Victoria Stilwell Positively

Is your dog low on the “social butterfly” scale?

If you’re wondering why your dog is not more playful with you, other people or dogs and what you can do, take heart. Most dogs can learn to be more playful and affectionate. Sometimes we have to train a water-shy Labrador to swim and socialize. Try to be realistic about your expectations for your dog and remember that Lassie was, in reality, a long line of actor-dogs raised by an animal trainer. Chances are, you have a real dog.

Sociability in dogs is believed to be driven by three things: genetics, early developmental experience, and the triggering details of an event. Fear is adaptive to survival and thus, easily acquired and difficult to dislodge as it is deep-seated in the brain. Many frightened dogs will run away or hide if possible. Others have an active defense reflex and will go after what scares them. If this is your dog, please seek professional help.

Early Development and Early Exposure. A dog’s fear of strangers may be inherited. but some studies show that the experiences in early development and socialization can trump the effect of genes. Neglectful or aggressive mothering, and relationships between siblings can have an effect on your dog’s later psychological development. The critical period of social imprinting occurs within the 3 -12 week window, although the ideal age to transition a puppy into a forever home is 7-9 weeks.

What happens during the critical period may dramatically affect your adolescent and adult dog. Expose your puppy or rescue dog to 100 new things in the first 100 days, enrich the environment with gradual, gentle exposure to new people, places, things, other friendly dogs, and moving objects. Encourage early chew-toy training, task training, and housetraining. Take your dog with you every other time you go out and make sure that your dog’s socialization is a series of positive experiences. Dogs often behave one way with their family and household pets, and differently with strangers.

You can watch some amazing early puppy training videos at Puppy Prodigies on YouTube. To set your dog and your family up for success, check out a free resource, Before You Get Your Puppy by “puppy guru”, Dr. Ian Dunbar, available at www.DogStarDaily.com .

Event Triggering. Negative associations from the past or unfamiliar stimuli can be triggers that generalize from one specific trigger, to wider and wider categories of events. Some fears can produce a state of hyper-arousal and chronic stress in your dog.

In regard to training, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior advises, “Training should be based on positive reinforcement with frequent rewards, praise, petting, play and/or treats. Positive and consistent training is associated with fewer behavioral problems and greater obedience than methods that involve punishment and/or encourage human dominance.” 2008. Whatever the source of your dog’s fears, the treatment is the same--desensitization and positive associations using slow, incremental exposure. Over-exposure to a feared stimuli, aka flooding, often further traumatizes a dog.

Insure the safety of all dogs and people, and remember that every good treatment plan begins with management. First, avoid getting the old response in order to make room for the new response and create new positive associations by linking a mild version of the fear with something your dog adores Work to get the right amount of exposure and stimulation balanced with a sense of security and safety. Your best guide is body language. Learn to read your dog’s body language, so you can recognize fear: mouth clamped shut, ears pinned back, tail between the legs, attempts to hide, run away, growling if trapped, or air snaps.

Food can be the initial bridge to change your dog’s response from one of fear to one of positive experience. For more help see, The Cautious Canine: How to help dogs conquer their fears, by Patricia McConnell, PhD. For great online information check out www.FearfulDogs.com

Take it slow and think of Ricochet-- trained to become a service dog from the moment she was born, but who had a penchant for chasing birds. Ricochet’s new-found talent for surfing has made her Del Mar’s most loved surfdog-fundraiser who will be appearing at our upcoming Surf Dog Surf-a-thon www.surfdog.kintera.org. She has a video gone viral on YouTube.

If your dog has people-aggression or severe separation anxiety fear-based issues, please consult a behavioral consultant for professional help.

Local news reports, “A Mountain Ranch man was mauled to death by two pit bulls late Sunday afternoon.”

The dogs belonged to a friend of the victim who was staying on his property. According to one newscast, the dogs were known to be territorial. They barked, growled and lunged at people from within their confined area. However the person interviewed stated that no one expected this. On the other hand, the opinion of some readers is that the outcome was obvious and the clear consequence is that pitbulls should be banned.

