Instincts and Behavior

The dog is a remarkable animal. Consider this unusual trait: he is the only animal that gives his friendship and loyalty for nothing more than a word of praise or a scratch behind the ears. He is unique among all other animals in this respect.

Man and dog have been friends for more than 10,000 years. It has been a lasting friendship, starting out as a col­laboration for mutual benefit. The dog volunteered his serv­ices as a hunting companion, and was tossed a bone or chunk of meat for his help. Next, he took to sitting outside the caves, waiting for any cast-off bones or meat. While he waited, he chased away any predatory animals that skulked nearby.
Our hardy ancestor, the caveman, was quick to see the ad­vantage in having the dog stay around the caves. The dog was not only a big help in hunting and guarding the caves, but he also acted as a scavenger and kept the cave grounds clean. All in all, it was a satisfactory arrangement for both dog and man.

Gradually, as man and dog learned they had nothing to fear from each other, their relationship became more intimate. The dog graduated from being just a watchdog and hunting aide to the more exalted position of trusted friend. He moved into the caves, sharing the food and hearth of the cave family. And when he moved closer to man, an emotional bond was formed. The dog was no longer a mere animal servant or chattel, but a member of the family.

Our dogs today are not much different from those of the Ice Age. Despite the variation among the breeds, modern dogs are still basically predatory animals, geared to run and hunt. They have the same fundamental instincts and behavior of the prehistoric and wild dogs. Our modern dog is, after all, nothing more than a tame wolf.

But by his long association with man, the domestic dog has often been forced to adapt to an abnormal environment. He does this willingly, even though it may make great demands on him. However, by his willingness to live with man and serve him, the dog has put himself in a position of depend­ency. He no longer has complete freedom and must look to man for the physical necessities and his emotional well-being.

If we are to have a pleasant relationship with our dogs (and uphold our part of the friendship pact), we must see to it that these physical and emotional needs of the dog are fulfilled. And to meet these needs, we must understand our dogs—their instincts, behavior and whatever else makes them "tick."

THE WORLD FROM THE DOG'S STANDPOINT

Let's try to form an image of the world as your dog views it. Since some of our senses are not as highly developed as those of the dog, we'll have to be satisfied with an approximation.

Smell

First of all, your dog lives in a world of smells. His nose is an intricate organ, telling him many things about people, animals and objects. He can detect hundreds of odors that are missed by us. No matter where these odors are—in the air, on the ground, on objects, hands or clothing—the dog easily picks them out and sorts them. He has a vast range of smells-all unconsciously classified and available for quick identifica­tion.

The Bloodhound, for example, has such a keen sense of smell that he can select one scent from among hundreds in the same area. And he can do this even though the one scent he is searching for is several days old or mixed with many others. Scientists studying the olfactory sense have learned that dogs can detect the difference between natural and artificial musk. Even to a human being with an unusual sense of smell, natural and artificial musk have identical odors.

Your dog's nose, therefore, is his guide to the identification of people, objects and other animals. Regardless of how many times your dog sees people or animals, he will not accept them until he puts his nose to work. Then—and only then—will he be satisfied.

But for the dog to bring his sense of smell into play, he must be within range. If he is too far away or the wind is blowing away from him, he will be unable to identify a person or animal. There is a classical experiment for this. Put on an old coat and hat. Pull the hat down over your ears and turn up the coat collar. Now get downwind from the dog, so that he cannot pick up your scent. Crawl toward him or approach him in an apelike walk. Watch his reaction. He'll either bark and run off, or stand still. If he stands still, he'll growl and the hairs on the back of his neck will rise. The chances are he'll assume an attack position: body rigid, tail lowered and teeth bared. Don't push this experiment too far. When you see that he doesn't recognize you, straighten up, take off the hat and coat, and call out to him. Then let him approach and sniff you.

Vary the experiment and approach the dog upwind with the same costume and stance, and you'll get a different re­action. Once he whiffs your scent, he'll bound toward you with tail-wags and yelps of recognition. No doubt, if he could talk, he'd say, "Come on, take off the disguise. I know you!"

