engage in exactly as they may like, however. Behaviours that are unsafe, unacceptable or inappropriate will require redirection.

(Indeed, there is an argument for not getting dogs who are likely to show behaviours relating to needs for which outlets we are not able or willing to provide.)

Don’t chase that. Chase this.

Think about the situations that get your dog all riled up… What is your dog anticipating that gets them excited? What are they preparing for?
That means we must also ask, what they getting out of that interaction?

Getting all wound up helps the body and brain prepare for the challenges ahead. These are stress responses that get the body ready for social interactions, ready for physical exertion, ready for behavioural challenges.

Instead of allowing the dog engage in behaviour that may be inappropriate and unsafe to hit those highs, I want them to get their jollies through engagement with their human.

In this clip, I’m using a herd of deer as an example.

Clip link

Working through these stages allows you to teach your dog that the stress-cue (e.g., deer) are a cue or signal to engage. Initially engagement cues their human to provide an outlet for movement, for release, for fun, for crazy.

Instead of inhibiting the crazy, harness it and become the source.

Working through these stages at different distances and under different conditions can lead to engagement cue by these so-called triggers, but also allows your dog to engage in behaviours they choose.

You can build these stages into any part of the sequence of behaviours. For example, how far into the sequence of approaching other dogs or chasing deer will you work through before that cues engagement with you. All the time bearing in mind how your dog’s behaviour may impact others…

Improving engagement, particularly cued by environmental goings on, is most often part of our goal, but we can continue to build real neutrality (as opposed to the effects of intimidation, restriction/restraint and/or fear) in response to these triggers.

Here’s Decker pottering through these deer during another outing:

Clip link

Note the lack of tension on the line, his ability to potter about, and loose, pretty relaxed body movements. This is built through a foundation in engagement and making sure that his needs are so abundantly met.

Focus on Flourishing

Decker has always been a chaser. He has also killed numerous small rodents, including rats, mice and squirrels in the wild. He doesn’t consume and doesn’t do a lot of stalking of real prey animals.

The first time he encountered deer in this same park, when he was just over one year of age, he was pretty excited, interested and weirded-out…all at the same time!

Not only do we work tirelessly on engagement, but also making sure that he has so many other outlets for predatory behaviours, social behaviours and ways in which he can control what happens to him. Across many contexts.

I don’t work with stopping his behaviour in mind. I provide outlets for his behavioural needs and he chooses the fun!

Clip link

With our ready access to the information superhighway and more efficient access to the world’s ears at our fingertips, getting the right information out there shouldn’t feel so challenging. But communication, online particularly, is fraught with complexities.

Current trends emphasise the sharing of short form, quick fire, snazzy bites, simplified for rapid assimilation until we scroll on until the next bite.

Indeed it has been, in some quarters, considered helpful to provide short form education to trainers and emphasise the simplicity of reward-based training to recruit more to “our side”. And that’s certainly coming back to bite us in the a**.

Dumbing down behaviour information doesn’t sit well with me. I will admit I am not a fan of the proliferation of shorts and reels, particularly those consisting of to-camera talking. They make me scroll on and fast.

But the use of shaming and blaming to facilitate behaviour change, particularly directed at guardians, is inexcusable.

The internet makes shaming easier, more efficient and impactful, fueled by anonymity and by rousing community support. One online community decides what’s acceptable and another opposes…and round and round we go. These attacks may suit the orgnaisation or government institution that originated the tension.

Blame culture

Attempting to shame and guilt people into behaviour change may not be effective, particularly where they may already experience negative emotions. Indeed, further shaming and guilting can lead to the exact opposite outcomes to those intended. (Agrawal & Duhachek 2010)

Indeed shamers often don’t believe their behaviour contributes to blame and shame (Muir et al, 2023). I truly believe that most are doing so because they want to make a positive difference and care deeply for their cause.

