Thurs 18th March: Dogs aren't unthinking machines

 Another reminder while I remember, please check your Spam inbox if you're waiting for an email from any of us at HKDR, as so much mail seems to be filtered out as junk.  It works the other way round too, and I have to check every day to pick out the inevitable "real" messages that are in Spam. 

Some good news today, firstly that the parvo puppies are doing well in hospital and will hopefully be able to leave very soon.  I don't want to jinx anything by speaking too soon but maybe the infection was a mild one and the puppies are strong enough to deal with it. 

Corgi Bean is adopted

The next good news is confirmation of corgi Bean's adoption after a trial with the resident husky.  Like so many smaller breeds that are surrendered to us, Bean had food guarding issues, maybe and probably due to under-feeding as a puppy.  As a result food becomes such a valuable and precious resource that the dog feels the need to guard it, and that becomes a problem behaviour.  Luckily the adopters are sensible and understand enough to be able to help Bean with the support of our trainer Cactus, and now Bean is a happy boy. 

A dog's behaviour is of course affected by many things, from genetics to treatment and training, but it's not something that can't be changed.  Even without any input from me, as my Lamma dogs are given the freedom to choose, they might suddenly alter their habits.  A dog might decide one day that he wants to start going for the daily hike, while another chooses not to go any more.  Rag has recently stopped sleeping on my bed at night while Romeo has just started doing it.  There's obviously a thought process that goes into these behaviour changes but I have no idea what it is.  

We have seen how dogs behave very differently in different homes, with one foster or adopter reporting certain behaviour problems, and the next saying the dog is lovely and has no issues at all. We should never underestimate how sensitive dogs (all animals) are to their environment, and that includes the humans that they live with.  If you're a nervous type who worries a lot, that will be picked up on by the dog and will quite likely show up as neurotic-type behaviour.  If you're a relaxed and easygoing type of character, a dog will also feel much more confident and will be far less likely to have any issues.  Giving a dog credit for having its own intelligence and ability to think and make decisions makes life so much easier for both sides.