Whether you love pitbulls or wish they were all dead, the real message from this tragic incident should be, if your dog barks and lunges uncontrollably at people or other animals, you need some help with him.

As a veterinarian and applied animal behaviorist, I deal with aggression and bite cases all the time. In fact these make up about 80% of the cases that veterinarians practicing behavior see. One common thread between many of the cases—the owners failed to recognize the early signs that could develop to fatal aggression.

They ignored the problem until it was too late because they thought, “Barking is a normal territorial response,” or “He’d just run up to the visitor but I was sure he’d never bite,” or “He’s a perfect dog and so lovable the rest of the time,” or “We didn’t know it could end up like this!”

A second common thread is that the dog gets overly aroused and the owner can’t get their dog to focus on them and perform alternate, more appropriate behaviors.

What’s wrong with territorial barking?

It is true that dogs normally alert to and bark at changes in the environment such as people approaching their property. Some owners prefer this quality as it alerts them to possible danger. But if you as the human have no way of getting the dog to understand that his barking should have an on-off switch and most people approaching are no danger, you may be setting yourself up for a similar bite or mauling situation.

The problem is that each time the dog gets a chance to bark and the object of the barking goes away, the dog learns that barking works and he should do it more. At the same time the barking itself, like a rally chant, is self-reinforcing.  Add to that a second overly aroused dog and a human barking “No! No!” and now you create an air that is like gunpowder, waiting to explode.

That’s because arousal or excitement and aggression are on a continuum.

Regardless of whether the dog was originally barking out of fear, wants to play and can’t, or just wants you off his property, when the excitement level gets too high, he may just go into pure reaction mode. That’s the mode where he runs up barking and not thinking. This is similar to the drunken football fans who riots after their team wins the superbowl, or the peaceful but passionate protestors who suddenly turn into a violent mob. It’s not something specific to pitbulls. It’s a behavior characteristic of animals in general. For dogs, the larger they are, and the more practice they get, the more dangerous they can be.

Take home message

So let this tragic case be a lesson to anyone whose dog barks or lunges out of control. You can tell yourself “ Oh, he’d never bite,” or “He’s just playing,” or “He’s good the rest of the time.” But if you can’t call him and get his undivided attention on you, it may take a bite or mauling before you realize you were wrong.

Sophia Yin, DVM

To see videos on what you can do to train your dog to focus on you instead of barking, lunging and behaving aggressively watch these videos:

• Dogs Aggressive to other dog: http://drsophiayin.com/videos/Podee%27sAggressivetoOtherDogs.mp4
• Keeping Dog Play Under Control: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYzKNeEFzMM
• Dogs come when called instead of running to the door: http://drsophiayin.com/videos/ZoeUPS.mp4
• Dogs lie down calmly instead of barking when visitors come to the door: http://drsophiayin.com/videos/Treat&TrainOverview.mp4

I am always on the hunt for good life similarities to dog training.  This week I stumbled upon more as my son is wrapping up his first week at kindergarten.  At his orientation last week prior to the first day of school, we were walked through some simple ways to help our children develop a love of learning and there were a couple points that struck me as being parallel to the concept of how we can better help our dogs to learn.

First presented to the parents was the idea of creating an environment conductive to learning.  For a child this looks like providing a quiet place to study at home.  For my dog owner clients this looks like….you guessed it….providing a quiet place for their dog to learn!  This especially rings true with puppies.  If you are trying to train your puppy in some new behaviors at home, do not select the noisiest and busiest room in which to do so.  Puppies can be very easily distracted, so finding a quiet area where you can garner their attention to work with them is essential.  Once they have mastered the behaviors without distractions, then you can gradually add distractions in as you work with them.  However throwing lots of distractions into the mix when they are in the first stages of learning a new behavior does not set them up for success and certainly will not create an environment that is conductive to learning.

Second was helping your child develop good study habits.  How do we do this with children?  Practice, practice and more practice.  We help them to practice the learning process.  You would not say to your child that they only have to do homework or study on Mondays and then the rest of the week they don’t need to do anything.  We see the same concept of dog’s developing good habits by practicing behaviors that they have learned.  Probably many of us have experienced that moment when we ask our dog for a behavior, let’s say it was “roll over”, and the dog looks at us like we have two heads because the last time we asked them for that behavior was a year ago!  So we must practice training and helping our dogs learn, even if for just five to ten minutes a day.  This also provides wonderful mental stimulation for the dog on a daily basis.

