Jigsaw

Sounds like progress!

Learning to go up stairs is easier than down! At a guess the timber steps are possibly slightly higher in the tread so she may have to reach further down to the step, altering her balance and perhaps she doesn't yet feel safe and therefore confident on them. The timber will also give her a different a tactile sensation, it's not as solid as concrete, vibrates more readily and may feel less safe, even though she uses the deck fine.

My own dog who is blind in one eye and her pupils are not centred either goes up stairs fine but will always stop and look before she goes down our staircase at home. It's like she's lining it all up and figuring out her trajectory!

As Pers said, changing the surface with carpet may give her a safe route to follow. You may also have to consider a ramp for her if she continues to feel uncomfortable using the stairs. Nothing worse than seeing your puppy flying off stairs!

I did Recallers 1 and there were some great games in the package. Worth it in my opinion if you want to get a better connection with your dog, become more relevant/reinforcing to your dog. Some great ideas in the course and lots of help on the forums. There was some problems with the live webinars but I think Sg's changed things now so less problems, although I haven't been able to watch the promotion vids for Recallers 3:(

Where's the like button!

Have you tried leaving a piece of your clothing that you've worn recently with Kate as well? It might also help her settle. If you have the DAP spray you can spray it on her bedding regularly. I wasn't aware the collars were available in Australia yet. Good to know. Good luck!!

My Koolie tried the front seat at 12 weeks old after wriggling out of her car harness which was in the back seat! Not fun to restrain, happy, excited, biting, scratching puppy while in three lanes of moving traffic! I think my girl Paxy would drive very fast if she was allowed too with maniacal laughter all the way down the road. Could be interesting seeing as she's blind in one eye too!

Hiding treats inside boxes, tubes, egg cartons is always good too, to make things a little tougher I sometimes use masking tape to hold the box together a bit longer . As long as owners are happy to clean up the mess it can keep a dog occupied for a while. Scatter treats in the lawn so dog has to forage for them. I also recommend ful size bull whizzers or beef tendons both available from Here. They also keep chewers busy for a while. Just watch the tendons as they are really hard.

I think she's in lurve with the sand!

Would your mum let her in if she is on lead or tethered to a couch? You're mum is just going to get more stressed about it all by trying to stop your dog barking if she stays up at night trying to spray her. Lack of sleep on her part will not help. Is the dog barking at the back door or up in the yard? I think I'd be telling your mum it's a management issue, that she'd be best inside. If time is against you management is best. She's an older dog (over 70 in human years) and may be anxious and disoriented at night as she might have vision problems (just saying that as an argument to help you with your mum) especially if she's previously been an inside dog. Good luck!

Are you using an enzyme cleaner for the carpet? You can purchase an enzyme cleaner and repellant spray all in one. The carpet cleaner may not be removing all the odour. You can also buy attractant spray/drops now to encourage toileting in the right area. I think restricting the space available to him during the day may help. Maybe you could set up a camera so you could see what he does during the day which may give you a clue as to why he's doing it.

I don't think that with the diversity of dogs and the large number in the world that they could all be "normal". Maybe in the wild those that are not normal do not survive long, killed either by their parents, siblings or inability to thrive and survive.

I think normal should cover a certain amount of resilience and adaptivity. (OT - There is a book called "Who Moved My Cheese" by Dr Spencer Johnson, it talks about dealing with change successfully, it's a good read.)

Has the definition of what Joe Public defines as a normal dog become narrower?

I have my own "special needs" dog too. She certainly doesn't fit in normal parameters.

If your dog gets excited around dinner time or food being prepared you can use this time too to get some focus and anticipation. Just short little reps at a time before interest is lost.

