Common Behaviour Problems

 

Aggression in Dogs

 

Thousands of dogs are euthanized every year because of problems with aggression. A bit of knowledge on your part may prevent your dog from being one of them.

 

DOMINANCE AGGRESSION

Dogs, like wolves, are pack animals. Dominance within the pack is linear, which means that no two dogs are on the same level of dominance and only one can be the leader. The dog perceives the human members of its family as members of the pack.

Dominant dogs are those with the strongest instinctive drive to push for the alpha or “top dog” position. This type of dog will perceive a kind and soft human as weaker than them. Humans instinctively try to win the dog's affection by patting, spoiling and allowing the dog to get its own way, which reinforces the dog's dominant position. Therefore, dominance aggression is usually directed towards family members or people the dog is familiar with, when they inadvertently threaten the dog's social position. Common triggers are:

Dominance is not fully expressed until 2-3 years of age. Any puppy showing dominance aggression under 6 months of age is a great concern.

Treatment requires a major commitment from the entire family. All the family members must establish dominance over the dog and this must be reinforced through the entire lifetime of the dog. The dog must learn that nothing in life is free and that the family members control the things he values.

• Obedience train. Train the dog to sit, stay, come, down, down-stay and heel. This is all about CONTROL. A head halter works great!
• Make the dog work for all valued assets. These include toys, touch and food. Give a command such as "sit" and make sure he responds before feeding or petting this is so that you are telling him what to do and not the other way around. Make sure he relinquishes any toys to all family members on command.
• No games.Dogs win all games they play and winning increases a dog's dominance. One should never play rough games like wrestling or tug-of-war with a dominant dog.
• No beds. Your bed is the prime sleeping spot. YOU are the boss so YOU get the bed - not the dog!
• Keep on leash. Again, you need to be in control, not him. A head halter gives you even more control. Exercise is extremely important to burn off energy and the dog should be walked as much as possible.
• Neuter. Aggression is inherited so this will prevent it from being passed on to offspring.

Throughout the life of the dog it is important reinforce the family's dominance over the dog by using handling exercises and to maintain an attitude of “people are boss”. A dominant dog must always be supervised with visitors, especially children.

 

TERRITORIAL AGGRESSION

 

Dogs have a normal drive to defend their territory, and most owners want their dog to alert them when someone is in the yard. Problems arise when this drive is too strong and the dog growls, lunges or bites at visitors or chases people. The problem is compounded when the dog learns that it can frighten away people, since most people quickly back off when confronted with a growling or barking dog. Once the dog learns that this behavior is effective it becomes worse and is more difficult to eliminate. Dominant dogs tend to be more territorial as well.

Treatment of this type of aggression involves getting control. Obedience train your dog so that you have control. Then teach the dog to do something other than the unwanted behavior. For example:

• If your dog is aggressive towards people when they come to the door, train him to go to his bed and lie down whenever anyone comes to the door. Start by teaching the "bed" command without anyone else present. After he is responding consistently have a friend approach the door, when he starts to react get his attention, give him the "bed" command and then reward him if he listens. Increase the training gradually. After he is good when someone is just approaching the door, then get them to ring the door bell, then enter the house. Make sure the dog is responding well at each step before moving on.

 

Aggression in Cats

 

Young cats and kittens can be quite serious when it comes to play. Play prepares them to become great hunters and helps develop social skills with other cats. This behavior may be cute in a young kitten, but is not so fun as the cat grows and you end up with an adult cat attacking your legs or scratching your kids. The danger of serious injury increases when the behavior is directed toward the face, a family member with fragile skin or toward someone with an immune deficiency disorder.

 

Play attack problems typically involve young cats. The attacks escalate when they are reinforced by someone who thinks the behavior is cute and encourages it. Kitten play typically involves elements of predation such as stalking, chasing, attacking, catching and biting. Most kittens engage their peers in this rough play, but when another feline playmate is not available, a family member often becomes the target.

Avoid training a kitty to be a terrorist.

Teasing a small kitten with your fingers and toes may seem like fun, but this will quickly change as the pet grows older and the bites become harder. If you want to be more to your cat than a big toy, take an early stand. We euthanize far too many cats because of aggression, but if you start early, their behavior can be controlled.

 

Controlling the Behavior
Since play is a normal behavior, it is important that the cat has an acceptable outlet for it.

