Winter Wolfie - when annoying behaviour doesn’t require a training solution
A dogs behaviour can change throughout the day, week, year and across their lifetime. Not all behaviour change is desirable but not all behaviour change requires a training solution.
Winter Wolfie is the dog Wolfie becomes as the weather cools and sun baking all day is no longer an option. He is my seven year old Irish Wolfhound cross. As dogs go he is pretty low energy, walks are all about sniffing, sniffing, sniffing, he isn’t very interested in toys but loves pats and when no one is looking, snoozing on the couch.
Winter Wolfie is the dog Wolfie becomes as the weather cools and sun baking all day is no longer an option. He is my seven year old Irish Wolfhound cross. As dogs go he is pretty low energy, walks are all about sniffing, sniffing, sniffing, he isn’t very interested in toys but loves pats and when no one is looking, snoozing on the couch.
In summer Wolfie’s default is slow and steady, snooze a lot. When temperatures exceed 23 degrees he can be found lying in the sun on the deck. He doesn’t cope well with physical exercise in the heat and doesn’t seem to seek any substitute for the walk. To be honest sometimes you would forget we even have a dog.
BUT…… as the weather cools and winter approaches Wolfie wakes up! His days go from happily sun baking to barking, nudging hands for constant pats, restlessness, chewing sticks and kids toys!
Health, environment, life changes, weather, age can all play a role in influencing behaviour. It is always important to rule out any health concerns when behaviour changes, especially if the change appears suddenly.
In our case it is definitely the shift in seasons that brings about the change but Wolfie’s behaviour changes don’t need a training solution. He feels more like doing things and we need to meet that need.
Sure we could try and teach him not to bark by training a quiet cue and reinforcing quiet behaviours but barking is communication, it tells us something, suppressing the barking isn’t going to change how he feels and what he is trying to say. Perhaps we could use a ‘leave it’ cue when he is chewing inappropriate items, or have him go to his bed instead of hanging around us asking for pats but these things won’t change the underlying need. When considering behaviour its important to consider the function and all these behaviours indicate Wolfie is needing something to do.
So what is a dog guardian to do when their dog is showing them they need more to do.
Interactive food dispensing toys - toss the food bowl was never more important. You need to feed your dog daily and this gives you an easy way to incorporate some enrichment into their lives. Be inventive with how their meals are delivered.
Physical exercise - over the years we have had Wolfie our ability to give Wolfie two walks a day has reduced with the addition of two humans to our family but it is clear his need for his daily walk increases in winter. So I do make more effort to find the time to get him out even for 10 minutes.
Training any new behaviour or working on existing ones will get your dogs brain working. It is the brain work that is important here, the mental exercise to help tire them out, not what you are training them.
Play - sometimes a play session can be enough to meet your dogs social needs and activity needs. Tug, flirt pole, retrieving toys are games you can play with your dog. Play is also important for bonding with your dog.
Chew projects and sniffing exercises - both chewing and sniffing behaviours can promote calm with your dog, give some mental stimulation and satisfaction.
So does your dog have some annoying behaviours? Does your dog’s behaviour change with the seasons? Consider what the function of the behaviour is because the solution needs to address this. Maybe an enrichment approach is what is needed.
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