Can the Way a Dog Looks Determine its Behavior?

Can the Way a Dog Looks Determine its Behavior?

Community, WagBreeze Life

People often hear the term “pit bull” or see a pit bull-type dog and immediately have an opinion of the dog’s character. When used, the phrase “pit bull” can produce mixed reactions. Pit bulls are not a breed recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). It is a catch-all term that often lumps together multiple breeds, including Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier, and many medium-sized, short-coated, mixed breed dogs with broad heads and a stocky or muscular build.

Why Should You Care About Pit Bull Breed-Labeling?

There are laws and ordinances known as breed-specific legislation (BSL) that can block you from housing access and prevent you from having specific types of dogs in a city. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA),

“Breed-specific legislation (BSL) targets specific breeds of dogs that are wrongly thought to all be dangerous – most frequently ‘pit bull types’ – and places stricter regulations on these dogs or even makes ownership of them illegal.”

The term “pit bull” encompasses a variety of physical characteristics that can result in a number of dogs being grouped into a single breed category. This is problematic when faced with negative stereotypes associated with a broad grouping of many different breeds. BSL is a restrictive measure used to ban specific dogs that are assumed dangerous based on appearance. It prevents the evaluation of each dog as an individual.

These breed-specific restrictions can result in an outright ban in an area, euthanasia, muzzling, registering the dog as a dangerous breed, requiring specific types of fencing, and the list goes on. Deirdre Franklin, founder of Pinups for Pitbulls, Inc. says:

“BSL isn’t just an issue for owners of Pit Bull–type dogs and other breeds who are affected. It’s an issue for everyone as it affects communities at large — families, a city’s budget, local shelters and rescues, the perpetuation of false information, and, of course, dogs.”

Pit bull-type dogs are unfairly judged or lumped into a group because of certain physical traits or their “breed,” but should instead be evaluated by their behavior. Scientific studies have proven that neither experts nor the general public are able to correctly identify whether there is a pit bull breed in a mixed breed dog based solely on its looks. 

BSL aims to prevent dog bites and to keep communities safe. Through science-based research, however, we know BSL doesn’t work and it is expensive to regulate. Franklin says, “Funds could [instead] be reallocated into meaningful bite prevention classes and spay and neuter, for example.” The focus should instead be educating communities on dog safety, using force-free (or positive reinforcement) training for companion animals, and enforcing leash laws. 

Negative stereotypes, myths, and sensationalized media stories have created a stigma around pit bulls that make it difficult for their parents to find housing, get home or rental insurance, or even move to another city. Shelters and rescues can also have trouble getting pit bulls adopted. Our focus needs to turn to facts, not myths. In Franklin’s master’s thesis she states,

“To date, there has not been a single peer-reviewed journal or study that has proven that one breed or mixed breed of dog is inherently more dangerous, or that Breed Specific laws reduce dog bites.”

Pit bulls were once known as American hero dogs (i.e., Sgt. Stubby), media stars (like Petey on Little Rascals and Chance in Homeward Bound), and beloved family members. Canine behavior science and advocates are changing the view of pit bull-type dogs and restoring the image of bravery, loyalty, and love. 

Ben Croft, Operations Director of Universal K9, who rescued an abused pit bull-type dog, Kiah, from the shelter, successfully trained her to become a police dog, and placed her with a department to become the first official pit bull police dog in the state of New York, said 

“‘They’re just good, good dogs. The Achilles heel is the stigma,’ Croft said, referencing the misconception that pit bulls are by nature an aggressive and violent breed.”

Remember that every dog is an individual and it’s up to us to work together to end BSL and canine discrimination through education. All of us want community safety, after all. 