Getting a second cat of the same age and temperament will usually draw the attack behavior away from you and toward the new buddy. Only consider this option if you are prepared to take on the extra care that a second pet means. If adding another pet to the home is not an option then you must control the behavior.

 

Play interaction with the cat should involve tossing or dangling toys for it to chase and catch. This directs the attacks away from you. The more vigorous the interaction, the better. Keep your kitten so busy and worn out that it doesn't even think about going after you. Check out the pet stores and stock up on different types of cat toys, or provide inexpensive toys such as ping pong balls or wadded up paper or tinfoil for swatting. Adding catnip to the toy or stuffing or coating it with food can sometimes increase its appeal. A short fishing rod is great for casting small rubber or feather toys. Always maintain control at playtime. Play that is initiated by the cat should be ignored or interrupted; you should start all play.

Punishment

Physical punishment, such as swatting the pet or thumping it on the nose to stop rough play should be avoided. It may cause your cat to either fear you or encourage even rougher play.

A blast of air from a compressed air can (obtained from a photography store), a squirt from a water gun, or an audible alarm are safe ways to discourage the behavior. This approach is only likely to work when you can anticipate an attack and are prepared to interrupt your kitten as it begins its assault. Attacks are most likely to occur when you're making some interesting movement, such as dusting, making the bed, reading a newspaper, or walking down the stairs. Vigilance is a necessary ingredient for being consistent in teaching your kitten not to attack.
A time-out by removing the cat to a room by itself is appropriate too, and a towel can be used if they try to bite when picked up.

 

Nighttime Attacks
Nighttime attacks are more difficult to handle and, in most cases, the only simple solution is to keep the cat out of the bedroom when you sleep at night. Often, this behavior will decrease and stop as the pet grows older. You can keep a can of compressed air nearby to deter surprise attacks. Again, DO NOT encourage this behavior by teasing the kitten with hands or feet moving under the blankets.

 

Sibling Rivalry
Problems with other cats in the home can occur when the play target is another cat that is weak, fearful, or old, and cannot tolerate the young cat's playful behavior. The pets should be kept separate unless supervised. A water gun can discourage exuberant play, and appropriate toys can keep the rambunctious cat occupied.

 

Nail Trimming
Since young kittens tend to use their paws a lot in play, it's a good idea to keep those nails trimmed to prevent more severe scratches. It's not too hard to teach your cat to accept nail trimming, but you must have patience and pick the right time. The very worst time to attempt nail trimming is when the pet is alert and active. Pick a time when the kitten is sleepy or napping. Handle the paws very gently, use a sharp pair of trimmers, and quickly take off the tip of one nail. If the pet continues to snooze, take the tip off another nail or two. If your cat stirs, pet it gently and give it a small treat. Going slowly, over time your pet will grow used to having its nails trimmed. Using too much force will scare your pet.
Declawing is a surgical procedure done by veterinarians that removes the front claws, they do not grow back. This will prevent scratches by the front claws.

 

Coprophagia

There is probably no other behavior problem quite so distressing and repugnant to pet owners as the family dog that eats stool. However, coprophagia may be a normal activity. Bitches eat their puppies' stool to keep the den clean and the behavior has been seen in some wild canines. Although some viruses and intestinal parasites can be transmitted in this way, dogs that eat stool seldom suffer any adverse health effects.

 

Dogs can generally be divided into two groups: those that eat their own stool, and those that eat the stool of other species like cats, cows and horses. Dogs that partake of cow and horse stool are unlikely to be correctable, as the stool itself is rewarding. Pet owners can be consoled by the fact that cattle, horse and rabbit stool is somewhat nutritious and unlikely to harm the dog. Keep the kitty litter box out of reach of the family dog and leave the dog at home or keep him on a leash if you visit the farm.

Although it is a common problem, little is known about why some dogs eat their own stool. There is wide individual variation in the expression of this behavior. Some dogs out grow the habit, some partake only in winter (poopsicles), some indulge occasionally and others are lifelong addicts.

• Dogs fed diets high in carbohydrates and low in fat and fibre (which contribute to a "full" feeling) are more likely to eat stool. As well, dogs that are not fed enough food to meet their caloric requirements may "fill up" on stool. Certain diseases which prevent proper digestion and absorption of food may contribute to coprophagia, but these diseases must be severe and advanced before they cause the problem.
• Coprophagia can be an attention getting behavior that is conditioned by the owner's reaction. It may also contain elements of play, especially in puppies, and the stool itself appears to be rewarding.