When it comes to canine welfare, and the well-being of their people, there are copious examples of the failure of our messaging and the reliance on shaming and blaming. But this piece is already almost 2500 words so I’ve just discussed two…

The Brachycephalic Dog Paradox

Classifying dogs as brachycephalic refers to head shape and proportions. Round faces, high foreheads and forward-facing, round eyes likely appeal to humans due to our care-seeking tendencies directed toward “cute” and infant-like features (Lorenz 1943)
And as humans we have selected for these features, in our dogs (and other animal companions), that satisfy this ‘cute-effect’. (Paul, et al, 2023)

Extreme Communications

While some degree of brachycephaly may have been functional for breeds of dogs doing some historic jobs, exaggerating these features is associated with a range of diseases, disorders and welfare challenges. (e.g., O’Neill, et al, 2015 & Packer, et al, 2015 & O’Neill, et al, 2019)

These dogs have been labelled as “extreme” brachycephalic dogs, usually directed toward the most popular, French Bulldogs, Pugs and English Bulldogs. While BOAS testing for breeding dogs is being rolled out in Ireland (e.g., here), it’s difficult to find what exactly defines “extreme”. There appears to be circular explanations for the term’s use, one paper applying it because another paper did (e.g., Ekenstedt et al, 2020, & explanation of its use here)

This is an inflammatory word, and perhaps, that’s the intention of its use. We have a cephalic index (e.g., illustration in Bognar, et al, 2021) but this system may be inadequate in encompassing the features that contribute to health and welfare concerns and describe the variations across domestic dogs (see below).

Inflammatory language is designed to convey a particular and strong position through the generation of ’emotional’ responses.

These same texts exclaim disbelief that, despite well publicised health issues associated with “extreme” bracephaly, the labelled breeds become more and more popular. (Paul, et al, 2023) (Packer et al, 2019)

This “paradox” has been further explored by Packer, et al, 2019, revealing “extremely strong” relationships between brachycephalic dogs and their humans.

Cognitive dissonance processes are concluded to be behind believing that one’s own dog’s health is fine versus the health of others of the breed.
Difficulty breathing and other conformational problems have become normalised and as breed traits, sometimes, even considered “cute”. (Rohdin, et al, 2018) (Packer, et al, 2012)
For example, I regularly see videos and photos of bulldogs resting with their heads propped up, with their tongues out or sleeping while holding a toy in their mouths. (Niinikoski, et al, 2023) For sure this might create an adorable picture but on the flip side is likely due to difficulties with breathing when resting. Not so adorable at all.

Might these perceptual errors increase and intensify the emotional attachment felt toward one’s own dog?
What’s the best way to approach cognitive dissonance and distortions?
What’s the best way to appeal to the love and relationships people have for their dogs?
I don’t think we have these answers yet, but this is worth consideration before we shame and blame.

Selecting for many conformational features, and deformities, in dogs leads to compromises to their welfare. (Packer & Tivers, 2015)
Closed gene pools (and unwillingness to outcross) and selection of popular sires are making breeding our way out of these problems more challenging.
A BOAS assessment compromising largely of a 3-minute activity test certainly makes it seem like “responsible” breeders are doing something, but is that really going to make the widespread and multi-level changes that are required?

I cringe when I see open discussions, usually online and via social media, demonising people’s choices, making accusations and blaming and shaming. Given the continued and growing popularity of these dogs, perhaps our messaging isn’t doing what’s intended. And that means we might need to change our approach…

It’s your fault. Be responsible.

Recently, a long-threatened campaign to promote “responsible dog ownership” was launched in Ireland by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD.

The Department has gone to great lengths to develop working groups on dog control and on companion animal welfare. The former has produced a report outlining their recommendations largely prioritising legal instruments and legislative approaches. While the latter have recommended against the use of brachycephalic dogs in advertisements, banned the importation of cropped dogs unless specific documentation/licensing criteria are met, and most recently, pushed for the banning of ‘shock collars’ but under very specific conditions (not for dogs already using them and only hand-help remote devices). Apparently a database will be established of all those already using these collars and that will somehow be enforced.

This latest campaign aims to remind owners of their legal responsibilities and is built upon a slogan: “If your dog attacks a child, it’s not your dog’s fault. It’s yours.“. The focus, so far, is on increasing fines, investing some money in dog pounds, and the formation of the working group.

What does “responsible dog ownership” mean anyway?

When we are shocked by a dog “attack” that’s reported, when we are disgusted by dog poop that’s not scooped, when we’re annoyed by barking dogs, and when we are shocked by cruelty, we call on “responsible” ownership to fix it all. Just be responsible….right?! If that’s all that’s required, why is it so hard to improve safety and welfare?

