Category Archives: Dog Behavioral Issues

Littermate Syndrome in Dogs | Off Leash K9 Training | Problems with Littermates

Dogs, Puppies, Play, Two, Group, In The Free, Nature

Bringing a new puppy home is an amazing experience that will change your life, but some breeders may try and encourage you to take a littermate also. Some people would be able to handle such a commitment of two puppies, but littermates can come with a whole set of challenges you may not be expecting. In this article we will talk about what littermate syndrome is and how it can cause multiple behavioral issues littermates can develop.

What is littermate syndrome?
Littermate syndrome is when two puppies from the same litter are raised in the same home and develop a bond with each other. This early bond to one another can cause dog on dog aggression in the future and prevent the puppies from bonding to you. Additionally, these two puppies can become so bonded that when they are separated from each other they can develop severe separation anxiety. Sometimes when puppies of the same age are adopted and raised at the same time, but are from different litters, can still develop littermate syndrome. Other behavioral issues that can develop are:

  • The failure to learn simple commands because the focus on each other.
  • Fearful to unfamiliar stimuli
  • Fighting amongst littermates later in life

What if you already adopted a pair of littermates?
Now not every pair of puppy siblings will develop littermate syndrome, but there are things that you can do to prevent it from happening that won’t harm your puppies’ development. The goal is to keep the puppies from developing emotional dependence with one another. Here are some steps you can take:

  • Crating is a great habit to develop at a young age to get your puppies comfortable with them and it also provides them with a safe place that is their own within the house. Each puppy should have their own crate that they sleep in at night. For the first night, you can set the crates side by side, so each pup can start to adjust to being alone. Increase the distance between each crate incrementally until the crates are far enough apart that the puppies cannot see one another.
  • Separate the training and playing sessions and work with each puppy individually so they can focus on giving you their undivided attention. This allows you to also become the leader to each puppy because you are the one giving the commands and the one in control of the treats. To keep you other puppy occupied have another member of the family work or play with that puppy in another room or in the backyard. If this wont work, you can use a treat-release toy with the other puppy while they are in their crate. 
  • Lastly, if you notice a major increase in issues, I recommend that you give one of the puppies to a friend or family member.  Sometimes, this is the best solution for everyone involved.

Littermate syndrome is not going to happen to every single pair of puppies that are raised together. Sometimes genetics play a role but the most important thing you can do is to make a commitment to your puppies and raise them to be well-socialized balanced adult dogs. If this might be too much for you to handle, just adopt one puppy, train it and raise it, until it is an adult and then add another puppy into your household. 

 

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What Is The Most Aggressive Breed? Dog Aggression Training | Off Leash K9 Training

 We do dog aggression training regularly in Northern Virginia (our Headquarters), we often times get asked, “What is the most aggressive breed?”

The answer may surprise you!

There are so many dogs that get put to sleep on a regular basis as a result of their aggressive behavior. This is because there are a lot of people that think that these dogs are inherently aggressive. The problem is that studies show that breed has very little to do with aggressive behavior, rather it is generally as a result of  owner-dependent factors. This fact came from a study on some of the breeds most associated with aggression, including the Pit Bull and Rottweiler.

Studies completed by the University of Córdoba took a look at the inherent traits of the dog and the owner-dependent factors and noticed that these owner-dependent factors were generally the culprits to aggression. According to researcher Joaquín Pérez-Guisado, these factors include not bringing the dog to obedience training; being a first-time dog owner; failure to use correction when necessary; over-spoiling or pampering the dog; purchasing the dog as a present for someone else, impulsively, or as a guard dog; or not spending enough time socializing the dog. To put this into further perspective, the study concluded that over 40% of the dominance aggression that dogs display is actually related to a lack of authority of the owner, who likely never took the dog took the time to do obedience training and structure with their dogs.

