Seeing Your Dog's Point of View

Most of us want to help our dogs grow into well-rounded, well-behaved, confident members of our home and society.  To do that, we must give them positive repeated exposures in a way that helps them learn how to handle all of human life’s little nuances.  But sometimes, we tend to forget that a dog’s point of view is very different from our own.  There are some things that don’t naturally make sense to dogs.  Plus, a dog’s senses can be much greater than ours.  Not only can a dog hear a sound at much higher frequencies than humans, but their sense of smell is about 40 times greater than ours as well.  That sure poses A LOT of stimulation out there in the world!  So before you think your dog is crazy for reacting the way he does in response to something that seems normal to you, take a moment to consider your dog’s point of view…

Statues: These curious objects don’t move, they’re extremely stiff, and some even have empty, glaring eyes that never avert their gaze.  These are all signs of concern and a threat among dogs, so it really isn’t a surprise that some of the more insecure or inexperienced dogs bark at, growl, or avoid statues.  It might help if you nonchalantly go check out the statue, without asking your dog to come with you (this is where a long line can be helpful).  You may find that he’ll be curious to check out your new friend!

Grates and Uneven/Different Surfaces: Your foot may be able to scale over city grates with no problem, but a dog’s paws take up much less surface area.  If your dog is avoiding a particular underfooting, take a second to consider the size of the holes – perhaps he doesn’t feel safe “balancing on a tightrope” so to speak, for fear his foot may slip through the grate holes.  Uneven terrain, such as shale/gravel or even sand, could feel strange underneath the pads of his feet too.  Be sure to give him plenty of room and a loose leash to maneuver his way over these surfaces at his comfort level.

Tunnels:  Especially if they are not well-lit, some tunnels look like scary black holes plunging into a deadly abyss.  It’s no wonder that dogs, whose eyesight is not as good as ours in some ways, hesitate or get anxious about entering this strange vortex and, once in, want to get out as soon as possible.  You may decide to set up tunnel-like situations in your home to practice, like a blanket laying across some chairs.  But sometimes tunnels have strange acoustics as well, which can make a simple voice sound like the ominous Darth Vader!

Large or Tall People: It’s all relative, really.  Dogs are much shorter than humans (some of course more than others), and so people who have a large or tall stature can be very intimidating.  If you were only 20 inches tall, a terrifying giant of over 6 feet can be scary leaning over you or reaching towards you.  It’s best for the large or tall folks to bend down beside the dog (not over top of the dog) and casually invite the dog into their space (without pressuring) so the dog doesn’t feel threatened.  Also, sometimes the booming deep voice of a man can intimidate some pups.  If your voice is low and serious, try lightening the mood with a lighter, happier tone of voice and loose/silly body language.

Perfume: Dogs have over 220 million scent receptors in their nasal canal, compared to our 5-6 million, which is why their sense of smell is so much stronger than ours.  Humans and dogs also differ on their opinions of the most attractive aromas – dogs love to create their own “perfume” by rolling in a dead critter or rabbit droppings, while we humans prefer the scents of roses, musk, citrus and sandalwood.  So if your dog turns his cheek when you come up to him after dousing yourself in perfume, he’s kindly asking you to respect his space until the scent wears away.

Huh???

Drop-offs, Lifts and Overpasses:  If you know anyone who is afraid of heights, it probably doesn’t matter if they’re 20 feet or 100 feet off the ground – they just prefer to keep their feet on solid ground.  If it seems like a long way down for you, imagine what that looks like to your dog, who is shorter than you are.  Even if he is physically safe, he may not know he is safe, so be sure not to pressure him to go look over the edge.  If he chooses to be brave on his own, however, tell him how wonderful he is!  On the flip side, some dogs don’t have great depth perception so he may feel TOO comfortable getting close to or going over the edge – so keep an eye out to ensure he doesn’t jump first and think later.

Puddles:  Some dogs (like some kids) love to splash in puddles, while others don’t know what to make of them.  Again, if a dog doesn’t understand the concept of depth perception, it may be difficult for a dog to tell that stepping into a puddle is not synonymous with plunging into the center of the earth.  To practice, you may end up putting on your rainboots and sloshing through puddles yourself (so your dog sees they’re not that deep) or provide your pup exposure to streams or lakes where he can gradually wade in from the beachy shore.  Some pups just don’t like the sensation of having wet paws (similar I assume to people who don’t like wearing flip flops in the rain), so if this is the case, try to pair stepping in water or on wet grass with something good, like treats or play.

Balloons:  And other things that appear to float, such as toy airplanes or even bobbers in water, may not make sense to your dog.  They bob about seemingly uncontrolled by anything yet they are not living beings.  Weird!  It may help your dog to watch you touch, pick up, or check out these floating creatures, maybe even lay them on the ground if possible, and allow your dog to check them out when he’s ready.

You may find that there are many other objects or environments that are “normal” for us but appear to give your pup the willies or cause overexcitement.  The best way to help your pup learn how these things work in our world and to make these things less novel is through positive, repeated passive exposure.  Socialization is most effective when pups are young (prior to 16 weeks) and during critical developmental periods, but can be integral for dogs of any age. For help on working through these things with your pup, please don’t hesitate to contact me – together we can come up with an appropriate socialization plan!