With our companion dogs becoming more and more a part of our human worlds, increasing controls and regulations are implemented. Guardians are viewed as having moral obligations and legal requirements in keeping their pets.

‘How to be a responsible dog owner‘ from the same Irish government department responsible for the above campaign and slogan.

But here’s the problem…we don’t have a much of an idea of how to be “responsible owners”.

Are we owners?

Some time ago I made a declaration on social media to make efforts to change the language I used in several different professional contexts. I did this for accountability and to seek others’ insight. One of these declarations reviewed my use of the term “owner”, favouring “guardian” instead.

There are long standing arguments about how we identify in terms of our relationships with our animal companions.

Am I my dog’s owners, as I am my car’s owner? Legally, I am compelled to do various things as evidence of ownership such as holding a dog license and his microchip certificate. In the eyes of the law, I am an owner of this living being as I am the owner of my inanimate car.

He’s certainly my dog, just as I’m sure he views me as his human. But legal ownership doesn’t quite hit the mark in fully representing our relationship. I certainly view our relationship as more than that shared with items of property; for starters, my car is replaceable…my dog is not.

I am his caretaker, responsible for his safety, nurturer of his well-being. And that brings responsibilities extra to the bare minimum required by law.

While waiting for the legalities and societal views to catch up, I’m settling on the term “guardian”, but the implications of this may not be evident just yet.

More than scooping the poop!

Westgarth, et al, 2019, argues that calls for “responsible dog ownership” echoes “civic responsibility”, seeking people to take responsibility for their actions, understand their roles in their communities, and collaborate to promote the welfare of others.

It’s pretty tricky to find discussions of this outside of basic legal requirements of living in society. But humans are somewhat prepared for living in human society by virtue of being humans and being reared within human cultural rituals. Dogs are not…unless their humans make specific efforts to guide them. And therein lies a problem.

Responsibility evolves

As our relationships with our animal companions evolve, integration of some of these species increases, and more culture clashes between humans and non-human animals develop.

While legislative frameworks must scramble to keep up, our understanding of animal behaviour continues to grow. But for dog guardians, and society in general, educational standards regarding canine behaviour and welfare requires improvement.

Dog behaviour is very very rarely unpredictable; dogs behave like dogs every time. It’s our perception of their behaviours that requires updating.

How can we be responsible?

Responsible ownership is a vague concept and commonly supported by statements such as keeping your dog under control (“effectual control” is specified in Irish legislation…) and to “socialise your dog regularly with other dogs” from this guidance. (“Socialise your dog” is another vague and inaccurate concept!)

The application of these concepts is vague and subjective. And to emphasise blame-messaging based on this weak foundation is irresponsible and not helpful.
Much like BSL, which firmly places the “fault” on dogs based on phenotypic characteristics, this messaging does little to affect change but sure makes it look like politicians are doing something, are taking a stand, despite evidence of effectiveness and enforcement being sorely lacking. (e.g., according to Karlin Lillington of the Irish Times)

In my discussions with guardians, impressions of responsible ownership often boils down to poop-scooping. Westgarth, et al, 2019, argues that “responsible dog ownership is a construction that emerges at the intersection of the needs of dogs, owners, and society.” Our relationships with dogs are contextual and variable, as are our views of our obligations to them and our responsibilities in ownership.

Before we can attempt to blame and legislate, we must educate and directing that requires an understanding of guardian-perception of responsible human behaviour.

Westgarth, et al, 2019, concludes “that what appears to be factual descriptions of responsible dog ownership practices that should be easy to follow are, in reality, a complex interplay of beliefs grounded in issues of ethical practice; perceived best interests of the dog; and the nature of
the social relationship with the dog. Responsible dog ownership means different things to different people at different times.”

How do we change minds? Well, we don’t.

Think back to the heights of the Pandemic and the controversies and discomfort generated toward daily and weekly updates from the science teams. While it’s normal in science for our approaches to change based on new and emerging evidence, this might seem like a fault in our work to outsiders.

Trying to change others’ minds with facts, data and information is not terribly effective. Considering information that doesn’t confirm our biases is rejected and rejigged by our protective cognitive systems which filter out these inconvenient truths, these ‘alternative’ facts’.

