Dog Behavior Blog

Dogs Can Recognize The Faces Of Other Dogs

When my dog Raja sees a strange dog, he has a very predictable response. His body tenses, he becomes rigid, and he stands very still, looking at the dog. As a puppy, he was abused by other dogs and even now, years later, he still has trust issues with dogs that he doesn’t know.

However, when he sees a dog he knows, even if a year or more has passed, his tail starts to wag and he confidently goes up to the other dog as they happily start on dog-greeting protocols.

I have often wondered how he recognizes and remembers the dogs he knows. Is it their smell? Is it their general size and shape? Is it the color of their coat?

While all of these factors probably play a role, a new study shows that dogs can recognize the faces of other dogs (Racca, A. et al. 2009. Discrimination of human and dog faces and inversion responses in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). Animal Cognition, DOI 10.1007/s10071-009-0303-3).

The authors of the study used a technique called Visual Paired Comparison. In this technique, an animal is shown two images projected on screens, one to the right of the animal and the other to the left. Experimenters measure the amount of time that the animal spends looking at each image. If the animal has no preference, she would spend an equal amount of time looking at either image. However, if the animal has a distinct preference for one image over another, she would spend more time looking at that image.

In the dog face study, the experimenters showed 7 adult dogs (1 miniature Dachshund, 2 Lurchers, and 4 mixed-breeds) paired pictures of an unfamiliar dog face and a familiar one.

The dogs spent significantly more time looking at the familiar dog face. This means that dogs not only recognize individual dog faces, but also prefer to look at familiar faces rather than strange ones.

In this respect, dogs are not alone. Increasingly, studies are finding that lots of other animals can recognize individual faces within their own species. So far, this list includes animals as diverse as chimpanzees, monkeys, sheep, cows, budgerigars, and paper wasps.

We humans often like to look at a friendly face. It seems that other animals like to do that too.

--Con Slobodchikoff

Teaching Dogs A Group Name

When you are living with a group of dogs in your home, sometimes it’s the little things that can make the difference between a fun amount of craziness and too much of it.

 

One of the recommendations I always make to clients living with a multiple dog household is to use a group name to refer to all of the dogs at once. It just makes sense to be able to get the attention of all your dogs with a single word rather than having to say each of their names in turn. Sometimes speed is of the essence and the faster you can get everyone’s attention, the better.

The following is an excerpt from the book Feeling Outnumbered: How to Manage and Enjoy Your Multi-dog Household which I co-wrote with Patricia McConnell:

“If you have lots of dogs, it’s helpful to be able to get all of your dogs’ attention at once. Teach all of your dogs a group name such as “dogs” or “shepherds” or use the term “goof balls” or “bozos” if you want to (yet another reason why having lots of dogs can be fun!) Teach each dog to pay attention when you say “dogs” by saying it and then giving a treat to every dog who looks at you. Having a group designation for all your dogs is just as handy as it is to call your children for dinner by saying, Kids, Dinnertime!” rather than “Brian. . ., Evan. . ., Taylor. . .,Dinnertime!” You might even find it helpful to have group names for different categories of your dogs. You can decide what subcategories will be helpful in your household, but don’t underestimate your dogs’ abilities to understand group names.”

If you have some dogs who like to play ball outside, you can name that group “Ball Players” and use this name to get them, and only them, to come with you to go to the park. If the other canine members of your household prefer to get their exercise through walks or runs, you can use a name to get them ready when it’s time to leash up and go.

 

One of the most common situations in which people with multiple dogs use group names is to tell one group of dogs to kennel up before work. The dogs that are not in the group are those who can be trusted not to hurt the house or themselves when the people head off to work.

 

Another situation in which group names are useful is on a working farm. A person can say, “Border collies” to get the attention of the herding dogs who are going to go to work, while the dogs with other responsibilities don’t need to respond.