Coprophagia is an extremely difficult behavior problem to correct. There are a variety of factors that contribute to the problem and the causes may accumulate for some time before the behavior commences. For this reason, the treatment must integrate a variety of approaches to the problem.

 

THINGS TO TRY...

There is no definitive treatment for stool eating, but there are a few things that you can try.

· Some people find that Certs, added to the dog's food, will help, presumably by making the stool taste bad.
· We have a product for sale called Forbid that is added to the food to make the stools taste bad.
· Sprinkling the stool with tobasco sauce or hot pepper can be tried, but rarely works. It is essential that absolutely every stool be doctored or the dog receives intermittent rewards if he occasionally eats an untreated stool. This makes the behavior even more difficult to eliminate.

 

Punishment does not work. It is seldom possible to punish within the ½ second of the dog ingesting the tasty morsel. The stool eating itself seems to be so rewarding for some dogs that the punishment doesn't work.

 

THE TRAINING METHOD...

The most important part of any training program is ensuring that the dog will never again have a chance to eat stool. You must completely prevent access to the stool, This means taking the dog out on leash to do his business then cleaning up immediately after him. The stool eating needs to be prevented long enough to allow the behavior to go into extinction, which will take at minimum one month, but most often requires 3-6 months.

 

ALTERING THE DIET MAY HELP...

Try a diet recommended by your veterinarian that is higher in fat, fibre and protein and lower in carbohydrate. Try replacing a portion of dry food with some high protein canned food. Sometimes the addition of vegetable oil at a dose of 15 ml per pound per day will reduce the problem. Talk to your vet if your dog is overweight, these added calories will also add more weight!

 

The dog should not be fed any treats or table food. His meal times should be regularly scheduled, in the morning and/or at supper time. This will help suppress appetite at other times. Make sure you are feeding enough food for your dog's activity level - although this is rarely a problem and most dogs are overfed!

 

Changing the diet completely to a commercially available high fibre diet may help. (There are several of these available from your veterinarian.) The stool tends to become very dry and flaky on this type of diet - which may deter the dog. The major drawback of this is that there is significantly more stools produced for you to clean up. Also, when the dog returns to its normal diet, the stool eating may resume.

Unfortunately, there is no foolproof treatment for this problem. You may have more success with preventing access than with anything else, however you also may have to combine several of the above approaches to deal with the problem.

 

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CDS) is similar to alzheimers diseases of humans. Researchers estimate that 50-60% of dogs over the age of 11 yrs will have one or more signs associated with CDS.

SIGNS
• Disorientation: wanders aimlessly, gets lost in house or yard, stares into space or at walls
• Less interaction with family members: doesn't seek attention or petting
• Sleeps more in the day but less at night
• Increase in wandering and pacing
• Barking for no apparent reason
• Loss of housebreaking

 

TREATMENT
Besides lots of patience and ensuring the CDS dog doesn't wander away outside (they easily can become lost or injured), there are two treatment options:

 

Anipryl (L-deprenyl) - This drug was originally used to treat a disorder of older dogs known as Cushings Disease. Since many of these pets also had CDS, it was noted that the pet's behavior and alertness also improved. The mechanism for this is unknown. Similar results have been seen in human medicine where this drug is used to treat Parkinson's Disease.

 

Diet - Hills has created an aging diet b/d, that is a blend of antioxidents and other nutrients to help fight brain aging and and age-related behavioural changes in older dogs. Clinical studies have shown improved alertness and a reduction in housesoiling on this diet.

• Too clean – cats hate the smell of soap. Rinse the box with hot water, but don’t wash it.
• Too dirty – scoop litter daily, change it twice a week or more.
• Type of litter - Cats tend not to like deodorant litter, with unscented fine clumping type litters generally preferred over other types, but individual cats will vary.
• Not enough litter in pan – 2 inches is ideal.
• Location of litterbox – Is still accessible to old or infirm cats? Is it in a noisy high traffic area? Consider putting it where cat is house soiling and gradually move it to a more desirable area.
• Change type of pan to one with high sides or that is enclosed. Ensure litterbox is big enough for your cat.
• Put out one pan per cat if possible.

