Inside the science of how dogs think

Ever wonder what your dog is thinking as it gazes at you while you are barking commands?

Duke University's Canine Cognition Center in Durham, North Carolina, is one of the few labs in the country focused on how dogs think.

"We're excited about describing the psychology of our dogs," says professor Brian Hare, the lab's director. "Different dogs solve different problems differently. And what we want to understand is: What is it that either makes dogs remarkable as a species or what is it that constrains the ability of dogs to solve problems?"

To test the dogs' ability, Hare and a team of graduate students put dogs through a variety of games similar to those you might play with young children.

"We don't want to look at cute pet tricks. What we want to know is, what does the dog understand about its world?" Hare said.

Hare has been analyzing our four-legged friends for about 15 years. He says dogs have figured out how to read human behavior and human gestures better than any other species has, even chimpanzees.

"The way they think about their world is that people are superimportant and they can solve almost any problem if they rely on people," says Hare.

Children start relying on adults' gestures when they're about a year old. That's about the same age that dogs start to recognize and rely on humans, too, Hare says.

When both I and Hare tried to direct Hare's dog Tazzie to a cup that had a treat in it, Tazzie took his master's cue and went toward the cup. I was a stranger to Tazzie, so the dog didn't rely on my information.

"He's grown up with me," says Hare. "We do lots of stuff together. He's never met you before, so he's saying, look, if they're both telling me where to go, I'm going to trust the guy who I'm with all the time."

According to Hare, this proves dogs are complex social animals who understand they have different relationships with different people.

"They really narrow in and pay attention to you and they want to know what it is about the world that you can help them with," he says.

Researchers at Duke are studying dogs to better understand their limitations. If they can identify why dogs make mistakes, they believe they can help them improve. That could mean making dogs better at working with people with disabilities or better at working with the military.

"They are a very different species and they think about the world differently than we do. And we need to figure out what are the constraints on how they solve problems, how is it that they think differently from us. And I think that we're going to be able to have a much, even richer relationship with dogs than we already do if we figure all that out," says Hare.

The professor says even though domestication has made dogs smarter, they are not perfect. Still, they're so smart, he says, that they can understand the principle of connectivity.

"They know they're connected on a leash and [dogs reason] 'Well, now I have to listen, because if I don't do what you say you can stop me. Where if I'm ... not on a leash, well, yeah, I know the command but I don't have to listen to you now,'" explains Hare.

And just like children, dogs also understand that if you turn your back, they can misbehave, especially after their owners have told them not to do something.

"Your dog takes the food you just told it not to take, and you're really upset because your dog disobeyed you, and you think that your dog is not obedient. Well, no, no, no, your dog was obedient but it realized that it could get away with it," says Hare.

At the end of the day, dogs may rely on humans, but they also use their skills to manipulate their owners and the world they live in. And even though dog owners like to think they're in command, the professor says it may actually be Fido who is really in charge.

Thinking about Dogs as If They Were People: Is Anthropomorphism a Sin?

I recently gave a talk to an audience of scientists and university professors during which I referred to the "personality" of dogs and the fact that dogs can experience emotions such as love and disgust. One well known animal researcher rose and accused me of excessive "anthropomorphizing." In everyday language he was suggesting that I was treating dogs as if they were simply four-footed people in fur coats. Among people who study dogs or any other animal this is considered to be a cardinal sin. The word anthropomorphism comes from comes from the Greek words anthro for human and morph for form and it is meant to refer to the habit of attributing human qualities and emotions to non-human beings. It is something that we humans do quite automatically.

This accusation of anthropomorphism on my part reminded me of a conversation that I had with Donald O. Hebb in the early 1980's. He was a brilliant psychologist whose research first gave us anunderstanding about how interactions with the environment actually help to change the structure of an individual's brain. Hebb had finished giving a series of lectures at the university and we were now sitting in a colleague's living room chatting. As I reconstruct his comments in my mind they started after I mentioned to Hebb that I was thinking about writing a book on the intelligence of dogs and then perhaps following it up with a book on the personality of dogs.

He smiled and said in his gentle Nova Scotia accent, "You'll get into trouble with your scientific associates if you use words like 'personality' or 'intelligence' to describe the results of research on dogs. They'll accuse you of 'anthropomorphizing.' Most likely they will assume that you are some soft-headed thinker who believes that animals are pretty much just fur-covered humans that think and act the way people do. It'll probably do your career more harm than good." He took off his rather severe looking glasses and wiped them absentmindedly as he continued.

"Back in the 1940's I worked for two years in the Yerkes Primate Research Laboratory trying to describe the temperaments of some of the captive chimpanzees that they used for behavioral research. At the time there was official prohibition against using anthropomorphic descriptions in the scientific reports of any animal research completed there. I certainly never would have dared to use the word 'personality' in talking about a chimp. I was told that that even to say something like 'that animal was afraid' was not good practice since it hinted that the animal felt fear the way that humans do. Instead I was expected to simply describe the conditions that might have stimulated behaviors and then to describe those behaviors objectively. Like when I showed chimps a life-sized model of a human head with no body attached, I was supposed to say that the animal ran to the back of the cage and cowered down and screamed or whimpered, instead of simply saying that 'the animals were frightened by sight of certain unusual or strange objects.' To hint that the animal was 'afraid' would have been considered to be anthropomorphizing.

"Well the truth of the matter is that when I did try to objectively describe the temperaments and behavior patterns of the animals without using the words we use to describe human emotions all that I ended up with was a giant mess. I mean all that I had created was this immense list of specific acts and specific situations. You really couldn't find any order, pattern or meaning in that kind of data. Unfortunately at the practical level, focusing attention only on specific acts and behaviors was also a bit dangerous. A couple of times I was so caught up in recording behavior descriptions that I missed the animal signalling that it was annoyed or unhappy with me, and I nearly had some fingers bitten off--or worse.

"While I was going through all of this, I couldn't help but notice that the staff or keepers (you know the people who cared for the animals on a daily basis and who don't have advanced degrees and don't need to worry about research purity) didn't seem to have any problems. They used the same kind of intuition that we normally use when we observe the behavior of people. Because of that they could describe one animal as having a 'dominant personality,' another as being 'nervous,' another was considered to be 'a friendly beast,' still another was 'shy' and there was even one that they claimed was 'bashful.' These were clearly anthropomorphic statements which suggested that, like people, the animals had distinct and individual personalities and that you could use their personalities to predict the animals' future behaviors.

"If I were trying to be a totally objective researcher, especially given the scientific attitudes of that time, I should have rejected their statements as speculative, anthropomorphic, nonsense, but to be truthful I didn't. You see, the words that the animal care staff used to characterize the behaviors of those animals were useful and helpful. When they described an animal in this way to a newcomer (or even to a psychologist who was not too arrogant to listen) this 'personality' information allowed that person to predict how the animal would respond and to safely interact with it.

"Their anthropomorphic descriptions obviously suggested that each animal had certain attitudes and behavior predispositions. It also implied that each animal experienced predictable emotional changes. Whether this is so or not I can't say, but it did provide an intelligible and practical guide to the behavior of those animals. It clearly worked with the chimps, and I think that it should work with any animal including dogs."

If Hebb were still alive today I believe that he would be pleased with research which has accumulated in the last 20 years indicating that in some ways dogs are very much like humans-at least very young ones. Research suggests that the mind of a dog has much the same mental abilities and is roughly equivalent to the mind of a human child aged 2 to 2 ½ years of age. This means that a bit of anthropomorphizing, or thinking about dogs in the same way we think about humans actually turns out to be useful.