 

--Karen London

Preparing Your Dog For The Arrival Of Your Child

Note from Con Slobodchikoff: This is a guest post by Mike Wombacher, who is a San Francisco Bay Area dog trainer with particular expertise in the area of dogs and children. His popular e-book, Good Dog Happy Baby, offers an integrated preparation program, including a section on dealing with problem behaviors, for dog owners expecting children. It comes bundled with three one-hour audio seminars to supplement the material. Mike's work has been featured in Fit Pregnancy magazine as well as in Dog World. He is currently the referred trainer of the McMoyler Method of childbirth preparation.

Congratulations! You're pregnant and your "pack" will soon be growing. If you're like most people, you're caught between anticipation and trepidation. You're thrilled about the arrival of your new child and you're concerned about doing everything right. If you own a dog, certainly some of your concern revolves around him. You're probably asking yourself: "How will my dog handle this? Will he be jealous? Will he be careful?" And most importantly: "Is there any chance that he might bite my child?"

If you're an expecting dog owner the very first thing that you should do is to identify the changes that need to be made in the life of your dog once the baby arrives and implement them NOW! You do not want your dog to associate any changes that need to be made with the arrival of your child thus setting up a competitive or jealous dynamic. Failing to implement relevant changes in the life of your dog prior to baby's arrival is the single most common mistake expecting dog owners make.

So take a careful look: is your dog sleeping in bed with you, pushy and demanding, barky, prone to steal things and get into mischief when you're not looking? Does he get tense when you try to take things away from him, touch him in certain ways, or get near his food?

These problems and many more are readily resolvable but the lynchpin of the successful resolution of any behavior problem is building the right relationship with your dog, a relationship in which your dog is in the deeply ingrained habit of taking direction from you. From that foundation almost anything is possible. Simple things like always giving your dog a command before you have an interaction with him, not letting him run out the door ahead of you, and being a little aloof with him can do a world of good in causing your dog to cheerfully accept your leadership role.



There are many things that you can do to help create not only safety but very positive associations for your dog with the presence of your child. For example, by creating zones in your house that your dog is by and large forbidden in without your specific permission and accompaniment you build effective buffer zones into your dog’s relationship with your child.


Here's an example. Start by making the future baby's room off limits to your dog. Once that’s handled, allow him to enter the room only with your permission and accompaniment. Once in the room always ask him for down-stays. Soon he'll get the idea that when he enters this room he's to do a down-stay in the corner (you could even put a bed for him there). In addition, teach your dog to tolerate alone time every day.

Now, once your baby arrives, allow your dog to come into the baby's room when you go in to change diapers or play or whatever and assume his down-stay. If he has been left alone for a few hours prior to that he will welcome the contact with and your child. In other words, the presence of your child means a positive social engagement for him. This is quite different than what usually happens which is that when mommy goes to play with or care for baby, doggie gets thrown out, thus potentially setting up a competitive or jealous dynamic. This is only one of many examples of specific exercises that can teach your dog to accept your child as a beloved pack member and ultimately companion.

Other things that you can do to ensure a seamless transition to siblinghood for your dog include: 

·         Teaching him the difference between doggie toys and child’s toys (start by getting doggie toys that are distinctly different from baby toys since often these two bear striking similarities).

 

·         Get a baby doll and wrap it in a scented baby blanket (ask a friend to use a new blanket on her baby for a few days and then wrap it around your doll) and teach your dog appropriate manners around your "faux baby," thus setting up a template of behavior for future interactions.

 

·         Hire a dog walker to take over exercise responsibilities during the period immediately after birth. This will take a lot of pressure off of you and produce a tired dog.

While the above does not comprise a comprehensive list, it should serve to provide a sense of direction and purpose. One thing to keep in mind in all of this is that there should never be any unsupervised interactions between your dog and your child ever, for any reason, period! Remember, there's too much at stake and it only takes two seconds for something to go terribly wrong.



All that having been said, keep in mind that your true challenge and the true test of the success of your efforts at integration will be seen once your child passes the eight-month threshold. What happens then? Your little one starts crawling and rapidly becoming highly mobile. This means that the frequency of unexpected and random encounters between your child and your dog will increase dramatically. That's where you’ll find out if all your hard work paid off and indeed, if you've worked hard it will.



