Behavior is information
Read on for the behavior lessons from Petey’s Great Fence Escape.
All kinds of critters lurk up there: bobcats, porcupines, coyotes, black bears, and turkeys, among others. We see their tracks almost every time we’re out.
The dogs are a little too eager to dash up there to explore.
When we walk into the woods, our dogs regularly give us lots of information through their behavior.
The disused road through the woods above is our regular morning walk, and we know that up this hill lurk porcupines (among others … the difference is that porcupines won’t run from the dogs). Through sniffing, the dogs know the spiny critters are nearby and are very eager to pursue (this, despite having been quilled and in Petey’s case, having been quilled twice).
So what do we do? Firstly, Petey rarely gets a chance to go off-leash in the woods anymore. At age 9, he doesn’t mind so much and still gets in running from time to time. But he’s capable of pulling the leash out of our hands to dash up the hill. So, we pay attention to the dogs. Though Rob and I are walking, chatting, and looking at the birds, we are always aware of where the dogs are and what they, and their noses, are up to, as in the video below.
Growling as behavior information
I recently worked with a dog who had some fear around certain noises in the home. This is an instance in which we train using classical counterconditioning: pairing the scary noise with amazing treats. During our session the pup was happy to eat the treats until we got just a little too close to the noise, and he got a little worried, and growled. So we stopped, regrouped, and got valuable information about how the dog was feeling about that training step: It was too much, so we’ll back off to an easier step.
Pro tip: A growl is your dog’s way of communicating that he is uncomfortable and when you hear one you should 100% stop what you’re doing and give your dog space. You can thank your dog silently, or aloud, for that clear communication. A growl, while scary for us, should never, ever be punished. Then reach out to me for help!
Body language is also behavior
Behavior is anything a dog does that is designed to produce a desired consequence for her. Observing both behavior — and the lack of behavior — is an important skill set for any trainer to have, as canine behavior can often be misinterpreted by amateurs who view it through a lens of wishful thinking and how primates (humans) interact, as opposed to how canids interact. Dogs communicate through their own behavior and body language in many ways:
A dog who enjoys food toys when you’re home but doesn’t touch them when you’re out might be showing signs of some separation distress.
A dog who licks a nearby child is probably not “kissing” the child, but would like the child to move away (ever handle your dog’s feet and have them lick your hands? They want you to stop what you’re doing.) Or, the child simply may have food smeared on his face which is tempting to the dog. Dogs don’t “kiss” like we primates do.
A dog who looks up at you with head down and whites of the eyes showing when you come home might be interpreted as having a “guilty look.” More likely, she anticipates something unpleasant is about to happen and is shrinking away from you while keeping her eyes on you, which causes the whites to show. If you have chastised your dog for a house-training accident upon your return, you may recognize this “guilty look.” However, your dog is simply afraid of your possible reaction upon your entering. Time to re-think your entry routine as well as consult a trainer about a house-training refresher.
A dog who suddenly stops moving forward on a walk may have experienced something that spooked them up ahead. If possible, change your route to avoid that place. Purposely exposing a dog to her fears is called “flooding” and while it’s a specialty of TV charlatan “trainers,” it’s both ineffective and inhumane.
Petey and the Great Escape
He pushed under the fence, took off, and eventually came back 😅
Shortly after we moved into our house Rob put up a temporary fence. One morning, Petey pushed under the temporary fence to chase something that was lurking in the morning mist in the bushes behind our house. I couldn’t see it but perhaps it was a bear? Deer? Turkeys? Groundhogs? We have seen all of those back there, eating what falls from an apple tree. Luckily, he came back about 10 minutes later and you can believe I heavily rewarded him with a shower of treats.
Here's the behavior information and action steps he gave us:
1. He can push under the temporary fence. We bought stakes to fasten it down.
2. Critters lurk in those bushes at all hours. While we had been waiting for our landscaper to trim the foliage when he put up the permanent fence, I texted him to try to come soon to cut that overgrowth back. We couldn’t see the critters, but the dogs knew they were there.
3. I should put on my glasses before letting the dogs out, so I can better check for lurking critters. Even with a fully fenced yard we’ve seen opossums toddling around, who likely live under the porch.
4. Time to brush up our recall in our new location.
Bonus: We could use better lighting outside!
As scared as I was that day (our backyard is a state forest where hunting is allowed), we were relieved Petey came back and while my impulse may have been to chastise him for being naughty, I stifled myself and told him what a good dog he was. Then, we made a plan to act on the information he gave us rather than take a second chance.