Lastly, and not presented by the school principal, but a parallel I drew this week from numerous conversations with my son when he got home from school, was ENJOY RECESS!  I found this week that when my son has talked to me about his day, the majority of the conversation centers around recess.  In this “play environment” is where he is building relationships with other kids, letting out excess energy and frankly just having a fabulous time.  I think the same is true for our dogs.  In the midst of “study” and learning new things, there must be time created for “recess.”  This can be a time for dogs and owners to strengthen their bond, for dogs to release pent up energy and also just have fun.  One of my favorite books on this topic was written by Karen B. London and Patricia B. McConnell and it is called “Play Together, Stay Together.”  It is chock full of great play ideas for owners and dogs.

So remember to think through some of the concepts listed above when working with your dog.  There are so many wonderful similarities to child learning and dog learning and helping to set them up for success in this process is a key factor in training our wonderful dogs.

After a terrible and restless night of trying to sleep and my analyzing thoughts about a work situation keeping me awake, I rolled over in bed to stroke my two senior dogs lying curled up beside me.  Part of what had kept me awake was my blood pressure was up and I realized as I stroked my resting dogs that it had a significant calming effect on me.  One of my dogs has been with us for 12 years and remained quietly resting as I stroked her side and the other dog is 10 years old.  As I stroked my 10 year old dog she immediately rolled over for the obligatory belly rub….her absolute most favorite thing in the whole world.  I had to smile.

I started thinking about that tactile behavior we humans do in stroking our dogs.   I think for the most part we do it because it makes us feel good.  I know in that moment I started to feel better and it felt like my blood pressure started to go down.  There are some really neat research studies being done these days about the effects of the human and animal bond.  I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Dr. Rebecca Johnson from the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI) in Columbia, MO last month (http://rechai.missouri.edu/).  They are currently working on some very exciting research studies that analyze the positive effects that animals have on a human’s health.  Those effects are even wider reaching than just making us feel good.  The actual measurable health effects and benefits are amazing.  Among some of the many positive health benefits of owning a dog are lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower stress and lower depression.  For me, this makes me appreciate the animals that I have even more.

So back to the stroking behavior….while it is wonderfully beneficial for us humans, we do need to realize that our tactile behavior towards our pets should be monitored.  Not all dogs “enjoy” being petted and I know with certainty that had I chosen in that moment in the early hours of the morning to stroke my youngest senior dog, 8 years of age, he would have moved to go over to the other side of the bed!  Is this because he doesn’t like me?  No!  He does like me….especially when I have dry roasted chicken for him!  The point is that he likes his space and as a puppy he was a show dog and was touched ALL the time, so though he is used to being petted and is able to tolerate it from pretty much any person, he does not necessarily “enjoy” it.  If I did not understand where he is coming from then I might take it personally.  I have plenty of dog training clients who rescued dogs from situations where the dogs were conditioned not to enjoy the benefits of a relationship with a human.  They were either abused by humans or had a traumatic situation early on in life.  Those dogs may never fully enjoy being touched by a human but with patience and love they may come to tolerate it.

Bottom line, our animals make us feel good and that is a wonderful thing.  We also need to respect who they are and how they feel.  It must be a two way street.  So stroke your dog today, if he/she is okay with it, enjoy the positive feelings that come from that experience and thank your dog for having a great impact on your health.

Sierra and I had a pleasant play date at the park this morning with a friend and her adorable Corgi. We arrived early and had the place to ourselves, as is our habit, but after thirty minutes, other dogs began to arrive. Sierra loves to play. She was soon happily racing around with an Australian Shepherd, and then wrestling with a Lab puppy. The Corgi, however, loves to get in other dogs’ faces and bark, particularly when they are engaged in play with their buddies. As you might imagine, this sometimes has the unfortunate effect of escalating the playing dogs’ arousal, somewhat like schoolyard kids chanting, “Fight! Fight!” On this occasion, the Corgi even snapped at one of the other dogs, and a fight ensued.

