Dogs | Behavior and welfare

FAQ

My dog growled at me — can I scold or punish it?

Do not punish a growl under any circumstances. The growl is the warning stage on the ladder of stress signals, and punishing it amounts to dismantling the alarm, so the next time the dog may bite without warning. Earlier signals include lip licking, blinking, head turning, turning the body away, yawning and scratching, followed by walking away, hiding, ears back and the white of the eye showing; if the dog is already tense all over, has stopped chewing, is staring at you and breathing shallowly, that is the last peaceful warning and you should stop immediately.

犬が私にうなりました。叱ったり罰したりしてよいですか。 — うなり声を決して罰しないでください。うなり声はストレスのサインの段階における警告の段階であり、これを罰することは警報器を外すことに等しく、次は前触れなく咬むことがあります。より早い段階のサインには、鼻をなめる、まばたき、顔をそむける、体をそむける、あくび、体をかくがあり、続いてその場を離れる、隠れる、耳を後ろに倒す、白目が見えるといった段階が来ます。すでに全身が緊張し、咬むことをやめ、じっと見つめ、呼吸が浅くなっているなら、それが最後の平和的な警告ですので、ただちにやめてください。

My dog growled at me — can I scold or punish it? — Do not punish a growl under any circumstances. The growl is the warning stage on the ladder of stress signals, and punishing it amounts to dismantling the alarm, so the next time the dog may bite without warning. Earlier signals include lip licking, blinking, head turning, turning the body away, yawning and scratching, followed by walking away, hiding, ears back and the white of the eye showing; if the dog is already tense all over, has stopped chewing, is staring at you and breathing shallowly, that is the last peaceful warning and you should stop immediately.

My dog has suddenly become aggressive and refuses to go upstairs — has it turned bad?

A sudden change in behavior should be treated as a medical problem first. Sudden aggression, suddenly refusing stairs or the sofa, suddenly biting at one part of the body, suddenly toileting indoors and sudden night-time restlessness should all lead first to ruling out pain (especially osteoarthritis, teeth, ears, intervertebral disc disease), endocrine disease, neurological disease and cognitive dysfunction, and only then to a discussion of training. Inappropriate toileting indoors is the same: test the urine first.

犬が急に怒りっぽくなり、階段を上りたがりません。性格が悪くなったのですか。 — 行動の急変はまず医学的な問題として扱ってください。急に攻撃する、急に階段やソファを嫌がる、急に体の一部を咬む、急に室内で排泄する、急に夜落ち着かないといった変化は、いずれもまず痛み（特に変形性関節症、歯、耳、椎間板疾患）、内分泌、神経、認知機能不全を除外し、そのうえで訓練の話をすべきものです。室内での不適切な排泄も同じで、まず尿を検査します。

My dog has suddenly become aggressive and refuses to go upstairs — has it turned bad? — A sudden change in behavior should be treated as a medical problem first. Sudden aggression, suddenly refusing stairs or the sofa, suddenly biting at one part of the body, suddenly toileting indoors and sudden night-time restlessness should all lead first to ruling out pain (especially osteoarthritis, teeth, ears, intervertebral disc disease), endocrine disease, neurological disease and cognitive dysfunction, and only then to a discussion of training. Inappropriate toileting indoors is the same: test the urine first.

What should I watch for between my child and my dog?

Bite incidents occur mostly at home, are caused by a familiar dog, and injure the child's face and hands, so the principle is that a child of any age with a dog needs an adult present to supervise. Teach the child the "three do-nots": do not hug, do not disturb the dog while it eats or sleeps, do not chase it, and establish a do-not-disturb zone for the dog. A dog in pain has the highest risk of biting, so with children at home it matters even more to treat dental, ear and joint pain actively.

子どもと犬が一緒に過ごすとき、何に注意すべきですか。 — 咬傷事故の多くは家庭内で、よく知っている犬により、子どもの顔と手に起こります。そのため、どの年齢の子どもでも犬と接する際は大人が同席して監督することが原則です。子どもには「三つのしない」を教えます：抱きしめない、食事と睡眠を邪魔しない、追いかけない。そして犬のための邪魔をしない区域を設けます。犬は痛みがあるときに咬むリスクが最も高くなるため、家に子どもがいる場合は歯、耳、関節の痛みの治療をいっそう積極的に行ってください。

What should I watch for between my child and my dog? — Bite incidents occur mostly at home, are caused by a familiar dog, and injure the child's face and hands, so the principle is that a child of any age with a dog needs an adult present to supervise. Teach the child the "three do-nots": do not hug, do not disturb the dog while it eats or sleeps, do not chase it, and establish a do-not-disturb zone for the dog. A dog in pain has the highest risk of biting, so with children at home it matters even more to treat dental, ear and joint pain actively.