In a Dog's Heart: What Our Dogs Need, Want, and Deserve-and the Gifts We Can Expect in Return - Couverture rigide

CHAPTER ONE

What Dogs Want

"He's just a baby," the woman told me. "But he seems so withdrawn." A rescue group had taken in the mixed-breed dog and requested that I evaluate his potential for rehabilitation and rehoming. The dog, Otter, had gotten himself into trouble by growling at the people who owned him. As Otter climbed out of a big SUV, I could see that he was young, and despite the fact that he was wearing a basket muzzle, he hardly looked aggressive. His paws and head were entirely too big for his bony body, and he seemed to have difficulty coordinating all four of his lanky legs. However, when I looked into his eyes, any resemblance to a puppy quickly disappeared. They belonged to a much older soul, one that was not so much angry as it was weary.

I knelt sideways in front of Otter, my gaze averted, allowing him to determine whether it was safe to approach me. We stayed motionless for several long minutes. Finally, he took two small steps toward me, lowering his head, resigned to whatever fate awaited him. I did not want Otter to approach in fear, so I slowly inched away.

"Maybe we can get Otter to follow another dog into the building," I suggested to the woman holding the puppy's long leash. I knew from the rescue group's intake form that his owners, an older couple, had used a trainer to help teach Otter his house manners. The trainer had advised the couple to squirt hot sauce in the dog's face when he jumped up to greet them. She also provided a remote shock collar, to be used when he did something they considered inappropriate. So it was clear that Otter was scared to death of people. As we stood in the driveway at Canine Assistants, the nonprofit I founded that provides service dogs to people with disabilities, I knew the only comfort I could offer him was the companionship of another dog.

A pretty female golden retriever quickly worked her magic on Otter. He followed her into our office, where he allowed me to unclip his muzzle and leash. The woman from the rescue program said her goodbyes and, without thinking, reached to give Otter a pat. The dog suddenly shied away, as if her hand were a hot iron.

"What on earth will you do with this poor dog?" the woman asked me, as she turned to leave.

"We'll start by getting him healthy and showing him that he is now safe. If we can, we will earn his trust and teach him some skills so he can gain a little confidence. As one of my friends says, we have to earn the right to be heard."

"That poor dog deserves a good life," the woman said. "I hope you can give it to him."

In 1943, Abraham Maslow, a psychology professor at Brandeis University, published a paper titled "A Theory of Human Motivation," in which he proposed a construct of human needs. Human needs, he believed, evolve sequentially from the most basic to the more advanced, forming a pyramid that culminates in a self-actualized individual when the needs at each successive level have been met. Since its publication, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, as his theory is known, has come under some criticism as, among other things, ethnocentric and exceedingly individualistic. This criticism aside, Maslow's hierarchy provides an excellent basis for describing the needs of dogs and how they rank and structure their most valued necessities. To better describe dogs' needs, I have adapted Maslow's work for my own use and named the pyramid Canine Construction, or C2 for short.
The principles are relatively simple. Initially, all efforts will (and must) be directed to meet the base requirement of canine existence, the first level: physical needs. A dog's primary instincts demand that if he is hungry or thirsty, he focus all of his energy on obtaining food and water. Subsequently, if he has no immediate shelter, the dog must concentrate on finding a way to keep his body temperature regulated. Likewise, if he is sick, his illness becomes his singular concern. Fundamentally, a dog must have a healthy body. Only after that has been addressed can the dog turn his full attention toward the next level: safety.

This second level of the pyramid is of critical importance in the life of any living being, and certainly dogs are no different. Our dogs have no way of understanding that the yard is safe but the street is dangerous. Nor do they understand that something isn't safe to swallow simply because they can fit it into their mouths. Dogs, like toddlers, must be protected from the dangers lurking in the outside world. Sometimes they must be protected from even their own instinctive responses to situations such as the presence of the mail carrier, a running child, or a cat dashing across a busy street. When we help our dogs stay safe and feel safe, we allow them to take the next step on the path to a good life.

As every dog lover knows, dogs are social beings. Most dogs want to be around others and be part of a family, even if that's a two-member family: the dog and his human. Dogs are social animals rather than pack animals. The prevailing theory that dogs are pack animals has recently been challenged by studies on feral dogs, which show that rather than forming stable packs, feral dogs form transient attachments to one another. Regardless of its specific structure, dogs do form and need the third level: attachment.

Contentment is the fourth level in the C2 pyramid. Dogs must live in predictable environments with a manageable level of stress in order to be content. Although occasional adventures are great for maintaining excitement in a dog's life, most dogs crave daily routine. And, whether it is assisting someone who uses a wheelchair, keeping the yard free of pesky squirrels, or just being your faithful companion, every dog needs a raison d'être. Having purpose allows dogs to develop self-confidence and garner the respect of those around them, important components in the life of a content dog.

Understanding what our dogs need is relatively simple; determining our role in meeting those needs is considerably more complex. This book addresses how to help your dog successfully negotiate the progressive levels of the C2 pyramid. It discusses the practical issues involved in meeting his physical needs, such as veterinary care, first aid, feeding schedules, and exercise protocols. It details how to keep him safe from both extrinsic dangers, such as becoming lost, and intrinsic dangers, such as biting. It outlines how to choose the right dog for your lifestyle and, by so doing, help him be successful and content.

