Alice White
Many of those who start a dog will not think about whether they will be able to meet the zoo social, ethological, and physiological needs of the dog, that is, to provide the living conditions inherent in this type of animal.
Some potential dog owners are guided only by their own desires, which means they are acting selfishly. However, biology is a merciless and vindictive lady. She takes revenge on such owners with hostile actions of the dog: the destruction of the apartment, urination and defecation in the house, howling and barking (complaints from neighbors!), Dog disobedience, and even aggressiveness.
Most of the domestic dogs, that is, dogs living in apartments and houses, are under constant stress. Judge for yourself: a domestic / apartment dog lives in conditions of spatial limitation, that is, in a confined space. And who exists in conditions of limited freedom? Right. Prisoners. Thus, the house/house dog is sentenced to life imprisonment. This means that the restriction of freedom in all living beings causes a state of stress of one degree or another.
And if You Walk the Dog?
Walking your dog a lot, often and correctly, will certainly help. However, a survey of 439 dog owners from 76 breeds showed that 53% of owners had a morning walk of 15 to 30 minutes. But during this time it is impossible to satisfy the dog’s needs: the need for physical activity, the need for new information, and the need for additional stimulation. This is actually the case because studies have shown that the total incidence of undesirable behavior in dogs correlates with the length of the walk: the longer the morning walk, the less undesirable behavior is noted.
If we talk about the need for physical activity, then dogs need to be walked until tired. Then they will be happy. No time? Why did they have a dog then?
In the evening, the owners take longer walks with the dogs. This is true. But they walk longer not because dogs need it, but they walk longer in order to rest after a working day and relax before bed. Dogs do not need to walk longer in the evening. They sleep at night.
Walking is not only a physical activity, it is a time when the dog is exposed to millions of different stimuli and stimuli that are so necessary for the optimal existence of its nervous system. Let’s remember that for thousands of years the dog’s central nervous system existed and developed under the influence of a huge variety of stimuli and stimuli. And this has become not only the norm but also a need.
When you go to work and leave your dog alone in a cramped, poor, and monotonous apartment, he experiences sensory deprivation. And this does not add to her joy. By the way, in conditions of sensory deprivation, people also experience a state of stress, become depressed or go crazy.
And when you leave the dog alone, you leave it alone! And in all the books it is written that the dog is a highly socialized creature. Left alone, she finds herself in a situation of social deprivation and experiences, respectively, a state of social stress and boredom.
Thus, returning home for some dogs means returning to solitary confinement, a situation of sensory and social deprivation and restriction of freedom. Now you understand why some dogs don’t want to go home.
What to Do?
Organize the maintenance of the dog to meet the deficiencies it is experiencing. Get up early and walk the dog longer and more actively. Have intelligent dog toys at home.
If you can’t do it yourself, hire a person to come or bring the dog to the nearest dog hotel on the way to work, where you can do it with the dog, satisfying all its dog needs.
Walk your dog on a leash and teach unquestioning obedience. This, of course, will not make the dog happier, but it will remove the problem with resistance.
