The Well-Adjusted Dog: Dr. Dodman's 7 Steps to Lifelong Health and Happiness for Your Best Friend

Table of Contents

Title Page

Table of Contents

Copyright

Dedication

A Note to the Reader

Introduction

Part 1

1. A Tired Dog Is a Good Dog

2. Food for Thought

3. Dog Speak

4. Command and Control

5. Leadership Program

6. The Fearful Dog

7. Environmental Enrichment

Part 2

8. A Rock and a Hard Place

9. Physical Health Concerns

10. Healing Potions

Part 3

11. Adopting a Dog

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

Index

Copyright © 2008 by Dr. Nicholas H. Dodman

All rights reserved

For information about permissions to reproduce selections

from this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin

Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003.

www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Dodman, Nicholas H.

The well-adjusted dog : Dr. Dodman's seven steps to lifelong

health and happiness for your best friend / Nicholas H. Dodman.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-618-83378-8

1. Dogs. 2. Dogs — Health. I. Title.

SF427.D544 2008

636.7'0887— dc22 2007045894

All illustrations by Beth Mellor

Photo on [>] is reprinted courtesy of Elite Pet-Havens

Book design by Joyce Weston

Printed in the United States of America

MP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE: In an effort to protect the innocent, the names of some of the dogs in this treatise have been changed. That said, all the cases discussed, or employed as examples, are dogs I have known or treated as clinical patients. They either did or still do exist, and the tales about them are true.

THIS BOOK PRESENTS THE RESEARCH AND IDEAS OF ITS AUTHOR. IF A READER REQUIRES PERSONAL ADVICE, HE/SHE SHOULD CONSULT A PROFESSIONAL. THE AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER DISCLAIM LIABILITY FOR ANY ADVERSE EFFECTS RESULTING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FROM INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK.

To my family—my wife, Linda, and my children,

Stevie, Victoria, Keisha, and Daniel—

and to dogs everywhere

A Note to the Reader

Gender-conscious readers will note that throughout The Well-Adjusted Dog, I refer to our canine companions as he. Please accept my use of the male pronoun in the spirit it is intended—as a nonspecific term and not an indication of any gender bias on my part. On the contrary, I have equal affection for both male and female dogs.

Introduction

There is no faith which has never yet been broken, except

that of a truly faithful dog.

—Konrad Z. Lorenz

While making small talk with a few friends at a cocktail party, a man mentions that his dog has started having accidents on the rug when the man is away from home. This behavior, he adds, is causing him a great deal of distress, not to mention wrecking his formerly close relationship with his dog. One of his friends, trying to be helpful, says, I've heard the best thing to do in that situation is to push their nose in it to show them it's wrong. (The dog would have no clue what was going on if the man did this and would probably consider his owner's behavior, well, strange.) Another individual chimes in: You should punish him for that. After all, he knows he's done something bad. I would rap him on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper when you get home.(Punishment after the fact is a total waste of time and will make your dog mistrust you.) A third person believes that he has the best solution to his friend's predicament. Put him in a crate while you're away, he says with conviction. That worked for our dog. (What this person does not realize is that a dog that has accidents only in his owner's absence probably has separation anxiety; such a dog may seriously injure himself in attempts to break out of a crate when his owner is away.) As part of the continuing barrage of advice, a fourth individual suggests that the man put ammonia on the spot where the dog has urinated, to obliterate the urine smell and thus prevent the dog from returning to that spot. (This will only make matters worse; ammonia smells like urine and the dog will often mark over it.)

It never ceases to amaze me how much misinformation exists on the care and management of pets. I find it remarkable that the same people who consider themselves experts in the field of animal behavior would never think of offering advice on a medical question, like what antibiotic to use for a dog with a bladder infection or what problems may result if a dog's cholesterol level is too high. If you're a nonspecialist, the proper answer to these and other such questions is usually, I don't know (the three words a wise person uses most often). A reasonable alternative is, Why don't you check with your vet and see if she can help or refer you to a specialist? Even veterinarians don't venture advice unless they know it to be sound. I am reminded of a quote that appears on the first page of each issue of one of the British medical journals: I would have everie man write what he knowes and no more (Montaigne). I've always adopted this as my personal maxim—whether writing or speaking.