  ** Never punish the cat in or around the litterbox – it may associate punishment with the box and start avoiding it.

 

3. CLEAN THE ENVIRONMENT
Clean the area so you can’t smell it. Look for a product specific for cat urine to remove the odor and avoid ammonia and vinegar, which smell similar to urine to a cat. However, cats have very sensitive noses and it is not possible to clean well enough that the cat can’t pick up some residual odor. This must be masked.

• Tile and hard surfaces: Clean with a strong soap such as pinesol. Then mix a solution of 1 part dettol and 4 parts water. Wash the area with diluted dettol every 4 days for 1 month.
• Carpet: Clean with carpet cleaner or a urine specific product such as Urine Erase. After cleaning, rub mothball crystal deep into the pile of the carpet. Only a small amount of crystals are needed and you shouldn’t be able to smell them. Replace the crystals every 5-7 days for 1 month.
• Shower or Tub: leave 2” of water in the bottom.
• Flowerpots: use pure blood meal, mothballs or upside down mousetraps in the pot (remember mothballs are poisonous- it is always safer to break them up so they can’t be eaten). Also a cardboard cover can be made for the plant with watering holes.

 

4. DECREASE THE ANIMAL’S STRESS LEVEL
Even if we can determine the cause of the anxiety, it is not often possible to reverse things. Extra attention or confining to their own room to provide privacy may help. Many of these cats would not spray if they were the only pet. Covering windows or making them inaccessible, so your cat can’t see other cats outdoors may help. Often medications are used to decrease anxiety while the pet is adjusted to the change and until they are housebroken again. Feliway is a pheromone spray that can be used to treat soiled areas, as well as favored resting-places. It has the affect of calming and relaxing the pet. Punishment does not help and only increases anxiety.

 

5. RETRAIN THE CAT TO THE LITTERBOX
Confine to a small room (the bathroom is ideal) for 1-2 weeks. Put the cat’s litterbox, food, water, bed and toys in with him. Spend time with him every day, but only take him out if you are holding him. Put a small amount of soiled material in the litter box if possible. When he is consistently using the litterbox, gradually allow access to the rest of the house. Set up an identical pan in the preferred location.

House Soiling in Dogs

House soiling in dogs may be caused by one of, or a combination of, behavioral and medical causes.

 

MEDICAL CAUSES:

• Any disease that causes urgency or an increase in frequency can cause a pet to have accidents in the house. Diarrhea, urinary tract infections, urinary incontinence and bladder stones are all common in pets.
• Any illnesses that causes excessive thirst, will increase the number of times a pet has to urinate and the potential of mistakes.
• As dogs become geriatric they may have memory loss or disorientation that can lead to accidents.
  Your veterinarian will want to examine the pet for general health, and usually will run some tests such urinalysis, fecal examination or bloodwork.

 

BEHAVIORAL CAUSES:
There are many behavioral causes of housesoiling:

• Ineffective housebreaking is a common cause of housesoiling. Some dogs such as terriers may be much harder to housebreak than others. Dogs that have a lot of accidents when housebreaking, can be inadvertently trained that the house is the place to go. Puppies raised strictly in a kennel and not allowed to eliminate outside (usually raised in a breeding kennel) may be extremely difficult to housetrain as well.
• Excitement, especially in puppies, can cause urination.
• Separation anxiety can cause both urination and defecation and the dog may be a destructive chewer as well.
• Fearful and super-submissive animals will often cower or roll over and urinate, even in response to voices or stimuli that we may not consider threatening.
• Territorial marking is primarily a problem in male dogs not neutered or females in heat.
• Overeating or poor quality food may cause frequent bowel movements and soft stool, which can lead to accidents.

Regardless of the cause, once a pet has had an accident in the house the smell will draw them back to the area and encourage a repeat of the incident. It will also encourage other pets to start spraying. The longer the problem has been ignored, the harder it will be to resolve.

TREATING HOUSESOILING

Take Your Pet To Your Veterinarian:

A dog cannot be housebroken when there is soft stool or urinary disease. A complete physical exam and appropriate tests will ensure there are no underlying diseases causing the house soiling. This is especially important in older animals that have been housebroken and are now having accidents. Consider spaying or neutering the pet if this has not been done yet.

