TRUE OR FALSE false tails - Myths and Facts

FALSE: Just like humans, dogs simply want a comfortable place to lie down. If comfort can be combined with being next to their beloved human, whether its right next to you on the couch, or even on top of your lap, then theyre all for it. In rare cases, dogs will guard their sleeping and resting areas, and will show aggression when humans approach these sacred areas. This type of behavior will require remedial training. But for the average Rover, sleeping in bed or resting on the couch has no adverse behavioral effects.

Mother dogs will clean their pups and eat their excrement to keep them clean so there is the thought that this habit is inherent and some females never outgrow this need... yet it does not explain male dogs with this desire.

FALSE: While some dogs are accepting of this, not all will. Depending on a dogs past experiences they may be hand shy. The safest way always to pet a dog is going under the chin.

FALSE: Not all people are social butterflies and neither are all dogs. Some dogs may prefer solitude and only a small, select group of people. Dogs also have their own preferences when it comes to other canines. Breeding can play a big role in their sociability, with terriers being notorious for contentiousness with other pooches. Other times, whether from lack of socialization as a puppy or simply an individual preference, dogs may not enjoy canine comradery. Even though plenty of dogs enjoy the dog park, not all of them enjoy the idea of dozens of other dogs frolicking around them and would instead prefer a quiet walk with their owners.

FALSE: There are various reasons for dogs cowering, and not all of them are because a dog was abused. Commonly, the dog was not properly socialized or had negative experiences during her prime socialization period as a puppy. Genetics also play a role in the fearful dog. Other reasons for a dog to duck away might be that she has learned to dodge people who try to grab her collar, or she is uncomfortable with petting, such as having her ears handled. Unfortunately, well-meaning strangers often approach dogs by bending over the top of their heads and reaching down to pet, which will send timid dogs into a cowering position. A better way to approach is by getting into a kneeling position, with your body turned toward the side, and then inviting the dog to approach you. If you practice this method, it will be less likely to cause a canine to cower.

FALSE: Leashes are made for a dogs safety. They should be perceived as tools that keep your dog from running into oncoming traffic, going up to unknown dogs or people, and prevent them from running way. Although regular off-leash play in a fenced area is essential for a dogs well-being, while out in public, dogs can learn to be perfectly content on a leash at their owners side.

There are so many thoughts on how to stop this like products on the market, feeding pineapple, etc. the one sure way to stop this behavior is to basically pick up the poop as soon as the dog is done and get rid of it. Staying on top of this and watching your dog so it does not seek it out is the only true way to stop this. Its retraining and consistency, and the dog learning the term leave it.

FALSE: No one really knows why dogs do this... some veternarians believe they eat things out of boredom. The truth is, if you feed a dog a good well balanced diet and provide plenty of exercise, this will reduce the chances of your dog eating un-natural things.

FALSE: When you rub a dogs nose in her own mess, she often sees no association between that and her having had a potty accident. Nor does rubbing her nose in her accident teach her not to potty on the floor again. Instead, rubbing her nose in her accident teaches her that humans are dangerous and unpredictable, and she will likely begin to hide in safety by sneaking into another room to go to the bathroom, housebreaking even more difficult.

Reach Out Rescue &have fleas and ticks at all! In inclimate weather, these pests find places to hide and survive until its nice out again.

FALSE: As decendants from wolves, a daily part of the diet included berries and grasses. So it is quite normal for a dog to eat some grass. Excessive amounts might need to be examined by a vet. There is Clorophyll in grass and that in itself is a naturally occurring healing agent... so there is some truth in grass POSSIBLY helping with an upset stomach.

TRUE: Coprophagia or eating their own excrement is probably the most disgusting habit a dog will get. Its really hard to diagnose... and can come from a variety of reasons. Going from feeding a puppy twice a day to once a day might encourage this to fill their stomachs. Learning this great thing from other dogs just as a pure habit.

FALSE: (well, at least partly lse). Its true that you should never get into the middle of a dog fight, because some of the most damaging dog bites occur when owners try to separate fighting dogs. There are some tactics you can use to break up the scuffle without actually getting in the middle of the fray. Try using water, a really loud noise, or even a distraction like grabbing a treat bag or using voice to direct them to do something else. Owners should do everything they can to prevent another fight in the future. Often dogs dont settle matters on their own, and fighting intensifies over time, especially with dogs in the same home. This calls for advanced training with the help of an animal behaviorist or a certified professional trainer.