The breed of a dog has very little to do with the aggression that they display. Researchers studied a nearly even mix of male and female dogs, totaling around 711. Some of these were pure-bred while others were mix-breeds. This large group of subjects showed that there are some dog-related factors that may cause aggression, including being male, specific breeds, or being around 5 or 7 years of age. While these can be factors, it was also shown that human-related factors were much more likely to cause problems.

However, there are things that you can do in order to minimize and even eliminate this aggression. The owner must handle the undesirable behavior appropriately and work hard to re-establish your pack leadership and control. This is why on many dogs, it is imperative to find a trainer who uses the quadrant of operant conditioning, so you can correct the unwanted/negative behaviors before they become out-of-control.

If you have more questions about your dog displaying aggressive or dominant behavior, you contact an Off Leash K9 Training Center about your dog’s behavior.

-Nick White

http://offleashk9training.com/

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888-413-0896

The Connection Between Thyroid Dysfunction and Aggressive Behavior | Off Leash K9 Training

Dog-thyroid-Gland1

We handle aggression in dogs in Northern Virginia on a daily basis!  Most people do not realize that it can also be medical related.

Thyroid glands regulate the body’s metabolism, any decrease in the thyroid’s work can cause various complications that are similar to other conditions.

Pet owners and dog breeders don’t know how to identify symptoms of initial canine thyroid disease. This can lead to owners and breeders misunderstanding, misdiagnosing, and mistreating any thyroid disorders with their canines. The genetic nature of thyroid disorders causes complications for dog breeds; having a correct diagnosis is very important for coming up with the remedies needed to treat canine thyroid disease.

The main reason for euthanizing dogs isn’t because of the disease, but because of the abnormal behavior that can come from it. Abnormal behavior has many reasons, but also reflects many psychological problems. The connection between behavioral/psychological changes and thyroid dysfunction in humans was first identified in humans in the 19th century.

The association between abnormal behavior and thyroid dysfunction in dogs (and in cats) was recently recognized. Typical symptoms include:

  • Gratuitous aggression towards other animals and/or people
  • Sudden onset of seizures
  • Combination of disorientation, moodiness, and irregular temper
  • Stretches of hyperactivity and hypo-attentiveness
  • Depression, various phobias, anxiety, submissive/passive and compulsive behavior, and irritation

Most animals and humans that had these symptoms have been seen to be in a state of hypnosis and, when finished, were unaware of their behavior.

In fact, a study done by Drs Dodson and Denapoli, they tested 634 dogs, 62% of the aggressive dogs had low thyroids and 77% of seizing dogs had low thyroids.  There is a significant relationship between low thyroid and human aggression in dogs.  So, if you see this as a problem, it would not hurt to have a thyroid panel conducted on your dog.  Once these were identified, 83/95 dogs showed very quick improvement with treatment.

Studies have seen the sudden change in behavior in dogs and young adults. Dogs that belong to a specific group of breeds (golden retriever, Rottweiler, Akitas, for example) are at risk various health complications such as allergies and any immune system dysfunction. In their case, symptoms include seasonal allergies and itching of their skin. These can be symptoms directly related to thyroid dysfunction.

Puppies and young dogs start out as well-mannered and outgoing before the sudden changes in their personality are seen through nonstop whining, sudden nervousness and phobias, abnormal sweating, and inattention. From there, it can become sudden, unprovoked aggression with other animals and people, or a case of seizures (as explained above). In terms of treatment, a study at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine has shown dogs response to thyroid replacement therapy. Their study showed positive reviews in the first week of treatment and a change in their past behavior.

The human-dog connection in personality and in health has been crucial for a long time and their relation to thyroid disorders and aggression being identified adds to the correlation. The physical and psychological complex is continuously being studied to improve on what can be done to cut down on the condition’s expansion affecting humans and dogs alike. This subject is more broad and complicated than on paper because of the wide variations of the condition; diagnosis and treatment is currently the goal to find.