Physiological and behavioral effects of dextroamphetamine on Beagle dogs

Enid K. Stiles, Clara Palestrini, Guy Beauchamp, Diane Frank

Abstract Full Text PDF Images References

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to measure the effects of a dose of 0.2 mg/kg dextroamphetamine on body temperature, heart rate, motor activity, and associated behavior changes in Beagle dogs. Reliability of a collar-mounted accelerometer as an objective measure of motor activity was also investigated by comparing motor activity with that observed using video recordings. A total of 12 research colony Beagle dogs (13-20-months-old) served as their own control in this placebo-controlled crossover design, receiving both placebo and 0.2 mg/kg dextroamphetamine as treatment. Baseline and posttreatment values for body temperature, heart rate, and motor activity were obtained using a rectal temperature, heart rate monitor, and a collar-mounted accelerometer, respectively. Behavior sequences were filmed and analyzed. Repeated measures model indicated that dogs receiving a dose of 0.2 mg/kg dextroamphetamine had a significantly (P = 0.044) reduced heart rate as compared with placebo. There was no effect of treatment on the dogs’ body temperature, motor activity, or other behaviors such as “lip-licking,” “panting,” and “yawning.” There was a significant linear and positive relationship between the gross motor activity as measured by observational video and the accelerometer counts (P < 0.0001). Several behavioral textbooks used in clinical practice distinguish canine hyperactivity–hyperkinesis from overactivity by physiological and behavioral responses to amphetamines in a clinical setting. The authors of these textbooks suggest that true hyperactive–hyperkinetic dogs provided with oral amphetamines will paradoxically calm down, and have >15% reduction in heart rate. However, no data exist on the various effects of a low dose (0.2 mg/kg) of oral dextroamphetamine in dogs. The results of this study indicate that although as a group the medicated dogs showed a significantly lower heart rate than the placebo group, individual Beagle dogs showed variability in changes of heart rate. The use of the accelerometer in this study is a reliable tool for measuring motor activity in the dog.

http://www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(11)00038-4/abstract?elsca1=etoc&elsca2=email&elsca3=1558-7878_201111_6_6&elsca4=elsevier

Growing old gracefully—Behavioral changes associated with “successful aging” in the dog, Canis familiaris

Hannah E. Salvin, Paul D. McGreevy, Perminder S. Sachdev, Michael J. Valenzuela

Abstract Full Text PDF Images References

Abstract

Aging is associated with behavioral and cognitive changes in all mammals. Unlike most clinical presentations, changes associated with aging do not always reflect an underlying pathology and therefore baselines for normality can be difficult to establish. Using data from a large cross-sectional survey of older dog owners, we aimed to identify normative behavioral changes associated with “successful aging” in dogs, and the rate of deterioration that could be expected over a 6-month period. Binary logistic regression identified significant age group effects from 18 items (difference in reported item incidence across age group: 4.5%-30.3%, P < 0.001-0.038). Significant age group effects on the percentage of dogs deteriorating over the preceding 6 months were evident in 21 items (difference in item deterioration across age group: 3.5%-25.7%, P < 0.001-0.033). The modal frequency of problem behaviors and abnormal ingestive or locomotory items was found to be low and the effect on memory and learning was minimal. Despite this, more than half of the items were reported to have shown a greater than 10% incidence of deterioration. In particular, activity and play levels, response to commands, and fears and phobias showed considerable deterioration. These findings represent the first steps toward the development of baseline values for normal behavioral changes in “successfully aging” dogs.

http://www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(11)00062-1/abstract?elsca1=etoc&elsca2=email&elsca3=1558-7878_201111_6_6&elsca4=elsevier

Can dogs (Canis familiaris) use a mirror to solve a problem?

Tiffani J. Howell, Pauleen C. Bennett

Abstract

The ability of animals to use a mirror, either as a problem-solving tool or for the purposes of self-recognition, has been tested in several species. However, there are no empirical reports of studies using mirrors with companion dogs, which differ from most animals in that they are from infancy often kept in complex environments containing many reflective surfaces, including household mirrors. We used a simple repeated measures design, with no pre-training, to test whether pet dogs (n = 40) understand the concept of reflection. Each dog accompanied their owner into a room containing a large covered mirror. They were given 1 minute to explore the room, following which the mirror was uncovered. After another minute of exploration, the dog was motivated to attend to the mirror by the owner. A second owner then appeared in an adjoining room displaying the dog’s favourite toy. The second owner stood behind the dog but could be seen in the reflective surface of the mirror. Dogs were more likely to attend to the mirror when the second owner was visible than when the owner was not visible in the mirror. Seven dogs turned away from the mirror to look toward the actual location of the owner. Of these, 2 then attended to the owner in the window more than the mirror. It is possible that these 2 dogs understood the real location of the owner and, therefore, the nature of reflection. However, none of these responses was completely unambiguous and most dogs tested showed no evidence of a capacity to spontaneously use the mirror to locate the second owner.

