It’s that time of year again when I often see many dogs apparently reluctant participants in their human’s fitness resolutions…

Getting healthy is great and including your dog can be a winner for them as well but we need to consider their physical and behavioural health too…

But we do have funny notions about “walking dogs” and generally approach it from an anthropocentric point of view. As in, we look at how walking our dogs affects humans, rather than having a whole lot of consideration for the experiences of our dogs.

We study dog walking from a human health perspective (e.g., Christian et al, 2018), to promote increased human physical activity (e.g., Westgarth et al, 2014), its effects on the health of senior citizens (e.g., Motooka et al, 2006, Curl et al, 2016) and adolescents (e.g., Engelberg et al, 2016) and the social (e.g., Antonacopoulos & Pychyl, 2014) and mental health benefits (e.g., Cui et al, 2021) to humans walking their dogs.

Sometimes we see works that look at effects of walking on dogs and their humans (e.g., Akiyama & Ohta 2021) but relatively speaking, there is little about the experiences of dogs during these outings.

The good news is that, we are starting to see more interest in dogs’ experiences on their outings including their intraspecies social interactions (e.g., Akos et al, 2014; Rezac et al, 2011; Westgarth et al, 2010), how and when they’re walked (e.g., Kinsman et al, 2022) their relationship with their humans (e.g., Fletcher & Platt 2016) and the behaviours they engage in (e.g., Foltin & Ganslosser 2021) and their experiences in different environments (e.g., Cupp 2023 (Master’s thesis)).

Shift the focus!

Modern pet dogs live a pretty socially & environmentally restricted life (Meyer et al 2021). And the more we ask them to inhibit their behaviour and assimilate into our world, the more we have to compensate.

I certainly don’t want to suggest we further restrict their already limited lives. But if bringing the dog out in a way that causes them further stress, it’s not very enriching and likely quite damaging.

Dogs need activity and entertainment and by shifting the focus beyond walks and alongside walks, we may be better able to provide for their needs.
Outings might form part of that, possibly in different or varied ways, but there must be more regardless of whether walks are a part of that program or not. That’s why 100 Days of Enrichment exists!

Go Adventuring instead!

Go beyond ‘traditional’ walks for dogs, Adventure everywhere and anywhere.

It takes a village

When you do go out and about, spare some thoughts for how we can all help our fellow dog walkers. Just with some of these tips in place, we might be able to lift restrictions for lots of dogs and provide appropriate outings for pets & their people.

And mostly, don’t allow your dog be a nuisance for others. Your dog is not being “friendly”, and you are not “socialising” by allowing your dog run up to others unsolicited.

Think beyond walks for dogs. Shake it up and shift focus to provide for our dogs’ needs appropriately and safely.

2023 has come to a close and we have moved into a New Year. And rather than this be a time for resolutions, it’s a time for reflection.

It was a year of ups and downs for me, and AniEd, with some serious downs around the middle and some temporary and unofficial suspensions of services for mental health breaks. It ended in a whirl wind, and on the up, that I think I’m still processing.

And not just last year, but the last few years. We, as a global society, emerged from the strangest of times…from a Pandemic that I certainly don’t think we’ve taken the space or time to process.

And that’s affected the world of dogs, and dogs for this world, greatly.

2023 Stats

In review of last year, about 64% of the dogs I saw (through AniEd’s Behaviour Matters programs) had come home during Pandemic conditions, which in Ireland, went on and on. These dogs had even higher expectations thrust upon them…dogs were seen as cure-alls to treat your lockdown-ills throughout that time.

These dogs came home when the world was very odd indeed, and of course those conditions couldn’t persist and within, on average, 1-3 years of arriving home, they and their humans required intense and very specialised help.

There wasn’t a dog to be got throughout the country from pounds, rescues, breeders, DBEs…or from anywhere. Such was the panacea that dogs, at that time, represented.

Over the 12 months of 2023 I saw more cases involving behavioural euthanasia than ever before. 23% of my cases ended sadly and all but one of those dogs came home during Pandemic conditions.
Another 4% were rehomed due to their behaviour too.

That’s over a quarter of these dogs, and their humans, suffering under their current environmental conditions. And I do mean suffering.

No shaming. No blaming.

While these data make me sad, they also make me regretful, frustrated, exhausted, and sometimes even angry.

Let me be very clear here. This is not about guardian-bashing. Pet owners/guardians are our most vulnerable stakeholders in our industry; high expectations, little support, substandard education yet all the blame and all the shame is directed at guardians. We don’t shame or blame here.

But I am going to hold our animal care industries and dog producers, including breeders and rescues, to higher standards than guardians. We are supposed to be the ones setting the tone, providing the support, being ambassadors, guiding and educating.

When I work through histories with each guardian, on behalf of their dog, I spot markers along their journeys where if only they had received the right guidance, if only their decisions had been better directed, if only they had got in touch…if only…

If only…sourcing

If only we could have been there to support and guide these prospective guardians in choosing a suitable source for their dog.

