Tag dog behaviour

What is separation anxiety?

Separation anxiety are behaviors that dogs exhibit when left alone. A more accurate term would be separation-related behaviors, as these behaviors occur exclusively or are intensified in the owner's absence. These behaviors can range from barking, whining, and pacing to destructive behaviors, inappropriate elimination, and even self-harm. Your dog is desperately trying to escape a perceived danger - which is being without you.

How to I know if my dog has separation anxiety?

If your dog exhibits any of these behaviors only or primarily when left alone, it is likely they are experiencing separation anxiety.

In separation-related issues, determining whether a dog feels fear or anxiety is difficult, as both trigger similar physiological responses. Luckily, the training method remains the same, focusing on increasing the dog's tolerance for being alone.

Is it my fault that my dog has separation anxiety?

It's common for owners to feel guilty about their dog's separation anxiety. It's crucial to understand that the cause is often multifactorial and not owner related. While genetics, early life experiences, and maternal influences play a role, an owner's actions do not directly cause separation anxiety. Instead of blaming yourself, focus on providing support for your dog and Contact us to get help implementing a training plan.

We will never suggest for you and your dog to train above your dog's threshold. Studies and learning theory tells us that it doesn't really work - It can create more fear and more anxiety without having an impact on your short and long term training objectives.

Aversive training methods, such as punishment or shock collars, are strongly discouraged for separation anxiety. These methods inflict fear and pain, potentially worsening the problem by creating negative associations with being alone as well as affecting your dog's memory, motivation and ability to learn new things.

What is desensitization, and how can it help my dog with separation anxiety?

Desensitization is a gradual process of exposing the dog to a low-intensity version of what it is afraid of - being home alone. By systematically and patiently working through a desensitization training plan that we tailor for your dog, you can help your dog build self-confidence and tolerance for being alone at home, while you can go out with a clear conscience knowing that your dog is fine being at home without you.

- and what can you do about it?

As dog Guardians we always want what's best for our dogs and we wish for them to have the best lives possible. We hope they're fine, we think they're fine - but how can we really know if they're okay?

Unfortunately, it is not always easy to see if our dogs are in distress. They are resilient, adapt to their life situation and are eternal optimists who always makes lemonade out of lemons - that's one of the reasons why we love them so much. Those same traits can also make their lives more difficult. Their ability to adapt can cause them to suppress and hide pain and illness so that it becomes even more difficult for us to detect that they are in pain.

Evolution can also get in the way ofour dogs welfare - it is not very smart for a dog in the wild to show weakness towards either friends or foes. In addition, the body, of both humans and dogs, has a number of mechanisms to try to compensate for injuries or weaknesses, and the brain helps as best it can to block pain signals – e.g. to send out dopamine or other substances that can relieve the pain. Behavior can be changed to adapt to pain, protect oneself, or perform actions that seek to distract oneself from the pain, or trigger dopamine, other hormones or signaling substances that can dampen the pain experience, put very simply.

Behavioural changes

This is often how we discover that our dogs are in pain - that they change their behavior - but unfortunately we don't always understand what we see. We notice that the dog is different but do not know why or what causes the change. Maybe the dog starts growling at the children in the house, snarls or shows aggression, they withdraw or are not as interested in having contact with us anymore, they start biting or licking their paws, or they get tired and rests more, becomes disinterested in playing, and perhaps no longer wants to go out for a walk?

But - they might also continue as before, be just as happy, love to chase after balls and Frisbees and defy their pain, seemingly completely healthy and pain-free until the pain becomes so great that they start to show behavioral changes. How a dog acts, how much pain they tolerate depends on many factors, age, stress level, resilience, bond with owner, degree of optimism in life and much more. There is no conclusive test to establish either IF the dog is in pain or HOW much pain they are in and HOW LONG it has been going on. We have to know what to look for and be detectives.

Many Guardians seek help from dog trainers when their dogs start to show behavioral changes, the focus is usually on getting rid of the unwanted behaviour. We want help to get the dog to stop growling at the children, to stop barking at other dogs we meet on walks (he didn't do that before...) or to get his appetite back - but we often don't realise that the behavior is a symptom - not the actual cause.

A dog trainer will often suggest training methods that can moderate the behavior, or make it stop, but mabey not address the underlying cause. We only achieve that the dog stops telling us what might be bothering them, we teach them that they are not allowed to let vocalize their concerns to us. The behavioral changes are the dog's way of telling us that something is wrong and that they need help. If we take away their voice and dismiss them by training it away, the dog can also become very frustrated in addition to the frustration they already feel because their body feels "wrong" or that they are in pain. Dog training at this point can ironically escalate the behavioral challenges.

So what should we do?

