Furry Godmother Pet Sitting

12/07/2024

RELATIONSHIPS ARE NEVER AS CLEAR CUT AS WE THINK

Yesterday whilst watching my Romanian rescue Lily share toys with my mini terrier Lucy I saw how complex a relationship between two dogs can really be.

Many many years ago we saw dogs as having a hierarchical relationship with one another with one dog being the top dog over another. We would reason that aggression between dogs was to fight for dominance, fight to be that "top dog". It's been debunked that theory but the topic of dominance is still heavily debated with many incorrectly basing training techniques on the need to be the dominant one over your dog. (Which couldn't be more incorrect if it tried).

Some have tried to instead explain dominance as being resource dependent - that one dog may tend to show dominance over one resource eg a toy, whereas the other may show dominance over another resource e.g. food. That this is down to individual preference - what matters to that dog?

Even that is too simplified.

Yesterday I saw a fascinating conversation between my two dogs as I supervised them with their toys. Lucy was chewing at the toys ear. Lily tried to take it off of her. Lucy froze and held onto it. Lily backed off. In that instance Lucy was dominant to Lily. Lucy won the resource. That's all dominance is. It isn't aggression and fighting. It's a momentary holding or obtaining of a desired resource. The challenger backs down out of their own choice. (The resource can be anything, toys, food, sniffs on the ground, people, beds, sleeping spot, play).

Just a few minutes later Lucy had finished chewing the ear but was lying next to the toy. Lily leaned across to grab it. Lucy dropped her head, leaning closer to the toy but Lily swiftly took it regardless. Lucy backed down. In that moment Lily was the dominant one. Over the same resource, in the same interaction between 2 dogs, in the same 5 minute time frame.

Dominance isn't a trait of a dog, and it isn't something that can be categorised by resources either. Dominance is literally a momentary outcome of a momentary situation. That's it. Dominance is only achieved because the challenger chooses to submit. It's a consequence to a conversation. It's just not generalisable as much as we want it to be.

We like to categorise things as humans. "He thinks he's top dog", "he will fight for dominance", "he sees himself as the alpha" is such outdated language that I think is still relied upon because we feel like it helps us to understand the motives of this species in our homes. Good old cognitive dissonance means it's really hard to let go of a belief you have, especially when it's helping you.

I invite you to try to understand your dogs in ways that don't involve big sweeping statements like "dominant dog". What are you seeing that you are labelling as dominant? Is it actually confidence? Anxiety? Assertiveness? Need? Habit? Tolerance? Pain?

There are SO MANY details that we miss when we rely on just the one label of dominance and in this detail is your ticket to a much richer and more authentic relationship with your dog.

There is nothing more educational than watching two well socialised dogs build and maintain a relationship with each other. If we take away our expectations of what we think we will see we can start to uncover the truth of what is really ongoing. 🐾💜

Disclaimer to say my dogs are always supervised around toys because I want to ensure conversations never escalate to fights. So far, due to the excellent social skills my dogs possess, it's been fair reasonable conversations over resources only. I don't push that by having them eat together etc as I don't think that's fair. A primary need such as food isn't something dogs should ever feel they need to discuss.

Picture of the two dogs in question. Lily on the left, Lucy on the right. Yes dominance is not about size difference either and how likely "they'd win in a fight". Dominance and submission is about communication and choice.

10/30/2024

Some uncomfortable truths but worthwhile if you truly value your dog's emotional/mental health.

Leaving a dog home along for 10 to 12 hours is not at all uncommon. However, this can lead to separation anxiety in dogs.

10/18/2024

09/13/2024

Fascinating to learn and important to know...

THE INVOLUNTARY MOHAWK

Technically called Piloerection – when the fur on a dog’s back area stands on end.

Piloerection in dogs is an involuntary response – not within conscious control. It’s usually linked to feeling a strong emotion and could be compared to a person getting goosebumps.

It’s far easier to see in short haired dogs than those with a longer coat.

A breed like the Rhodesian Ridgeback has a clear distinctive ridge of fur on their back. This is formed by a selected gene mutation which causes that particular fur to grow in the opposite direction from the rest. This ridge is standard for this breed and is not related to an emotional state.

Piloerection is commonly thought only to be seen in reactive or aggressive dogs, but that’s not always the case.

Dogs that are feeling aroused, excited, fearful, startled, stimulated, conflicted or insecure in some way, also exhibit this.

As with all behaviour, it’s important to look at the context, in conjunction with other body language, the environment and specific situation in order to establish the cause and decide on the best way to intervene if necessary.

Dr Karen London - an ethologist and highly qualified behaviourist, trained in observing animals and behaviour, has made some very interesting observations about different patterns of raised fur being linked to different emotional states.

In Dr London’s professional opinion -
A thin patch of fur all along the back to the base of the tail is associated with a high level of confidence. These dogs are more likely to be on the offensive and react more aggressively.

A thick patch across shoulders to around ¼ way down the back is associated with a low level of confidence and is seen in dogs that are more fearful.

A patch of fur raised at the shoulders and another patch at the base of the tail – the fur in between is not raised, is associated with dogs that are conflicted and unsure of how to react. These dogs may be unpredictable and more likely to be reactive.

Dr London states that there are many exceptions, but in general, this applies to the majority of dogs that she observes.

09/09/2024

07/21/2024

😆

05/20/2024

‼️Pedigree recall‼️

Mars recalls one lot of Pedigree dry food. See a complete list of all dog food recalls and FDA warnings since 2009, by Dog Food Advisor.

05/02/2024

Something to consider, especially if you don't currently offer variety in your dog's bowl.

“Never change your dog’s food!”💬…probably the most common piece of advice given to new pet parents, but microbiome research proves this is a BIG mistake and terrible advice. Study after study shows the more diverse your pet’s bowl is, the healthier their gut and immune system can become.🦠

Gut microbiome and longevity experts agree - a more diverse diet leads to a healthy gut and is a leading contributor to a longer and healthier life.🥦🥩🥕

Feeding a variety of healthy, minimally processed real foods leads to a healthy microbiome and according to scientists may enhance the immune system, reducing allergic responses.🧬

A study from Finnish Veterinary Scientists shows healthy human food leftovers significantly reduces allergy symptoms and skin problems later in life. They found the more exposure dogs have to a variety of healthy leftovers, the more protection there was from developing skin issues down the road.

“…even if the dog eats 80% of its food as dry, adding a minimum of 20% of the food as raw significantly decreased the risk of AASS [allergic skin disease] later in life.” – Dr. Anna Hielm-Björkman

We wrote our first book hoping to inspire you to add fresh food to your pet’s bowl. And three years later, we wrote our new book The Forever Dog LIFE, to show you HOW. With tons of easy recipes, we wanted you to have quick and fun ways to add even a small amount of real fresh food to your dog’s (or cat’s) diet. And, on page 34 we give you our Transition Tips and walk you through how to help even the pickiest of eaters discover a new way of eating.🐶😻

👇COMMENT “LEFTOVERS” and I’ll message you the link to The Forever Dog LIFE book with over 120 recipes and more science-backed tips to help your pet live a longer and healthier LIFE.

04/11/2024

It’s National Pet Day! What better day to thank the amazing people and organizations who care for our four-legged friends. We would like to acknowledge and thank our members: Foothills Animal Clinic, Community Pet Center, Heart of the Foothills Animal Rescue- Rutherford County, NC, Furry Godmother Pet Sitting. You are the cat’s meow! 🐱🐶

03/18/2024

😂 oh god