the good alpha. responsible dog ownership

The Good Alpha:

Responsible Dog Ownership

Dr. Sara Platto HUMAN ANIMAL INTERACTION SERVICE

Human Caninezation

Asiatic wolf (Canis lupus paillipes)

135.000 – 110.000 yrs Caninesation

12.000 yrs Domestication Human-Dog Co-evolution

Modern Breeds develops within last 150 yrs

Behavioural differences from wolf to dog Excessive barking response

Sequences of the hunting and predation have been truncated

Bite Killing Inhibition

Bloodhound: tracking, trailing.Sheepdog: eyeing, stalking, chasing.Setter, pointer: stalking, killing.Boarhound: attacking, killing.Retriever: retrieving (cubs, mates).Protecting dogs: inhibited biting and holding.

Perpetuation of infantile behaviour

Analogies between Human and Dog Society

-extended family groups-extensive parental care -share care of young with both related and non related group members- give birth young that require large amounts of early care and sustained amounts of later social interaction- nurse for an extended period before weaning to semisolid food (dogs do this by regurgitation, human use baby food, but the concept is the same)-have extensive vocal and non vocal communication-sexual maturity that precedes social maturity. -Fluid hierarchical system

-based on ability, age, or both,

-grounded in the context of deference.

-reciprocal social group integration

Dr. Sara Platto Veterinary & Animal Behavioural Medicine Consultant

Dog in the Rural Society Reactive-Instrumental position

Dog in the Urban Society Projective-Surrogate position Limitation to the Dog Integration

Banalization

Pietism

Iconomorphism

ZooanthropolgyStudy of the Dynamics of the

Human Animal Relation

Responsibility

Balance

Awareness

Congruity

Integration of the Dog in the Human Family

Human-Dog Interaction

Evaluation of animal potentialities

Relational

Referential

Four Parameters of Adequacy

Representative for the Relation in front of the External world

Development of all Dimensions of the Relation

Development of Healthy Relation

Needs of the Dog’s Breed


The Good Leader Dog who administers, controls and leads the behaviours of others conspecifics (David Mech).

“ Human being have the tendency to treat a dog as a human but dogs treat us as dog “

If the dog believes you are a leader, than you must lead the pack, so the dog who is subordinate must follow the pack.

Dominant Subordinate

Man as a Good Leader

PROTECT → to avoid error → to give to him trust, assurance

and emotional bond

BE RESPONSIBLE→ Guarantee to the dog a good life

care→ To understand the behaviours of

your dog

GUIDE → enable the dog to integrate with the family life → guarantee a good socialization through his life

When a dog “decide” to be the leader it is becouse there is a lack of a secure guide.


The Puppy: learning to be a good dog family

Puppy Neurological Development From birth to 2 weeks

2 to 3 weeks of age,

3 to 8 weeks of age dogs do well learning how to interact with other dogs

5 -7 to 10 weeks dogs to best learning how to interact with people

between 10 to 20 weeks

SOCIALIZATION PERIOD

Earliest sensibilization to people Puppy can be exposed to people at 3 weeks of age.

The lack of human contact between 3 and 12 ± 2 weeks fosters the development of fear/wariness towards humans (feral dog).


When should a Puppy be adopted ? 7-8 weeks of age

During the spontaneous learning there are three important Behavioural Categories :

1- Elimination It is a reflex present at birth and becomes spontaneous at 2-3 weeks of age.

From 3 weeks the elimination reflex disappears and the puppy tends to leave its bedding to eliminate.

By 8 and half weeks of age puppy develops a substrate preference.

Puppy at 8 weeks of age can urinate hourly while awake (and once or twice during the night when young) and defecate 4 times a day.


By the time of 6 months of age they usually defecate once or twice a day and urinate 3 or 4 times a day.

1- show a disregard for the substrate

2- prefer the substrate of their puppy hood

3- prefer a substrate may have learned to like because it is where they had a lot of eliminations and is now impregnated with an stimulating scent.

