But In The Wild Dogs Have An Alpha...

No, no they don't - because dogs do not live in the wild.

Dogs are a domesticated species, which means they rely on humans to survive, and cannot (and should not) be compared to their wild counterparts (wolves). Yes, some dogs live in feral groups, however it has been found that these dog packs act very differently to wolf packs (and it is wolf packs that we base our knowledge on dog behaviour and the 'dominant theory' on). One example of their many differences is their hunting behaviours - wolves are coordinated and herd the animals they are hunting, before splitting the individual they desire away from the group, compared to dog packs which pick an individual and mob the animal.

But I think the massive difference between a dog raised by humans and a dog raised by other dogs is that dog-human relationships are very different to dog-dog relationships. My border collie has a very close relationship with me and I know when he is upset with me or something due to his body language and cues (such as ears back, wide eyes, shying away etc) however he never growls at me. When he is having a disagreement with my other dog (saluki x) there will always be a growl to signify his disproval. Bare in mind that I am not saying here that dogs never growl at people and dogs don't communicate through growling with people - of course they do, and a growl is one of the most misunderstood but important ways a dog can communicate - I'm just pointing out the difference between how an individual dog can interact with people, and with other dogs.

There is scientific evidence to suggest that dogs to use the alpha-beta-omega hierarchy, whereas wolves in their natural environment live in family groups with a very different social order. What I do not understand is where people go from knowing that dogs will respect other individuals and won't challenge the individual for certain resources (a dominant individual is the individual that holds the resources and decides how to distribute them, many dominant animals will share resources if they are not needing them, in some cases even if they do need them, as altruism is a very beneficial evolutionary trait in social animals) to believing that owning a well behaved dogs requires excessive force in the name of discipline.

You all know the myths that are spread about how to handle dogs and how to get them to believe you are the alpha: if the dog bites you, bite it back; pin the dog on its back; grab the dog around the muzzle; snarl at the dog; pull it down by the scruff of its neck etc. But all of those things will most likely end with you being bitten by your dog. Your dog is a dog and knows how to communicate in dog language. You are a human who knows how to communicate in human language. Do not try to communicate to your dog as if you are a dog because you will not be able to read the millions of tiny social cues that he is emitting - sometimes through scent or subtle facial movements!

Dogs have evolved through the domestication process to read our body language, facial cues and vocal cues on a much more succinct level than all other animals. We have learnt how to understand dogs through studying their behaviour - there is a difference here. I believe that some people understand dogs on a natural level without need for research, to a degree, as I feel I am one of these people. I have however, to become as experienced and successful with handling dogs as I am now, had to study dog behaviour, and study hard! I'm just able to pick up on subtleties easier than some people, and I pay a hell of a lot more attention to the dogs around me than many people... but that is my job.

The main point I want to get across to you in this post is that aggression and punishment, which are so often used to make the human seem dominant to the dog in the relationship, do not cure behavioural problems in our dogs. At the kennels we use choke chains on every dog as a safety measure. They have a double ended lead with one end attached to the collars they come in wearing and the other attached to a choke chain. Some dogs come in without a collar and so purely have the choke chain, others come in with choke chain collars and so get doubled up. Our choke chain is purely for safety purposes, however when a dog is pulling like a lunatic the choke chain does come into use no matter how much you don't want to - simply because we have to keep it on at all times when walking the dogs. What I will tell you now is that EVERY dog that comes in wearing a choke chain still pulls THE ENTIRE TIME they are out on a walk. Choke chains do not solve the root of the problem, they simply offer a mediocre response. The dog needs positive training to show it how it should be walking, not a sharp pull on its throat every time it tries to get to where it wants to go - because often the outcome of getting to where it wants to go is much more beneficial to the dog than the pain of the choke chain!

B.F. Skinner was the man that coined the punishment and reward learning techniques and even he stated that if the animal does not understand what behaviour it should be doing to earn the reward, the behaviour causing the punishment will not die out.