In closing, please understand that what I've outlined above represents the tip of the iceberg of strategies designed to make the integration of your dog and your child as seamless, warm and rewarding as possible. While learning and implementing such strategies implies varying amounts of work, it promises a wholesome and fulfilling relationship between your child and your dog. The payoff of this relationship will last for years and thus makes any work you have to put in on the front end more than worth it. 

All that having been said, I wish you the best of luck with the exciting events that are unfolding in your life.

Training Homework: How to Get It Done

Note from Con Slobodchikoff: This is a post by guest author Nancy Frensley, CPDT, CAP2, who is Manager of Behavior and Training at the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society in Berkeley, California. She will write periodic posts about the behavioral challenges and joys of shelter dogs.

Most people who have dogs participate in a dog training class at one time or another. At the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society’s K-9 College, we teach close to 700 students every year (mostly dogs from shelters and rescues), who are moving on to new lives with new families or partners. In our classes, we find that people are often stumped by one thing: the homework.

Dogs cannot learn by practicing only once a week during class. This is the same logic behind kids going to school several days a week and bringing home their work. Learning, in any species, takes practice.  It is one thing to work in class with a trainer coaching every step of the way and quite another to attempt the exercises at home – even if they are written out. Moreover, training a dog requires a bit of timing, mechanical skill, and consistency, as well as the ability to see what the dog is communicating to the human. In the daily struggle to get everything done training the dog can fall through the cracks.

In order to make the most of a dog-training class or to home school a dog, it helps to write out a plan. Note the activities for each day and keep it in a spot where it can be easily viewed.  By keeping an accurate activity log, it will be easier to build on it the next day. (Tip: A magnetic whiteboard (with or without calendar blocks) is easy to use and see. It can hold a week’s worth of documentation.  At the end of the week, it’s ready to be erased to start over with new activities.)

Advance planning might consist of writing down everything to accomplish during the week. For instance, “Priorities for this week are: Sit, Down and Leash Walking”. Do three, 3-minute sessions per day, one for each activity.” This notation creates a simple, clear directive for each day’s work. 

A typical notation might read:

            Monday morning: 

Planned:  Sit - 12 repetitions (with treats)

                                Done:      Sit - 12 repetitions (gave extra treats for the three best sits)       

Monday afternoon: 

Planned:  Down stay - 4 repetitions of 6 seconds each

Done:      Down stay - 3 repetitions for 10 seconds each. Success!

Monday evening: 

Planned:  3 minutes of loose leash during walk

Done:      1.5 minutes attained

These notes help keep the human student on track and thinking clearly, which pays off in communicating better with the dog. 

 There are a few principles of teaching that will make it easier for a dog to get better for each training session.

•             The combination of repetition and reward is important.

•             Be consistent by practicing the same way every time. This includes saying things the same way and using the same gestures and movements for each repetition.  

•             Deliver food rewards so that the dog gets them while in the correct position. 

•             Keep the training sessions short and give the dog lots of fun games and activities in between. 

•             Do training sessions in a lot of different locations. Most dogs learn rapidly if situations are varied.

We give all our students what we call the Three Golden Rules of Training:

1. Start your training on a happy note with an easy exercise your dog can do well. Reward and praise generously. This will build both the human’s confidence as a teacher and the dog’s confidence as a pupil.

2. Train for 10 minutes a day, breaking it up into one or two-minute sessions. End each session with the easiest exercise. This closes the session on a successful note.

3. No matter what happens during the training session, take time to engage in a pleasant activity afterwards for about five minutes.

Training a dog to a very good level of reliability is possible in only 10 minutes of practice a day.  Start with a lot of rewards and reduce the number of rewards as the dog gets better at each behavior. It won’t be long before the dog magically responds correctly to each cue and command and you will be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

Dog Love

While scientists are still debating whether dogs and other animals have any emotions beyond anger and fear, I want to offer a personal anecdote.