 

Other Sources:

  • Franklin, Deirdre S., “Public Policy: Community Safety Through Breed Bans?” (2013). Animals and Public Policy.
  • Franklin, Deirdre and Lombardi, Linda; “The Pit Bull Life; A Dog Lover’s Companion” (2017)
  • The Misunderstood Pit Bull; The Pet Insider with Warren Eckstein; episode 13
  • Tomkinson, Levity; “Op-Ed: BSL Isn’t Just Bad for Pit Bulls & Pit Bull Owners – It’s Bad for Everyone” (2016)
Reducing Leash Reactivity: The Engage-Disengage Game

Reducing Leash Reactivity: The Engage-Disengage Game

Training, WagBreeze Life

Sound familiar? The four “F”s of fear: Many dogs struggle to stay relaxed when they see another dog, a person, or a specific environmental stimulus, and end up reacting with an intense stress response. Stress responses can be categorized into fight such as barking, lunging), flight (such as avoiding, hiding), freeze (such as cowering, shutting down), or fool around (such as jumping, mouthing) behaviors.

The Engage-Disengage Game is helpful for dogs that respond with a “fight” or “fool around” response. These dogs often become over-aroused quickly and end up hurling themselves toward the trigger out of fear, anxiety, or frustration. Unlike socially savvy dogs that self-interrupt frequently in order to keep interactions fun and safe, these “fight” or “fool around” dogs have immense difficulty disengaging from the trigger in order to self-interrupt.

The Engage-Disengage Game decreases a dog’s stress around the trigger and teaches the dog the peaceful coping skill of self-interruption. This ability to disengage and self-interrupt is similar to the practice of mindfulness if you are at all familiar with Buddhism, yoga, or elements of the field of psychotherapy.

Manage Exposures, Decrease Reactions

Before diving into a training plan to treat the issue of stress response, first, learn about and try some positive management methods to decrease how often your dog is reacting to the trigger. Every time your dog practices an undesired behavior outside of training time, he is going backward in training and will continue to feel stressed or anxious around the trigger. Try to decrease the number of undesired reactions he is having each day. (Review the article Managing Leash Reactivity to confirm your understanding of these concepts.)

If your dog has bitten or caused injury to a person or another animal, first consult with a certified positive reinforcement trainer or board-certified veterinary behaviorist to make sure you are implementing the necessary safety precautions.

Choose Positive Dog Training Logo

The Engage-Disengage Game: Reinforcing New Feelings and Desired Behaviors

Reducing aggression, reactivity, or fear means desensitizing and counter-conditioning your dog to like the trigger gradually, and teaching an alternate response behavior. The Engage-Disengage Game uses positive reinforcement methods and provides a structured way to reduce a stress response and train a safe and appropriate behavior instead.

There are two levels to the game. The first level rewards the dog for engaging with the trigger when he is not showing the stress response, which builds positive feelings toward the trigger. The second level rewards the dog for offering the alternative behavior of turning away from the trigger, which is a behavior incompatible with barking at, pulling toward, or biting the trigger! The illustration below explains how to play the Engage-Disengage Game. This illustration can also be downloaded at www.ChoosePositiveDogTraining.com.

Game Prep

Before beginning the Engage-Disengage Game, gather the following supplies that you will need:

  •  High-value treats
  • Clicker
  • Humane harness or collar

Practice fast U-turns by luring your dog by placing a treat near or on his nose or by tossing “find-it” treats on the ground as you both change direction quickly (walking toward the treat). Take a break if you notice even subtle stress signals (displacement behaviors) such as excessive lip-licking, yawning, or scratching.

The Engage-Disengage Game is based on these scientific principles:

  •  Desensitization
  • Counter-Conditioning
  • Differential Reinforcement

Level 1: Engage

  1. Start at a safe distance away from the trigger, a place where your dog is not reacting. Be quiet and still so that your dog notices the trigger on his own.
  2. At the precise moment your dog ENGAGES by looking at the trigger, CLICK.
  3. When your dog turns his head toward you after hearing the click, feed him a treat. If your dog reacts or does not turn back to you after the click, move further away from the trigger to reset at an easier distance.

The goal of Level 1 is to succeed with at least 3-5 repetitions in a row at the same distance before moving on to Level 2. A successful repetition is when your dog turns back to you immediately after the click. If the trigger is moving or changing in intensity, keep playing Level 1 until your dog has calmly looked at or engaged with the trigger from every direction. THEN move on to Level 2.