If you are experiencing issues with your dog or aggression, contact us:

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Why Do Dogs Hump? Dog Training in Northern Virginia | Off Leash K9 Training

Dog Humping, Dog Training Northern Virginia

 

This is one of the many dog training issues we deal with in Northern Virginia.

You may notice your dog humping something or everything and wonder why your dog does it. Part of you wants to laugh and post the video but other times this can be an incredibly embarrassing situation. Whatever the reason is, knowing the reason that they do this can be very helpful to you to as a way to get the solutions for this problem. This will take a close look at the reasons behind this embarrassing problem so you can fully understand why dogs hump.

While you may think that humping is a solely sexual act, there are actually quite a few reasons for why this happens. One reason for this is because it is a sexual act. You may think that only unneutered males do this but the fact is that all dogs are capable of this act. Male or female, fixed or not, your dog may hump another dog. This is the most obvious reason for this type of behavior.

Another major reason for this is because they are playing. Play behavior can very closely resemble sexual behaviors. When they are playing, you will not notice things like erections or ejaculation as you would when they are humping for sexual reasons. What you do need to worry about is when a dog that is poorly socialized starts displaying this behavior. This means that the dog does not know how to play properly, so it gets aroused during playtime. If you notice this is happening to your dog, you should plan more playdates to learn how to better socialize.

There is also a social component to humping. A dog may mount or hump another dog as a way to show their power and control over the other dog. Dogs, as you likely know by now, are a species that absolutely relies on a hierarchy. The dogs rely on a hierarchy so other dogs know who the boss is. If a dog is humping another one, she could be sending the message that she is the top dog.

There could also be something emotionally wrong with your dog. A dog may hump because they are feeling over-emotional at the time. If they are feeling overly stressed or emotional, they may hump you, a toy, or some other object that is around the house. If the dog is allowed to continue to do this as a way to relieve this stress, this can turn into a compulsive act. A compulsion can interfere with the quality of life that your dog has so you really need to stop this behavior.

A final reason for this could be for medical reasons. Some of the medical problems can include skin allergies, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infections, and priapism.

There are a few things you can do to help. Fixing your dog may not eliminate the problem but it will certainly reduce the risk of this happening. You can also distract the dog if you notice that they are about to start humping. Another thing you can try is to put your dog in a time out away from anything else for a few minutes. Finally, you can try use your dog’s training by yelling a command.

If you are having issues with your dog humping, we can give you full control over this!

Contact us at:

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Bad Dog? President Obama’s Dog Bites White House Visitor | Off Leash K9 Training

Dog Bites in Northern Virginia

 

At our dog training facility in Northern Virginia, we do dog reactivity training; however, it appears it’s needed in the White House!

TMZ has recently posted a photo of a nasty cut under a young woman’s eye, allegedly the result of being bitten by the Obama’s family dog, Sunny.

The 18-year-old visitor is a family friend of the Obama’s and was being given a tour of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue when she encountered Sunny. The girl went to give the the 4-year-old Portuguese water dog a hug,  when, for some reason still unknown, Sunny bit her on the cheek, just under her eye. This is another good reminder of why you shouldn’t hug or try to kiss unknown dogs!

TMZ says that the President’s family doctor looked at the gash that had been made and stitched up the cut. It is nothing serious, but it will leave a scar once the stitches are removed. The girl later posted a picture of her injury on social media.

The White House did not comment on the matter. President Obama has less than a week left in office before the transition of power to President-Elect Donald Trump on January 20.

Sunny, along with Bo, aged 8, have been with the family throughout their time staying at the White House. They are both notable in their pictures for their curly, non-shedding black fur and long tongues, and have been credited for making the breed popular.

If you are having issues like this with your dog, contact an Off Leash K9 Trainer in your area!

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Food Aggression Training | Resource Guarding | Northern Virginia | Off Leash K9 Training

Food aggression training northern virginia

 

We deal with food aggression training in Northern Virginia (our HQ) on a pretty regular basis.

