Training

Dog Encounters While Working

In the Fall 1997 issue of Paws Helping People there were some statistics quoted that were pretty shocking. The article was about dog bites and what to do to avoid being bitten. I was impressed with the numbers, and I think they're significant enough to repeat some of them:

• In 1995, 4.7 million Americans were bitten by dogs.
• Of those, 2.8 million were children and almost 3,000 were mail carriers.
• The U.S.P.S. says nine mail carriers were bitten daily in 1996.
• Between 60 and 70% of dog bites happen to children and the elderly.

I also felt now would be a good time to address some of the situations that are occurring in our organization. As ITA grows, more and more opportunities will arise in which an 'incident' can occur between dogs and, in the course of events, one of our facilities' clients could join the ranks of the aforementioned statistics. I want to avoid that at all costs and I know you do, too!

So. what can you do about it? First and foremost, be aware of your dog. You need to know the proximity of your animal to yourself and other animals. You need to know where your animal is in relation to your client and therapist. You need to be alert to conditions in your surroundings. You must assess the factors that could place your animal in a situation where it feels the need to flee or fight.

All conditions play a part in your animal's well being and, since you are your teammate's advocate, you are the one who needs to intervene on its behalf.

Whenever two or more dogs are working together there is a pecking order established. Most 'veteran' dogs understand and accept that the handlers are first, and that they occupy a submissive place in the hierarchy. Those who are newer to their therapy role may have to undergo a period of adjustment. Dogs are so subtle in communicating among themselves who is number one that we very often miss the ways in which they go about doing this.

Recently we had an altercation at a facility, in front of clients, where two dogs decided to vie for 'top dog' status. Fortunately, no one was hurt and the handlers were adept at interpreting what happened and explaining that to the clients. It was described as an argument--which it was--and since these particular clients frequently argued they understood what had transpired! This time, everything turned out all right.

I have received permission from the two handlers who had this experience to step out on a limb and speculate about what may have provoked this confrontation. First, the two animals were both females. I believe, from my limited exposure to them, that they are both dominant. They had been together at this facility only once before, and it is possible that the one which had come twice before felt it was 'her' facility. There was likely quite a bit of strong eye contact that the handlers may not have noticed. One was on a short traffic lead with a pinch collar, the other was on a six-foot lead. What happened?

Two dominant females are more likely to tangle than a dominant male and female. A 'territoriality' factor may be a part of this scenario. Strong eye contact is very often a prelude to more overt challenges such as growling, posturing and hackles. The dog with the pinch collar and the short lead may have been tugged just at a time when the dog on the longer lead moved in too close. All things being equal, a brief, but very vocal, interaction ensued!

What could the handlers have done to avoid this happening in the first place? By being aware that the two females were jockeying for top position they could have intervened in such a way as to prevent the confrontation. How? By diverting their eye contact, placing both dogs in submissive positions and keeping them away from each other. Or, even better, and this was done after the fact, placing them in downs reasonably close to one another and dominating them by sitting and standing above the dogs. A clear space was established around both animals and they were shown that neither was in charge.

There are any number of reasons why Intermountain Therapy Animals advocates using a traffic lead on large dogs and whatever-length-lead-it-takes on small dogs to-keep them at your side. It is much too easy for a dog at the end of a six-foot lead to range outside of your easy-to-control range when another dog gets close. Or, have you ever been on a walk with your dog and had another animal come running around the corner and been unable to get your dog back in time to avoid trouble? I have gone into facilities with my dog walking close to my side and had a loose dog come barreling down the hall at us, the owner nowhere in sight!

We have some fairly large get-togethers, and the areas we meet in can be confining. By using a traffic lead you can more easily keep your dog close to you and avoid invading another dog's space. If you do therapy in a group setting, it is important to only have one dog off lead at a time. The mentor should indicate who is to be off lead and determine that the loose animal is fairly controllable about working with the client instead of engaging another dog in play. This method (of only one dog loose at a time) precludes arguments over who gets the ball, too.

For those of you who feel your dog is completely safe when it is loose--and we certainly have quite a few who would never start a fight with another dog--even so, have you considered the stress you put on someone else's animal when you allow your dog to rush up to it? The animals in ITA have been taught not to assert themselves when approached by someone they work with. The approached animal is forced to submit to an inappropriate encounter or else act in a way it knows displeases its handler. Some may not be willing or able to avoid confrontation, and the client and/or facility, to say nothing of the other handler, may be exposed to a hideous display of growls and barks. The stress level is unbelievable for the person whose dog is on lead! The picture this presents to the world out there watching is not a pretty one, either!

I love my dogs and treat them very much like human children who are dressed in dog suits. They are highly intelligent and adaptable and have learned to work very closely with man. Much like the child who we just know would never ditch school, tell a lie or bully another child, our dogs would never steal a cookie, soil a facility carpet or provoke a fight. Except, they do and will, and it is natural for them to do so. The fact is, by instinct and heritage they are predators and carnivores. I have a little motto that I like to use to remind myself about life as it really is. It goes something like this: "Expect the best and be prepared for the worst".

A final word about equipment. It has come to my attention that some of you are using pinch collars while working your dogs. Both Delta Society and ITA have policies against using this collar. It appears to be an instrument of torture to those who have never used it, it can hurt small or crippled hands and it is a training collar that, used incorrectly, can hurt your dog. Use the pinch for training. Incorporate it with your Premier collar and remove it when you are working with clients.