Yesterday I took Django to the vets as he has been itchy and chewing himself. I was really worried as to what could be wrong. Fully prepared for the possibility of an allergy test, pharma medications, imaging…

Our vet team is absolutely brilliant and they are so helpful and make us feel safe. This was Django's first time at the new vets surgery yesterday and he was made to feel welcome and safe which is really important.

The vet took his time with Django allowing Django to acclimatise, he watched his movements and asked lots of questions. Then listened to my worries and gave a diagnosis and possible treatment options.

The vet was quick, gentle, assisted by a team member and allowed us to comfort Django and support him as he needed.
The vet explained how the next 48 hours will be and then to observe for the next three weeks and a follow up option too.
He then explained that Django will need to come in regularly for checks to monitor him for the future now that his anal glands have been expressed.

They also give information as to why they do what they do, for example antibiotics and how the antibiotics work.
Good vets really have patient care at the centre of their work and make the patient feel safe and secure despite uncomfortable treatments.

6 month regular checks are really helpful for your vet to get to know your dog and create a baseline of what is normal behaviours for your dog, their diet, environment and routine. So that when the day comes when something could be wrong, just like your own doctor your vet knows your dog too as well as you!
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Image description: A pale blue background of an infographic. The title reads: The importance of veterinary checks in white. There is an orange paw in the background.
The subtitle reads: what to seek in a veterinary check.
The main body of text reads: Your vet will see your dog promptly
The vet will ask questions to make an assessment
the vet will listen to your answers
They will allow your dog to acclimatise to them and the clinic before touching your dog
They will allow the use of collaborative care
They will discuss possible diagnosis and the treatments
They will give a choice to you in the treatment routes
Vet will observe your dog's movement and also ask or be interested in any videos of the behaviour as it occurs naturally as to your concerns
They will ask about diet, environment, any changes, current treatments, for example worming and flea treatment
The second main body of text to the right reads: a Vet check is more than a booster appointment
a Vet check should be routinely done every 6 months or sooner if your dog has a problem
A Vet will be keen to discuss with you the Helsinki pain scale, a possibility of a pain trial if needed
A follow up consultation following the treatment
To the bottom left is a Wolfdog with his mouth open next to a treat bag. The background has been removed.

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YouTube audio link: 5 minutes 45 seconds duration. https://youtu.be/yo2MTKJevwU?si=Kh2thabD4VmEaSWb

“We are all geniuses but if you judge a fish to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.”

Prey drive is a fundamental behaviour for many breeds of dogs, prey drive is a simple behavioural pattern of chasing and capturing prey. Humans have selected bred dogs to still be able to hunt with the human and for the human needs but breeding out of the prey drive behaviours. (1)

There are many herding and hunting breeds who share a couch with you. Do you know and understand the heritability and genetic traits of your dog? In other words, do you know what your dog was originally bred for? Historically. Not the line from the breeder but the original reason? It's surprising how many people aren't aware.

I want to raise awareness that the dog we share our couch with is in fact a predator, a skilled hunter and has phenomenal scent detection skills. Understanding and nodding to our dogs history and the original reason for their breeding is a sign of respect and understanding of their biological needs.

Do we need to correct a behaviour or make the dog cut it out or curb the behaviour? (Shudder). No, absolutely not. We need to say: “Hey, I share my home with a predator. I may also share my home with a cat (another predator), a hedgehog (another predator), a reptile (another predator), a rabbit (prey), a mouse (prey)...

It's really important that we understand the species of the animal we share our home with. We need to understand and appreciate their behaviour. Humans get away with lots of behaviours others may find annoying, irritating, anxiety inducing or just plain unpleasant.

People are not biologically programmed to be unkind or hurtful yet many are. We cannot compare an animal to a human and apply human ideologies and expectations onto a dog or any animal we share our home with.

This very much brings Albert Einstein’s quote to mind: “We are all geniuses but if you judge a fish to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.”

Ergo if we deny our dogs their species and biological needs, you're going to have one very frustrated and possibly ill dog (as illness in dogs can and is caused by stress) and one strung out and frustrated human.

Think of it this way. As much as we try to, we as professionals just cannot convince the general public dogs are not related to wolves. The scientist who said this even back tracked himself, very publicly.

