I’ve been thinking about Maggie a lot lately, and wondering whether she wants to continue to compete in sheepdog trials. She is always eager to work sheep, leaves the course (or did last year) as if eager to do it again, even when it went badly. She clearly adores the part she’s good at (outrun, lift, fetch, and shedding), but struggles on the part she’s not (driving). She likes to drive sheep who are easy to move, as long as she’s within 100 yards of me. She hates, and I use that word with confidence, driving sheep who are “heavy,” who would rather stand still, or who are pulled in another direction like a set of iron fragments to a magnet. She’s brilliant at defense, and dislikes being on offense. She may look ready to go at any time, but once she’s out there struggling, she looks miserable.
I’ve worked all winter on it, trying to help her learn some strategies to control difficult sheep. Sometimes I think we’ve made progress, sometimes not. There’s no question that if I was more skilled and experienced at this I could have helped her more. (I’m reminded of one of the best dog training sayings ever: “We all train with regret.” How many times have we each said “If I only knew then what I know now . . .?”)
All this pondering got me thinking about happiness in a general sense, and how important it is to a good life. Of course, the pandemic and its partners of fear, suffering and social isolation have made being happy especially challenging lately. Given that, and numerous other challenges, I’m aware that asking about happiness in our dogs is a very privileged question. I’m grateful to have a life that allows me to focus on it.
This morning, pondering happiness, I thought about a post I wrote in March of 2009, titled Authentic Happiness. It’s short, so I reprint it here in its entirety:
I re-read Seligman’s Authentic Happiness this weekend. Ever read it? Seligman is one of the American Psychologists who decided to focus on mental health rather than mental illness, and yeah for him I say. I’m writing about it here because it got me thinking about our happiness and our dogs.
In the book, Seligman asks us to determine our “signature strengths,” and suggests that the road to happiness is to do what you are good at and what you love. (He has a questionnaire in the book to help you decide your strengths. Mine include Curiosity and Love of Learning.
So here’s my question related to dogs: Is that true of our dogs as well? Is their happiness, at least in part, related to having an opportunity to do what they love and what they are good at? It seems intuitively that it must be true, and that like us, so many of our dogs are asked to do things that they aren’t good at. I know I spent a couple of years working with one of my Border Collies (Pippy Tay) on working sheep, until a sheep chased her across the field at a herding dog trial, and everyone in the stands laughed so hard they fell out of their seats. I called Pip back to me and she walked back with her head and tail down, as if she was ashamed.
I still feel guilty for not realizing sooner that, although she was brilliant at certain aspects of herding, she simply didn’t have the motivation and the courage to work sheep competively. I stopped training her for competition, let her herd at home when it was fun and easy, and switched her to working with dog-dog aggressive dogs. She was brilliant at it, absolutely brilliant, and I truly believe she loved it.
As the years went on I saw so many people in my office who had dogs who, I felt, didn’t enjoy agility or obedience or whatever, and yet their owners felt they “shouldn’t give up.” I’ll grant it can be a hard call to know if you should try to work through a problem, or decide that your dog just doesn’t enjoy a particular activity, but it seems to be an important one, yes?
That got me thinking again about Segilman’s concept of “signature strengths,” a concept relevant to both us and, I’d argue, our dogs. Maggie loves big huge outruns on sheep who need to be finessed, not pushed, no doubt because she’s great at it, and always has been. But strengths can be learned too, right? I discovered that I could be truly happy talking about animal behavior on the radio or in front of a crowd, once I got over being frightened of it. (I don’t say “frightened” lightly. My goal for my first public talk, at an Animal Behavior Society Conference, was to not throw up or faint. Imagine my surprise when the guy who spoke before me fainted dead away at the podium.) It just feels good to do something that you are good at, doesn’t it? Surely it must to dogs too.
I’d love a conversation about what you think makes your dog happy and if that relates to their “signature strengths.” Of course, there are forms of happiness that don’t involve any skill. As best as I can tell, Skip, Maggie, and I equally adore getting massaged, and I guarantee you that none of us needed some inherent skill set to do so.
What about you? Are there things that you’ve tried with your dog that you found did not make them happy, or something that, conversely, brought out expressions of pure joy in them? Did Ranger adore agility after the first lesson? Has tracking helped Patches to blossom? Did Cisco hate the noise at dog shows, or did he find his inner movie star and start to strut around the ring like he owned it?
And then, of course, there’s us, and our strengths in relation to what we do with our dogs. Are we good at what we’ve chosen to do with our dogs? Did you start agility and realize that you can’t remember the sequence. (Not that’s what would happen to me or anything.) Ah, a trickier issue indeed, but one worth thinking about.
I’m not going to write too much more today; it’s a busy week getting ready for our first sheepdog competition since last fall, not to mention a garden desperate for the rain we’d normally have this time of year. But I’m going to spend time this week thinking about happiness, in both us and our dogs.
If you’d like to read more, you might want to go to the section in the Learning Center on Emotions in dogs, or to the chapter in For the Love of a Dog titled “Happiness.” The part I find most interesting right now talks about how some people are born with a low density of dopamine receptors in their brain, and thus have a reduced ability to feel satisfied or happy about much of anything. There seems to be a strong genetic component to happiness in humans, and I’d bet the farm that that’s true in dogs too. Some dogs are sparklers of joy all their lives, others, not so much.
There are several other books that have good sections on emotions in dogs, including Clive Winn’s Dog is Love, Gregory Berns What It’s Like to be a Dog, and Alexandra Horowitz’s Inside of a Dog. Just in case you’d like to do some binge reading on emotions . . .