Challenging our own beliefs is uncomfortable and requires much awareness and practice. We can help ourselves and guardians understand that our previous position was based on what we knew then, and that we can update our thinking and our position based on what we understand now.
Instead of shaming and blaming, give ourselves, give them, an out.

Our beliefs are intertwined with our identity and particularly when it comes to those we care about, like our pets, of course we will take any challenge defensively.

How can we empathise with guardians to understand what they are really concerned about? What happens if they accept that their behaviour has led to their dog suffering or to their dog’s behaviour being unsafe? How can we help them acknowledge this, accept this, and activate solutions?

They are not wrong, no more than I am right. Right/wrong black/white is not an achievement. Another problem with us seeking out community online is that we are existing in that echo chamber.

Scrutinise that which satisfies your biases more closely. Challenge your own beliefs, no matter how strongly you believe.

Goal-Sharing

Looking at some interesting qualitative and ethnographic works on dog guardianship shows that multi-level interventions aimed at addressing a number of factors may be most effective. (Westgarth, et al, 2017)

For there to be progress regarding both examples here, we first acknowledge the care and love that guardians have for their dogs, rather than ‘othering’ and villainising them. Guardians want to understand their dogs’ needs but will need guidance and support in applying their developing understanding.

We all care about the outcomes for our dogs’ health and welfare.

Multi-factorial elements must be considered and applied. Shame and blame are unnecessary, ineffective and short-sighted.

While it’s believed, and heavily marketed, that having dogs is overwhelmingly beneficial for humans, the evidence is mixed at best. However, there are many challenges to caring for and loving dogs. (Owczarczak-Garstecka, et al, 2021)

Guardians require social support, practical guidance and empathy to maintain their dog’s welfare and for their relationship with their dogs to be mutually beneficial. (Merkouri, et al, 2022)
Let’s start there.

(This went longer and longer than I expected. At about 12500 words this will be at least a 10 minute read. The images shared on our socials, and here, provide a slimmed down summary.)

While I’ve written a lot about this and adjacent topics a lot, I talk with other guardians about it more and more. Off-leash, out-of-control dogs have become a scourge in public places and while this issue was relevant pre-pandemic, during and since COVID-19, it’s really exploded as a very serious and dangerous trend.

Read more:

No, your dog is not just being “friendly” – the problems with off-leash dogs and applicable ideas for keeping you and your dog safe.

It takes a village – we can be kind and compassionate to other dog-walkers, by helping them out and giving their dog space to maintain comfort

Ya know how you help others out? Put your dog on leash… – if your dog needs to run up and attempt to interact with other dogs, that behaviour is information and those dogs, plus their humans, need guidance

Pandemic Headaches

We are a society still reeling from a generation-defining experience, and likely won’t fully understand the implications for years and perhaps decades.

And the Pandemic led to an increase in the dog population, that hasn’t always been beneficial to dogs. Because dogs were viewed beacons of hope and defenders against loneliness, there were cultural changes in how dogs are viewed and kept.

(Murphy et al, 2022) (Walsh 2023)

Bringing our dogs out and about during those lockdown days, months and years, presented so many difficulties. Lots of on-leash and suburban sniffs, along with everyone else doing the same, meant that dogs’ behaviour was being shaped, much like our own experiences under restrictions. We wrote about those challenges at the time: A Good Walk Spoiled.

While pandemic and lockdown conditions certainly presented lots of challenges to supporting our dogs’ behavioural development and support, many of those challenges were perceived as problematic because of a warped understanding of “socialisation”. (Example here.)

Sun’s out

I notice that each year when the clocks spring forward at the end of March, there is an explosion of off-leash dogs and an increase in incidents involving off-leash dogs. Writing this in the middle of April, I have had two client dogs, and one foster dog, injured by off-leash dogs who ran up to these dogs while they were on lead and engaged with their humans. All of these dogs required veterinary treatment after these interactions and we won’t know yet the behavioural implications.

Regardless of how “doggos” are portrayed on social media, dogs are not benign animals. Normal dogs have complex social lives and they display social stress in multi-dimensional ways. To respect and love dogs, we must recognise that.

