I had a great conversation recently and Emily PriestleyAuthor Urban sheepdogI reviewed her book a few weeks ago, and although I had some issues with it, I really liked her attempt to help people understand that the behavior of Border Collies and sheepdogs is not a mystery or a sign of dysfunction, but rather a reflection of what the dog was bred for. These dogs need to be helped to adapt to urban and suburban environments, not punished.
I asked her When asked what she would recommend to people with dogs that are especially sensitive to sound, as is the case in many herding breeds, she replied that she often asks them to take their dog to the vet, which led to a discussion about how often pain or illness can exacerbate or even cause behavioral problems, and how important it is to eliminate them as contributing factors to problem behavior.
In our conversation, Emily and I told the story of a dog. Doctors have had behavioral problems that they found were caused by pain or illness. For example, they treated a dog that had developed a noise phobia, and none of the standard treatments worked. It turned out the dog was in severe pain from arthritis, which made him more reactive to stressors. Many of us can relate. If you’ve ever suffered from severe chronic pain, you know how you become more reactive to things that would never have bothered you before.
I always had a nice client. A client was considering euthanizing a middle-aged dog when it became too aggressive. In the office, the client noticed the dog holding its head in an unusual position. It was discovered that the dog’s neck was the source of the severe pain. After a consultation with a certified canine chiropractor, the dog returned to its usual adorable self.
These concerns are Study in 2020, Veterinarians in the study reported that 28-82% of behavioral problems were influenced or caused by pain. “Currently, there is a lack of reporting on how pain is associated with problem behaviour, severely limiting recognition of this welfare issue.”
I was particularly interested in “In general, veterinarians are better off treating suspected pain first, rather than only considering the significance of pain if the animal does not respond to behavioral therapy.”
Get a theoretical prescription for pain It’s not something that’s necessarily considered by some medical professionals, so we applaud the authors of this paper for suggesting that it be considered more often. If you ever need to advocate for your dog at the clinic, keep this study in mind. This issue highlighted some of the obstacles regarding seeing a veterinarian before considering a behavior modification plan.
The first one is obvious. Clinics can be far away and it can be expensive to have your dog thoroughly examined for conditions that could cause illness or pain. When I was thinking about my career before retiring from seeing patients, everytime I usually recommend medical exams for my clients, and always require them to be examined before they work with me. If a confident 3-year-old suddenly becomes shy, or if a previously friendly dog becomes aggressive with strangers, I would encourage a vet visit immediately. If an 8-month-old, seemingly healthy border collie was chasing cars, I probably wouldn’t take it if my client was clearly stretched to the limits of both their patience and their budget. I think the most important thing here is that trainers, behaviorists, veterinarians, and owners are all educated to understand that medical issues often go undiagnosed and can have a major impact on behavior.
It’s not always easy to convince others of that. Client after client denied that pain could be the cause of their dog’s (inappropriate) behavior. “No, no!” they would say, “Look at him, he’s fine!” So I asked them how they knew. First, I asked them if they thought I was in pain. They rarely answered, only to stop and look at me, not knowing what to say, until I explained that I had injured my back and was in a lot of pain at that very moment. I wasn’t looking for sympathy, but understanding that a person’s or dog’s appearance doesn’t always tell you what’s going on inside.
For those who are skeptical of pain There are so many things that can affect behavior (you’d be surprised at how many), but Emily often asks her clients if they could imagine having a migraine at work. Would it change the way you deal with coworkers, deadlines, or difficult phone calls? Of course it would, and this is a great example of something people can empathize with. Anthropomorphizing helps! And it doesn’t always have to be pain. What if your dog had a hormonal imbalance or was nauseous all the time? Think about all the physical factors that could affect your mood and behavior, and ask yourself why that wouldn’t affect your dog too.
