By Fran Jewell
I just finished looking at an online magazine about beautiful homes and dogs. Almost every photo showed a dog sleeping on the sofa, on the bed or other furniture. It’s lovely to think we love our dogs so much that their comfort becomes an unselfish concern. However, as with all things, there are two sides.
What could possibly be wrong with our beloved dogs and their comfort? Dogs are literalists. That means that they look at everything literally. They don’t overthink things. Most of their world is black and white. There are no gray areas for them like we have when we think things over.
I have lived with over 30 German shepherds in the past 25 years, and countless other dogs. I see dog behavior every day. Not a day goes by that dogs don’t teach me something, or I have to re-evaluate something I thought to be true. However, one thing is consistent, and that is that dogs are STILL 99.9 percent wolves, regardless of their domestication. That means they have behaviors inherited from wolves, such as pack hierarchy. As much as we want to believe that is not true in the dog kingdom, it is. In fact, it is true with every species on the planet. Every. Species. Even humans. When we try to suppress that notion, we are, in fact, denying who are dogs really are. Denying it is also a prelude to dog behavior issues. Leadership, in a way that dogs understand, is imperative to living with this incredible animal! Without leadership, dogs can revert to feral behavior that often does not fit into our human society.
Dogs are tremendously influenced by height. In their world, the higher you are, the higher you are in social status. Ever wonder why dogs jump on you upon greeting? It’s not from over-exuberance. It is the dog’s natural inclination to see if he is as “high” as you in social status. Dogs that consistently jump are confused about where they stand in social status with others. It is not malicious. It’s just their natural curiosity to know where they are socially with you or someone new. Once we understand this behavior for what it is, we can solve the problems that arise.
Ever wonder why dogs jump on children more than they may jump on an adult? Ever wonder why children are more at risk for dog bites than adults? Dogs see children as the same social status because of their size. If you start watching, some dogs will seek higher ground when other dogs are around just to be sure the other dogs know their social status. Wonder why an older dog will get up and walk away when a puppy jumps on them? The higher they are, the higher they are. The older dog is letting the puppy know that they are higher in social status and the puppy needs to respect that.
When you start paying attention to height, many things fall into place with regard to dog behavior. It is fascinating to watch and understand. It is one reason I don’t advocate dogs on the furniture or in bed with us if they are having behavior issues. The reason is pretty simple. You become a leader when the dog is not allowed to be the same height. Does that mean you can never let your dog on the bed or on the sofa? It means when your dog accepts you as his leader and has no behavior issues, then getting on the furniture is a privilege, not a right. It is not mean to give your dog rules. Rules and controlling height will lead to a happier dog and a happier household.
Fran Jewell is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, IAABC-certified dog behavior consultant, NADOI-certified instructor #1096 and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC, in Sun Valley. For more information, visit www.positivepuppy.com or call (208) 578-1565.
