Gwen Bailey - Collins Good Dog Behaviour: An Owners Guide

For Winnie the Ridgeback, a loyal friend and
part of my life for the past 11 years.

By The Blue Cross

D ogs are a part of our daily life and they mean many things to many people. They are a source of inspiration to artists, writers and sculptors; they feature in films and television programmes; and their images are used to sell a whole range of products. Dogs were once kept mainly as working animals, but, in recent times, their principal role has changed to one of being a companion to share our lives. For a dog to be good company, it must be contented and have all its needs met. Only then can it behave in a way that allows us to enjoy living with it in our homes. Without a job to do, a companion dog must be given an outlet for its energies and some purpose in life. It will then be free to act in a way that we, as owners, can approve.

Sadly, all too often, relationships between pets and their owners break down due to a lack of understanding or appreciation of dogs special needs. The resulting bad behaviour forces owners to try various methods of punishment to no avail. If those relationships cannot be mended in time, the greatest loser is the dog who loses its home and is rejected by the people it knows and loves. If it is lucky, it will find itself in rescue kennels, like those of The Blue Cross. There it may languish for some time before a new owner can be found who is willing to take on the dog and its problems. In addition, the original owners who raised the dog lose a much-loved pet and may, worse still, without recognising their mistakes, go on to raise another puppy with the same bad habits.

The Blue Crosss commitment to animal behaviour work stems from the belief that if owners understand their pets better, fewer dogs will go wrong and be given up or abandoned. Owners who have developed a greater understanding of dog behaviour, make better owners who are kinder to their animals. Thus, the lives of the animals they own may improve considerably.

This book attempts to achieve a greater understanding between dogs and their owners and is fully supported by The Blue Cross. All relationships need to be worked at to be successful and the alliance between dog and owner is no exception. With the help of this book, you can achieve an understanding with your dog which will go beyond words, and the result will be a well behaved dog with whom you can look forward to spending many more happy years.

A lmost every owner would like a dog that is loyal, friendly, never naughty and obeys their every command. Most people, however, live with a dog whose behaviour is less than perfect and are tolerant of a wide variety of behaviour that does not conform to their idea of good conduct. However, it is possible for everyone to have a well-behaved dog. All that is required is that the owner develops a better understanding of their dog and changes the way they behave towards him. This book will help you to do this.

A dogs adult character depends on both the genes passed on to him by his parents and ancestors and the environment he has lived in throughout his life. Both will have an effect on his personality, his temperament and qualities, and, consequently, on the way he behaves.

Genetic influences in dogs are very profound. Our present-day dogs are all descendants of the wolves. Wolves are efficient predators of large prey that hunt co-operatively in packs. To do this they need to be sociable and communicative; both traits that make them excellent precursors of our domestic dogs.

Terriers enjoy games with toys that squeak because they were bred to catch and kill small animals.

In addition, the wolves have an instinctive hunting behaviour which gave them a suitable template to exploit in order to produce the working breeds. We selected the qualities we most admired and created a whole range of dogs to suit different purposes. Different breeds have specific traits that their ancestors required for their job. For example, Collies are born with a strong instinct to chase and herd moving objects, Terriers enjoy shake and kill games, particularly with objects that squeak, Dachshunds and Terriers which are bred to go to ground like to dig, and Bull Terriers like to hang on to objects and tug.

Puppies learn about each others strengths and weaknesses as they play together.

While genes have given our dogs the blueprint for behaviour, the environment in which they live helps develop and strengthen behaviour patterns. Dogs that are raised and kept in different situations will have different characters. Thus, for example, a pet dog raised from a very early age in a kind home with lots of children and animals is likely to be friendly, playful and sociable, whereas a dog kept shut away for most of the time is likely to be shy and fearful. A dog raised with overbearing owners will possibly have a low opinion of his own abilities whereas a dog kept with very indulgent, easy-going owners is likely to be more confident.

A Springer Spaniel is likely to be energetic and enjoy retrieving because of his genetic make-up.

Experiences early in life, particularly during the first year, will have the most influence on future character. However, dogs are very adaptable and will continue to change their behaviour as a result of experiences and influences from their surroundings throughout their lives.

It is impossible to say whether genes or environmental factors have more influence on the dogs adult character. Both play their part and are inextricably linked. Both should be considered when trying to understand why a dog is like he is.

The hunting sequence of the wolf is as follows:

TRACK AND FIND PREY

FIX GAZE ON PREY AND FREEZE

STALK

CHASE

GRAB BITE

KILLING BITE

DISSECT

CONSUME

RETRIEVE AND BURY WHAT HE CANNOT CONSUME

Man has accentuated different parts of the hunting sequence to create dogs that are suitable for various types of work.

& 9: Gundogs

2, 3 & 4: Herding breeds

& 4: Hounds

& 6: Terriers

A careful choice of a puppy or an adult dog will ensure that you acquire a dog with a genetic make-up that suits you.