Extract from Tutor guidance notes

What is a Canine Behavioural Problem?

Behavioural problems in dogs can vary immensely. Problems most commonly presented to a Canine Behaviour Practitioner are most often the dog behaving in a normal way, a way that the dog’s innate drives make them react in a given situation. It is quite rare that as a behaviour practitioner that you are asked to address abnormal behaviours. Of course, simply because the dog reacts in a normal way, does not make the behaviour acceptable.

As an example, a dog that destroys furniture and howls and barks when the owner leaves them alone is a normal way that a dog copes with his anxiety and panic at being isolated. It is not acceptable; not fair on the dog and not fair on the owners or neighbours, but it is a normal way for the dog to cope and display it’s distress in that situation.

An example of an abnormal canine behavioural problem is when a dog’s normal behaviour has been affected by learnt experiences. For example, a dog that constantly circles or exhibits a strange behaviour of obsessive licking or chewing their coat or tail due to isolation and close physical confinement (perhaps like polar bears kept in captivity) or where a dog has adjusted to suit a given environment – excessive fence running is an example. An unusual case recently presented, is that of a small crossbreed dog, Morty who had been seized by the RSPCA from his original owners. Morty was rarely fed or given any water and so on sight of any water in his new home, be that a bowl or a river, Morty would drink until he was removed from the source. He would make himself sick and as a result of this abnormal water consumption and would urinate constantly in the home. He had learnt that through his deprivation of water and his thirst that he should drink when the opportunity arose. That is an abnormal behaviour.

In the main, what governs a behavioural problem in dogs is the owners’ view of that dog and the problem. Many dog owners accept behaviours such as jumping up on people, occasional chewing of household items, sometimes urinating in the house or mounting the sofa cushions. Another person’s view may be completely intolerant of any of those behaviours and may seek help in resolving those issues. As a behaviour practitioner, you frequently may be surprised as to how serious people perceive what may in your opinion be a minor issue; conversely you may be surprised at how many people will put up with a most serious problem for a large number of years. It really is a case of how much the dog’s negative behaviour affects the owner’s lifestyle. For example, even a dog who can be most aggressive to other dogs may not deem this as a problem if they seldom meet another dog.

What ever may be the case and whatever the problem presented or your view of that problem, you as the practitioner have a duty to improve or to resolve the behaviour in question and to treat it as seriously as the owners.

The most common problems presented to a Canine Behaviour Practitioner is without doubt the many forms of aggression followed by separation anxiety and which due to the complex nature and dangers are not covered here, but in their own modules.

The next most common behavioural problems are;

•    Separation related anxiety

•    The nervous dog

•    The boisterous, confident or dominant dog

•    The untrained dog

•    Excessive barking

•    Destructive Behaviour

•    Mouthing and play-biting

•    Sound & Sight Phobia

•    Recall issues relating to behaviour

•    Submissive Urination

•    Car Sickness

•    Canine and/or feline introductions

•    House toilet training issues

•    Coprophagia

There are others in addition to these and of course those uncommon and/or abnormal behaviours. These will all be addressed in Phase three of this module.

Causes of Canine Behavioural Problems

The cause of a problem is always useful to establish so that with a sound understanding of how and why the problem came about, one can set down workable solutions to address not only the symptoms of a behaviour, but also the cause. For example, if the practitioner is dealing with excessive barking and upon investigation finds that this only occurs when the owner is absent or the dog is isolated, to try and address a symptom (i.e. the barking) will not be sufficient as the underlying anxiety remains unaddressed. One must deal with the cause for the anxiousness when the owners are away and by default, the symptom of the barking will be removed.

The causes of canine behavioural problems are as varied as the problems themselves. As this module progresses, you will find out more about individual causes of specific problems. 

Some of these problems, my simply be that the dog has matured without the correct training or management and has learnt without the necessary human intervention and guidance, what is rewarding and fun – and what works for itself. An example being house toilet training or jumping up; the dog has been allowed to continue with puppy type behaviours without correct training and has led to an adult dog that has not sufficiently learnt the rules of the house, or rules of interaction with people. This does not mean necessarily that people have not tried to train their dog, but have had limited success. So by the time they arrive to see the practitioner, they have been through a plethora of various methods which they may have now negated through improper implementation.

The Rescue Dog

As a canine behaviour practitioner, you will be presented with a large number of dogs that have had previous homes and been obtained by their present owners through dog rescue organisations or directly from their prior owners.

Many of these dogs find themselves in rescue through no fault of their own and through divorce, emigration foe example. However, there are many that display behavioural problems that vary in intensity and severity. According to canine rescue professionals, the dogs with behavioural problems brought into homes are in the minority of dogs handed in, but through your own work and explorations, you will be able to assess and gain your own opinion in this regard.

