Let Sleeping dogs lie

Bangalore Mirror Bureau | May 6, 2014, 02.00 AM IST

 Have you ever asked yourself: Is my dog getting enough sleep? If you have not, you should. Just like how you need eight hours of sleep to be healthy, your dogs too need their full quota of sleep. A normal, healthy, adult dog needs up to 16 hours of sleep, while puppies, old dogs, sick dogs and even stressed-out pets need a lot more than that. Dogs living in cities are easily stressed, because they are like a sponge — they absorb 'our' stress.

Dogs are social sleepers. They need company to feel secure and to sleep well. Observe the street dogs — regardless of how intensely they guard their food and territory from other dogs, they all come together at night, perhaps on a sand pile in front of a construction site, to sleep together. If you want your dog to sleep tight at night, then the trick is to let him sleep in your bedroom. If you don't want to share your bed with the pet, then move his doggy-bed into your room. Dogs are also polyphasic sleepers — they don't sleep for 16 hours at a stretch; they sleep in short bursts and often move from place to place when they sleep. As long as you are home, they like to sleep in a place from where they can observe you. So it's a good idea to keep a little blanket or rug under the dining table, in the living room, bedroom, and outside for your dog to sleep; simple measures that go a long way in improving a dog's well-being.

My teacher always says: "Every dog deserves a sofa." What she means is: They just need some elevated surface to sleep. Dogs like that. I often see pet parents complain about dogs wanting to sit on the sofa. I provide two solutions. For the first three years, I did not let my dog Nishi get on the sofa. Instead, I got her a sofa of her own. When the guests settled down on the sofa, she settled on hers, as if she was ready for the conversation that was to ensue. The other option is to get a nice dust cover for your own sofa and let your dog on it. After the first three years, I caved in and let Nishi on our sofa and nothing has changed in our relationship, except for having made us all happier.

About 70 per cent of a dog's sleep is deep sleep. This is the time when the brain cells repair and regenerate. About 30 per cent is REM sleep. This is when they relive the activities of the day and figure out how to cope with it. Pet parents are familiar with their dogs eating or whimpering in their sleep. That's what is going on inside their furry heads. So, let their beds or sleeping areas provided be large enough for them to stretch out, and be able to express these actions. Dogs let their guard down completely when they are asleep. It is their most vulnerable state. They do not fall asleep till they know they are safe and secure. So when they are woken up suddenly, it can be unnerving. A startled dog may cower, yelp, growl or sometimes even snap. So, remember to let sleeping dogs lie.

I hope you are now armed with enough knowledge to give your dog good quality sleep and when he's asleep, no matter how adorable he looks, don't hug him or wake him up. Hug a teddy bear instead and let your dog sleep in peace.

The shape shifting genes

By Sindhoor Pangal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Aug 31, 2015, 09.07 PM IST

We have often heard of the nature Vs. nurture debate. But the newest concept in this discussion is the "shape shifting gene". This is a fascinating phenomenon where one's life experience can subsequently pass down to future generations, encoded in the genes.

We see this transmission of trauma to children via genes through what is called the 'epigenetic inheritance'. A research team at New York's Mount Sinai hospital analysed genes of children of holocaust survivors and concluded that they have increased likelihood of stress disorders. Another study on children born to Dutch women during severe famine during the end of the Second World War showed that the children had a higher propensity to schizophrenia.

At Emory University in Atlanta scientists did an experiment, the methodology of which makes me uncomfortable, but the results of which are rather critical. Mice were made to fear the smell of cherry blossom by pairing the smell with a small electric shock. Understandably the mice developed a severe fear of the smell. But what was really interesting was that their offspring, who had never been subjected to such shocks were born with fear of the smell of cherry blossoms. Other mice, born in the same environment, but whose parents were not subject to the shocking did not exhibit such fear.

This is important for us to keep in mind today, when we are faced with the mass culling of dogs. By going after dogs we are effectively making dogs wary of humans. The offspring of such dogs is likely to become more wary of humans and less friendly too. This is a situation that is likely to escalate and is potentially damaging to the harmony between humans and dogs.

Repeated studies on stray dogs or free ranging dogs has shown that their population will remain unchecked as long as garbage continues to pile high on our streets and animal birth control (ABC) is not effectively executed. To add to this, the above studies shows that the attempts to cull dogs can just make the future generation of dogs hostile towards humans.

On the contrary, examples in Jaipur and Istanbul unequivocally demonstrate that there is a very effective and peaceful solution to the perceived problem - ABC, nutrition and healthcare.
ABC addresses the first part of the problem. It keeps the dog population stable. This not only limits the number of dogs, it also leaves us with familiar dogs to deal with. Dogs stick to known territories and keep unknown dogs out of their territory. The more familiar we are with the dogs, the easier it gets to deal with them.

Food is the next part of the plan. Certain foods are heavy sources of an amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan is converted into a chemical called serotonin which gives a feeling of wellbeing in humans as well as dogs. After a heavy meal, rich in tryptophan, one is hardly in a mood to fight. Aggression is rarely seen in dogs after such heavy meals. A tryptophan heavy meal would consist of basic chicken and rice.
Finally, an unhealthy dog will be irritable and exhibit behavioural problems. So it comes down to dog lovers to notice the friendly neighborhood street dog's ailments and get the necessary medical attention to avoid misdirected aggression.

A few animal welfare organisations will help in transporting dogs to vets. The dog-lover network online is also strong enough in Bengaluru to lend a helping hand. If one wants to take charge and address the issue, the support system in Bangalore is strong enough to make it happen.

