Author: admin

In July 2009 I was asked to give a talk to the flight attendants at SAA on how to handle a dog on a plane. This came about due to recent changes to the Air Carriers Access Act, which impacts on all foreign carriers travelling to and from the United States. This includes SAA, which means that they could at any given time have to accommodate several dogs. These dogs include not only guide dogs but also assistance dogs (e.g. seizure dogs) required by passengers which would need to travel onboard in the cabin with their handlers.

As the cabin crew had no knowledge of how to deal with dogs in an emergency situation during a flight, I was asked to go through some of the basics of dog handling with them. The workshop took place in one of SAA’s flight simulators.

One of the first things that was stressed, was safety – both for the dog and for the humans involved. Dogs should be muzzled so that in the event of a catastrophe and the dog or handler is injured, they can be evacuated without anyone getting bitten. A lot of the attendees had never seen a dog with a muzzle on, and were quite intimidated by the sight of this “ferocious” dog moving up and down the aisles.

For this workshop, I used one of my own dogs, a neutered Malinois named Dasko who was 10 years old.

I then went on to demonstrate how to muzzle a dog with a lead. This in case the muzzle somehow got torn off the dogs face during a forced landing. One brave participant volunteered to try this procedure with Dasko. It appeared that because many of these people were not used to handling dogs, they were very timid in their approach, which in turn made the dog unsure and much more difficult to control.

Of course, Dasko got lots of treats during this whole performance, and so thoroughly enjoyed himself. I’m a firm believer that unless you’re having fun, there’s not much point in trying to teach, as people learn much faster if they can relate to the topic at hand and enjoy themselves a bit. So there was quite a lot of laughter during the training session.

We then went on to talk about emergency evacuations – how to get the dog off the plane in the event of a crash. First Dasko and I had to take our seats as we would have done on a normal flight. This presented a problem. The dog has to sit in front of its handler, and the area between my knees and the seat in front was too small for Dasko to squash in to. He is not a large dog, weighing only 34 kgs with a height of 61cms at the shoulder. A lot of Labradors, for instance, would have greater bulk, and therefore more difficulty in fitting in to the space available. And of course, because the dogs’ handler is compromised, they are not allowed to sit in front of the emergency exit, which has much more leg room.

Anyway – once we were seated, the cabin crew began a mock emergency landing. They stood in their positions and repeatedly shouted out commands to move to the back and evacuate the plane. The rest of the participants pushed and shoved and shouted at each other as they rushed to the exits. During this time, the simulator started shaking and rocking about, whilst making an unpleasantly dangerous noise. This of course upset the dog, demonstrating to the participants that a nervous dog could become unmanageable if not correctly handled.

People have to be evacuated first, which means that the dog needed to be secured in some way to the seat so that he can’t move around and impede progress off the plane. Once all the human passengers are off, the cabin crew have to go back and collect the dog/s and move them to the chute. I suggested that the quickest and most effective way of getting the dog down the chute would be to hog tie it, (i.e. tie the dogs’ front and back feet together) and if possible hold it on your lap whilst sliding down the ramp. Although very unpleasant, hog tying the dog would prevent it from thrashing about and causing injury to itself and others whilst falling down the chute. As all cabin crew have access to scarves, it was suggested that that would be the kindest and easiest equipment to use to restrict the dogs’ movements.

All in all I believe the attendees gained some insight in how best to handle a dog under very difficult circumstances. Dasko appeared to enjoy his day out, apart from the actual simulated disaster, which he found a bit nerve wracking! But as soon as the simulator stopped bumping about he settled down again. And when we got home, he enjoyed a good long afternoon nap after a hard days’ work.

I frequently get asked the best way to introduce a new dog into an existing pack. Obviously a lot depends on the breed, age and sexual status of the animals involved. If you have a geriatric dog and want to bring in a new puppy, is it really fair to allow the old dog to have a puppy bouncing all over it when it wants to live out its life in peace? And if you have an adult dog and want to introduce another adult, what is the best approach to adopt?

In my opinion, there are a few basic rules that need to be applied. Should you wish to bring a new adult dog into an existing doggy household, the first criteria should be to be aware of the sexual status of the dogs (i.e. it would be really silly to expect two intact adult dogs to get along with each other, whether they be males or females). Sterilize the dogs concerned, and that will lower the likelihood of there being a fight. If the existing dog has not been regularly socialised throughout its life (i.e. taken off the property to training, taken for regular walks in different environments, been allowed to meet a variety of different animals and people of all ages, etc.), then there will probably be a problem when the new dog is brought home. Think of it from the existing dogs’ point of view. It has had thi s house all to itself for the duration of its life. It has never been off the property except for occasional veterinary visits. It has no clue about “life on the outside”. And you go and get a new dog and expect your dog to just accept it. If is extremely unlikely that this will happen. If, on the other hand, your dog has been regularly and well socialised, it will make the introduction of a new dog much easier.

