Canine Contrition - It Does Exist

 So-called dog experts have long since held the position that dogs are in capable of feeling guilt or remorse for doing something naughty.  

This position was confirmed as recently as January of this year, by the AKC.  The stance is and has been that when dogs demonstrate body language typically associated with shame or contrition, it's the result of them cuing in on their owners, who are upset over whatever transgression they committed.  Owner discovers shredded pillow, owner gets upset (even to a small degree), dog knows owner is unhappy about dog's behavior, dog offers contrite body language.  While I agree that's the most typical scenario, it's not always the case.  

I've called bullshit on this 'expert opinion' for years, particularly after a situation with a previous dog.  Today, I received another data point and call the so-called experts out as morons.  

Here's a quick review of my experiences.  The first was with my border collie, Isabel, who could recite Pi to 112 places and drive a car.  Don't call me a liar; she could dammit.  Anyway, when we first rescued her, she suffered from frequent urinary tract infections and would have occasional accidents in the house.  My first data point is from one such accident.  I was working from home, one day.  Isabel was sleeping just outside my office, but not where I could see her.  We were alone in the house.  From nowhere, she quickly walked into my office and glued herself to my side, her body language screaming 'I love you, Daddy!'.  Being Daddy's girl, it wasn't unusual for her to show the most affection to me, but this was over the top.  I suspected something was up and went to investigate, finding she'd had an accident.  Her body language couldn't have been a response to my reaction to her accident, because I wasn't yet aware of it.

Today, my dog Sadie offered very similar behavior, but I couldn't figure out why.  That is until I got a good look at her.  For the second time, she'd decided to roll around in her own shit.  Somehow, that I'd missed that little tidbit when she came into the house.  Still, she knew what she'd done was being a bad doggie, from the previous time she pulled that move, hence the contrition.  Again, body language of contrition offered before I was aware of her transgression.

In both cases, it was clear to the dogs that the behaviors were unwelcome, from reactions to their previous occurrences.  Be clear that neither were punished; that's a dumb way to modify a dog's behavior.  But there were cues that the dogs picked up on.  For example, Sadie got tossed right into a bath.  When they repeated the behavior, they knew they did something that didn't make their owner happy.

These were completely different dogs, with dissimilar demeanors.  While Isabel was insanely smart and loved her Daddy, but had some behavioral challenges, relative to strangers and was afraid of containers.  Sadie is a complete saint and the most even tempered, loving dog I've ever had, but she's not the sharpest knife in the drawer.  

In conclusion, the experts don't know what the fuck they're talking about.

Additional source material here.

Gratuitous doggie pictures below.

Isabel

Sadie

The Smell of Dog

I’m a serious dog lover, but this is the first time in my life I’ve not owned one. My travel schedule makes having a furry companion unrealistic. I just couldn’t board a dog that frequently, particularly since my choice would be a large one. Were that not the case, I’d have dognapped my border collie from my ex-wife by now. As border collies tend to be, she’s wicked smart and incredibly loyal. When we rescued her, I decided I would learn how to train her and began reading about clicker training. At the time my marriage ended, she knew over a dozen hand signals, three times as many voice commands, and I swear she could read my mind, sometimes. 

When I left the marriage and moved to Richmond, I found myself with two needs. The first was to find a way to make the world a better place. As a result of being married to a borderline (see previous blogs), I’d become a bitter and selfish, and wasn’t happy with the man that stared back at me in the mirror. That needed to change. The second need I had was a way to get a dog fix without owning one. The solution seemed simple, so I began researching local rescue organizations. The Richmond SPCA has trainers on staff as well as a team of volunteers educated on behavior modification, so I began volunteering there. Understandably, I had to put in some sweat equity before they’d let me actually train dogs, so my first volunteer job was as a dog walker. Having developed knowledge of canine behavior modification, it didn’t take long to be selected for the team and additional training. We focus on both training techniques as well as reading canine body language. You might be surprised at all the things a dog can tell you, if you know how to listen. 

Our projects cover the gamut and really depend on what dogs have needs. Today, I worked with three dogs. The first was recovering from surgery. He needed to get some exercise, but not too much; work the leg but don’t damage it. It’s a bit much to ask normal volunteers to understand where that sweet spot lies, so our team takes over. Plus, he flat out needed some quality time not in his kennel. The second had not been socialized and needed to learn to be a dog. She also really needs to learn to take treats without ripping my fingers off. The third was dog aggressive, so we worked on focus (gaining it back when she sees another dog) as well as a few other things. We’ll also work with dogs who are stressed in the shelter environment; really, they all are but some are much worse than others. If a dog has a bad habit, that might prevent them from being adopted, we’ll work on that. My first project dog was this massive pit bull who got so excited when you came to visit that he’d knock you right over. I taught him that he would lose the thing he wanted most (me) if he jumped. He learned manners and got adopted within a week. We really do run the gamut of what we tackle. Regardless, our goal is to give each dog the best opportunity at being adopted. 

We tend not to get involved with the adoption process, itself, although I’ve had project dogs who were quite special to me. For those, I’ve been known to work families over, if I feel they’ll take care of my baby. That’s the odd thing about this sort of work. It can be easy to get attached to the occasional project dog, because you spend so much time with it. So, when they get adopted, you’re torn between sadness over losing your friend and joy because they’re part of a family, who’ll love them constantly and not just for a dozen hours each week. 

Aside from raising my stepchildren to be productive adults, the work I do at the shelter is the most rewarding thing I’ve done in my life. Knowing I’m helping dogs find forever homes with families who love them makes it all worthwhile. Plus, I get my dog fix and get drooled on to my heart’s desire. I’m exhausted and smell like dog, but I can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon.