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We have different needs

A successful partnership often works not because roles are evenly split, but because each member has their own strengths which complement those of the other. While dogs and humans share a common home and can form remarkable partnerships, we have evolved in different environments with different abilities, and so need to look at how these differences can translate into the strengths that will make the relationship successful. This idea of complementary strengths doesn’t just refer to different skills, such as the dog’s ability to use his great sense of smell to help handlers find contraband: it might be that one individual encourages the other to be more thoughtful and therefore make better decisions as a result. Ultimately, this enriches the lives of both partners.

It is easy for the differences between people and their dogs to become a source of tension between them, but if we accept that we have different needs and we manage these with careful and imaginative consideration, we can maximise the positive potential in our relationships with our dogs.

Remember!

The things that make your dog happy may be different to the things that make you happy and vice versa. Individual differences are an important feature of relationships that can be used to create a stronger team. It takes planning and forethought to allow both of you to have what you want without coming into conflict, eg by setting boundaries and rules for you and your dog or ensuring that certain behaviours can be controlled by providing appropriate training.

Dogs, especially when young, like to chew. Providing for this need (by giving him safe chew items or chew toys appropriate for him) will reduce the risk of conflict caused by him chewing on your precious possessions.

A dog’s priorities are not the same as a human’s

While all animals prioritise things like staying alive, dogs and humans will, in many situations, have different priorities. For example, dogs have a phenomenal sense of smell, and seeing your dog use his nose to trace a scent that we cannot perceive can be a truly enjoyable experience. Such differences reflect the joys of the partnership we can form with dogs, but they usually come with a potential downside, too: dogs may be disturbed or distracted by changes in the chemical environment that might go unnoticed by us. For example, they may react to the smell of air fresheners, or a bitch in season nearby. Some chemicals in the environment – such as those in the latter case – can have a powerful effect on a dog’s mood, so it is always important to bear in mind that, in a situation where your dog’s behaviour changes, and you can’t see a reason for it, an odour we can’t smell, or one which seems irrelevant to us, may be influencing him.

Top tip

Give your dog time to investigate the odours in his environment. It’s important for dogs to sniff around in a new environment as well as a familiar environment where the scent picture may have changed. Respect this need. In addition, if he tells you through his behaviour that he is feeling uncomfortable, respect that and respond appropriately to help him feel better (see chapter 5), even if you can’t identify a reason.

This ability to investigate odours is important, whether he is on- or off-lead, so it is useful when he is on-lead to teach him cues which mean ‘you can go sniff,’ versus ‘no sniffing now’ (see Appendix 1) to reduce potential conflict arising from your different priorities: when you need to get from A to B quickly, for example, and he wants to read the pee-mail!

Most dogs don’t care about getting wet and muddy, and they don’t recognise that the cleanliness of your new carpet is important to you. However, this potential source of conflict can be avoided by implementing certain rules or routines that allow him to get mucky, but ensure that he accepts being cleaned before he comes into the house. This is a much fairer compromise than simply depriving him of outdoor pleasures.

Sometimes it’s the simple things, like stopping on a walk to watch livestock, which give your dog pleasure. As long as it is safe to do so and he is behaving appropriately towards whatever is holding his attention, allowing him to take time to look is beneficial to him, and likely to teach you more about his character, too.

These dogs are enjoying sniffing together on a walk, and so are meeting a variety of their needs, including taking in important information about their environment and sharing relaxed companionship.

Remember!

He may also need to leave his own scent mark in the environment so allow him to do so, as long as it is appropriate from a human perspective!

Remember!

It’s important to allow your dog to be a dog, and it’s okay to simply give him free choice sometimes, when it is safe to do so. Enjoy what he chooses to do (and learn from it) rather than being upset or disgusted. If he does engage in things you don’t like or which you worry may be detrimental to him, don’t think that complete restriction or total avoidance of situations or areas is the only solution. Creative planning for situations (such as using distraction techniques, or teaching him alternative responses) can enable you to enjoy outings in risky areas while keeping you both safe and happy.

It is normal for dogs to sniff things in the environment that we may find disgusting, such as another dog’s faeces. Making a fuss over this could create a problem where none need exist. Of course, if it appears that he is about to roll in or eat something that you would rather he did not, you can calmly call him away.

Urine marking is a normal behaviour in both male and female dogs.

If you would rather your dog did not engage in a certain activity, such as splashing through a muddy puddle, you can put him on a lead, or use a toy to distract him from the puddle as you move him quickly past it.

Another reason that our priorities differ is that we provide for or control many of the basic biological needs of a dog (eg food, shelter, breeding via neutering, etc), whereas we may have to work towards achieving these for ourselves. A key way that this may influence our priorities in different ways is that he may see interaction with you as a priority, whereas you need to prioritise your job and other activities that take you away from him. Some dogs may find the separation caused by your absence stressful*, or they may simply find being alone uninteresting. You therefore need to ensure that your dog does not suffer as a consequence of being alone, and has appropriate care during the day, including activities to engage him, and that, when you are home, you give him the interaction opportunities he enjoys.

* If your dog is noticeably distressed when separated from you please seek help from an appropriately qualified professional.

Top Tip

It is useful to teach your dog a signal that means ‘I really can’t give you attention now’ so that he knows that sometimes he can come to you for fuss on his own terms, but sometimes he has to respect that you are busy. If you can convey this clearly, politely and consistently, he will learn that, at those times, he needs to amuse himself. This will avoid him becoming upset or bothering you with annoying attention-seeking behaviour (see the photos on pages 50 & 51 for more info on this).

Key psychological needs

As well as social interaction, safety and security are amongst the most important psychological needs your dog has, both within the home and when out in society. Most people never need to consider what it may be like to frequently feel frightened or anxious, as most of us live in relatively safe societies, and we understand what is happening around us. However, this is not necessarily the reality for dogs. For this reason it is important that your dog has a safe haven in your home (see Appendix 2) where he is in control, and knows he will come to no harm. Everyone should respect this space, and allow him to access it whenever he wants, and not bother him when he is there.

When out and about, and especially in social situations, we need to ensure (and convey to him by being supportive) that no harm will come to our dog when he is with us. In reality, this means ensuring we are consistently dependable, so that he can have confidence in us in all situations, even if we don’t understand the reason for his behaviour, or if it embarrasses or frustrates us (for example, if he growls at another dog).

We may not always love what our dog does, but we should always love him and support him, even when he makes a mistake. Losing our temper is not only counterproductive, but deprives our dog of the social support he needs to become a confident individual. This is especially true when his behaviour is motivated by fear or anxiety – for example, if he is trying to avoid something. This does not, of course, mean that we simply accept and live with behaviours that are inappropriate or difficult to manage, but we need to put a long-term plan in place to change his behaviour whilst supporting him in the short-term.

Every dog should have a safe haven in his home. This may be a bed, a basket or a crate. The key point is that it is a place where he feels safe and secure. See Appendix 2 for details on how to establish a safe haven.

Remember!

Just as we meet a dog’s essential physical needs, certain psychological needs must also be met to maintain good well-being.

Enrichment is a personal thing

Another key psychological need we share with dogs is to mentally engage with things: ie to explore the environment and seek out information about it through play and investigation. As we have the ability to control aspects of our world – to travel, watch television, read a book – we may not appreciate that we are naturally meeting this need on a daily basis, but that most dogs do not have the opportunity to do the same. It is therefore our responsibility as owners to meet this need in our dogs through enriching their environment.

We all value different things in life, which means that some things are more interesting to certain individuals than others, and while there are some basic principles to enrichment – such as ensuring the recipient is capable of using a specific device, and balancing predictability and control (see below), just because a manufacturer claims it’s produced a great toy, it does not mean that your dog will necessarily agree.

Allowing off-lead exploration is (for most dogs) one of the best ways of meeting their need for investigation and interaction. Therefore, learning to be safe and controllable during off-lead walks is a key skill for dogs to master.

Remember!

If your dog is simply not interested in a toy or activity, it’s useless, and not enrichment – regardless of what it says on the packaging. Likewise, it does not have to say ‘toy’ to be a plaything, though be careful about drawing clear distinctions between play items and similar non-play objects in the home: eg it’s not a good idea to give an old T-shirt or slippers as a toy, as you want to avoid the risk of your dog believing that all such items are toys.

You may have a good idea of what your dog enjoys, but don’t be afraid of offering him new opportunities by introducing new activities or devices, and watching his response. This can be enriching for you, too, especially as you discover hidden talents in your dog. Do bear in mind, though, that many of the newer dog games on the market require you to do a bit of training with your dog for him to understand them, so set aside some time for proper introductions.

