BY FRAN JEWELL
This is Part Two of a two-part series. The Weekly Sun published Part One in its November 16 issue.
Last week we established two things: first, that a wolf pack remains somewhat consistent throughout the pack’s lifespan; and, second, that dogs relate to humans like pack members. We can now understand some basic canine behavior.
What that means for our modern, domesticated dog is that frequent changes in the social pack are not normal for any canine. While some dogs are more able to cope with accepting new dogs into their social pack structure, others are still trying to overcome their natural instincts and hardwired response to having a consistent pack. When was the last time you heard of two wolf packs getting together to play games (or dance) at a Saturday night cotillion? Never!
We humans expect dogs to simply get along with every dog they meet on the trail, at daycare, etc., and to accept those other dogs in a matter of seconds when they have no idea where that dog fits into the current social structure. This is enormous pressure for any dog, even the most highly “socialized” dog or puppy. Thinking back to the wolf pack, the social structure, or pack, remains, for the most part, stable and consistent. Now we are asking our modern dogs to change the pack structure in a matter of seconds, and to do it with delight. As a dog behavior consultant and someone passionate about the natural behaviors of dogs, I see it as extremely stressful for the average dog to be able to cope with these demands on an everyday basis.
Does that mean I don’t approve of multiple-dog households, dog parks, doggie daycare, or other dog social events? Not at all. But, what I do think is that we as humans need to have realistic expectations about what each individual dog can handle, and to accept who our individual dog is. Some dogs do thrive on relationships with other dogs, and it is easy for them to cope with the changes in pack structure and social rank. This is, however, usually a lower-ranking dog that can make these adjustments easily.
Dogs that are unsure of their social rank in any pack are more stressed by frequent changes and new dogs. Unfortunately, we humans are incredibly talented at treating dogs like people, instead of dogs, so that their personal social rank is very difficult for the dog to define, and to be comfortable with.
To that end, we humans are many times at the core of the problem for dogs in their social skills. This is why it is imperative that we human dog owners accept the responsibility of treating dogs like dogs, giving them healthy boundaries and social structure. We need to understand that dogs are not people and should not be treated like little people. They are not our equals. In the dog pack, there are no equals; there is always someone higher or lower in social rank. Always. When we try to treat them equally to each other, or to us, they become confused and eventually neurotic.
Treating a dog like a dog does not have to be inhumane. We confuse treating a dog like a dog with our fear of being inhumane. We fear not treating them as equals. Although a cloud of controversy surrounds the dominance theory, we still need to accept that dogs live with social rank every moment of their lives. That simply is who they are I am only stating that, in order to be more humane to our dogs, we must treat them like the dogs they are and accept that they are descendants of the wolf. We must accept that not all dogs are able to change pack structure quickly, just like wolves.
Once we understand that, we move closer to understanding that not all dogs can be social butterflies. Some dogs are further evolved away from innate wolf behaviors than others. When we stop forcing uncomfortable day-to-day, or minute-to-minute, pack changes for our dogs, we might find that they can better cope with the demands made on a modern domesticated dog. We further need to understand that in a dog’s eyes, we humans are also a part of their pack and their social needs. Not all dogs need multiple dogs in their lives to be happy. A dog can be happy if they are the only dog in your household. you are a part of their pack and you can influence their happiness by honoring them for the beautiful dogs that they are!
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.