The first thing you can do if you see new behaviors and suspect that something is wrong is to write a journal write about what happens, where it happens, what situation and how often. It can reveal patterns that can help us work out what the behavior is related to – is it situational – is it happening more and more often? Are there any particular objects or people nearby, are there any common denominators? You can check if the dog has had a change in fur quality, has asymmetrical musculature - have they stopped eating chewing bones, or chewing in a strange way? Drinking more/less water than usual? Became afraid of things – sound and light sensitivity? All this may indicate that the dog is not feeling well - and then it is time to take a trip to the Vet's, even if you do not see concrete external signs of injury or pain. Bring the journal with you, it can help the vet with what to look for and even to set a diagnosis. Take note of anything out of the ordinary. Since your dog can't speak, you have to speak for your dog as best you can :-)

Take precautions in the home for the safety of your children, other animals and people, until the behavioral challenges are resolved. This could be the use of baby gates, pens or mesh doors, introducing rules for how the children need to behave around the dog, and teaching your kids the dog's signals to recognize when the dog wants to be left alone and seeks distance. Make ajustments in playtime, walks, activities that may suit your dog better at this point, maybe more low impact, more nosework and more time to rest and recover.

Don't yell at the dog or punish them, show that you understand that something might be going on, and have some patience. Always trust your gut. If you think something is wrong or seems off, it probably is. Even if the Vet doesn't find anything first time around, you know your dog best, don't give up, keep observing, keep making a journal of your observations and thoughts.

It can also be a good idea to contact a dog behaviorist if you want to get to the bottom of the behavioral challenges and help you systemize observations - We can teach you what to look for and give you tools in everyday life that you can safely use with your dog even if there is pain or discomfort . The goal for a behavior consultant is always to work with the Guardians, Veterinarians and possibly other dog professionals to ensure that your dog returns to a safe and comfortable everyday life without pain or discomfort.

So why is your dog pulling on the leash?

There could be a wide range of reasons to why your dog is pulling on the lead.

• Old habit
• Stress, pain, fearaggression, learned behaviour, disease
• A poorly ajusted harness or other equipment - your dog might be trying to get away from the discomfort of the equipment.
• Your dog doesn't like you, or is worried or afraid of you
• predatory behaviour - females i heath nearby?
• Du bruker flexibånd – Hunden din er desensitivisert da det alltid er motstand på båndet

There's always a reason, dogs just don't do things without a motivation behind it. The problem is - how do we find the reason, and what can we do to solve it?

How do you get your dog to stop pulling?

Det kan være lurt å ta med hunden din til en atferdskonsultasjon, så vi kan hjelpe deg å vurdere hvorfor hunden din trekker i båndet. Som hundeatferdskonsulenter ser vi på hele livssituasjonen til hunden din, ikke bare trekkingen. Det kan være andre biter som må på plass før hunden din er avslappet nok til å kunne lære å gå i løst bånd sammen med deg. Den gode nyheten er at alle hunder kan lære å gå i løs, smilende line – for noen hunder knekkes koden på en uke eller to, mens andre trenger mer tid for å endre en vane de har hatt lenge. Det er jo også to ender av båndet – så du som eier må ofte også gjøre noen endringer på hvordan du går tur med hunden din og kommuniserer gjennom båndet – Det er derfor det heter toveis kommunikasjon:-)

Det er lurt å begynnee treningen innendørs i rolige omgivelser – tren inn en oppmerksomhetslyd hvor målet er å få hunden til å gi deg oppmerksomhet, ikke se på deg eller gjøre noen kommandoer, men bare være klar til å følge deg og lytte til deg. Du bruker vanlige treningsmetoder for å koble lyden med det du vil hunden skal gjøre. “Vis meg oppmerksomhet – lyd – ros/godbit” inntil hunden skjønner hva du vil, deretter bytter du rekkefølge så sekvensen blir lyd- hunden viser deg oppmerksomhet – du roser/godbit” . Når det er spikret fortsetter dere treningen ute og øker vanskelighetsgrad etter hvert. Når hunden gir deg oppmerksomhet (tar opp ørene, snur hodet i din retning, stopper osv) kan du koble på “bytt retning” som du viser med kroppen – du snur deg og går en annen vei, hunden følger etter deg. Etter hvert vil hunden alltid ha et lite øye på deg og være bevisst på hva du driver med og kunne følge deg til og med uten at du gjør lyden eller roser/belønner. Alt du gjør er å bytte retning og gå en annen vei.

Do you still find it hard to make loose leash walking work?

Det kan være utallige årsaker til at du ikke får til å gå med løs line med hunden din. Det er alltid lurt å snakke med en profesjonell trener som kan hjelpe deg og hunden din med å lykkes. We're happy to help.

Noen av de vanligste feilene mange gjør er å være utydelig når dere trener så hunden din ikke skjønner hva du vil, eller at du ikke er konsekvent? Eller at du bytter retning så ofte at hunden lærer at hvis de bare venter litt så kommer du tilbake – for du går bare noen skritt den andre veien. Trener du for ofte eller for sjelden kan det også påvirke resultatet, eller hvis du trener når hunden er opptatt av noe annet. Hvis hunden din har høyt stressnivå eller underliggende sykdommer kan det være vanskelig for deg å lære hunden nye ting.