FALSE: Dogs show a perceived guilty ce not because they feel an actual emotion of guilt, but they are actually showing appeasement behaviors in response to their owners intimidating body language. Whether we want to or not, its difficult not to display negative body language when were upset with our pets. A 2009 study by researcher Alexandra Horowitz at Barnard College in New York revealed that the guilty look dogs display is solely attributed by humans and has no relation to whether the dog is actually responsible for an offense. The study found that dogs who had not actually eaten the forbidden treat, but were scolded by their misinformed owners for eating a treat, showed guiltier-looking body language than dogs who had actually eaten the forbidden treat. The guilty look is simply a response of the dog to her owners behavior.

FALSE: In the majority of cases, dogs who react aggressively or fearfully to a person are not doing so out of a negative moral evaluation of the individual, but are responding out of their own self-preservation. With that said, there have been plenty of circumstances where pets have used an apparent sixth sense to pick up on cues that went unseen by their human and actually saved their humans life. However, the majority of dogs I see in my training practice are unfriendly with a person because they are reacting out of fear to a certain physical attribute, movement or the physical proximity of a person, and are not reacting based on any moral evaluation of the individual

FALSE: While licking can in ct help with some minimal healing, it can also lead to lick sores and can even infect an existing wound. If it becomes habitual, it may be the result of a behavioral or stress issue. Licking is often stress related.

FALSE: Its easy to attribute human motives like getting even or being spiteful to our dogs, but dogs dont have the same complex emotions as humans. The more realistic reasons why a dog doesnt do whats being asked is either because she doesnt understand what shes being asked to do, or the dog doesnt have the proper motivation to want to perform the behavior. For example, most dogs dont come when called because the payoff isnt worth it. When they do, they usually are put on a leash or taken into the house when theyd rather stay outside.

FALSE: Its true that dogs need motivation to perform a behavior. That said, the motivation doesnt always have to be a food-based reward. Dogs can be rewarded in many other ways. Reward them with playing, petting or getting to go outside. They can also be put on a random schedule of rewards with a lottery-ticket-like system so they never know when the payout will come. This system helps keep them motivated. For example: learning to walk on a loose leash may be taught in the beginning by using treats, but once the behavior is learned, treats can be phased out so that the only reward becomes getting to go on the walk itself.

FALSE: Dogs chew on shoes, furniture and other human items not to punish their owners, but simply because it feels good on their teeth, it relieves boredom, releases energy and, in some cases, may indicate separation anxiety.

FALSE: There are actually plenty of diseases your mily can catch from fleas or ticks in your environment, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

FALSE: All dogs in the southern states need heartworm prevention. Heartworm is serious, expensive and painful to treat and will kill if untreated. While we do not advocate giving heartworm preventative every month, we do believe every 6 weeks is a good schedule to keep your dog on it. We also recommend that you use Interceptor because when dealing with mixes, we have no idea of the true breeds in each dog and certain breeds ie shelties, collies, aussies, etc. cannot handle ivermectin which is in Heartguard and other heartworm preventative products. But its very important that you keep your dog on a preventative to avoid this tal disease. Heartworm is carried by mosquitos and those pesky bugs do come inside.

FALSE: Many shelter dogs are well-behaved pooches who, for an endless list of possible reasons, could not be kept by their original owners. Older shelter dogs make ideal candidates for people wanting to skip the puppy stages of chewing, potty training and mouthing. The interview process at most shelters also pairs canine candidates with the mily setting that will best suit the dogs temperament, which can create cohesion from the beginning.

FALSE: Most owners are well-meaning, but are simply misinformed or lack knowledge on how to train their dogs effectively. Blaming the owner for all of a dogs problems makes for good TV, but there are a myriad of reasons why a dog misbehaves, including lack of proper socialization or preventive training, or even the genetic tendencies of the dog. Its important for pet parents to push past feelings of shame or guilt; instead get started in the right direction with help from a pet professional using positive reinforcement methods.

FALSE: Dogs have very poor taste buds so they taste through their sense of smell.

FALSE: Old dogs not only learn new tricks but they thrive when trained. My late Pomeranian, Mr. Teddy, who was adopted at an estimated 10 to 13 years of age, was a training superstar in Vetstreet videos,Horse hair fabric-No.66-Herdsma, which were filmed two weeks before he passed away. By the same token, older dogs without housetraining experience as puppies can successfully be housetrained. As long as a dog is mentally and physically capable of learning to perform a behavior and is properly motivated, its entirely possible to train her. While intense agility training for Teddy was not realistic, teaching basic commands was.