The man at the cocktail party might also have turned to the Internet for advice about his dog's behavior. The problem is, much of what is found on the Internet is written by guys like the ones at the cocktail party. There is more information out there than you can shake a stick at, but it's hard to know what or whom to believe. With the World Wide Web, it is definitely a case of user beware. You may read about the efficacy of Bach flower essences and other natural antianxiety medications. You might find yourself musing about aromatherapy, touch therapy, and dog yoga, or you might even be taken in by an animal communicator. Then again, you might wind up at the sites of hard-line dog trainers who will tell you that you have to be alpha and advocate such supposedly dominance-establishing techniques as rolling, pinning, and chain jerking.

So how do you know what's right and what's not among all the information out there? First, assess the source. If the author-adviser is certified by the Animal Behavior Society or the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, you can trust that you are receiving an educated opinion. If the author is a dog owner turned dog trainer/behaviorist, you should be more skeptical. Next, make sure you are comfortable with the advice being offered and fully understand what resolution of the problem entails. If what is being said makes sense from a logical and practical standpoint, then you are probably on the right track. Finally, avoid any training program that involves physical punishment as a means to an end. Know that a correction in trainer lingo is a euphemism for punishment or warning of imminent punishment. Also know that chain jerking and electric shock treatment are inhumane and outmoded training methods. In my opinion, the only time the word jerk should be used in dog training is when referring to those who employ this technique.

One of my goals in writing this book is to dispel some of the myths and misconceptions about how to look after dogs, how to manage them, and how to train them to be well-adjusted, good canine citizens. One of the most prominent falsehoods is that once a puppy is housetrained and has graduated from a puppy-training class, a dog owner's work is done. Nothing could be further from the truth. While it is true that the first few months of a pup's life—even the first year—are formative times, plenty of consideration must be given and actions taken throughout a dog's life if optimal welfare is to be sustained. Caring for an adult dog does not simply involve feeding him and taking him for short walks around the block for elimination purposes. A high quality of life for dogs, as for humans, requires more than basic sustenance. Providing a healthy lifestyle for a dog and attending to his physical and psychological needs are lifelong commitments. Training should be thought of as an ongoing process of continuing education extending long past puppy kindergarten. Dogs can and do learn well into old age and should not be denied the opportunity to expand their communication skills and repertoire of responses throughout the course of their lives.

A dog's lifestyle, daily routine, and interactions will, to a large extent, determine how he feels and how he behaves. When behavior is out of kilter, it is important to address the bigger picture rather than try to suppress the symptoms of an underlying problem. The uninformed approach tends to be, You tell me what your dog is doing wrong and I'll show you how to stop him from doing that. A behaviorist, however, asks why there is a problem, and has a broad, long-term approach to resolving it. I will share with you the latter approach: treatment of the whole dog within the context of his environment, not just the symptom or symptoms of the problem. Furthermore, the information I will provide is based on scientific studies and my thirty-seven years of clinical experience: it is not just my personal opinion (though I am not shy to offer one based on the facts). Objective assessment of outcomes is the best way to find out if treatments actually work in the short and long term, and studies of this sort are what scientists do. It is not sufficient follow-up to ask an owner how a dog is doing and if they say fine, chalk it up as a success. Most people, trying hard to please (and justifying their expenditure of money, time, and effort), will volunteer that their dog is doing better even when he's not. Or owners may be so pleased with minor improvement in one area of behavior modification that they report in superlatives, laying their praise on inordinately thick. Some owners fail to call back. That might mean the problem has been resolved, but it could mean exactly the opposite. Optimistic trainers think no news is good news, but it could be that the dog's behavior is unchanged or has deteriorated. Owners may have given up asking for further advice because nothing is working out, or they may have even had the dog put to sleep. It's impossible to tell what's what without proper organized studies in which the behavior is rated as objectively as possible. Behaviorists take this approach, and share their findings with their colleagues in print. This book seeks to relay to dog owners all that has been learned from such empirical studies.