References
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/21/study-of-holocaust-survivors-finds-trauma-passed-on-to-childrens-genes

Understanding addiction in dogs

By Sindhoor Pangal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Aug 24, 2015, 09.44 PM IST

This week I write to you from San Francisco. Priding itself on being the most pet friendly city, it has a lot of activities one can engage a dog in. I particularly like the talking walks in the parks and balmy weather is perfect for it. That's exactly what I have been doing. I have been walking a particularly lovely bulldog whose human presented me with a rather unique problem. The dog does not like to walk or sniff on walks. So we set out to figure out the nature of the problem.

On our first walk we headed out towards the beach. The dog that does not like to walk made a bee-line for the beach. Upon hitting the beach the dog's humans started playing with the dog. The dog played long and hard. But on the way back the dog was limping and as described, did not stop to sniff a thing.
As I sat down with the humans to understand the situation better, I learnt that the dog suffers from a ligament tear. This is common in dogs that play fetch or rough games. Heavy and large dogs are particularly susceptible to this injury. This injury is extremely painful. Dogs are quite stoic and don't show pain. When they start limping, it's a very strong sign that the pain has gone too far. We had cracked on part of the puzzle. It was due to this injury that she was not interested in walking or sniffing. It was just too painful. We made a plan for the family stop playing fetch immediately.


But why does the dog insist on playing the game of fetch despite it hurting her to the point of making her want to limp? The game of fetch, along with causing injury, also increases adrenaline in the body. Adrenaline temporarily masks the pain and gives a high to the dog, like a drug. The dog starts enjoying this sensation and gets addicted to it. Hence the dogs seeks out this feeling. I had to break this habit for her.


On the next walk, I decided to change routes. The dog did not like this at all. So we had a stand-off. She stopped on the street, not turning into the lane that led her away from the beach. I stood facing away from her. We stood like this for a long time.

Fifteen minutes to be precise. She finally decided to give in and change directions. What happened next was fascinating. She actually started sniffing and did not protest for the rest of the walk. She does have trouble dipping her head to the ground. But she sniffs the higher hedges.


Why did this happen? Once the walk routes changed, the dog was no more in a frenzy. Her mind cleared up. Slower walks are not pain inducing. Hence the dog does not see the need to seek out adrenalin. When the mind is not fixated on seeking out a fix, it now looks for other things to engage in. Hence her doggy instincts kicked in. She got curious about the scents around her. To put it another way, she was looking past her addiction and noticing her world.

We also have been methodically examining all other aspects of her lifestyle to identify what other actions cause pain and are addressing it, including simple things like elevating the feeding bowl. We still have stand-offs during walks, but they are getting shorter. This is still work in progress, but we now know what we need to do for her. Wish us luck.

What dog is that?

By Sindhoor Pangal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Aug 17, 2015, 08.55 PM IST

"Indian dogs were highly prized among the Persian aristocracy; Xerxes I (489-65 B.C.E.) reportedly took a large number of them with his army when he marched against Greece. One of the Persian satraps of Babylon assigned the revenues derived from four large villages in that province to the care of his Indian hounds. A dog belonging to Darius III (336-30 B.C.E.) supposedly refused to leave his corpse after he had been struck down by Bessus." -- EncyclopaediaIranica on the topic of Indian Mastiff.

While we think of Indian breeds not many perhaps come to mind. The Indian spitz is something many people have perhaps seen. Then there is the ubiquitous aboriginal INDog. However there are several native breeds that are perhaps less known. Today, I present some lesser known breeds here.
Among the native breeds several hunting breeds are prominent. The Rajipaliyam, Mudhol hound, Rampur greyhound are the more popular of them. These breeds are all sight hounds. Sight hounds have very sleek bodies, long snouts and slightly curved in the back. They are fast runners and have excellent vision. Their body is built for some very fast short distance running.

Such dogs, when on a hunt, will exhibit tremendous speed. Due to their excellent vision, they can be hyper alert and very sensitive to movement. Interestingly they are not built for trotting along or sitting. Such dogs should be walked very slowly and never be asked to sit. They may enjoy short bursts of fast galloping once in a while.

Lesser known sight hounds include Kanni and Mahratta greyhound. "Kanni" is a Tamil word for maiden. The families that breed them adore these dogs. Previously they were sent along with their daughters, as the bride left for her husband's home. We also have a few mastiff varieties. Among these are the Bully Kutta, Gaddi Kutta and Kumaon Mastiff. Mastiff-type dogs are often bulkier dogs and bred for guarding. Guard dogs are excellent with the family. However when put in a position to guard, they take their job very seriously. Such dogs, when left to care for children or property, get into a guarding mode. The Bully Kutta apparently got his name from the flatish snout that resembles a Bulldog. The Gaddi Kutta is a mountain dog and consequently has lush fur that can protect it from the elements. Folklore suggests that the Kumaon mastiff was introduced to the people of Kumaon by Alexander the Great in 300 B.C.

The Kaikadi is a terrier type dog. Terriers are good at hunting small mice and rodents. Like sight hounds, they can have excellent vision. In addition, they may also have a proclivity to digging. The Bakharwal Dog is an ancient breed from the Kashmir Himalayas. The Gujjar nomads treasure this breed and kept the dog to guard their livestock. Breeds meant to guard livestock often do that by alerting people of perceived danger. They can be notorious barkers due to this expectation of them. The Combai is a bear hound from south India. Due to his job, he is stockier with powerful jaws and yet is agile.