Walking on a loose leash is NOT the same as heeling!

For at hunden din skal ha det fint på tur er det viktig at turen ikke blir lydighetstrening. Hunden skal ikke “gå fot”. Det er heller ikke kontakttrening hvor hunden din skal gi deg øyenkontakt. Hunder generelt liker ikke å se noen inn i øynene, i hundeverden er det en trussel og svært ubehagelig. Det er nok at hunden ser i din retning, eller viser med kroppsspråk at den følger med på deg. Om du tidligere har trent hunden din til å gå fot og stirre deg inn i øynene på tur, er det noe du bør prøve å avlære. For hundens nakke er det svært smertefullt å gå med hodet vendt sidelengs og oppover for å prøve å se på deg hele tiden. Nakkestivhet kan følge til andre problemer med muskulatur, kompensasjonsskader eller smerter, som kan gi hunden din problemer, og deg veterinærregninger.

Be Patient.

Sometimes it's one step forward and two steps back. Notice and celebrate your wins:-) Follow the recipe and do it correctly and your dog will be loose leash walking like a dream within a month or even weeks. This is off course, depending on no underlying issues that needs to be addressed first. if you suspect something else is going on

If you suspect something else is going on, please reach out to us, and we'll help you and your dog get moving in the right direction.

Your dog probably gets a varied diet that satisfies his physiological and biological needs. Your dog does not need to eat feces to avoid hunger or get the nutrients he needs. Yet you catch him immersed in a nice little sample of a deer poop, or a sheep pop, or maybe even from another dog? Why?

At hunder spiser avføring er helt normalt, selvom vi syns det er ganske ekkelt. Vanligvis spiser hunder ikke avføring fra andre hunder, men de kan inkluderer gjerne avføring fra andre dyr (inkludert mennesker) i sin diett.

I en undersøkelse publisert i 2018 (Butler et.al, 2018), fant de at menneskeavføring utgjorde ca 20 % av dietten til frittgående hunder (free-ranging dogs) i et område i Zimbabwe. Det var et av de viktigste tilskuddet til hundenes diett i tillegg til rester av døde dyr (kjøtt, ben, bruks, skinn osv), og sadza ( en lokal rett av maismel og vann) . Alle hundene som ble studert hadde tilsynelatende god helse, var velfødd og ingen indikasjoner på at dietten gjorde dem syke på noe vis. De fikk i seg nok proteiner og næringsstoffer gjennom kosten.

but how about our domesticated furriends? Why do they eat these unmentionables? Is it even strange for a domesticated dog to eat feces? Some scientists think it's instinctual, others believe that the ancient dogs "self domestication" to some degree was caused by the easy access to human feces around the campsites. From a biological standpoint faecal matter is made up by crude protein and other nutrients that fits well with a dogs nutritional requirements. For our leashed companions here in Norway, human feces is hard to get by, som maybe that's why our domesticated dogs even eat feces from their fellow dogs to try to get nutrients or probiotics or other things they lack in their own diets?

Dogs eating other strange things

Some dogs eat non- edible objects lie socks, cardboard, plastic and whatever they can get their hands on. If your dog eats things like this, it's often something else entirely going on. Stress, pain, disease are all things to look for it a dog starts eating unusual objects . We call the condition Pica syndrome, or an subcategory of Pica . It may be vitamin or mineral deficiencies that triggers it, or some neurological conditions and injuries can also make dogs eat strange things. Both as a redirected behaviour to divert attention away from pain, or as an attempt to handle and decrease stress. We separate between gobblers and shredders in this regard. There are often underlying issues for both behaviours, but they are usually different ones for dogs that swallows objects, and dogs that shreds a lot.

What do you do if your dog eats feces or non-edibles objects?

If your dog eats feces from dogs or other animals, it's usually nothing to worry about. In some cases, if you're really unfortunate, your dog might eat something from an animal that is sick, and need veterinarian care. E.Coli and Giardia can be transmitted through fecal matter. If your dog eats other things like plants or foodstuff when your out walking, remember that some plants are poisonous to dogs, and that a cooked chicken bone could get your dog into some real trouble (bloating, stomach issues, perforated gut etc). It's a good idea to teach your dog "Leave it", or some other command, to help him refrain from eating stuff, if that's his thing. Rolig Hund can help you with that, if this is an issue for you on your daily walks.

Some dogs are more at risk for bloating than others you can book a consultation with rolig hund hos oss for å kartlegge om det er andre bakenforliggende årsaker til at hunden din har et fysisk eller psykologisk behov for å spise merkelige ting, så prøver vi å finne ut av det sammen hvis det er et pågående problem:-)