I am not suggesting that dogs are simply hairy little humans, but rather that thinking about the behaviors of dogs in the same way that we think about the behaviors of young humans can help us to understand and predict the behavior of dogs as long as we restrict the scope of our thinking. If we use as a starting point the fact that behaviors and abilities of dogs are apt to be similar to that of a 2 ½ year old human, then talking about basic emotions in canines, like love and fear is sensible. If we accept the fact that dogs, like toddlers, have personalities, in the sense that they also have consistent predispositions to act in certain ways, then we can use the same kind of thinking that we use with people to predict canine behaviors. This is not anthropomorphism it is simply common sense that recognizes those similarities that exist between the mind of a person and the mind of a dog.

Seizures (Epileptic) in Dogs

Epilepsy, Idiopathic or Genetic, in Dogs

Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes the dog to have sudden, uncontrolled, recurring physical attacks, with or without loss of consciousness. This may sometimes occur for unknown reasons (idiopathic) or due to genetic abnormalities. However, idiopathic epilepsy is often characterized by structural brain lesions and is more likely seen in male dogs. If left untreated, the seizures may become more severe and frequent.

Symptoms and Types

Seizures are usually preceded by a short aura (or focal onset). When this occurs the dog may appear fightened and dazed, or it may hide or seek attention. One the seizure(s) begin, the dog will fall on its side, become stiff, chomp its jaw, salivate profusely, urinate, defecate, vocalize, and/or paddle with all four limbs. These seizure activities generally last between 30 and 90 seconds.

Seizures most often occur while the patient is resting or asleep, often at night or in early morning. In addition, most dogs recover by the time you bring the dog to the veterinarian for examination.

Generally, the younger the dog is, the more severe the epilepsy will be. As a rule, when onset is before age 2, the condition responds positively to medication. Behavior following the seizure, known as postictal behavior, include periods of confusion and disorientation, aimless wandering, compulsive behavior, blindness, pacing, increased thirst (polydipsia) and increased appetite (polyphagia). Recovery following the seizure may be immediate, or it may take up to 24 hours.

Dogs with established epilepsy can have cluster seizures at regular intervals of one to four weeks. This is particularly evident in large-breed dogs.

Causes

Idiopathic epilepsy is genetic in many dog breeds and is familial; meaning that it runs in certain families or lines of animals. Breeds most prone to idiopathic epilepsy include the Beagle, Keeshond, Belgian Tervuren, Golden Retriever,Labrador Retriever, Vizsla and Shetland Sheepdog. Multiple genes and recessive modes of inheritance are suggested in the Bernese Mountain Dog andLabrador Retriever, while non-gender hormone recessive traits has been proposed in the Vizsla and Irish Wolfhound. There are also recessive traits in the English Springer Spaniel which can lead to epilepsy, but it does not appear to affect all members of the family. Seizures are mainly focal (involving localized areas of the brain) in the Finnish Spitz.

The characteristics associated with genetic epilepsy usually manifests from 10 months to 3 years of age, but has been reported as early as six months and as late as five years.

Diagnosis

The two most important factors in the diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy is the age at onset and the seizure pattern (type and frequency). If your dog has more than two seizures within the first week of onset, your veterinarian will probably consider a diagnosis other than idiopathic epilepsy. If the seizures occur when the dog is younger than six months or older than five years, it may be metabolic or intracrainal (within the skull) in origin; this will rule out hypoglycemia in older dogs. Focal seizures or the presence of neurologic deficits, meanwhile, indicate structural intracranial disease.

Treatment

Most of the treatment is outpatient. It is recommended that the dog does not attempt to swim, to prevent accidental drowning white it undergoes treatment. Be aware that most dogs on long-term antiepileptic or anticonvulsant medications become overweight. Therefore, monitor its weight closely and consult your veterinarian for a diet plan if necessary.

Living and Management

It is essential to monitor therapeutic levels of drugs in the blood. Dogs treated with phenobarbital, for instance, must have their blood and serum chemistry profile monitored after initiating therapy during the second and forth week. These drug levels will then be evaluated every 6 to 12 months, changing the serum levels accordingly.

Carefully monitor older dogs with kidney insufficiency that are on potassium bromide treatment; your veterinarian may recommend a diet change for these dogs.

Prevention

Because this form of epilepsy is due to genetic abnormalities, there is little you can due to prevent them. However, the abrupt discontinuation of medication(s) to control seizures may aggravate or initiate seizures. Additionally, avoid salty treats for dogs treated with potassium bromide, as it may lead to seizures.

Living With Your Epileptic Dog

Helpful Hints - Originally compiled by Lisa Comeau

The following is a compilation of ideas, or hints, for people living with an epileptic dog. They are split into three problem areas -- Giving Medications, During the Seizure, and Safety. Nothing here is meant to be medical advice -- these are only things that other people with epileptic dogs have done to make their dog's life and their lives easier and safer. Not every idea will work for every dog, these are just suggestions you may want to try should the particular situation arise.

Credit for this list is be given to the members of Epil-K9 which was started in the spring of 1996. Epil-K9 is an invaluable forum for owners to share problems, ideas, fears, successes and sorrows with people that truly understand.

Giving Medications:

- Many dogs on Phenobarbital gain weight - giving medication with food may make this worse

- Take a paper cup of water and get the dog to drink a couple laps. Open their mouth really wide and pop the pills in as far back as you can. A few more sips of water and the pills are down. This also stops the dry throat - hack the pill up later syndrome.

- If you don't like putting your fingers in the dog's mouth, inexpensive pill guns can be purchased at many pet stores and vet offices.

- Try lightly blowing at the dog's nose or rubbing the throat to get them to swallow.

- A kiss on the forehead and telling the dog how brave they are is a must after pill-time.

- If you have only one animal in the house and one with a good appetite? Use an automatic cat feeder to dispense meds with dinner when you can't be home to give them.

- Make a 'meatball' which is about 3/4 inch in diameter and consists of canned dog food and the pills.

- Wrap the pill in a piece of cheese.

- Liquid potassium bromide (Kbr) can be given right on the food or squirted on a small piece of bread and given. Use a baby medication dropper or syringe to measure the amount.

- Pill splitters and crushers are available at most pharmacies. If you must divide the dose into an odd amount, crush the pill and use a razor blade to divide the amounts into the number of doses needed.

- To remember to give the medication, check out the pill containers available at your local pharmacy. A weeks worth of medication can be prepared in advance, and the question of "did I give it or didn't I" can be answered with one look at the medication dispenser. Some even have alarms to remind you a dosage is due.

- Keeping medication with you at all times may be important if your dog seizures frequently. Small fanny packs or ID wallets can even be attached to the dogs collar. Extra Phenobarbital, oral valium, and even liquid Valium can be carried by the dog when away from home.

During the Seizure:

- Some dogs are light or sound sensitive during seizure episodes. Try dimming the lights and keeping phones at a distance from the dog.

- Keep old towels or baby diapers handy to catch urine if your dog urinates during seizures.

- Some human epileptics say they have an easier time if the seizure is allowed to run its course. Calling the dog's name to bring them out of the seizure may not be the best thing for your dog. Try it each way and see which is more comfortable for your particular dog's seizure.

- A fan blowing on the dog, or rubbing the feet and belly with cool water may help cool the dog down. Of course, in any case should the dog seem to be overheating due to repeated seizures or not coming out of a seizure -IMMEDIATELY bring the dog to/or contact a vet since overheating can be very dangerous.

- Many dogs are confused and even blind right after a seizure. Keep the dog in a safe area where they cannot fall down stairs or hurt themselves.

- Keep a careful journal of the seizures. As soon as possible write down the exact time the dog started to seizure and the time the seizure ended. A stop watch or watch with a second hand can be helpful. After the seizure is over and you have time - write down all circumstances surrounding the seizure, such as unusual food eaten, activities that happened during the previous day, medications or vaccinations recently given. A detailed journal can be helpful when bringing your dog to a new vet or neurologist.