http://www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(11)00039-6/abstract?elsca1=etoc&elsca2=email&elsca3=1558-7878_201111_6_6&elsca4=elsevier

Possible behavioural effects of exogenous corticosteroids on dog behavior: a preliminary investigation

Lorella Notari, Daniel Mills

Abstract

Glucocorticoids are widely used in veterinary medicine and their physical side effects are well-known; however, the effects on dog behavior linked to their role in the stress response and effects on mood have not been reported in previously published data. In this article, retrospective owner reports of the behavioral changes in dogs during corticosteroid therapy in a series of cases have been described so as to generate items for future use in a controlled structured questionnaire. The perceptions of behavioral changes in dogs during corticosteroid therapy were investigated through semi-structured open interviews of the owners of 31 dogs of different breeds, genders, and ages. All dogs had received corticosteroid therapies in the past 6 months. In all, 18 dogs had been administered methylprednisolone (dose range, 0.2-1 mg/kg), 8 were administered prednisolone (dose range, 0.2-1 mg/kg), and 5 were administered dexamethasone (dose range, 0.01-0.3). Methylprednisolone and prednisolone were used for dermatological conditions, and dexamethasone was used for orthopedic conditions. Owners were asked to describe their dog’s behaviors both on and off corticosteroid therapy. Interviews were ceased when answers became repetitive with no new reported behavioral change (interview to redundancy). In all, 11 owners reported behavioral changes in their dogs; 9 dogs were reported to show more than one behavioral change. Six dogs reportedly showed nervousness and/or restlessness, 3 showed an increase in startle responses, 3 showed food guarding, 2 showed a decrease in their activity level, 3 showed an increase in avoidance responses, 4 showed irritable aggression, and 2 dogs increased barking. Semi-structured interviews can be useful preliminary tools for the identification of areas of future investigation, and the outcomes of the interviews reported in this article will be used in further quantitative research, to investigate more rigorously the possible relationship between these signs and corticosteroid use in dogs.

http://www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(11)00031-1/abstract?elsca1=etoc&elsca2=email&elsca3=1558-7878_201111_6_6&elsca4=elsevier

Survey of and Non-confrontational Training Methods.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/34153889/Surveyof-ConfrontationalandNonconfrontationalTrainingMethodsinClientDogsShowingUndesiredBehaviors

Run away, don't walk! Is this a private club?

Whilst puppy classes may sometimes cover this sort of information, the standard of puppy classes may vary widely depending on who is running it and their own knowledge of dog behaviour. What about those owners who adopt an older dog, they don't go to puppy classes? Wher do they get their information from, the other owners at the dog park? It may also be a valuable learning tool for future foster carers, especially if they run multiple dogs together and there is a constant turnover of dogs in care.

Go Team DOL!!

I could say I'm a fan of the Saw movies, but I'm not.

I could say I put things back together, but I don't.

I could say a lot of things, but I'm just going to keep you puzzled.

I think it's possibly just one of those things, that how often do the other dogs see GD's and with those markings? I know the first time my girl (koolie) saw a GD she was like "whoa!", and just wanted to have a good look at it. She's also been the same with chihuahuas, the really tiny ones. It's like she's not sure what it is. White fluffies do tend to get poked and herded too here! Maybe there's some confusion in the dog's head - smells like a dog, but is it a dog??

What're they like if the mower is not turned on but moving? Counter conditioning and giving them an alternate behaviour to do can usually help, building up distance. I'd work each separately initially. Not sure how you're going to go with the boat as you've got boat movement as well. Just make sure you've got a life jacket on your dog, just in case!

What a handsome boy! He looks like he moves nicely in the photos! Very nice!