Since dogs' behavior problems should be addressed in the larger context of dogs' daily lives and interactions, lifestyle adjustment is imperative prior to implementing recommendations to deal with specific behavioral problems. It is probably true to say that many behavior problems exhibited by dogs originate because of unhealthful lifestyles—failure to accommodate the dog's needs—mismanagement, and poor training. The recommendations presented in this book are intended to help prevent behavior problems from developing in the first place and to assuage them if they have already surfaced. A dog that is exercised sufficiently, fed appropriately, communicated with clearly, led effectively, and has an interesting and purposeful lifestyle is not likely to be afflicted by the many behavioral problems that plague domestic dogs today. Your job as a dog owner is to try to understand your dog's life from his point of view, and to lead and protect, not to dominate, punish, and force a dog into submission, as popularized on too many of today's TV shows. Real leaders in the human world, as in the dog world, do not have to resort to physical measures to get their point across. Real leaders do not dominate; they listen, think, and often defer. Real leaders do not intimidate; they instill confidence. People follow real leaders not because they have to but because they want to. If you bear this in mind and provide for your dog in the ways I describe, you will enjoy your time with your dog and, equally important, your dog will enjoy his time with you. The human-companion animal bond is not forged through the metal of the choke chain or prong collar but rather through mutual trust and respect.

Consider the predicament that Buddy, an effervescent adolescent Border collie pup, found himself in. Each morning he woke up in a crate and stared longingly at the young married couple who were his owners, as they bustled around getting ready for work. Somewhere between coffee making, breakfasting, and showering, one owner would head his way, open the crate, clip on a lead, and take him outside for a breath of fresh air. But it was only a breath. In temporary exhilaration, Buddy would leap and pirouette like a spawning salmon heading upstream, but before he knew it, he was on his way back to the confines of his crate. Soon the house was quiet and all that was heard was a ticking clock. Things to do included chewing a toy, licking his paws, and staring at the wall. Pretty soon he'd be bored and fall asleep, awakening at midmorning or lunchtime. Time passed slowly. By midafternoon he'd be out of his mind with restlessness. He could have tried counting sheep—if he knew what they were and if he could count—but all that was left to do was circle and whine. His bladder ached. When will they be back? As the shadows fell, and after he had all but given up, there would be sounds that he recognized—a car engine, crackling gravel in the driveway, and finally the key in the door. They were home! The husband would arrive first, throw his raincoat over a chair, and then look Buddy's way. Wanna go out, boy? he would say. Do I ever! Buddy would think. The crate door would be opened and Buddy would exit like he was shot from a gun. Ricocheting around the room, he would pray for the back door to be opened, which it was, in due course. He would then careen out into the postage-stamp-size backyard and, after relieving himself, would practically do cartwheels as he barked himself hoarse, venting all that pent-up energy. No! he would hear from the back door as he noticed his owner heading toward him. Before he knew it, he was being hauled back inside. In protest, he would mouth his owner's arm, wriggle, and try to break free. Once inside, he would continue to charge around and blow off steam, but before five minutes were up he would often find himself back in the slammer. During the evening, there wasn't much to do in the crate except eat dinner and watch his owners eat and slump exhausted in front of the TV. Yes, there was a nighttime visit to the yard, but that was it until the next morning and then the cycle repeated itself. It was a dog's life.

