Vincent - Foster Dog Blog - 12th Day

Well it's been a week and a half since Vincent joined us and it's been one of the easiest settling-in periods we've ever had with a foster dog.  We are still monitoring him closely in all situations but the trust is building and he is starting to relax when outside, even looking back to check-in if he is unsure about something, which is a very good sign.

As I type, the bin-men are outside making a hell of a racket emptying the wheelie bins  (usually a time for guarding breeds to raise the alarm) and as he rested at my feet, he merely lifted his head to look at me to see what I was going to do, then laid back down to relax when I completely ignored them.  This was of course quietly reinforced with a 'good lad' and a gentle tickle with my toes!  If I had got up to close the door or went to grab his collar to prevent any guarding behaviour, I would probably have created the very problem I wanted to avoid by changing my own behaviour as a response to the outside stimulus.


As I always tell clients when they get a new dog, these first couple of weeks are ESSENTIAL to get desired patterns of behaviour in place from the get-go as it's a lot tougher to modify behaviour once it's become established.

 

Vincent - Foster Dog Blog - Day Seven - Peaceful Co-existence... Or was it?!

However, just two minutes after this photo was taken this morning, Bailey the Great Dane left the bed.  She returned five minutes later but Vincent had occupied her spot so she stood there for a minute or so wondering where to go.  I thought that the extension of the bed space might be a good idea so they had more space between them all.  

I went and got the bed that Vincent has been using and the minute the bed came out, Vincent snapped at Bailey.  It was over in the blink of an eye, Bailey moved away immediately and the moment was over, but it's not clear whether it was because Bailey was a little close to his feet or whether it was something to do with his bed coming out.

Nobody overreacted - I merely put the bed back out of sight and calmly monitored things for ten minutes, making sure I was in the middle of the group as it settled again.  Although there was no further sign of problems, as I had to go in and work, I brought Vincent in to rest indoors with me while the other dogs stayed outside.  When they got too hot and came in 20 minutes later, I did a swap and allowed Vincent access outside and this continued throughout the day.  The mistake would have been to assume things would return to normal and not keep an eye on things between the dogs as this is exactly when things can escalate; a minor incident creates a bit of tension which causes a slightly more intense incident, which creates more tension etc etc...

We have now made sure that Vincent's bedding is in my office and away from the other dogs and they will still all be supervised whenever they are together.  While in the living room, Vincent is not allowed on any of the sofas (unlike the other dogs) and does not have his own bed.  He is happy to lie on the floor and this is how it should be for the time being.  Not giving him the opportunity to become anxious about resources such as bed spaces or food will allow us all to become more relaxed in this early period. 

It's still very very early days and Vincent has made incredible progress but today's little incident (and photo) demonstrates that tension can be just under the surface and careful supervision is still necessary,

Vincent - Foster Dog Blog - Day Five

11.49

Very interesting occurence...  The dogs are all vying for a hotspot out in the yard in the sunshine.  A very subtle shift in the hierarchy has been observed; Vincent picks his spot, right on Bailey's favourite cushion and sits there very upright, very relaxed, not making eye contact but not settling either.  Bailey approaches, waits to see if he will move but within 5 seconds realises he will not defer so walks away again. 

This would not have happened in the house, where she displays the same ultra-calm, confident-dominant behaviour towards him when she's on 'her' sofa...

Fascinating to observe.  Peaceful negotiation and resolution.

Vincent - Foster Dog Blog

Evening walkies...

Vincent - Foster Dog Blog - Day Four

Day Four - 18:45

First signs of separation anxiety in the last 12 hours.  Nothing major, just when he is put in his 'half' of the house behind the baby gate (after his last meal, if we need to go upstairs and leave dogs unsupervised etc) he sits there and whines and grumbles for a while.  Rather controversially perhaps, with this type of dog who isn't truly anxious, just would rather be with the rest of the group, I don't automatically ignore the behaviour, but just give a stern 'Enough!' in a low, calm tone of voice without actually getting up and going to the dog (my house is small enough to do this!).  This is just to let the dog know there's no point in whining for company - I'm not actually in a very good mood and he might as well go to bed!

Works really well for a dog that is just 'objecting' and not truly anxious about being left alone.

'Sentry' behaviours are now surfacing as well.  I don't like the term 'guarding' behaviours because it implies the dog will defend territory.  I feel most dogs simply want to raise the alarm, hence the term 'Sentry'; blowing the whistle (barking) for someone else to come and deal with the situation!