A few years ago, I was walking with my two Standard Poodles, Zephyr and Raja, along a dirt road in the desert.  Because I am always concerned about the dogs finding rattlesnakes and being too inquisitive, I had them both on 25 foot expandable leashes.

Raja always plays the role of leader dog, the one who always has to be out in front when we walk. Curiously enough, this does not translate into the traditional dominance idea, because in everything else he always defers to Zephyr, who as an older, larger dog has never shown any aggression toward  Raja.

In fact, Zephyr is a very sweet dog who wouldn’t hurt a fly. He is my zoologist dog, interested in any animal that moves or flies.  Raja is not interested in animals or plants on walks. The only thing that he is interested in is being out in front of everyone.

The dirt road that we were walking along had a lot of curves and dips so that it was hard to see more than 100 feet ahead or behind us. I was in a semi-meditative state, enjoying the warmth of the day, the blue sky, and the wind on my face.

Suddenly from behind us came a Rottweiler mix, running as fast as he could. Without any barking or growling, he lunged at Zephyr and tried to bite him on the back of the neck. Zephyr, who had never been in an aggressive situation, stopped, looking stunned.

I yelled. Raja, who was out in front about 25 feet from Zephyr, turned and looked at us. Instantly, without any hesitation, he ran full-tilt at the 120 pound Rottweiler mix and slammed into him with his 40 pound body.  This knocked the Rottweiler back, giving me time to get between the dogs and the attacker. I had my hiking stick, which I poked at the attacker’s face.

Around that time a pickup truck came driving up, with a man inside calling for his dog. The dog broke off the attack and came up to the truck. It seems that the man was using the lazy way to walk his dog, letting the dog run ahead while he drove behind.

I yelled at the man to control his dog.  In addition, I had some choice words to say about people who let aggressive dogs run free, but I won’t repeat those words here.

As in my experience often happens in such situations, the man was telling me that his dog has never done this before, and he can’t understand why his dog would do that.

After making sure that the dog was safely locked up in the cab of the pickup, checking Zephyr (fortunately, he only had a scratch, thanks to Raja’s quick action), and taking the man’s name and phone number in case there was a problem with Zephyr,  I tried to explain to the man that there could have been serious consequences.  For one thing, in the desert of the Wild West, many people have guns, and someone could have shot his dog.

The man was unimpressed and left.

So why did Raja respond by attacking a dog who was much larger and much fiercer than he?  If I toe the scientific line, I could go into a huge explanation about stimulus and response, and that perhaps Raja was conditioned at some point in his life to respond to certain cues with aggression.  With this explanation, Raja mindlessly responded to the motion and size of the other dog.

However, I prefer another explanation. I think that Raja realized that his companion was in danger, and selflessly threw himself into the fray to help out a friend who he loved. Just like you and I might do in similar circumstances.

--Con Slobodchikoff

People Can Signal Playfulness to Dogs

A study by Rooney, Bradshaw and Robinson (2001. Do dogs respond to play signals given by humans? Animal Behaviour, 61:715-722.) investigated dogs’ responses to human play signals. These researchers found that humans do communicate a playful intent to their dogs and that their various behaviors when doing so can be considered interspecific play signals.

Additionally, they found that the success of human signals at instigating play was unrelated to the frequency of use. For example, patting the floor as well as whispering were both often used by people attempting to initiate play with their dogs, but dogs showed a low rate of playful responses to these signals.

In contrast, running towards or away from the dog as well as tapping their own chest were two human signals that were highly effective at initiating play with dogs but neither was used frequently by participants in the study.

The least effective human behaviors in their study for eliciting play in dogs were kissing the dog, picking up the dog, and barking at the dog, none of which ever resulted in play. Stamping their feet and pulling the dog’s tail had very low rates of playful responses by the dogs.

The human signals that most frequently elicited play were the forward lunge (the person makes a sudden quick movement toward the dog), the vertical bow (the person bends at the waist until the torso is horizontal), chasing the dog or running away from the dog, the play bow, and grabbing the dog’s paws.