So, there’s lots to ponder here–what are your dog’s signature strengths? How happy is your dog when _____ (fill in the blank)?
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: Unlike Maggie, Skip thinks it is fun to hold sheep against a fence. He can get nervous when he’s extremely close and the pressure builds, but he’s far enough away here that both he and the sheep are relatively comfortable. One of them was even chewing her cud, a good sign of a relaxed sheep.
I don’t have a photo of Skip’s continuing effort of “suicide by fence,” given that I didn’t expect him to slam into a gate, full bore, at 20+ miles an hour yesterday. I’ll just leave you with the image of him splattered against a fence gate, like Wile E. Coyote in a Road Runner cartoon. I was pretty sure he’d come out badly injured, but luckily the gate gave and he bounced off and continued his outrun as if nothing had happened. Needless to say I stopped him and brought him back and he seems fine. I was working on his taking sheep off of a fence with another group behind the fence, something that happens at trials and is an important skill for any working farm dog. He decided to blow through the gate and get both groups of sheep. Sigh. I just about had a heart attack watching it happen, and he thought nothing of it. Note on Skip’s signature strengths: Using his body instead of his mind. Maybe we’ll try Canine Sumo wrestling next?
I couldn’t resist taking a shot of Beyonce’s nose and muzzle while the sheep were close to me and against the fence. Sheep have an excellent sense of smell, and have scent glands below their eyes and inside their hooves. Just another example of what way cool animals sheep are.
In other news, it’s been April on a sugar high here, cold, hot, and everything in between. We have hundreds of daffodils still blooming, along with lots of smaller bulbs. Here’s some Grape Hyacinth with a backup chorus of peony stalks.
Tulips are some of my favorite flowers, but the deer love the flowers and every small mammal known to the Midwest loves the bulbs. I planted just one bunch of them last fall, which required the construction of an elaborate tent to keep them alive during the 3-night “sugar crash,” when it got down to 24 degrees. I covered the Bleeding Hearts and the lilies (about 20+ buckets, plus numerous towels) each of the nights, and got pretty sick of it by the third night. But here’s the reward:
It got down to 29 or 30 here on Saturday night, but that was warm enough not to need protection. Good thing, cuz I can’t get a bucket over the crab apple trees. Here’s to the possibility of gorgeous.
Here’s to your own possibilities, and what I’m sure will be an interesting discussion re dogs, us and “signature strengths.”
Tammy says
I was really drawn to this article. I spent a lot of hiking time this past fall and winter pondering the same question for my dog. I compete in agility with her at the elite level and she mostly seems happy enough at trials. She enjoys seeing people and she enjoys courses that let her run without having to collect a lot. She would happily run right by the weaves if left to her own devices, though she is an excellent weaver. She is unhappy about stopping on contacts and lets me know in most uncertain terms (aside: I once asked the judge, what do you think she was saying to me as she skidded to a halt on that dogwalk just now? He replied, I don’t think I can say it out loud in polite company.)
But my dog is truly happy on hikes. She is gloriously happy, exuberant, and full of fun. She just loves to run and leap over logs and fly into ponds and stomp around in mud bogs. Her whole demeanor says “joy” in ways I don’t see nearly as much on the agility field, either in practice or at trials.
I did seriously consider just stopping agility with her and making hiking our thing. We hike nearly every day anyway. But agility works her mind and I think that’s a good thing for this dog who seems to have a pretty sparky, intelligent mind. It’s hard to stop something we’ve invested a lot of time and energy in, right?
She and I qualified for national championships this year and agility friends are stunned that I’ve decided not to go. I told them if I were going just for me, we’d go. But if I think about what would make her happy, it’s an easy no — the large, loud arena, the new setting, gazillions of dogs, loud speakers, dirt floor…all those would just make her anxious, not happy. People seem to think I’m crazy to have earned a slot and not take it. But I keep going back to why I started agility: To have fun with my dog and help her learn things that make her feel confident and successful. Champs doesn’t offer her any of those things.
So maybe agility stays but I quit trialing. I don’t know. After months of pondering, I’m not sure I’m further along in my answer, but I sure am glad to see you doing similar wondering.
Trisha says
Tammy, I love love love your thoughtful response, and I think you are great for knowing that the Nationals would be too stressful for your very talented girl. (And congratulations, by the way, sounds like you are a hell of a team.) I think you are wise to let the next steps simmer in the back of your brain, and continue to have fun with your girl. But I’ll be pondering your good point: Is it good for our dogs to push themselves? I think yes, but of course, how far is the tricky part, right?
lak says
Going for a walk is my dogs’ favorite activity, she loves it! If I pick up a pair of socks, or put on my pants she is sprinting across the house to see if we are going, once she knows were are going she gives multiple play bows, runs in a circle, and barks on command. Her excitement always puts a smile on my face…simple pleasures!
Bruce says
I have pondered for many years what makes our dogs happy. As lak says, going for a walk is clearly a canine joy, and when I put on the appropriate clothes and shoes I have an exuberant dog 100% glued to my side.
With regard to Maggie and sheepdog trials, Trisha, I can think of no one I would trust more to act in your dogs’ best interests.
Red Dog’s signature strength is chasing critters, but long off-leash hikes will have to suffice. Training the dog not to chase every random critter or bird was not super-popular from the dog’s perspective, but I do reward Red Dog for spotting (but not chasing) critters. I suppose that involves a signature strength and happiness, but not as much happiness as the dog might prefer.
