The Real Truth: Why We Are Seeing A 'Pandemic' Of Aggression, Fear, And Anxiety In Dogs.
Too many of our dogs are suffering ! That is a fact we can no longer ignore. Covid-19 is only part of the story. Yes, we dog trainers are seeing a rise in reactivity, aggression, fear of going outside, and all kinds of anxiety since the pandemic hit us all in 2020. But the truth is, behavior problems were already growing before then and have been on a steady rise for the past many decades.
“Covid Puppies”
More and more people have chosen and are choosing to share their lives with a ‘pet’….this of course exploded during Covid-19. “Covid puppies” are now having a whole range of problems due to lack of socialization. Many dogs can’t be left alone for even 5 minutes without crying, whining, barking, screaming. A vast majority of dogs are reacting to everything and anything: Barking, lunging, growling, etc. What is most disturbing are the dogs who now have an extreme fear of the outside world. Some are to the point of being paralyzed at even taking a step out the door!
That is both heartbreaking and alarming and we should….we MUST take action to address the REAL underlying issue at blame for our dogs’ suffering!! Are WE HUMANS to blame? If not, WHO, or WHAT is?
The Status Quo: The ‘Cute’ Factor
How did it ever come to this? That dogs who were bred (artificially selected through generations by us humans!) to be outside, to perform all kinds of duties or jobs, to hunt, to chase, to sniff, to play, to make their own decisions and choices - are now reduced to a mere ‘doormat’ , a ‘couch potato’ in our fine homes, locked in a crate for many hours a day to prevent destruction of the home, only goes outside to go potty for a few minutes or never goes for a walk because of ‘bad manners’ on leash? I could go on and on listing the numerous ‘behavior problems’ people are facing with their dogs -and the ways we humans choose (or have been recommended by friends, family , or professionals) to deal with these ‘problems’.
We choose a dog to share our lives with on the basis of their looks…..this one has the cutest face, the most soulful eyes, a beautiful coat, gorgeous build…..or their descriptive characteristics: friendly disposition, good with kids, easy to train…….Or we choose a particular breed: Labrador or Golden Retrievers because of their reputation of being the best family dog, a German Shepherd - they’re good guardians, a pit bull because of the bad stigma and we “want to prove everyone wrong” or because they are such ‘entertainers’ - or better yet - what seems to be the most popular these days: Any type of hybrid breed- Goldendoodle, Bernedoodle, Labradoodle, Cockapoo, Cavapoo because they are cuddly and teddybear like and supposed to be great family dogs.
Whether we melt at cute puppy pics online or visit shelters and fall for the rescue pleading, “Pick me please!”, we rarely think about the ‘problems’ we may run into by choosing a breed that may not fit into our lifestyle.
The ‘Fix It’ Mentality: Training Is The “Fixer Upper”!
The ‘pet’ industry has grown enormously the past many decades and has been very successful in getting us to buy into the idea that ‘dogs are family’: As a result, we have become major consumers of pet products - we buy what we think is the best food, treats, toys, walking gear, shampoo, clothing, soft beds, crates, etc. etc. We know we must train our dog to become ‘obedient’ so we search online for the best dog trainer so our puppy or rescue can learn all the basic ‘commands’ because that leads to a well-behaved dog…..that’s what all the sites say after all.
When problems begin to surface…..like leash reactivity, aggression towards strangers or other dogs, or anxiety issues we go online again and search (or ask the vet, family, friends) for help. We may try one of the countless YouTube videos or listen to what Cesar Milan says (because he is convincing, we think, and he is the ‘dog whisperer’ after all).
What training is the right choice? There are so many confusing and conflicting messages out there - ranging from ‘Positive Reinforcement’ (we know that must be good for our family member!) to ‘balanced training’ (sounds appealing, doesn’t it?) We seek the ‘quick fix’ because we don’t have time to deal with problematic behaviors. Impressive Board & Train facilities or trainers who somehow convinces you that they know what they are talking about, even if they have no educational background or certifications, can seem very appealing when the message says they can ‘fix’ your dog’s aggression in a 6 week stay or by training him with an e-collar or shock collar. You may not like it deep down but the trainer has all these impressive videos and talks about how your dog understands this type of training much better than anything else. How can you not say yes to this?