Go Back To The Basics Of Housebreaking:

 

1. TEACH YOUR DOG WHERE IT SHOULD BE GOING
Take him out every time he eats, drinks, wakes from a nap, and after an active play. Take him to the same spot each time and give plenty of praise or a treat for appropriate elimination.

If you are leaving food out all the time consider feeding separate meals, as your pet will tend to go 10-15 minutes after eating. Pick up both food and water between feedings. You can provide water more frequently but remember to take him outside after he drinks. Feed the last meal 3-5 hours before bedtime.

 

2. PREVENT MISTAKES
Do not leave unsupervised in the house, even if it means keeping him on a leash. Confine to a small space when not under supervision. We strongly recommend crate training.

 

3. AVOID PUNISHMENT
We punish a dog for what they are doing that exact moment. If they have just finished, it is too late. Punish with a firm "no" and direct eye contact only if caught in the act, and immediately take outside. Rubbing the dogs nose in the mess will not help. Dogs that look "guilty" have learned to associate the mess with being in trouble, but they do not associate being in trouble with putting the mess there in the first place. If you punish them after the fact they will not learn from it.

 

Clean The Environment:

Regardless of how thoroughly an area is cleaned, the dog will still be able to smell where elimination has occurred, and this can stimulate further elimination. First, clean the area so you can't smell it. Look for a product specific for urine to remove the odor and avoid ammonia and vinegar, which smell similar to urine to a dog. Then mask the smell after the area has been cleaned.

• Tile and hard surfaces: Clean with a strong soap such as pinesol. Then mix a solution of 1 part dettol and 4 parts water. Wash the area with diluted dettol every 4 days for 1 month.
• Carpet: Clean with carpet cleaner or a urine specific product such as Urine Erase. After cleaning, rub mothball crystal deep into the pile of the carpet. Only a small amount of crystals are needed and you shouldn't be able to smell them. Replace the crystals every 5-7 days for 1 month.

Separation Anxiety

Dogs are social animals and form strong attachments to dogs and people. Some dogs are so dependent on their owners, that they become very stressed when left alone. Signs of separation anxiety are only seen when the dog is left alone or prevented from being close to the owner (such as at night). The dog is in a high state of anxiety and needs to do something to reduce tension. People suffering from tension might go for a run, have a drink or chew their fingernails. Dogs do doggy things such as:

• excessive barking
• chewing, digging or licking
• hyperactivity (pacing)
• urination or defecation (often diarrhea)

The dog is not doing these things for spite, out of boredom or due to a lack of obedience. He is doing them to decrease his stress level. Most of the destructive behavior occurs shortly after the owner's departure when the dog's anxiety level is the highest. Treatment of this problem requires loosening the bond between owner and pet, so the dog can tolerate the owner's absence without anxiety. This is often very hard for the owners, because they love being with their pets.

 

Treatment of Separation Anxiety

 

1. Exercise your dog with a fast walk on leash for at least a half-hour once a day to expend some of his energy. It is also quality time that does not involve touching.

 

2. Everyone in the family should totally ignore the dog 15-20 minutes before leaving the house and 20 minutes after returning home. This helps to reduce the pet's excitement level and the amount tension he feels when he finds himself alone.

 

3. Give the dog a special item to chew only when left alone. Small holes drilled in a hard nylon bone and stuffed with cheese is one treat that works well. Buster cubes and Kongs are other toys that can be filled with treats.

 

4. Think about the things you do when you go out for the day (and the dog destroys things), compared to the things you do when you go outside for short periods such as to do laundry or get the mail (and the dog doesn't get upset). Try mixing up the cues, such as by taking the keys all the time or getting a coat on a half hour before you go, so that he isn't as attuned to a pattern.

 

5. Training the dog to follow commands such as sit, down, stay and heel will help to re-establish a more appropriate relationship with the pet.

 

6. If the above is not working alone, the person the dog is most attached to should totally ignore the dog for a couple of weeks. While this is very difficult, it will reduce your dog's dependence on you. This means totally ignoring the dog as if he doesn't exist, with no eye contact or touching

 

7. Antianxiety drugs may be used in association with retraining but will not cure the problem alone.

 

What does not work:

 

1. Getting a pet for your pet. Many people think that another animal will keep their dog from being lonely while they are out. But having company does not effect the excessively tight bond between you and your dog or the distress he feels when you are gone.

