PDTE Newsletter July 2020

CITY DOGS
Living in a rich environment
by Denise Vrolijk
Dogs who live in the city are confronted by stimuli
of all kinds, such as sounds, movements and smells.
As a result, a dog’s emotions can run riot, which is
why stress, nervousness and fear are very common.
How can you supervise your dog in a safe and social
manner amidst city life?
A holistic view, knowledge of a dog’s body language
and ‘good habits’, and an understanding of the ethogram
of the dog will help you on your way.
Research into the behaviour of free-roaming dogs in India 1
and Morocco reveals that dogs naturally prefer calm activities.
For most of the day they are inactive, either sleeping or lying
quietly and looking around. Their activities
largely consist of walking, discovering,
sniffing, standing and running.
Now and then they interact with other
dogs, smelling each other, or they
interact with people, in part because
they receive food from them.
A smaller portion of the day is spent
looking for food by themselves, defecating,
chewing and body care. For an
even smaller portion of the day they
are vocally active: barking, whining and
occasionally growling. 2
Bicycles and cars are an easy barrier when passing other dogs is a bit exiting or scary.
8 PDTE Newsletter July 2020