I have never done dog competitions but I have seen dogs who seem to absolutely love competing. That said, I will confess to believing (perhaps unfairly) that some competitions may benefit the person more than the dog. Perhaps a story or two will explain.
As a new dog owner I met someone who had been very successful in obedience competitions with a non-traditional obedience breed. The dog was retired but remained leery of interacting with other dogs. The owner believed that the dog-avoiding behavior was an unfortunate side-effect of years of competing, where interacting with other dogs was discouraged. Fortunately the retired obedience dog liked my super-friendly mutt, who was hard not to like.
It also seems odd how many competitions are restricted to purebred dogs. I once saw a Jack Russell terrier excel at a lure coursing demonstration. The terrier used its superior cornering ability to completely outclass experienced greyhounds. But Jack Russells are not among the AKC Recognized Breeds for lure coursing competitions. Perhaps the sighthound lobby is limiting the competition *wink*
HFR says
Just wanted to say that I applaud dog owners who truly put their dog’s interests before their own. In my experience, competing in dog sports for many years, this unselfish act is a rare occurrence. I understand the dilemma, but nothing is more sad than watching a dog in the agility or obedience ring looking like they’d rather be elsewhere. I now compete in nosework and fortunately I’ve yet to see a dog who doesn’t enjoy it. Altho my dog often lets me know it may not be his top priority at certain times. 🙂
Margaret says
Interesting. I think part of being happy is learning new things, and almost no one is immediately good everything. Is part of happiness finding the point at which you can say that you tried, but it just wasn’t for you? Or a balance between being good at X but trying A, B, and C to see if you could potentially be good at them?
Kat says
Therapy Dogs have been off work for over a year now and every handler/partner I know is dealing with dogs that are depressed, bored, and frustrated. You seldom see the pure joy you’re talking about while the dogs are working. Then you’re more likely to see lip licks, head turns, yawns, and shake offs which we all know are considered signs of stress. They’re also signs of intense concentration in dogs that are doing something really challenging. Where we see the joy is when the dog recognizes their working gear and when they arrive at the facility. Even though it is challenging work the dogs are excited and happy when they get to do it. And they all miss it.
The question of if the dog has gone from enjoying challenging work to enduring it is one their handler/partner needs to be continually asking. It isn’t always easy to tell and I encourage my teams to always make sure the dog knows they have a choice and that the handler/partner must Always take No for an answer when the dog gives it.
I’ll end with one of my cherished memories of the first ever visit a very small Corgi made as part of my Therapy Dog group. Her favorite thing in life is to go in and out of doors and on that Therapy Dog visit she got to go in and out of a lot of doors and have people pet her as well. That dog went from first day nerves to total joy as she worked. Everyone was laughing with delight watching her; she was having the best day Ever! She still loves to work and to go in and out doors but nothing since has matched her joy that day of finding that there were countless doors to go in and out and that she’d get petting as well.
Karen Rhodes says
Such a thought provoking blog Patricia.
My BC Bertie came from a long line of working dogs, and he has all the typical BC traits. As a pet dog I don’t want him to herd other peoples sheep he sees on a walk, which I know he’d do given the chance. I also understand that he needs to do this as it’s hardwired into his DNA.
Bertie has sheep balls which he spends time herding in the garden, he also herds us (my husband and his Newfoundland brother) out on walks which we’re fine with.
Like your Maggie, Bertie loves the big runs out. As it’s not safe to do that here without trespassing on land, I’ve decided to run with him.
I’m not a big runner and am not that good at it, but with the help of Bertie I’m getting to like it the more I do it. He’s definitely a fantastic distraction to break through the pain barrier.
I’ve grown to like the running, but probably would not have done it if it wasn’t for Bertie.
Next I think we’ll try agility as soon as things open up. If he doesn’t like it that’s fine, it’s good to try lots of things to see what they enjoy the most.
MinnesotaMary says
Very interesting post! I remember my first large audience and I remember being terrified! After I had done it for a while I relaxed, stopped thinking about (and fearing) the worst. I now really enjoy speaking in front of large groups, as long as I know my content well. As for dogs and their strengths, I purposefully choose dogs that have the qualities that align with what I love to do. My greatest love is providing pet therapy for hospice patients. I deliberately choose dogs to adopt that display the characteristics of a skilled therapy dog. Their personalities are well developed by the time they come across my path, since I’m also involved in rescue. I also make sure not to push a dog too hard, or too fast. I cannot take the risk that a stressed dog will not react gracefully in the presence of a compromised patient or their caregiver.
Meredith says
I haven’t had a dog in 4 years since I lost my beloved Lucinda. Some is still being unable yet to do that again but mostly because I’m now in a 1BR 2nd floor small apartment w/an elderly cat who doesn’t want any slobbering, chasing doggies. And, I’m getting older, so think about things like: When I take Dog out for its morning constitutional 1st thing, will I fall down the apartment stairs on the way (Y/N)? All this to say that I still read your posts sans dog(s) and recommend you to everyone who does have a dog because you’re so wise, funny, careful, and kind. I know your work helped me numerous times when I did have dogs, and you once responded to an email from frantic Unknown Me confronted w/a dog w/separation anxiety, the destructive kind, on a ‘trial weekend’ from her foster home… Thanks for everything, and Happy Spring of all kinds this Year of COVID-II. Much more positive than the Year of COVID-I. We’re learning … even humans can sometimes benefit from training [I’m looking at you Anthony Fauci].