Our dogs however are still predators in their own right, look at the toys we are offered. Squeaky toy. (Prey). Tug. (Prey). Giggly balls. (Prey). Kongs, Kong wobbles, giros… All prey. Soda pup, again prey. Because even enrichment meets a sequence of the prey drive sequence of the dissect and consume process.

We buy toys to meet our dogs needs, even if you do dog sports you are still illociting the behaviour for the reward at the end in many cases is a ball, a tug, something to grab and bite and depending on your style, dissect and kill. In normal food reward based training, the dog does a behaviour and possibly a behaviour sequence and is rewarded with food!

There are so many ways to work with prey drive without any aversive or compulsion based tools or unkind methods.

When your dog chases birds, rabbits, squirrels this causes them to have a dopamine rush and it doesn't matter what you say that high is euphoric and causes extreme enjoyment. Just as humans also experience. You wouldn't want to be interrupted during a high and euphoric moment either.

If your dog has no recall or you worry they will chase, use a long line, you have the freedom of the radius of the long line but ultimately your dog is safe and you are both going home without vet bills, a dog warden visit or worse.
We have lots of games and tutorials on our YouTube channel https://youtu.be/En1SGEfcmuw?si=2WGH58TJdciFYV53 you can use these resources to learn from and to train your dog. They have text to speech to help viewers and you can visit them as many times as you like.

References

Siniscalchi M, Bertino D, d'Ingeo S, Quaranta A. Relationship between motor laterality and aggressive behavior in sheepdogs. Symmetry. (2019) 11:233. doi: 10.3390/sym11020233

Image description: A three window comic panel which is grey. The title reads: prey drive and livestock force and fear free solutions.
The first window is of a Wolfdog chasing sheep on a country hillside. With a blue and yellow sky. The text box reads: You don't need an e collar to stop this behaviour, but a little bit of common sense and a responsibility.
The second window is of a wolfdog running in a secure dog field. With a blue sky background. There is a fence and tufts of grass growing by the fence.
The text box reads: utilise enclosed dog fields, long lines and check fields for livestock. Avoid fields with livestock.
The third bottom window is of a Wheelchair user with blonde, pink, purple ombre hair sat in a Wheelchair with a Wolfdog either side engaging with a backdrop of a sheep herd on fields with a blue sky in the distance. The text box reads: working on predation substitute training and work on stimuli which triggers a prey chase behaviour.

Audio link: 8 minutes 20 seconds https://youtu.be/DphYB55XIwI?si=d9c7HsbtfpCm6tf7
In this blog we will be exploring predation and prey drive behaviour in dogs. Many guardians struggle with their dogs chasing cats, squirrels, livestock, other dogs and other species such as deers, birds and smaller wild animals.

Many guardians believe that this behaviour is due to the dog's genetics and they aren't wrong. This will be a blog series.
It is really important that we understand breed, genetic and phenotyping before exploring prey drive behaviour in dogs so that we have a full understanding of how to help our individual dog.

Dogs became an important part of life during the 19th century, artificial selection began and extensive records of dogs lineage were recorded. Breed standards were introduced, stud books were produced and the purpose of the breeding for the dog such as herding was also documented. (1)

During this time dogs entered into another transition of being selectively bred for working roles to being artificially selected for fashion reasons.

The dogs that we have today in the modern world face even more challenges within a modern household and society setting. Due to the possible frustration of not being able to express breed related behaviours, they can also become frustrated due to the isolation, non stimulating environments and frustration of inactivity.

Due to this the dog is evolving all of the time, with dog's being artificially selected to fit in with the ever changing demands of what people desire from a dog within a modern world. The companion dog today can still be viewed or acknowledged as an evolutionary work in progress. (2)

The way in which dogs have been artificially selected the genome for dogs is able to be studied clearly, scientists have found small and large variations between the genomes of breeds. (3)

From the learning and the research behind the genetics and the genomic maps of dogs, researchers spend a lot of time investing into the learning of breed specific behavioural traits.

Researchers have also found mapping genes frustrating due to the complexity of the mapping. Researchers are now looking at phenotyping to see if this can be more successful in fully understanding the genes of dogs. (4) (5)

Phenotyping comes from the Greek phainen, which means to show and tupos which means type. This word means the characteristics of an organism and the observable traits, resulting from the genotype interactions with the environment. So phenotypes best reflect nature and nurture. (6)

Due to the complexity of dog behaviour we cannot rely on genetics and breed traits alone. Epigenetics also play a role within an individual dog's behaviour.

