Barking Blondes: Moody Mutts
If it’s possible for us to have got out of bed the wrong side in the morning can the same be said of our dogs?
Do they have moods that swing from elation to despair and back up again? For no apparent reason.?
Is the mystifying reason for your dog uncharacteristically snapping at a stranger simply because it was having a bad day and absolutely nothing to do with training?
Every pet owner will agree that animals display emotions through different behavior. Our bulldog has a permanent “hang dog” expression but still we know when she is happy and when she is forlorn.
Some owners believe that the trigger to their pet’s change of mood can be the ability to tune into the sixth sense.
Why does your mutt hang his head or pant with anticipation when on a journey to the vets?
Dogs are still atuned into tapping into ‘telepathic’ communication they have an in-built ‘sense of direction, and are able to ‘predict’ events through this uncanny sixth sense.
Author and scientist, Laurel Braitman, joined us on our radio show this week to discuss her new book Animal Madness. Laurel looks at ‘why some animals suffer from compulsive and anxiety based behaviour .
Are certain individuals or breeds of dog innately more predisposed to anxiety than others, or is this neuroses brought on by the environment? The nature / nurture argument is often discussed with many agreeing it’s a 50:50 combination. We’re all born with a ‘genetic’ template that is greatly modified and shaped by our environment and experiences.
Just like us, animals also display behaviour that is a habit triggered by certain situations. We might bite our fingernails or twiddle our hair, similarly dogs can get ‘hooked’ into ‘habitual’ or nervous twitches like licking their paws, digging the carpet, and chasing their tail.
Perhaps by understanding why a dog might chew floorboards in the distress of being left alone, we can throw light on how we humans react in similar scenarios?
Recent studies have proved that a dog’s brain responds in the same way as ours when shown certain stimuli like food, happy voices or sad voices. These MRI scans clearly prove that dogs’ ‘happy’ brain centres are activated in the same way as ours, and that dogs do respond ‘emotionally’.
Molly our Bull terrier will chase her tail when she’s excited especially when visitors arrive. Typical of her breed she is very attention seeking and will invariably be rewarded for her ‘comic’ act with laughter – a reaction that rewards and exacerbates things, making it become learned, and turning it into a habit that affects many Bull terriers.
Also typical of bull breeds Molly and Matilda will sulk if they don’t get their way. Eventually they will, belligerently, agree to cooperate.
Spending time getting to know your dog helps to identify the triggers that might set off a chain of behaviours and therefore provide a key to pre-empt things from escalating.
Responsible dog ownership must factor in that dogs are sentient creatures that have emotions. Understanding that our pets feelings can be hurt, adds a duty of care that underlines the commitment that is dog ownership.
Barking Blondes by Jo Good & Anna Webb, published by Hamlyn, £12.99www.octopusbooks.co.uk
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