It’s not safe for your dog or for other dogs to approach and interact with dogs unfamiliar to them or you.

Other dogs exist. And that’s none of my business.

We play a cruel trick on companion dogs. We ask so much of them, to straddle (at least) two complex social orders, at the same time keeping them in environments suitable for humans, that facilitates human behavioural development and health. Companion dogs often live in social isolation, in under-enriched worlds, and we expect them to like it.

In our attempts to compensate, we provide acute, intense and often inappropriate social and environmental enrichment.

Not only are increased expectations thrust upon dogs, but also guardians. Social media “doggo” culture is not kind to either end of the leash.

Guardians require guidance to understand how to support their dogs, and help them develop appropriate social skills.

The pressure on guardians and their companions to have dogs who love everyone, who are tolerant of all types of social interaction, who can go to all sorts of “dog friendly” (or what we often consider dog-unfriendly) places and events. And that their dogs will enjoy every second.

Let’s reframe and develop a new mantra:

Our goals are to help our dogs live successfully and comfortably in our human world. That’s no mean feat! Dogs must be able to cope with all sorts of experiences that even humans can find challenging.

What’s more, we have a limited time during which we can safely and effectively prepare dogs for all this human-world nonsense.
We ask dogs to develop social skills to survive and thrive in human and canine social contexts.

What is “socialisation”, anyway?

It’s great that people are aware of dogs’ needs for “socialisation”, but this term, in its popularity, has lost meaning. “Socialisation” has become synonymous with puppies and dogs ‘playing’ with others. And that skewed understanding meant that puppies and dogs during the Pandemic missed out because puppy classes weren’t available. But preparing our dogs for life in the human world requires so much more than class and puppy-play, and indeed might not even need those things at all for success.

Read: Off-Leash Puppy Play…yay or nay?

Learning through play is absolutely valuable for puppies and dogs of all ages but the sorts of behaviours that many people believe to be play should not be our focus and might not be beneficial at all.

But here’s a problem. The use of the term “socialisation” is confused among dog-professionals too so could we expect guardians and non-pros to get it right?

Terminology Tumult

In animal training, as an applied science, terminology is drawn from lots of fields. And to add further confusion, lots of terms are used in every day language differently too.

Terminology Tumult from Dr Susan Friedman.

But we have a problem in our professional and applied field. We don’t have standardised entry routes, educational minimums or well-organised literature from which we can draw consensus on terminology.

“To socialise“, in our everyday uses and understanding, might mean to hang out, to participate in social groups. But “socialisation” in our everyday language, has more specific meanings as a process.

“Socialisation” as a dog-training process

Most of what we understand about socialisation and early rearing needs of puppies stems from classic studies from the 1950/60s, such as Pfaffenberger & Scott, 1959, and Scott & Fuller, 1965.

These works showed us that puppies must have social contact, with other dogs and humans, during their Socialisation Period between 3 weeks and 3 months of age approximately. This period provides a primary socialisation window allowing puppies to form social attachments. If puppies don’t have adequate social exposure in these first months of life, social comfort will be unlikely with later exposure.

During this time, puppies are more likely to interact with novelty (because everything is new!) and their brains are particularly open to learning about how to be a dog and how to interact with humans.

To start with, socialisation happens during these first few months of puppy’s life and is about facilitating the formation of healthy social bonds.

The sorts of experiments designed to identify the limits to developmental periods in puppies required isolation and treatment of puppies and dogs that would not be considered ethical today.

While research has certainly continued looking at this topic, it’s largely been survey and questionnaire based with some validated surveys and independently developed questionnaires. But a common problem in our field is that the literature is relatively small and disjointed; these works have studied early exposure effects in different ways, with different tools, and have described diverse socialisation procedures.

Read more in this review: McEvoy, et al, 2022.

The research we base our understanding of ‘socialisation’ is muddled so it’s no wonder that professionals and pet guardians alike might not always be clear about what it is and how best to do it.

Indeed we don’t really have much valid evidence that confirms most of the procedures we recommend to puppies and their people.

Is “socialisation” for life, and not just for puppies?

In terms of those classic works, socialisation describes a developmental stage early on in puppies’ lives. However, some further works have shown that puppies and dogs must continue to have appropriate social and environmental exposure throughout puppyhood and into adolescence, for example, Serpell & Duffy, 2016.