Also, side note, in my opinion discipline is not the same as punishment. Discipline is setting boundaries and keeping these consistent, whereas punishment is using a negative experience to try and teach a dog how to behave. You can discipline a dog by being fair and positive - the dog jumps up onto the sofa, you don't want this so you pull him down (or ask him to get down if he knows the command) and then reward him when all four feet are on the ground. If he goes to move back onto the sofa, i.e. puts a paw on the sofa, you brush the paw away silently and then give praise after a moment of him not trying to get onto the sofa. The moment he turns away you praise him, if you are trying to train him to sleep in his own bed you give him extra excited praise when he gets into his own bed - maybe even go over to him and give him a belly rub in his bed! Training your dog how to behave does not need to be aggressive in the name of the human being alpha.

The dominant dog theory has been disputed and criticised many times over the last few years because the relationship between people and dogs is so different between dogs and other dogs. The dog seeks us out and has a bonded relationship with people, like a child, family member or friend. Do we have to be 'dominant' over our children to make them listen to us? Do we have to be dominant over our friends and family? Do we have to be the alpha and hold onto the resources and force the other members to comply? No. To have positive relationships you have to provide positive rewards for the positive behaviours, and be fair and consistent when stating what isn't right or accepted. Saying a dog needs an alpha because wolves in captivity show alpha-subordinate relationships is like saying humans need a dominant male to beat his chest because thats what gorillas do. Dogs are dogs, not wolves. We need to stop applying behaviours and techniques learnt from the captive wolf packs (which also have been shown not to apply to wild wolf packs due to the completely different environments and social upbringings) to the dogs raised by people from 8 weeks of age.

Top Tip in the form of a Trick :)

This is going to be a short one to end the weekend.

Arguably the first thing, and possibly the most important thing, you should teach your dog - be it a puppy, a rescue, new or old - is the LEAVE IT command. This command is perfect as it can be applied in almost all circumstances where your dog needs to be reminded of his manners, and is extremely easy to teach. Even the most stubborn dog can learn this command (they just might choose to ignore it is all).

Simply hold a treat in your hand visible to your dog. When the dog tries to get it, close your hand around it and say leave it. Make sure you have another set of treats in your other hand or pocket that your dog hasn't seen, and make sure these are readily available. Do not repeat the command, simply say it once, and then wait for your dog to LOOK AWAY. At the early stages this can be for the briefest moment and then woosh, give them a treat from the other hand. And from here you simply repeat and make that time where your dog looks away longer and longer. When you feel your dog is ready you then try putting a treat in your open hand and not closing it, simply saying LEAVE IT and the moment your dog backs off you give him  a treat. The same rules follow where you repeat and extend the time between when he backs off and when you give him the treat. To further the command try dropping the food by him, this is difficult for them to grasp at first so make sure you are ready to block his attempt to grab the food with your hand. Just say leave it as you drop the treat by him and wait for him to back off and reward him.

Honestly your dog will have the basics down in no time. Once he understands the basis of this command you can apply it to all of those times where you just need him to stop what he is doing. I.E. pulling on the lead, say leave it and stop walking; trying to steal food, simply say leave it and block with your hand if necessary; aggressive behaviours towards other dogs or people; dropping a ball or toy after fetch or tugging games; excessive sniffing, licking or any excessive behaviours. Obviously the more intense the behaviour, the harder you need to work on the command in that aspect but they will only need to be reminded of the basics. If he is pulling on the lead and you say leave it but he is reluctant to listen, bring some treats with you and start again with 'leave it', the moment he stops pulling give him a treat - I promise you it won't take long for him to remember the command :)

Simple things to remember when training dogs: never say the command more than once or else the realise they don't have to do as you say until the 3rd or 4th time you've said it; never use excessive force or aggression as it only causes aggressive responses as seen in children also; never tell your dog off or become impatient - if he really isn't listening or paying attention then stop the training session and go play a game with him! He is bored, most dogs don't want to sit around learning to behave themselves for hours on end, so give him and yourself a break! Figure out what your dog's currency is - my collie is obsessed with tennis balls, leave it works best with using that as his reward, however my sighthound loves treats. Be positive, remain calm and keep early sessions short. But like I have said, this command is so easy for dogs to understand - at the kennels I have taught dogs I barely know to stop reacting to the other dogs they pass with the leave it command and no treats in sight, just a good boy/girl the moment they respond in the correct way.