There are many different behaviors that our dogs do that maybe you do not really know how to interpret. They are communicating in their own way and as a responsible dog owner, it is your responsibility to figure out what they are trying to tell us. Dogs have specific body language that tells us what we need to know. The problem is that people do not always understand these cues that they are giving us. One big cue is resource guarding, especially their food bowls. If your dog resource guards, this is going to be important to deal with.

The first question that you may have is whether or not this is a problem your dog has. There is a simple test that you can do to help find out. You need to prepare your dog’s food bowl and then take the bowl to the center of the room. You need to call your dog to you, so you can make sure that your dog is really excited about the food. If your dog is not excited about the food bowl, this will not work. You should be very careful when doing this test as food is very important to them. You need to watch your dog for any signs of aggression that may put you in harm’s way. To perform the test, you need to put your bowl on the floor without saying anything and walk at least 8 feet away from the bowl. While looking directly at your dog, you need to move towards him quickly. When you do this, make sure that you pay attention to your dog’s body language as you do this.

To be clear, the only appropriate response from your dog at this moment is to ignore you and continue eating without changing his speed of eating the food or his posture. This means that your dog does not have a problem with resource guarding. However if you notice any change especially the speed of eating,  or cutting his eyes so you can see the whites of his eyes, your dog may have a problem. It is obviously even more worrisome if your dog snarls, growls, or lunges at you.

There are things that you should and should not do when you come across this situation. You should watch your dog’s reaction and when you see them guarding, stop approaching him and move away until he looks comfortable again. You can try again to see how close you can get before he starts to guard. You can toss treats at your dog as you approach to positively reinforce your approach. You can also put your treats in your dog’s bowl to show that you are not a threat. After this works, you can begin doing things like petting him while he is eating and giving a treat to reward him. You want your pet to be okay with you near his food. You should never take your dog’s food bowl away, as this validates the dog’s fear and worsens the behavior. You should also never continue to approach despite these warning signs from your dog, as this can cause him to become aggressive with you.

If you are having resource guarding issues with your dog (food, toys, etc), contact an OLK9 trainer near you: http://www.offleashk9training.com/contact/

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Bringing Home A Christmas Puppy? Off Leash K9 Training | Dog Training Blog

Getting a Dog for Christamas

Bringing your Christmas Puppy Home
So, you’ve finally chosen the perfect dog for you and your family, and it’s time to bring them home to experience the good life. Before deciding this, realize, that you are giving someone a life to take care of daily, for the next 12-15 years. You are giving them a big commitment! Keep that in mind, first.

What’s the first step? It’s not a complex thing, but necessary nevertheless.

Establish the Ground Rules
If there’s one thing dogs value in life (aside from companionship of course), it’s stability. Dogs value consistency in their lives, and that means establishing a routine for them. To do this you need to talk through the major points of note with your family. Will your dog be allowed on furniture, or allowed to eat leftovers from the dinner table? We recommend no to both of these. Will it be house trained indoors or outdoors, and where will it sleep? You need to establish these things before ever bringing your dog home, so you can provide it with a clear set of rules and routines the moment it walks through your door. Having conflicting standards or rules will just confuse your dog as to what is or isn’t acceptable behavior in the long run.

The First Forty-Eight Hours
Like anyone in a new social situation, dogs tend to be pretty nervous when they first become a member of your family. You are all new to your dog, new people that it has never interacted with before, and just like the new kid at school, it’ll take a little time for your dog to get comfortable with your family. Of course it doesn’t take dogs nearly as long to acclimate to new people, but even so you should give it at least two days, and in that time you don’t need to parade your new pet around your neighborhood or the dog park or anything. Let it get used to the nuances of you and your family before doing anything else.