I suggested we leave the park and instead walk around the larger outer maze of pathways. As we strolled, my friend asked whether I thought her dog’s behavior would improve with time. He’s two now, and I told her that simply exposing him to the other dogs in an unstructured environment over and over would probably result in the opposite of what she’s hoping for—he’ll get better at what he’s doing, given that he’s getting so much practice.

There are many owners who don’t realize that aggressive behavior is not something that can be fixed simply through habituation. I know, because I see them at the dog park. Some of the dogs are even muzzled! The owners obviously realize the dogs are aggressive, but they figure as long as the dog can’t actually hurt another dog, it’s fine. What’s not so fine is that the muzzled dog is left defenseless if another dog attacks; because he feels vulnerable, he may actually take the offense; and besides, a muzzled dog can still cause some damage.

I told my friend that she’d be better off sticking to walks, and skipping the off-leash park entirely. She asked if there was any other alternative. I told her that if she absolutely insisted on taking him to off-leash dog parks, she needs to first instill a rock solid attention cue, where anytime she calls his name he looks at her, regardless of distractions. A reliable recall is also crucial. In a large enough park, at least with those skills in place she could keep him away from potential problems. Working on the barking issue is another must, and a solid “leave it” wouldn’t hurt, either. Still, the dog should not be off-leash around other dogs at this point.

Most canine aggression starts off fairly mild, and worsens over time. Dogs who start out by growling or hard staring may begin to air snap and lunge, and eventually, make contact. Giving them an arena to practice and get better at those behaviors is irresponsible; the wiser course is to admit there’s a problem and work through the steps to fix it, preferably with professional assistance.

The problem with speaking English instead of using made-up words is that we assume our pets know what we mean. We say, “Sit” and expect Fido to drop his derrier, but the command Fido’s learned is “sit, sit, sit, SIT!”

Then once he’s done the deed, we praise with “Goodsit,” when just “Good” would do, thinking that Fido understands that “good” modifies the word “sit.” Do we think “Gooddown,” or “Goodstay” would cause him to walk away confused, or that “Goodgirl” would cause a boy bowser to develop a gender identity problem?

These minor language misconceptions probably seem moot; however, when the message we want to convey is for Fido to come right away, proper communication may save the day. If Fido could race over every time we called, imagine the possibilities.

When Fido darts out an open door, you could call him once and he’d speed to your side instead of thinking that your call was his cue to lead you on a game of chase.

Or at the dog park when he sniffs a mound of manure, one call would mean “hurry back right away” rather than “return at your leisure after you roll in the stinky stool.”

How can you get such a rapid recall? You can start by making yourself more interesting then a pile or poop… or a neighborhood dog, or any other distraction that Fido finds more entertaining than you. Here’s how.

Start with Fido on a leash in a quiet, distraction-free setting and give him a few tasty bite-sized treats so that he knows you’re up to some fun. Then, when you have his attention, suddenly run backwards a few steps and say “Fido, come.”  Your sharp movement should stimulate him to want to play. As he closes in, hold the treat at his nose level so he keeps all four-feet on the floor and give him the treat when he catches up.

This step sounds simple but at least half of your friends are already messing up. First, be sure you say “Fido, come,” only once if your goal is that he comes the first time. That is, quell that irresistible urge to blabber his name and the cue word repeatedly. Second, make sure your summon sounds like an invitation to play rather than a roll call on death row. Your goal is to teach Fido that running to you is more fun than a romp with fellow rovers not a sentence of doom.

Once you know you have this part down because every time you call, Fido immediately runs over, you can up the ante by expecting him to sit in front of you. No need to say “sit.” Using your treat as a lure, just silently guide his nose up when he reaches you so the weight shifts onto his back legs putting him into sit position. Now, the new meaning of “come” is to race over and sit in front. To make this into a real game, turn and run away a short distance when you call him so the exercise is involves a short chase. When he catches up, stop so that he can sit in front of you and receive his treat.

