Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Measuring Your Dog’s Intelligence

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Some dog owners and dog trainers expect their dog’s level of thinking and smartness to be the same of humans, when being trained.  This mistaken assumption about dog psychology can be devastating to the expectations of both the dog owner and the dog itself.

Trainers shouldn’t assess canine intelligence against human standards. Each individual canine may possess his own unique talent. If the occasion does not arise for the animal to display this talent, it doesn’t mean he’s dumb. For centuries, behavior experts have been trying to devise a test that measures all aspects of human intelligence and have failed miserably. With this success rate in mind, how can canine experts profess to measure the dog’s intelligence when we do not even speak the same language?

Labeling a dog dumb can be as unproductive and damaging as labeling humans. If an animal is labeled dumb, the owner usually gives up trying to teach the dog. The label then becomes self-fulfilling because if his owner won’t train him, the dog really won’t know anything.

On the other hand, labeling a dog smart may create unrealistic expectations and disappointment if he doesn’t respond as expected. Perhaps all these “dumb” dogs are just clever enough to make their owners think they are dumb to avoid the effort of obeying! A very frustrated Basset Hound owner complained to his instructor that he had spent a month trying to teach his dog to sit on command and the dog just didn’t get it. As the owner was explaining his dilemma, the instructor was mindlessly playing with a piece of liver that she had not put away after working with another dog. The Basset noticed the liver and began nudging the instructor. From pure habit, she told the dog to sit. The Basset plopped his rear end down as fast as Bassets do. This is a good demonstration of learning theory proven long ago that a lack of response does not mean that learning is not occurring. This dog was learning, the owner just hadn’t found the right motivator to get him to respond.

Perhaps canine intelligence is not measurable, particularly when the criteria for intelligence are measured on another species’ yardstick. Fortunately, regardless of breed, the great majority of dogs are intelligent enough to grasp basic obedience commands when training is intelligently presented. A trainer armed with motivating training methods and a good understanding of the principles behind canine learning can shape a dog’s behavior into desirable conduct.

Your Dog’s Body Language And What It Means

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Dogs use their bodies and paws to express a variety of different things.  Below are some examples and what they mean.

Dog crouches with front legs extended, rear up, and head near the ground: This is the classic play-bow and means simply “I want to play!”

Stiff-legged, upright posture or slow, stiff-legged movement forward: “I am in charge around here!” and “I challenge you.” A dominant dog will use this posture to indicate assertion of authority and a willingness to fight for it.

Body slightly sloped forward, feet braced: “I accept your challenge and am ready to fight!”

Dog rolls on side or exposes underside: “Let us not argue” or “I am not a threat to you” or “I accept that you are in charge here.” This is a submissive response to avert conflict. Many dogs adopt this posture in a fairly relaxed and contented manner when they are around their pack leader. When your dog rolls on his back for a belly rub, he is actually accepting you as leader of the pack.

Dog places head on another dog’s shoulder or places paw on the back of another dog: “I want you to know who is the boss around here.” These gestures are commonly used by dominant dogs, pack leaders, and dogs that have aspirations of becoming a pack leader.

Mouthing: This shows up in dog-human interactions as the dog taking the handler’s hand in his mouth or, while walking, taking the lead in the mouth. Mouthing can be a serious sign of dominance challenging and shows that the dog does not accept the human as pack leader.

Dog places paw on master’s knee: “Look, I am here” or “Pay attention to me.” This attention-seeking signal has many variations. They include pawing the air in front of their master or sliding the head under the master’s hand.

Hair bristles on back and shoulders: This is a sign of anticipated aggression. A ridge of hair bristling down the back is a sign that says “Do not push me, I am angry!” When the bristling extends to the shoulders it means “I have had it with you” and is a sign of an imminent attack.

Dog sits with one front paw slightly raised: This is another sign of stress but is combined with insecurity. It means “I am anxious, uneasy and concerned.”

Dog rolls on his back and rubs it on the ground: This is sometimes preceded by nose rubbing where the dog pushes his face, and possibly his chest against the ground in a rubbing motion or rubs the face with a forepaw, from eyes to nose. They often follow feeding or occur as the dog’s owner begins to prepare food. However they also can occur following or in anticipation of other pleasant activities.

Scraping the ground and ripping the turf with the paws: This is usually after the dog has defecated but may occur at other times. Dogs have glands on the bottom of their feet that provide each with a unique scent. What a dog is saying here is ” I was here and I am leaving my calling card!”

Dog Barking & What They’re Trying To Say

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1. Continuous rapid barking, mid-range pitch: “Call the pack! There is a potential problem! Someone is coming into our territory!” Continuous barking but a bit slower and pitched lower: “The intruder [or danger] is very close. Get ready to defend yourself!”

2. Barking in rapid strings of three or four with pauses in between, mid-range pitch: “I suspect that there may be a problem or an intruder near our territory. I think that the leader of the pack should look into it.”