- Be prepared to transport a dog that cannot stand up and walk, or is even in the middle of a seizure. Hard plastic children's sleds can be used to carry or drag the dog to the car. A heavy blanket folded can also act as a stretcher. If you are alone with a very heavy/large seizing dog, call the vets office for instructions. Depending on where you live you may want to try calling the police for help in getting the dog into the car if no one else is available.

Safety:

- Seizure proofing your home is important since most of us cannot be there to watch our dogs at all times. Seizures may occur when the dog is home alone. Many people crate their dogs while they are not there. An airline type crate (Vari-Kennel or Furrari) minimizes the chances of the feet getting caught up in the wires.

- While crating, or even when leaving the dog home alone, make sure the dog is not wearing a collar (especially with tags) that could get caught while the dog is thrashing. Choking can result.

- Some people make a special room for the epileptic dog, clearing out any objects/furniture that may injure the dog during a seizure. Crating or making a 'doggy room' may be the best idea should you have a 'catapulting dog', that is one that throws itself across the room during seizures.

- Never leave an epileptic dog alone near any water deep enough to drown in. If you need to, investigate getting a doggy lifevest for your dog.

- If you are concerned about your dog seizing while swimming, doggie life vests are available.

- Protection or separation may need to be considered in multiple dog households. A seizing dog can trigger the 'pack' instinct in which an injured animal on the ground is attacked. Monitor your dogs until you know their reactions to the seizing dog.

- Baby gates can be invaluable to block off stairways or confine the dog to a certain room.

- Be careful of leaving windows open should you have a dog that spends time near one. Screen windows can easily fall out of the framing as well as your dog.

- Prop a large piece of styrofoam insulation against a sliding glass door if you are afraid of your dog hitting against it.

- Buy a new or used baby alert monitor to 'hear' your dog if he sleeps in a different part of the home. Just put the receiver part in your bedroom -this may help you sleep better if you are constantly trying to 'listen' to hear if the dog is all right.

- If you really want to know what happens when you are not home, buy a voice activated tape recorder. It only records when significantly loud noise is heard. This will not only let you know if your dog has seized, but if he has been barking all day. Some also videotape their dog during the time they are gone. They then fast forward thru the tape to see if anything unusual has happened during the day.

- Keep phone numbers to your vet and all emergency vet hospitals near all phones. 2:00 a.m. in the morning is not he time to decide if your dog is in status and then figure out what to do. Drive by the emergency vet so you know exactly where it is. When traveling, get emergency numbers in advance or immediately find the hospital nearest you when you arrive. Keep the number handy at all times.

- An ID tag on a lost epileptic dog is very important. It's scary enough to think of a lost dog, but a lost dog without medications is even worse. Medical alert tags are available at most pharmacies, pet supply catalogs or from your vet. It can even be engraved and worn with your dog's regular tags.

- Train all your dogs for basic obedience. You may need it someday if you are walking multiple dogs and your epileptic seizures. The situation would be much easier if the other dogs will obey a sit or down stay.

Dog Training : dog nightmares

Question

QUESTION: My normally friendly 5 month old mixed breed dog has nightmares at times, and he is getting very large! He just woke from a nightmare and ran at my husband, growling in a very protective, aggressive way, and only stopped upon hearing us call his name to calm him down. Acted chagrinned, apologized , and promptly went back to sleep. My husband is not especially keen on aggressive dogs (who is?), and is not comfortable at ALL with this behavior. Any ideas? The pup is a rescue (but we got him 8 weeks ago....no bad experiences, traumas here, that we can think of). He's awoken sort of like this twice before, but when he was less intimidating. Kind of hallucinating-like. Can this be related in some way to some kind of hormone surge (puppy puberty?)

ANSWER: Is there a common trigger for all 3 incidents? Was someone walking by his bed, or was he possibly startled out of sleep by a loud noise? Let me know if this is the case and I can offer suggestions to help.

However, if he's waking himself out of a sound sleep with no outside stimulus that's apparent, I would highly recommend you get him to a vet ASAP. The "nightmare" you think you're seeing could actually be a seizure. There are are number of causes of seizures that can manifest in aggression and your vet may refer you to a neurologist. 

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you. upon further thought, the one common thing is that upon waking, he "sees" something looming, and out of place. there were piles of materials placed over my husbands prone head when the dog awoke, and it seems to be THOSE that he (the dog) was aggresive towards. Another time, it was a stuffed christmas thingy, placed high on a wardrobe, and he did the same thing, ....growling and barking, all puffed up, at the stuffed snowman...it took taking it down, introducing him to it, letting him touch it and sniff it, to calm him down. my husband thinks he may have some trouble with his vision, i will be taking him to a vet to have that checked out. thanks for your input, elena

Can dogs have nightmares?

You are watching your adorable fur ball calmly sleeping on your bed. The dog would twitch one leg… and then the other while making a soft snoring sound. Cute! Suddenly the dog is shaking the head, rolling the eyes, breathing laboriously and making a pitiful whining sound. Gosh, is the dog having a seizure… or is the dog having a nightmare? Various studies conducted on canine behavior have proven that dogs are thinking animals. As such they are capable of dreaming and of having nightmares.

Scientists tell us that everybody dreams. Some people would not really remember if they are dreaming or what they are dreaming about. Dreams are said to be the brain’s way of processing and consolidating information and experiences the sleeper has gone through. As dreams center on unexplainable themes at times, dreams are believed to be nothing more that the brain’s illogical and random activity.

Nightmares are pretty much the same as dreams. Both occur during the rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep. However, unlike dreams that are oftentimes happy experiences, nightmares would commonly make the sleeper’s heart race. The nightmare would create fear, anxiety and a feeling of helplessness. Humans and dogs are believed to have striking similarities. Human and dog are believed to be about 95% similar in genetics. However, a dog’s nightmare may not be considered by the dog as an unpleasant experience. Although dogs are considered to be thinking animals, it is highly possible that the dog would not even remember what the nightmare is all about. Nightmares especially recurring ones would be harder on the pet owner rather than on the dog.

Concerned owners would try to understand what causes the nightmare. Owners would even try to know the possible ways to handle the nightmares in order to help the pet. Dogs, like humans would progress from light sleep or the non-rapid eye movement stage to deep sleep or the rapid eye movement stage of sleep. Dreams and nightmares generally occur in the REM stage although it can also happen during the other stages of sleep. Humans may know the reason for their nightmares. The bad dream may be associated with post traumatic experiences. Depression, anxiety, mental disorders can be the reasons why a person would have nightmares. What about a dog? Canines are intelligent creatures. Dogs are one of the most studied animals. However, no one would really know what runs inside the brain of man’s best friend. No one would know why dogs have dreams and nightmares. Surprisingly, bad dreams seldom occur in dogs with post traumatic experiences. Nightmares are seldom noticed on abused and abandoned dogs as well. Nightmares are more often seen on puppies and in older dogs. This refutes the theory that nightmare is caused by a post traumatic experience.

It may be heart rending to see the pet having a nightmare but it would not be wise to interrupt the sleep of the dog. Waking up the dog may create more confusion. In any case, it may be hard to awaken the dog that is on the REM stage of sleep. Calling the pet’s name or talking softly may help the pet snap from the nightmare. Recurring nightmare can be a manifestation of a medical concern. It would be best to take the dog to the vet for proper diagnoses. Although there are tranquilizers and anxiety medications that can help dogs with recurring nightmares, the medications must not be used unless prescribed by the vet.