Part of their study involved looking at the effects of vocalizations on play solicitation by humans of dogs. They used two composite play signals and asked whether they were more effective at soliciting play with or without vocalizations. The two composite signals were a play bow combined with patting the floor with their hands and foot shuffling combined with a forward lunge in the vertical bow position. The vocalization was saying “come on” in a whisper followed by “come on little dog” in a high-pitched voice.

The two composite signals used to initiate play with their dogs were more successful at eliciting play when accompanied by play vocalizations.  It could be that the more components a play signal has, the more effective the signal is.

Interestingly, their data suggest that different play signals may invite different kinds of play. The composite bow signal with or without vocalization increased physical contact between the person and the dog and resulted in more licks of the person by the dog, but the composite lunge signal did not, either with or without vocalizations. Perhaps the bow acts as an invitation to approach and make contact, but the composite lunge signal does not. Perhaps one signal acts to solicit close contact play but the other instigates chase games.

Their study, though it was published eight years ago and is widely known in academic circles, does not yet seem to have reached wide audiences in the dog world. This is a shame because people and dogs could benefit from its findings. This study indicates that we should pay attention to whether or not the way we try to entice our dogs to play is effective, what the effects are in terms of the type of play our dogs’ do, and that we should consider adding vocalizations to our visual play signals.

--Karen London

A New Edition of “Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook.”

        In a previous post (September 7, 2008) I reviewed Barbara Handelman’s “Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook” (WoofandWord Press, 2008).  At the time, I reported that it is a very useful book, showing dogs in a variety of action photos doing many different behaviors. My only criticism was that many of the photos were very pale, lacking in crispness and definition.

        Barbara Handelman recently sent me a second edition of the book, in which the photos have been reprinted. In this edition, the photos have really good contrast, are crisp, and it is very easy to see the behaviors that the photos are illustrating.

        At the time of my original post, I thought that this was a terrific book for anyone who wanted to get a visual impression of dog behavior. I still think so.

As best I can tell, the only thing that has changed between the first and second editions is the way the photos have been printed. The book now is available through Dogwise, www.dogwise.com.

Here is what I said about the first edition:

The book, “Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook” by Barbara Handelman (copyright 2008, 347 pages, Woof and Word Press, Norwich VT, ISBN 978-0-9765118-2-3) is quite an impressive tome. The book cover says that the book has 1000 pictures, and although I did not count, I can well believe it. Each page has at least several black-and-white photos of dogs behaving.  Measuring 8.5x11 inches (21.5x28 cm), the book is large, with an attractive color cover of dogs performing a variety of behaviors.

The book is organized alphabetically, starting with “acquired bite inhibition” on page 1 and ending with “zoomorphism” on page 280.  Each entry provides a brief definition or description of a particular behavior. In places where the definition is not always easy to understand (such as learning), the book usually also has an example that is much more concrete and more comprehensible than the official definition. For example, “Counter Conditioning” (p 140) has a definition that is standard to the psychological literature, and an example that can be understood by those who get lost in the psychological jargon.

Pages 283 to 294 have 24 photos of dogs either interacting or showing different facial expressions, and the reader is asked to identify as many behaviors as possible in each photo. Pages 295 to 312 have detailed answers to the behaviors in each of the previous photos, and the reader can easily flip back to the alphabetically-organized subjects to get a more detailed look at each behavior.

At the very back of the book is an extensive section of references, titled “Works Cited,” and a topical bibliography, again alphabetized, that lists the more important books and other resources, starting with “Aggression” and ending with “Websites.”

The photographs in the book are provided by 9 different photographers, including Barbara Handelman. Most photos are action shots, with the dogs caught in the middle of some behavior that is featured in the text. A number of photos are of wolves, but many different dog breeds are represented as well.

Clearly, everything in the book has been well-thought-out and well-presented. The book is useful to everyone who is interested in dog behavior, both the seasoned professionals with lots of experience and the novices just starting out.

