Читать книгу The Rescued Dog Problem Solver - Tracy J. Libby - Страница 7

Lily Bella—A Social Butterfly

Lily Bella is a Pit Bull mix who was found as a stray.

Is there such a thing as too much cuteness? Not when you‘re a mixed-breed named Lily Bella, who melts your heart when you look at her. Her cute, intelligent face coupled with an elegant, compact sleekness makes you think there’s a little (or a lot) of hound and terrier milling about in her DNA. This endearing little gal may not possess the characteristic “pit bull“ brawn, but no doubt her inherited strength, tenacity, and intelligence kept her alive when she and her littermate brother were dumped and left to fend for themselves.

As is common in plenty of economically struggling communities, animals (especially dogs) are regularly and casually discarded at vacant lots, parks, or on roadsides. As with many strays, the process started with a telephone call to animal control: two puppies living under an abandoned house. Possibly someone moved away and left them behind, but the house appeared to have been abandoned for a good long time. Nothing indicated or hinted that their canine mom was ever present. Most mama dogs rarely leave their puppies unless it is in search of food, and even then they are seldom far away. No one recalls seeing a mama dog—ever. All evidence suggests that the littermates, barely old enough to be weaned, had been dumped. What happened to mama is anyone‘s guess. The potential scenarios are too heartbreaking to imagine.

How long the puppies had been on their own remains equally perplexing and elusive. Thin and sickly in appearance, the puppies should have been carefree bundles of sweetness romping in green grass and summer sun, yet their life was cowering under the house during the day and sneaking out at night to scavenge for food. With little or no human contact, a second animal control officer was called in to help corral and capture the terrified siblings. Lily Bella and her brother were not truly feral, but rather stray dogs who lacked any socialization skills and were merely shifting to survival mode. Identified as Pit Bull mixes, the skeptical puppies, newest members of an animal shelter environment, faced an insurmountable uphill battle. (“Pit Bull“ is not a breed but rather a generic term that encompasses several dog breeds whose original purpose included bull and bear baiting and, later, dog fighting. It is loosely applied to breeds with similar traits and characteristics.) Lily Bella‘s refined, streamlined physique suggests a wedge of Whippet or Greyhound may be coursing through her pedigree. At four months old, this running machine‘s speed and agility paint a fair picture of the modern-day breed. Even so, would her “Pit Bull“ connection keep her from being rescued?

Many counties in California have high-kill shelters, with an estimated 85 to 90 percent of stray and surrendered dogs being euthanized. Scared, skittish, or fearful dogs are seldom given an opportunity to prove their worth. Pit Bulls are rampant in California‘s central San Joaquin valley, and euthanasia remains routine for those entering the system.

Lady Luck‘s giant beacon shone brightly on the two siblings. Rather than being picked up by county animal control where they faced an almost certain sad fate, they ended up at Tulare Animal Services, a municipal facility with a roughly 55 percent euthanasia rate—a low number for many California shelters. The siblings‘ guardian angel was Tammy Burrows, rescue coordinator, who saw potential in the two strays and was determined to save them. They would not become another statistic on her watch.

Two weeks after being hauled out from under an abandoned house, and now in what must have seemed like the pampered life with a warm bath, yummy food, and a cozy bed, the sweet puppies were slowly coming around and starting to trust humans. At roughly eight to ten weeks of age, the puppies‘ narrow window of socialization remained open. Plenty of handling, playing, and cuddling helped to begin instilling confidence and trust. No doubt the turkey, cheese, and chicken-infused bribery helped a lot, too!

Tulare Animal Services takes in upwards of thirty dogs per day, mostly Chihuahuas and Pit Bulls. Walk down any street, and stray dogs run unchecked. Want a dog? Pick one off the street. No one adopts from the shelters. For Lily Bella and her littermate, the best chance at a successful future meant relocating them from the agricultural region to the Pacific Northwest. Dawn Rennie, founder of Enzo’s Acres, a nonprofit rescue organization in Portland, transported them to Oregon, where they were placed in a foster home.

Certified veterinary technician Bobbi Smith was working the day the siblings were brought into South Willamette Veterinary Clinic for spaying and neutering. Smith, along with her husband Todd and four-year-old son Tyler, had been talking about rescuing another dog. Lily Bella, the more outgoing of the two siblings, could not have been more perfect.

