Understanding Change In Dog Behavior

When you are struggling with change in dog behavior it can be difficult to find answers. The topic of dog behavior is much like the topic of stress in human beings. Stress is defined as the disruption of stability, and can manifest itself in many different ways. A change in dog behavior might indicate illness, boredom, loneliness, or some aspect of your dog's environment has changed.

I'll start off by talking a little bit about pack behavior. Much of the philosophy around pack behavior comes from the study of wolves. Wild wolves rely on the pack and its structure to survive. While it appears logical to apply wolf pack behavior to our dogs it can be misleading.

Your husky isn't a wolf. At least not any more a wolf than you are a chimpanzee. Wolves, coyotes, foxes, and domestic dogs occupy the same category: canid. Like apples and oranges are both fruits, but they are not the same. How this translates to our topic, change in dog behavior, is that dogs are domesticated, and wolves, coyotes, and foxes are not!

Domestication of an animal changes the way it copes with survival. In our husky dogs, that means domestication brings about a GENETIC change. That change expresses itself in the way our dogs interact with other dogs, humans, and their environment. This puts the terms alpha dog and pack structure into specific wolf pack categories and that category will not help you solve the change in dog behavior. For further reading on this interesting topic get Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior & Evolution

This genetic change, brought about by natural selection, make wolves and domestic dogs different species. Humans and chimpanzees are different species. Humans are 99% similar in DNA to chimpanzees, but you and I both know what an enormous difference that 1% can be. It just happens to be less physically obvious in wolves and huskies. Selection means adaptation to the environment for survival. Usually we notice the physical characteristics of selection, but there are other characteristics that have taken place too. Stomach enzymes, litter sizes, and estrus cycles are the less obvious selection changes.

Enough of genetics, you are here for a change in dog behavior. Here is one example of how access to resources (food, shelter, water, comfort) can change the dog behavior of several dogs when they suddenly go from living outide in a dog yard, to living inside the house. All the dogs start fighting. They fight over food bowls, the human, and where to sleep.

Why do they fight? Because the available resources inside of the house are different from outside in the dog yard. This indoor situation allows the dogs to take advantage of these new resources, but not without negotiation. For example, if the best spot to sleep goes from the dog house to the small area in front of the heater, there is suddenly competition for that prime space. Now stress comes into play. I recommend The Other End of the Leash for further reading on this topic.

Competition has just been created by bringing all the dogs inside the house. This change in dog behavior was brought about by a change in the dogs environment. It is strictly about what is worth competing over. Some resources mean more than others. Food is almost always a resource the creates an environment for competition. Competition creates the need for status. Status, in dog terms, means the dog that is the most successful at getting the resource or reaction that gets the resource.

On the other hand, some huskies do not seem to care about resources. They may even wander off - sometimes for days - at the slightest chance of freedom even though you offer the resource called food.

Huskies are known as wanderers. If you own a husky you are probably trying to figure out how to keep her from roaming. Why, you ask, does your husky roam? Don't they care that I provide food and shelter? Food is important to any dog, but to a husky freedom and running is a better resource than food.

Another part of the puzzle is sled dogs are opportunistic feeders. Scavenging meant living near human villages and eating the waste products (garbage, left over fish, bones from the hunt). They didn't need to hun as a pack to survive because humans were were providing the food. This also meant that the bravest village dogs got to eat first, and hence got the choice food. For more about village dogs get The World of Sled Dogs: From Siberia to Sport Racing

Combine sled dogs opportunistic nature with their need to run, and you end up with Bodie Miller, an independent, opportunistic athlete, who doesn't care about protecting or defending (it is not life threatening to him if he loses the olympics). Bodie knows how to take risks and his risks work!

Loneliness and boredom can cause your husky to want to roam. Huskies have such an intelligent and active nature that the amount of interaction the average dog owner gives them is often not enough action for this breed. Sled dogs need physical and mental stimulation, which is why pulling sports such as mushing, skijoring, and bikejoring are ideal for huskies. It keeps them active and interested for long periods of time.

When you see a change in dog behavior keep in mind that pain and sickness are often part of the cause. Something as insidious as back pain can change the entire demeanor of your dog. Irritated paws, itchy ears, painful stomach, hiding behavior, and fear can all be expressed as aggression.

Dogs have their own language. Some of that language is vocal, but most of it is physical. Wagging tails and snarling teeth offer about 10% of the body language your dog is communicating. Good dog trainers are gifted at reading dog language and have GREAT timing. To learn to read all the body language of dogs get How To Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication

Articles addressing specific dog behaviors:

PopShops™ affiliate stores