Handle a Dog's Nightmares

Anyone who has ever had a dog has probably witnessed their dog having a nightmare--or wondered if it actually was a nightmare. Yes, dogs dream and therefore likely have nightmares--just like people. Well, not exactly like people. They're probably not trying to frantically dial a telephone or showing up at the dogpark in their underwear--but a nightmare nonetheless. Here are some ways to handle your dog's nightmares.

Instructions

1

If you notice your dog dreaming and possibly having a nightmare, for instance twitching eyelids, paws flailing, yelping or whimpering, it's probably best to let him continue to sleep--since deep rest is important--plus, waking him may cause confusion.

2

Try calling out your dog's name if you're worried that it's a seizure or your dog seems too distressed. It's best not to touch a sleeping dog since they may snap or bite as a reflex. If it's a seizure, you will probably be able to tell anyway. And if not, you'll know when you try to wake your dog. You'll be able to wake her if it's a dream, but not if it's a seizure.

3

If your dog's sleeping behavior seems unusual and continues that way, keep track of information such as what time it happened, what your dog ate and how long before going to sleep, and what noises, if any, were going on in the house. This information may be valuable to a vet in determining the cause.

4

As long as Rover doesn't sleepwalk and use your shoe as a potty--or take the car out for a joyride--it's normally best to let sleeping dogs lie.

Tips & Warnings

There are mild tranquilizers and anti-anxiety remedies such as the homeopathic Rescue Remedy that may be helpful for nightmares, but always check with a vet first.

Never administer any type of medication to a dog that hasn't been first examined by a vet

.

Dog Body Language Australia

It is obvious that your dog can’t talk to you to tell you when something is wrong, needed or wanted. It is important to learn dog body language so that you can easily tell what your dog is trying to say to you without words. This way you can meet all of your dog’s needs and make sure they are well taken care of.

Bowing
When your dog lifts up its rear end, bows its head to the ground, and wags his tail vigorously, it means that he wants to play with you, right now. This can also be done at times when the dog wants to play with another dog or animal. It is not threatening in any way, and should be responded to immediately if at all possible.

Rolling Over
Dogs roll over on the ground because they know who is in charge, and they are trying to display that knowledge. They may roll on the ground when they have done something wrong you may not know about yet, or they might roll around on the ground because they don’t want to follow a command. However, it can also be as simple as meaning that the dog wants his or her belly scratched.

Tail Wagging
Tail wagging is to dogs as smiles are to humans. Most often it means happiness, but it can mean other things as well. It could signify nervousness or irritation at a situation. A wagging tail that is low almost certainly signifies this. You can usually tell why the dog is wagging their tail by what is going on around them, such as master coming home.

Mounting
When a dog mounts another dog they are showing their dominance over that dog be it male or female and this is a possible trait that you may come across.

Humping
An extension of mounting, this sexual behaviour can be exhibited by male or female dogs... even neutered females. It can happen as a show of dominance, a desire for sexual gratification, a show of happiness or nervousness. You can stop this unwanted behaviour by making a loud noise or some other distraction for the pet.

Yawning
Yawning in dogs usually means the same thing it means in humans. The dog is either tired or stressed out. In the case of stress, the yawn may come on before an incident or just after it has been defused.

Tongue Flicking
Dogs generally flick their tongues when they are feeling uneasy or apprehensive. This may be combined with yawning. It means that the dog is nor comfortable in some way, or is in anticipation of something great like a long walk.

Tail Tucked and Ears Back
When a dog is feeling really uncertain he will tuck his tail behind him and push his ears back, as well as take a few steps backward. Consider what or who has entered the room since the dog acted this way, and slowly introduce that person or thing to the dog. Overnight visits from strangers to the dog may not be a good idea if they are uncertain about that person.

Nose Nudging
Nose nudging is your dog’s way of getting your attention. It could mean the dog wants to be walked, fed, or played with. Whichever the case may be, it needs your attention. Use deductive reasoning to figure out what type of attention he or she needs at the moment.

Paw Lifting
This often means the same thing as nose nudging. This is also an attention seeking behaviour, but one that should be awarded with attention if the opportunity presents itself. 

Bio Sensor Exercises

Surprising as it may seem, it isn't capacity that explains the differences that exist between individuals because most seem to have far more capacity than they will ever use. The differences that exist between individuals seem to be related to something else. The ones who achieve and out perform others seem to have within themselves the ability to use hidden resources. In other words, it's what they are able to do with what they have that makes the difference.

In many animal-breeding programs the entire process of selection and management is founded on the belief that performance is inherited. Attempts to analyze the genetics of performance in a systematic way have involved some distinguished names such as Charles Darwin and Francis Galton. But it has only been in recent decades that good estimates of heritability of performance have been based on adequate data. Cunningham (1991) in his study of horses found that only by using Timeform data, and measuring groups of half brothers and half sisters could good estimates of performance be determined. His data shows that performance for speed is about 35% heritable. In other words only about 35% of all the variation that is observed in track performance is controlled by heritable factors, the remaining 65% are attributable to other influences, such as training, management and nutrition. Cunningham's work while limited to horses provides a good basis for understanding how much breeders can attribute to the genetics and the pedigrees. Researchers have studied this phenomena and have looked for new ways to stimulate individuals in order to improve their natural abilities. Some of the methods discovered have produced life long lasting effects. Today, many of the differences between individuals can now be explained by the use of early stimulation methods.

Introduction

Man for centuries has tried various methods to improve performance. Some of the methods have stood the test of time, others have not. Those who first conducted research on this topic believed that the period of early age was a most important time for stimulation because of its rapid growth and development. Today, we know that early life is a time when the physical immaturity of an organism is susceptible and responsive to a restricted but important class of stimuli. Because of its importance many studies have focused their efforts on the first few months of life.

Newborn pups are uniquely different than adults in several respects. When born their eyes are closed and their digestive system has a limited capacity requiring periodic stimulation by their dam who routinely licks them in order to promote digestion. At this age they are only able to smell, suck, and crawl. Body temperature is maintained by snuggling close to their mother or by crawling into piles with other littermates. During these first few weeks of immobility researchers noted that these immature and under-developed canines are sensitive to a restricted class of stimuli which includes thermal, and tactile stimulation, motion and locomotion.

Other mammals such as mice and rats are also born with limitations and they also have been found to demonstrate a similar sensitivity to the effects of early stimulation. Studies show that removing them from their nest for three minutes each day during the first five to ten days of life causes body temperatures to fall below normal. This mild form of stress is sufficient to stimulate hormonal, adrenal and pituitary systems. When tested later as adults, these same animals were better able to withstand stress than littermates who were not exposed to the same early stress exercises. As adults, they responded to stress in "a graded" fashion, while their non-stressed littermates responded in an "all or nothing way."

Data involving laboratory mice and rats also shows that stress in small amounts can produce adults who respond maximally. On the other hand, the results gathered from non-stressed littermate show that they become easily exhausted and would near death if exposed to intense prolonged stress. When tied down so they were unable to move for twenty-four hours, rats developed severe stomach ulcers, but litter mates exposed to early stress handling were found to be more resistant to stress tests and did not show evidence of ulcers. A secondary affect was also noticed.

Sexual maturity was attained sooner in the littermates given early stress exercises. When tested for differences in health and disease, the stressed animals were found to be more resistant to certain forms of cancer and infectious diseases and could withstand terminal starvation and exposure to cold for longer periods than their non-stressed littermates. Other studies involving early stimulation exercises have been successfully performed on both cats and dogs. In these studies, the Electrical Encephalogram (EEG) was found to be ideal for measuring the electrical activity in the brain because of its extreme sensitivity to changes in excitement, emotional stress, muscle tension, changes in oxygen and breathing. EEG measures show that pups and kittens when given early stimulation exercises mature at faster rates and perform better in certain problem solving tests than non-stimulated mates. In the higher level animals the effect of early stimulation exercises have also been studied. The use of surrogate mothers and familiar objects were tested by both of the Kelloggs' and Dr. Yearkes using young chimpanzees. Their pioneer research shows that the more primates were deprived of stimulation and interaction during early development, the less able they were to cope, adjust and later adapt to situations as adults.