Puppies learn an amazing array of essential manners and important survival skills from their canine mama during their first eight weeks of life. A mama dog‘s swift and fair rewards and punishments let a puppy know not to be cheeky, or bite too hard, or fight with his canine siblings; to play gently; to wait his turn; to listen and to stay put or rally around her when told to do so. Behavioral challenges can be an issue when removing puppies from their canine mother too early. In this instance, no options were available. That decision had been made by whoever abandoned them.

A bit skittish and a little scared for the first few days but showing no signs of aggression, Lily Bella bonded instantly with Tyler, and the two remain inseparable. “Mommy I love her and want her to be my dog! She can sleep with me and scare the monsters away!“

Recognizing the importance of socialization, especially considering the absence of a mama dog, as well as Lily Bella‘s possible terrier/hound heritage, the Smiths understood that the responsibility of teaching social skills and life manners fell on them. They started straightaway preparing Lily Bella for all of the exciting adventures that lie ahead. Not wanting to overwhelm the little gal by teaching her everything at once, they established priorities, including introducing and socializing her to everything she is likely to encounter as an adult dog.

Lily Bella‘s new life as an avid outdoor hiking, backpacking, camping, and all-round perfect pet companion already includes a week-long backpacking/camping trip. Avid outdoor enthusiasts, the Smiths already include Doberman Pinscher Chiefy in their wilderness outings and plan to include Lily Bella, as well.

Remarkably, this little gal of unknown heritage who was terrified of humans shows no residual skittishness. Friendly, outgoing, dignified, lively, and affectionate, this once abandoned puppy facing an almost certain terrible fate now lives the high life, surrounded by love, guidance, and direction, with a future as bright and beautiful as her endearing spirit.

Lily Bella and Tyler bonded instantly.

Socialization: The Key to a Dog‘s Future

In a perfect world, all puppies would grow into adult dogs who are friendly, outgoing, and emotionally stable. In the real world, many puppies and adult dogs, be they purebred or mixed breeds, come with baggage we may never fully understand. Some dogs, like Lily Bella, get the worst start in life but blossom into wonderful cherished companions. Other dogs get the best start in life but are traumatized by owner ignorance, stupidity, or unforeseen circumstances.

Why do some dogs flourish while others falter?

Behavior always comes from a combination of genetics and environment, so much depends on a dog‘s breeding. Some dogs can experience negligent, even abusive conditions, and still mature into emotionally sound adult dogs because of superior genetics. Lily Bella and her brother lived an isolated life under an abandoned building with no mama dog or human guidance, yet because of some proper socialization at the tail end of the critical socialization period, and an apparently amazing set of genes, they are quickly developing and maturing into great companions.

For every dog like Lily Bella, there are countless dogs whose compromised conditions and deprivation early in life result in their inability to tolerate change. They are more likely to develop fearful reactions to people, noises, and unfamiliar locations. They tend to be more cautious, shy, fearful, and frequently nervous, avoiding or retreating from unfamiliar objects or situations. As adult dogs, they usually find it more difficult to cope with new or stressful situations.

If your dog came from a less than ideal environment, he may already avoid people, become easily fearful or timid much of the time, or show signs of aggression. If this is the case, you have zero time to lose. You may want to retain the assistance of a smart trainer or behaviorist to make up for lost ground. Although he may never become the dog he could have been, you can help to improve the situation by teaching him life skills and providing him with plenty of experiences to help build his confidence and bravery.

It‘s worth mentioning that while much of this chapter is geared toward puppies, most, if not all, the information can be applied to adult dogs, too. How quickly your dog progresses will depend on his age, breed, genetics, his emotional and physical state, and what type of life you envision him living. It may not be easy, but patience, love, understanding, and a lot of baby steps will keep you moving in the right direction. Five steps forward, three steps backward—and you‘re still two steps ahead!

Training Tip:

Your Dog‘s Future

According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy, behavioral problems such as aggression, fear, timidity, and the like, which frequently correlate with lack of socialization, are a common reason many dogs are abandoned or surrendered to animal shelters.Evidence clearly shows that early socialization can prevent the onset of these serious canine problems.If you do nothing else for your dog, you owe it to him to make the time to properly and adequately socialize him during this critical life stage.Doing so is time-consuming and takes a lot of energy.However, his future well-being depends on how much you do—or fail to do—during this critical period.