What is “socialisation” and what does it matter?

Exhaustingly, our field attributes great importance to all sorts of processes and procedures, without a level of valid evidence or clarity to warrant such emphasis.

For sure, puppies and dogs must be reared in enriched environments so that their behavioural development is healthy. Nobody is arguing with that!

The term “socialisation” has come to be applied to providing puppies with social outlets but also with exposure to traffic, substrates and noises. Decidedly non-social stimuli.

Scott, 1957, discusses “localisation” during which puppies appear to form attachments to a particular physical environment, becoming upset, especially when isolated, in novel environments. It is suggested that may be a related process to socialisation.

Perhaps, instead, the importance is on how exposure happens, within appropriate and healthy social contexts. Puppies develop environmental comfort through social comfort, and vice versa. Social environment matters.

Appropriate Social & Environmental Exposure

Because there is so much up in the air about what “socialisation” might mean and how the term is used, I prefer to emphasise the importance of appropriate social and environmental exposure tailored to the puppy’s or dog’s behavioural development as indicated by their behaviour.

Regardless of what we call it, dogs becoming overwhelmed by the presence of other dogs, showing behaviour that indicates they have difficulty recovering from proximity, that’s associated with loss of control, is not in any way akin to preparing dogs for coping with their social world.
Dogs and humans are certainly different but we have lived together for thousands of years, sharing much in terms of social etiquette.

Because we poorly select for behavioural attributes and then keep dogs in under-enriched environments, dogs, particularly young dogs, need support in becoming dogs and being dogs.
This is extra challenging for young dogs who are often highly socially motivated but instead of free-for-alls, they need support to develop appropriate social skills…behaviours that allow them to succeed in relevant social environments.

Bringing our dogs out should provide appropriate enrichment; just enough challenge to maintain interest and learn behaviours that allow them to access reinforcers.

Read more: Speed Walking into 2024?

That can include social contact but remember that social interaction for dogs will include sniffing and marking too, not just physical contact. I know guardians express great joy at watching their dog romping with others but our perception of canine excitement is often skewed and doesn’t necessarily mean we’re observing healthy behaviour and interactions that will forge appropriate behaviours over life.

It all starts with focusing on friendships.

The popularity of “neutrality” in dogs has been driven by a need for us to help our dogs appear more comfortable around other dogs. This is a good awareness. But, as with “socialisation”, the devil is in the details.

We can help dogs, particularly young dogs, develop improved comfort and build more appropriate dog-dog skills, but that might not require direct contact and certainly doesn’t need tight leashes, marching drills and “corrections”.

More about how we do it: Neutrality is no big deal…or is it?

Socialisation is:

• a process relevant to specific times during behavioural development in puppies
• not just about puppy play and excitement
• about the facilitating the development of neutral responses to their world as adults
• important
• poorly understood, defined and applied

Think of how we might help our children develop healthy social relationships. Our primary approach is unlikely to be focused on high-octane interactions with randomly encountered kids in poorly controlled environments. Instead we nurture, model and guide, and provide well supervised outlets in enriched environments.

No, dogs and kids, and dog-guardianship and parenting, are not the same. But there are similarities at various levels. Building family and friendships is multi-species, for both us and our dogs. And that’s why we have been such great companions for so long.

Join Anne from AniEd for an Instagram Live with Kilian from Ruby Reese, an Irish luxury dog-care brand.

Kilian hosts regular Tuesday Talks on the Ruby Reese Instagram channel (@rubyreeseoffical). And this Tuesday, I will be joining him to talk about what enrichment really is.

If you’re here, you probably already know about our enrichment program, 100 Days of Enrichment. And that will form the basis for our discussions, along with the frameworks behind enrichment for companion dogs (and other species too).

While it’s great that “enrichment” has become widely known, as a buzzword its meaning if often lost or misunderstood. Join Anne & Kilian to get the low-down and start to develop a real understanding for enriching our dogs’ lives and worlds.

Bring your questions and discussion points as I would love to collaborate with you all and make this an immersive event.

Where: Ruby Reese Instagram

When: Tuesday 26th March

Time: 7.30pm, ROI time

Looking forward to seeing you there!