While we have all these different breeds, my favourite still is the naaty dog or the INDog. Rather ubiquitous, this is more of a farm dog. Farm dogs are versatile in function and will do a little bit of everything. They are alert and will inform in case of intruders. INDogs show some of the physical traits of sight hounds. They are very good family dogs as well. They are hardy and live long. Here is a toast to the great dogs of India! 

Evaluation of dogs

By Sindhoor Pangal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Aug 10, 2015, 10.13 PM IST

It has been yet another week of intensive learning - much of the focus has been on evaluation of dogs. Though it is not common in India it is fairly common in other parts of the world. What started out as a tool to be used for dogs in the defense industry has now extended to several other areas such as therapy and temperament evaluation of shelter dogs. In some cases it has even become a leisure activity for enthusiasts. While its uses are varied, evaluation can be a great tool for behaviourists to understand dogs and see problems that their caretakers may not be able to articulate.


However, dog evaluations suffer from a certain insensitivity in the way they are being conducted world over. Many involve putting the dog under severe duress and pushing the dog to his/her limits - just to know where those limits lie. So it was refreshing to learn about the new methods of evaluation that Turid Rugaas is developing and propagating across Europe and hopefully in the US and other parts of the world, soon. 


While in India we don't have any structured evaluations for dogs, I still believe that these methods can be used quite effectively to understand our pets, get to the bottom of what might be ailing them and further behavioural investigations. These evaluations require minimal resources, no specialised equipment and provide great insights.


The evaluations happen in a confined space that is relatively free of distraction. The space has to be enriched with some interesting objects such as boxes, rags and other odds and ends. Everyday objects that one would find around home should do just fine. This is what we call an 'enriched environment'. The dog is allowed to freely explore the space while humans remain calm passive observers. Everything that the dog does from the start to the end can be quite telling.


We spent a lot of time observing the gait of the dog, the back line, the number of times the dog pees, the number of times the dog goes back to his/her guardians and his/her general interest in examining the objects around the room. 

The gait and back line tell us about the health of a dog. A dog exhibiting an odd gait is in pain. He/she will consequently have behavioural problems too. A dog that pees a lot is not marking territory, but is stressed. Such a dog's life needs to be examined to figure out the source of stress. A dog that is yo-yoing back to its owners too much could signal helplessness. Such a dog may need some confidence building exercises and therapy. A dog that is unable to examine the objects and is just flitting across them could indicate high adrenaline. This dog would require reduction in exercise and therapy too. A dog that shows no interest in the objects could suggest that he/she has never really had an opportunity to explore. He may need some mental enrichment. Each story is telling and fascinating. 

Through small and subtle ways dogs tell us a lot. However, at no point should a dog be put under duress. Putting fingers in the food of a dog, scaring a dog, hugging a dog just to see what he tolerates is absolutely unnecessary. It may be a good idea to take your dog to a new place, sit back and just observe. What is your dog telling you?

Five steps to recovery

By Sindhoor Pangal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Jul 20, 2015, 09.51 PM IST

It all started when Nishi was just a nine-month -old puppy and a car ran over her face. She was in and out of surgery for a year after that which left her emotionally damaged and dog-reactive. I had the seemingly impossible task of trying to help her out of that. Back then there was no one in India with the knowledge of helping dogs recover from PTSD. That's when I reached out to noted dog trainer and behaviorist Turid Rugaas in Norway. Turid guided me through a program that seemed deceptively simple which helped my little Nishi. Here's the five-step programme I've documented.

Take away the pain
The first step with any behavioral issues is to look for underlying health problems or pain. In some cases it may be joint and muscle pains where pain killers might go a long way in helping. In dogs suffering from digestive problems fixing their diet can help. In other cases, it could be equipment like collars, choke collars etc which is the cause of the pain. Whatever it is, take the pain away. No therapy can start when the dog is in pain.


Accept the fear
Journey from the fear is a personal process. You cannot force me to get over my irrational fear of reptiles by feeding me cakes and having me sit next to reptiles. I don't know how you will choose to conquer your next fear. A dog will choose to conquer his fear when he is ready to. 


Increase wellbeing
A dog needs upto sixteen hours of sleep a day, if not more. To achieve that provide a high tryptophan diet, which gets converted into serotonin in the body and induces sleep and sense of wellbeing. This can be achieved with a rice and chicken diet. A dog also needs a good fifteen minutes of chewing each day. Bones are good for this. If not, try green coconuts.


Decrease anxiety
One of the biggest sources of anxiety in an urban dog's life is playing fetch. It triggers a dog's hunting instincts sending a the body into hunting mode. When in the hunting mode the body is pumped with adrenaline, and is not capable of calm and collected thinking. However, the conquest of fear is a thought process. It's not a training process. If the brain is flooded with adrenaline there is very little quality thinking that can happen. 

Build confidence
Find activities that can increase a dog's confidence. It naturally builds up when he can use his senses to problem solve. So nose-based activities are great for confidence building- toy search and treat, slow sniffing walks, visiting new places to explore. Providing dogs with choices in as many different ways as possible gives a dog food for thought and helps him grow. The best way to give him choices is to let him pick his own walk path. 
It was these five rather simple sounding steps that helped us get our Nishi from where she was to a happy little puppy that she is today.