The Environmental Component of Socialization

Keep in mind that not all aggressive or fearful dogs have “bad“ genes. Plenty of dogs are afraid of people because they were not properly socialized as young puppies. This is not uncommon on ranches and farms where working dogs live an isolated life, seeing few, if any, people during the critical socialization period. These dogs are not necessarily hardwired to be shy or fearful of people, but because of their lack of socialization, they often view unfamiliar people as a threat.

Lily Bella is a good example of how genes (nature) and development and learning (nurture) play important roles in a dog‘s future. (Also known as the nature versus nurture debate.) Had her situation been different (i.e., had she been well socialized), it‘s hard to believe she would have been a terrified eight-week-old puppy cowering under an abandoned house. Had she not been rescued when she had, had she continued to live as a stray, it‘s highly likely her fear would have become more deeply ingrained, thereby increasing the difficulty of a successful rehabilitation. Yet, her superior genes no doubt allowed her to overcome her once fearful behavior.

These rescued Border Collies prove that good socialization and training can work miracles!

What Is Socialization?

Socialization is incredibly important, but what is it? Trainers have all sorts of definitions, but in the simplest of terms it is about classical conditioning: creating an association between two stimuli. This is a learning process in which your puppy is exposed—in a safe, positive, and nonthreatening way—to all of the things he is likely to encounter as an adult dog, such as other animals, the clapping of hands, elevators, stairs, vacuums, trash cans, kids on bicycles, women in floppy hats, and so forth.

That said, somewhere along the way, socialization became synonymous with a giant free-for-all. Taking your dog to the park and allowing him to be bombarded by other animals, strange sights, weird noises, and hordes of screaming, rambunctious kids grabbing at him, stepping on him, or squealing at him is not a positive experience. Likewise, taking him to a puppy class and allowing him to be mauled, bullied, or sent yelping by bigger, bossier, more dominant puppies is not a positive experience, either. Granted, some puppies may not be affected, but the majority of them will suffer in the long run. These types of experiences can permanently traumatize a young dog.

You want your puppy‘s association with his world—everything and anything he is likely to encounter as an adult dog—to be positive so he grows up thinking life is good and safe. This point cannot be stressed enough. Puppies need to play and interact with other puppies, and even adult dogs, yet that is a teeny, tiny piece of their education, not the only piece. Every second of the day, you are either adding to or subtracting from the human-canine relationship. Dog training, which includes socialization, is all about the relationship you have with your dog. Protecting that relationship should be priority one.

Thankfully, it is not difficult to find lots of fun places and ways to socialize your puppy.

Training Tip”

Eight Weeks and Beyond— The Critical Socialization Period

We know from the pioneering work of John Paul Scott and John L.Fuller that both genetic and environmental influences impact the development of canine behavior.One of their most important contributions is the description of sensitive periods in the social development of dogs, with the “socialization” period being the critical time between three and twelve weeks of age.(Some experts say three to fourteen to sixteen weeks.) It’s the time frame in a puppy’s life when “a small amount of experience will produce a great effect on later behavior.”

How to Socialize Your Dog

As soon as he is adequately vaccinated, you should take him for plenty of kisses and cookies everywhere that is safe and where dogs are permitted, such as:

•Outdoor cafes

•Shopping centers

•Hardware stores

•Banks

•Coffee shops

•Flower shops

•Horse barns

•Veterinarian‘s office

Expose him to a wide variety of people including toddlers, teenagers, people in wheelchairs, and men in uniform. Expose him to other animals, such as cats, horses, chickens, and furry or feathered pets. If the goats are scary, let him sit in your lap. Pick fresh fruit and let him savor the sweet taste of berries. Make the clapping of hands, the jingling of keys, and the clatter of dog bowls no big deal. Teach him to walk and play on different surfaces, such as gravel, grass, sandy beaches, vinyl and tile floors, and so forth. Don‘t forget bridges with varying planks of wood or metal.