 

2. Punishment. Dogs do not make the association between making a mess and being punished for it later. They cannot reason that if they don't make a mess they will not be punished. The guilty look is because they know you are angry, but not why you are angry.

 

3. Confining the dog. Locking the dog in a kennel may protect the house but he must redirect his energies somewhere and may hurt himself. While a kennel or crate training is a good idea, it must be done in combination with the above steps.

 

Sibling Rivalry

Sibling rivalry is the term used to describe situations in which two dogs (siblings or not), living in the same household, fight repeatedly. These fights may start out with snarling or growling, but mayprogress to vicious prolonged fights if steps are not taken to correct the problem.

The fighting occurs because the dogs are not allowed to establish a dominance hierarchy or "pecking order". In the wild, an individual dog occupies a strictly defined position within the pack. No two dogs share the same level of dominance, so in any confrontation the more submissive pack member will defer to the more dominant one. Some dogs have a strong drive to establish dominance and will constantly challenge more dominant animals to fight. The winner of the fight moves up the dominance ladder with respect to the loser. Very dominant dogs do not fight with very submissive dogs because the submissive animals defer to them. Fights only occur between dogs of nearly equal dominance.

 

Fighting often starts in situations in which, in the wild pack, the social status would normally change. For example, fighting may begin when a younger dog reaches puberty and his drive for dominance is activated. Problems may also occur when an older pet gets sick and is unable to maintain his position with respect to the younger animal.

 

Problems arise in human households when the family pets are not allowed to establish a dominance hierarchy. This occurs because the human members of the family intervene by punishing the winner (the dog who could be dominant) and comforting the loser. Unfortunately, in doing so, the submissive dog's status is elevated and that of the dominant dog is lowered. The dogs' dominance levels remain nearly equal, ensuring that fighting to establish a stable dominance hierarchy continues. The fighting will only end when a social order is established, with one dog clearly dominant and the other one submissive.

 

The fights are usually triggered by competition for something that the dominant dog takes as his right, but which the other dog refuses to give up. Many dogs coexist happily until the owner comes home, but then fight for the owner's attention. Often, the owner's presence makes the submissive dog more confident and willing to challenge the other dog's position. The dogs may also fight over valued resources like food, toys or sleeping area.

 

TREATMENT OF SIBLING RIVALRY

The first step in treatment is to determine which of the two dogs is dominant. This decision should be based on the age, sex, size, health, tenacity and behavior of the dogs. Young puppies are seldom dominant, but may challenge an older dog when they reach puberty.

 

Because the fights can be serious, it is important not to stimulate aggression between the dogs. For this reason, toys and food should be removed. You may leave the dogs alone together while you are away, because without food, toys or your presence, there is little to stimulate fighting. If the dogs do fight in your presence, you must reassure the aggressor and reprimand the submissive dog. Your praise will help make the dominant dog more dominant, which will contribute to the rapid establishment of a stable social structure.

 

It is vitally important that the dogs both recognize the human members of the family as the most dominant members of their pack. If you have any trouble with either of the dogs growling or snapping at you, resisting grooming or nail trimming, or other signs of dominance, these problems will have to be treated before you attempt to establish a dominance hierarchy for the dogs.

 

Once you have determined which dog will be dominant, everything you do should reinforce that animal's status. The dominant dog should be fed, exercised, praised and given attention before the other dog. Initially, it may be wise to ignore the submissive animal, while paying a great deal of attention to the other dog. If this causes aggression, try caging or tying up the submissive dog so that you can interact freely with the dominant dog, in front of the submissive dog, without causing a fight. You must continue to recognize the dominance status, once it has been established, by always dealing with the dominant dog first. This may feel like you are being "mean" to the submissive dog, but know that BOTH dogs will feel better once they understand the pecking order.

 

You should set up situations in which you pet and praise the dominant dog, and allow the submissive dog to watch. It may be necessary to start the training in the park or some other neutral territory, then once dominance is established you can repeat the training at home.

Neutering of both dogs may be helpful. Sometimes medication may help the training process, but there is no medication that will solve the problem on its own.

 

We realize that it is extremely distressing to have dogs fighting in your home. However, sibling rivalry is one of the easier problems to solve, once you realize that dogs do no expect to live as equals and that both dogs will be happier and more secure with a stable social structure.