Understanding barking

By Sindhoor Pangal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Jul 13, 2015, 10.15 PM IST

Barking is a component of a dog's language. It may be annoying to humans, but it is meant to communicate something. Given our desire for fast and easy solutions we might just shush the dog and not really listen to what he/she is saying to us.

Unfortunately this can result in the dog feeling unheard, who then resorts to more barking, a bit like us shouting when we feel unheard. Alternately a dog may end up looking for other forms of communication such as biting, or outlets for frustration. The first step in resolving barking issues is to identify what the dog is trying to tell us.

All barks are not the same. Let's analyse six different kinds of barks as documented by my teacher Turid Rugaas in her book Barking: The Sound of a Language. 

Excitement Barking: It's a high-frequency hysterical-sounding bark. It can be accompanied by whining. One observes it when a hyper dog is highly aroused, like when people come home or the dog is going out in a car or there is another dog in sight.

Warning Bark: It's a single "woof" sound meant to convey a warning. It's not going to be loud and prolonged. But it has an important message. Often people don't even notice this bark. So a dog feels like his/her message was ignored and then takes charge of the situation. This can result in aggression or a full-fledged barking problem. Acknowledge warning barks.

Fear Barking: This is a long series of high-pitched barks, similar to excitement barking. But you can sense the dog's fear. The bark could end in a howl. A classmate of mine once explained this: "When a dog has fear in his voice, you just know it!" What a dog is afraid of is hard to predict and sometimes hard to understand. But it's important to accept it and respect it. A dog will take time to overcome his/her fears. It's important to note what s/he is expressing fear towards and give him a chance to get away from it.

Guard Barking: This type of barking occurs when a dog feels the need to defend himself/herself against a perceived threat. The barking is often accompanied by plenty of growling. Due to the growling, it is often mistaken for aggression or dominance. But the need to defend oneself comes from a fear. It is a pity when such dogs are then reprimanded or dominated. It pushes them further into a corner and can force them to go into a shell or snap back. A dog that feels a need to guard has to be removed from that position immediately. Further training can help the dog learn to be less fearful in such situations.

Frustration Barking: This is a monotonous bark that keeps repeating and sometimes ends in a howl. It is born out of boredom or utter frustration. Such dogs are crying out for help. They need mental stimulation or need some serious reconsideration of their lifestyle. A behaviorist should be able to help in such a situation

Learned Barking: Such barking can be recognised by looking at the dog. The dog will bark and then keep looking back at people to see what reaction he/she is getting out of the people. He has learnt that barking gets him a certain reaction. Giving him any reaction, including yelling at him, gives him exactly what he is planning on getting. Work with a behaviorist to correct this behaviour. But do not reprimand him. That will make matters worse.

Dealing with unwanted behaviour

By Sindhoor Pangal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Jul 6, 2015, 08.51 PM IST

In a recent video making the rounds on the internet, a boisterous Dane is nipping at his guardian. When my clients came to me with a similar problem, I did a simple exercise with them, trying to understand what was causing this behaviour and how to fix it. The solution is actually quite generic and applicable to most undesirable behaviour - barking, nipping, jumping etc. To understand the solution, we first need to understand the cause of the problem.

Dogs behave this way either because they are over stimulated or because they are seeking attention. We often make the critical mistake of giving attention to the dog and getting agitated ourselves. That's counter-productive because it adds to the dog's agitation, worsening the problem. Now that we understand that, let's look at the solution. For simplicity, remember it as the 4Rs - Remove, Redirect, Reward, Repeat.

Remove: First, do not enable the dog's behaviour. The best way to do this is to unceremoniously leave the room and give yourself a time-out of 10 - 30 seconds, depending on the dog. Attention-seeking dogs get a strong message immediately, you don't even need to yell or reprimand them. 

Redirect: Since a dog's adrenaline levels are quite high during such times, it's important to give him/her something to do. Else the dog might redirect his/her energy resulting in destructive behaviour such as barking or peeing. After the 30-second break, give the dog something to chew on (preferably bones) or do a treat search. It is a simple exercise of scattering tasty treats (paneer/chicken) on the floor or lawn and allow the dog to search for it.

Reward: Rewards come much later, perhaps on another day when the dog is not so agitated, comes and politely asks for attention. Be sharp enough to notice that and give due attention.

Repeat: Note down what worked and keep the winning formula ready to repeat when necessary. Note down the time it took for the dog to calm down. Note down the redirection activity that worked best for your dog. Note down how your dog asks politely for attention. Be observant about these things. It's important to observe your own actions and that of your dog.

However, there are some caveats to keep in mind. This method will fail, if you don't go all the way and do all 4Rs religiously. Be mindful of these pitfalls: Remove yourself completely from the situation. Saying "No" defeats the purpose. It constitutes negative attention. To an attention-seeking dog, it is still gratifying. Walk away in complete silence.

Chew toys rarely work as redirection objects. If you cannot give bones it is going to be difficult. You could try flavoured green coconuts and ropes (cotton/jute/coir). Get creative with how you'll flavour it and have fresh ones ready at all times. Old objects are just as boring to dogs as old TV shows episodes are to us. How many times can you watch the same episode?

Rewards are easy to miss. We are great at noticing when a dog is naughty but not so great at noticing when a dog is being good. Be observant and make sure you have told your dog what behaviour gets him rewards.

Be rigorous in observing and documenting your working formula. You will need to fine tune it to make it work for you. Finetuning requires that you are sure about what you are doing, what's working and what's not. That's how you can consistently repeat the right formula and improve on it.