Dogs that are not Housebroken fall into three main categories

6- Praise the dog as soon as it squats.

General Rules for Good Housebreaking

1- take the dog out frequently.

2- dog should eliminate first and after play and socialize.

3- Choose a few restricted area at first and return to those.

4- Encourage walking in small area to mimic elimination behaviour.

5- Permit caution sniffing.

7- Do not punish the dog if eliminates in undesirable.

8- Praise the dog when eliminates in the appropriate places

9- Remember that female puppy needs more time to housebreak and may need to go out more often.

10- If the pup have to go down stairs to eliminate carry him.

11- Be patient, consistent and use good odour eliminator


2- Vocalization Distress barking when left alone in an unknown place increases from 3 to 6-8 weeks of age (maximum) then decreases until 12 weeks.

3- Play Fighting and Bite Control -Play Fight starts at three weeks of age

- Bitten puppy whimpers or squeals.

- Empathetic link between the opponent's squeal and the pain invoked.

-Reciprocal biting negatively reinforces its intensity.

-Biting is thus stopped, inhibited and controlled.

From 11 to 15 weeks play-fighting recedes

1- Puppy’s hierarchical dominance

5- The presence of the mother is important till 8 weeks of age to learn bite inhibition.

4- Failure to develop a dog's general motor control.

3- Encouraging to pull at objects dog holds in its jaws reinforces the biting reaction

2- Serious (wounding) biting in minor confrontations

Failures in Bite Inhibition


Owner Mistakes to Raise a Puppy 1- Unable to properly wean the puppy.

2- An increase of puppy’s social dominance.

3- Delay in puppy’s training towards adulthood at 5-10 months.

4- Lack of rituals that leads to their malfunction .

5- Dog’s cynomorphic approach to human-dog relation.

These risks are avoided when dog owners behave in a way that can be assimilated to the

parent-dog relationship

Dog Training

Puppy Class

- The dog starts this discipline around the 6 months of age (this discipline should be sequential of the puppy class).

- To educate the dog for a good assimilation in the family life.

- Learning a clear and honest communication.

- Learn how to be a leader.

- Learn how to cooperate.


- Real School for the team puppy-owner.

- The puppy learns how to live with the human family.

- The owner learns how to think as a dog

- Exposure to different kind of stimuli between 8 weeks to 6 months of age.

Obedience Class

Role for Dog and Owner in the Daily Life

Dominant Animal eats always first

Before to give your dog the food, ask him to sit

Before to give anything the dog wants, ask him to sit

Only dominant individuals have access to the best places of the house.

The leader passes first through any entrances or exits.

The dog does not have to have access to sofa or other furniture that make him high. Highness is a sign of dominance.

When your dog does something wrong do not shout at him. Use the TIME OUT, like the leader does.

Give the chance to make exercise at least one hour a day, and you exercise with him.

The leader has to initiate the play time, not the dog.


When the dog comes asking for interaction, before you ask him to sit and after you give what he wants.

When you walk the dog use always the leash. When strangers approach, tell them first how to approach your dog..

Do not let your dog to lean on you

Do not let your dog to put a paw on your lap

Do not let your dog to push on you when he pass close by you.

Do not let your dog to put the paws on your shoulder

When you play tag-of-war you have always to win!

When you roll on the floor with your dog, do not let him to end on top of you!

The leader has to initiate cuddle or petting.


