How do I know when my dog's behaviour is going too far? Blog Eighteen

Since we have been a little silent lately, I thought I would put out not one, but TWO blogs this week!

Today on another group I am a personal fan of, someone asked a very important question that I thought everyone would appreciate an answer to! "How do I know when my dog's behaviour is going to go too far?" Well, there's two way to answer this - immediately, or in the scheme of life. I will answer first the initial possibility; the signs your dog is about to cross a line right now.

Immediate Behaviour Warnings

Silence
-Your dog is about to bite if they are silent, and their eyes widen. A dog that has been growling or barking in an aggressive manner is just faking you out, most of the time. A dog that is making noise will not usually strike, unless their level of fear has overridden their typical warning signs. While a dog rarely bites while they are making sounds, if they have suddenly stopped making sounds and their pupils are wide with ears pulled back, they are always preparing to strike.

Shivering
-A dog that is shaking is not usually cold - but is in a high level of anxiety, or fear. There are rare cases where a dog shivers because they are cold - If you peel off your coat or jacket, and you are cold, they are cold. Dogs might have their own fur, but it can lose heat very fast. With exception to Huskies, most dogs get cold below 10 degrees Celsius. However, if cold is not the issue, and your dog is shaking, you need to act quickly - chances are your dog is overloading from whichever stimulation is triggering the action, and your dog is likely to mess on your floor, or bite. Keep note that dogs can also shiver because of excitement, psychological problems, or an allergy reaction. If you have ruled these out, and you notice your dog shivering around certain people, objects, sounds, or stimulation, your dog is afraid. Shivering from cold or medical issues also looks different - it is more vibrant, convulsing looking, as if they can't control it, with waves of it being stronger, or softer. Anxiety or fear shaking is more steady, likely to resemble an off kilter washing machine, or a low grade earthquake.

Total Stoppage of Movement
-If your dog completely stops, sometimes staring, sometimes not, it is a communication that your dog has suddenly overloaded and can't process the stimulation. It can be coupled with silence, or whining. You could toss a steak by and nothing would happen. This is indicative of a dog that has hit rock bottom fear - and you need to call a behaviourist immediately. This is a situation where the average owner or even trainer should not handle.

Lifted Paw
-If a dog stands with one front paw lifted slightly off the ground, it's a sign your dog is unsure. It needs either a little encouragement, or a few moments to collect themselves. It's important to note that you don't move forward or reward the dog with it's paw in the air - this will tell your dog that you want it to feel unsure, which can lead to low level fear or aversion. After time, it can become a serious issue.

Backing Away With Tucked Tail, Crouched-If your dog has started this action, specifically at a physical object, person, or sound, this is a fear based fleeing response, where your dog completely mistrusts whatever it is moving away from. It is a higher level than the total stoppage of movement, and indicates the handler went too far in trying to overcome the fear reaction, or the dog is totally rock bottom terrified of whatever it is. This is another situation where you need to call a behaviourist.

Full Body Wiggle
-A dog that has reached an unhealthy and dangerous level of excitement resembles this. They are typically bouncy, and wagging their tail so hard that they are literally shaking their whole body. This is a sign your dog has gone way too far over the "healthy" line of excitement. While most people assume happiness and excitement are the same thing with dogs, its not. Excitement is a state of hyper-charged energy, while a happy dog is relaxed and calm. Excitement might look really cute, but it is really unhealthy to their whole selves that it really shouldn't be encouraged - namely because it not only can cause a number of physical injuries, it is about as mentally healthy as a highly aggressive or highly fearful dog. You should ignore this behaviour or correct it before it gets worse.

Stiff, Rigid Tail In Any Position
-A stiff tail, whether it is in a submissive or dominant position, indicates a high level of tension, or anxiety. It can be moving in any speed, but if it is not loose, it is a warning sign. Whatever your dog is focused on should cease, or be properly removed and reintroduced when the dog is in a calmer state.

Fast-moving Tail
-While most people associate a fast-moving tail with happiness, it is actually a symptom of intensity. The faster a tail is moving, the more intense a dog is feeling whichever emotion is attached to it - excitement, aggression, and even fear. It should always be a goal of a trainer to make sure their dog's tail is slowly swaying, not moving like a room fan.


Behaviour Warnings In The Scheme Of Life

Behaviours Become Resisted
-If your dog used to perform various behaviours just fine, and has become resistant or feigns ignorance of them, you dog is losing respect for you, usually because of inconsistent treatment, or unintentional mistreatment. If this is the case, you will need to work on rebuilding the damaged relationship before issuing another command.

Unexpected Destruction
-If your usually well behaved dog has chewed up something, your dog is not trying to get back at you. They are not trying to make you mad. Your dog is bored. While walking does drain physical energy, that is about 20% of a dog's needs. Your dog, like your children, need to use their minds, too! You can't expect a dog to burn their own mental energy - when they do, things like this happen. They need you to directly burn their mental energy! Teach it something new, play tug, introduce a new toy with brand new rules, make them work hard before a walk - and never leave a dog in an excited or anxious state of mind. Almost any dog can be successfully left alone (Except for a few breeds) as long as you do it properly.

Possessiveness
-Before a dog becomes aggressive over toys, food, or other pack members, the warning signs appear. Sometimes they happen in a matter of hours or days before escalation, sometimes seconds. When low-level possessiveness appears, it needs to be corrected before it gets worse. If in any case your dog isn't allowing you to do something with their things, that is possessiveness.

Territoriality
-Being territorial is more than just barking at passersby. While this is common for most dogs with territorial issues, there are other, less obvious symptoms that would suggest to you that your dog is going too far in protecting his space. While some level of territorial behaviour is normal and healthy, it can quickly cross a line. For instance, a dog barking a couple times at a passerby is normal (inside the car, too!) However, if that one or two barks turns in to a fast, rapid multiple level bark, like a machine gun burst, that is a warning sign. If your dog is charging to the fence, door, or other threshold, that is a red light warning. However, while every dog pees, a normal pee takes a couple seconds, and is usually a larger amount. A dog that pees little spurts on every bush, pole, stick, or monument, that is a warning sign. If your dog scratches the ground after, that is a red light warning. If your dog barks a warning once at other dogs, this is normal. If your dog pulls on the leash, moves in front or behind you, and growls, this is a warning, and if your dog charges, pulls hard, machine-gun barks, or runs behind you quickly, this is a red light warning. If your dog has hit red light warnings, you need to contact a behaviourist.


Other Signs The Dog Behaviour Is Going Too Far:

-If your dog moves away from you with a toy or treat when you approach or give it to them, that is a warning sign.
-If your dog turns to watch you or something else as he eats his food, that is a warning sign.
-If your dog has his head mostly over the food or water bowl, consuming from the far side instead of the middle or back, that is a warning sign.
-If your dog won't get off his bed or out of her kennel when asked, or delays, that is a warning sign.
-If your dog won't allow you to be out of eye or earshot without protesting, that is a warning sign.
-If your dog walks in front of you and pushes through doors or gates first, that is a warning sign.
-If your dog incessantly barks at you for something of theirs, or something they want, that is a warning sign.
-If you cannot enter a room your dog is in without him swarming your feet or walking circles around you, that is a warning sign.
-If your dog is an adult and whines frequently, that is a warning sign.

There are so many more warning signs that we could mention, but then this blog would be way too long to ask people to read, so we've included the most common. Hopefully this information has answered a question or two of your own!