While experiments have not yet produced specific information about the optimal amounts of stress needed to make young animals psychologically or physiologically superior, researches agree that stress has value. What also is known is that a certain amount of stress for one may be too intense for another, and that too much stress can retard development. The results show that early stimulation exercises can have positive results but must be used with caution. In other words, too much stress can cause pathological adversities rather than physical or psychological superiority.

Methods of Stimulation 

The U.S. Military in their canine program developed a method that still serves as a guide to what works. In an effort to improve the performance of dogs used for military purposes, a program called "Bio Sensor" was developed. Later, it became known to the public as the "Super Dog" Program. Based on years of research, the military learned that early neurological stimulation exercises could have important and lasting effects. Their studies confirmed that there are specific time periods early in life when neurological stimulation has optimum results. The first period involves a window of time that begins at the third day of life and lasts until the sixteenth day. It is believed that because this interval of time is a period of rapid neurological growth and development, and therefore is of great importance to the individual.

The "Bio Sensor" program was also concerned with early neurological stimulation in order to give the dog a superior advantage. Its development utilized six exercises which were designed to stimulate the neurological system. Each workout involved handling puppies once each day. The workouts required handling them one at a time while performing a series of five exercises. Listed in order of preference the handler starts with one pup and stimulates it using each of the five exercises. The handler completes the series from beginning to end before starting with the next pup. The handling of each pup once per day involves the following exercises:

1. Tactical stimulation (between toes)

2. Head held erect

3. Head pointed down

4. Supine position

5. Thermal stimulation

1. Tactile stimulation

Holding the pup in one hand, the handler gently stimulates (tickles) the pup between the toes on any one foot using a Q-tip. It is not necessary to see that the pup is feeling the tickle. Time of stimulation 3 - 5 seconds.

(Figure 1) 

Figure 1

Figure 2 

2. Head held erect

Using both hands, the pup is held perpendicular to the ground, (straight up), so that its head is directly above its tail. This is an upwards position. Time of stimulation 3 - 5 seconds (Figure 2).

3. Head pointed down

Holding the pup firmly with both hands the head is reversed and is pointed downward so that it is pointing towards the ground. Time of stimulation 3 - 5 seconds (Figure 3). 

Figure 3

Figure 4 

4. Supine position

Hold the pup so that its back is resting in the palm of both hands with its muzzle facing the ceiling. The pup while on its back is allowed to sleep struggle. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds. (Figure 4)

5. Thermal stimulation

Use a damp towel that has been cooled in a refrigerator for at least five minutes. Place the pup on the towel, feet down. Do not restrain it from moving. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds. (Figure 5) 

Figure 5

These five exercises will produce neurological stimulations, none of which naturally occur during this early period of life. Experience shows that sometimes pups will resist these exercises, others will appear unconcerned. In either case a caution is offered to those who plan to use them. Do not repeat them more than once per day and do not extend the time beyond that recommended for each exercise. Over stimulation of the neurological system can have adverse and detrimental results. These exercises impact the neurological system by kicking it into action earlier than would be normally expected. The result being an increased capacity that later will help to make the difference in its performance. Those who play with their pups and routinely handle them should continue to do so because the neurological exercises are not substitutions for routine handling, play socialization or bonding.

Benefits of Stimulation

Five benefits have been observed in canines that were exposed to the Bio Sensor stimulation exercises. The benefits noted were:

Improved cardio vascular performance (heart rate)

Stronger heart beats

Stronger adrenal glands

More tolerance to stress and

Greater resistance to disease.

In tests of learning, stimulated pups were found to be more active and were more exploratory than their non- stimulated littermates over which they were dominant in competitive situations. Secondary effects were also noted regarding test performance. In simple problem solving tests using detours in a maze, the non-stimulated pups became extremely aroused, wined a great deal, and made many errors. Their stimulated littermates were less disturbed or upset by test conditions and when comparisons were made, the stimulated littermates were more calm in the test environment, made fewer errors and gave only an occasional distress when stressed.

Socialization

As each animal grows and develops three kinds of stimulation have been identified that impact and influence how it will develop and be shaped as an individual. The first stage is called early neurological stimulation, and the second stage is called socialization. The first two (early neurological stimulation and socialization) have in common a window of limited time. When Lorenz, (1935) first wrote about the importance of the stimulation process he wrote about imprinting during early life and its influence on the later development of the individual. He states that it was different from conditioning in that it occurred early in life and took place very rapidly producing results which seemed to be permanent. One of the first and perhaps the most noted research efforts involving the larger animals was achieved by Kellogg & Kellogg (1933). As a student of Dr. Kellogg's I found him and his wife to have an uncanny interest in children and young animals and the changes and the differences that occurred during early development. Their history-making study involved raising their own newborn child with a newborn primate. Both infants were raised together as if they were twins. This study, like others that followed attempted to demonstrate that among the mammals, there are great differences in their speed of physical and mental development. Some are born relatively mature and quickly capable of motion and locomotion, while others are very immature, immobile and slow to develop. For example, the Rhesus monkey shows rapid and precocious development at birth, while the chimpanzee and the other "great apes" take much longer. Last and slowest is the human infant.

Socialization studies confirm that the critical periods for humans (infant) to be stimulated are generally between three weeks and twelve months of age. For canines the period is shorter, between the fourth and sixteenth week of age. During these critical time periods two things can go wrong. First, insufficient social contact can interfere with proper emotional development which can adversely affected the development of the human bond. The lack of adequate social stimulation, such as handling, mothering and contact with others, adversely affects social and psychological development.

Second, over mothering can prevent sufficient exposure to other individuals, and situations that have an important influence on growth and development. The literature shows that humans and animals respond in similar ways when denied minimal amounts of stimulation. In humans, the absence of love and cuddling increases the risk of an aloof, distant, asocial or sociopathic individual. Over mothering can also have its detrimental effects. It occurs when a patient insulates the child from outside contacts, or keeps the apron strings tight, thus limiting opportunities to explore and interact. In the end, over mothering generally produces a dependent, socially maladjusted and sometimes emotionally disturbed individual.

The absence of outside social interactions for both children and pups usually results in a lack of adequate learning and social adjustment. Protected youngsters who grow up in an insulated environment often times become sickly, despondent, lacking in flexibility and unable to make simple social adjustments. Generally, they are unable to function productively or to interact successfully then they become adults. Owners who have busy life styles with long and tiring work and social schedules often times cause pets to be neglected. Left to themselves with only an occasional trip out of the house or off of the property they seldom see other canines or strangers and generally suffer from poor stimulation and socialization. For many, the side effects of loneliness and boredom set-in. The resulting behavior manifests itself in the form of chewing, digging, and hard to control behavior (Battaglia).

It seems clear that small amounts of stress followed by early socialization can produce beneficial results. The danger seems to be in not knowing where the thresholds are for over and under stimulation. Many improperly socialized youngsters develop into older individuals unprepared for adult life, unable to cope with its challenges, and interactions. Attempts to re-socialize them when adults have only produced small gains. These failures confirm the notion that the window of time open for early neurological and social stimulation only comes once. After it passes, little or nothing can be done to overcome the negative effects of too much or too little stimulation.