Epigenetics are the addition of changes to gene expression. Epigenetics take place before the puppies are born, whilst they are growing inside their mother. Epigenetics can also be added due to the mothers nutrition during her pregnancy and if she has any fearful experiences during pregnancy such as fireworks, separation anxiety or a traumatic event. Epigenetics change all the time through different periods of growth, they can be removed or added to through the environment, behaviours, the environment and poor health such as infections and cancer. (7)

Epigenetics and genes can and do change all of the time. So even though good breeders will select a mother and father for desired traits, such as behaviour, coat type, health and development, the puppy is being influenced all of the time from gestation to birth and throughout all of their life.

It may seem odd that I am writing about predatory behaviour, however in order to understand your individual dog and their behaviour we have to understand your dog as a species and how their behaviour can be influenced by their breed type, genes, phenotype, life experiences and poor health episodes.

Many people stereotypically think of a dog breed such as a border collie and automatically make the association of herding. Because this is what they were bred to do. Many dogs have been purpose bred for working and we all make typical associations of the breed and what we expect them to do based on that breed, another example Labrador retriever, retrieving.

Guardians can become frustrated with intense genetic behaviours, such as herding, retrieving, aloof behaviour and more. Guardians can also become frustrated if their dog does not seem to concede to the behaviour of their breed and the expected behaviour of the breed. For example a German Shepherd that doesn't alert bark or a livestock guardian dog breed who doesn't want to guard.

It is really important that we understand breed, genetic and phenotyping before exploring prey drive behaviour in dogs so that we have a full understanding of how to help our individual dog. So in coming back to the introduction we need to help them to feel safe and secure in our relationship, communications and learning.

References
McGreevy PD, Bennett P: Challenges and paradoxes in the companion animal niche. Anim Welf 2010,19(S):11–16.
McGreevy PD, Bennett P: Challenges and paradoxes in the companion animal niche. Anim Welf 2010,19(S):11–16.
Lindblad-Toh K, Wade CM, Mikkelsen TS, Karlsson EK, Jaffe DB, Kamal M, Clamp M, Chang JL, Kulbokas EJ 3rd, Zody MC, Mauceli E, Xie X, Breen M, Wayne RK, Ostrander EA, Ponting CP, Galibert F, Smith DR, DeJong PJ, Kirkness E, Alvarez P, Biagi T, Brockman W, Butler J, Chin CW, Cook A, Cuff J, Daly MJ, DeCaprio D, Gnerre S, et al.: Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog. Nature 2005,438(7069):803–819. 10.1038/nature04338
Hall NJ, Wynne CD: The canid genome: behavioral geneticists’ best friend?Genes Brain Behav 2012, 11: 889–902.
Hall NJ, Wynne CD: The canid genome: behavioral geneticists’ best friend?Genes Brain Behav 2012, 11: 889–902.
Wanscher 1975; Mayr 1982; Henig 2001, Jewell 2001
Heijmans B, Tobi E, Stein A, et al., Persistent epigenetic differences associated with prenatal exposure to famine in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105: 17046-17049.
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Image description: A three window comic panel which is grey. The title reads: prey drive and livestock force and fear free solutions.
The first window is of a Wolfdog chasing sheep on a country hillside. With a blue and yellow sky. The text box reads: You don't need an e collar to stop this behaviour, but a little bit of common sense and a responsibility.
The second window is of a wolfdog running in a secure dog field. With a blue sky background. There is a fence and tufts of grass growing by the fence.
The text box reads: utilise enclosed dog fields, long lines and check fields for livestock. Avoid fields with livestock.
The third bottom window is of a Wheelchair user with blonde, pink, purple ombre hair sat in a Wheelchair with a Wolfdog either side engaging with a backdrop of a sheep herd on fields with a blue sky in the distance. The text box reads: working on predation substitute training and work on stimuli which triggers a prey chase behaviour.
​

Happy New Year and let's kick off 2024 with a Wicked Wednesday. I thought about being more sassy but toned it down. Don't want to upset too many on a new year return.
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Image description: Albert Einstein - an older gentleman with white hair, sticking out his tongue at the camera. In a black and white photo. The top of the image has a blue text box with the text reads: protons and neutrons, stick together just like a dog with a fear opposed professional.
The bottom text box which is also blue with black text reads: electrons angrily circle outside of them just like aversive trainers.