Introduce Your Pets
If you already own a pet before bringing home your new one, you may need to perform some scent mingling. This is a process in which you make your new pet believe it is already familiar with another animal, such as your already resident pet. To do this, you’ll simply want to take a towel, rub it on both your family’s hands and your existing pet, and then rub it on your new pet. You’ll then want to go in reverse and rub it on your current pet and your hands again. After that you’ll want to perform a similar exercise with a brush, brushing your current pet first, then your new one with the same brush and back again. This will help mingle the scents of your pets and your family and make your new pet more comfortable in your house from day one.

Select a Vet and a Trainer

The sooner you start with these the better. You should schedule a visit to the veterinarian within two days of acquiring your new pet, and if you so choose, a trainer within a week. You should make these visits consistent and routine as well, so your pet can know when to expect them. You can see all of our locations throughout the United States here: http://www.offleashk9training.com/

Select a Dog Food
Dog food is designed to cater to all of the health needs of its consumers, but most dog food is designed for certain types of dogs, either by weight or breed or something similar. You can use www.dogfoodanalysis.com to find the ideal dog food for your new pet, but you should also find out what your dog was eating before it joined your family: picking a similar food type will make its transition even easier.

You’ll also want the transition to be gradual, so you’ll want to mix old and new food over the course of a few days until you settle completely on the new one. Over the course of a week, you should spend two days apiece serving ¾ old food and ¼ new, to ½ and ½ respectively, then to ¼ old and ¾ new, before simply changing over to the full new diet.

Dog Supplies
There is no truly right way to procure dog supplies, but you know you’ll need them. Now some of those supplies are mandatory in almost any situation, such as a leash for outdoor walks. But other supplies that may be needed depend on how your dog lives within your household. Will they sleep in a crate or simply a dog bed in the room somewhere? Will they ever ride with you in the car, and therefore need a special seatbelt? Those are variable supplies, but you’ll definitely need dog food, treats, bowls, and in most cases, dog bags.

Love, Trust, and Respect

If you know absolutely anything about dogs, you know they need love, trust, and respect over all else. You need to provide those things as soon as your dog arrives in the home, and this includes housetraining them yourself. There are different ways to go about housetraining of course, but no matter what you do, you’ll want to keep the dog within your line of sight and in the room with you when you are home, and you’ll want to have a sectioned off area for the dog to occupy in your absences. You can watch our blog on housebreaking your dog:https://youtu.be/8cjM-bGcu1Q?list=PLuVmbfjlkcMLfFf5fN-G1hd4dsI-BYRyz

Establishing these things will help teach your dog the aforementioned values that are important to its life. These first couple of days are also the best time to get to know all of your dog’s quirks. By the time this training period is over you should know a thing or two about what your dog does and doesn’t like, and take note of how well it has acclimated to your family and your rules. After this though, you’ll want to stick to the guns of your rules, and not cut too much slack: dogs are smart, and they’ll figure out what they can get away with if you let them. But with a firm and loving hand, your new pet will become a valued member of your happy family.

If you have more questions about your dog or training, please contact Off Leash K9 Training at:

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Why Dogs Do A Play Bow: Dog Trainers in Northern Virginia

play-bow Northern Virginia

There are a lot of unique behaviors that dogs have that can be difficult for us humans to understand. They do things that you may find disgusting, which are actually completely normal to them. Dogs have no actual language that people can tell so they do heavily rely on their body language to help them get the point across. This is why they bark and paw at you when they want something and why they do the “play bow”. Dogs rely on these cues to help them to communicate with humans and other dogs; therefore it can be helpful to understand just what these motions mean.

The play bow is an invitation from one to another that “I am ready to play, so play with me?” This also lets the other dog know that even though they make act in a way that can be construed as aggressive, they are really just playing and do not have cruel intentions. This is important for humans to observe as well, so that they know the intentions of their dog. Dos are playful creatures and they love to play with pretty much anyone who is willing to play with them.

No matter what they are feeling, dogs need to move. They love to play. In fact, play is crucial to pets because it is what helps a dog with their cognitive development as well as their emotional resiliency. Dogs that are playful are believed to have a higher capacity for adaptability, though this is not a capacity in the cognitive area. There is a lot more to the play bow that you may not know about and there is a bit of a darker side to this adorable pose.