The third and final stage in the process of growth and development is called enrichment. Unlike the first two stages it has no time limit and by comparison covers a very long period of time. Enrichment is a term which has come to mean the positive sum of experiences, which have a cumulative effect upon the individual. Enrichment experiences typically involve exposure to a wide variety of interesting, novel, and exciting experiences with regular opportunities to freely investigate, manipulate, and interact with them. When measured in later life, the results show that those reared in an enriched environment tend to be more inquisitive and are more able to perform difficult tasks. The educational TV program called Sesame Street is perhaps the best known example of a children's enrichment program. The results show that when tested, children who regularly watched this program performed better than playmates who did not. Follow up studies show that those who regularly watched Sesame tend to seek a college education and when enrolled, performed better than playmates who were not regular watchers of the Sesame Street Program.

There are numerous children studies that show the benefits of enrichment techniques and programs. Most focus on improving self-esteem and self-talk. Follow up studies show that the enriched Sesame Street students when later tested were brighter and scored above average and most often were found to be the products of environments that contributed to their superior test scores. On the other hand, those whose test scores were generally below average, (labeled as dull) and the products of underprivileged or non- enriched environments often times had little or only small amounts of stimulation during early childhood and only minimal amounts of enrichment during their developmental and formative years. Many were characterized as children who grew up with little interaction with others, poor parenting, few toys, no books and a steady diet of TV soap operas.

A similar analogy can be found among canines. All the time they are growing they are learning because their nervous systems are developing and storing information that may be of inestimable use at a later date. Studies by Scott and Fuller confirm that non-enriched pups when given free choice preferred to stay in their kennels. Other litter mates who were given only small amounts of outside stimulation between five and eight weeks of age were found to be very inquisitive and very active. When kennel doors were left open, the enriched pups would come bounding out while littermates who were not exposed to enrichment would remain behind. The non-stimulated pups would typically be fearful of unfamiliar objects and generally preferred to withdraw rather than investigate. Even well bred pups of superior pedigrees would not explore or leave their kennels and many were found difficult to train as adults. These pups in many respects were similar to the deprived children. They acted as if they had become institutionalized, preferring the routine and safe environment of their kennel to the stimulating world outside their immediate place of residence.

Regular trips to the park, shopping centers and obedience and agility classes serve as good examples of enrichment activities. Chasing and retrieving a ball on the surface seems to be enriching because it provides exercise and includes rewards. While repeated attempts to retrieve a ball provide much physical activity, it should not be confused with enrichment exercises. Such playful activities should be used for exercise and play or as a reward after returning from a trip or training session. Road work and chasing balls are not substitutes for trips to the shopping mall, outings or obedience classes most of which provide many opportunities for interaction and investigation.

Finally it seems clear that stress early in life can produce beneficial results. The danger seems to be in not knowing where the thresholds are for over and under stimulation. However, the absence or the lack of adequate amounts of stimulation generally will produce negative and undesirable results. Based on the above it is fair to say that the performance of most individuals can be improved including the techniques described above. Each contributes in a cumulative way and supports the next stage of development.

Conclusion

Breeders can now take advantage of the information available to improve and enhance performance. Generally, genetics account of about 35% of the performance but the remaining 65% (management, training, nutrition) can make the difference. In the management category it has been shown that breeders should be guided by the rule that it is generally considered prudent to guard against under and over stimulation. Short of ignoring pups during their first two months of life, a conservative approach would be to expose them to children, people, toys and other animals on a regular basis. Handling and touching all parts of their anatomy is also necessary to learn as early as the third day of life. Pups that are handled early and on a regular basis, generally do not become hand shy as adults. Because of the risks involved in under stimulation a conservative approach to using the benefits of the three stages has been suggested based primarily on the works of Arskeusky, Kellogg, Yearkes and the "Bio Sensor" program (later known as the "Super Dog Program").

Both experience and research have dominated the beneficial effects that can be achieved via early neurological stimulation, socialization and enrichment experiences. Each has been used to improve performance and to explain the differences that occur between individuals, their trainability, health and potential. The cumulative effects of the three stages have been well documented. They best serve the interests of owners who seek high levels of performance when properly used. Each has a cumulative effect and contributes to the development and the potential for individual performance.

Dogs : Don't Buy

I first wrote this article nearly 10 years ago. Since then it has become a classic of Bouvier literature, reprinted many times. Since then I have spent nearly 5 years in Bouvier Rescue, personally rescuing, rehabilitating, and placing 3 or 4 per year and assisting in the placement of others. Very little has needed revision in this new addition.....I give my permission freely to all who wish to reprint and distribute it in hopes of saving innocent Bouviers (Ed. note: we read CBR's here!) from neglect and abandonment by those who should never have acquired them in the first place.

Interested in buying a Chesapeake Bay Retriever? You must be or you wouldn't be reading this. You've already heard how marvelous CBRs are. Well, I think you should also hear, before it's too late, that

CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVERS ARE NOT THE PERFECT BREED FOR EVERYONE.

As a breed they have a few features that some people find charming, but that some people find mildly unpleasant and some people find downright intolerable.

There are different breeds for different needs. There are over 200 purebred breeds of dogs in the world. Maybe you'd be better off with some other breed. Maybe you'd be better off with a cat. Maybe you'd be better off with goldfish, a parakeet, a hamster, or some house plants.

DON'T GET A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER if you are attracted to the breed chiefly by its appearance. From a distance, the appearance of the CBRs you have seen may indicate that they are a chocolate, wavy-haired version of a Labrador Retriever. They are the largest of the retriever breeds and are not from the same lineage as a Labrador - the breedings are entirely different.

Chesapeake Bay retrievers are not related to Goldens or Labradors - and because of this very basic genetic difference, you cannot compare Chessies to these breeds. Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are the result of crosses with Newfoundlands, hounds, setters, water spaniels and other dogs and were first recognized as a distinct breed in America in the middle of the 19th century. They were ducking dogs used by market hunters for retrieving waterfowl and protecting the day’s catch. These early objectives in breeding and selecting for outstanding ducking dogs has endured in today’s Chessies - they are still remarkably tough working dogs and loyal, protective companions. Chessies are not "happy-go lucky" retrievers - they will not "love" everyone they meet. They are indifferent to other people and dogs - very different from Goldens and Labradors. Chesapeakes are unique, intensely loyal, protective, sensitive, and serious dogs - traits that require thoughtful consideration before adopting a dog.

DON'T GET A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER if you don't intend to educate (train) your dog. Basic obedience and household rules training is not optional for the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. As an absolute minimum, you must teach him to reliably respond to commands to come, to lie down, to stay, and to walk at your side, on or off leash and regardless of temptations. You must also teach him to respect your household rules: e.g., is he allowed to get on the furniture? Is he allowed to beg at the table? What you allow or forbid is unimportant; but it is critical that you, not the dog, make these choices and that you enforce your rules consistently. You must commit yourself to attending an 8 to 10 week series of weekly lessons at a local obedience club or professional trainer and to doing one or two short (5 to 20 minutes) homework sessions per day. As commands are learned, they must be integrated into your daily life by being used whenever appropriate and enforced consistently.

Young CBR puppies are relatively easy to train: they are eager to please, intelligent, and calm-natured, with a relatively good attention span. Once a CBR has learned something, he tends to retain it well. Your cute, sweet little Chessie puppy will grow up to be a large, powerful dog with a highly self-assertive personality and the determination to finish whatever he starts. If he has grown up respecting you and your rules, then all his physical and mental strength will work for you. But if he has grown up without rules and guidance from you, surely he will make his own rules, and his physical and mental powers will often act in opposition to your needs and desires. For example: he may tow you down the street as if competing in a sled-dog race; he may grab food off the table; he may forbid your guests entry to his home. This training cannot be delegated to someone else, e.g., by sending the dog away to "boarding school," because the relationship of respect and obedience is personal between the dog and the individual who does the training. This is true of all dogs to a greater or lesser degree, but definitely to a very great degree in CBRs. While you definitely may want the help of an experienced trainer to teach you how to train your dog, you yourself must actually train your Chessie. As each lesson is well learned, then the rest of the household (except young children) must also work with the dog, insisting he obey them as well.

