Doggone Etiquette—

Wild Dogs?

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:           

We’ve had a look at some of your ancestors, but I bet there are moments when you dream about going way back in time and being a “wild” dog again. Or maybe your VIPeople have come right out and told you (affectionately) that you’re a wild dog. Or they may have even told you (sternly) to stop being so wild. There’s not much chance of anyone being able to trace each of you back to your wild beginnings, so how about we just have a look at your “wild” behavior.

A Word to the Dog’s Owner: 

Over the centuries we humans have done a good job of domesticating our dogs. In fact we’ve done such a good a job that the majority of our dogs today are pets, not the workers they were at first intended to be. However, they do still work for us. It’s just the jobs that have changed. We now have Seeing Eye Dogs, Search and Rescue Dogs, Therapy Dogs, “detection” dogs (for sniffing out anything from bombs to oncoming epilepsy attacks), as well as dogs trained to aid the disabled in numerous ways. Pretty good progress, wouldn’t you say?

Back to the most common variety of domesticated dog, the pets that live with us and generally give far more than they take. To a great extent keeping dogs as pets is our current form of domesticating them, so that makes us pretty much responsible for how they handle that job. Most of us rely on the available forms of obedience training that have proven successful, but the various breeds respond differently to this repetitive instruction. Some will do anything the “lord-and-master” asks, while others are known to have “selective hearing” or minds of their own!

Then there’s that “wild” side! Dogs still dig. In hot weather they dig to get down to cooler soil for a nap. They dig following scent into the ground because it just might be buried treasure. They also dig to bury a treasure. Now that instinct goes back to the true wild side. If you can’t eat it, bury it for tomorrow. Smart dogs! And, of course, some dogs seem to dig just for the sheer joy of seeing the dirt fly!

There’s another thing dogs do that you may have wondered about. Rolling on the carpet is merely doggy self-massage to feel good. However, outdoors, dogs that find something really smelly on the ground will start rolling and rubbing all over in it, in apparent ecstasy — until they stink! There’s no actual proof, but the theory is that dogs have done this rolling in yuck since the beginning of time so as to hide their own canine scent from whatever prey they were hunting. Judging from how our pets smell at the end of this activity, perhaps it also kept the prey at bay!

What today is considered “wild” behavior is up to you, the owner, to evaluate and to tone down as needed. If Rufus goes “wild” at your return home, you may be pleased to have such a welcome and so be it. But if you (or your groceries) are knocked over in the process, better teach Rufus to calm down until you’re at least in the door. If he goes into a barking frenzy over every little sound or movement, serious re-training is called for, before your friends and neighbors become noticeably less friendly and neighborly. Should any wild behavior border on being aggressive, it’s essential to put an immediate stop to it. If you can’t handle it with regular obedience, don’t waste time thinking tomorrow it will get better. Call on a professional trainer or behaviorist to get the specific help the dog needs.

Let’s end on an upbeat note. There are lots of dogs whose “wild and crazy” behavior is the most endearing, entertaining part of having them share their lives with us. If that describes your Rufus, enjoy every minute of it!

Until next time – BE GOOD!

- Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!, which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.