To think that dogs are not born anxious

[bonbon2023]

And that their owners make them the way they are?

I'm on a couple of Facebook groups for the breeds of dogs I own and the amount of reactive/anxious dogs is getting ridiculous now. I'm seeing countless posts a day to the point I've left the groups. Dogs are not born this way it's what you do in bringing them up. The not ever leaving a dog to settle/be alone. Thinking a dog won't survive home alone if you leave the house for 5/6 hrs. A normal dog can be but the helicopter dog ownership is not helping them at all. And they are creating a rod for their own back, therefore ending up with a dog they can't control (or is controlling them) and then they are ending up rehomed. The final straw for me was a woman asking if she could give her dog a raw chicken wing that the butcher had given her saying her dog would love it, the comments went wild saying she shouldn't give her dog it, to the point she just threw it away. Some even telling her to freeze it first for two weeks 🤦🏻‍♀️
Dog ownership has changed massively in the last 10/15 years (since socially media) it's like dogs aren't treated like dogs anymore or aren't allowed to be because their owners are an anxious mess themselves 😬

I can't be the only one who thinks like this?

My working cocker spaniel has always seemed to be anxious despite us doing all the right things exposing him to different noises etc. He is afraid if anyone raises their voices even slightly, so you can't even have a heated conversation or swear in frustration without it affecting him. He is afraid of anything buzzing - a tiny fly, mosquito or wasp. terrified of motorbikes, gunshots, fireworks and motorcycles, hairdryers or hoovers. It's a difficult life with him !

There is no doubt that dogs have different temperaments.
There is no doubt some are more naturally anxious than others.
However there is also no doubt that treating them like babies creates issues that may never have been there otherwise

Breeding is important, but being rude to other dog owners and not letting dogs greet will cause reactivity, and then it’s always the other owners fault.

I have a collie cross. She was beautifully socialised as a pup/young dog and she lived quite happily with my other dog for many years and was fine. But she has a typical collie nature and really isn't that bothered about other dogs that she's not bonded with.

As she's got older she's got more intolerant of 'oh they're just being friendly' type dogs who bound up and get in her face/chase her when she's minding her own business. She avoids their 2/3 attempts to engage and when they don't get the hint she'll snap at them.

This was made considerably worse when a dog walker out with 6 or so dogs let them all off lead and the surrounded her and were all over her.

Her nature, her age and her experiences over time have seen her turn into a more anxious dog who prefers solitary walks and not to be chased by idiotic pooches with no manners.

I avoid dog walkers because I enjoy the solitude in an otherwise busy life. Neither of those factors are the cause of my dog's anxious personality.

That doesn't make me rude or her defective. It means I understand my dog and will do what works for her/us regardless of others' ideas that we're somehow doing it wrong!

I have one of those, too.

And I've never seen a greyhound that didn't look like it feared someone was about to give it a thrashing. Even when accompanied by clearly very devoted owners. They are sensitive souls, bless 'em.

OP, what kind of dogs do you breed? Some breeds are more prone to anxiety and need much more extensive socialisation than others. I have border collies and used to have Australian Shepherds, and both can be prone to anxiety. They need a lot of socialisation.

That said, I've also noticed more reactive dogs when traveling than there were a couple years ago. I'm inclined to blame lockdown. My younger border collie was 18 months when lockdown happened and despite plenty of positive socialisation as a youngster, spending nearly a year without meeting new dogs up close definitely knocked him back. He's fine with people but very nervous around strange dogs.

Breeding is important, but being rude to other dog owners and not letting dogs greet will cause reactivity, and then it’s always the other owners fault.

I don't let my dog greet others because he's reactive. And he's reactive because too many "friendly" dogs have run up to him and pinned him to the floor, or humped him or pestered him to the point where he had no choice but to snap at them.

@PaperDoves that's very common with adult border collies.

Being anxious is a survival instinct so yes they are. Orn with it. The owner Being the dogs pack leader allows the dog to relax so yes training relieves the anxiety

As PPs have said, dogs have different temperaments from birth. Some are more confident as puppies, some are anxious and nervous. I do agree that the type of training and handling a dog receives can help or hinder its progress in overcoming some issues.

Although people tend to overstate the importance of breed with regard to behaviour (only a tiny percentage of behaviour can be ascribed to breed, according to a recent extensive study) I do wonder whether breeding for specific physical characteristics has also inadvertently created a genetic predisposition toward anxiety and reactivity among some dogs.

Genetics play a huge part in dog behaviour. My dog had what would be classed as an ideal upbringing, he was correctly socialised and we used a highly recommended trainer with proven results before any problems showed. However he in anxious is certain situations and these are situations that we've trained in since he was a puppy, he manages them well because he is trained, but naturally they make him anxious. All of the dogs from his litter have the same anxieties, despite being brought up very differently. Their anxiety is genetic, how they cope with it is all down to the training

@Prescottdanni123 it’s recommended to give dogs raw chicken wings. They’re great for cleaning their teeth, good source of protein, low fat and a healthy treat. The bones are flexible or small enough to have no effect. Quick google will demo the research 👍

I’ve just been given an 18 month old springer spaniel who I think has partially been really badly bred. Allegedly the only one in his litter and has not had any of the usual nipping inhibition that puppies should receive as natural part of pack play plus other obsessional issues. His previous owners had to rehome him, I really don’t think they had much choice.