--Con Slobodchikoff

 

What Dog Sports Do For Dogs

Note from Con Slobodchikoff: This is a post by guest author Nancy Frensley, CPDT, CAP2, who is Manager of Behavior and Training at the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society in Berkeley, California. She will write periodic posts about the behavioral challenges and joys of shelter dogs.

For centuries the dog has been considered to be mankind’s working partner. From ranchers whose shepherd dogs beat them to the pickup truck to work the livestock every morning; to the soldiers who depend upon military working dogs to help detect dangerous explosives – people still work in partnerships with canines. But today, in many countries dogs are more likely to be family members than working partners.

 

Through centuries of selective breeding for work, dogs are still equipped to be

working partners. They can always do some things better than us humans. They take up where we leave off in speed, movement, scent detection and the ability to cover distances. Moreover, within just about all of them lies some instinctive urge to do the work for which they were bred. Even Poodles, with their dressy haircuts and smart looks, were originally developed to hunt birds in water. Recognition of the canine’s inherent need to work has given rise to dog sports as a solution. As a result, many pet parents have discovered the sheer joy of having a working partnership with their dog by participating in dog sports. 

 

As a dog behavior consultant at the Berkeley-East Bay Humane Society and an avid dog agility competitor with my own dogs, I am in an ideal position to advise people who are adopting a dog about the value of getting their dog into a sport.   

 

Sports for dogs include much more than agility and obedience competitions (though these are the most common and plentiful). Most of the sports offer both competitive and non-competitive venues. Tracking and other forms of nose-work challenge a hound’s scenting ability while giving the human partner a hike. Field trials and Dock Diving channel a dog’s drive for hunting and water work. Lure coursing and Earth Dog contests give sight hounds and terriers a way to work off their mutual need to chase (and all a handler needs is a chair and umbrella!). Dogs bred to pull can enjoy sledding and its relatives, ski-joring and bike-joring. Bully breed types are awesome at weight pulling (the most famous of these appears in Jack London’s, White Fang.) Stock dog types can engage in competitive herding if their human partners are willing. Any and all of these are great fun to try whether a dog is a mixed breed or purebred. And, on a personal note, if you haven’t been knocked down by a small herd of sheep your dog just drove up, you haven’t lived!

 

Besides being exhilarating to try, dog sports do a lot for dogs and their people. 

Participation builds a solid and trusting relationship, enhances communication and builds courtesy, understanding and common goals among the dog-lovers’ community. They develop the dog’s intelligence and problem solving abilities while channeling natural instincts into structured activities. Both dogs and people stay fit and out of trouble when active in dog sports. Whole families that compete seem to have special bonds around the sports. Channeling instincts into a sport helps to prevent aggression and builds confidence in shy dogs. And lastly, people increase their skills at training and handling their dogs.

 

To find a sport that suits a dog it takes no more effort than internet searches for the various dog sports mentioned above. Dog sport enthusiasts have clubs, classes and lessons available that allow anyone interested to try that particular sport.        

      

 

Puppy Mouthing and How To Stop It

When puppies are still with their littermates, they use each other’s bodies as toys. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that they use their mouths on us—most frequently on our arms, hands, and clothes. Though this is natural dog behavior, dogs must learn to interact in ways that are appropriate in the human world. Since mouthing people is not acceptable, what can be done to stop this behavior and teach our dogs that this is unacceptable behavior?

One useful method is to startle and then redirect the puppy, which is an ethologically useful technique, because it is based on puppies’ natural behavior when interacting with littermates. When littermates play together, they use their mouths to tug or gnaw on ears, tails, paws, and loose skin anywhere. If one puppy mouths too hard, the puppy that got hurt will yelp and move away from the puppy who was too rough. The puppy who was too rough has to go find someone else to play with, but has started to learn that mouthing too hard results in playtime being interrupted.

To simulate this behavior with a puppy, if a puppy mouths too hard, simply yelp with a puppy-like sound (Aaarp! is the closest description of this sound that can be spelled), and then, when the puppy releases its mouth from the person, immediately put something that the puppy can chew into its mouth. Possible objects for redirection include bones, rawhides, Kongs®, Goodie Balls®, squeakie toys, and stuffed animals.