Another Speed Bump This may be related to the veterinarian themselves or to the behavior of the dog in the clinic. Remember the middle-aged dog I mentioned who suddenly became aggressive? The dog had been to the vet, and the vet determined that there was nothing physically wrong with him. This is probably because Dopaminea hormone that combines with adrenaline to produce feelings of joy in social situations and allow you to mask pain. No one understood this better than my sisters and I, when our elderly mother complained of severe pain and we took her to the doctor. Before I took her to the clinic, she was depressed, grumpy and miserable. When the doctor walked in, she lit up like a Christmas tree, smiling and laughing as if she had nothing to worry about. This happened so often that it’s a miracle I still have a brain considering how many times I wanted to bang my head against the wall.
In my experience, Some veterinarians are much more willing to listen to owner reports than others. This is another reason to have a veterinarian who trusts owners and listens carefully to what they have to say. One way to address changes in your dog’s behavior from home to the clinic is to record the behavior at home on your phone (limping, head tilt, etc.) and show your veterinarian what worries you. Many veterinarians will be very happy with that. I have also found that certified canine chiropractors and physiotherapists are trained to pick up very subtle changes in movement and structure and are an essential part of keeping my dog healthy. Also, Common signs of pain In the case of your dogs, once Maggie and Skip start licking their paws and joints I would start watching them like a hawk.
what about you? We invite you to join the discussion. What experiences have you had with physical or behavioral issues or changes? Don’t be shy, we’ve heard you say we learn a lot from your comments, so if you have the time, join the conversation.
This is the end of this section. Emily and I talked about some other issues related to herding breeds, including why they are so sensitive to sound and movement, and the dangers of misinterpreting the advice “needs work” – stay tuned!
Meanwhile on the farm: Skip is far from the perfect sheepdog but few dogs do better when working close range. Here I am asking him to go into a pen in the barn where the sheep clearly don’t want to go. He is so quiet and calm and I just love him. Incidentally the reason the sheep have been moved into the pen is because one ewe is not doing well and I want to take her to the vet as I don’t want her to work while I am practising with the dogs.
A few notes: I don’t care if he falls down when I say “stand up”. He is experienced enough to know what is best for him. He just stops moving forward and it is his decision what to do with it. At 18 seconds I said “Come on, come on”, which is the signal to take a few steps clockwise. I whispered “go away” with xx and asked him to take a few steps counterclockwise. I then had to repeat the signal to move left again with xx.
Sadly, the ewe did not survive. Our Dedicated Veterinarian, Jeff Kuhnert Mount Horeb Animal Hospital On Saturday, I went to have her euthanized. After she passed away, I took some photos but decided not to post them as I thought they might be too sad for some people. (She seemed very sweet and comfortable, though, thanks to Jeff’s quiet, considerate care.) Instead, I’ll send you a reminder of how country life is a daily study in life and death. Here’s what I found behind my house yesterday.
The remains of a female cardinal, definitely, Common buzzard Like a lion at a waterhole, they prowl around looking for their meal.As they say, we put out bird feeders.
On a brighter note, Below is a photo of some of my family in California. I visited and supported my sister last week while she underwent her final surgery and treatment (hopefully!). From left to right are my brother-in-law Tim (finally a little brother!), me, my sister Liza, and my niece Emily and her husband Darren. It’s been a really special trip. They all mean a lot to me.
It was very warm in Wisconsin, in the 50s. We had this kind of weather when we were in Southern California, but then the inevitable happened and temperatures plummeted into the low teens, and the poor daffodils on the farm paid the price. This flower was the healthiest of them all, with dozens of others frozen in bud and may never bloom. But daffodils are hardy plants, so the late bloomers will probably be fine, depending on how they handle this strange winter rollercoaster ride.
Bad weather is certainly nothing The chocolate chip scones never set. (I’m excited about the snow itself – we’re in near drought conditions here.) Thanks again to everyone at King Arthur Baking. Scone mixWhat would I do without these? (My favorites are lemon blueberry and orange cranberry, so if you order them, make sure you save some for me.)
What is your favorite? Well, what happened to you these past few weeks?! Tell us anything, we’ll talk with a smile, and you can also add your experience to the discussion about behavioral issues and physical/medical issues. You never know who you might help!