Sight

Most dogs have poor eyesight. There are exceptions, notably the sight hunters or gaze hounds. These gaze hounds, such as the Saluki, Afghan and Greyhound, are lean, speedy dogs that hunt with their eyes fixed on the quarry. They have good vision and are farsighted. But the majority of dogs are near sighted. The Bloodhound, keen-nosed though he may be, is one of the most myopic of all dogs.

Despite his nearsightedness, your dog will react to motion. In fact, he has a high degree of sensitivity to motion. And this is a main reason why many dogs recoil from a hand that is suddenly thrust at them. The dog's ability to see motion can be likened to a similar reaction in human beings. We can notice motion that is outside the direct line of vision. We may be looking straight ahead and at the same time notice some­thing moving to the right or left and slightly behind us. We refer to this as seeing something move "out of the corner of our eye."

While your dog may not be able to identify a person or animal by sight, he can tell in which direction they are mov­ing. That is, he can tell a clockwise or counterclockwise move­ment. He also has the ability to see at night and a facility known as eyeshine or tapetum lucidum. Eyeshine can be seen at night when your headlights or flashlight are focused on the dog's eyes. It is caused by the light bouncing off a layer of cells at the back of the dog's eyes. The facility of eyeshine is also present in some other animals, such as the cat and rac­coon. Human beings do not have eyeshine.

When it comes to color vision, your dog has a low score. His color range is limited to black and white, possibly gray. Interestingly enough, dogs do make choices between colors. Or so it seems. They do not select green over red, or blue over yellow. But if given a choice of three colored toys—one bright red, one dull green and one black—your dog will prob­ably pick the red one. He'll make this choice because of the difference in brilliance among the three toys. In short, he'll pick the red toy because it is bright red. But in the final analysis, your dog's color vision is very weak, and it can be­come confused when the shape or position of an object is changed or altered.

To sum up, your dog's eyesight is poor and he has an un developed color-vision range. Nature, to compensate for these two weaknesses, has given him a highly developed sense of smell and sound. And in these two senses, your dog has no peer.

Sound

Dogs have exceptionally keen hearing and can pick up sounds too faint for human ears. They can also detect sounds of a higher pitch. The silent dog whistle is designed on the principle of your dog being able to hear the high-pitched sounds. Blow on one of these silent whistles and you hear nothing, except maybe some expelled air. But if the dog is nearby and he's well trained, he'll dash over to you in short order.

Dogs are very responsive to the human voice. By changing your inflections and tones, you can get a variety of reactions from your dog. An encouraging word will set off a barrage of joyful barks or a series of frenzied tail-wags. Speak harshly to him, and he'll become depressed, perhaps slinking away or cringing before you. You may have noticed how some dogs back away from a loud or harsh-voiced person. Some dogs may even run off and hide if a voice "hits" them the wrong way.

Your voice and how you use it are the most important fac­tors in communicating with your dog. Remember, it will be the tone, inflection and shading in your voice that will pro­voke a response, not the words. But more about this in the chapter on training your dog.

Taste

Your dog's sense of taste is closely related to his sense of smell. What he will not accept with his nose, he'll rarely, if ever, eat. Some dogs have acquired unusual tastes and will eat foods that border on the exotic. But the majority of dogs have plain tastes and will stick to standard foods.

Touch

What we're referring to here, of course, is the dog's degree of sensitivity to being touched.

Dogs react in various ways when touched by the human hand. Most dogs don't mind being petted. In fact, they will almost beam with pleasure while you scratch behind their ears or massage their stomachs. Many of us have met the old house dog that, after he's sniffed and checked you out as a friend, thrusts his rear end at you to be scratched.

But there are dogs that violently object to being touched. This touchy-type dog will quickly let you know that he doesn't want to be petted. He may cringe, pull back, run off or snap at anyone who tries to pet him. This is especially true when you suddenly thrust your hand at his head.

Unfortunately, people get bitten because they either ignore a dog's objection to being touched or are unaware of it. Many people assume that all dogs like to be petted and just can't resist stopping to pat every dog they meet. Considering what we've just learned about the dog's poor eyesight, need to identify everything with his nose, and a possible objection to being touched—we can understand why some dogs snap at people.

