#Dog Behavior

[ahedderick]

Pupdate: K got Feelings about a big, luscious dogbed at the store and brought it home.

Pros - she does fit in it

Cons - she might well disappear into it like a lintball vanishing between the sofa cushions.

Oh - hmm.

Comfy! Cozy!

Trying to salvage something out of this day. We have all been a little distressed at this:

Ridiculous dog made of pipe cleaners and silly putty. When she curls up on her bed it's very cute, when she sprawls, it's . . disturbing. So I had a piece of upholstery fabric on hand, and thought I'd create a little bolster to augment the bed. Simple! Easy!

Ok . . you just need to . . lean sideways . .

Oh for Pete's sake!!

[maybe-im-dark]

Do you think everytime he takes a shower, Logan shakes himself violently to dry himself off like a dog? Like obviously he also uses a towel but beforehand he gotta shake that water off some?

[darkwood-sleddog]

The dog world is so allergic to “management” as a concept like “my dogs are fighting!” Separate them. “My dog runs off!” Leash them. “My dog is aggressive!” Muzzle him. “My dog destroys my house!” Put him in a secure area he can’t destroy stuff in. It is literally that easy.

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

My dog is generally not super cuddly, but after she eats, she often comes and snuggles right up to me and falls asleep. Based on a brief online search, this seems to be a pretty common dog phenomenon. I have seen it suggested that this is how dogs say thank you for giving them a meal. Or that a dog got cuddles after a meal one time and has internalized that as routine. My hypothesis is that the dog just wants to be somewhere safe and protected by their "pack" while they rest and digest. Why do you think dogs like to snuggle after a meal?

I think it's probably going to vary by every dog! But it makes sense that a combination of things could be coming into play, including your idea: digestion uses a ton of energy and tends to make animals sleepy, and having a warm/safe/comfortable place to relax while it happens sounds lovely. It also could be a routine you've built up over time - they came to you once after a meal, you reinforced it, and now it's just a Thing the two of you do.

I would say it's not likely to be a "thank you" as some of what you saw suggested - that's a fairly extreme attribution of a human social behavior to a non-human animal. Your dog knows you provide food and trusts you to provide it and is happy when it appears, but when acknowledging that veers into "and is engaging with primate-normative behavior to communicate with me" it gets a bit anthropomorphic. (Anthropomorphism is important to identify because when it takes over, it kind of... supplants our understanding of what an animal actually thinks/intends/is doing with what we, as humans, would like the answer to be).

Enjoy your snuggles! That sounds like a lovely ritual you both enjoy, regardless of the original cause.

[classycookiexo]

It pisses me off so bad…….I hate a lustful dog 🤢

[instacrew]

[allthings-acorn]

I’m considering trying behavioral meds for Acorn. I’d love to hear about from dogblr folks who’ve experienced putting their dog on meds for behavior— whether you ended up continuing meds long term or not.

Rambling under the cut—

After three years of working on Acorn’s leash reactivity with few results to show, I decided to start working on with a behavior consultant. She’s helped me realize how much is his reactivity is because he quickly goes into a frustrated, high arousal state, and has a lot of trouble self-regulating. This is mostly triggered immediately by seeing dogs from a distance or the presence of prey animals— but even seeing a human walking towards us can sometimes produce whining and staring.

Part of me feels stupid for not realizing all of this on my own. I’ve basically done everything right! I only walk him places where I can avoid dogs so he won’t have a reaction (he’ll still stare and whine but he won’t bark and lunge) worked on look at that, etc. He also has some possible issues with minor compulsive behaviors—story for another day—which she rightly pointed out as more evidence that he may benefit from meds.

So I am probably going to make an appointment to talk about this with my vet. I like to think I’m past the stigma of medicating behavior, but I guess I’m not because I am struggling with this a little. The thing is that he’s a really easy dog to live with! He is! I manage the compulsive stuff very well, and I don’t walk him where he’ll get triggered, and we have a pretty nice life together. So it was hard for me to see the whole picture, I guess. If I didn’t have bigger goals—going to an agility trial or being able to get his CGC— I would probably be fine with this status quo. And I’m ok if we never reach those goals. But I told myself I would give one more try, get an outside opinion, and do what I can for the reactivity before giving up. So here we are.

Anyway, I guess I’m hoping to hear some stories to give me more of an idea of possible outcomes. Thank you to everyone who read all of this!