If you’re just starting out and unsure about what your dog may enjoy (and don’t be bound by breed stereotypes), buy or make a selection of inexpensive (but safe) toys, and offer them all to your dog to see which attract his interest most.

Interactive food toys can provide dogs with mental challenge and enrichment. Spending time teaching your dog how to use these toys is an enjoyable way to build your relationship, too.

Tips for providing enrichment

• Provide meaningful enrichment. Look at the toys and other playthings your dog has or has had, and note which ones are used and when, and which are not. Are there any common themes linking the different items, eg: are the chew toys all but destroyed but food dispensers ignored? Does he prefer a certain size of toy, or toys made of certain materials? Consider what this tells you about your dog’s preferences, and seek to provide variations on this theme.

• Rotate the provision of toys, etc. Dogs can quickly get used to things, so it’s helpful to have a cupboard of toys that allow you to swap around on different days. This may be particularly valuable for any toys that your dog liked initially, but then seemed to go off. Pick up some of the toys that your dog has left lying around and put them away for another day, replacing them with different ones from the store. However, if your dog has an item that he carries around like a ‘security blanket,’ pop this back into his safe haven, rather than put it away.

Providing your dog with a toy box containing a variety of toys enables him to choose which he feels like playing with at any given time. This box would be better for having some toys taken out (and stored in a cupboard for later), so that the range presented to him can be rotated to keep his interest. It also appears that some of these toys are never played with (they look brand new!), so therefore, to this dog, they are not acting as enrichment. Stock your dog’s toy box with the type of toys he prefers.

• Balance predictability with control in the home environment. Good welfare depends on having the right amount of control over your environment, balanced against a certain level of unpredictable but largely pleasant surprises. This keeps the mind happy and healthy. Too predictable a routine becomes boring, and too unpredictable a routine unsettling. Try to generate and teach your dog signals that reliably predict certain routines – such as he always gets groomed on a specific mat, so when the mat comes out he knows what to expect. In addition, teach him that there are appropriate behaviours that will pay off when he predicts something may happen, like sitting by the door calmly when you indicate it’s time to go for a walk. He can then potentially use these polite learnt responses to communicate what he wants, too (such as some fuss from you), and give you ideas for what to do and when.

• Occasionally, give your dog a treat for simply being a great companion. Nice surprises can help to strengthen the bond between the two of you, but it is important that these remain surprises and not an expected routine. So, occasional and varied, not predictable and indulgent (and they don’t have to be food!).

We are all individuals

Quite apart from the differences which exist between dogs and humans, everyone is an individual; the product of their genetics and early environment. This means there are certain things about our dog’s character that we must simply learn to accept. For example, you and your dog may have very different friends, and we should respect this rather than force friendships where they do not seem to occur naturally. While there are procedures (beyond the scope of this book) which can be implemented with professional support to help encourage affectionate relationships, we must never try to force together two individuals. If your dog seems to take a dislike to someone or another animal – which might be due to a previous experience (or lack of experience) and related associations – in the first instance it is usually preferable to simply accept that they don’t get on, even if the person wants to be with your dog. Keep your dog away from this individual by making alternative arrangements for when you meet up.

Individual differences and their associated unpredictability are partly the reason that we form close relationships, which means we will continue to be surprised by our dogs from time to time, and our relationship will not always be as smooth as we might like, as we will not always get what we want from him. Developing a frame of mind that recognises and values this is as much the secret of a happy relationship as is what we do for each other.

Remember!

Marketing people design toys to be as much or even more attractive to the buyer (ie the person) than the user (the dog). Many toys are red, for example, because this shade is attractive to us, but dogs don’t easily see this colour in the environment, so before you buy that new toy, ask yourself how much it appeals to you rather than your dog, and go for those that seem to fit with your dog’s personality rather than yours.

Performing specific activities in a predictable way – for example, always grooming him on a specific mat – enables your dog to predict what will happen next. This helps to reduce the stress which can accompany a very unpredictable lifestyle.

Respect that your dog may want to avoid an interaction with another individual: for example, as in this image, by veering away and showing tension in his face. Just as we don’t immediately like everyone we meet, neither will your dog, and forcing him into an interaction he wishes to avoid may mean he feels the need to express his opinion more overtly – by growling or snapping.