A dog's objection to being touched may be an inherited or acquired trait. Genetics, environment and state of health all have a bearing on the dog's degree of sensitivity to being touched. But regardless of the cause, you and others will have to respect the dog's dislike of being petted.

Protective instinct

Most dogs have an innate sense of protection for the people with whom they live. This protective sense is stronger in some dogs than others. But once your dog gets accustomed to the house and occupants, he will assume a guardianship over the household. He will bark a warning, possibly launch an attack when danger threatens his charges. Now, he may not be able to do this with the dash and skill of Rin-Tin-Tin or Lassie, but his concern is genuine. He will, if necessary, risk bodily harm or death to protect you.

Your dog will also show an instinct to guard property. This is a deep-rooted instinct that is dominant in the wild, as well as domestic, dogs. Wolves and coyotes carefully stake out property lines and defend them against all aggressors, canine and otherwise. They do this by urinating on trees, rocks and bushes around the perimeter of their domain. The domestic male dog's habit of lifting his leg and urinating against trees, poles and fireplugs is a remnant of this powerful instinct. But your dog doesn't have to "stake a property claim." Your home is well defined—fences, shrubbery and so forth—and the dog gets to know the boundaries. And once he is familiar with the property, he will defend it. (Even though this "de­fense" consists of barking shrilly from the safety of the porch or house!)

Individual dogs with a strong protective instinct and a tendency toward over-aggressiveness, are trained as guard dogs. But there is a big difference between the average watch­dog and guard dog. The guard dog is taught to be hostile to everyone except his master, and is always a potential hazard. Such a dog is not for the average person.

Intelligence

Finally, we come to the matter of intelligence in the dog. Much has been written about how smart or dumb dogs are when faced with various psychological tests. Unquestionably, the dog doesn't measure up to man or the great apes in intel­ligence. He does rank high above most of the other animals below the primates.

Some dogs are more intelligent than others. Similarly, cer­tain breeds have a higher intelligence quotient. The German Shepherd Dog and Collie, for example, are two breeds with high I.Q.s. For practical purposes, your dog's I.Q. should be based on two factors: 1) his readiness to learn and 2) the degree to which he remembers and uses what he learns. There's no point in hoping for a dog whose intelligence matches that of a highly inventive chimpanzee.

BEHAVIOR

Your dog's general behavior depends on various factors, some subject to your control, others beyond it. Inheritance, experience and environment—all play a vital role in your dog's behavior.

Aggressiveness

Individual dogs are more aggressive than others. So are certain breeds. The Doberman Pinscher, for instance, is an aggressive dog, and it is his aggressiveness that makes him an outstanding police dog. Breed fanciers object to the state­ment that temperament (shyness, aggressiveness, snappiness, etc.) is related to specific breeds. Nevertheless, it is related. We have only to remember that the various breeds and groups of dogs were developed with definite purposes in mind. And among these purposes was a need for aggressive or snappy dogs. Furthermore, scientific experiments have shown that behavior, i.e., aggressiveness, shyness, sociability, etc., vary among individual dogs and breeds.

Over-aggressiveness in dogs may be caused by environment, as well as inheritance. If you keep your dog in close confine­ment or chained in the yard all of the time, he's going to build up excess energy. Since he's chained up, he's got no way to let off steam. As a result, his excess energy turns into aggression. Chaining a dog and annoying him was a method used in the army to make a dog overly aggressive.

The lack of sexual gratification also contributes to over-aggression in dogs. Dogs are polygamous, with a strong sexual drive. Both the male and female have this drive, although the female displays it only during her semiannual heat peri­ods. The male is sexually alert all year round. When unable to expend this sexual energy, male dogs are apt to become overly aggressive. (For a fuller discussion on abnormal be­havior and examples, see Chapter 9.)

Shyness

Shyness may also be inherited or acquired. Certain breeds, such as the Bloodhound and Shetland Sheepdog, tend toward shyness. But individual dogs of any breed can acquire shyness out of fear and anxiety, prevalent during the critical weeks of early puppyhood. Dr. J. P. Scott, Director of the Animal Behavior Laboratory, Roscoe B. Jackson Memorial Labora­tory, Mt. Desert Island, Maine, conducted special experi­ments on the inherited and acquired behavior of dogs. Dr. Scott and his co-workers found that when 7- to 12-week-old puppies were raised in isolation, without human contact, they grew up like wild animals. These dogs were suspicious, fearful of people, even showing marked aggression and shy­ness. When kept in isolation for three or four months, it was almost impossible to rehabilitate the puppies.