Because he's not left unattended outside, I've been doing the 'Enough' command after the first bark and immediately coming out and getting him in (within 3 seconds).  Again, very calmly but firmly so he knows I'm not playing or happy with the behaviour.  This makes him confident that there is someone backing him up so he doesn't have to become overly anxious about people outside, and also that excessive barking does not invoke a pleasant reaction from me.

Subsequently, this afternoon when there were children outside, he barked once and then immediately came inside.  This, I rewarded... 

Vincent - Foster Dog Blog - Day Three

Vincent loves watching the HD TV, and Auntie Bailey sleeping!

Vincent - Foster Dog Blog - Day Three

09:45

Dogs all fed and settled, resting in the living room.


One thing missing from yesterday's 48 hour report was perhaps one of the most important; that Vincent is extremely settled when left alone.  However now he is integrated into the group, it is going to be more difficult for him to settle back in his room and out of sight of his new family.


This morning he initiated play with little Sticky, our Dachshund x Lab.  Sticks has displayed very passive dominance with Vincent so far, refusing to engage in play, lots of head-turning, lip-licking and active ignorance.  For the first time today Sticky engaged in a little play indoors but wasn't completely at ease with 90kg Vincent bouncing around him like a baby elephant and ended the play very clearly by sitting down with his back to Vincent.  We had to help Vincent a little to understand this as he was quite excited by standing beside Sticks and blocking Vincent but he then understood immediately.


Vincent has never, ever tried to interact with Bailey, our 10yr Great Dane female.  She displays very clear calming signals which Vincent very respectfully and calmly responds to.


It is very clear to Vincent, through ultra-calm, peaceful dominant gesturing by the other dogs, that his place is at the bottom of the hierarchy.  We are supporting this by ensuring that whenever the other dogs are around, they get attention first and we actively and calmly block Vincent, making him 'wait his turn'.


Feeding time is strictly controlled by us.  All dogs eat in separate corners of the house and are kept separate until all food has been consumed and the bowls lifted.  Vincent is always shown that his bowl is empty before it is removed to minimise resource anxiety (being worried that we are taking food away from him).

Vincent - Foster Dog - 48 Hour Report

Finally integrated into our home group...

The above picture shows how quickly Vincent has integrated into our home group.  it's only been 48 hours which is extremely quick for a Neapolitan Mastiff. 

48 Hour Report and Observations:

Behaviour
No aggressive behaviour observed, even during examination and treatment of ears, eyes and skin etc.  Anxiety and slight over-vigilance when out on walks, even in daytime.  This is more pronounced at night, possibly due to sight restriction caused by excessive facial skin.  Behaviour at the vet surgery was very anxious but again no aggression displayed.  Is very respectful of other dogs and displays excellent calming communicative behaviours.  He has only been introduced to my own calm, socially-balanced dogs.

Shows slight neophobia; example was today during a walk when he was fearful of a stream of water flowing from a broken water main.  Was eventually okay with walking through it but initially displayed strong avoidance.

Also displayed anxiety and avoidance around a 10yr child and scooter.  It is unclear whether it was the scooter or the child that caused the reaction.

Some signs of behavioural polydipsia were observed yesterday but there have been no signs today.  The weather has been very different today - much cooler - so this may have been the main reason for a change in Vincent's behaviour around water.

Health

The most pressing health problem are inflammation of Vincent's eyes and skin.  He is under veterinary care for this and may need to go under prolonged antibiotics.  Regular cleaning of the eyes is definitely helping (4-5 times a day) and keeping his chin clean and dry, along the gentle application of a medicated barrier cream is also helping enormously.


His ears may require deep cleaning after years of neglect.  Veterinary advice will be sought regarding this.


The most serious long-term issue is severe hip dysplasia.  He movement is extremely limited and will only worsen in time.  Exercise will need to be restricted.  He will be starting life-long glucosamine, chondroitin & MSM, possibly with natural anti-inflammatory herbal or homeopathic supplements pending advice from our vet.

Vincent eats well and shows no resource anxiety with either a bowl of food or a high-value treat such a chew.

His stools are a little loose but this is normal for a few days after a diet / environment change.

Conclusion

The first 48 hours have been much easier than expected.  So far Vincent has been emotionally stable and is starting to bond with his group, displaying some play behaviours, which again is unusual for a Mastino (this quickly).   





 

Vincent - Foster Dog Blog - Day Two

8:45pm
Taken earlier this evening on our walk... He really loved the fields, much more than being in the village.

