PDTE 2012 October Newsletter

Boundaries
ries and permit management strategies
whilst we devise ways to guide them to
making sensible decisions. Giving dogs
items that are safe for them to chew on
rather than taking things away can prevent
a dog “stealing” our prized possessions.
Our reaction to a dog or child when they
do have something of value to us also
comes into the equation. Being aware
of our own behaviour is always of great
importance.
There are many positive ways in which
we can show our dogs what we want in a
manner that they understand. Isn’t it better
all round to use these methods instead of
conveying the negative emotions which
come through when we speak to them
after they have already done something
we don’t want? By looking at the way they
communicate to us and other animals and
emulating it, we have a better chance of
them understanding what we want them to
do, while still keeping our relationship with
them intact and positive. As with young
children, we need to consider what we
want our dogs to do and why, and if all our
rules are reasonable and necessary. Must
the dog be on the floor and not on the
sofa? Do we need to take the dog’s food
away from him? Why does the dog have
to have its bed in the kitchen? These are
often things we have heard said but not
actually analysed why we use them. If we
are happy to share the sofa with our dog,
why not? Can the dog have a choice of
places to sleep? Shouldn’t we simply give
the dog his food and let him enjoy it?
heels as a result of being taken to task.
Once we become stubborn it gets harder
to back down. Well, sometimes I do feel
that dogs have those same kind of reactions
and feelings too.
Some dog owners seem to apply the same
rules for dogs that were used for children
brought up in Victorian times. Others
employ the principles that were used on
them when growing up. That may be fine
if you had parents that gave choices,
options and allowed for self-confidence
to grow, but if you were raised with either
very rigid boundaries or none whatsoever,
or perhaps inconsistent ones that couldn’t
be relied upon, the outlook for your dog is
less rosy. That’s not to say that you can
never vary the boundaries. It depends
on the dog, the communication he shows
and the situation and timing. You need to
monitor the dog to see if he is ready to
move on and accept further responsibilities
for his actions. Just as children need to
learn that there are consequences to their
choices and behaviour, so do dogs. Again,
that’s how they learn, but we need to give
them guidelines which will vary according
to their development.
Just as we do, dogs learn from the
outcome resulting from the choices they
make. Take Pogo, the newest edition to
my canine family, as an example. She
likes to chew on marrowbones now and
then but because Hagrid, my Mastiff, is
not able to have bones for health reasons,
Pogo is not allowed to bring her bone into
the house, where Hagrid might be. It is fine
for her to enjoy them in the garden or the
garage where her night-time bed is. Sometimes
she picks the bone up and tries to
come in with it. When this happens, the
kitchen door is closed so that she accepts
that she chews it outside. If she drops the
bone, I let her in, so the boundary for her
is the kitchen door. She can choose to
be in the kitchen, but the consequence is
that she leaves her bone in the garage or,
if chewing is more important to her at the
time, she can have her bone in the garage.
No commands are required, it is simply a
matter of choice.
Dishing out commands whenever we feel
the need creates tension because the dog
must remain alert to the owner’s every
move, never sure of what is going to be
asked of him or why. Whereas setting
boundaries in a preventative way offers
the dog a chance to relax, assured of his
place in the family and what his choices
are. It makes life easier for dogs and us
too. My dogs certainly seem to like this
way of being with us.
www.laidbackdogs.com
www.understandingthesilentcommunicationofdogs.com
However, if the dog presents a real
problem to you or someone else in the
household, then avoid contentious areas
by using preventative measures such as
restricting the dog’s access by closing
doors or blocking seats on the sofa. Such
actions ensure that you still have a positive
relationship with your dog and that he feels
good about you. You’ve not had to say
“off” or “down” or manhandle him, so in
the dog’s mind there has been no conflict.
Recall the example of breaking foreign
rules that are unknown to you, incurring
anger without gaining understanding, and
how you might feel being prevented from
doing something that seems perfectly
normal and comfortable to you. Perhaps
you might be embarrassed and dig in your
Neither dog has had much experience of being in this environment, with use of a
long lines and harnesses supplies by Dog Games, they can view beach life at a
distance and in comfort. A positive experience for first exposure. Hagrid has had
big issues with people and seeing them at a distance is something that helps him
cope better.
Page 22 PDTE NEWS