Dogs that have had uncertain lifestyles may display anxiety behaviours, phobias, destruction or any manner of problematic behaviour. Most of these dogs are untrained to a useful or acceptable level and due to the various homes they may have found themselves in have learnt many coping mechanisms, some of which may not be conducive to the new home.

Many people, who take on a rescue dog, will not have nor be given very much history about their new dog. In most cases there is a period of adjustment and insecurity when entering a new home and that may last for about a month. This is where the dog is settling in and observing the new environment, it may be that after this time or at any stage within that the new owner observes the problematic behaviour. The dog by this point is well ensconced emotionally into the new owners’ routines and therefore, not returned to the home, but the new owners may seek the help of a Canine Behaviour Practitioner. Here one rarely has any canine antecedents to view to establish cause, so a behaviour practitioner must look for potential causes which can be gained through observing the dogs’ behaviour and recent history within the new home environment. We may then also establish whether this is a new behaviour or an existing and longstanding problem within the dog before proffering solutions. In Phase two, you will have the opportunity to view the Talking Dogs Series interviewing Sara Muncke concerning rescue dogs. 

The Consultation Process

When a client arrives with their dog, upon first meeting will give you a short time to observe the dog and owner relationship; how the dog gets out of the car, walks in the consulting room with the owner and what the owner does or does not do to control the dog. It is sometimes advisable to use a type of hook restriction, such as a lead attached to the wall for when clients first arrive – this prevents an array of problems in the consulting room, such as urinating about the room and means that for the duration of their stay, the owner does not have to physically manage the dog on its lead – information gathering is not interrupted. For a dog that may also be over boisterous or attention seeking, this keeps you and others relaxed whilst you conduct the first part of the consultation, gather information and conduct the relevant tests. After the information gathering, you will make a decision when and if you release the dog.

Information gathering

Interviewing skills are something that improve and develop over time and with experience. When a client presents a problem, you are responsible for discerning what that problem is – for example, a dog that refuses to go out for a walk with the owner, will most probably have a reason why is does not wish to go. This may be due to the fact that the dog has experienced a trauma when out walking – this may be related to a sound, sight or other stimuli that has caused the dog to panic. So the consultation information gathering stage would need to determine how long the dog has been refusing to go out, when this problem first started, if it has worsened over time, when the dog was a puppy did he enjoy walks, is the dog fearful generally, is he fearful of any particular stimulus and such like. Combined with your general observations of the dog, the pertinent questions that you ask will lead to a probable cause and to set down solutions.

Explaining the problem

Once you have completed the information gathering stage of the consultation, you should then inform the client of what you see as the problem, when and why the problem may have started and if it compounded over time, why it did. Information on how dogs learn, and how and why the dog may have learnt this behaviour.   

The Solution

This should be the largest part of the consultation – explaining to clients the overall plan to begin to alter the canine behaviour problem. The level and amount of advice will all vary greatly depending on many factors, including the type of problem, how the owners take in the advice, how many questions are presented to you, and how many demonstrations you may wish to give or what equipment, if any, you will be recommending, explaining and demonstrating.  

The Report

As soon after the clients leave as possible, you should aim to complete their report. If you have, for example, three clients in one day, you may forget information or mix clients up a little in your mind, thus giving them inaccurate appraises of their dogs antecedents; accurate and orderly note-taking is a must. Your report should contain at least; an abridged, yet comprehensive section on the history of their dog’s specific problem and on their dog in general terms, what you informed them was the problem and its causes should be included in full. There should also be (the largest part) all of the advice that you imparted during the consultation in an easy to follow, jargon free manner. It may also be relevant to include generic temperament improvement programmes in regard to other problems that the dog may be suffering from or alternative behaviour strategies. A one page letter saying “it was nice to meet you” is simply not sufficient. Consultation time is short and a large amount of information is packed in, a large amount of which may not be remembered and so your report is vital to back up the verbal advice.

The Follow Up

In your report, it should contain timescales for your clients to be working towards and guidelines at which stage to contact you (of course they should be able to contact you at anytime they wish to clarify information or to report any difficulties or successes). People may not contact you; due to their schedules or because they feel that they do not need to. It is then your responsibility to contact them to assess their progress. Accurate notes should be kept on their report of dates and times when you contacted them and the information that they gave you.

Second Consultation

A second consultation may be advisable, perhaps less than two hours to assess the dog’s progress and to if necessary set down further behavioural training techniques. Second consultations are quite uncommon within the Members of the CFBA, the initial consultation is normally enough to resolve the problem to the clients satisfaction. Clients may be encouraged to come and see you a second time for further support and guidance.

Training Course

It maybe applicable to invite your client to attend a dog training course, either in a group or one-to-one environment depending on the problem and the distance of the course your client lives from you. An obedience training course is most useful to give your clients more continuation advice and to obedience train their dog in an understanding environment.