If the new dog is a puppy, it is important that the adult dog has been exposed to puppies in the few months prior to the puppy’s arrival. I had one person ‘phone me, who was most upset that her 8 year old Labrador attacked her new puppy. When questioned, this lady admitted that Labrador had not been off the property for 8 years and last saw a puppy when it left its dam and litter mates 8 long years ago!! How can any dog with this background even know what a puppy is, let alone want to welcome it into its home?

1. Ensure that your dogs are all regularly taken off your property and socialised with other dogs, animals and humans.
2. When your new dog (be it an adult or puppy) comes home, keep it separate initially. Perhaps allow contact through a security gate, or keep the existing dog on lead until you are able to properly assess the situation.
3. It is often a good idea to introduce adult dogs in an environment foreign to both animals, and to keep them on (loose) leads until you can be sure that they are receptive to one another. It is important that all humans present are relaxed and at ease. This helps the dogs to realise that everything is OK and their owners are in control.
4. Swop the new and old dogs around. E.g. new dog outside, old dog in the house. Then put the old dog outside and have the new dog in the house. This way the new dogs’ smell starts to permeate the old dogs’ environment, and starts to become part of the background. As we all know, the sense of smell is vitally important to a dog. It helps them understand about what’s going on around them. This method allows the old dog to understand what the new dog is all about, without having to have the visual stimulation of seeing it.
5. Never allow a young puppy to run unattended with an adult dog. Accidents happen incredibly quickly and can have horrible consequences. E.g. a friend of ours acquired a new puppy, and introduced it into his existing 3 dog household. His dogs were extremely well socialised, so no problem there. All the dogs played together, slept together, ate together, etc. They’d had the puppy about 2 weeks when the owners quickly popped out to the shop to get some milk. When they returned, their puppy was on 3 legs. A visit to the vet and resultant x-ray showed that the puppy’s foot had been crushed. On returning home, they discovered that a flower pot had fallen over, no doubt crushing the puppy’s foot. The puppy had been bought as a show dog, and was also destined to work in various canine events. Unfortunately this wasn’t to be – the foot never fully recovered, even after extensive veterinary attention. The puppy limped for the rest of its life, and of course suffered from arthritis as it grew older. It was unable ever to compete.

If you are in any doubt about how the introduction of another dog might affect your family, speak to your veterinarian and your trainer. You could also consult the breeders of the dogs to find out if they have a suggestion that could make the transition of the new dog in to your house easier. It is far better to prevent an unpleasant reaction from the dogs than to try and fix it afterwards.

The bottom line is socialise, socialise, socialise your dog. The more confident your dog is with strange things and different situations, the more relaxed and happy it will be.

The original alpha/dominance model was born out of short-term studies of wolf packs done in the 1940’s. These were the first studies of their kind. These studies were a good start, but later research has essentially disproved most of the findings.

There were three major flaws in these studies:

These were short-term studies, so the researchers concentrated on the most obvious, over parts of wolf life, such as hunting, the studies are therefore unrepresentative drawing conclusions about “wolf behaviour: based on about 1% of wolf life.

The studies observed what are now known to be ritualistic displays and misinterpreted them. Unfortunately, this is where the bulk of the “dominance model” comes from, and though the information has been soundly disproved, it still thrives in the dog training myths.

For example, alpha rolls. The early researchers saw this behaviour and concluded that the higher-ranking wolf was forcibly rolling the subordinate to exert his dominance. Well, not exactly. This is actually an “appeasement ritual” instigated by the SUBORDINATE wolf. The subordinate offers his muzzle, and when the higher-ranking wolf “pins” it, the lower-ranking wolf voluntarily rolls and present his belly. There is NO force. It is all entirely voluntary.

A wolf would flip another wolf against his will ONLY if he were planning to kill it. Can you imagine what a forced alpha roll does to the psyche of our dogs? Finally, after the studies, the researchers made cavalier extrapolations from wolf-dog, dog-dog and dog-human based on their “findings”. Unfortunately, this nonsense still abounds.

So what’s the truth? The truth is dogs aren’t wolves. Honestly, when you take into account the number of generations past, saying “I want to learn how to interact with my dog so I’ll learn from the wolves” makes about as much sense as saying, “I want to improve my parenting – let’s see how the chimps do it!”
Dr Frank Beach performed a 30-year study on dogs at Yale and UC Berkeley. Nineteen years of the study was devoted to social behaviour of a dog pack. (not a wolf pack. A DOG pack). Some of his findings: male dogs have a rigid hierarchy. Female dogs have a hierarchy, but it’s more variable. When you mix the sexes, the rules get mixed up. Males try to follow their constitution, but the females have “amendments”. Young puppies have what’s called “puppy license”. Basically, that license to do most anything. Bitches are more tolerant of puppy license than males are. The puppy license is revoked at approximately four months of age. At that time, the older middle-ranked dogs literally give the puppy hell – psychologically torturing it until it offers all the appropriate appeasement behaviours and takes its place at the bottom of the social hierarchy. The top-ranked dogs ignore the whole thing. There is NO physical domination. Everything is accomplished through psychological harassment. It’s all ritualistic. A small minority of “alpha” dogs assumed their position by bullying and force. Those that did were quickly deposed. No one likes a dictator. The vast majority of alpha dogs rule benevolently. They are confident in their position. They do not stoop to squabbling to prove their point. To do so would lower their status because ….. middle ranked animals squabble. They are insecure in their positions and want to advance over other middle ranked animals. Low ranked animals do not squabble. They know they would lose. They know their position, and they accept it. “Alpha” does not mean physically dominant. It means “in control of resources”. Many, many alpha dogs are too small or too physically frail to physically dominate. But they have earned the right to control the valued resources. An individual dog determines which resources he considers important. Thus an alpha dog may give up a prime sleeping place because he simply couldn’t care less.