    Level 2: Disengage

    1. Again, let your dog notice the trigger, but this time wait 1-5 seconds to see if your dog will offer to look away from the trigger on his own. If your dog is fixating on the trigger for longer than 5 seconds, go back to Level 1.
    2. At the precise moment your dog DISENGAGES by looking away from the trigger, CLICK.
    3. After the click, feed a treat. If your dog reacts or is not turning back to you after the click, move further away from the trigger to reset at an easier distance.

    The goal of Level 2 is to succeed with at least 3-5 repetitions in a row before moving 1-5 steps closer to the trigger. A successful repetition is when your dog disengages with the trigger comfortably on his own. As you move closer, keep playing Level 2 if the trigger is not moving or changing in intensity. If the trigger is moving or changing in intensity, go back to Level 1 at the new distance.

    Each time you play the Engage-Disengage Game, play for 1-5 minutes, and then take a break. If your dog is ready and eager, you can repeat this pattern.

    A graphical representation of the Engage-Disengage Game from Choose Positive Dog Training

    How Close?

    Remember to keep your goals realistic. For example, if your dog is triggered by other dogs, it is important to acknowledge that he may not be destined to be a “dog-park dog.” Some dogs may simply prefer the company of humans more than other dogs, or may not enjoy physically interacting with dogs that have different play styles. Some dogs may have more introverted social personalities. Going to the dog park or walking through a busy crowd of people can be like a rave or punk concert that your dog is just not interested in attending! Instead, he may prefer to snuggle down next to you on the couch — like when you settle down to read a good book or watch a movie.

    Remember to take training at your dog’s pace and to make things easier if he is showing stress signals. In many cases, working your dog up to walking by another dog or person calmly on the leash is a perfectly acceptable goal for both of you. As a responsible dog parent, it is important to have expectations that respect your dog’s capability and personality. Remember to take training at your dog’s pace and to make things easier if he is showing stress signals. Keeping your dog under threshold will actually help him learn faster and give you longer-term results.

    If it is appropriate for your dog to engage in polite greetings and physical interactions with the trigger, you can still play the Engage-Disengage Game by clicking for more interactive “engage” behaviors, such as sniffing the trigger or targeting a safe area of the trigger with nose or paw. A certified positive reinforcement trainer or board-certified veterinary behaviorist can help you determine if greetings and physical interactions are appropriate for your dog, and can also assist in creating an individualized greeting plan that prioritizes safety and success.

    Proof Positive

    Using positive reinforcement methods, like the Engage-Disengage Game, help your dog become less anxious and fearful of the world. The Engage-Disengage Game can come in handy for many situations. I have used it to teach dogs how to remain calm and happy around a new baby in the home; around other dogs or people they are scared of; around other dogs or people they love so much that they want to jump and mouth; around bikes, skateboards, doorbells — and the list continues.

    Science and research in dog training have revealed that intimidation, pain, or the threat of pain are simply not necessary and cause more problems in training an aggressive, reactive, or fearful dog. Instead, using positive reinforcement methods like the Engage-Disengage Game help your dog become less anxious and fearful of the world, and teach him that he has the ability to choose another behavior that is both fun and safe instead.

    Therapy Dogs: Mental Health & Furry Snuggles

    Therapy Dogs: Mental Health & Furry Snuggles

    Health & Wellness, WagBreeze Life

    Written by Courtney Murray

    It’s no secret that dogs can bring you immense joy. They can provide snuggles on what would have been an empty couch while you binge-watch Netflix. They can be your running partner when you’re training for a marathon. They can be your best friend. But did you know they can help teach children to read?

    Photograph of a child reading with a therapy dog team (R.E.A.D. Program)

    Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) is the premier organization for the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) program. Imagine a child who is struggling to learn how to read being given confidence and self-esteem while improving their reading skills.