3. Prolonged or incessant barking, with moderate to long intervals between each utterance: “Is there anybody there? I’m lonely and need companionship.” This is most often the response to confinement or being left alone for long periods of time.

4. One or two sharp short barks, midrange pitch: “Hello there!” This is the most typical greeting sound.

5. Single sharp short bark, lower midrange pitch: “Stop that!” This is often given by a mother dog when disciplining her puppies but may also indicate annoyance in any dog, such as when disturbed from sleep or if hair is pulled during grooming and so forth.

6. Single sharp short bark, higher midrange: “What’s this?” or “Huh?” This is a startled or surprised sound. If it is repeated two or three times its meaning changes to “Come look at this!” alerting the pack to a novel event. This same type of bark, but not quite as short and
sharp, is used to mean “Come here!” Many dogs will use this kind of bark at the door to indicate that they want to go out. Lowering the pitch to a relaxed midrange means “Terrific!” or some other similar expletive, such as “Oh, great!” My cairn terrier, for example, who loves to jump, will give this single bark of joy when sent over the high jump. Other dogs give this same bark when given their food dish.

7. Single yelp or very short high-pitched bark: “Ouch!” This is in response to a sudden, unexpected pain.

8. Series of yelps: “I’m hurting!” “I’m really scared” This is in response to severe fear and pain.

9. Stutter-bark, mid-range pitch: If a dog’s bark were spelled “ruff,” the stutter-bark would be spelled “ar-ruff.” It means “Let’s play!” and is used to initiate playing behavior.

10. Rising bark: This is a bit hard to describe, although once you’ve heard it, it is unmistakable. It is usually a series of barks, each of which starts in the middle range but rises sharply in pitch – almost a bark-yelp, though not quite that high. It is a play barking, used during rough-and- tumble games, that shows excitement and translates as “This is fun!”

Dog Communication: How To Help A Dog With An Abusive History

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Last year, Angela, a single mother of three teenage boys, had been in contact with the Greyhound Pets of America (a rescue group that finds homes for retired racing greyhounds). She asked the group if they had an adult dog that would get along well with cats, as Angela also loved cats and had several of them.

A lovely greyhound named Bronze fit the bill. Just several days later Bronze was welcomed with loving arms in his new home.

Bronze didn’t know a lot of small things right away, such as how to climb up steps or comprehend a see-through glass door and windows, etc. He did not know how to play and was very weary of people, particularly very tall, thin males. And something also peculiar – he was literally afraid of his own shadow!

Any of these things caused fear in Bronze, and the resulting behavior was aggression, snarling and growling. Angelica was worried that his behavior would go beyond this reaction, leading into biting or attacking.

Soon Bronze showed fear towards another specific occurrence: Anytime Angela’s brother would come to visit, and wearing his usual leather jacket and ball cap, Bronze would again start his aggressive stance and snarling. The same thing happened when Angela’s sons would come home with their noisy friends.

The Cause Of Bronze’s Fear

As you know, Bronze was an ex-race dog, so once Angela was able to contact a canine psychologist, the doctor was able to identify the problem right away. He had asked Angela to obtain a picture of the dog’s ex-trainer, which turned out to be a very tall, skinny man that wore a long black coat, along with a specific hat that resembled a baseball cap.

Add to this evidence the obvious experiences of the dog having raced at the track: lots of noisy people, confinement, guns firing, running, more confinement, lots of harsh training commands from his trainer – it was no wonder why Bronze reacted the way he did when he was adopted.

Managing these issues was not going to be an easy task. It required Angela to have constant vigilance. The doctor instructed her to remove the noisy teenagers from his presence, teaching Angela to be cautious of how she gave commands to Bronze, as well as have her brother remove his black leather jacket and ball cap when visiting.

In time, Bronze was able to calm down and within 12 months was less afraid of noise and the appearance of any man that resembled his past trainer became less of a threat. Bronze lived to be thirteen years old and because of his new owner’s love and care to learn to communicate, he was a lucky dog – one that enjoyed the right that every canine has – to be loved and included in a real family.

What You Can Learn From This Story

If you are also considering bringing home an adult dog that has had a history of competing in sports, such as a racing dog, for example, then prepare yourself by taking lessons from the above story. It will not only teach you how to communicate with your problem dog, but could also save him or her from being sentenced to a lonely life inside of the pound.

The Chow Chow

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Chow Chow History and origin:

The Chow Chow is a member of the Spitz family that is known for over 2000 years.  This Chinese breed was once used for guarding and hunting.  His thick coat protected him in harsh weather and, unfortunately, provided clothing for the infamous Mongols, who also reportedly used the dog for food.

Description:
The Chow Chow stands 16 to 20 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 50 and 65 pounds.  He is a powerful dog with a short, broad muzzle.  The coat may be rough or smooth.  Through coat is dense, straight, and coarse with a thick undercoat; he sheds profusely, particularly in early summer and needs daily brushing.  The smooth coat is shorter and less dense, but sheds just as much.  The color may be red, blue, black, fawn, or cream.