Michelle says
I did agility with my first dog, Dahlia. I questioned it a lot, if we were doing the right thing. She was slow, mellow, had to be told time and time again that yes I really did want her to do the thing (be it go into a tunnel or over a jump). She was a dog who NEEDED to be right and so struggled with that a lot.
But every time I got together the agility bag she came running with full body wags and pulled me to get in there. She loved it. What she didn’t love? Trialing. We went to a few. She found it stressful. Too many dogs, too much activity, and she stressed DOWN, so we had a couple trials where she wouldn’t leave the start line.
I eventually stopped taking her to trials, and she was happy going to classes and loved them until the day we had to retire her.
My dog Ben LOVES agility. He also loves hiking and being in the woods. We’ve worked hard to give him SOME recall and to teach him to check in with us when out on hikes and have begun to let him off leash (it helps that our other dog, a Border Collie, will come immediately when called and Ben often follows). He loves that even more than agility. I’m sure he’d gladly give up agility to run in the woods every day. But instead, he gets to do both.
Simply Me says
I’m struggling to train my current 3 year old havanese. It’s hard to train a dog that is not the least bit food motivated. His motivation is people….he LOVES people and, even at 3, he’s like a hyper 9 month old lab hyper. Struggling to teach him not to jump on people, not to dash out the door and run up to every stranger because there is absolutely nothing that is more important and it is self-reinforcing. The trainers tell me to try different foods…..I’ve taken steak to class and had every single dog sitting in a circle around me (including the trainers dog) and where is my dog???? He’s out visiting all the abandoned owners around the room. I’ve had 3 different trainers and 2 finally said to keep him in a prong collar but that’s a no.
Kim says
I retired Rosy from being a Therapy Dog very early on, helped by a friend who asked me why I wanted to put work into something she wasn’t very happy with, when there were so many things she excelled at. And enjoyed. She got swarmed by children repeatedly and they loved her. She didn’t like the swarming.
Cristina Meyer says
My dog Happy was completely shutdown when I adopted him with one year of age out of a shelter.
He was hiding from any human, he did not eat or drink with me in the same room.
I gave him the name “Happy” because I saw him playing with my first dog and he was radiant.
I took my two years to gain his confidence and love. And yes, I asked him a lot of things he didn’t want to do. Like walking over a broom stick. Stay with me while I was holding a stick in my hands. I started slowly. For a start, I clicked (noise reduced) when I was in the same room and he was breathing. I left the treats on the floor and went out of the room so he could eat.
Later we passed to heeling, leash walking, jumps, tricks, other environments ….and he flourished. He learned new things, he got better coordination, and best of all, he learned he was able to decide and control what happened. He turned into a wonderful, confident and very happy dog.
He passed away with over 16 years of age. I do miss him.
So yes, mastering new skills can make dogs very happy. But he would not have been content in noisy, crowded environments, for example. So there are limits, and we have to recognize them.
Jan says
What a great and thought provoking article that closely aligns with my thoughts this past year. I too had to evaluate what was making my 2 dogs happy, then had to think about what made me happy. We had been going to 2 different agility classes, obedience classes, and scent work classes. I’ve always loved obedience work, but never cared much about agility. But, both of these dogs seemed to love agility. Being a newbie, my dog learned the skills faster than I did. Due to health issues and COVID shutdowns, we had to stop classes just before we were finally ready to compete.
I had to reflect on what we were doing and why. I really just didn’t have the passion for the agility sport to push through to resume classes and without the rewards of trialing to motivate me, I decided to quit even with the dog that really liked it. He’s social and gets to go out and about regularly as my service dog, so he’s ok. But he was also really good at obedience, which is also my love. So I’m aware he would be happier with something more in his life.
My other dog was too worried about the crowds at conformation shows, and at his agility and obedience classes, to the extent that he really couldn’t learn well in those venues. He’s reserved and a worrier. Ironically, the forced shutdown has brought him out of his shell. He’s really happy with us all at home and LOVES our daily walks, avidly air scenting to a degree that he actually walks a serpentine pattern, veering from one side to the other as he looks and scents all he can. He’s the 1st one to greet any fellow walkers, and very curious about the other dogs on our walks.
Me, other than missing a good obedience class and the trials, I’m content staying home where I’m fortunate enough to be able to also work, at least for now.
With the warmer weather, I’ve started a good habit of walking the dogs (giant breeds) at lunchtime to force a work break. The only downside on our walks is having to have them on shorter leashes with slightly more constraint than I’d prefer due to having been attacked 5 times now in the last 6 weeks of daily walks. Fortunately, no injuries. It’s given me opportunities to teach my dogs that they can be alert and curious and whine, but no lunging, barking, or aggressive displays. 2 of the dogs flew across the street into the midst of my 2. One owner body slammed his dog just prior to any injury from him (pit bull type) (this dog had bitten one of my prior dogs). The other dog was much better trained and was just curious, his owner quickly retrieved him also (Malenois). Of the other 3, 2 were golden retrievers that fortunately stopped at the curb, but if they hadn’t had that restraint (underground fence??) it appeared they were serious at inflicting injury. The 3rd was a mixed breed that also stopped at the curb with a less aggressive display. (no sidewalks in my neighborhood).