There are many features of aging that guardians of an older dogs expect and find unsurprising. But there a few aspects of aging that are cause for pause, that guardians are often not expecting…
(Wallis et al, 2023)

Age-related cognitive decline is normal as we, and dogs, age, and because it affects executive functioning, impulsivity increases (Szabo et al, 2016).

Increases in impulsivity is associated with aging in humans too (Morales-Vives & Vigil-Colet, 2011) (Sakurai et al, 2020).
In dogs, impulsivity may be pretty consistent over life (Riemer et al, 2014), but the individual’s abilities to inhibit their responses and tolerate delay of reward can be context specific.

Dog trainers often refer to teaching impulse or “self” control, which is not quite accurate and is more “training lingo” that we could probably lose. Rather, we are teaching dogs that doing some behaviour, e.g., sitting or standing waiting, under certain conditions, leads to access to reinforcement.

These abilities may decline over time due to age, but also because we might stop practicing (reinforcing those contingencies) as diligently with our aging dogs as we do with our puppies and teenage dogs.

Aging dogs might do unexpected things, behaviours they haven’t done since they were a puppy. To keep everyone safe we might have to re-introduce some management, re-jig their world & get back to teaching!

You might need to better manage countersurfing and searching for forbidden foods. More here about helping with countersurfing.

And we certainly need to get back to practicing carefully building or rebuilding tolerance for reward delay, without frustration. Another effect of aging is decline in learning so that means we have to become better and clearer teachers.

Clip link

Decker has consistently scored high for impulsivity. When he was about nine and a half, he developed cachexia, secondary to gut impaction & intussusception, and that marks a significant increase in his impulsivity, to my mind.
It makes sense that his enthusiasm for food would increase after his body was experiencing starvation; he was very enthusiastic for food before and an increase wasn’t thought possible!

I try to build waiting and patience into lots of contexts, particularly relating to eating and toy-biting. And we still practice. A lot. He’s just about 12 years old so this will likely continue.

Age-related cognitive changes & sensory decline lead to behaviour changes. Being aware of these changes allows us to better support our aging dogs.

Aging dogs need more, not less!

Cognitive aging leads to sensory decline & declines in learning, memory & executive control and changes in social responsiveness, to comfort with novelty, to attentiveness & to sleeping patterns.

We often assume that these changes are part of aging and tend to presume that aging dogs need less activity.

First, it’s important that we don’t normalise aging related effects that can and should be treated and supported.
For example, we presume that older dogs will be stiffer and slower, and many are. But, these are signs of pain and pain must be treated. Older dogs must be comfortable, even if we presume their pain, stiffness, slowing down, lameness and so on, are associated with normal aging effects.

We thought that Decker had slowed down a little, walking more than trotting, but no clear or distinct deterioration. He had a little bit of arthritic change in the TTA knee, but less than his surgeon expects. However, we started him on Librela in October 2023 and the difference has been…insane…
The level of his deterioration didn’t appear as great, but the improvement in activity, strength and other mild effects has been significant. While no medication can be considered a cure-all or miracle, this monthly injection has truly provided a new lease on life…as if he needed to be more gung-ho…but it’s so awesome to see him so full of beans. And I do mean, FULL.

Aging dogs need guardians who:

• bring their dogs for regular vet checks
• keep a log of their dog’s day to day
• recognise and monitor for signs of chronic pain
• make adjustments for now and the future
• make those changes gradually and carefully
• monitor their dog’s worlds to maintain their safety and comfort
• implement appropriate and evolving environmental and behaviour supports and adaptations

What’s more, aging dogs don’t need a less interesting life! Just because we think aging dogs are less active, less social and less fun…perhaps it’s our inhibiting their entertainment that’s contributing.

Aging dogs need us to:

• be better teachers
• provide more and appropriately enriched worlds and lives
• modify their world so it’s safer and more comfortable for them

And all this according to their current and future needs.

Extending healthspan is lifelong

Extending healthspan means meeting canine physical & behavioural needs throughout life.

• appropriate activity
• enriched life & world
• weight management
• life long learning
• healthy social relationships

It’s never too late, or too early, to start!

Age is just a number…

but, behaviour is information to guide us.

