BS: soothing a dog ... and more

Subject: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 10:03 AM

The newspaper had an article about a woman who's researched how to keep dogs calm. (Sorry, I didn't keep a record of her name.) Working with animal hospitals and shelters, she discovered that classical music worked best if simplied and slowed down.

Interesting.

I wonder if it would help people? Autistic children, say.

In a sidebar, she offered the following tips for soothing a dog. As a person with sensitive hearing, I told my husband that they also sounded like good tips for running a pleasant home.

1. Keep volume of TV and radio at a level that can't be heard from another room.

2. Lower volume on cell phone and change ringtone to something soothing.

3. Don't slam doors and drawers. Avoid clanging pots, pans and dishes.

4. Instead of yelling to people in other rooms, walk over and talk to them in a normal tone of voice.

5. If you become overly enthusiastic during TV sporting events, put your dog in a calm place.

(Yes, more than once I have thought there was a fight going on next door, only to realize that it was merely The Guys reacting to the first football game of the season.)
====
Based on recent observation, I have my own tip to include.

If you listen to people yodeling on the Internet, be prepared to have a frightened cat leap onto your lap and up on your shoulder.

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 10:17 AM

My dogs live in the yard and are self-regulating. They don't care about the TV or the phone, just the jingle of the leashes and walking collars and the clang of the metal dog dishes at dinner time.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 11:20 AM

to calm dog: -

1. Remove Cat.

2. Apply food.

3. Light real fire.

4. Put thick rug in front of fire.

5. Enjoy snoring of dog by fire.

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Bee
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 11:44 AM

Richard, my dog used to observe, after food was applied, that the cat was sleeping on the mat in front of the fire. Her solution was to back up to the mat, then slowly sit down on top of the cat. Cat problem solved for the dog. Grumpy cat problem resolved by moving cat to lap.

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 01:07 PM

That has been known to result in cat removing dog's piles, whether present or not! When we had the three pointers, it was, by and large, the method the dog used to extract the bitches from head-cooking position, but he did not so much reverse up and sit as stand over and slowly lie down.

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: kendall
Date: 25 Mar 08 - 02:30 PM

Our dog was born calm.

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Escapee
Date: 26 Mar 08 - 12:17 PM

I had a dog once who became very agitated when people she didn't know came into the house. She would growl and threaten until I picked her up, whereupon the rude behavior would stop, even when I put her back down. The downside was that she weighed forty pounds or so.
SKP

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Bert
Date: 26 Mar 08 - 02:16 PM

This Guy has a cd with lullabies for dogs.

And better yet he is a fellow songwriter.

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 26 Mar 08 - 05:32 PM

How do they compare with the researcher's recommendations?

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Bert
Date: 26 Mar 08 - 06:39 PM

Leenia, if that question was for me then I don't know. But you can give it a try on his website here.

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 11:07 AM

I listened, Bert, and I believe it does. The tunes may not be classical, but it sounds like simplified classical music, and the pace is very slow.

I was intrigued by the heartbeat sound.

I'm going to send your link to a friend of mine, who will be moving and taking her high-strung dog to a new home.

Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 12:13 PM

People being calm around dogs helps.

I took my well-behaved and very friendly American Staffordshire Terrier (aka pit bull) to the feed store with me yesterday. The staff there know her and laugh when she sniffs under the open boxes of dog biscuits because she knows she's not to stick her head in and help herself. I let her pick up any that dropped on the floor. I'd been talking to one older couple and Cinnamon did her couple of tricks--I tell her "down" and "stay" and then put a piece of food on the floor. She drools and stares intently until I say "okay" and she gets up and eats it. She also catches pretty well when a treat is tossed to her. This woman asked "is your dog a boxer?"

I knew what was going to come. "No, she's a pit bull." The eyes went so wide I could see the white all around that woman's irises and she literally tipped back on her heals. I left Cinnamon sitting calmly on the floor where she was, with her back to this woman so she wouldn't see that fear, and said calmly "you can see that they're really very smart and friendly dogs when they're well-cared for, like any other dog." I didn't move closer or away, the leash was limp in my hand, I finished my order, and we walked out. I didn't want her startling the dog with her fear and I didn't want to scare her more with the dog. Maybe the prospect of a middle-aged middle class white woman standing in the feed store buying dog food for a very well-behaved pit bull made an impression counter to what she has seen on the news. They're just dogs if you are responsible and train them well.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 12:15 PM

heels

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Maryrrf
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 02:16 PM

An aquaintance of mine has two pitbulls, both rescued as very tiny puppies but they were definitely bred for fighting. One is extremely friendly and they would trust him under any circumstances - the other has attacked several people including a family member. In this case, one of the family was on crutches and that seemed to trigger an 'attack' reaction. The other attacks were mostly close calls although on one occasion the dog attacked a woman who was passing by when he was at the vet's and drew blood - they were lucky she didn't sue. Both dogs were raised with plenty of affection and discipline - they've even called in professional trainers to help with the 'problem' dog. So, I'm not so sure it's all a matter of how a dog is raised - I think some dogs just have an inate temperment that makes them dangerous.

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 03:03 PM

Giving a dog plenty of love isn't the same as raising a dog in a responsible way in which it knows you're in charge. Some of the best-meaning people have managed to love their dogs into snapping nervous outcasts by reinforcing the behavior they don't want. There could be lots of possible answers to that particular situation.

If I felt this dog was dangerous, I wouldn't keep her. But I had to learn a lot about myself and about how dogs understand things in order to realize that I had to be in charge, and I have to work with them daily. I have had more problems with labrador retrievers than I've had with pit bulls.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 03:05 PM

Soothing a dog?
Massage.
They love it.

Trouble is, my chiropractor/massage therapist wife gives them the treatments, not me.
She should know it also helps for soothing husbands.
-Joe, last in line after the dogs, the cats, her son, and her mom-

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 03:10 PM

Yes, Joe, they do love it! And that is one time that either of my dogs will growl at the other. If I'm sitting with a dog's head on my lap and giving it the thorough rub around the neck and head and face, they'll hear the other approach and give a little growl of "go away, don't you dare interrupt, I'm not done with this yet."

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 05:10 PM

SRS, that's a good point about the difference between loving a dog and being a responsible owner.

Is pit bull really the name of breed? I thought it was Staffordshire terrier, something like that.

Subject: RE: BS: soothing a dog ... and more
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 02:25 AM

There are several lumped into that group. The Am Staffs look most like boxers. This site has some comparative information, but there is overlap here as well.

There is a strong prey drive and they're really possessive about food, but a lot of dogs are that way. These guys just excel at it. The funny thing is, the pit has been snapping at the catahoula for the most idiotic reason this week--the katydids are out. And this dog, who was stray for weeks before she ended up at my house, apparently cultivated quite a taste for springtime bugs in the time she lived in the prairie and woods across the road. Katydids are her absolute favorites and if Poppy gets between her and her bug, look out! (She is incredibly apologetic to Poppy once she has pounced and devoured her bug.) I've noticed quite a few over in a corner of the yard where both dogs like to hang out, around some bushes outside my bedroom window. I heard a fracas this evening and they'd been duking it out in the rosemary bush. When I called them over they both came quietly, and smelled heavenly. :)

SRS