Betsy says
As usual, I love how you wend your way through things and always end up with “what’s good for my dog?”. I am not doing anything special with my dog, but I do see in his beginner classes what he seems to enjoy, and what he doesn’t. Or is it that I convey to him what I am enjoying more? He is a 20 month old Golden, who loves life, as most Goldens do. We are taking pre-Novice Obedience, Rally and beginner agility. I wanted the traditional obedience classes to give him (and me) a foundation, with maybe some finer points (straight sits etc) thrown in. Both of us love Rally (obedience, not so much) and he has loved his first few agility classes (me, not so much…he is much faster than I!). I will try to pay attention as to what HE loves, vs whether or not I do, as it is all about him. Now, off to find my copy of “The Other End of the Leash”. I have almost all of your books, Trisha, from my previous Golden. Need refreshers on how to teach “do not pull me to that human!!!”
Becky G says
This is my all time favorite phrase from my trainer friends and something I share with those who adopt dogs from our rescue group: “Honor the dog in front of you.”
Suzi says
Your question about ‘inner movie star’ was spot on for one of my dogs! He’s the most social of any dog I’ve had and thrives in groups of people. The more people to pet him, the happier he is. I’ve often joked that I need to rent out a large room and pay people to show up to pet my dog.
Before Covid, I took him to nursing homes to visit people but he doesn’t have the temperament of a therapy dog. So we stick to going to pet friendly stores or taking walks for his social needs.
Leslie Kupkowski says
My Vizsla, Luke, decided he didn’t want to go back to agility after having Medial Shoulder Syndrome surgery and rehab. I dearly wanted to get back to the sport with him, as he was really good at it, I had a great time running him, he had always seemed to love it, AND was 2 QQs from his MACH2. However, in our first trial back after the long rehab, he basically started walking in the weaves and then just walked out of them. I had been seeing signs that he was less than thrilled with agility leading up to the trial, but this was the clincher. I ran to the exit, calling him, leashed him up, and gave him his jackpot reward, all the while promising him that he never had to do any agility again. Was it that he “knew” that agility “hurts” after running injured before we found out that he’s been injured? (darned stoic dogs!!!) Had he simply had enough? Who knows, but it clearly didn’t make him happy AT ALL anymore, and we won’t push that one! Fortunately, he’s got plenty of other things he enjoys, and he’s sound and healthy so he can do them!
LisaW says
Thank you for this post, it is well timed. I feel this is all a privilege, and as long as we keep perspective and join others in their struggle for these same privileges, then trying to make a life that brings some measure of happiness to all concerned may lead toward some semblance of balance.
Olive’s happiness comes out when she is swimming, chasing a ball, learning new tricks, and playing doggy-in-the-middle with us. The first and the latter are by far her very favorite things. For doggy-in-the-middle, we stand far enough apart to prevent her from short stopping and hurting her shoulder but close enough to keep the game gentle and toss the ball to each other, and Olive is in the middle running back and forth with each toss. Every third ball or so, we lob it to her to catch and keep the game going. I’ve never seen a dog grin so widely, and if we set it up just right, it doesn’t hurt her physically. Plus we can play it inside and outside. We do this each night; she is elated.
Swimming is her zen place, she becomes a happy, calm dog once she hits the water. She also likes to stand in chest-high water and paw at the bottom and watch the bubbles float up to the surface. I will always remember the first time she happened upon this action and reaction — she looked at me with such wonder. For a dog like Olive to have found a peaceful place is a thing of beauty.
She loves to learn (we had perfected a beautiful stop/drop/roll before her injuries), and we considered agility, but due to her poor joints and nervous nature, we scrapped that idea. Plus, there were a few other things about it that gave me paws ;-). I did make a few crude, very low to the ground, backyard agility pieces that we used for her CCL rehab at home.
I often wonder where Olive’s true happiness lay, if she had a sounder body and more balanced brain. Then I look at her snuggled between us snoring and grunting through her dreams, and I think I see it.
Julie Rice says
I often think that in order to know whether your dog would like to quit a certain activity requires exposing them to various activities to see where they come alive. Most of us who use treats and toys and play to train our dogs can often miss the subtle signs that they aren’t enjoying it except for the enticements we offer. When my Dobe who I got with the expectation that we would be as involved with agility as my previous 2 dogs didn’t do so well in competition, I felt disappointed in her and in myself for not being a better trainer. Then we went to a K9 Nosework introductory seminar and I saw a different dog. She was confident, driven, fast and wanted MORE. I immediately stopped doing anything but backyard agility with her and focused on learning about nosework. That was 11 years ago and I am forever grateful to her for providing the motivation to find something she enjoyed because it turns out, I love it too and it’s definitely my own “signature strength”. Now I spend most of my time teaching others how to offer this activity to their dogs and I can’t imagine ever wanting to do anything else.
Charlotte Kasner says
This is fundamental at so many levels and a question that we should ask ourselves on a regular basis.
Every day dogs are forced to go running on city streets (often off-lead illegally) while the owner states of the stressed, over-heated and probably sore dog “He loves it”. The honest truth is that still too many owners are poor at identifying emotional signals in their dogs.
Even those of us who think that we are better need to pause and check that our super-willing, adaptable companions are really doing something that they love too.
Thank you for the timely reminder.
Rosemarie says
I retired my only remaining agility dog in 2020 due to canceled trials/regionals, etc and we just hung out. We’re lucky enough to have a seasonal pond, and he LOVES swimming. It’s his favorite thing ever and I enjoy watching (and helping) him enjoy it. I think he misses agility a bit because TREATS! (there are no treats for swimming, only the love of it). I don’t feel like he’s missing out. But I miss competitions. Someday I’ll get back to it… maybe with a new dog.