Let’s not pathologise aging in our dogs, aging them through our views. At the same time, we are aware of the changes that come with aging and how to recognise when those changes require extra support.

Although aging is a normal process that leads to declines in functioning around the body, we don’t have to think of our aging dogs as ill or fragile.

Behaviour is information…for all ages. Future proofing through awareness of behaviour markers is important for puppies, but what about our aging dogs?

We can prepare our dogs, and their worlds, for what’s to come to maximise healthy aging and extend healthspan.

I have often had a hard time coming to terms with Decker’s aging, he is old. But, it’s important to accept so that we can keep on living. He is the absolute best model for this; he never wastes a second of whatever time he might have. Not. One. Second. Lessons from Dog.

I like to remind guardians, any myself (!), that dogs are here for a good time, not for a long time. Make it a good time for as long as possible.

The main focus of toilet training is to establish appropriate substrate preference and understanding these processes, and realigning expectations with reality, help to reduce the considerable distress often experienced by guardians.

New dogs, regardless of age, and dogs in new or exciting places may have toileting lapses. And obviously when dogs are ill, they may have accidents.

So much so, toileting accidents in dogs who have been pretty reliable, indicate that a vet visit is needed.

Dogs for adoption, advertised as ‘toilet trained’ may raise unrealistic expectations. Instead, new dogs who may have appeared toilet trained previously should be given some time after a move. They need time to learn where they go, how they get there, if and when it’s safe, and so on.
Expecting them to be clean right off the bat is not realistic, or fair. As with all aspects of settling in, it takes time and usually more time than we expect.

With young dogs, it’s not physically possible for them to wait and control their urge to toilet, for very long and this isn’t mature until dogs are into adolescence. I tend to find that toileting becomes more reliable by 9-12 months of age, but with so much individual and situational variation.

Establish a toileting routine

Make it easy for the dog to access preferred substrates and toileting spots with very regular trips and extra trips after any changes, activity or excitement.

Most dogs will prefer to toilet on absorbent substrates which makes sense from a hygiene point of view.

• be clear about choosing appropriate toileting areas and recognise how they might be perceived by the dog
• bring the dog to suitable toileting areas regularly, rather than just leave the door open or leave them outside
• prepare a little pot of AWESOME treats and leave them just inside or outside the door
• remain outside with the dog and be boring…business first, fun after
• learn to spot your dog’s behaviours that tell you they need a toilet break and just before they go
  Most dogs will circle, apparently move aimlessly close to doorways and then will circle or pace more purposefully just before they squat.
• remain pretty still and quiet while your dog prepares and goes
• wait for them to move away from the magic-spot and then praise enthusiastically (or whatever works for your dog) and bound back in toward the toileting-treat-pot
  It’s very important that you let them finish – we reward emptying most generously!
• have a treat party: scatter some treats (away from toileting areas), toss treats for catching, play food-games, have some cuddles or relaxing time to bring them down again
• spend some time with your dog after successful toileting
  This is an important step often missed. Our dog toilets, we might reward and then go about our business. The dog learns that toileting ends the fun & interaction so they are trying to hold it…usually unsuccessfully! This is often a troubleshoot for dogs who have accidents after being brought out for toileting.

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With that ongoing…and going and going and going…make sure to do your best to prevent accidents in other areas. The dog having an accident is no big deal – don’t sweat the small stuff, we can build appropriate toileting behaviour.

Accidents are to be expected and dealt with quietly and calmly. Making a fuss, or worse, scolding a dog, about accidents will lead to a dog who is worried about toileting when you’re around rather than teaching them not to toilet in that spot.

Clean it up carefully and limit the dog’s access to that area or context unless they’re empty. Get help for extra guidance and support, the earlier the better.

A note about marking

Marking, as opposed to toileting, often requires extra considerations. It’s social behaviour, rather than just needing to toilet, and can be intensified after sniffing, social interactions, and particularly relating to increased stress levels, social or otherwise.

Establishing a solid toileting routine is still important but there may also be some analysis required to get to the root of marking behaviours.

Get help! Keep a diary of toileting behaviour and the goings on surrounding it, and learn to diligently manage accidents. The fewer toileting accidents your dog has had by the time you call in the cavalry, the more successful we all can be!