    Dogs provide a special kind of nonjudgmental assistance and unconditional love to children that make them the perfect “teachers.”

    Debbi Cole is one of the many amazing individuals who gives her time to this worthy cause. She is currently a Regional Director for READing Paws in the Northwest Florida Chapter and a licensed Evaluator, Instructor, and volunteer for ITA and R.E.A.D. “The child in essence becomes the teacher to the dog as they strive to learn to read with the additional aid of the trained handler,” she explained. 

    This is just one of the many life-changing roles a therapy dog can have. As part of a handler/dog team, a therapy dog works to enhance the quality of life through the human-animal bond. Therapy teams work with people who are experiencing difficult moments in their lives from accident and injury to disease or loneliness. Nancy Bown, CPDT-KA is also an ITA evaluator and works with Debbi to ensure every team is ready for their jobs.

    Becoming a therapy team doesn’t happen overnight though. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication on both sides of the team. First and foremost is the importance of being people-oriented and sociable, and they must be willing to engage with others and enjoy doing so. You have to be prepared for the unexpected and be able to adapt to ever-changing environments. Debbi explained, “The dog should be comfortable being touched, even with awkward strokes, and be able to enjoy visiting even in distracting situations. They must be reliable and predictable, responsive and controllable at all times, and able to cope with stressful situations.”

    The dog is responsible for being outgoing, friendly, and confident in new settings; while the handler should be relaxed, social with strangers, attentive, interactive, and encouraging to your animal. The handler must always serve as an advocate for their animal and be the voice that they don’t have. Therapy dogs must be at least 18 months old and have a health screening with a veterinarian. The first step is to begin obedience classes to perfect their skill sets. Just like people, dogs learn and mature at different rates, so there is no cut-and-dried timeline for when a dog will be ready to get out in the field.

    photograph of a boy reading a picture book on a mat in front of a therapy dog

    Once the obedience skills are achieved, then the handler attends an ITA workshop where they learn how to become an effective team. They focus on skills like mutual respect, boundaries, and learning problem-solving techniques. It’s important to show compassion for those you work with and not sympathy.

    Mary Burch, Ph.D., said eloquently,

    “The most important part of the therapy dog equation is the client who will be receiving services. If you mainly want to spend some time with your dog, and your primary focus isn’t the senior citizen who is profoundly lonely, the child who is struggling to read, or the teenager who has endured a lifetime of abuse, you should choose another activity. There are many engaging and fun things you can do with your dog. Therapy work is for those who sincerely want to help others.”

    If you decide that this describes you and you take the ITA workshop, then your team must pass a three-part screening which includes skills, aptitude, and a health exam by a veterinarian who ensures the health and physical ability to perform therapy work.

    The skills and aptitude screenings evaluate how well the animal and handler work together to determine what environments they are best suited for. The next step is to shadow other ITA teams and do visits with ITA directors for their first two visits to facilities in the area.

    After all of this long and rigorous training, the prepared Therapy Animal Team is ready to venture out on their own in the wonderful world of therapy work. These incredible therapy animal teams make huge differences at many local facilities like Boys & Girls Clubs, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, residential treatment centers, the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, Walton & Okaloosa public schools, youth detention programs, hospice facilities, and libraries. Just like humans, dogs change physically and emotionally as they mature.

    This is why ITA requires dogs to be reevaluated every two years with testing given at the Dog-Harmony building in Santa Rosa Beach. Aside from therapy dogs, many other species make wonderful visiting animals that are capable of forming strong human-animal bonds — cats, birds, rabbits, goats, domestic rats, hamsters, guinea pigs, ducks and chickens, miniature pigs, llamas, cows, and horses are just a few. According to News in Health studies, interacting with animals can decrease your cortisol and lower your blood pressure. Other studies have shown that being around animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood. In today’s fast-paced world, who doesn’t want less stress and more happiness in their life?

    a chart from www.therapyanimals.org explaining the difference between therapy, service, and emotional support dogs

    The importance of therapy dogs and the incredible impact they can have is becoming increasingly recognized. Therapy Patient Connections (TPC) is a human service organization founded to educate and practice the powerful benefits of the human-animal bond. Volunteers and their pets make regular visits to patients and clients who are physically or developmentally disabled, emotionally or psychologically impaired, lonely, or suffering in any way. All of their amazing services are free of charge to both clients and the facility. TPC animals and handlers are screened, trained, licensed, and insured before participating in animal-assisted interactions (AAI).