Veterinary Check-Up

Vaccination in the Puppy

6-9 weeks of age Distemper Virus, Parvovirus, CAV-2, CAV-1 (only if necessary)

Time 0 Distemper Virus, Parvovirus, CAV-2, Leptospirosis, CAV-1 (only if necessary)

14-16 weeks of age Distemper Virus, Parvovirus, CAV-2, Leptospirosis

After 1 year Distemper Virus, Parvovirus, CAV-2, Leptospirosis, Rabies, CAV-1 (only if necessary)

Every Year Leptospirosis, Rabies

Every 3 years Distemper Virus, Parvovirus, CAV-2, CAV-1 (only if necessary)

Adult Dog Vaccinated First Time

10-12 weeks of age Distemper Virus, Parvovirus, CAV-2, Leptospirosis, Rabies, CAV-1 (only if necessary)

After 3 weeks Distemper Virus, Parvovirus, CAV-2, Leptospirosis, Rabies, CAV-1 (only if necessary)


Neutering and Spaying

Neutering and Spaying refer to the surgical procedure that renders a male or female pet incapable of reproducing.

Benefit for the Pet

Curbing aggression

Safety

Cancer prevention

Sterilization does not change the pet's personality


Benefit for the Community

Saving tax dollars.

Bettering the community.

Improving society

Percentage of euthanized dogs dropped by 30 to 60 percent.

When to Neuter or Spay the Dog? Sexual maturity at 6 months of age, so it is important to spay and neuter pets by that age.

Grooming

Dog grooming is one of your dog's basic need and an important part of dog ownership.

Hair Brush

-Long-haired dogs usually require daily brushing to prevent matting and tangling of hair.

-Medium-haired dogs may be prone to matting and tangles and should be brushed at least weekly.

-Short-haired dogs can typically go up to a month in-between brushing.

Nail Trimming

-Most dogs need monthly nail trim.

-It depends on the rate of growth.

-It depends on the kind of ground the dog uses to walk on.

Bathing

-It depends on the condition of your dog’s skin and coat.-Your veterinarian may recommend a specific shampoo. -A monthly both can be considered sufficient.


Ear Care

-Your dog’s ears can be a haven for bacteria and yeast if not kept clean.

-Dogs with floppy ears (Cocker Spaniels and Basset Hounds) or hairy inner ear flaps (Miniature

Poodles and Schnauzers) are predisposed to ear problems.

-A weekly ear cleaning with a veterinarian-recommended ear cleansing solution can minimize or

prevent infections.

Signs of ear infection includes:

Odor Scratching or rubbing of ears and head Discharge in the ears Redness or swelling of the ear flap or canal Shaking of the head or tilting it to one side Pain around the ears Changes in behavior such as depression or irritability

Hair Cut Dogs with continuously growing hair, such as the Poodle or Shih Tzu, typically need their hair cut every 2-4 weeks depending on the breed of the dog and the style of the cut.


Nutrition

Protein and Aminoacids Dietary protein contains 10 specific amino acids that dogs cannot make on their own.

Fat and Fatty Acids Dietary fats, mainly derived from animal fats and the seed oils of various plants, provide the most concentrated source of energy in the diet.



Energy Needs for Puppy

-The growing puppy needs twice as many

calories per pound of body weight than an

adult dog of the same breed.

-Owners should start feeding puppies food

at approximately 4 weeks of age.

Energy Needs for Old Dog -They need 20% fewer total calories than

do middle-aged adult dogs. -they tend to become overweight.

Energy Needs for Lactating Dog -The mother’s need for calories increase

with the number of puppies and the week of

lactation.

-Giant breeds may need to start feeding

puppies supplemental food at an early age.

Minerals -Twelve minerals are known to be essential nutrients for dogs.

-Calcium and phosphorus are crucial to strong bones and teeth.

-Magnesium, potassium, and sodium for nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, and cell signalling.

-A deficiency of dietary calcium causes secondary hyperparathyroidism.

-dogs fed meals consisting mainly of meat results in major bone loss, skeletal abnormalities, and pathological fractures.

-An excess of calcium, on the other hand, may also cause skeletal abnormalities, especially in growing large-breed puppies.


CHOOSE THE DOG BREED THAT IT IS MOST ADAPT TO YOUR LIFE ACTIVITY

AND YOUR CHARACTER


the good alpha. responsible dog ownership

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