I don’t care about ideologies, I care about welfare. So when dogs are reared, kept, or handled in ways that do not support welfare and behavioural health, that that dog has come from a rescue organisation, from a DBE, from a breeder, is not a priority to me.
What does the dog’s behaviour say about their experiences? What does the dog’s behaviour say about what they are going to need to remain healthy (behavioural health is health) and for welfare to be maintained?

60% of the dogs I saw last year in relation to behaviours of concern had been reared outside of a home environment and/or spent time in kennels/outside home environments during vulnerable behaviour developmental periods.

Dogs, who are expected to live as companion animals in family environments, are less likely to be successful when reared like livestock. Dogs have different developmental periods to livestock and require careful exposure to the worlds with which they are expected to cope when they are young. Not to mention the expectations thrust upon dogs by humans and society.

Did you know that the first FIVE weeks of a puppy’s life are exceptionally important to support brain building?!
Did you know that the first THREE-ish months of a puppy’s life are exceptionally important to support brain development?
Did you know that the FIRST year (at least) of their life is exceptionally important to support social behaviour development?

We have so little time to do so much so carefully. And it’s very difficult to do this when the dogs are not developing in enriched environments, supported through enriched experiences.

If only…country folk & city folk

Just like with early rearing experiences, during puppyhood and adolescence, the world in which a dog has been living prepares them for that world.

So when we take dogs from rural, quiet circumstances and bring them a world away to the city and the depths of suburbia, there will often be difficulties.

And that’s exactly what happened 57% of the dogs I saw last year. Dogs who had been provided with minimal exposure and then expected to slot into the hustle and bustle of Dublin. Of family comings and goings. Of traffic and doorbells and bangs and construction. Of seemingly non-stop action. Having been prepared for a quieter and slower life.

If only…too little, too late

We well understand that guardians tend to seek help for their dog’s behaviour reactively and usually when their dog’s behaviour becomes obstructive for the humans.

Sadly, just 23% of guardians had sought any training from a professional (calling themselves trainers, behaviourists, vets) regarding their dog’s behaviour but only when things were going South.
Just 4% had any professional training in place proactively…before any behaviours of concern had reared their ugly heads.

My entire hope in developing AniEd as an educator for trainers was to reduce reactivity and promote proactivity. By getting the best trainers out there and into the lives of guardians and their pets, surely we can prevent behaviours of concern arising…right?!

Guardians who had rehomed their dogs had little to no support post-adoption, with most not being able to source recommendations for help from the organisations from whom they had adopted dogs. Just 2% of guardians (who had adopted from a rescue organisation) had help in place for their newly adopted dog in their first three months home…and that was mainly me…because their dog’s behaviour had deteriorated to concerning levels during this time.

88% of cases that sadly ended with behavioural euthanasia had been dogs adopted from rescue organisations. Guardians, new adopters and rescue organisations need better and more support to make sure that dogs go to the right homes, stay in those homes, are safe in those homes and thrive in those homes.

If only…let’s get physical

The connections between physical and behavioural health are well established…behavioural health is health.

And 53% of the dogs I saw relating to behaviours of concern were experiencing or suspected to be experiencing physical contributors, most commonly signs relating to musculo-skeletal pain and gastro-intestinal inflammation. Behaviours can be considered clinical signs of pain and physical disorder.

Almost all of these dogs had no treatment or veterinary plan in place relating to their physical disorders before we started our program. For the most part, seeking veterinary consultation has been an important part of program development and we need veterinary personnel on board to treat pain and GI discomfort proactively. Dogs are stoic and they don’t make the diagnosis of chronic pain easy for us.

What’s more, 41% of dogs were assessed as overweight at the beginning of our program and most guardians had not been aware. Of course, this is never an easy conversation to have but carrying extra weight is contributing to a welfare crisis for companion animals In Ireland, and beyond.

Correlation is not causation

These data are just from one small business for whom these are not our primary services. How meaningful are they in the grand scheme of things?

But, to me, these data are impactful. The numbers tell me about the experiences of these dogs, and their humans.

And most importantly, they tell me where our efforts are needed, where our industry needs to direct its attention.

But we need help. While we, as an industry, must present ourselves as educated professionals with years of experience and years of building knowledge and skills, guardians must begin to recognise that.

Every single guardian I work with experiences revelations during our first conversations. The level of knowledge of canine behaviour and skill in teaching and handling pet dogs, among guardians (and many pros too) needs a lot of building and development. We are all learning always, including me. Every case teaches me so much.

Decades of shaming and blaming guardians has been emphasised by TV training and now, social media, where it seems you can’t do anything right for your dog. Almost all guardians who come to work with me express that they have experienced that and that they have sought help with trepidation.

When the prevailing culture says that “there are no bad dogs, just bad owners“, that “puppies are clean slates” or “it’s all in how they’re raised” and other myths, it’s no wonder we have difficulty reaching our target market in time.

Reflections

In reflecting on the year past and stepping into this New Year coming, I see plenty of ways we can make things better for dogs and their humans. But we need help, we need collaboration and connection. Working together with a central focus on welfare allows us to dig our way out of these many pits, and progress.

And besides all that serious stuff, make this New Year more dog. At a time so obsessed with deprivation in all that New-Year-New-You marketing, make 2024 MORE DOG.