Christine Johnson says
This speaks to me so directly. A few years ago I had a brilliant agility partner who LOVED running the courses. And she was so fast! Except….in a trial. Once in the trial ring she would immediately seek the gate and out she’d go. I worked for over a year to overcome her trepidation and finally acknowledged what she was telling me. She loved the sport but hated to compete. I retired her from competing and she’s been the happiest dog ever since. It was a hard decision but we were both just so miserable it came down to the only choice.
As always, love your thought provoking weekly messages.
Betsy Wallace says
I also think you have to understand what your dog loves even if they have No Talent and allow them participate any ways. We have Field Trial Beagles and Rabbit hunt. I am thinking of a show Beagle we had Pumpkin. She had no Talent in the field I mean none! She could bark on track and run but was So faulty that you couldn’t even pleasure hunt over her…But in her mind she was the most talented Rabbit Dog ever! She was always eager to go and had Great desire but no talent…When we would have training sessions We would always include her ..Because in her mind she was the Best!
Runswithdogs says
Thank you for your reflections on this, Trish. All of the 6 dogs I have had for the past 20 years have loved doing agility, and all but one struggled with the competition environment. One of those overcame it, but the others, after some time of “giving it a go”, I retired from competition and just did lessons, classes or private work at home with them. To be honest, I see so many dogs that are stressed out at agility trials and it is painful to see it. It definitely can be a challenge to determine when to keep working at it to see if they can get used to it, or let it go and just have fun together in less pressurized situations. But my dogs happiness is my own as well, and though I still can enjoy a trial, I don’t need the ego boost of competition like I did when I was younger. Flowing together over a course in complete, deep communication – THAT is what makes us both happy, and we can get that even when we are alone at home.
KC Wilson says
Thank you for this article, Patricia. I had adopted a 6 month old JRT specifically because I wanted to continue with flyball competition. I assumed, being a JRT, that she’d love the sport and threw her right into practice. (Yes, a mistake in hindsite). At first she seemed keen, but before long I started to see she was overwhelmed with the noise, the pressure, the people and she would try to exit the building. Everyone encouraged me to stick with her training, but eventually I could see she didn’t enjoy it and I stopped. Then I switched to agility, but again, the pressure to compete or perform just wasn’t something her little brain could handle. If she wasn’t enjoying it, I wasn’t enjoying it.
Amanda says
I am growing so much appreciation for people who love and think of animals, dogs, as autonomous beings worthy of the respect, consideration, and interaction that comes inherently from that. I am somewhat an oddity in that regard in my patch of the world.
My boy Tate R. Tot was an OEB wild child rescue. He came having failed in many homes because he was demanding in all things. Also, because he’d lived on his own in the woods of Connecticut and became a skilled hunter- that is he wanted to eat any animal smaller than he. He eventually decided he wanted to live with me more than he wanted to eat the other animals in my home. Then Tate fell in love with a wee little kitten and became a Pappa. He LOVED taking care of that helpless screaming little kitten. It was the first sign. A few months after he came I had to have ankle reconstruction surgery. When I came home my gigantic wild child dog who lacked every expected dog manner and skill transformed into my nurse. Where just days before he was mostly walking me on a leash, he was now standing at my side positioning himself so I would not fall. He started bringing me water bottles when I was in bed. He magically knew when I needed my meds. He wanted to take care. He found purpose and calm. I trained him to be my service dog and he thrived as such. He came to work with me and would naturally alert when my clients were in danger- blood sugar, blood pressure, seizures, and one time an older man had ripped his skin; he was profusely bleeding unbeknownst to us. When he aged and got cancer he was meant to be retired, but try explaining retired to a dog. He LOVED being with me, going to work with me, taking care of me. So I allowed him to do so with lots of modification, rest, and taking care of him.
Barn of the Bees, also an OEB rescue came underweight by half and going blind with detached retinas. His anxiety ruled every second of his day. He’s completely blind now, much less anxious and is completely rapturous with joy when we are mountain climbing/hiking. He’s learned to trust my directional cues and is a completely free dog exploring the woods trying to catch a bear. It took him a long time to learn how to dog again. I delight in his peemail explorations because there was a time when he could not get beyond his anxiety enough to stop and sniff anything. Now he rolls in mud puddles, explores around, makes fun of my own pokeyness as we go along. He radiates joy in the woods and there after. He also gets upset when it’s stormy out and we cannot go. As I lose my ability to walk, I think about this a lot. I’m not sure how a woman in a wheelchair is meant to take a blind dog hiking in the woods but I will have to find a way because it lights up his soul and is completely necessary to his wellbeing. Everything I ever read about blind dogs said they needed to just be in one environment at home to be happy. Imagine if I hadn’t listened to Barn telling me he wanted to be out and exploring. I started scent work training with him. He’s one of the most intelligent dogs I’ve ever been responsible for- extrapolates completely unexpected conclusions from information given. We’ll see how it goes.
Trisha says
LisaW: I will keep the enchanting image of Olive’s look of wonder when bubbles rose to the surface with me all day. Or all week. Maybe the month. Priceless.
Ann Waterbury says
Something I think about so often…I teach k9 Nose Work and so many dogs seem to love nose work…just jump right in with little intervention from humans to scavenging boxes for treats. There is a competition side that some dogs appear not to enjoy and I feel it may be more about the humans in some cases.
Trisha says
Oh my, I am loving reading these comments. Regretably I am slammed this week, and just can’t answer as I’d like because of it. But know that I savor every word, and am fascinating by all the responses. If I can get ahead of things a bit I’ll answer more individually, but when did things take less time than you figured, rather than more?