Many of the Chesapeakes that are rescued from pounds and shelters show clearly that they have received little or no basic training, neither in obedience nor in household deportment; yet these same dogs respond well to such training by the rescuer or the adopter. It seems likely that a failure to train the dog is a significant cause of CBR abandonment. If you don't intend to educate your dog, preferably during puppyhood, you would be better off with a breed that is both small and socially submissive, e.g., a Shetland Sheepdog. Such a dog does require training, but a little bit goes further than with a Chessie. Chessies can, with adequate training, excel at such working competitions as field trials and hunt tests, obedience, agility, and tracking.

DON'T BUY A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER if you lack leadership (self-assertive) personality. Dogs do not believe in social equality. They live in a social hierarchy led by a pack-leader (Alpha). The alpha dog is generally benevolent, affectionate, and non-bullying towards his subordinates; but there is never any doubt in his mind or in theirs that the alpha is the boss and makes the rules. Whatever the breed, if you do not assume the leadership, the dog will do so sooner or later, and with more or less unpleasant consequences for the abdicating owner. Like the untrained dog, the pack leader dog makes his own rules and enforces them against other members of the household by means of a dominant physical posture and a hard-eyed stare, followed by a snarl, then a knockdown blow or a bite. Breeds differ in tendencies towards social dominance; and individuals within a breed differ considerably.

Chesapeakes as a breed tend to be of a socially dominant personality. You really cannot afford to let a Chesapeake become your boss. You do not have to have the personality or mannerisms of a Marine boot camp Sergeant, but you do have to have the calm, quiet self-assurance and self assertion of the successful parent ("Because I'm your mother, that's why.") or successful grade-school teacher. If you think you might have difficulty asserting yourself calmly and confidently to exercise leadership, then choose a breed known for its socially subordinate disposition, such as a Golden Retriever or a Shetland Sheepdog, and be sure to ask the breeder to select one of the more submissive pups in the litter for you. If the whole idea of "being the boss" frightens or repels you, don't get a dog at all. Cats don't expect leadership. A caged bird or hamster, or fish doesn't need leadership or household rules. Leadership and training are inextricably intertwined: leadership personality enables you to train your dog, and being trained by you reinforces your dog's perception of you as the alpha.

DON'T BUY A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER if you want a totally unaggressive and unprotective dog. Most Chessies have an assertive and confident personality. When confronted with a threat, a proper Chesapeake Bay Retriever will be somewhat more ready to fight than to flee. Thus he may respond aggressively in situations where many other breeds back down. Most CBRs have some inclination to act aggressively to repel intruders on their territory (i.e.,your home) and to counteract assaults upon their packmates (you and your family). Without training and leadership from you to guide him, the dog cannot judge correctly whom to repel and whom to tolerate. Without training and leadership, sooner or later he may injure an innocent person who will successfully sue you for more than you own. With good training and leadership from you, he can be profoundly valuable as a defender of your home and family. (See also remarks on stability and socialization below.)

If you feel no need of an assertive dog, if you are embarrassed by a barking dog at your door, or if you have the slightest doubts of your ability and willingness to supply the essential socialization, training and leadership, then please choose one of the many breeds noted for thoroughly unaggressive temperament, such as a Sheltie or a Golden Retriever.

DON'T GET A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER if you are unwilling to share your house and your life with your dog. Chessies were bred to share in the work of the family and to spend most of their waking hours working with the family. They thrive on companionship and they want to be wherever you are. They are happiest living with you in your house and going with you when you go out. While they usually tolerate being left at home by themselves, they should not be relegated to the backyard or kennel. A puppy exiled from the house is likely to grow up to be unsociable (fearful and/or unprovokedly aggressive), unruly, and unhappy. He may well develop pastimes, such as digging or barking, that will displease you and/or your neighbors. An adult so exiled will be miserable too. If you don't strongly prefer to have your dog's companionship as much as possible, enjoying having him sleep in your bedroom at night and sharing many of your activities by day, you should choose a breed less oriented to human companionship. Likewise, if your job or other obligations prevent you from spending much time with your dog. No dog is really happy without companionship, but the pack hounds are more tolerant of being kenneled or yarded so long as it is in groups of 2 or more. A better choice would be a cat, as they are solitary by nature.

DON'T GET A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER if you don't value laid-back companionship and calm affection. A Chessie becomes deeply attached and devoted to his own family, but he doesn't "wear his heart on his sleeve." Some are noticeably reserved, others are more outgoing, but few adults are usually exuberantly demonstrative of their affection. They make remarkable eye contact with their favorite people. They like to be near you, usually in the same room, preferably on a comfortable pad or cushion in a corner or under a table, just "keeping you company." They enjoy conversation, petting and cuddling when you offer it, but they are moderate and not overbearing in coming to you to demand much attention. They are emotionally sensitive to their favorite people: when you are joyful, proud, angry, or grief-stricken, your CBR will immediately perceive it and will believe himself to be the cause. The relationship can be one of great mellowness, depth and subtlety; it is a relation on an adult-to-adult level, although certainly not one devoid of playfulness - Chessies are famous for their vocalization with their people (the "roo-roo-roos" and the snorts). As puppies, of course, they will be more dependent, more playful, and more demonstrative. In summary, Chesapeakes tend to be sober and thoughtful, rather than giddy clowns or synchophants. A number of breeds retain into adulthood a more puppyish and playful disposition, e.g., Australian Shepherds, Malamutes, and others. Quite a few are far more dramatically demonstrative and/or more clingingly dependent, e.g., the Golden Retriever.

DON'T GET A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER if you are fastidious about the neatness of your home. The CBR’s unique, water-repellent coat and his love of playing in water combine to make him a highly efficient transporter of dirt into your home, depositing same on your floors and rugs and possibly also on your furniture and clothes. You must realize that you should be prepared to get wet when you and your Chessie are near water. Although it is technically true that CBRs do not shed long coats and do not require professional grooming, they do "blow coat" at least twice a year and your house will be full of brown "dust bunnies" tumbleweeding their way about your house. I don't mean to imply that you must be a slob or slattern to live happily with a Chessie, but you do have to have the attitude that your dog's company means more to you than does neatness and you do have to be comfortable with a less than immaculate house. All dogs, like all children, create a greater or lesser degree of household mess. The Basenji is perhaps the cleanest, due to its cat-like habits; but cats are cleaner yet, and goldfish hardly ever mess up the house.

DON'T GET A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER if you dislike daily physical exercise. Chessies need exercise to maintain the health of heart and lungs and to maintain muscle tone. An adult CBR should have a morning outing of a mile or more, as you walk briskly, jog, or bicycle beside him, and a similar evening outing. For puppies, shorter and slower walks, several times a day are preferred for exercise and housebreaking. But, more than just walks, you need to "work" your Chessie. Chesapeakes were bred to work hard and the modern dogs still thrive on work. Anyone who owns one should be able to devote at least 20 minutes a day either working, training, retrieving or playing with them. Chesapeakes that are not worked - both physically and mentally - are prone to mischief and will not "think." Because of their love of water, 20 minutes of water retrieves is usually much more intense work than an hour walking around the neighborhood nicely on the leash. These active, intelligent dogs need jobs and responsibilities - it is best if you designate what these jobs are - you might not agree with what your Chessie decides is important!

