Backgrounder: Dog Behaviour and Social Structure Canine Social Structure Domestic dogs are pack animals much like their ancestor, the wolf. Much of what we know about domestic dog behaviour has come from studying wolves, as well as wild dogs such as the New Guinea singing dog and the Australian dingo. 1 The main difference between domestic dogs and wild dogs is that domestic dogs live with humans as their pack members instead of their own species. Humans often come into trouble with dog behaviour when raising a dog, as the human instinct is not that of an alpha pack member. A pack typically follows a hierarchy; they will follow one or two leaders who are referred to as the alpha dogs. The alpha dog establishes its status by using its body language, and eye contact, to reinforce its position. 2 There can be an alpha female and an alpha male in a pack. These two typically lead together and mate together. 3 The rest of the pack is generally made up of their offspring from previous generations. 4 The second in command to the alpha is referred to as the beta. 5 The beta will take over when the alpha is sick or injured by challenging the alpha to fight to the death. 6 Weakness in the canine world, such as illness or unbalanced behaviour, is seen as something to either dominate or avoid. 7 This instinct translates to domestic dogs following their human counterparts as well. Third to the pack hierarchy is the omega. 8 The word omega is defined as, the last of any series; the end". 9 The omega is said to be the glue that holds the pack together, they do this by 1 (Wolf-pack mentality, 2014) 2 (Wolf-pack mentality, 2014) 3 (Wolf-pack mentality, 2014) 4 (Wolf-pack mentality, 2014) 5 (Wolf-pack mentality, 2014) 6 (Wolf-pack mentality, 2014) 7 (Wolf-pack mentality, 2014) 8 (Wolf-pack mentality, 2014) 9 (Omega, 2014)
caring for the other pack members, and encouraging play to ease tension. 10 The omegas are subject to the most dominance in the pack, particularly during meal time. 11 Hierarchy in a Human Pack Pack animals follow a hierarchy, and when a human takes a dog home with them, they must keep themselves, and the rest of the humans of the household, at the top of that hierarchy. If a dog is allowed to dominate their human leader, by taking over the house and furniture, or pulling and marking during the walk, they will eventually start to think that they are the pack leader. When a dog believes that they are the leader of a human pack, this belief presents itself as unwanted behaviour. Why Dog Behaviour is Important The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) published the results of their Canadian shelter survey in 2013. They found that 91 per cent of shelter dogs were surrendered. 12 Only 45 per cent of the dogs in Canadian shelters in 2012 were re-homed, and 15 per cent of the dogs were euthanized. 13 It s important to note that Canadian shelters are not required to report on how many dogs they euthanize, and the CFHS was only able to survey 100 willing shelters across all of Canada as such, the euthanasia rate is likely higher. 14 Behavioural problems are the main reason for the death and surrendering of more pets per year than infectious, cancerous, and metabolic diseases combined. 15 Behavioural Problems A canine behavioural problem is defined as behaviour that is unacceptable to the human owner. 16 A survey conducted on 234 dog owners by the Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, at the University of Tehran, found that 95 per cent of dog owners (50 per cent of which held university degrees) reported at least one behavioural problem in their dog. 17 The results found three behavioural problems to be at the top of this list: Aggression toward other dogs and people Jumping up; and Excessive barking 18 10 (Wolf-pack mentality, 2014) 11 (Wolf-pack mentality, 2014) 12 (Societies, Canadian Federation of Humane, 2013) 13 (Societies, Canadian Federation of Humane, 2013) 14 (Societies, Canadian Federation of Humane, 2013) 15 (Naqa Tamimi, 2013) 16 (Khoshnegah, Azizzadeh, & Gharaie, 2011) 17 (Naqa Tamimi, 2013) 18 (Naqa Tamimi, 2013)
