Trust Account

What is a trust account?

Every day consists of numerous interactions with our dogs. We need to ensure these are positive and that our dogs trust us. The human/canine bond is a deeply rooted understanding, built on trust, dependability, and mutual support.

We need to make daily deposits into our dog's trust account.  We occasionally may have to expose our dogs to painful situations such as allowing them to receive vaccinations or to undergo surgery. We may need to examine them because we believe they have an injury or illness and this may be uncomfortable or even cause them pain or fear. Sometimes, other dogs will come out of nowhere, right into the face of our fearful dog, even though we try to avoid this. One day a person may reach over to stroke our dog on the head, invading his space and making him feel uncomfortable.

By making regular daily deposits into our dogs' trust accounts, we can ensure that when we do need to make a withdrawal, their accounts won’t become empty!

Humans can and do get frustrated and impatient. Take a deep breath before yelling at your dog. Forcing a dog to do something is a great way to lose your dog’s trust. Remaining calm, even though we feel angry, impatient or frustrated will ensure our dogs trust us. 

We often lead busy lives but remember to ensure you spend time with your dog. This can be a walk, playing, relaxing together, giving affection etc – be sure to find out what your dog loves best! 

A number of dogs do not enjoy being held, cuddled and feeling restricted - try the Consent Test with your dog to see what he enjoys. Stroke your dog on his chest or back for 5 seconds and then stop - does he push into your hand or try to restart the affection?  This video shows how to recognise the signs that a dog is not enjoying something.  

Use kind, positive methods to train and build your relationship.  Learn to ‘speak dog’ – recognise the things that cause stress or anxiety for your dog, learn to recognise their body language and how they are feeling.

Give your dogs choices where possible – where they sleep, which direction they walk, whether to be inside or outside, relax or play or whether to meet someone or not.  Avoid bribing or luring your dog. It is so easy to try to coax or bribe our dogs to do something and this will be a withdrawal from their trust account.

Be aware of your own body language and tone of voice. Research has shown that dogs use their owner's vocal cues to judge how safe a situation is and how much they should trust them! 

Researcher Dr Kun Guo, from the University of Lincoln’s School of Psychology, said: 

“Previous studies have indicated that dogs can differentiate between human emotions from cues such as facial expressions, but this is not the same as emotional recognition.

Our study shows that dogs have the ability to integrate two different sources of sensory information into a coherent perception of emotion in both humans and dogs."

Above all, be your dog’s advocate. Ask people not to stroke him if he does not enjoy this, ask people to give your dog space if this is what he needs - if people do not listen, move away.

Exercise versus mental stimulation

Thought I would share this brief video of one of my dogs working away in our enrichment room. She does have some arthritis in her hind legs and we are careful to avoid anything that could cause pain - especially any repetitive exercises. 

Just as in the human body, the muscle anatomy of a dog consists of both voluntary and involuntary control. Voluntary muscles are those within the body which can be directly controlled by conscious thought. The decision to chase a ball or jump over an obstacle involves a conscious choice by the dog. However, dogs do not have the sense (like some humans!) to stop when it hurts. They will keep going, even though it feels bad and can cause or make injuries worse. 

Using calm enrichment toys for problem-solving is ideal for mental stimulation for all dogs but especially senior dogs. You will see her muscles moving as she stretches forward to find the treats. Dogs that suffer from stiffness in the rear legs, weak hind leg muscles, arthritis and joint problems and many more can be helped by targeted exercise but please speak with your Vet before undertaking any targeted exercises. 

P.s had to include a view of the beautiful canvas from Greenpeace Boarding kennels in memory of our Tia, who we initially created the room for.

The gift of communication

"The golden gift is this: Intimately connected with his own emotions, the dog cannot lie. What he feels, he expresses. What he shows in his body posture is true, without guile, completely and utterly honest." Suzanne Clothier 1996 

Canine communication is the way that dogs signal their motivational state and probable future behaviour to conspecifics and human beings. This information can be given in the form of visual, olfactory, and acoustic signals and by body posture.

How does the dog feel?  Dogs willingly share with us how they are feeling, and it is our job to learn how to recognise, understand and respond to that communication.

“We often look, but we rarely see.” Frederik Franck, The Zen of Seeing. 1973

Search the internet for advice on any unwanted behaviour and you will probably read something about teaching a dog to respect us. This outdated advice completely misses the vital element of a relationship. We need to respect our dogs. For a relationship that truly thrives, we must cement a bond with our dog built on trust, mutual respect and communication.

Communication is essential for a good relationship.  Dogs cannot use words, but they do express themselves very clearly. Problems arise when we miss or misinterpret their communication. Surely, we owe it to our dogs to listen, acknowledge and respond to what they are saying to us.