    Deciding to volunteer your time and energy to participate in animal-assisted interactions is not a casual undertaking. Volunteers must be prepared to work with patients/ clients during the most difficult and stressful times in their lives. It is a serious commitment but one that comes with insurmountable rewards. Imagine the smile you can put on the face of a child recovering from surgery. The companionship a therapy dog could provide to an elderly person who has recently lost their significant other. The love and support that could be given to a person struggling with an illness. These are immeasurable gifts that will last a lifetime.

    Nina Ottosson and the Origin of Pet Puzzle Games

    Nina Ottosson and the Origin of Pet Puzzle Games

    Health & Wellness, WagBreeze Life

    Written by Lorraine Whetstone

    Nina Ottosson jokingly waved to the hundreds of people roving around the Global Pet Expo, like she was Miss Universe.

    “In the beginning, people called me a crazy lady … if you ever think anyone would buy a puzzle for a dog,” she said in her heavy Swedish accent. “Nobody believed.”

    “So today, I wave at them now.”

    More than 20 years ago, Ottosson invented one of the hottest and most beneficial products in the pet world today: pet puzzle games.

    The games “exercise” a pet’s mind. It prevents boredom and the behavior problems that go with it, such as chewing up your entire leather couch, digging to China and nonstop neighborhood watch barking. 

    The sturdy games require pets to use their natural instincts to “hunt” for food. Using their paws, mouth, and nose, they have to lift blocks, turn discs, slide panels, and rummage in fabric to find yummy treats inside. 

    Ottosson’s motto: “Dogs have four legs and one head. All five need exercise daily.”

    “If a dog uses its brain every day, we would not have so many dogs in shelters,” she added.

    The “ah-ha” moment came in 1990. 

    Ottosson was a new mom, with two children born 18 months apart. She also was a dog mom, with two Bouvier des Flandres that were used to a lot of training and competition shows. 

    The American Kennel Club describes Bouvier des Flandres dogs as “strong-willed” and “do best with owners who can devote ample time.”

    (Children can be described that way, too, right?)

    So Ottosson, feeling guilty about not working the dogs as much, created puzzle games to exercise them indoors while she was with the kids.  

    In 1993, she launched her business, Zoo Active Products AB, a.k.a. Nina Ottosson Puzzle Games & Toys.

    “It was very hard the first 10 years, traveling around showing how the games worked,” she said. 

    But by 2015, she was a top dog. 

    Dog Fancy Magazine named her one of the “45 People Who Changed the Dog World.”  She won the Lifestyle Innovation Award at Pet Fashion Week in New York, and Pet Age Magazine’s Women of Influence Award. Games earned accolades, such as “Gear of the Year” from Whole Dog Journal. 

    In 2015, her business was acquired by pet product giant Outward Hound, which made the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies in 2021.

    Outward Hound had a prominent spot at the 2022 Global Pet Expo, the companion animal industry’s premier event. 

    More than 700 companies showed off the latest and greatest products at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando this past March. 

    Booth after booth, company after company, featured games to engage a pet’s brain. 

    Ottosson was in a prime spot, showing off her classic and latest creations, from the “Fast Food Fun Mat” and “Hide ‘N’ Slide,” to the “Tornado” and “Dog Casino.” Cats had games such as the “Rainy Day Puzzle & Play” and “Buggin’ Out.” 

    “You were the first one,” Nancy Bown, Dog-Harmony’s Founder, told Ottosson when they met at the expo. “You were the pioneer.” 

    “Yes, I created a category,” Ottosson said.  “I’m really proud of that.”