There is no such thing as bad behaviour in dogs, there is only behaviour.

Dogs are a different species to humans and when we bring them into our home we are essentially adopting a baby or child and entering into an unwritten contract that we are now this baby’s guardian.

What many don’t understand, still today in 2023. We need to adopt this understanding that there is no “nipping” behaviour in the bud, “stopping” behaviour, “punishing” behaviour etc.

We have to understand and accept that we have chosen to bring a different species into our home to become a member of our family. We are responsible for their welfare, medical needs, emotions and care.

Behaviours many deem as bad are behaviours such as: barking, chewing, stealing items, worktop surfing, running off, no recall, digging, animal chasing, not engaging, humping, rough play, showing emotions, fights with other dogs, expression of behaviour that show that they are not feeling OK, which can escalate to a bite. This isn’t an exhaustive list but a general summary of what we see.

We have to understand their needs as a species. All of the behaviour ls above are normal for dogs to express.

It is important to understand that there are biological needs which means a dog may exhibit behaviours such as digging, opportunistic behaviours of worktop surfing, pulling on the lead, sniffing, not engaging, barking, no recall etc.

Then there are behaviours which are a communication of emotion, such as anxiety, separation anxiety, resource guarding – anxiety that the item they have will be taken, growling – needing space, anxious, unsure, frightened. Lunging, barking or trying to attack other dogs, an expression of an emotion and normally because they have been put over threshold and their space invaded with lack of advocacy from their human. (Or in a lousy position because of irresponsible guardians and off lead dogs or arrogance).

Behaviour is fluid, there is no simple answer to any of the above because so much has to be considered and taken into consideration to help the dog if the behaviour could be further affecting them in an adverse way and teaching you the guardian alternative behaviours for an outlet which doesn’t bother you or give you the understanding of your dogs behaviour.

It is important to heal a dog’s emotions instead of focusing on fixing their behaviour because behaviour is often a symptom of an underlying emotional issue. If a dog is exhibiting unwanted behaviour, it usually means they are feeling anxious, stressed, frustrated, or fearful.

It can also mean there is pain, many people say that their dog is fine, however pain is fluid and dogs are stoic, boosters are not a full health check at the Vets, and many guardians find within a health check the vet is only seeking isolation pain and not looking for chronic pain or setting up exams where the dog is addressed as an individual, working with you the guardian to rule out or address medical causes of changes of behaviour. There are many ways that a full vet check can be fully encompassing of your dog as an individual.

Simply correcting the behaviour without addressing the emotional or medical root cause may lead to temporary improvement, but the underlying emotional issue will remain. This could result in the dog developing other unwanted behaviours or the original behaviour resurfacing in the future. This is also like someone correcting you for a fear of spiders or feeling anxious about a situation. It isn’t humane, so it isn’t right to do this to a dog.

When you do this, your dog will either go into shut down, learn you are not a support system and feel that they have to escalate themselves. Leaving them in a state of learned helplessness.

Healing a dog’s emotions involves identifying and addressing the underlying emotional issue. This can be done through learning about healing the emotions, desensitisation and counterconditioning, creating a positive and safe environment, and providing the dog with plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. By addressing the emotional issue, the dog will naturally begin to exhibit positive and desirable behaviours.

Ultimately, healing a dog’s emotions not only helps them feel better and lead happier lives, but it also creates a stronger bond between the dog and you.

When a dog becomes over threshold, it means that they have surpassed their threshold for stress and arousal. At this point, their emotional state has taken over, and they are no longer able to process information and respond to cues.

From a holistic perspective, this can be explained by the complex interactions between a dog’s physical, emotional, mental, and overall welfare and biological needs. When a dog becomes over threshold, their sympathetic nervous system takes over, triggering the “fight or flight” response. At this point, the dog’s body is flooded with stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which can impair their cognitive function, cause physical changes such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, and limit their ability to focus and learn.

Their body is also becoming physically drained at this point and something not often considered or widely known is that your dog can become poorly and need medical care due to being in situations which cause their body to go through so much stress. Which is why it is so important to move away from the ideology of fixing the dog and instead healing the dog.