From Buddy's owners' point of view, they had a dog that was totally berserk. Whenever they let him out of the crate he went wild, running around the living room, tearing up the couches and curtains, barking, and disturbing the neighbors whenever he was outside. Confining him to a crate—even when they were home—was, for these owners, a desperate means to deal with a desperate problem. But denying Buddy an outlet for his pent-up energies only made matters worse. It was a Catch-22 situation: the more they confined him, the worse he became. Contributing to the problem, they hadn't trained him properly, did not exercise him enough, and fed him a high-protein, high-energy ration formulated for active dogs. Their treatment of Buddy had created a rod for their own backs and they thought he was at fault. First-time dog owners, they didn't know how to be good leaders, let alone educate him. What a mess.

When owners bring their dogs to me at the Tufts Cummings School Animal Behavior Clinic, they are often, like Buddy's owners, at their wits' end. In fact, our clinic has been described as the Last Resort Nation by owners and referring veterinarians alike. It's true I do see the toughest cases, the hardest ones to treat. Each one is unique; no two owners are the same and no two dogs or behavior problems are precisely the same—though similar general principles can be applied when attempting to resolve the issues. Whether a dog is hyperactive, exhibiting aggression, or chasing his tail, we put him through a tailored-to-suit broad-spectrum rehabilitation program, and the dog emerges all the better for it. We know this for a fact because we conduct the requisite follow-up studies.

All in all, there are seven lifestyle factors—or steps—that I discuss with clients, ranging from providing sufficient exercise to environmental enrichment, though not all of these elements need adjustment in every case. The five or six factors that need attention in any one case constitute the behavior-modifi cation program for that dog. The approach is holistic, in that it attempts to simultaneously address and optimize all aspects of dogs' daily lives and interactions. In order to know what recommendations to make in an individual case, I must first learn about the dog and his problems in detail. To this end, I inquire about all aspects of the dog's life, from birth to the present time—and do not simply quiz the owners about the problem itself, as behavior problems tend not to exist in splendid isolation of what is otherwise a healthy, well-adjusted life. I hear the owners' concerns and try to discern what is at the root of the problem (the behavior itself is usually the result of fundamental lifestyle issues). In addition, I carefully observe each dog to see if his temperament jibes with the problem reported and do whatever I deem necessary to reveal any underlying medical issues that might be contributing to the problem. The consultation provides me an opportunity to assess each dog individually and to tailor a program to suit that dog, rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all regimen that might have an adverse impact.

Treatment-wise, I usually start by addressing a dog's need for exercise. And most owners are bowled over by what it takes. Their response, when I tell them that their dog needs more than a mile walk around the block each day, is typically an astonished I had no idea (reminiscent of someone on Antiques Road Show who's just been told that something they pulled from the attic is valuable). Owners are just as much in the dark about the behavioral effects of some diets. But the breeder told me to feed raw meat. She gives it to all her dogs is the kind of response I hear. Really. And where did you say the breeder went to study nutrition? I might jive. That usually elicits a wry smile. To test whether the owner has a reasonable level of communication with her dog I might ask her to instruct her dog to sit. Then I watch. Often I witness this kind of scenario: "Sit, sit, sit! What did I tell you? Sally, sit!... and so on. Finally the dog may actually sit—perhaps out of boredom—and the owner omits to praise him. We learn a lot about a dog's connection with his owner—or lack thereof—from this exercise. Then there's physical control. I stare in disbelief at some of the medieval-looking metal collars that owners have been told to use by spare-the-rod-and-spoil-the-dog hard-line trainers. But the trainer says it doesn't hurt, owners declare. As long as you don't get your fingers stuck in the collar when you jerk it, I retort. Physical control of dogs is another area for owner enlightenment. A fearful and aggressive dog on a loosely held ten-foot retractable leash is an accident waiting to happen. Then there's leadership. Dogs need strong leaders—but not abusive ones. Just because a dog stops complaining (growling) if you punish him doesn't make you his leader or him your follower. True leadership is something earned by fair and consistent actions. Inflicting pain might equate with domination, but it has nothing to do with leadership. Then there's fearfulness. Almost all dogs are frightened of something, even if it's only going to the vet's office (and can you blame them, considering that their first visit might have been for neutering). Sometimes trainers give reasonable advice to owners of fearful dogs, but sometimes they get it wrong. My trainer says I should desensitize him to his fear of slippery surfaces by making him walk on them until his fear subsides. That's not desensitization, I explain. That is what is called 'flooding' and may have extremely detrimental effects. Desensitization is a gradual, layer-by-layer process of alleviating fear, not a Joan Rivers Grow up" approach. Many owners are confused about what is the right thing to do. They are exposed to a lot of misinformation, conflicting information, and well-intended advice from friends and acquaintances who often simply get it wrong. Finally, far too many dogs are occupationally or environmentally challenged. It's as if owners have not thought of trying to look at the world through their dog's eyes. Dogs, like people, fare better when they are gainfully employed.

