things that they like to do’ rather than assuming ‘Well, he’s a Labrador so he’s bound to be really friendly and he’s bound to love playing with a ball and he’s going to be really safe with my family.’ Moving away from that and thinking about ‘this is his individual behavior and welfare needs and this is the species’ behavior and welfare needs.’”
Be realistic about the dog you’re getting
Just like when you get a puppy, it’s a good idea to think about the commitment you are prepared to make to the dog. Dogs arrive at shelters for all kinds of reasons, such as when their owner has become sick, passed away, or been unable to find pet-friendly rental housing. But if the shelter tells you the dog has a behavior problem, it’s important to consider whether you are the right person for that dog.
Dr. Carlo Siracusa is a veterinary behaviorist at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. As well as teaching vet students and seeing clients, he conducts research on the outcomes of dogs with behavior problems. He said, “Keep in mind that in many cases if you see that the dog looks like a very nervous dog—if he has a history, for example, of behavior problems, it’s not that the dog was not trained; it’s that that is the personality of the dog. So if you think you cannot deal with a dog like this or if it’s not a dog that you want—like our clients say ‘this is not the way we imagined the relationship with my dog’—then maybe you should not get that dog. There are people that are probably more experienced, that have already dealt with a more aggressive dog, with an anxious dog, with a dog with serious separation anxiety, and they feel that they can do it. Then that’s okay. But do not think that because you love the dog that you will find a trainer that will do magic and will fix the problem.”
A 2015 study of people who had adopted a shelter dog about four months prior found 96 percent said their new dog had adapted well or very well to their new home and 71 percent said the dog met their expectations: most of the dogs were friendly to visitors to the home and most never exhibited any of a list of problem behaviors.20 Although 72 percent of respondents said there was a behavior they would like their dog to change—the most common being destructive behavior, fear, barking too much, and pulling on-leash—just over three-quarters of the people in this study said they would adopt from a shelter again.
Another study of people who adopted shelter dogs, published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, reported that 65 percent were very satisfied with their new dog’s behavior, and less than 4 percent were dissatisfied. On average, people rated their satisfaction with the dog as 4.8 out of 5. This study also reported that 53 percent of the dogs had a behavior problem, most commonly pulling on-leash, chewing or scratching furniture, or inappropriate toileting.21 These results suggest that people realize they may need to teach their dog to fit into their household, and that many behavior issues are not particularly serious.
I don’t know of a corresponding study that records how satisfied people are after bringing home a new puppy, but every dog needs to be taught how to be in your home. In the next chapter, we’ll look at how dogs learn.
HOW TO APPLY THE SCIENCE AT HOME
•Consider whether you have the time, finances, and right home environment for a dog. Do you have time to exercise, groom, and play with them? If you will be out of the house for a long time on some days, can you make suitable arrangements, such as with a dog walker? Are you willing to learn about what the dog needs? You may like to babysit a friend’s dog for a while to get some experience with taking care of a dog.
•Research the physical and behavioral health of the breed(s) you are interested in. Make a note of any genetic tests recommended for the breed, and always ask about them. If a breed has a tendency towards health problems, you may want to choose the breeder carefully, take out insurance, budget for higher veterinary bills, or even choose a different breed. If you’re getting a mixed breed to avoid hereditary issues, ensure the other breed(s) don’t have the same issues (e.g., a cross of two brachycephalic breeds is still likely to be brachycephalic).
•Remember there are many breeds to choose from. If a particular breed’s tendency to inherited health issues makes you think twice, reflect on what attracted you to that breed. If you wanted a small dog, research other small breeds. If you wanted a dog that doesn’t need much exercise, consider appropriate breeds of all sizes (or maybe an older shelter dog would be right for you). If you are thinking of having children in a few years, pick a breed that is described as friendly—and make special efforts to ensure the puppy has nice experiences with children during the sensitive period (see chapter 8).
•Take advantage of the pre-purchase consultations offered by some veterinarians and dog trainers to help you think about the right dog for you.
•Always observe a puppy with its mom in their home environment before you take them home. Consider using a puppy contract (available from some animal welfare organizations).
•Ask the breeder (or foster home) how they are socializing the puppy. The sensitive period for puppy socialization is from 3 until 12 or 14 weeks. Make plans to continue socialization once the puppy is with you. A good puppy class may be part of your plans (see chapter 3).
•Give the puppy a choice, encourage (don’t force) them, and protect a shy puppy. Remember that socialization means giving your dog happy, positive experiences.
•Don’t forget that rescues and shelters are also good sources of family dogs; in some cases, an older dog may be a better match for your family than a puppy.
3
HOW DOGS LEARN
WHETHER WE BRING home a puppy or an adult dog, we have to decide what the rules are and train them to behave the way we would like. Unfortunately, many people still believe the myth of dogs as members of a wolf pack, trying to be dominant all the time and competing with their human to lead the pack. It’s a shame, because this idea immediately sets up the human–canine relationship as an adversarial one. But dogs are supposed to be our best friends. So let’s start by looking at how dogs learn.
AN INTRODUCTION TO ANIMAL LEARNING
DOGS ARE LEARNING all the time, whether we are deliberately teaching them or not. Dogs learn throughout their lives, but they are also born with some species-specific behaviors called modal-action patterns (previously called fixed-action patterns, but the name has changed to reflect the fact they have some flexibility). Modal-action patterns have a genetic basis and are found in all members of the species, but they can be modified through learning. Hunting is an example, because some aspects of the hunting sequence are genetic, but they are also modified over time as dogs practice hunting skills. Other behaviors are entirely learned, either through interaction with the environment or through interaction with us. There are different ways in which dogs learn: non-associative learning and associative learning.1
Non-associative learning
Single-event learning is when a dog learns something after it happens only once. It can happen after eating something that makes them sick, just as with people when food poisoning or having too many of a certain alcoholic drink puts you off that food or drink in future.
Habituation is a simple type of learning that occurs when dogs gradually become used to something that is repetitive and not scary, so they no longer really pay much attention to it—like the background noise of the fridge or dishwasher. They are losing a behavioral response that was not learned, such as startling in response to the dishwasher, and they get used to the sound because they learn it doesn’t mean anything to them. Sometimes they can dishabituate and pay attention to it again, but most likely after a short while they will realize it still doesn’t mean anything and go back to ignoring it.
The opposite of habituation is sensitization, when an unlearned behavioral response (like a startle on hearing the