More than 30 per cent of dog owners surrendered their dogs to shelters because of behavioural problems. 19 The majority of dogs that are purchased from shelters are also returned to shelters due to behavioural problems. 20 The four most common behaviours associated with dogs surrendered to shelters are: fearfulness, aggression, inappropriate elimination, and destructiveness." 21 The top factors associated with behavioural problems are: Lack of regular exercise Improper socialization with animals and humans Punishment; and Inconsistency in owners reactions towards the behaviour. Exercise Exercise plays a huge role in dog behaviour. Pack animals spend most of their days migrating together, so walking fulfills a dog s primal need to migrate. 24 If a dog does not have proper exercise, they are more likely to exhibit and develop unwanted and destructive behaviour to expel their energy. In fact, 43 per cent of dog owners who reported behavioural problems did not have a regular walking schedule. 25 22 23 Socialization Socialization is also a large factor when looking at behavioural problems in dogs. Dogs are very social animals that need to have contact with other animals and people in order to learn how to properly interact without aggression or fear. The University of Tehran found that of the 95 per cent of reported dogs with behavioural problems, 50-70 per cent of them were not properly socialized with humans or other animals. 26 Punishment Pack animals do not lead with or allow themselves to be led by emotions. When a human punishes a dog, the dog will either not understand the correlation between the behaviour and the punishment, or they will relate negatively to the behaviour and the human. For example, 19 (Naqa Tamimi, 2013) 20 (Naqa Tamimi, 2013) 21 (Naqa Tamimi, 2013) 22 (Khoshnegah, Azizzadeh, & Gharaie, 2011) 23 (Naqa Tamimi, 2013) 24 (Pedigree, 2014) 25 (Naqa Tamimi, 2013) 26 (Naqa Tamimi, 2013)
dogs are often yelled at, or worse, for improper elimination in the house, and punishment has been proven to make that behaviour worse. 27 Inconsistent Leadership If one family member allows certain behaviour from a dog, but another member does not, the dog will be confused and likely still display the behaviour. Dogs will see inconsistencies in leadership and push the boundaries accordingly (lying on the couch, for example). It is the family s job to work together and calmly reinforce the boundaries they have set, to see a change in their dog s behaviour. Humans have a tendency to talk to their dogs and lead them with emotion, pampering, and pleading, instead of with what they are conditioned to follow - calm and assertive energy. 28 This is where the problems with behaviour occur. Our dogs interpret our baby voices and pleading with them as weakness. As discovered in pack mentality studies, dogs see weakness as something to either ignore, or take control of. 29 This translates as them ignoring our commands (because they do not take us seriously), or taking over leadership by protecting us with aggression and barking. We tend to reinforce our dog s bad behaviour by telling them 'it's ok', and holding or petting them when they are barking, growling, or generally acting unstable. We need to follow the inherit pack mentality to help our dogs in these situations - by ignoring or correcting them. Summary To have a well-balanced dog, the four factors associated with bad behaviour must be properly applied: Ensure that they have proper mental stimulation and exercise Maintain consistency with boundaries and rules Correct their behavior without emotion, aggression, or punishment; and Socialize them with other people and dogs. 27 (Naqa Tamimi, 2013) 28 (Glossary of terms from cesars way, 2014) 29 (Wolf-pack mentality, 2014)
Works Cited Glossary of terms from cesars way. (2014). Retrieved 03 6, 2014, from Cesar's Way: http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/basics/glossary-of-terms-from-cesars-way Omega. (2014). Retrieved March 5, 2014, from dictionary: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/omega Wolf-pack mentality. (2014). Retrieved March 5, 2014, from Animal planet: http://www.animalplanet.com/mammals/wolf-pack-mentality.htm Khoshnegah, J., Azizzadeh, M., & Gharaie, M. A. (2011). Risk factors for the development of behavior problems in a population of Iranian domestic dogs: Results of a pilot survey. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 123-130. Naqa Tamimi, A. M. (2013). Owner complaints of canine behavior in Iran A preliminary survey. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 26-31. Pedigree. (2014). Your dogs primal need. Retrieved 03 06, 2014, from Pedigree: http://www.pedigree.com/all-things-dog/article-library/your-dog-s-primal-need-to-be- Walked.aspx Societies, Canadian Federation of Humane. (2013). Shelter Animal Statistics. Ottawa: Canadian Federation of Humane Societies.