A couple days ago, my boyfriend and I got into a fight.  We were both stressed out and sleep deprived, and a misunderstanding had us at each other’s throats.  As I shouted, “do it yourself!” at him, something stopped me in my tracks..Stranger was watching.  He seemed alert and nervous.  I immediately calmed down, comforted him, and decided it would be nice to cool the temper with a nice game of fetch.

The experience got me thinking though.  Animals are so intuitive to our emotions, routines, and anxieties; what happens when these emotions are dark, the routines are interrupted by crisis, or our anxieties are running on high?  What happens when couples start fighting all the time or divorce.  What if our new boss is a tyrant, and we come home angry?

Dog therapists agree that dogs are both incredibly in-tune to our moods and creatures of habit, and change (especially negative change) can invite all kinds of anxious & destructive behaviors like howling or house soiling.  They recommend being deeply considerate to your dog’s insecurities.  Help him reestablish a sense of safety and routine.  Try not to expose him to fights.  But don’t lock him away either as dogs interpret this as punishment.  Another great piece of advice I came across said that in the event of a divorce, keep the children and the dog together, as they will comfort each other.

Hey guys,

Sorry i haven’t been posting and commenting as much. I was out of town & uninspired. But, I’m back in the presence of my tail wagging muse! And I can’t wait to catch up on what you all have been up to.

until then, photos of the happy homecoming:

Did you know that K9 Cuisine has two experts always ready for your dog care questions? Dr Sandra Miller and Ami Moore are prepared to answer questions ranging from dog psychology to veterinary care.

Our latest question:

The most predominant theory about tail wagging is that it is a gesture of friendship or even submission, but what about reports in which men are bitten by tail wagging dogs? or dominant dogs wagging towards submissive dogs? I dug up an interesting theory today:

“ Tail wagging is indeed a state of conflict. But the conflict is arising from the following condition, it is the state of the body vibrating with more energy than the body at that moment is able to conduct given whatever action is currently available to it. In other words, there is more energy trying to go through the pipe, the dog’s body, then the pipe can accomodate. Wagging the tail is the body’s physiological response for dissipating the excess energy. It would feel better to the dog if the body could process the energy in a straightforward active range of behaviors, for example making hearty physical contact, but for a number of reasons which we’ll discuss when we consider the nature of fear, it can’t.
Hence the state of conflict.”

for the entire article, check out Natural Dog Training

Animal lovers are concerned about a new rent a dog company. Flexpetz is an American concept that allows busy dog enthusiasts to have a dog “partime.” Flexpetz now has an operating service in Britain where one can borrow a pet at a cost of £279 for once a week for a month.

Dog welfare agencies such as the RSPCA protest that dogs need a secure routine to feel safe and happy. Flexpetz assures concerned parties that dogs are only rented to responsible and capable patrons.

Personally, I think that the entire operation must put a certain amount of stress on the dogs, but I also know that dogs are incredibly adaptable. We’ll try to follow this story, see if anything comes of it.

Work in the military?

yes!

The United States army has around 2300 dogs in its service.   Mostly German and Dutch shepherds and Belgian malinois, these dogs are used for everything from patrol and drug/explosive detecting to comforting home sick soldiers.  Dogs have been used in warfare since the Romans, but became incredibly popular during World War II, in which over 10000 dogs were used as sentries and scouts.

Scientists are working on making war safer work for dogs, creating gas masks and better armor.

Stranger was neutered about a month ago. It took him three weeks to heal (ripped out his stitches the first time we tried to remove the cone). It was three weeks of cartoonish stumbling around the apartment in a perfect impersonation of the lovechild of a satellite and a silent movie star. It was also three weeks of limited play and much pent up energy. He begin to develop a fixation with light and shadows. I should also mention that we had used a laser pointer that advertised itself as a pet exerciser.

Neurosis walks a fine line between endearment and concern, whether in humans or their canine better halves. We found it cute at first, “our nutty puppy” we’d awww. But after a couple weeks of regular exercise and routine, he was still at it. Pouncing at beams of lights and biting at the shadow of a shoe.

I went to the temple of google for aid, hoping to consult the priests of forums, the shrines of vets with free time. The internet can make a hypochondriac of any unsuspecting searcher, and I was overwhelmed with the possibilities. The speculative causes of shadow chasing ranged from minor convulsions in the canine brain to puppy puberty, citing shadow chasing as merely a growing pain. One vet said laser pointers can be used as a good training tool, while another forbade them. Another man lamented having to put down his dog because of her “obsessive compulsive disorder.” One couple had used a laser pointer to motivate their dog to tear up some old linoleum flooring. The most common and least disconcerting explanation was a lack of exercise.

Especially in cold weather, we as dog owners are prone to neglecting dog walks. The unspent energy begins to manifest itself in destructive behavior and unhealthy fixations.

In addition, many sites warn not to give your dog attention while he is shadow chasing, in case you accidentally affirm the behavior.

In our case, we’ve been diligent with our dog walking schedule, and we’re staying away from flashlights and laser pointers.

So far, the shadow chasing is on the decline.

Has anyone else experienced this with their dogs?