The play bow is believed to have some negative consequences. A dog that asks to play is not being a dominant dog. By going into this position to invitation pose, the dog is putting them in a position that is disadvantageous to the dog. This means that the dogs are really seeking out negative neurochemicals in the brain that causes bad emotions. This can be confusing because why would dogs that love to play and be happy, do something that would give them negative emotions? The only real plausible reasoning for this is that these negative emotions actually feel pleasurable to the dog, which is why they continue to do this behavior. They may actually be taking in the emotional momentum of its playmate.
Dogs may seem like simple creatures that you can just rub their belly and feed them to make them happy. Dogs actually have complex emotions and thought processes that humans just do not fully understand. Their behaviors are actually quite fascinating and are constantly being studies. Even something as seemingly simple as a play bow is actually something far more complex. It is always good to keep an eye out for these behaviors to make sure your dogs are behaving in an appropriate manner so that you can correct them as soon as possible.

If you feel that your dog has an aggression issue in Northern Virginia, contact Off Leash K9 Training!

-Nick White
Owner/Founder
Off Leash K9 Training

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Why Do Dogs Shake? Dog Behavior Training in Northern Virginia

Dog Training Blog

Dogs have a variety of different odd behaviors that you may wonder exactly why they do it. One of those behaviors includes shaking. Dogs shake for a variety of different reasons. Sometimes these behaviors can be explained, for instance maybe a dog just dog done swimming and it is cold. Sometimes there seems to be no outward reason for this shaking, leading you to wonder if there is something that is emotionally wrong with your dog. This will be looked at today so you can know how to help your dog in the best way possible.

Dogs have a reflex that causes them to shake things off. When they are wet, they try to shake off the water that is all over them. When two dogs play together and one gets a little rough, the other shakes it off. However, there are sometimes when there seems to be no real reason for this specific behavior. Dogs have difficulty processing certain things in a way that a human can understand. They decompress through this shake-it-off-reflex that can be hard for humans to understand. There is definitely an underlying emotional aspect of this shaking that some may not have really considered. If you ever see your dog stop playing suddenly to shake, they are really just decompressing during the interaction the with other dog to make themselves feel better after trying handle with social pressures. This is the same reasons that dogs seem to shake it off after you show some physical affection to your pets. It may seem like they are rejecting your love but they really just do not really know how to deal with it. They can handle things like belly rubs and treats to show affection but the ways that humans show affection with each other just confuses dogs.

This shaking is very similar to social behaviors experience when they are dealing with social rejection. Dogs, very much like humans, are very social creatures. Things like social rejection is something that people are terrified of and it turns out that dogs are afraid of being rejected as well. Rather than trying to give your dogs a dug or kiss, give them some calming physical stimulation to show love. Any other manner can make your dog that you love them and respect their comfort.

Dogs have a lot of the same emotions as humans do. They can feel social rejection and they can feel love. They can become overwhelmed by the situations around them. Dogs can feel all of this but it is easy to not think of that because they do not have the words to say what is wrong. When you see your dog shaking and there is no reason for this, you should do your best to calm and reassure your dog. You may not understand exactly why your furry friend is shaking but there is a very strong biological reason for that. If you have any concerns about your dog’s shaking, you should consult with your vet or an animal behaviorist such as Off Leash K9 Training to help your dog.

-Nick White
Owner/Founder
Off Leash K9 Training

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Do Dogs Have Emotions Like People? Dog Behavior Training in Northern Virginia

Dog Behavior Training in Northern Virginia

After training a few dogs and scanning them, scientists end result was that dogs too are people! It is just that because dogs can’t talk, scientists have depended on their behavioral interpretationsand come to a conclusion as to what dogs are thinking.  It is indeed a tricky job. You can’t question a dog as to why he did something and you surely can’t ask him how he feels about what he did .The prospect of delving into an animal’s emotions has scared the scientist, because animal research has been a difficult task. It has been only normal to keep aside the questions of animal emotions because the answers are not easy.