To prevent a dog from becoming over threshold, it is important to understand their individual triggers and manage their environment and emotional state. This can involve creating a calm and predictable routine, providing plenty of exercise and mental stimulation, using positive reinforcement training methods, and avoiding situations or stimuli that are known to trigger stress and anxiety.

Overall, holistic approaches to understanding and managing your dog’s behaviour includes considering their physical, emotional, mental, and welfare as interconnected and vital to their overall health and happiness. By addressing all aspects of a dog’s well-being, it may be possible to prevent over threshold responses and help them learn and respond to cues more effectively.

Guardians, listen to your dog’s communications because it is the only way to truly understand your dog’s needs and emotions. Dogs communicate in a variety of ways, including body language, vocalisations, and behaviour. By paying attention to these communications, guardians can develop a deeper understanding of their dog’s personality, likes and dislikes, and needs.

Some common dog communication signals include tail wagging, barking, growling, displaying teeth, licking, yawning, and avoiding eye contact. For example, a dog that is wagging their tail while their ears are pressed back and their body is stiff may be communicating anxiety or fear, rather than happiness. Similarly, a dog that is growling or displaying their teeth may be communicating discomfort or aggression, rather than being “mean”.

By learning to read your dog’s communication signals, you can better meet your dog’s needs and avoid situations that may be overwhelming or stressful for your dog. This can help build a stronger bond between you and your dog, and lead to a happier and healthier relationship.

Additionally, listening to a dog’s communications can help reduce the risk of dog bites or other aggressive behaviours. By recognizing when a dog is uncomfortable or anxious, you can take steps to prevent a situation from escalating and avoid putting yourself, them or others in danger.

If you don’t like species appropriate behaviours such as digging, chewing, destruction, stealing items, lack of engagement it’s time to work with your dog and address these needs rather than working against them or punishing. Provide a dig pit and an area dedicated to their digging needs, provide natural chews as an outlet for their chewing needs, set up destruction boxes and enrichment that is mentally stimulating, play with your dog, train them through games and become exciting to them. Use high value treats. High value toys. Be interesting to them, help them to want to communicate with you rather than going self employed.

Begin to understand your dog and their needs to enjoy your dog for the amazing species and individual that they are.

For further reading on meeting your dogs needs as an individual and understanding the Importance of an holistic doctrine you can read previous blogs here:

Vet checks
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0VvH8GQSqQJ4qaWjuvnTqAowY5pa6pENXB6QQ81AkwTAaEu8uESEbcfv1kuM3DyH6l&id=100057373879884

Diet https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0EFYPPEwGHHe3F34PaBSenna9Hmsr6Hk7UUuWupeLUwKdpmRYXjWW7hVTZcxupfVsl&id=100057373879884

Enrichment
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0CNSXxmxQqbdf5eCx6ETZqNXnBGLbG3Wyhxa64oQtiHgHPyZY7uzbSEZAB75f64Y8l&id=100057373879884
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Importance of keeping journals https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02Fygmws8SALEge3QME5JhjiKoh2hBaMFj8mYAbiVaT3eoUxSXs5SyuWRf1rf5UJ55l&id=100057373879884


Image description: A six window comic strip. The first left hand window has a blue background and a grey and cream Wolfdog holding a purple ear torn teddy in his mouth. A star label text says:stealing items.
The left bottom window has a grey Wolf Dog play bowing, dragging a purple blanket with a brown half eaten shoe. With a green background. A star label text box reads: chewing. There is also a cloud with thunderbolts. The text inside reads: There are only needs: biological, emotional, social,cognitive & force free needs. Linda Michaels MA.
The top centre window is red with a cream and grey Wolfdog digging in soil and the soil is flying everywhere. The spiky text box reads: digging.
The next window on the final column, has a green background and a cream and grey Wolfdog with her back to the screen and her head turned over her shoulder. The spiky text box says: ignoring.
The window underneath this has a pink background and a grey and cream Wolfdog with piloerection, growling, facing into the centre. The spiky text box reads: growling.
The final window on the bottom right hand side is a blue background with a cream and grey Wolfdog lying in a submissive position with ears back and a grey Wolfdog over her in a playful stance on grass. The spiky text box reads: rough play.