The next step is to add mild distractions such as a toy or bone on the ground or other family members playing nearby. Walk towards the distraction and before Fido becomes too engrossed, call him and run away so you lead him in a chase. If you call soon enough and have practiced the earlier steps well, he’ll immediately race after you. Cheer him on so he knows for sure he’s having fun and give him his treat when he catches up.

Repeat this game with different distractions starting with easy and progressing to more difficult. Randomly practice at home and when on walks so he never knows when to expect you to break out in play.

At this point many owners mistakenly let their dogs run off-leash at the dog park.  There, Fido frequently comes when called giving the owner the false idea that he has the exercise down pat.  But like the running back who breaks 100 yards per game but fumbles on all the key plays, Fido's perfect except when it's really important.  He always comes running but sometimes not until after he finishes rolling in the dead rat, after he aggressively approaches and barks at other dog owners, or after he runs half-way across the street.

To prepare Fido to recall reliably off leash, practice all of the earlier exercises on a long leash until “coming” when called even with tempting distractions become his habit. And, make sure that once he’s with you, he’s happy to stay focused on you until you give him the okay to do his own thing again. Gradually graduate to more distractions such as toys, new scents and even other dogs. This may take a little longer than you first thought, but by being consistent, careful, and always expecting him to come when you call just once, you’ll develop a Fido who understands what you really want.  For more information and for step-by-step photos, check out drsophiayin.com.

Originally appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle in March 1, 2003.

©  2003 Sophia Yin, DVM, MS

Here we are again in the dog days of summer and most everything is well in my little corner of the world.  Many of our students are on break, though being a full service veterinary hospital, Tufts keeps senior students around so they can help man the trenches and, in the process, increase their veterinary experience.  Pretty much all of the professors are still around, too, though some are taking short but well-earned breaks over the summer, girding their loins for the teaching assault to follow in the fall.  

I never really take a summer vacation but, instead, continue to see cases, keep the pot boiling with various research projects, and prepare for the teaching assignments to come.  One of these assignments is my next continuing education seminar to trainers, vet techs, and veterinarians, which is coming up in the last weekend of August toward the end of this steamy hot stretch that we call summer.  In Colorado, I have one cat day on a Friday in which I attempt to explain everything I know about behavior problems in cats in about seven hours.  Then I have two dog days on the Saturday and Sunday before returning to Massachusetts.  For anyone interested in attending either of these presentations, please visit my website ThePetDocs.com and look under the events heading.

I’m not a politician, and I have never claimed to be interested in or able to comprehend what I’m sure are the delicate intricacies of how to create and enforce effective legislation.  I’m not big on telling people what they want to hear just for the sake of a few egos, and no one has ever accused me of being too soft on those I don’t necessarily agree with.

What I do know about is common sense, and as disinterested in politics as I may be, I get pretty passionate about injustice and cruelty, especially towards those who can’t protect themselves.  Child abuse is the most heinous crime I can think of, and nothing will ever compare with my outright loathing of those who are guilty of it.  Abuse against helpless animals is pretty far down the same road as child abuse, though, as far as I’m concerned.  In fact, much has been made lately of the link between animal abuse as a very common precursor to human-on-human (including children) crime.

That’s why I literally fail to understand how any decent, moral self-respecting human being can oppose efforts to curb the horrific and cruel practice of puppy mills.  Other than psychotic, neurologically damaged killers I honestly can’t think of anyone I know who would prefer that puppy mills stay in business and be allowed to profit and thrive off the misery and pain of dogs. 

But I guess I don’t know enough people or have severely misjudged the humane tendencies of human beings at large, because somehow, there are still those who oppose puppy mill reform to the point where they go out of their way to ensure that no new laws are passed to protect dogs from this form of cruelty.  That’s exactly what happened recently in North Carolina, where a perfectly reasonable (and actually somewhat watered-down) puppy mill reform bill was summarily killed by the state legislative process due to mindboggling, astoundingly stringent opposition from a few powerful lobbying groups.

