Edie MacKenzie On Dogs

Posts Tagged ‘Experiences’

If there’s such a thing as a universal pleasure center regarding dog behavior among dogs, it’s the belly.

The skin on their bellies is thinner than skin elsewhere, and there’s not a lot of fur.

As a result, the belly is exquisitely sensitive to touch. Dogs enjoy physical affection just like we do.

A dog who’s getting his belly rubbed enjoys the attention.

He likes the nice sensations. And he likes knowing he can attract people like a magnet just by rolling over and putting his feet in the air.

It’s A Trust Factor

Dogs use body language to convey very specific messages. As a dog behavior, rolling on their backs and exposing their bellies is a sure sign of submission.

It’s a way of telling other dogs, “I’m at your mercy; do what you will.” A dog who’s being threatened and wants to avoid a fight will expose his belly to signal his noncombatant status. Conversely, a dog who’s at peace and relaxed will go belly up just because he feels safe to do so.

That position is the ultimate dog behavior regarding vulnerability.

People only reveal their softer sides to those they love and trust. It’s the same with dogs. It takes a lot of trust for them to expose their bellies in front of people, and that’s one of the reasons that belly rubs are such blissful experiences.

When your dog looks at you, lies down, and flops over for a belly rub, that says something about the relationship you have with him. It tells you that your dog knows that you are in charge, that he loves and trusts you, and that he’s happy with that arrangement.

The unique thing about this behavior is that it presents one of the few opportunities that dogs have to set the agenda.

It’s usually the people who decide when to spend time with their dogs. We choose when we’ll go for a walk, when we’ll take a ride in the car, when we’ll sit on the deck and throw tennis balls.

But here’s an opportunity for dogs to say, “I’d like to spend some time with you now.” They know that their people will be more than happy to comply.

Selective Love

Some dogs are promiscuous with their affection. They’ll roll over for anyone at just about any time. This is especially true of Labrador retrievers, who are known for their people-pleasing personalities.

It’s not uncommon, in fact, for Labradors to walk around a room, pause in front of each person they come to, and flop onto their backs.

Other dogs are much more cautious about revealing themselves. It’s not a matter of love or affection, just one of temperament. There are dogs who love you but who just don’t want to be that vulnerable.

Akitas, for example, are known for being independent and somewhat reserved. They’re less likely than most dogs to ask for or even tolerate a belly rub.

This dog behavior is true of huskies, Alaskan malamutes, and other breeds with strong, assertive personalities.

Some dogs just absolutely refuse to become house trained. No matter how long and hard you have tried to implement techniques to get your dog to use the bathroom in the proper areas, he still chooses to be “vengeful” towards you by not following your instructions, right?

Wrong! The common misconception that your dog is trying to be vindictive and countermine your housetraining efforts by refusing to follow the rules is a complete myth.

Dogs only have the capacity for simple, direct emotions, such as being happy, sad, or scared. Their minds are not capable of plotting ways to seek revenge for that swat on his rear, or how you scolded him an hour ago.

Dogs do, however, remember and draw upon past experiences that they associate with current situations. But it is important to understand that these associations only create an emotion in which they will feel when going through a similar experience.

In other words, lets say that you punish your dog for urinating on the front porch. If you continue to scold him for this behavior then eventually your dog will become fearful of using the bathroom outside. All he knows is that he is “outside”, not on the front porch. Your efforts will countermine your housetraining goals.

For this reason alone, it is important never to punish or yell at your dog when he uses the bathroom inside the house. Most housetraining problems actually stem from owners who completely instill fear in their pets when they go potty on the floor. This creates enough trauma to completely halt all of your housetraining efforts.

The key is trying not to react. Instead, remove your dog from the room and take him outside in a very calm and relaxed manner. Be sure that he does not see you cleaning up his mess. Quietly clean the area and be sure to use an enzyme-containing house cleaner. Vinegar or liquid soap will do just fine as well. By completely removing all of the older, this helps reduce your dog’s need to urinate and mark the same spot over and over.

Tip: Avoid using ammonia because the smell is very similar to that of a dog’s urine and can stimulate him to pee in the same area.

When all else fails, schedule a visit with your veterinarian so that the doctor can do a complete health checkup of your dog to make sure that there is not a health-related reason for his inability to become house trained.

Some dogs can be harboring illnesses that may prove to be the cause of not having the ability to control their bowel movements. Such illnesses could be caused by ticks, such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, or the most common reason: a urinary tract infection.

Since you do not have much time to spend researching for the ideal veterinarian once you have your dog, it is a good idea to do your search ahead of time, before you bring the puppy home. But before you reach over for your phone book, check out for other resources and find out what you can get “through the grapevine”.

First, see if your breeder can recommend you to his or her vet. Also ask for recommendations from other dog owners that you can trust. You can learn a lot from their experiences, but use your own judgment because their opinions are going to be subjective and may not necessarily be accurate.

If you do not know anyone who owns a dog, your next bet is to go to the Yellow Pages or go to the Internet and look for vets in your area. Below are 3 factors to consider when choosing the right vet.

1. Is the vet close to your home? Try to find an office as close to your home as possible, preferably within a 10 minute driving distance.  It’s very important to know that help is just a few miles away, especially during an emergency.

2. If your dog is suffering from a specific type of health problem, such as cancer or some kind of behavioral problem, look for a vet who specializes in that type of field.

3. Similar to human health care, veterinary care is either done in a small practice (where you are able to see the same vet on every visit  throughout your dog’s life), or a large practice (where you get to see the first available vet on duty). In a small practice, your vet will be able to get to know your pet on a more personal level. This will help him with his diagnosis and keep track of your dog’s health better in the long run.

On the other hand, it may be more practical to choose a vet that belongs to a large practice because it is quicker to get an appointment in an office where there are more doctors available. This is crucial, especially during an emergency.

Once you’ve found your vet, check out Veterinary Secrets Revealed to save yourself hundreds of dollars on Vet visits.