B.F. Skinner was the man who scientifically defined the positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment techniques of learning. He himself stated that punishment is INEFFECTIVE as the animal does not know exactly what behaviour is wrong but more importantly, does not know what behaviour is correct. By purely using positive reinforcement with commands like this your dog will quickly learn that backing off and 'leaving it' is the correct behavioural response. Also negative reinforcement is also valid with lead training or excessively boisterous behaviours (when trying to calm the dog down) as they sometimes need to know that by being so bonkers the fun will stop, only resuming when they have calmed down to a safer energy level. THEY WILL IGNORE PUNISHMENT/PUNISHMENT IS NEVER LONG LASTING. If you rely on a choke chain to teach your dog not to pull, your dog will always wear a choke chain...

Why Animal Lovers Shouldn't Hate The RSPCA

For as long as I can remember I have judged the RSPCA extremely harshly, with regards to their policy of putting animals to sleep for behaviour problems. I have always believed, and will always believe, that no healthy dog should be put to sleep and all dogs can be rehabilitated and trained to become well rounded, loving pets. I do think the RSPCA seems to give up too easily, although not all centres are the same and I know that some centres have a no kill policy. The thing to remember is, which I am now forcing myself to acknowledge, is that the number of dogs being abandoned or taken from owners or found straying etc just totally outweighs the number of free kennel spaces and available homes. I am 100% sure the RSPCA would love to provide sanctuary for all of the dogs their inspectors work hard to save, and I am sure they would love to give every dog that enters their kennels as much time as it possibly needed to find a new home - but the sad reality is that this just isn't possible.

Every single rescue centre in the UK, including the shelters with non destruct policies and destruct policies, will have waiting lists on waiting lists with dogs and cats desperately needing rescue space. It is one of the many heartbreaking sides of rescue, having to turn away desperate owners and there even more desperate dogs. It is no wonder that the RSPCA and DogsTrust and other shelters have to pick and choose the dogs they take on, because their limited resources and the limited homes available mean that some dogs just have to be left out in the cold. 

Whenever I volunteer at a new rescue I am always quick to ask if they have a non destruct policy, and if they don't I feel my heart sink and often I know I won't be able to stay with them for very long. I feel this attitude needs to change because it isn't the rescue's fault. They have weighed up the options and feel that they can help more dogs by being a bit fussier with who they take in and stricter on who is allowed to stay. It is a HORRIBLE side of our society that 9000 dogs a year are put to sleep through no fault of their own, but this is NOT the rescue's fault. A sad fact people really need to realise! 

The cause of the 9000 deaths a year is not cruel rescues deciding enough is enough, but naive owners not taking responsibility of their own uncastrated dogs and breeders that don't seem to care about the thousands of rescue dogs desperately seeking homes. Couple this with the people that believe in the misconception that rescue dogs all have issues and aren't ideal as pets, or people who believe they need to buy a puppy from a  breeder to own a puppy or that puppies are the ideal way to own a dog. No, no, no, no and NO. This mentality NEEDS to change! 

Up until a month ago I had three dogs, sadly the eldest (a 16 year old westie) passed away. Out of my three dogs, two were rescues. The Westie, Bella, was rescued from a puppy farm at the age of 6 - her life at that place was truly awful. The Border Collie, Jace, was bought as a puppy when I was fourteen and he is my first dog (rather than being a family dog). The Saluki x Greyhound, Murphy, was rescued from a home where he was practically starved (he has doubled in weight since christmas when we adopted him, however is still showing some bones as his breed should). 