The bill was designed to "eliminate abusive practices and provide for the humane care and treatment of dogs and puppies by establishing standards for their care at commercial breeding operations."  That’s it.  Basically, it would have made sure that any breeding facility that had 15 or more breeding bitches and 30 or more puppies was subject to state regulation, licensing, oversight and humane practice requirements by the state.   And some people thought that that was a bad idea worth fighting against.  Unbelievable.

Now I don’t have any problem with respectable breeders who breed for the love of their particular breed and are concerned about raising puppies in the best possible way, maintaining a full regard for all their dogs’ mental and physical well-being.  While I can’t imagine why I would ever go to a breeder to get a new dog when there are so many wonderful pets waiting to be adopted in shelters (most of whom had originally come from puppy mills or breeders, by the way), I understand those that do, and don’t look down upon them at all.  What I do have a problem with are people who go out of their way to actively oppose efforts to ensure the well-being of domesticated dogs.

The North Carolina puppy mill bill (SB460) was killed before it could get to a vote because several lobbying groups brought their considerable power to bear on those who were trying to pass the bill and save dogs’ lives.  The groups who have proudly announced their opposition to and relish their role in the ultimate defeat (for now) of the bill include the National Rifle Association and (amazingly) the North Carolina Pork Council.  PORK!!!??!!  RIFLES??!!!? 

Now I can tell you that I enjoy eating bacon as much as the next girl from time to time, and a good hearty debate about the right to bear arms is what Americans’ right to free speech is all about, but I’m not going to get into that now because it’s not relevant to a blog post about puppy mills.

OH WAIT…  Pork and guns ARE suddenly a part of the discussion about puppy mills, because amazingly those who lobby on behalf of pork and guns have thrust themselves into the debate and (for some completely inexplicable reason) decided that a bill designed to curb abuses against dogs in puppy mills is a threat to those they represent (pork farmers and fans of guns).  I may not be a genius, but I like to think I have decent head on my shoulders, and still I just don’t understand this.

The NRA and the Pork Council have gone so far as to actually say that they have more of a problem with those who sponsor the bill than the bill itself.  So basically they’re willing to let their fear of those in support of the bill dictate their stance on whether or not they’re ok letting dogs languish in abject misery in puppy mills.   The NRA want to protect the rights of hobby breeders, especially those that breed sporting hounds, while the Pork Council believe that the main goal of this bill’s backers is not so much about puppies but is actually a more sinister plot to eventually force the entire country to stop ever eating meat again!  Brilliant.

All I can think is that these groups feel that a simple bill to crack down on puppy mills is somehow an assault on their way of life.  I can’t see how that could ever be the case, and I don’t think that makes any sense, but it’s the only explanation I can come up with for why they would obstruct laws opposing puppy mills.  Unless they really do just hate puppies.

I don’t think there’s a group in the world that I agree with 100% of the time on 100% of the issues.  I’m sure the Pork Council and the NRA have played some roles in making the world a better place from time to time, but on this issue, they’re dead wrong, and this time they’re exposing their willingness to put themselves, their greed and their egos ahead of the well being of defenseless domesticated animals.  These aren’t chickens, pigs, cows or even fish (and yes, I do believe all animals should be treated better even if they are being bred for their meat) – these are pet dogs and if we can’t come together to try and protect them, then what next?

Amazingly, even the American Kennel Club has voiced strong opposition to puppy mill bills in the past, presumably fearing that the more stringent laws on puppy farmers will trickle down to their registered breeders as well, causing them to be subject to stricter licensing and humane treatment laws.  They might also be worried that less breeders will be paying to register their puppies via the AKC which would mean less money for the AKC.  And here’s silly old me thinking that kennel clubs in general were organizations that were designed to put dogs’ well-being first.  If a registered breeder is doing what they’re supposed to, I don’t see why more oversight would be a problem for the AKC or its breeders.  If you’ve got nothing to hide, then you’ve got no problem showing what you’ve got.  If anything, more oversight would help the legitimate breeders, as they would have official status and stamps of approval as humane breeders.

The bill’s opponents also say there are already laws on the books in North Carolina that deal with the issue of animal abuse and puppy mills.  Hmmmm.  I guess they missed the fact that the current bill was inspired from the recent rescue of 300 dogs from a North Carolina puppy mill.  The current stuff’s not working, Einstein. 

