#Dog Behaviour

[bmure]

A little live illustration practice to a recent Cog Dog Radio episode (as a guardian to two differently nervous dogs I’m always always intereated in these things)

[megpricephotography]

2 pictures of Flynn, taken 9 years (+ 1 day!) apart. October 2015 & 2024. Flynn's changed quite a lot in appearance over the years... & even more so in behaviour. It's taken most of a lifetime but he's come a long, long way. At the time I took the first pic, Flynn was 2 years old & I'd had him about 8 months. He was effectively untouchable. Minor interactions were fraught with fear & stress - on both sides. I could just about put a harness on him for walks but that had to be done very carefully & no matter how careful I was, I was always risking a bite... Showing him physical affection was out of the question, Flynn could not tolerate it at all. He did like to play with me & was bonded to me, in that he'd follow me about & had no inclination to run off but he was so, so defensive & nervous that I'd do something painful or scary to him. He once came & sat beside me while I was sitting reading a book... I turned the page & Flynn caught sight of my hand moving, thought I was sneakily trying to reach for him & he immediately bit me several times, before running off to hide. Today, 11yr old Flynn is a greyer in the face & little slower & more achy than he used to be. But he is so much happier. He comes wiggling up to me for a brief, gentle "cuddle" each morning when we get up for breakfast, he sits for a comb most afternoons, wags his tail as he gets ready for a jacket to be put on whenever it's wet or cold, he actively seeks out physical contact when he's worried about dogs or vet visits, he leans into my touch when I scritch his neck... & when I bend down to tie my shoes before a walk, I have to watch out because I'm liable to get a tiny little sneaky lick on my nose! When Flynn's nearby & I move my hand, he simply assumes I'm offering a treat & he perks his ears, makes eye contact & then nudges my fingers with his nose.

[certifiedchickenposts]

scritches

[lifenconcepts]

FUN POLL FOR ALL MY FELLOW CANINEKIN AND THOSE WHO RESONATE WITH ANIMALS IN GENERAL !!

[blueboyluca]

I really enjoyed this podcast episode with Dr Clive Wynne. I’ve said before that I find him very compelling to listen to. I loved the way he distinguished between unproblematic and problematic anthropomorphism and for him it’s between emotions and cognition. I also really liked their discussion about dog training and how in the absence of good scientific research on training methods, the right thing is to be observant of our animals’ behaviour and be kind in our training. I would have liked them to discuss ideas like those put forward in Dr Friedman’s paper ‘What’s Wrong With This Picture? Effectiveness is Not Enough’ but I know that’s an essay not a research paper.

[a-dog-like-that]

I'm considering getting some of those programmable buttons for Xivu

Not to teach her to "talk", I'm more then sceptical of that whole concept and how wildly people purport interpret what's happening, while also seemingly ignoring a lot of their dogs natural communication (yes, not all of them and all that, but that's not actually what the post is about).

But she's being wearing her coat a lot recently and I always have to guess if she's too cold or too hot. I have a decent feeling for it by now, but that's likely gonna change as she (hopefully) grows a thicker winter coat.

Wanting the coat taken off or put on is also not the type of thing that lends itself to just observing the dogs natural behaviour. If I wait until she's curled up tight or panting for a while (she'll often pant for a few seconds after waking up from sleep), she might have been uncomfortable for a while already.

I remember reading about the study that taught horses to communicate whether they wanted to have their blankets put on, taken off or no change. So it's possible to teach this concept, the buttons are only to make sure I notice her communication, if we ever get to her doing it without promoting.

I think @konmari-dogs, you were experimenting with something like that years ago? Did that ever go anywhere?