About the Chow Chow:

The Chow Chow is a beautiful dog who tends to be very loyal to only one or two people.  Intelligent and intensely stubborn, the Chow is highly resistant to training, particularly when learning the “Down” command.  Proud and moody, this dog likes to take the lead and have his own way.  He does not like to be touched on the head, legs, or feet, even by his owner, and can be very difficult to groom.  The Chow is extremely aloof with strangers and can be vicious, even to family members.  He will not tolerate lots of people coming and going and prefers a consistent, predictable environment.  He can be very dog-aggressive and has a high prey drive toward small animals.  The Chow may bite a stranger who reaches out to pet him.  Training must begin early and must be firm and persistent.  This breed despises the very idea of submitting to anyone and may attempt to bite even his owner if so inclined. Socialization is crucial and will be the cornerstone of successful ownership of a Chow.  Spoiling this breed will create a bossy, dangerous animal.  As a Chow owner you will very likely have to deal with challenges to your authority, and you will probably face some aggression problems with this breed, no matter how effective a leader you are.  The Chow needs regular exercise each day to stay fit.  He is susceptible to hip dysplasia, entropion (a curling in of the eyelids), and skin disorders, and he does not do well in warm climates.

Feeding:
Recommended feeding for this breed is 1-1 ½ cans (13.3oz) of high-quality meaty product with biscuit added in equal part or 5 cupfuls of a complete dry food.

Ideal home:
This breed is not suitable to live in an apartment.  A house with a well built-in fence and secluded yard is essential.  If you lead a predictable, quiet life, an owner with strong leadership skills, and prefers an aloof, protective, serious dog, then this might be your breed.  Chows are not advisable for those who have children.  The elderly and the disabled may not be able to establish dominance with a Chow and should consider another breed.  There should be no other small animals in the home with a Chow.  Spoilers may create a dominant, dangerous animal that bites.  Time to train and socialize the Chow Chow must be made available.

The Chinese Sharpei

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Chinese Sharpei History and origin:

Formerly known as the Chinese fighting dog, the Chinese Sharpei is an ancient breed who was revered by the nobility during the Han dynasty, around 200 B.C.  The Sharpei and the Chow Chow are the only two breeds with a blue-black tongue; this may point to common ancestry.  The Sharpei has been used as a fighting dog, with loose skin that enables him to swing around and bite even while being bitten by another dog.  He was also used to hunt wild boar and herd flocks.

Description:
The Sharpei stands 18 to 20 inches at the shoulder and weighs between 40 and 55 pounds.  He has a medium-size muscular body, a fleshy face, a curled tail, and wrinkled skin on his face and body, though the wrinkles become less exaggerated as the dog matures. The shedding coat is short, harsh, and prickly to the touch and requires only periodic brushing.  Coat length can vary from extremely short to just over an inch in length.  The color may be black, chocolate, reddish brown, fawn, or cream.

About the Chinese Shar-pei:

The Chinese Sharpei  is an intelligent dog who is loyal and affectionate toward his owner.  On the other hand, he can also be an extremely dominant, controlling, moody breed that can be downright mean and dangerous.  He will bond with only one or two persons and can be very suspicious of strangers.  He is likely to bite if approached or petted by anyone he does not know and respect.  He does not like being petted on the head even by his owner and is not for families with children unless he was raised with them from day one.  The Sharpei is extremely territorial, dog-aggressive, and an excellent watch dog.  There have been cases in which Shar-Peis have literally ripped another dog to shreds.  This breed has a high prey drive toward small animals.

Training must start early and should be firm and consistent.  This breed can be disobedient and defiant and will bite even his owner if so inclined.  Tantrums and uncontrollable behavior often occur during training, particularly when the owner attempts to teach him the “Down” command.  Socializing the puppy is mandatory and is the cornerstone of successfully owning this breed.  Never spoil this breed.  Spoiling creates a bossy, nasty, suspicious dog capable of seriously hurting someone.  The females are less aggressive than the males.  The Sharpei can suffer from hip dysplasia, entropion, hypothyroidism, respiratory problems, and skin allergies.  He drools, snorts, and may snore.  This breed has become very popular over the last decade and has suffered from poor breeding.  Breeders of the Chinese Sharpei  should take a long, hard look at the type of dog they are producing, and endeavor to breed a dog with a more stable, more predictable, less combative temperament.

Feeding:
Recommended feeding for this breed is about 1 ½ cans (13.3oz) of high-quality meaty product per day with biscuit added in equal part or 3 cupfuls of complete, dry dog food.

Ideal home:
This breed is best suited in a house with a well-fenced secluded yard.  The owner of a Chinese Sharpei should be a strong, commanding no-nonsense leader who desires a protective, highly discriminating, territorial dog that will be at best reserved with strangers.  The home should be quiet and predictable.  Children will not be tolerated and could get badly hurt, particularly if roughhousing occurs.  The elderly and the disabled should not consider this breed.  Time to train, socialize, and exercise the Chinese Sharpei must be available.

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