Nose games

By Sindhoor Pangal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Jun 29, 2015, 09.20 PM IST

This week has been hectic for me. I am back in Ashville, North Carolina furthering my education in dog training. This time, the theme has been fun games to play with dogs. While in my previous articles I have highlighted the ill effects of playing fetch, today I want to talk about some alternative games that are enriching for dogs.

On the first day, we played a very basic game of Scent Discrimination. The dogs were systematically taught how to discriminate the scent of the keys of their owners from that of others. Within a matter of less than five minutes, the dogs were easily discriminating the keys from a set of three other keys. It was fascinating to see completely untrained dogs do this so quickly and easily. It just went to show how scent discrimination comes naturally to them. The game involves allowing a dog to sniff out the right set of keys, then rewarding the dog a few times. Then adding another set of keys into the mix, waiting for the dog to sniff the right set of keys and rewarding. Soon, you can add as many sets as you want and your dog knows exactly what you want of him and will pick out the right set with ease.

The next game we tried was retrieve. Though most of us are familiar with this game, this was actually a bit harder for the dog than scent discrimination. For a dog that had trouble picking up a toy in his mouth and bring it back, we just had to replace it with what is called a Prey Dummy — a container with treats in it. This was far less exciting for some of the dogs. But dogs like labradors and retrievers, as one would expect, loved this game.

The following day, we packed up all the dogs in cars and drove off to the woods. Our plan was to go tracking. Tracking is an exercise where a person pretends to be lost and the dog is asked to follow the scent trail to find the person. Sounds complicated, right? But our untrained dogs managed it in style.

The 'lost' person first starts laying out the track dragging some sausages behind him. After a few meters, the sausage is taken away. He then goes and hides in the woods. The dog and his handler then set out to look for the 'lost' person. The dog is initially sniffing the ground and following the scent of the sausage. But soon, the dog has caught scent of the person he is looking for and tracks the scent of the person. Eventually, the dog finds the person and gets his reward. Not a single dog failed to find the 'lost' person.
Anne Lill, our teacher, made it even more interesting. She added a twist at the end for the dogs who tracked the best. She made two of us walk out. One person dropped a sock along the track and turned to the right and hid. The other turned to the left and hid. The dog's task was to pick up the scent of the person who dropped the sock and follow the trail of that person to the right. And just like that, without being told to, both dogs just knew what to do. Of course, the dogs picked for this exercise had fared really well in their initial tracking assignments. But overall, this week showed just how natural tracking and nose work is to dogs. When playing with dogs, think of how to incorporate the power of a dog's nose into the game. The dog just enjoys it more.

Rainy day game - toy search

By Sindhoor Pangal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Jun 22, 2015, 07.49 PM IST

Next week, I leave to Ashville to learn from Anne Lil Kvam, a remarkable woman who trained dogs to sniff out land mines in Angola. In preparation for her classes, I have been brushing up on her book "The Canine Kingdom of Scent". So today, I'd like to present to you a game from that book that is perfect for rainy days like these - Toy Search.

For this, you will need an appropriately exciting toy and highly exciting treats. An appropriately exciting toy is one that is exciting enough for the dog to show some interest in. But not one that the dog will be so interested in that he will not want to have anything to do with you after he gets the toy. Highly exciting treats have to be fresh chicken, paneer or fish. Biscuits and dry treats just won't do.
To start Toy Search, we first "charge" a toy. By that I mean I get the dog to learn that picking up the toy will earn the dog a treat. Start in a quiet place. No distractions. No people moving around. Sit down calmly with your dog. The calmer you are, the calmer your dog will be, the more he will be able to concentrate on what you are doing.


Step 1: Dangle the toy in front of him and tempt him to take it. The first attempt he makes to take the toy from your hand, praise and treat him (for brevity, I'll combine praise and treat to reward). Repeat 3 to 5 times. Take a break. Start again, repeat twice and move to step two.
Step 2: Drop the toy in front of him and wiggle it around. The second he takes it, reward. If he does not do it, go back to step one. If he does it, repeat 3 to 5 times. Take a break. Start again, repeat twice and proceed.


Step 3: Hold the dog's harness and drop the toy a few feet away from him. Let him go. When he takes it, reward. If he does not, go back to step 2. If he does, repeat 2 times and then name the toy. Naming the toy is simple. Pick a name for the toy like "Piggy" and say the name of the toy just before releasing the dog. Repeat two more times. Take a break. Proceed.


Step 4: Have someone hold him back or tether him. If he has a reliable "Stay", you can give him that command too. Go behind a wall, drop the toy, name it (let's say "Piggy") and release him. When he finds Piggy, reward him. If he struggles, go back to step 3. If he does just fine, repeat this 3 to 5 times.
Step 5: Now start hiding Piggy in slightly harder places in the next room. The point is to find by sniffing the toy out, not by searching with the eyes. So hide it out of sight. If he is struggling, pick simpler places for Piggy to hide in. If he is finding it easy, get more creative. You can start introducing multiple rooms by pretending to hide in three different rooms before releasing the dog. Start from Step 1 or 2 for a new toy with a new name.

Take frequent breaks. During the break, do not engage the dog in any hyperactivity. Just allow the dog to relax. The total session should last five to ten minutes. One session a day is plenty in the beginning. Dogs need long naps after these sessions. Nose work is intense and needs a lot of rest.