Now everyone who knows my dogs sees Jace and all they see is this beautiful, ridiculously well behaved collie that would never put a paw wrong. Even myself and my family often forget how many things he destroyed as a puppy, how he cried every night we tried to crate train him and how he killed one of the neighbours koi fish from their pond. Jace acted like all puppies do and was a huge handful because of it. Yes he mentally matured a little quicker than some dogs I know (I'm calling out my Dads 2 year old beagle here), and yes now he is for all intents and purposes 'perfect' and does everything I ask of him (although he does occasionally throw a deaf un and ignore his recall when he wants to!) - however when he was young we had six months of hard, stressful times (and more than one occasion of people shouting 'it's me or the dog!').

When we adopted Murphy he was approximately 18 months old and had never been allowed to live the love filled, luxurious (deserved), life he lives now. And for the first few months he was a nightmare - he chewed, he messed in the house, he bolted from the front door - we were feeling a bit at our wits end! One minute he was the softest, sweetest dope of a dog, either draping his head over your knees or curled up into a tight ball fast asleep - and the next he was wreaking havoc. BUT WAIT... everything Murphy did that was naughty is exactly what Jace did when he was a puppy! Murphy is now pretty much perfect. Yes he occasionally steals food from the side and likes to find a way into the bin but really, how many dogs don't do that? Is that a behaviour that is bound to him because of his rescue history. NO. It's bound to him because he is a greedy sighthound! Like all sighthounds!!

My point is, people think that rescue dogs have all these behavioural problems and need a lot of work, and so of course it is easier to buy a puppy than rehome a dog that already has someone else's baggage. And yes, sometimes rescue dogs do come with behavioural problems, but guess what - so do PUPPIES! Yes, puppies chew, defecate in the house, run away, bite, ignore your recall commands, ignore you full stop, get into scraps with other dogs, dig up your garden and many more common problems. Do you know why that is? BECAUSE THEY ARE DOGS. This is how unsocialised, untrained, young dogs act. When you rescue you a dog you can either get a dog that already is perfectly suited to your lifestyle because he was given up for adoption through no fault of his own, or you may adopt a dog that has certain issues due to lack of socialisation or training. When you rescue a puppy you will (you definitely will) get a dog with no manners, no socialisation and no training. All of those things come from the owner! Yes some dogs are worse than others, and some breeds supposedly have characteristics that make them more difficult than others but my god, that is just what it is to own a dog. DOGS ARE HARD WORK. They are incredibly rewarding and yes some dogs are a dream to own from the moment you get them. Some dogs are just paw perfect from the moment they are born (these are rare), and some rescue dogs are paw perfect from the moment you adopt them (actually, not so rare - my Westie being a prime example of this). This misconception that rescue dogs are handwork and its much better and easier to get a puppy, needs to change. Please, please let it change!

My dad bought a beagle puppy two years ago and Archie has to be one of the most loved dogs I know. He is also the most misbehaved dog I know, in many regards. It has taken him two years to become the manageable hound he is today. It has taken Murphy 4 months. 

So what do I suggest? Other than people becoming more knowledgable on dogs in general and the reality that pups are just as, if not more, difficult as rescuing a dog... which also explains why many dogs in rescue are 1 year to 2 years old (they still act like puppies at this age but aren't as small and cute). Breeders need to be more responsible about how many puppies are put out into this world. They need to realise that the number of pups, young adults and older dogs of their specific breed that are currently in rescue and think about the reality of the life these dogs live. They need to be compassionate and not think about profit, and think about the lives and deaths of these dogs. And produce much smaller numbers of litters in accordance to this. I'm not saying no litters should be bred because then we would have no young stock, and dogs would die out, but much less need to be born. We need to reduce the number of dogs in rescue DRAMATICALLY. And I truly believe this starts with breeders. 

The Doggy Basics...