Take him on elevators and escalators, and expose him to open stairs, closed stairs, steep stairs, narrow stairs, wood stairs, and grated stairs (watch his toes and be careful he doesn‘t fall). Expose him to paper bags blowing in the wind, honking horns, garden hoses, sprinklers, wind chimes, and everything else he might come in contact with as an adult dog. Let him play in and around empty boxes, tunnels, and buckets. Allow him to investigate trees, rocks, bushes, branches, leaves, and fallen fruit. Take him to the beach and let him climb on driftwood and dig in the sand. Go for a hike in the woods and let him climb on and over fallen trees. Take him someplace new every day.

Give him a ride in a wheelbarrow or bundle him up in your jacket and take him for a bicycle ride. Buy him a lifejacket and take him boating or kayaking. Let him go swimming with a slow, fun introduction to lakes, rivers, and pools. Push him around pet-friendly stores in a shopping cart. Sit him in your lap while you gently swing on a swing or stretch out in a hammock.

Teach him the art of walking past people without always having to say hello. Teach him to potty on different surfaces—grass, gravel, dirt, asphalt, as well as on and off leash. (You‘ll appreciate this one when traveling and stopping for potty breaks.) Challenge his mind by teaching him to problem solve, such as how to find and retrieve his ball from under a chair, how to dig the marrow out of a bone, how to balance and walk on a plank or log, how to climb over a downed tree that‘s bigger than he thinks he can climb.

Attend a small puppy class—preferably with not more than three or four puppies—or invite friends and neighborhood kids over (after they have washed their hands and left their shoes at the door) for kisses and supervised play. Take him walking with one friend and her dog. Handle him multiple times a day cuddling, kissing, and whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

You want your puppy’s encounters with the outside world to be safe and positive.

Balancing Act

Socializing your dog is a balancing act. You must expose him to the world around him while simultaneously protecting him from potentially harmful or fearful situations, yet being careful about encouraging or rewarding fearful behaviors. You want to find a balance between the right amount of exposure and stimulation, while still providing a safe, stress-free environment. Try really hard to avoid exposing him to a barrage of constant noise and stimulation every waking moment. Puppies have short attention spans, and they need plenty of down time to sleep and recover from their busy day of being a puppy. When they are awake, however, they need enough physical and mental stimulation and socialization to grow into healthy, happy adult dogs.

Finding that balance will depend on your dog. Understanding the innate characteristics of your dog‘s breed is especially handy during this time. You will need to read his body language by observing his reactions to different situations. Watch his ears and tail and body posture. Is he happy? Fearful? Apprehensive? Courageous? Inquisitive? Submissive? By understanding and reading your dog’s body language, you will be able to assess his comfort level and evaluate or adjust the situation accordingly. Here are a few examples:

•If your dog is afraid of vacuum cleaners, leave it in the corner of the room and let him adjust to its presence on his own terms. Leave a few tasty treats next to it and let him figure out how to get them on his own. Another option is to turn it on in another room. If possible, have someone turn it on in another room while your praise and reward your dog with plenty of yummy cookies. (Don‘t confuse a dog‘s innate or quirky behaviors, such as attacking a vacuum, with fear. These are two different situations that require different approaches.)

•If your dog is afraid of a particular person, do not force him to engage. Simply allow him to sort it out on his terms. Have the person sit on the floor, which is less intimidating than standing over a puppy, and reward him with treats when he approaches on his own.

•If your dog is not used to children, a room full of rambunctious children may be overwhelming or downright scary. Ideally, you should modify or restrict the exposure to one quiet, well-behaved child in the beginning until your dog is confident enough to handle more.

If your dog is afraid of a particular person, do not force him to engage.

Comforting or Coddling?

A good deal of controversy surrounds the topic of comforting or soothing fearful dogs. Certainly, it‘s human nature to want to comfort a fearful dog, but does coddling or otherwise rewarding a dog who shows fear reinforce that fear? For years, the accepted theory has been that if a dog is fearful and you attempt to comfort him by saying, “It’s ok honey. Don’t be afraid. Mommy won’t let anything happen to you,“ then you are rewarding his fearful actions, which inadvertently compounds the situation by reinforcing his fear.