This book was written because I love dogs. But I also believe in dogs, and I believe that when we are presented with the opportunity to have a relationship, based in mutual trust and understanding, with a dog, we are being offered a gift-one that offers both species myriad rewards. Throughout the book are stories of the extraordinary ways in which dogs prove themselves worthy of our care and devotion, and how we can, and why we should, help them achieve what they so deserve-a good life.

CHAPTER TWO

The Gift of Good Health

Amber is a beautiful, small golden retriever, placed with a little boy named Jack who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Although Amber had clearly given her heart to Jack, she adored the entire family. She responded to each member that came in with polite, if reserved, warmth. Jack's mom was perhaps most impressed by Amber's apparent recognition that Jack's grandmother, an almost daily visitor to their house, was older and somewhat fragile. For the first several months after the placement, Amber was quietly cautious around the grandmother, acknowledging her presence but keeping a distance. So it was a shock to everyone when one day the elderly woman walked into the house and Amber began frantically jumping all over her and whining loudly. Nothing seemed to appease Amber. Day after day the behavior continued when the grandmother entered the house: Amber would not be still.

Several months after the behavior started, Jack's grandmother had a regular checkup that revealed she was suffering from lymphoma. She began treatment immediately. Amber stopped jumping and crying as suddenly as she had started the odd behavior. When I asked Jack's mom if she believed Amber realized the grandmother was gravely ill, she said, "Don't you see? She knew it long before we did. Once it was clear we understood, she no longer had to try and tell us something was wrong."

Although this is a remarkable story, in my experience and in the accounts of animal behaviorists and dog owners alike, it is far from rare. Cancer researcher Michael McCulloch says, "The dog's brain and nose hardware is currently the most sophisticated odor detection device on the planet." As a matter of fact, McCulloch's work at the Pine Street Foundation has led him to conclude that it is possible for dogs to be trained to detect lung and breast cancer from the exhalations of human patients. It is widely believed that cancer cells produce a metabolic waste that differs from the waste produced by healthy cells. McCulloch contends that this unique chemical signature in the patient's breath is detectable by dogs. Other researchers have further concluded that dogs can be taught to distinguish slight differences in these chemical signatures, helping determine which type of cancer is present. The presence of skin, ovarian, bladder, bowel, and kidney cancers may be sensed by a dog's nose even before they are detectable through other forms of testing.

Several years ago, I was in a large grocery store just outside of Dallas for a Milk-Bone presentation. I had Butch, my goldendoodle and Canine Assistants spokesdog, with me. After the presentation, Butch and I were aimlessly drifting down the pet aisle when a woman spotted us. She looked at me briefly and then down at Butch, staring at him for so long and with such intensity it seemed as if she were counting each of his wavy hairs. She noticed me watching her and looked away quickly but then turned back again. She slowly walked over to us. "You may not believe this"-she paused-"but a dog just like this...

What our dogs need to live a good life, and why we must come through for them
 
Over the two decades she has spent raising and training service dogs for people with disabilities, Jennifer Arnold has come to a unique and profound understanding of the human-dog bond. Though it may seem simple and instinctive, the friendship and devotion we share with our pets is a wondrous evolutionary development. Our two species have come to rely on each other for protection, companionship, comfort, and happiness—needs and benefits that go both ways. Yet when we step outside our designated roles and take on practices that require us to display dominance over our canine charges, we misread cues and misinterpret behavior, sometimes with disastrous results. Conversely, when communication between dog and keeper is clear and based on kindness and a willingness to see things through a dog’s eyes, the payoff for both dog and owner is tremendous. When respect and care are brought together, we come to know the inalienable goodness in a dog’s soul.

As the founder of Canine Assistants, Arnold has implemented and advanced a methodology—Choice Teaching—that pairs scientific and behavioral knowledge about dogs with gentle incentive and encouragement to extraordinary effect. But she does not consider herself a dog trainer; rather, she sees herself as a relationship expert who improves the connection between humans and dogs and in the process betters the quality of life for both. In a Dog’s Heart offers Arnold’s offers her best practices and useful tips that range over a dog’s whole life, including:
 
• how to choose the puppy that’s destined for you from a bustling litter and what you need to have on hand before you bring that puppy home;
• what to stock in your doggie first-aid kit;
• how to keep your pet safe from dangers at home and in the outside world;
• the challenges and rewards of adopting an older dog;
• how to help your dog overcome anxious behavior, from separation anxiety to thunderstorm phobia;
• when to recognize that it’s time to let go.
 
As in her bestselling first book, Through a Dog’s Eyes, Arnold illustrates what she’s learned through captivating and moving stories drawn from her experience. We learn about Grace, a black Lab who was rescued after she was thrown from a truck and delivered to Canine Assistants emaciated, dehydrated, and with a broken pelvis. As Grace recovered she displayed an usual gift for scent detection and now spends her days sniffing out bombs on the Israeli border. We meet Casper, a Lab-golden mix who works full-time at Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital in Atlanta, a best friend to kids undergoing cancer treatment, and a buddy ready to offer comfort as needed to the doctors on staff. We also discover the myriad ways in which dogs improve our lives—and what they need and deserve from us in return.