On the way back as we walked through the village we saw a 10yr old boy riding around on a scooter at a distance of about 15m.  Vincent became very anxious, with his hackles raised and dancing around on the lead, giving short, breathy, low woofs.  I took charge and gave him some more space (about 10 more metres) and he relaxed a little but found it very hard to relax while the child was around.  Need to watch this.  It was still light at this point so I don't put it down to night anxiety.  This surprised me a little because he lived the first few years of his life with small children.  I can only summise that this wasn't a positive experience for him.



Another note tonight is his drinking pattern.  Once he starts drinking he seems to find it difficult to stop unless distracted.  This needs watching as GDV (bloat) is a real risk with this breed but in this hot weather he needs to keep hydrated.  I don't think this is true behavioural polydipsia because he CAN be distracted and it isn't necessary to remove the water from his presence.

A neighbour came around today and we saw the guarding, gobby side of the breed!  Not aggressive at all, just raising the alarm when he heard a knock on the door and he was easily restrained and controlled.

Vincent - Foster Dog Blog

Day Two - 20:00

It's been a very hot day here so we've just been chilling out around the house.  I had to go to hospital today for a while but he was absolutely fine with my daughter while I was away.

We've been working on more invasive care such as cleaning his eyes a little deeper and putting powder in his ears.  He is definitely one of the most tolerant Mastini I've ever known - he just lays down and accepts it but I am EXTREMELY gentle and am not forcing him to do anything; we have to build up trust first and if he learns to trust that if anything I do hurts him, he can move away, then he will never need to bite.

He is just waiting for his supper and then he will rest for an hour or two quietly before going on his last walk once the sun goes down and it's cooler. 

Vincent - Foster Dog Blog

Here's Vincent out on his morning walk today.  His claws need some filing down so we'll try and give him a good 30 mins a day on hard ground, which will be good for his pasterns and leg strength too.  Met some workmen in fluorescent jackets and allowed him to simply look at them for a while as he was a little anxious.  When he'd relaxed we walked on.  He's wearing a Halti Harness to make him feel a little more secure as he's a bit anxious in this new environment.

12:17

He's having a nice rest in my office by my chair as I catch up with some work.

Vincent - Foster Dog Blog

Thurs 17 June: 7am

No problems overnight.  Vincent slept soundly and peacefully.  Got up and let him out in the yard to mooch about.  Checked his eyes, skin and ears.  Skin absolutely fine, no inflammation but quite dry so applied some cream (kept cool in the fridge!).  Slight discharge from eyes but easily cleaned up with some cotton wool soaked in cool water.  Went for a walk at 7:30am.  Walks lovely on a lead without distraction.  Fed at 8:30 after a rest.  Ate with gusto! 

Foster Dog Blog - Vincent

Well another foster dog blog starts... 

I’m going to try different format with this one and keep it as brief as possible.  The reason being that I’m hoping to include it in my book ‘The Foster Carer’s Handbook’ when I eventually publish it!

Vincent is a 3yr neutered male Neapolitan Mastiff (Mastino) who has been returned to welfare because of recurring skin, ear and eye infections (common for this breed) and the associated prolonged costs of treatment, often costing upto £5 per day.

Wed 16 June – 15:15

Met owners at the vet, handed the dog over with signed paperwork.  Took dog for veterinary visit.  He was wary but did not show any aggression or strong avoidance.

15:45

Got home and allowed him to potter throughout his ‘area’ of the yard, kitchen and office. He drank freely and allowed me to dry his face and chin gently.  Other than this, I didn’t make a fuss of him at all, just sat down at my desk and started to work quietly.  (My own dogs were away in the other half of the house out of sight)  Within 5 minutes Vincent had laid down behind me and had fallen asleep. 

16:45

Got up and without any fuss, just left him behind the gate in the office while I did some housework in the kitchen, making a point of disappearing and appearing frequently for at least 20 minutes (putting away the washing up, sweeping floor, cleaning worktops etc).  Radio is on (classical music).  He sat watching me at the gate for about 5 minutes then went back down to sleep.

17:15

Left the kitchen and went into the living room (next door but out of sight) to watch some TV, spend some time with my own dogs and have some dinner.  Every 10 minutes came into the kitchen without speaking to or looking at Vincent.  He was still resting and calm.

18:00 – 20:00

Came back into the kitchen to check on Vincent and without speaking to him, quietly opened the gate to allow him to potter about outside in the yard.  He seemed affectionate and pleased to see me but did not follow me around.  During this time I gave his eyes a clean and merely looked in his ears (I’m looking in his ears whenever we have contact to get him used to having his ear flaps lifted but deliberately not doing anything else to worry him).