Unlearning Associative Pain

By Sindhoor Pangal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Jul 27, 2015, 09.08 PM IST

I spent the weekend in Atlanta consulting with a sweet dog called Rocky with a dark history. He is a rescue dog who was found wandering the streets. Based on his wounds it is suspected that he was used as a bait dog in dog fighting. As expected, this has left Rocky deeply scarred physically and emotionally. He is extremely dog reactive. I spent the whole weekend understanding his past, his present and planning a future for him. It was hard work and emotionally draining. But it will all be worth it if it gives Rocky a shot at a better and brighter future.

Most dogs, fortunately, do not carry such heavy baggage. But dog reactivity is a sad reality of many dogs that have a relatively stable home. How does one explain that? The answer lies in associative learning.
Dogs learn by association. When a dog focuses on something and pain is inflicted, the dog associates pain with what he/she is focusing on. So if a dog is focusing on person A and person B causes pain to the dog, most often, the dog associates the pain with person A. An example of this is what happened with my own Nishi. When she was nine months old a car ran over her. At that time she was playing with Mojo, another boxer. Mojo was her best friend up until then. After that horrific incident she developed a severe dislike for Mojo. She did not fear the car or person who ran her over or people and cars in general. Instead, she feared Mojo, her friend. That's because all her attention was focused on him when she was subject to the pain.

These are extreme examples. But associative learning has implications on everyday walks. Consider a dog, Tommy, on his evening walk. Tommy looks at another dog and as any normal dog would, gets curious about him/her. He starts focusing on him/her. He might even try to go towards the other dog. If he is on a collar, choke collar or martingale, the tension on the leash causes pain in his neck. He associates this pain with the dog he was focussing on. As this happens multiple times, he starts developing fear of all dogs. Tommy may then decide to express his fear by refusing to walk or by lunging as soon as he sees another dog. And just like that, before Tommy's human knows why, Tommy has become dog-reactive. 

A good way to avoid this is to switch to a harness. A harness does not put pressure on the neck, thus eliminating pain all together. It is also useful to invest some effort in leash training the dog, so that he/she does not pull as much. If a dog has already become dog reactive, then these two steps become imperative. A dog that continues to experience pain cannot get over his/her fear of dogs and hence will not be able to overcome dog reactivity. The first step to any therapy with troubled dogs is to take away any pain.

Rocky's therapy is off to a good start. He is in great hands with some very compassionate people. I request everyone reading this article to send some very loving and healing thoughts his way so that he finds the strength to let go of the demons of his past and embrace the beautiful life ahead of him.

When Tigress became Tiggy

Publication: Bangalore Mirror;Date: May 13, 2014;Section: City;Page: 6

This is a story of a little scared dog called Tigger and how she made it to our family. We already had one furry member — Nishi, a three-year-old boxer then. Adding a second dog to a family is not always a smooth ride. 

By the time we got Tigger we had been highly sensitised to the state of shelters teeming with lovely dogs, eager to have a family to love and call their own. So there was no doubt in our minds that we were going to adopt an Indy (Indian dog), knowing the merits of this local breed. But which one? When? And how would we get Nishi to accept this? 

Nothing matters more to a dog than its family. So adding a new member to the family can be quite unnerving for the dog. They can get confused and insecure. The dog needs to be old enough — at least 2.5 years old — to be able to cope with such changes. That’s when a dog’s brain is fully developed and is mature enough to cope. A dog with a traumatic past might need a year or two more. 

The new entrant ideally should not be older than the existing canine family member. Bringing in an older dog leads to a lot of friction. It is like adding a bossy new member to a team; no one likes a brand new team member to tell people how to do what they have been doing for ages. Same holds true for the canines too. It’s best if new members are young, impressionable and willing to accept the mentorship of the older dog at home who will show the ropes. 

We had our eyes on a beautiful girl called Foxy — a rare Indian brindle dog. But we had to move homes. Nishi would have to get used to a new home and a new dog. We could not let that happen. So we waited till we all settled down in our new home. But, Foxy passed away during that time. I was heartbroken and wrought with guilt. I was then informed that Foxy had been survived by a sister —Tigress, a misnomer actually. She was a meek, quiet, unassuming underdog, literally. I had seen her in the past but hadn’t ‘noticed’ her. No one who had Tigress remembered her. But there she was — the little fighter; she fought off the disease that defeated her sister. 

A shelter called Precious Paws Foundation rescued Tigress and nursed her back to health. When we were ready we took Nishi to meet her. It is critical for the old and the new dog to meet on neutral ground. It was also critical for Nishi to get along with Tigress. So we watched them interact. They barely did. That was good enough for me. They did not fight. So we picked up Tigress, renamed her Tigger and brought the girls home. It is important that they enter home together. They need to understand that the home is now for both of them to share. 

It took Nishi a good month to get Tigger to forget her past trauma and accept the new home. She did all the work. That’s the advantage of having an older dog at home. They also assume a parental role and will guide the youngling. Tigger, slowly and surely, improved in health and came out of her shell. She is today a naughty little imp we fondly call Tiggy. 

Usually, getting dogs of opposite genders works best. But in our case, the girls turned out fine. Tiggy and Nishi are the best of friends. We enjoy watching them play together and care for each other. 

Smelly Delights

Bangalore Mirror Bureau | May 4, 2015, 08.35 PM IST

Dogs don't act on the world by handling objects or by eyeballing them, as people might, or by pointing and asking others to act on the object (as the timid might); instead, they bravely stride right up to a new, unknown object, stretch their magnificent snouts within millimeters of it, and take a nice deep sniff," writes Alexandra Horowitz in her book Inside of a Dog. I think this creates the perfect mental image of how our dogs see the world. The power of a dog's nose opens up a whole new world for him that we are barely even aware of. We walk past this world in complete oblivion, while our dogs perceive this whole other world and interact in it too.