Jan says
Therapy dog work makes my older dog wiggle all over. He prances down the hallways, looking for a friend or to make a new friend. The minute the therapy dog gear come out, he’s excited. He loves interacting with people.
The pandemic has made an unhappy, unemployed therapy dog. We compensate by walking the neighborhood. He makes friends with everyone he meets. He is known to sit in people’s driveways until they come out to say hi, or I coax him along. Neighbors stock treats for him. As he dances toward someone, they dance in return. He exudes joy.
In contrast, my other pup is happy to say hi, then get on with her day. We were hoping she would also be a therapy dog, and I know she could pass the test, but it became clear this is just not her gift.
Janet Noble says
Maggie may not enjoy doing sheepdog trials, especially with the chance/likelihood of heavy or difficult sheep when her talent lies in finesse.
Maybe work/trial her on ducks? Ducks are ALL about finesse – I have only once seen a “heavy” duck and it was because it was not in a set with its friends! – and can be SO fun! When I was herding with my Rotties, we even did large flock walk abouts with ducks and my favorite course was B course with ducks.
My first herding Rottie was a STAR on ducks. He likely was as good on sheep but I was just learning and did not really “get” sheep; learned a lot from him!
Sally Wallach says
Love this post! Dog happiness–in fact, happiness in general–is dear to my heart.
My girl Lucy is a rat terrier who has a long list of things she hates–strangers, loud noises, wind, rain, falling barometric pressure, nail trimming, and getting up in the morning are just a few things she despises–and a short list of things she loves–routine, the heated mattress pad, me, and food. But she is happiest pouncing. It doesn’t matter to her what she is pouncing on, although she prefers something alive. Given that, bumble bee, moth, intrepid mouse who unwisely enters Lucy-land, or housefly, it’s all the same to her. Instinct and breeding are powerful.
When I was visiting Scotland, I happened upon a gathering of the clans just outside of Inverness. Part of the competition was a scent race, and one of the planners was circulating among the crowd encouraging people to enter their dogs. He was attempting to convince a lady in elegant country attire to enter the beribboned Yorkshire terrier she held in her arms. From his hand hung the dripping drag bag he had used to mark the course. The lady smiled charmingly and, in the poshest of posh accents, said, “Oh, no. Pookie would never…” at which point, Pookie leapt from her arms, grabbed the dripping bag in her tiny terrier jaws, and dangled growling as effluvia dripped onto the pink bow so lovingly tied to Pookie’s topknot. Pookie obviously had a different idea of happiness from that of her human.
Communicating our desires and listening to that communication are challenging enough between creatures of the same species. When the communication is inter-species, it becomes darn near impossible sometimes. Maggie is so lucky to have a human who wants to cross the divide.
Barbara Martin says
What a great topic, and timely for me and my dogs. Mindy (now deceased) earned many titles in rally, obedience and nose work. A big box of ribbons, mostly blue. She was dog reactive which we learned to control, but it became obvious that for all those years she sucked it up and worked for me although she was very uncomfortable. In our final training class, we were practicing the out-of-sight stays. I could see her in the mirror – holding her stay but with six inches of drool hanging from her lips. I thought, “What am I doing to this beautiful dog?” I went and got her and took her home. She was more comfortable with nose work but eventually told me that was too much also. Apparently I need to be whacked about the head with a two by four.
Next was Miley, a very confident dog. She earned her three rally titles, a couple of obedience titles, a tracking title and nose work 1. She didn’t hate it as much as Mindy but Miley believes in being paid a lot and immediately. No food, no work. She would work the obedience articles if I held a full bowl of food in my hand. Otherwise, no deal. In our final obedience trial, I asked her to heel, the judge said “left turn” but when I got to the end of the ring Miley was standing at the start line. No food, no work. But an amazingly smart and loving dog.
Casey is also somewhat dog reactive. He easily earned his CDC but I skipped rally and obedience. He earned his first two nose work titles after several tries. He is competent but not brilliant. At least in nose work. He is brilliant in other ways. I thought about what makes him happy. If we are outside and I call him, he races to me with a happy laugh on his face. “Get in the car” are his favorite words. Going for a hike (we live in a forest with our own trails) is also a winner. So I told my instructor that we are finished with nose work. It does not bring him joy.
I got my dogs with an agenda for all the training and trialing we would do, which I have done with all three for twelve years. I am finally realizing that my dogs love being at home with my husband and me. They love to do tricks for treats. They love just being with us. And for me, finally, that is enough.
Terrie says
My dog’s greatest skill is… napping. He loves nothing more than to burrow under the blankets and snooze. When he’s upset, curling up with him for a nap is a great soother (and if it doesn’t help, time for a trip to the vet, because he’s probably sick). Once the weather warms up, he’ll find his spot in the garden to snooze away while I work. I had hopes with him of finding something he enjoyed — obedience, therapy work, something. Nope. Nothing appeals to him like a good cuddle and some sleep. (Except maybe food).
Deborah Mason says
Our dogs are “pound puppies”, lab mixes. Our older one, Marley, began life with us as a very fearful 6-week old pup. Once we got past the first weeks he showed that he loves to learn. He also would love (but won’t get) a rigidly scheduled daily life. Any day there is delay post a certain point, he asks (demands) we practice. Agility, Rally, Nosework, Tricks, doesn’t matter. And he lives to learn new things. Our younger one is ready to go, do anything, any time. I had tried nosework a couple years ago with the older dog (2-1/2 then) & he just had no real interest. This either I started it with our younger dog & after a few weeks Marley started wanting to join us. Now her lives it. As in all the activities we pursue, Marley can barely wait his turn. We do try to not ask them to pursue activities they don’t like.
