Dog Myth Busted - Part 2

by Amanda Abresch, B.S., ABCDT, APDT, CPDT-KA

Welcome to part 2 of dog myths busted! Again, I am dispelling some myths that I have heard from other pet professionals or that clients have heard from other pet professionals and have asked me about. I will say again, just like last time: veterinarians who have actually studied behavior do exist, as do groomers who see the benefits in gradual conditioning to the grooming experience, breeders who consider the importance of breeding for health and disposition, have great puppy raising protocols and place pets responsibly in homes, and trainers who use scientifically proven, non-harmful methods for training and behavior modification. They are out there, and you can find one locally or virtually to help you and your pup. Unfortunately, many in each profession are stuck in outdated methods and insist that there is no need to change. There are professionals in the dog industry who will say that the only way to train is using coercion and compulsion and that dominance is the answer for everything. I’m here to tell you that they are wrong, and that isn’t just a matter of opinion. Based on research, this is a fact that is mounting in recent years to show everyone that there are better ways to train.

In human behavior modification, we have made leaps and bounds over the past few decades. In zoo animal training and husbandry, we teach elephants, tigers, and whales to be active participants in procedures to avoid stress, anxiety, and fear. In our best furry friends, we need to all start doing the same. Then, we can all evolve to be better humans to our canine companions.

Today’s myths:

“My vet told me that the reason our 3-month-old puppy humps toys and sometimes our older dog is because he thinks he is alpha, and we need to punish him for that, so he doesn’t grow up thinking he’s in charge.”

I hear this from veterinarians, trainers, and breeders alike, which is so disheartening since they can be such a valuable resource for pet parents. First, the idea of dominance in a three-month-old puppy is a stretch at best. That is like saying that a 2-yearold human wants to be in control of everything. Look, I have had threeyear-old humans (and three-monthold puppies), and the things they want control over are toys, playtime, and food- not necessarily in that order. A puppy that age will very, very rarely show any attempts at being the boss because their brain isn’t thinking big picture like that! He isn’t plotting his scheme to take over your house, just as my daughter was not planning to take over the world as a toddler. Your puppy is being a puppy with some socially awkward, out-of-context behavior. I am not insinuating that puppies are dumb, but that they are concerned with eating, playing, and napping- not dominating anything at that age. It is true that a puppy that age can (rarely) show aggression. This is really serious at such a young age, but humping toys and an older dog are not inherently aggressive. Most often, a puppy this young who is humping is just getting excess energy out. I know it sounds weird, but the vast majority of the time, that is all! Your pup is too excited and/or too tired. The second part of the advice is just as simple— you will not make things better by escalating the situation. This is just as true with dogs as it is with humans. If a dog is trying to control things and is being a bully about it, and you are a bully right back, it will escalate, guaranteed. If you leap into the situation ready for a fight, you will indeed find one. Even if you don’t, you will absolutely damage your relationship with your puppy. Please, please, don’t punish your dog with any physical force— you will just teach him that next time, he needs to move faster to get ahead of you, which means you or someone else will get hurt down the road. Instead, when you notice your puppy is humping a toy: -ignore it or leave the room -redirect him to a game of tug or fetch (though this may just increase excitement in some dogs) -let him go outside and play in the yard with you (fetch, tug) -go for a walk to sniff around (no specific distance in mind, just walking to smell things- this will help provide some mental stimulation and enrichment)

-when your older dog is the unsuspecting object of desire, and they are not correcting the puppy, calmly separate them and provide a time out in a crate or behind a gate for a puppy. Whatever you do, please do not yell, scream, hit, or try any of that “alpha roll” junk you may have seen on tv. It makes for exciting television and creates dogs with serious behavioral issues. If you want to be a good leader for your pup, be fair and consistent and do your best to remain calm. If you remember one thing here, remember this: your dog does not feel the need to be alpha over you, just as it would not feel the need to be alpha over a squirrel. Of course, it will chase a squirrel because it runs, and that’s fun, or it looks like a tasty treat, but inter-species dominance is something unique to humans. Nobody else in the animal kingdom cares because it’s pointless.

“When my dog was staying with a trainer, she did not eat, and I was told that this is just my dog having a tantrum and she will eat when she is hungry.”

This is a little concerning, but I think some context can help. Here are the situations that we generally see with this scenario. If your dog did not eat for a day but then did eat, as usual, that is probably alright. The excitement and stress of a new place with new people and different dogs can be enough to make our pups forget about food. Check with your vet, but typically, most dogs that are not toy or mini breeds will be ok for 24 hours without eating. Toy and mini breeds simply do not have enough energy stored for that long without meals and can have a dangerous downward spike in insulin levels. Always check with your vet if you are concerned about your dog’s eating habits. If your dog was there for a week and did not eat the whole time or only ate small portions of their meals, I would be concerned. But, again, we do have excitement to think about when kids go to a birthday party, they typically spend the whole time playing and don’t even think about eating because of all the fun. The thing is, they usually make up for it by suddenly feeling hungry as soon as you get in the car to leave! So not eating well for a day or two, especially if they are getting treats in training, is not necessarily concerning, but the situation should be watched closely. And there are questions you can ask to get more information. If your dog usually eats everything in sight and loves new people and food and other dogs and food but did not eat while at this trainer’s place, I would be concerned. This could indicate a few things, none of which are a tantrum:

1. Your dog is so stressed and/or anxious that she is not thinking about food; her body is in or close to fight or flight, and digestion is literally shut down. This dog should not be at that training facility because no good training can happen at this point. Either this dog does not know how to cope with being away from home, and a more gradual transition to the new environment is needed or the people, tools, methods, etc., are too harsh, and the dog is terrified. Think about it, if you were at a new place where you felt too uneasy about eating, would you want to stay there? Would you characterize your decreased appetite as a “tantrum”?

2. Your dog is so excited about friends and fun that she doesn’t care about food and just wants to party! See if they use extra special treats in training and if she is eating in training sessions. If so, they could try to mix in some of her daily food with the treats used in training.

3. Your dog is getting lots of treats in training, so there isn’t room for her regular food in her tummy (it may be fine, as long as the treats are high quality). Talk to the trainer about meals being incorporated into training. Still, if they aren’t already doing that and think that your dog is having a tantrum, the trainer is probably using outdated training methods, and you and your dog deserve better.

4. They are feeding a different food than you feed at home, and your dog