In the UK, 25% of households own a dog, with the total number of dogs in homes being 8.5million. We are a dog loving nation and most owners would do anything for our beloved pets, however what happens to those dogs that do not have a home. What happens to the dogs that do have a home but their owner was not well informed on their purchase or adoption? What happens to the 345 stray dogs that are picked up every day?

Well according to the BBC, 1 in 20 of the stray dogs picked up each year, a total of 7571 dogs, are destroyed due to being unable to rehome. In 2008, 9000 dogs were destroyed in shelters, as stated by the Hope Rescue website.

The problem with being given these numbers is that numbers are cold and easy to ignore. Numbers do not have soft adoring eyes or excited wagging tail. Numbers do not truly portray the individual dog that they are meant to represent. In 2008, the Telegraph reported that 1.2 million puppies are born a year in the UK. The BBC report that 120,000 dogs are picked up as strays a year and found a position with the DogsTrust, however this doesn't take into the account the number of strays in the other animal charities across the UK, or those dogs surrendered by their owners or born into rescue.

Most rescue dogs enter centres through no fault of their own. The reasons a dog enters a rescue ranges from lack of knowledge of breed characteristics when buying a puppy, to changes in circumstances, to lack of understanding of natural dog behaviour which results in behaviours seen by owners as 'negative' and in some cases can turn into dangerous behaviours.

It is unreal how many dogs come through the Boarding Kennels, where I work, that still mouth the hands, or in some cases try to mouth the faces, of the people working with them. Mouthing can be as gentle as a slobbery jaw covering your fingers without any pressure from the teeth, to a gentle nip or bite that can become more painful with increasing levels of excitement. It can be quite daunting when you enter the kennel of a 12 month old Siberian Husky that jumps up and tries to mouth your nose, teeth at the ready and all. My general reaction when entering the kennel of an exciting dog nowadays is to either quickly grab the collar to hold the wriggling bundle of excitement down, or in some cases body blocking the bumbling fluffy mass that is jumping up. It would be so much easier if these dogs were trained the basic manners they should know.

As many owners do understand, one of the first behaviours to modify in our puppies and young dogs is mouthing or 'puppy biting'. Dogs often do not realise their own strength, as dogs themselves are much more resilient than their human counterparts. It only takes one slightly out of place mouthing movement to seriously harm a child or unsuspecting adult. People don't realise that the cute bouncy puppy will one day turn into a large bouncy adult. Many dogs retain their puppy like characteristics way into adulthood, and at the very least up to about 2 years old - by that point the dog is fully grown and has fully grown teeth to match! This is the same principle as realising that a small child giving their parent or sibling a little playful slap, or even a kick or hit, will be much less appealing when the child is a full grown adult.

A dog that has a mouthing problem can quite quickly become a 'problem dog' and enter the rescue environment, where some rescue officials will deem this behaviour as making the dog un-rehomable. This happens in so many cases when the dog is a big breed or is a 'bully' breed and the puppy biting has carried on into adulthood. The worst part of this is that simple knowledge given to the new owners could prevent mouthing ever becoming a problem as mouthing is one of the simplest behaviours to change. Dogs stop other dogs mouthing them by sharp squeals as a puppy, to let other dogs know what is too hard. If you have an 8 week old puppy it is still in that learning process - one of the most effective things to do is squeal/scream when your puppy nips you, even when the nip isn't painful. In older dogs you can simply teach the dog that mouthing is wrong by saying 'No' and rewarding the dog the moment it stops. I would say big breeds especially need to be taught this basic command from puppyhood but the most painful dog I have worked with at the Kennel had to be a mini poodle that would nip you constantly as you tried to put her lead on - often reaching the inner thigh due to her size! She ripped my leggings on more than one occasion!

There are several things that need to change in both British dog owner mentality, such as the basic training, mentioned above, necessary to create a well balanced, great natured family pet, but also British law. In the future posts of this blog I will go into more detail of the problems dogs are currently facing in the UK and the legalisation that can help them, as well as the basic little things every owner should know and do to own the perfect pet to suit their lifestyle!