So what does this mean for the dog-human relationship? Using physical force of any kind reduces your “rank”. Only middle ranked animals insecure in their place squabble. To be “alpha”, control the resources. I don’t mean hokey stuff like not allowing dogs on beds or preceding them through doorways. I mean making resources contingent on behaviour. Does the dog want to be fed? Great – ask him to sit first. Does the dog want to go outside? Sit first. Dog want to greet people? Sit first. Want to play a game? Sit first. Or whatever. If you are proactive enough to control the things your dogs want *you* are alpha be definition. Train your dog. This is teh dog-human equivalent of “revoking of puppy license” phase in dog development. Children, women, elderly people, handicapped people – all are capable of training a dog. Very few people are capable of physical domination. Reward deferential behaviour, rather than pushy behaviour. I have two dogs. If one pushes in front of the other, the other gets the attention, the food, whatever the first dog wanted. The first dog to sit gets treated. Pulling on the lead goes nowhere. Doors don’t open until dogs are seated and I say they may go out. Reward pushy, and you get pushy. Your job is to be a leader, not a boss, not a dictator. Leadership is a huge responsibility. Your job is to provide for all of your dog’s needs – food, water, vet care, social needs, security, etc. If you fail to provide what your dog needs, your dog will try to satisfy those needs on his own.

In a recent article in the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) newsletter, Dr Ray Coppinger – a biology professor at Hampshire College, co-founder of the Livestock Guarding Dog Project, author of several books including Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behaviour, and Evaluation; and an extremely well-respected member of the dog training community – says in regards to the dominance model (and alpha rolling) – “I cannot think of many learning situations where I want my learning dogs responding with fear and lack of motion. I never want my animals to be thinking social hierarchy. Once they do, they will be spending their time trying to figure out how to move up in the hierarchy”.

By Dr Ian Dunbar
(veterinarian and animal behaviourist, Dr Ian Dunbar is Director the Center for Applied Animal Behaviour, Founder of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and host of the popular British TV series Dogs with Dunbar. Ian is the author of numerous books and videos)

Note: the information in the above article came from an interview with Dr Ian Dunbar, who spent nine years studying the social behaviour of dogs during the study mentioned below. This is a non-copyrighted piece.

A puppy that sits is generally far more socially acceptable than one that jumps up against folk, muddying their clothes and scratching their legs. A puppy that sits rather than growling and tearing at ones pants is much more likely to get positive attention from friends and family. A puppy that has learnt to sit when greeting strangers is likely to earn you an admiring look – after all, aren’t puppies untrainable? Don’t they always behave like hooligans when they’re only a few months old?

So how does one go about teaching a puppy manners?
First choose a cue that is easy for all people to follow, such as crossing your arms over your chest. Whenever someone stands with their arms crossed, the puppy should sit. So how to you teach a puppy to be so polite?

Get out your trusty clicker and some treats that your puppy particularly likes. Ensure that your puppy is clicker conditioned by clicking and treating him a few times, and watching for the startle response when he hears the click sound.

Then watch for your puppy to glance your way. The moment you have eye contact, cross your arms. Do not say “sit”. Do not say anything. Do not move. Just stand there and look at your puppy.

If he sits, click and treat. If he remains sitting, keep clicking and treating him. After a short while, click and throw his treat to one side, thereby making the puppy stand up to go and get it. Fold your arms again, and your puppy should offer another sit. Click and treat.

If your puppy doesn’t sit, move closer to him so that he has to bend his head right up to maintain eye contact. This will probably cause his bottom to lower towards a sitting position – click and treat.

If he jumps up on you, just turn and walk away. As soon as he stops jumping (or chewing at your pants, or investigating an ant), move towards him again and try and elicit eye contact. As soon as you have it, fold your arms and wait for the sit. Click and treat when it is offered.

In a short space of time, your puppy will start sitting every time he sees you fold your arms. Now you need to take this on the road. Get your friends and family to look at the puppy and then fold their arms. If the puppy sits – click and treat. Repeat this with different people, in different environments, with more distractions.