[shadowisabean]

Not even one 👀🤣

[maisietheyellowlab]

Does anyone have any good resources on dog-dog resource guarding in multi-dog households?

I'm looking for force free resources of any kind, so videos, podcasts, books, blogs, whatever, as long as it's sensible and useful. Please, and thank you!!!

Navi has always been a typical little herding dog who takes it upon herself to "enforce rules" and it was usually not problematic at all, it was moreso a quirk. However, she's tried to guard her bowl and a cardboard box (love that for her) in front of Maisie and a friend's dog in the past month. I'm pretty convinced this is linked to her being in heat, since it's been a tough one for her, but I think we'd benefit from working on this regardless. Don't want it to escalate and create conflict with other dogs and I also don't want her to feel unsafe with her food etc. I already do a lot of things to manage it, and I know how to work on resource guarding between dogs and people, but I honestly don't have that many resources on dog-dog resource guarding and how to effectively manage or solve it.

[halodogcollar]

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[mywaysthehighway]

[darkwood-sleddog]

If dog buttons have one hater I am that very hater.

Communicating “in the same language for the first time” through dog buttons as Christina Hunger describes in her book is a failure of the most human proportion, putting too much value on the human (English) spoken word and ignoring that every detail, movement, twitch of our dogs is an act of communication itself. They are already communicating with us, just as human and primitive dog first did thousands of years ago. Just how we have shaped each other’s evolution by our very relationship. The dog understands you without buttons. If you can’t understand a dog without buttons, or “speak the same language” without human spoken language that is your HUMAN failure.

[the-most-humble-blog]

Is My Dog a Racist Asshole?

Let’s face it: dogs are supposed to be man’s best friend—loyal, loving, nonjudgmental. But lately, I’ve been having some serious questions about my furry companion’s moral compass. Is my dog…a racist asshole?

It all started when I noticed a pattern. Every time my neighbor (who just happens to be Black) walks by, my dog loses his mind. Barking, growling, foaming at the mouth like he’s auditioning for Cujo 2: Cancel Culture Edition. But when the FedEx guy, who looks like the living embodiment of a suspicious character, shows up? Nothing. Not a peep.

Dinner Table Diplomacy

I’ve tried addressing the issue like an adult. We’ve had countless conversations over dinner—well, I talk, and he wolfs down his food, completely ignoring me like I don’t exist. No eye contact, no apology, nothing. Just chomping on kibble while I’m pouring my heart out about the importance of equality and being a decent canine citizen.

At this point, I’m questioning everything. Does he even know the Civil Rights Movement happened? Does he have some internalized biases I didn’t catch in puppy training? And why, in the name of all things good, does he only chase the mailman when he’s wearing a turban?

Unpacking the Problem

Let’s break this down:

Selective Barking:

The white lady jogger? Silence.

The elderly Black man walking to church? Full-on DEFCON 1.

Is this coincidence or deeply ingrained prejudice?

Playdate Preferences:

Loves the golden retriever from next door.

Growls at the Doberman two houses down (also Black).

I’m starting to see a pattern, and it’s not great.

Ignoring My Attempts to Educate:

I bought books on inclusion (The Paw in Social Justice, anyone?).

Played Martin Luther King Jr. speeches during cuddle time.

Even tried enrolling him in a dog diversity workshop (turns out, those don’t exist).

But no matter what I do, my dog just doesn’t seem to care. He looks at me like I’m the one being unreasonable, then proceeds to lick his balls like I’m not even talking.

Is He Redeemable?

I’ve thought about hiring a dog therapist. Maybe he’s just misunderstood, or maybe he watched too many reruns of Cops while I was at work. I want to believe he can change, but every time he sniffs another dog’s butt, I can’t help but wonder—what’s he really thinking?

And let’s not forget his friends at the dog park. Have you seen the way he wags his tail at the German Shepherds but snubs the pit bulls? It’s like a canine caste system, and I’m starting to think he’s the problem.

Final Thoughts

Maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe it’s not racism—it’s just really bad manners. Or maybe, deep down, my dog is the four-legged version of every uncle who “doesn’t see color” but mysteriously clutches his wallet a little tighter around minorities.

Either way, I’ve got work to do. Because if my dog is a racist asshole, I refuse to sit idly by. He’s going to learn, even if it means cutting back on treats until he stops barking at people who don’t look like the cast of Friends.

Until then, I’ll keep trying to talk sense into him over dinner. Wish me luck.

[toyastales]

Soaking up the sun 🌞

[instacrew]