SOCIALIZATION AND THE LEARNING PROCESS IN YOUNG PUPPIES

Up until a few years ago, a puppy under 6 months of age was not supposed to have any set behavior pattern. He was more or less expected to learn a few rules (such as using his newspapers or going outside) and gradually develop his soci­ability, reaching his peak when about a year old. He was not of school age. A young pup's life was spent in playing, eating and just physically growing up.

The story is different today. Dr. Scott and his group found that the learning and socialization process begins very early in the pup's life. Young puppies are ready to learn and adapt to their environment when they are from 19 to 20 days old. One of the major conclusions of Dr. Scott's experiments was that there are five critical stages in a puppy's life. And all of these stages occur before a pup is 4 months old.

THE FIVE CRITICAL STAGES IN A PUPPY'S LIFE

Stage one:The first stage is from birth to about 13 days. At birth, the puppy is practically helpless. He's blind, deaf, toothless and is restricted in motion (he can crawl or slither on his stomach, with his paws making swimming motions). He experiences very little in the way of learning. He's strictly a creature of reflexes. His total behavior pattern is built around reflexes dealing with food, elimination and bodily contact with his mother and litter mates. When deprived of food or bodily contact, the pup will object by whimpering or whining. During this first stage, he lives in a half-world, aware only of his physical needs.

Stage two:This stage extends from the 13th day to the 19th, according to Dr. Scott. It begins on the 13th day when the puppy opens his eyes (13 days is an average; some pups open their eyes earlier, some later). For the next 7 days, the puppy moves very quickly through sensory, motor and psychological changes. At the end of the 7 days, the pup can see, hear arid walk. His milk teeth appear and he can eat solid food. He can also form conditioned reflexes and adapt to a variety of situations. But he still shows no signs of any permanent learning ability.

Stage three:The third stage begins on the 19th or 20th day after birth and continues until the puppy is 7 to 10 weeks old. It is a crucial stage in the puppy's development, one that sets the pattern for future behavior. And it is the stage when socialization begins and the pup forms a relationship with human beings and other animals.

The third stage is ushered in by the pup's startled reaction to sounds. In stages one and two, the young puppies ignore sounds. But the puppy in stage three will really jump if you make a loud noise. He will also show an investigative curi­osity about people and animals, and will tussle and scrap playfully with his litter mates. During this stage, the puppy's nervous system is still immature.

Neglect or faulty handling of the puppy during this third stage can result in serious damage to the behavior pattern. We've already learned what complete isolation can do to young puppies in this age group. Dr. Scott's group studied another effect of environment on the young puppy. Three-week-old pups were raised in individual cages, away from people and other dogs. They had no contact with the physical or social world beyond their cages. After three to four months in the cages, the puppies were taken out. They all seemed more or less physically sound, but they were woefully lacking in experience! These ivory-tower puppies couldn't adapt to the competitive life with other puppies their age, nor could they comprehend the world outside their cages.

In general, what happens to a pup during the third stage of his life will determine his future behavior.

Stage four:Stage four begins when the puppy is from 7 to 10 weeks of age. This is the usual age at which puppies are weaned from their mothers. The pup is not completely in­dependent, but he now has some increased motor skills and his nervous system is similar to that of an adult dog. The 7- to 10-week age group is ideal for raising a puppy. It is the best age at which to establish a sound relationship between dogs and people. If the puppy has had a happy third stage, he's eager to form an attachment. And what's more, he's ready to learn.

Stage five: The fifth and final critical stage starts at about 12 weeks of age and lasts until the pup is 4 months old. Now the puppy starts to assert himself. He'll be bold, perky; test­ing you in all kinds of situations. It is time to teach him discipline.

An understanding of your dog's instincts and behavior is a must for intelligent dog ownership. It's true that dogs just grew up in the "old days." But don't compare the "old days" with today. Know your dog and know him well. He's an ex­traordinary animal!

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