A common mistake when using this method is making the yelping Aaarp! sound and then failing to redirect the puppy’s mouth to something appropriate. In most cases, the sound will startle the puppy, who will stop mouthing the person, but then will go right back to the inappropriate behavior unless given another, more appropriate object to chew on.

Over 90 percent of puppies respond to this method to stop puppy mouthing if it is used consistently over several weeks, but the remaining few dogs seem to get worse in response to those high-pitched yelps and are not responsive to attempts to redirect them. If after three or so attempts with this method, it becomes apparent that the dog is responding to the yelps by getting even mouthier and more revved up, don’t keep trying it. If it doesn’t work right away, it is not going to work at a later point, and it’s time to try something else.

Some dogs respond to being startled and redirected as long as the startling sound is not a high-pitched “Aaarp!” but rather a deep-voiced sound such as “Hey!” or “Stop!” Otherwise, the technique of interrupting the behavior and then redirecting the dog’s mouth to an appropriate object is the same. If the yelp does not work, this deeper-pitched startling vocalization followed by a redirection is the very next thing to try.

There are many suggestions for stopping puppy mouthing that I would never recommended either because they are inhumane, ineffective, or both. For example, do not hold the muzzle closed, yell at the dog, jam fingers into the inside of the dog’s mouth, or swat the dog. Basically, this comes down to one piece of general advice: Don’t do anything that involves any kind of physical punishment, pain or frightening the dog.

 --Karen B. London

Psychic Dog Saves People

This is the story of how my dog Nenkin saved my family.

A number of years ago, I was living in a house that had a small porch in front of the main door. The porch had a screen door that I usually kept locked. When someone came to the door, they would ring the doorbell and I would go out on the porch, greet them, and unlock the screen door to let them in. My smooth collie-mix Nenkin would usually accompany me out on the porch. She loved people and loved to say hello to anyone coming in.

One summer evening the doorbell rang and I went out on the porch. Standing in front of the screen door was a clean-cut man in his 30s. He explained that his car had broken down, and could he come inside to use our phone. This was prior to the general availability of cell phones, so his request sounded reasonable.

As I was about to unlock the screen door, Nenkin appeared at my side. She took one look at the man, and her hackles rose. She bared her teeth and started to bark furiously. I couldn’t believe that this was the same dog who lavished love on everyone coming into the house.

I grabbed her collar to keep her from lunging at the screen door, and regretfully explained to the man that I was sorry, but I couldn’t let him in because there was something wrong with my dog. He was clearly frightened by Nenkin’s barking and went away quickly.

The next day I read about this man in our local newspaper. It seems that he went a couple of blocks down the street, knocked on a door with the same story, and a kindly elderly couple let him into their house.  He overpowered them, tied them up into chairs, robbed the house and stole their car. He was stopped for speeding some 150 miles away, and because his name did not match the car’s registration, the police because suspicious and detained him. They called our local police department, asking an officer to check on the car’s registered owners. Because there was no response to a phone call, an officer went to the residence of the elderly couple, found them tied up and set them free. Without this chain of events, the couple could have died before anyone found them.

So my dog somehow sensed that this was not a good person, and saved us from possibly having the man rob us.

Was she psychic? Maybe.  Rupert Sheldrake, in his 1999 book, Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home, And Other Unexplained Powers Of Animals, documents a number of unexplained abilities that seem to suggest a psychic nature. One of his chapters deals with dogs and cats psychically picking up the intentions of the humans around them.

But there might be an alternative explanation. Recent research is showing that dogs are very attentive to human body language and very subtle cues that we humans don’t even notice. Perhaps there was something about the man’s posture that gave him away. Or perhaps Nenkin smelled a scent of fear from the man, or a scent of rage. I never saw her do this behavior again toward anyone else.

Whatever it was, I was very grateful to her.  Psychic or not, she saved the day.

--Con Slobodchikoff