Fear is designed to be aversive, and many behaviorist believe that comforting a noise-sensitive dog who goes into freak-out mode at the sound of thunder or fireworks is not going to reinforce his fear. Calmly stroking his ears, scratching his belly, or talking in a soothing voice probably won‘t make him worse. According to certified applied animal behaviorist Patricia McConnell, PhD, “Fear is an emotion, and ‘reinforcement‘ refers to something than increases a behavior. You can‘t, technically, reinforce an emotion, but you can increase the frequency of a particular behavior.“

It’s no surprise that studies support both sides of the issue. However, McConnell goes on to explain that if stroking and petting a dog who is fearful of thunder has a positive effect, and the dog is no longer pacing, panting, and whining, then maybe rubbing his belly isn‘t such a bad thing.

That said, scolding or correcting a fearful or apprehensive dog will definitely exacerbate the situation.

On the other hand, if your dog yelps because you accidently stepped on his foot, coddling him may reinforce some fearful or wimpy behavior. Instead, in these instances, immediately play with him and talk to him in a happy voice. This takes his mind off the situation and puts his focus on your happy, positive energy.

Did you Know?

Socialization and Vaccinations

Although vaccinations are important to your puppy, so too is socialization.A hotly debated topic is the perceived risk of exposing puppies (or insufficiently vaccinated adult dogs) to other dogs prior to completing their full complement of vaccinations at around sixteen weeks.Some veterinarians adamantly oppose socialization before sixteen weeks of age because of the risk of contracting an infectious disease, such as parvovirus.The decision is a personal one and should always be made in consultation with your veterinarian.Plenty of opportunities exist to safely socialize your puppy, but until he is fully vaccinated, avoid those public places where the risk of encountering infected dogs is high, such as dog parks, pet-supply stores, and large puppy or obedience classes.

Temperament and its Limitations

Puppies and adult dogs are unique individuals and must be treated as such. By understanding as much as possible about the breed you have chosen, you will have an easier time understanding why he does what he does and, subsequently, how best to manage his behavior during the socialization process. For example, many dogs are attracted to moving objects, which incite their chase instinct. By exposing your puppy to these objects, including strollers, wheelchairs, shopping cars, vacuums, bicycles, and kids on roller blades and skateboards, your puppy is less likely to have an issue with them as he gets older. Of course, for some dogs, especially herding and terrier breeds, chasing moving objects is in their DNA, and you will need to work hard to curtail this potentially dangerous behavior.

Some dogs are prone to developing obsessive-compulsive behaviors, including Doberman Pinschers, German Shepherds, Dalmatians, Rottweilers, and Border Collies, to name a few. So, during the socialization process—and throughout the dog’s life—try your best to prevent these behaviors from developing or, at the very least, from continuing. For instance, never allow your puppy to fixate on cats or other animals, chase his tail, chase shadows, or run fence lines. And never, ever use laser lights to play with your dog. Although it may seem like a fun way to exercise your puppy, laser-light games can create stress, anxiety, and potentially life-threatening obsessive behaviors in many dogs.

If your puppy has a bad experience at a young age, it is imperative that you address the situation right away while the socialization window is still open. Do not be fooled into thinking your puppy will grow out of his phobias. Once behaviors like fear or aggression become ingrained, they are more difficult, if not impossible, to eliminate and fix. The socialization period is the best time to address any perceived problems. If your puppy is showing signs of anything other than normal puppy behaviors, this is the time to seek advice from a smart trainer or behaviorist who can help to repair the damage.

Rescue Tip:

Little-Dog Syndrome Is Not Funny

Differences exist between a well-behaved puppy who you indulge and a spoiled ruffian who bites and snaps at people.Labeled “little-dog syndrome,” this spoiled behavior tends to be seen more often in small or toy dogs.People tend to be amused by snarky behaviors in little dogs, such as a pampered Pomeranian sitting on his owner’s lap and growling at passersby or a four-pound Chihuahua sprinting to attack someone’s shin bone.You have probably caught yourself laughing at these situations, too.Some owners think the behavior is amusing, so they reward it, whether intentionally or not.Sadly, these behaviors are dangerous because they become ingrained, and these puppies grow into adult dogs who think they are invincible.It is nearly impossible to turn these half-pint hooligans into nice, happy dogs.Instead, these puppies grow into dogs who can’t be trusted and really aren’t fun to be around.Look ahead to your puppy’s future and recognize those behaviors you want to encourage and discourage so that you can instill and reward those behaviors that foster a happy, healthy puppy.