All dogs need daily exercise of greater or lesser length and vigor. If providing this exercise and work is beyond you, physically or temperamentally, then choose one of the many small and energetic breeds that can exercise itself within your fenced yard. Most of the Toys and Terriers fit this description, but don't be surprised if a Terrier is inclined to dig in the earth since digging out critters is the job that they were bred to do. Cats can be exercised indoors with mouse-on-a-string toys. Hamsters will exercise themselves on a wire wheel. House plants don't need exercise.

DON'T GET A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER if you believe that dogs should run "free." Whether you live in town or country, no dog can safely be left to run "free" outside your fenced property and without your direct supervision and control. The price of such "freedom" is inevitably injury or death: from dogfights, from automobiles, from the Pound or from justifiably irate neighbors. Even though Chessies are home-loving and less inclined to roam than most breeds, an unfenced CBR is destined for disaster. The unfenced city CBR is likely to exercise his inherited retrieving instinct on joggers, bicyclists, and automobiles. A thoroughly obedience-trained Chesapeake Bay Retriever can enjoy the limited and supervised freedom of off-leash walks with you in appropriately chosen environments. If you don't want the responsibility of confining and supervising your pet, then no breed of dog is suitable for you. A neutered cat will survive such irresponsibly given "freedom" somewhat longer than a dog, but will eventually come to grief. A better answer for those who crave a "free" pet is to set out feeding stations for some of the indigenous wildlife, such as raccoons, which will visit for handouts and which may eventually tolerate your close observation.

DON'T GET A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER if you can't afford to buy, feed, and provide health care for one. Chesapeakes are not a cheap breed to buy, as running a careful breeding program with due regard for temperament, trainability, and physical soundness (hips & eyes especially) cannot be done cheaply. The time the breeder should put into each puppy's "pre-school" and socialization is also costly. The "bargain" puppy from a "back-yard breeder" who unselectively mates any two CBRs who happen to be of opposite sex may well prove to be extremely costly in terms of bad temperament, bad health, and lack of essential socialization. In contrast, the occasional adult or older pup is available at modest price from a disenchanted owner or from a breeder, shelter, or rescuer to whom the dog was abandoned; most of these "used" Chessies are capable of becoming a marvelous dog for you if you can provide training,leadership, and understanding. Whatever the initial cost of your Chessie, the upkeep will not be cheap.

Being large dogs, CBRs eat relatively large meals. (Need I add that what goes in one end must eventually come out the other?) Large dogs tend to have larger veterinary bills, as the amount of anesthesia and of most medications is proportional to body weight. Spaying or neutering, which costs more for larger dogs, is an essential expense for virtually all pet CBRs, as it "takes the worry out of being close", prevents serious health problems in later life, and makes the dog a more pleasant companion. Chessies are subject to hip dysplasia which can be costly to treat. (Your best insurance against dysplasia is to buy only from a litter bred from OFA-certified parents and (if possible), grandparents. Yes, this generally means paying more. Finally, the modest fee for participation in a series of basic obedience training classes is an essential investment in harmonious living with your dog; such fees are the same for all breeds, although conceivably you will need to travel a bit further from home to find a training class teacher who is competent with the more formidable breeds, such as the Chesapeake. The modest annual outlays for immunizations and for local licensing are generally the same for all breeds, although some counties have a lower license fee for spayed/neutered dogs. All dogs, of whatever breed and however cheaply acquired, require significant upkeep costs, and all are subject to highly expensive veterinary emergencies. Likewise all cats.

DON'T GET A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER if you want the "latest, greatest ferocious killer attack dog". Although the Chesapeake has been bred to be protective of his owner’s home, and he may be described as the "Rottweiler of the retrievers," the CBR is less capable in these respects than half a dozen other protection breeds. CBRs must have great respect for the leadership of his handler and must be solidly trained in basic obedience to that handler. Equally essential, he must have a rock-solidly stable temperament and he must also have been "socialized" out in the world enough to know that most people are friendly and harmless, so that he can later learn to distinguish the bad guys from the good guys. Please don't buy any dog for protection training unless you are absolutely committed to the extreme amount of work that will be required of you personally. Also talk to your lawyer and your insurance agent first. In contrast to the protection-trained dog, trained to bite on direct command or in reaction to direct physical assault on his master, the "deterrent dog" dissuades the vast majority of aspiring burglars, rapists, and assailants by his presence, his appearance, and his demeanor. Seeing such a dog, the potential wrong-doer simply decides to look for a safer victim elsewhere. For this job, all that is needed is a dog that is large and that appears to be well-trained and unafraid. CBR’s are suited to this type of protection, since they usually bark at people who approach the property or the home. On a leash, however, most people equate the CBR with the Labrador, a notoriously friendly dog.

Other breeds of dog which are suitable for protection or for deterrence include the Doberman, Rottweiler, German Shepherd, Briard, Belgian Sheepdog, Belgian Tervuren, and Belgian Malinois. Of these the first 3 are recognized by the general public as "police dogs" and are probably far more feared by most potential criminals would be by a Chesapeake. The Malamute, though not suitable for protection, is quite effective for deterrence due to his highly wolf-like appearance.

DON'T GET A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER if you are not willing to commit yourself for the dog's entire lifetime. No dog deserves to be cast out because his owners want to move to a no-pet apartment or because he is no longer a cute puppy or didn't grow up to be a beauty contest winner or because his owners through lack of leadership and training have allowed him to become an unruly juvenile delinquent with a repertoire of undesirable behaviors. The prospects of a responsible and affectionate second home for a "used" dog are never very bright, but they are especially dim for a large, poorly mannered dog. A Chesapeake dumped into a Pound or Shelter has almost no chance of survival unless he has the great good fortune to be spotted by someone dedicated to Chesapeake Bay Retriever Rescue. The prospects for adoption for a youngish, well-trained, CBR whose owner seeks the assistance of the nearest CBR Club or Rescue group are fairly good; but an older Chessie has diminishing prospects. Be sure to contact your local American Chesapeake breeder or Rescue group if you are diagnosed as terminally ill or have other equally valid reason for seeking an adoptive home. Be sure to contact your local Chessie breeder or rescuer if you are beginning to have difficulties in training your Chessie, so these can be resolved. Be sure to make arrangements in your will or with your family to ensure continued care or adoptive home for your Chessie if you should pre-decease him.

The life span of a Chesapeake Bay Retriever is from 10 to 15 years. If that seems too long a time for you to give an unequivocal loyalty to your Chessie, then please do not get one! Indeed, as most dogs have a life expectancy that is as long or longer, please do not get any dog!

IN CONCLUSION

If all the preceding "bad news" about Chessies hasn't turned you away from the breed, then by all means DO GET A CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER! They are every bit as wonderful as you have heard!

If buying a puppy, be sure to shop carefully for a responsible and knowledgeable breeder who places high priority on breeding for sound temperament and trainability and good health in all matings. Such a breeder will interrogate and educate potential buyers carefully. Such a breeder will continue to be available for advice and consultation for the rest of the puppy's life and will insist on receiving the dog back if ever you are unable to keep it.

However as an alternative to buying a Chessie puppy, you may want to give some serious consideration to adopting a rescued CBR. Despite the irresponsibility of their previous owner, rescued CBRs have proven to be rehabilitated so as to become superb family companions for responsible and affectionate adopters. Many rescuers are skilled trainers who evaluate temperament and provide remedial training before offering dogs for placement, and who offer continued advisory support afterwards. Contact the Chesapeake Bay Retriever Rescue & Relief home page (cbrrescue.org) or a local breeder to learn who is doing Rescue work.