So here’s an idea:  why don’t the NRA and Pork Council bring their considerable power to the table on behalf of pet dogs in puppy mills and find a way to give whatever legislation currently exists the teeth it needs to identify bad breeders and hold them accountable? 

 That’s an honest challenge to those opposed to puppy mill reform:  you fix the puppy mill problem however you want, so long as the following issues are resolved including: 

• dogs being kept in small cages all their life
• dogs having no social interaction with other dogs or humans
• dogs that develop genetically-based diseases due to incestuous breeding practices
• dogs that have their vocal cords ripped out to stop their incessant barking
• dogs living in and among their own feces and urine in cages stacked on top of each other
• dogs that don’t know how to walk on solid ground after having spent their entire lives in wire cages.

 You opponents of puppy mill legislation come up with your own solution to the above problems that don’t conflict with your love of pork chops and shotguns, and you’ll be absolved.  If you don’t, though, we’ll know where you stand:  you’re ok with abuse to puppies and dogs.  It really couldn’t be any simpler than that.

While it is reasonably easy to train dogs as seizure-response dogs to run and get help when someone is having a seizure, to have dogs pick up on an impending seizure before it actually happens is a totally different kettle of fish (and one that is somewhat equivocal).  Though there are groups who train seizure-alert dogs and place them with individuals who have seizures, there is no scientific evidence for seizure alert actually working except where brittle diabetics can be alerted by their dog before their blood sugar hits rock bottom and triggers the seizure. In the latter case, the explanation may be that when blood sugar drops below a certain level, metabolism changes producing different odors that dogs can detect.  If the dog is trained to respond to this odor by, say, by nudging a household member, the correct treatment can be implemented and a seizure thus averted. 

But here’s a new twist on the old story of seizure-alert dogs, one in which almost behavioral seizures, in the form of “rage” were apparently detected ahead of time by his canine companions.  The dog in question, a Doberman pinscher whose name was Storm, formerly got on well with all his other Doberman housemates. But this amiable situation ended abruptly about two months prior to the owner noting any overt rage episodes. Suddenly the other dogs started giving Storm a wide berth.  His owner, a professional dog trainer, thought he was pulling a power trip, but it turns out they probably knew more about what was going with Storm on than she did at the time.  Storms owner reported the rage episodes, when they finally occurred with a vengeance, as follows: “His behavior before an attack was that he would be sitting just staring out a window, a blank stare, with dilated pupils and then he would turn, look at me briefly, look away and then, a split second later, launch into a full-blown attack.  The attack would last anywhere from thirty to sixty seconds and then he would come out of it, start shaking and appear totally disoriented.  He would then look at me like he was still a baby, as if to say, “What’s wrong?”  The episodes increased to four times a day and his vet put him on Valium® at first and then phenobarbital and, finally, lithium, but nothing seemed to help. 

During the very last attack the owner had him muzzled because the episodes were getting worse.  He woke up and came over to her on the couch (she was lying down) and he attacked her without provocation despite being under the full influence of the medication.  She reports that she was never so glad to have had a muzzle on him because with him at face level she could have been seriously injured.  Unfortunately for Storm, there was no future and the vet decided he should be put to sleep as he shouldn’t have to live drugged and muzzled, as that meant essentially he had no life. 

Two points emerge from this story.  The first is that there appear to be definite differences between seizure-induced aggression (a.k.a rage) and just nasty old “normal” aggression.  Minimal or no provocation is one of them as is the occurrence of a vicious attack associated with bizarre post ictal signs like shaking, disorientation, or extreme tiredness. 

The other lesson from this story is that the other dogs seemed to have alerted to Storm’s pending seizures, both ahead of time and event by event.  Seizure-alert dogs may be able to detect human seizures before they occur and may be able to detect those of other dogs, too. 

Though science has yet to catch up with this phenomenon, the truth is out there somewhere and, undoubtedly, will eventually come to light. 

Dr. Dodman will be giving a 2-day seminar on dog behavior in Colorado in August. For details and registration, visit his website www.ThePetDocs.com.