During this time I put him behind his gate in the office again and let my own dogs out for 10 minutes in the yard to smell where Vincent had been and to give them some food.  They showed no interest in him nor he them.  I also gave Vincent a handful of food in his bowl in the office.

The first few hours have been very calm, very quiet, very peaceful.  As little interaction as possible – I am merely ‘a presence’ which comes and goes and he seems to be happy to spend time on his own.

Trainers, Behaviourists... Unite! (Please!)

I've been a fan of the internet now for over 15 years and have watched it grow and develop exponentially.

I've been involved in dogs for over twice that long and watching the two fields merge has been an eye-opening experience.

I use the internet for research, for education, for updating knowledge and for simple amusement and many of the sites I regularly visit are dog-orientated.  In recent years I've observed a sinister turn in the way that dog-people interact with each other on the internet, particularly when it comes to the dog training and behaviour industry.

I'm told that the 'divide' between dog trainers and behaviourists is non-existent these days; however I've just had to close down a discussion page on the topics related to these fields because of narrow-minded and childish retorts attacking the work of professionals involved in canine behaviour modification.

I am really disappointed at how people attack things they do not understand.  I have ENORMOUS respect for dog trainers (I was one for many years!); their skills, their knowledge, the hard work required to  teach dogs to do amazing things.  However, when trainers do not reciprocate that mutual respect for behaviour consultants and the work we do it saddens me greatly.  We all work for the same thing, to improve the life of The Dog, and the energy used to attack others could be so much more usefully used...  There are good and bad examples in ALL professional fields; the wise realise that the way forward is to work together with colleagues from all fields in the dog training and behaviour industry with a sense of mutual respect, not suspicion and contempt.

In my ideal world, professionals like myself who devote their time to the analysis and modification of behaviour would work seamlessly and without prejudice with their canine training professional colleagues.  Trainers would work with behaviour professionals in the same way, acknowledging the years we spend in academic research, studying the way the canine brain works in order to have a better insight into problems such as aggression and anxiety.   I can honestly say that when I moved from dog training into behaviour, I was simply blown away by the sheer amount of stuff that I simply didn't know.  I did a good job with dogs and had many successes training dogs with the experience that I'd gained and applied, but learning WHY dogs behave the way they do, from the problems caused by hormonal imbalance to learning now neurotransmitters affect emotion, gave real depth to my work.

The division currently appearing in the UK regarding the regulation of dog training and behaviour roles is a representation of everything that saddens me as a professional in this field.

Yes, there ARE differences between the roles of dog trainers and dog behaviourists, the same way there are differences between a dentist and an orthodontist!  What I simply cannot understand is why individuals cannot simply accept and respect each other's professional fields.  

What is often mentioned is the difference in the fees charged to owners.  Well, if you have proven academic qualifications, have spent thousands of pounds on gaining them, given years of your life in studying for them, it is generally accepted that clients must accept this is what they are paying for, in ANY professional field.  I do accept that with the lack of regulation in this country, it is worrying that people with academic qualifications but little hands-on-experience are practising as behaviourists, but there ARE professionals out there who have both - and they aren't THAT difficult to find.

I have to risk touching a nerve and suggest that there is an element of jealousy in non-qualified people questioning the validity of academic qualification in dog behaviour and training.  If you feel yourself recoiling and reacting with an emotional reaction to this suggestion, just try halting yourself and think about WHY you have reacted that way...  Be honest, even if only to yourself.  If you are reacting out of a fear of academics taking your livelihood that you have spent 20 years working on, then own that reaction and think how about positive actions you can take to stop that happening before slamming out an angry email from an instinctive defensive posture.  If it's because you are doing a great job with your clients and their dogs and don't see why behaviourists are needed, ask yourself whether there's a slight chance that one of your client's dogs has an issue that could be explained by someone who has studied how the biomechanics of the brain affect emotion and behaviour? It doesn't lessen the work you do.  It doesn't take anything away from your own credibility... 

You never know, it might just help the dog, and isn't that the ultimate objective here?

It's an enlightening experience to step out of an automatic reaction to something and look at yourself objectively.  And it makes you a better professional.

Behaviourists are not 'better' than trainers, its a different role, that's all.

My plea to ALL people involved in helping people with their dogs is to put aside judgement and open yourselves to the possibility that other professionals with other talents, either learned or borne, just may be worth shaking hands with...