I have heard estimates that put a dog's sense of smell anywhere between three thousand to thirty thousand times that of humans. Horowitz estimates that a Beagle's sense of smell may even be millions of times more sensitive than ours. Can you then imagine how much of a dog's brain is dedicated to the olfactory senses.

In her book, The Canine Kingdom of Scent, Anne Lil Kvam explains, "Imagine a beach 1,500 feet long, 150 feet wide and 40 inches deep. On this beach, a dog can find two grains of sand that smell differently. Incredible, isn't it? Dogs I trained in Angola could find land mines hidden fifteen inches under the ground that were placed more than ten years ago. A South African colleague told me of a case where a dog was able to sniff out a mine which turned out to be a hundred feet away from where the dog was. And still we continue to wonder over Rambo's restlessness when a bitch a couple of miles away is in heat."

It's no wonder when our dogs step out for a walk, there is a lot they want to sniff. The outside world is a treasure trove of scents. The scents are not only interesting, but they also contain vital social information for dogs. A dog sniffs the pee of another dog and gathers information including, but not limited to, the age, gender, stress levels, health, frequency of visit and interest in mating. Dogs are highly social animals and social information is very exciting to dogs. Often dogs will pee in response to all the information they gathered from the road - leaving behind a little social signature of their own.

Street dogs often have the luxury of engaging their ever-curious snouts in plenty of sniffing and information gathering. It's the best kind of mental stimulation a dog can get. Our poor companion dogs are deprived of this joy. Whatever scents are left behind, we wipe it clean with disinfectant. While a dog's nose is powerful enough to sniff through it, it's just not so much fun to be sniffing in such strong disinfectants. So they often give up sniffing at home.

That does not mean the scents have to leave their lives. We can reintroduce the scents into their lives by using a little bit of our imagination. Walks are of course great sources for scents. So allow your dog the luxury of plenty of sniffing. 

If your dog is not really sniffing on his walks, it is perhaps due to some old habits that got built in inadvertently. Such dogs need to be encouraged a little. They need to be shown that it's okay to sniff. I do this by carrying a few treats and scattering it on grassy patches or leaf piles encountered on walks.
A dog starts sniffing for the treats and soon enjoys the sniffing even without the treats. I also bring in interesting things from the outside world, for the dogs to sniff - twigs, coconut shells, stones, toys of other dogs etc. We have the luxury of travelling far and wide, at least from our dog's perspective. We can at least bring back smelly souvenirs to brighten their day, can't we? 

Good food for dogs

Bangalore Mirror Bureau | May 18, 2015, 10.45 PM IST

Ayurveda teaches us that the digestive system is the single most important determinant of health and well-being. This principle is very much true for dogs too. Provide the right kind of diet to a dog and you will see several of the behavioural issues and recurring health issues go away. So it is important to understand what a good diet for a dog is.

Packaged dry food or kibble is becoming quite popular these days. Kibble is convenient. However understand the effectiveness of kibble, we need to know something about gut flora. Gut flora is the good bacteria that lives in our digestive tract. If an organism is on a single kind of a diet for extended periods, this gut flora becomes specific to that food and it is incapable of handling change. So every time the dog eats something accidentally, he is at risk of falling sick. Such dogs frequently have constipation or loose stools or vomiting. To prevent this, it's important to introduce variety into a dog's meal. If you are using kibble, selecting a few different brands and rotating between them may be one way to achieve this.

Kibble manufacturers claim that the product is nutritiously balanced. Some of our breakfast cereal make the same claim. But we know that one can never really get all the nutrition required by staying on a breakfast-cereal-and-water diet, all three meals a day, day after day. Apart from being terribly depressing, such a meal could cause deficiencies and toxicities. While convenient, kibble comes with all the trappings of processed food - plenty of preservatives and lack of diversity in food groups.

A mix of a home-cooked meal and high grade gluten-free kibble might be the right mix of wholesomeness and convenience. When cooking at home, do keep a few things in mind. In terms of the protein source, chicken is the best. It is high in tryptophan which gets converted to serotonin and calms the dog down. Gluten-free carbs are preferred. Of these, brown rice is the best, followed by red rice and then white rice. Rice and sweet potato form a good source of carbs and work wonders on stressed and hyper dogs. 

Spinach, red pumpkin and papaya are good to add. Coconut oil, sesame oil, turmeric and curds are power foods that do wonders to health and behaviour. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, onions, strawberries, avocados, chocolates, grapes, raisins and caffeine are absolutely not to be fed. A dog's meal is only complete with big bones (not chicken bones). A good ten-minute chewing session in the morning and evening can take all that stress away. See most behavioural problems vanish with this secret recipe.

If feeding meat is not an option for you, then I will admit that it will be a lot more work. You will need to actively look for protein sources. In particular, tryptophan is what you are looking for. Paneer, cheese, nuts, spinach, drumsticks, amaranth, sesame oil, chickpea and kale are some good sources. The bigger challenge, however, for you will be replacing bones. Rawhide or "fake bones" available at pet shops are a possible replacement. But they rarely elicit the kind of interest a bone does and so it's rare that a dog will chew on it for ten whole minutes at a stretch. Secondly, you need to be aware that these raw hide bones are made of bleached leather.