I agree that in many cases, like with children ( the 7 year olds who refuse to go to sleep/ bed drive me insane and it is a parenting issue not a child issue unless SEN) over indulgence has cause many issues. However we also understand more about dog behaviour, requirements of mental and physical exercise and nutrition and that can only be a good thing. I also feel strongly that since lockdown we have seen more poorly bred animals who are unsocialised and therefore ‘difficult’ or anxious. I also agree, mostly, about dressing dogs up, my former secondhand spaniel endured a puppyhood of painted nails and a wardrobe of unnecessary clothes before he was given up to us. However as a child we had a Labrador with hip dysplasia ( before testing was available) who needed gentle exercise and not the damp and cold that went with it and she has loose fitting wax jacket for those interminable grey and damp months. Do my spaniels or Boxers have coats, no but if they had a condition that meant keeping them dry helped them I would have no hesitation in buying an appropriate coat.

I feel, a little like some parenting, that dogs are not being allowed to be dogs hence some of the issues. Poor breeding, the fact any idiot can breed and own a dog and charge a lot of money for them has massively increased dog behavioural issues.

I cautiously agree with the sentiment but feel the full answers to why we are seeing more anxious dogs is far more nuanced … but yes stupid people and clever dogs it’s only ever the dog who suffers.

A dog professional I have become friends with recently sighed and said ‘I wish we could licence people to breeds!’ After dealing with yet another idiot and a poor confused animal, it would never happen but such a good idea.

I used to live on a working farm 600 plus sheep.
We bred working collies mostly for our own use. More than half of a litter won't make the cut for being a sheep dog. Exact same breeding and training as their litter mates, but some dogs are just more anxious, lack drive for working or were too aggresive making them unsuitable. We homed them in pet homes as soon as we realised their personality wasn't suited to the job. The same often happens with guide dogs, police dogs etc who are expected to have the right temperament for a job. Personality is a thing, even within animals.

I will also add before somebody starts... when I say some dogs were too aggresive, I do not mean towards people. Biting sheep is not allowed in working dogs. Some dogs are not aggresive towards people but are unsuitable if they use their mouths at all with the sheep.

I think dogs can have anxious personalities. But I can’t help noticing that the anxious dogs I know do have owners who I consider a bit neurotic. Therefore, I think the problem is often the owners fault, but not always.

I do think a lot of problems have developed with the whole 'fur baby' army on Tik Tok and other social media platforms.
Dogs are not bloody children and shouldn't be treated as a substitute for them!
Dogs fair far better when they are allowed to be dogs, plenty of exercise (amount recommended for the breed) in open spaces (I find these dog fields that you can rent a very sad indication of where we are at with things at the moment), decent food but nothing ridiculous- they don't need a freshly cooked three course evening meal when they would be living off scraps in the wild!
Too many people have inadvertently made their dogs the 'head of the household' and it is too much unnecessary pressure on them.

Pack theory has been debunked. Dogs do like routine and consistent expectations.

This. My partner is a vet and gets sick of people spouting nonsense that they've found on Google and thinking they know better than him (a vet for 30 years and dog owner for 50) about what is good for a dog.

I never believed that dogs were born anxious until I had a border collie. She was amazingly intelligent, brought up the same as all my other dogs (I've had them since the age of 10 and I'm now 49) and she was totally neurotic and anxious about everything.

My current boy was absolutely bomb proof as a pup, but got attacked one day in a pub by a cocker poo thing (he was lying under the table minding his own business and this thing came out of nowhere and started getting in his face - we pulled it off while it's gormless twat of an owner just stood there). Now he's reactive and nervous of other dogs and nothing we do makes a blind bit of difference, mostly because there are too many twat owners out there who can't handle their dogs.

Yes, I judge. 🤣

@The6thQueen

Only if the pieces are big enough that they can't be swallowed whole. And my dog definitely would try to swallow them whole and choke herself in the process.

@Prescottdanni123 dogs can eat raw chicken wings. It's cooked chicken bones they can't eat. 🙄

@bonbon2023

Mine would choke herself trying to eat the raw ones with the way she wolfs her food down

I agree bad breeding plays a part. If pups are shut away and not socialised then I suppose they can be nervous when out in world. My pups have been brought up with kids and dogs of all sizes and when they go off to their new homes they are confident pups. Never had a shy one.

@PaperDoves over the last 15 years I've bred yorkies, cocker spaniels and cockapoos.

@HeffyAgain don't get me started on fur baby's 😤 it's a dog and for it's own benefit needs to be treated like a dog.

@Prescottdanni123 try her. You'd be suprised. All my dogs wolf there good down. Chicken wings they savor.

@bonbon2023

Having seen her almost choke on one before, I'd rather not thanks. It does say online that you shouldn't give them if they are able to swallow them whole, as they could choke and there have also been cases of dogs ending up at the vets having made by bacteria on raw chicken so I'll give it a miss.

Dogs just like us have their own personalities. Of course there will be some who are born more anxious than others. I think you are partially correct that it is the owners who make a lot of dogs nervous.

Raw chicken wings are great for dogs. They have these immensely powerful jaws and it must feel such a pleasure for them to use them as nature intended. The only reason I seldom give my dog one now is that I'm finding supermarket chicken isn't always as fresh as it could be. Butchers would probably be ok.

Out of interest, why 3 different breeds OP? If I was buying a puppy that would be alarm bells for me.