By looking into their brains directly and surpassing the behavioral observation, an M.R.I scan informs us about the dogs’inner state. M.R.I.s are done in very noisy and confined areas. People don’t like them as they need to hold still during the process. The normal veterinary procedure would be to put the animal under anesthesia to avoid movement from the animal. But when an animal is anesthetized it makes it difficult to study the functioning of the brain. At least the emotions.

Now to do this scan they had the consent of the owner of the dog and a form filled and signed by him. It was agreed upon that the participation was voluntary and the dog could quit if necessary.  The dog if necessary could leave the M. R. I. scanner similar to a human volunteer.

The dog was taught to walk the steps and follow up that into a tube and rest the head in a custom made chin rest, and also stay still for thirty seconds, and yes it had to learn to put on earmuffs to shield the sensitive hearing from the noise the scanners make.

Months of training on a trial and error basis including at the actual M.R.I scanner, they were handsomely gifted with the mapping of the dog’s brain activity. The first tests were measured with the two hand signals caught on the scanner

In the experiments conducted later they were able to distinguish the odor of familiar and unfamiliar dogs and human beings.  Soon the community for local dogs here got to know of our tests that were conducted on what the dogs were thinking, and in a short span of a year there were a dozen M.R.I certified dogs.

Even though scientists were beginning to answer a few basic questions about a dog’s brain, they can’t ignore the resemblance of the dog’s brain to that of a human’s, especially in the areas of key brains functions.

Abundant in dopamine receptors caudate is placed between the brainstem and cortex. In humans the caudate plays an important role in recognizing the things we enjoy like money, food and love. But can we change this connection around by measuring the caudate actions. This is usually not possible because of the complex working nature of the brain. It is a known fact that the brain is well connected and it’s not possible to nail down one single function or emotion to one particular brain region.

But the caudate could be an exception. Certain parts of the caudate stand apart for their consistent recognition of the things that humans enjoy. Caudate is so active that under the circumstances it can single out our preference for food, beauty and even music.

Among dogs we found that the response in the caudate increased to the response of the hand signal, prompting food. The caudate also responded to the odor of familiar humans.

Are these test proving that dogs love us? Not true, but the same reasons that activate the human caudate which are linked to positive feelings are also activated in a dog caudate. Neuroscientists have termed this functional homology, and this could be an indication of dogs’ emotions.

The capability of experiencing positive emotions, like attachment and love, means that dogs do have a level of sentiments compared to a child. This is something we need to think as to how we treat dogs.

Dogs for long have been treated as property. Even though in 1966 the animal’s welfare act and the laws of the state have questioned the treatment for animals they are of view that they are things- objects which could be disposed of, only when reasonable care is given to control their suffering.

After these test and M.R.I scans we can no longer shy away from the fact that dogs and many other animals have emotions similar to humans and to consider them as property may not be in their better interests.

An alternative to this may be may be to consider partial personhood to animals that display neurobiological proof of emotions. Various animal rescue groups have coined the word ‘guardian’ for animal caregivers thereby making it obligatory for the human to take up the responsibility of caring for his ward.

If we go further and grant them personhood, they will be given additional protection from exploitation. Dogs for racing and puppy mills will be banned for violating their basic rights by exploitation.

It is presumed that our society is years behind in considering dogs as a persons. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court has opened the doors for such possibilities after the neuroscientific findings.

In couple of cases the court has ruled that the juvenile offenders should not be given a life sentence if there is no possibility of granting parole. Apart from the rulings the court gave brain mapping evidence that brain is not mature enough when in the adolescent stage.

If you are interested in learning more about your dog’s behavior, body language, or training; contact us at Off Leash K9 Training!

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Nick White
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Off Leash K9 Training