It doesn’t matter what ‘type’ of training you are choosing - no matter where you turn; all these trainers are trying to sell you the idea that a) your dog has a behavior ‘problem’ and b) we can ‘fix’ it with training. Because this has been the message for so long: “With training, your dog will become the good, well-behaved pup you dreamt of all along”!
The REAL Problem: Your dog has become objectified as a ‘pet’!
Seriously, folks!! When did we become so blinded by this ‘pet’ industry’s message about the ‘good pet’ that we no longer can see clearly…..the DOG in front of us?! The dog who has fears and anxieties like we do, who may not like all people or doesn’t want to play with other dogs, who responds to stressors in the environment like we would do (if we were in their paws), who has needs and personal preferences and dislikes like we do…..the DOG who wasn’t bred for this ‘pet’ life but who comes with generations of DNA - pre-programmed to chase anything that moves, to bark at intruders, to ‘correct’ anyone who steps out of line, to kill that rodent, to guard territory, to WORK on that trail following that scent no matter how far it takes you?
Imagine a world in which a cop who pulls out a gun to arrest someone or even kill someone in the ‘line of duty’, a bodyguard at a football or soccer match pushing or shouting at fans to ‘move along’, a security officer in an airport who puts his or her hands on your body to search you before you can board a flight…..imagine if these people who are ‘just doing a job they signed up for’ were taken into behavior therapy for their ‘problem’ behavior because they don’t fit into a category of ‘good behaved citizen’?
Think about it for a moment. That is basically what we are doing to our dogs! Our dogs have been reduced to a ‘pet’ who must conform and behave in a certain way “for our entertainment and company” (to quote wikipedia’s definition of a ‘pet’). So we go about training them to Sit and Stay and Come and walk nicely on leash. The dog we recently adopted from a shelter has behavior problems like barking non-stop, or has developed resource guarding (as a result of us believing the dog must learn to accept that we take things from him), lunges at or even growls at strangers who “mean no harm and only want to pet her”, or nips at the kids running around screaming. “What is wrong with our dog?” we ask the dog trainer, '“can you please fix him?” (as he seems to be ‘broken’)…..
Join The Revolution: Say Goodbye to Your PET And Hello to Your DOG!
Fellow humans! We need to wake up and see what we are doing to our DOGS…..our family member!! When did WE become ok with treating another living being as a ‘pet’…… a ‘thing’ that needs to sit pretty, be quiet, accept to be petted, disturbed at all times, stay indoors most of the day, never go sniff, locked up in a crate for hours…….and expected not to react to any of this?
When did we become so blind that we can’t see WHO is in front of us and think about what needs they have? Does your dog’s needs differ from yours? Would you be ok with not being allowed to react to what happens to you and your body, to your freedom…. to not be able do what you like? How would you feel if you were your dog…..or should I say your ‘pet’?
Our pets have become integrated family members…….but hang on, as a family member, don’t they deserve to enjoy the same rights as the rest of the family? Don’t they deserve to be understood for WHO they really are, like you? Haven’t they deserved the right to be the DOG that they are, the BREED that they are, the UNIQUE SELF that they are?
It is time to rebel. It is time to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves. it is time to HELP our dogs! And it is time to HELP the humans who live with the dog! It is time for a revolution against the ‘pet’ industry and to realize that our dogs need MORE than just dog training to live a happy and balanced life…..and to realize they are SO MUCH MORE than a ‘pet’!!
A ‘revolution of sorts’ has begun in the dog training industry, led by applied ethologist, certified behavior consultant, and author, Kim Brophey. Stand up for YOUR DOG and join the revolution like hundreds of dog trainers. Vivi Myslik Jorgensen , KPA CTP is the owner and founder of VivaPaws Training & Behavior - and she’s in! Are you? Find out more at https://www.vivapaws.com - or buy Kim’s book, ‘Meet Your Dog’ or check out Kim’s website, https://www.dogdoorcanineservices.com
Originally posted on our other website vivapaws.com on July 28, 2021. The post will be permanently deleted on our other website. VivaPaws Training & Behavior has changed its name to The Dog Walker per August 20, 2021.