Though many dogs are faithful, perfectly behaved ones are not that easy to find. Almost half of the nation's 70 million dog owners report behavioral problems with their dogs, and some of these problems are severe enough to put a real damper on the owner-dog relationship. In fact, some 4 million dogs are surrendered to shelters annually, predominantly for behavioral reasons, and over half of them are subsequently euthanized. Most of the behaviors that lead to dogs' relinquishment arise through no fault of the dog's and are, in fact, normal canine behaviors that owners cannot properly control or direct. It is breeders' and owners' failure to understand what it takes to raise, care for, and communicate with dogs that underlies many potentially avoidable canine behavior problems. As the late Barbara Woodhouse used to say, There is no such thing as a difficult dog, only an inexperienced owner(No Bad Dogs). That's not far from the truth.

Back to Buddy. Buddy responded wonderfully to a combination of daily vigorous exercise, a sensible diet, training, and environmental enrichment. Long-term crating became a thing of the past and he finally got to lead a normal life with owners who had now learned how to care for him. Buddy responded exceptionally well to training, learning responses to various cues in record time. A better-behaved Buddy got much more freedom in the home and didn't even have to have the crate door shut when his owners were away. His owners felt much better about the new arrangements—and I know Buddy did, too. There are lots of dogs like Buddy who are misunderstood and mismanaged. The increasingly popular method for dealing with dogs' behavior problems is to punish them for unwanted behaviors, whereas a far more benign, logical, and effective approach is to reward desired behaviors, address basic needs, and lead dogs down the winding path to successful rehabilitation. It may take a little longer, but it is more humane, and the lessons and lifestyle changes produce lasting results. This is the approach that I describe in the pages that follow and the one I hope dog owners will adopt. Sit! Read! Learn!—and enjoy.

Part 1

Basic Needs

It should go without saying that a dog's physical and health needs must be taken care of as a priority to ensure his well-being and to provide a firm base for other, more sophisticated welfare measures. Ideally, every dog should receive an annual veterinary checkup, have any necessary blood work performed, and routine medications, like heartworm and flea and tick preventatives, prescribed. It is far better to take a preventative approach to dogs' physical well-being than to wait until things go wrong and then have to utilize a fire engine approach to deal with the conflagration.

What many dog owners don't realize is that routine veterinary care is not enough to ensure a dog's optimal health and happiness. Other factors essential for the dog's physical and mental health are sufficient exercise and a properly balanced diet appropriate to the dog's lifestyle, activity level, and temperament. Dogs also benefit from having a clear line of communication between themselves and their owners. They are at their best when they have confidence in their owners' ability to exercise leadership—including the use of humane forms of restraint when necessary. They also respond well to having a clear understanding of what's required of them and what their place is in the family unit. Many dogs, at one time or another, exhibit fear-based behaviors that erode their confidence and can lead to other problems. Owners must be able to manage fearful situations and use behavior-modification techniques when necessary to assuage specific fears. Finally, dogs thrive in user-friendly environments that support their canine agendas. All of these factors contribute to a dog's achieving optimal health and well-being, and to a relationship between dog and owner that is enjoyable and mutually fulfilling. In this section, I deal with the seven physical