Work on figuring out the right diet for your dog. Ayurveda and my experience say that if the gut's okay, then all's okay, well, most of the times. 

Demystifying dominance in dogs

By Sindhoor Pangal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Jun 15, 2015, 07.43 PM IST

One of the terms I often hear people use to describe the problems they are perceiving in their dogs is that their dog is displaying dominance. The question on their minds seem to be, "How do I show the dog that he is not the Alpha". The answer is simple. You don't. But to really understand the answer, you need to understand what being an alpha is or showing dominance is.

Dominance is a concept that was popularized in training circles in the 60s after having observed wolves in captivity. These studies suggested that wolves organised themselves in linear hierarchies, each dominating the one below. So trainers then extrapolated that if your dog was to obey you, you needed to dominate your dog. Thus started some interesting and innovative exercises in figuring out how a human would express domination over a dog.

The training techniques that emerged out of these now started to become somewhat of a pop culture, owing to popular TV shows. That was a pity because the researchers were already beginning to realise that they had made a mistake. So here we had training techniques based on erroneous research that was gaining popularity. The good news, however, is that the training governing bodies are finally waking up to this realisation and are quickly clamping down on training techniques. Trainers are having to change their methods. And the TV shows are slowly coming under heavy criticism in professional circles.

That should help stem any further damage. While this is the picture in the western world, here in India we are still lagging behind a bit and the TV shows are becoming popular now. So plenty of education and regulation in training is still required here.

At the turn of the century, David Mech wrote: "The Wolf Ecology & Behaviour of an Endangered Species, written and published in 1968 and currently still in print, despite my numerous pleas to the publisher to stop publishing it. Although most of the books info is still accurate, much is outdated. One of the outdated pieces of information is the concept of the alpha wolf." What could have driven a leading expert in the subject to publish this about his own work?

The first is that the experts realised that studying wolves in captivity shed little light on wolves in the wild. It was like studying people in prison and extrapolating that dynamic to a family. The social dynamic was just not the same. Wolves in the wild organised themselves in family packs, not in linear hierarchies. They had nurtured and cared for families and did not dominate each other. They did not eat before the pups to show who was alpha. They let pups eat first to ensure survival of the family. Just as we do.
The second thing the experts realised is that dogs and wolves are not the same. They have a common ancestor — the now extinct grey wolf. So their behaviour need not be the same. We don't behave exactly like apes. Expecting dogs to behave like wolves would be a study flaw.

To fix these research flaws more and more, studies are now focusing on village dogs and free ranging street dog groups. The studies that are emerging are interesting. Dogs don't create tight familial packs in cities like wolves. Theirs are more loose-knit groups based on cooperation. But these studies are in their infancy. The good news for us Indians is that we can be in the forefront of such studies. So the next time you have the opportunity to watch street dogs interact, make videos. You never know where that might come of use. 

Not so fetching after all

By Sindhoor Pangal, Bangalore Mirror Bureau | Jun 8, 2015, 10.34 PM IST

As science sheds more light on the popular game of "fetch", fascinating to understand that "fetch" may not bet that fetching after all. Fetch can make dogs hyper. Stressed dogs in particular take longer to recover if they are playing fetch. Let us see how this game effects the body of a dog. 

Fetch ignites the hunting instincts in a dog. This becomes evident when one considers that no dog needs to be taught how to run after a ball. Dogs only need to be taught to return it. Dogs are natural hunters and instinctively run after small moving objects that resemble prey. In fact, the concentration of rods in their eyes are such that they see moving objects in the periphery of their vision twice as well as they see static objects right in front of them.

When this hunting instinct is triggered, the dog gets a boost of the hormone adrenaline. Just as we would, if we were doing something extreme like bungee jumping. With repeated exposure to adrenaline, another hormone is released in the body — cortisol. Cortisol is a type of steroid.

These hormones are great in short doses, for emergencies. They are very powerful and provide a lot of power to the body and muscles. The body gets faster, stronger and tougher. But something that powerful cannot be emptied as quickly as it's pumped in. Such extreme change would be too disastrous for the body. So it takes time to come down. Adrenaline is known to have been in circulation in a body for seven days and cortisol is known to have been in circulation for up to even 40 days! When an animal hunts in the wild, after that adrenaline rush, he sits down to eat his meal and lets the hormones wear off. But when we throw the ball, we throw several times each session. Imagine bungee jumping several times over. Imagine taking that many shots of steroids every day. How much of residual hormone is coursing through the dog's body and how long would it take for all those hormones to leave the body? Imagine!

It is a commonly held misconception that dogs need much exercise to remain healthy. Not true. As part of my education, I have been studying street dogs and how much they move around. While my results are still pending publication, I can say with confidence they just don't run as much. But they do explore a lot more, use all their senses and get at least 16 hours of sleep a day. If your dog is overweight despite about 45 minutes of walk a day, check his diet, thyroid levels and general health.

Sometimes, clients point out that their dog brings the ball to them asking to play. True. Adrenaline addiction is as real an addiction as most others. It is not healthy like most others, and needs to be addressed at the earliest. Healthy games include nose games like treat search and mental games like dog puzzles. These are calming to a dog and go a long way in addressing stress issues in a dog. Your dog prefers your attention over the notion of running mindlessly after a ball. He brings the ball to you, hoping for some attention. Just give him that. Talk to him. Tell him a story. Give him the toy back and tell him he is a great dog. Forget fetch!