I haven’t added pictures and funny memes to this one in respect of this reflection. Sorry if it’s all been a bit wordy (about 1600-ish words) so if you’ve made it this far, thank you! Let’s start digging and making progress in the lives of pets & their people!

With NYE ’24 just days away, we can prepare our pets for yet another onslaught of fireworks.

For a full run-down and more links to more supports, check out our Halloween prep-post…which only seems a couple of weeks ago.

Once we get through this, and Chinese/Lunar New Year in February, we have a relatively clear few months and that’s when we can really get stuck into fireworks work…

It’s that time again when the thoughts of celebrations can be met with some trepidation for dog guardians…

Check out our Christmas Bites series here for lots of getting prepped and staying sane during the Howlidays.

Be kind to yourself too; this isn’t always the merriest time for everyone so take care of yourself and your dog.

Wishing you & your dog the absolute very best!

Normal things in weird contexts can certainly cause spooky responses.

Another’s fear won’t be your fear, and vice versa. The dog’s behaviour is information telling us about their experience.

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This is a pretty low-stakes situation. He’s a pretty resilient fella and will recover immediately, it’s a bike and there’s no person or animal nearby and we have space to move on and by.

He’s certainly seen bikes parked here before and people doing all sorts of odd things, without batting an eyelid.

Why was it more meaningful on this occassion? I don’t know.

But here’s a consideration that might not always be prioritised: physical issues including pain.

Chronic pain (relating to OA) is linked with sound sensitivities (Lopes Fagundes et al 2018), so it’s reasonable to link pain with other environmental sensitivities, particularly if the seemingly sensitive response is unusual for the individual or for the context. (Mills et al, 2020)

When this happened, Decker was undergoing some treatment for an infection and was also taking pain relief. Seeing this, I supplemented his pain relief afterwards and made sure he got some good rest with appropriate activity.

We can be social models and supports for our dogs when something scary happens, reassure them, give them space and time to recover.

Also recognise that while behavioural responses are always environmental, the environmental conditions may be more or less salient dependent on the internal condition.

Pain, for example, may cause things to be more or less salient and may mean that fear related behaviour is more effective at keeping the behaver safe.

Fear related behaviours like these cautious and avoidant responses are more reinforcing (R-) when the body is experiencing stress and pain, and therefore functional and more likely to be repeated.

Dogs can’t be in pain. The better we become at spotting less obvious signs suggesting the dog may be in pain, the more efficiently we can treat pain, even if just-in-case.
Check out Mills et al, 2023, and consider pain as well as discomfort.

Duration is often used as a criteria for success of an enrichment intervention, usually a puzzle or food dispensing toy. Guardians might be gleeful that it took their dog x minutes to finish the toy, that it kept them busy for ages.

Sometimes, duration is a more relevant criteria in our programs. We might want to provide the dog with a longer task to encourage independent environmental interaction, to encourage persistence in a task and facilitate stress recovery. The proportion of time the dog engages in behaviours of concern versus healthier behaviours we facilitate might certainly be relevant.

But, duration alone is not necessarily a sign of success, or a sign that the dog is now “enriched”! We want to know about the behaviours that the dog is demonstrating and if those behaviours are contributing to meeting their needs.

And when it comes to duration, we want to know how much time the dog is engaged in enriching behaviours, other than just eating.

To get to a point where the dog is likely to persist for longer durations of behaviours for just a little bit of eating requires shaping. We are not just giving the dog an elaborate puzzle or complicated toy and expecting them to work and work and work. Start simple to ensure the dog has lots of easy wins before gradually upping the challenge.

This compound puzzle appears simple, but there’s lots of behaviours and persistence required to get to the goal.

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Start with just the toy that’s stuffed with some lappables, and when the dog is fluent with that, add the bag, and then add the bag to the box.

Fruitless persistance and extended durations busying themselves might not be the key to enrichment. We don’t necessarily want frustration to be behind these endeavours as that might just not be so enriching.

Foraging isn’t just eating

The goals of sniffing and foraging games are not really to maximise eating behaviour. The dog should be doing more behaviours other than the goal behaviour, eating.

What proportion of each food based game is the dog eating for? That should be as little as possible.

Doing the behaviours and the challenges are enriching for dogs. (McGowan et al, 2014)

But that might be frustrating for dogs, particularly novice dogs. That’s because these games or “enrichment” protocols are shaping/teaching exercises. They should be teaching dogs more behaviours that allow them to access reinforcers.

Helping the dog succeed, find the goal and access reinforcement, little and often is teaching them how to play the game. And win!

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Don’t think of enrichment exercises as being measured in duration or in terms of the dog busying themselves.

The dog should be learning to apply their behaviours so they have new and numerous ways to access reinforcers (that’s true “choice”) and we must support them.

Helping them win often will encourage them to play more and with practice, your help will become less and less needed. Soon your dog is persisting with appetitive behaviours, with just a little bit of eating, and a whole lot of fun!

Of course, ‘enrichment’ is more than just food based challenges and you can always get lots of practice with 100 Days of Enrichment!