[untypicable]

Is Your Dog Secretly Judging Your Life Choices? Science Says Yes

If you’ve ever looked into your dog’s eyes mid-crisis — say, while Googling “can you live off cereal for a month?” — and felt that familiar pang of canine disappointment, good news: you’re not paranoid. According to researchers at the University of Bristol, dogs are not only emotionally complex creatures, but they may be optimists or pessimists. Which means your dog isn’t just staring at you.…

[freyavlocke]

Calming Down an Excited Puppy: Effective Techniques for Peaceful Playtime

Over excited pup? It's a common struggle and you can overcome it. #dogs #puppies

Every puppy owner knows the joy and occasional chaos an excited puppy can bring into a home. Puppies are full of boundless energy, often leaving their owners wondering how to manage their exuberance. To calm an excited puppy, providing consistent training, providing enrichment, engaging them in play to channel their energy, and ensuring they get enough rest are key steps. These will not only help…

[tooboredtothinkofaname]

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Dog Meshi.

[lifenconcepts]

Don’t blame a dog for its natural instructs and mental understanding that it’s trying to protect the one it loves. So what if we’re annoyed with its insistent barking towards others? it’s doing it’s job and it hopes to defend you. how can you explain that we live in a world were solitude is a privilege and we’re a pack which is made to live close with one another, forming a society that forces us to be in close proximity with one another, not needing any guarding.

The behaviours so commonly frowned upon being but mere instincts and hold animalistic logic! They aren’t idiotic, as they hold at least some reasoning, even if to us they seem problematic.

Dog barking at mailman? They are threatening your territory. Watching you go to the bathroom? They want to make sure you’re safe when in such a vulnerable situation. Whine when you are at work? They simply can’t understand where you go and for so long, it’s practically days to them, anything could happen, and they wouldn’t be there, what if you’re in danger and need their help. Bring de/d animals? They just want to show you that they appreciate your effort and kindness to which you feed them, and want to give you the same love too by feeding you! Peeing on everything in the garden? They want to make sure the other animals know that this territory is protected and so they don’t bother you. Bite guests? They’re strangers, ofcourse they need to protect you.

[lemonade-luvr]

@soweli-musi

funniest shit is going down on discord rn

[a-dog-like-that]

Xivu was a little bit more restless/bark-y the last few days.

I thought it was due to boredom cause I haven't been feeling well and therefore we didn't do much training.

But it has been getting colder and today I put a sweater on her and ever since she's just been deeply asleep.

Poor baby was just cold.

I am still hoping she'll grow more of a winter coat, but for now it seems like somewhere around 24°C room temperature is when she gets cold. (Especially on cloudy days).

I feel bad for not catching it, but it's a huge adjustment coming from Magali who thought everything over 15°C was too hot.

But it seems like barking more is really the first indicator that she's not feeling well physically, in hindsight that's been the case every single time.

[krisrisk]

Tipp: say thank you everytime you give your dog a treat or appreciation for completing a command.

[freyavlocke]

How Ceri the Cocker Spaniel Stopped Barking at Strangers and Overcame Her Fears.

How we helped a gorgeous #cockerspaniel stop barking at strangers in enclosed spaces

A confidence-building success story about an anxious little dog whose barking at strangers and new people was affecting her life. Meet Ceri* the anxious Cocker Spaniel. Kam* came to me in August 2024, seeking help for her beautiful Cocker Spaniel, Ceri. Ceri had problems feeling safe around new people. This was especially true in enclosed or smaller spaces. She was also very protective of Kam…

[korya-elana]

Sorry, as a long-time dog professional this was a super interesting question so if you aren't looking for in-depth discussion, feel free to ignore!

Generally, no. While it would be impossible to prove regardless, the level of consciousness and self-awareness that is necessary for such complex dissociation doesn't really apply to how a dog's mind interacts. Dogs have more primal instincts so when a dog is traumatized you see it in behaviours: unpredictable aggression or aggression over specific situation like kenneling or being on a leash, shutdown, destructive anxiety, etc.

It would be completely impossible to rehab a dog that would be so unpredictable. We wouldn't be able to rehabilitate each part like in therapy, because the dog wouldn't be able to realistically hold on to that information when switching. And that's even assuming we could accurately see and document each dissociated part.

Plural culture is sometimes wondering if animals can get DID and if they could how the fuck would we even be able to know