I have a few questions regarding dog behaviour

1. I read that petting and hugging the dog is a very human thing to do and does not have any antecedents in the canine world. The dog understands that nothing bad ever happens to it when it gets petted, (almost always good things happen) and therefore starts to like it. Is this true? If so, How does the pack leader show appreciation for the other members in the canine world when he/she is pleased with his/her pack?

2. What to do with dogs/puppies that are not needy and not want to hang around you a lot. I have a puppy (4 months) that is by nature , super mellow. He loves to learn tricks and has a lot of food drive. But he does not want to hang around me a lot otherwise. He does say hello to me in the mornings, afternoon and evenings (when I go out after a few hours gap) for a few minutes and just walks away. I am kind to him and pet him when he walks upto me. He is super driven towards me when I have food. Could this be a breed specific thing? What in nature causes the pack to follow their leader around? My other two puppies won't leave my side as long as I let them to be near me.

Hi Ram, I am by no means a dog behavior specialist, so others with more experience might say differently... What comes to mind is that dogs have different personalities as do we humans. Not everyone is a "touchy-feely" kind of person - some people are perfectly comfortable with less interaction and physical contact, although they like being around or near other people. Your one pup could simply be a bit more comfortable or confident "in his own skin" and not need as much physical contact with you as do your other dogs.

I've had dogs who LOVE having their bellies rubbed and others which found it a bit annoying. Some liked having their ears rubbed, but not all of them.

Bond with this guy through your marker training and exercise, and try to respect that he simply marches to the beat of a different drummer. Its kinda cool really.

In regard to question #2, I tethered my pup to me whenever he wasn't in his crate for the first month. Just put a short lead on his collar and hooked it to my belt loop. This kept him out of trouble, provided a lot of bonding time, and got him in the habit of being with me a lot. By the time he was a few months old he followed me around on his own w/o the lead just because he wanted to - he was used to it. They do what is familiar, and what gets them what they want!

 Quote: ramachandran subramanian

1. I read that petting and hugging the dog is a very human thing to do and does not have any antecedents in the canine world. The dog understands that nothing bad ever happens to it when it gets petted, (almost always good things happen) and therefore starts to like it. Is this true?

Essentially, yes - hugging and petting are gestures you can really only do if you've got arms, so humans and other primates freely use hugging as a social act... dogs are simply unfamiliar with the concept, and combined with the instinctive discomfort most animals have with being restrained, they aren't born to love hugs.

That said, there are all manner of things our domestic companion animals do, because they were raised/trained/nurtured by US, not because it's instinctive, and what you're seeing now is more a matter of individual personality. Like Barbara said, every critter, just like every person, has his or her own likes and dislikes. By way of your handling and training, all your pups are probably comfortable with hugs, in that they don't feel afraid, but only the ones that have that softer, snuggly temperament may enjoy and happily submit to, or even ask for, you to hug them. I have a dog who does not enjoy too much affection from me... I wish it weren't the case (and I smother him with hugs anyway ), but Oscar just rolls his eyes and clearly "tolerates", as opposed to "enjoys" it. I respect that about him and am very stingy with letting strangers fuss and fawn over him because I know it's not fun for him.

 Quote: ramachandran subramanian

How does the pack leader show appreciation for the other members in the canine world when he/she is pleased with his/her pack?

Canines don't really "show appreciation" to their packmates the way that humans do... grooming, playing, sleeping alongside each other, etc. take place between individuals who enjoy each other's company, but they don't do things like pat each other on the back after a successful hunting trip. Your bond will strengthen with fair, consistent leadership, and lots of working together.

~Natalya

The following is my opinion based upon way way too much time watching wildlife documentaries about wild and feral dogs and reading puppy raising manuals and dealing with lots and lots of boarding clients.

1) Dogs are biologically programed to be in groups. This is imprinted upon them the moment they join their pack as puppies. You will see puppies be very physical with older dogs, and other members of the pack. This sets the bond, IMO. The group provides comfort, food, protection, and a means to procreate. While wild dogs may not show as much comfort to each other as adults you will see mutual grooming, providing for puppies, and you will generally see packs fracture every 3 generations with either individuals being driven out or internals strife driving out a few members who join together.

2) Some dogs and dog breeds are exceptionally independent from human interaction and need. I've seen a lot of it in livestock guardian breeds that are imprinted on a flock as a puppy, ancient breeds, sled breeds, and some of the hound breeds. I've also seen it with puppies not raised with much human contact and having their needs met incidentally to human contact either via automatic feeder or being dumped in a backyard. With these you have to present things as the idea that this dog may not ever live to please YOU, they are there for what's in it for them. It's your job to convince them that listening to you is in their best interests. You just have to present a consistent situation in the beginning that there is a reward for every request directly related to your contact and evolve it to having it be random with a great reward. These dogs are generally not considered beginner dogs or dog breeds and a flag for this kind of behavior within the breed is anything related to being catlike being in the temperament description.

 Quote: Natalya Zahn

...but they don't do things like pat each other on the back after a successful hunting trip.

leih

I was reading some of Cesar Milan's book last night. His opinion is that humans (American dog owners anyway) place FAR too much emphasis on affection in the human/dog relationship. Cesar's theory of the "correct" proportion of human/dog activities (in order of priority) is #1 exercise, 50%, #2 discipline, 25% and #3 affection, 25%. In Cesar's world (at least as reported in his book), affection is to be earned through responsible behavior.

Lori's comment about tethering a young dog is very similar to what psychologists recommend for young humans who've shown "failure to attach" or "failure to bond" with a parent or caretaker. The child is kept very nearby for extended periods, and must "depend" upon the adult to get every need met. It's really the same concept as the Nothing in Life is Free method for dogs.

 Quote: melissa thom

Some dogs and dog breeds are exceptionally independent from human interaction and need. I've seen a lot of it in livestock guardian breeds that are imprinted on a flock as a puppy, ancient breeds, sled breeds, and some of the hound breeds. I've also seen it with puppies not raised with much human contact and having their needs met incidentally to human contact either via automatic feeder or being dumped in a backyard

Yep, several of the bird dog breeds are the same. They require a fairly high degree of independence to do their jobs correctly - some of the hunting trial dogs range out almost a mile, and the hounds can go further. In fact, some hunters look down upon a dog that lacks sufficient range from the hunter (is too dependent during hunting) and they call them "bootlickers." Beyond socialization in people environments, the best early training for bird dogs is lots of off-leash time in the field and independent exposure to wild birds. "Let the birds do the teaching" is the mentality early on. Much later, as the dog matures, the OB aspect is overlaid in.

The working dog philosophy is MUCH, much different, though. The dog is much more immersed in the human's world for all needs from the beginning.