Susan Sanders says
My high drive Weimaraner, Brodie, took to Barn Hunt immediately & was very, very good at it. He loved it, until he didn’t. He had a scary experience in the ring, & after that he found trialing stressful. There’s no intrinsic payoff in BH: dogs don’t “get” the rats (who are safe in tubes), don’t chase them, nor are they treated for finding them. When Brodie’s joy was gone, his motivation went with it. He hunted as though it was an obligation for a while & then just refused. We tried Nosework. As soon as Brodie understood that he could put his drive & his searching skills to work & be rewarded immediately, he found happiness. He does well. He’s excited about classes & trials. In part the difference must be that little treat in my hand, that reinforcement that tells him he’s good & that I’m pleased, but beyond that he’s enjoying the satisfaction that comes from challenge & application & success in a sport again. He has his job back.
Pamela says
I live on a sailboat with my dog–a challenging life. So I consider this all the time.
I absolutely believe dogs find happiness (and meaning?) fulfilling their signature strengths. For my Honey, it’s befriending strangers.
Currently she’s nursing a limp (possible ACL?) and restricted in her activities. Since we can’t take long walks, I’ll take her off the boat and just sit at the waterfront where she can meet and greet strangers and her dogs.
I think I need to make up a sign to post–“Please say hello to my dog.”
Alex says
Oh I love this post! You’re right, it is such a privilege to be able to try to make my dogs as happy as they can be. I’m so grateful I have the means to be able to consider that question. This is something I’ve thought a lot about and still find difficult to balance. My border collie Zucchini LOVES agility. She LOVES hiking in the woods. She LOVES swimming. She Does Not like running on sidewalks. She makes it very clear by trotting so slowly she breaks whatever is the opposite of the sound barrier. I accepted this, to my chagrin, after trying to force the activity for way too long. However, she also does not particularly love Running on trails. Some days she’s into it and is perfectly capable of loping for miles, but she’d much rather mosey and stop and sniff and frolic (both on and off leash). This is endlessly frustrating because I love trail running. My younger border collie is 1000% into running with me for however fast and long I want to go. I try to compromise and run slower (like practically backwards) when I take Zucchini on trails and stop a lot to let her do her thing. Really, I should try walking but ugh. Probably this is one of those life lessons ‘my dog taught me to stop and smell the flowers’ but dang it I’m not ready to be wise yet. She’s still thrilled she gets to be in the woods and I get to mock her for being a slowpoke when she’s running to catch up to me and Fennel for the thousandth time after burying her nose in the proverbial flower.
Bitsey Patton says
You have to read your dog and not be too caught up in what you like or want to do. Abby was a registered therapy dog for years, but then I could tell she was just enduring it, not enjoying it, so I retired her. She is a UKC agility champion, but hated obedience competition. We stopped. I see so many dogs at shows that don’t want to be there. It’s like the owner has gone tone deaf to their dog’s feelings. They give us so much; we need to honor their wishes.
Elle says
Thanks for this post. I love it. But it made me cry too. I have a 3 year old herding dog, my first who is an “over excited greeter” who cannot continue in agility because he is too excitable. He loves agility and socialization but his impulse control issues prevent him from participating. So despite much training he can’t do what he loves. It breaks my heart 💔
Kathy says
Wow. This post takes my breath away. As a competitor in obedience and tracking (and years ago in agility and schutzhund), I have struggled to find ways to motivate my dogs. Sometimes, they have to perform to earn the favorite reward which should make the exercise satisfying in itself as in transfer of reward. But, sometimes you can see they are not happy and are just performing at your request, no matter what reward you have. The memory of years ago of stopping agility with one dog, one leg short of his title, is not sad for me. I feel a great sense of peace with the decision which I knew then was right and am proud of myself for making. He had long before earned the right to enjoy life on his own terms.
On happiness, some of my dogs are hard-wired to jump out of bed with gusto and the smiles on their faces all day long. Others are so serious, Life is a job, a serious job, and I think being serious was their happiness. Even play was to be taken seriously. Sometimes I wished they could just relax and be a playful dog. But no, that was not in their cards.
So many thoughts in your post…I will say, I made myself start saying, years ago, that I would never have regrets in dog training or in life, for the matter. We make each decision with the best information we have at the time. And then move on. We always learn from experiences and can make different decisions the next time. But don’t beat myself up with regret and remorse. I focus on the positive and the future.
Thanks for taking the time out of your crazy schedule for these posts and photos. As soon as I see a post from you in my mailbox, I must stop and read. Like this one, it makes me do some thinking. And a mental reset. Love all the comments as well. Thank you Trisha!
Cristina says
I have to wonder whether all dogs have some activity they’d really love to do, but, either because they’ve never had a chance to try it, or because it somehow doesn’t suit their environment, the owners will never know of it.
Having read your article I feel quite contrite, because I have never really wondered whether there would be something that our dog Luci might actually really enjoy doing. Technically, he qualifies as a Working Breed dog (he’s a mix of Chow Chow, Border Collie, and Collie). We rescued him from a dog shelter some 6 years ago (when he was an adult 2 years old). The one thing that Luci has ALWAYS loved was training — but I am not sure that it’s because of the training or because he’s really greedy and loved the treats. He doesn’t do tricks unless he sees a reward in sight. He also doesn’t do them if he can get away without it. He loves walks, but is not really a tracker. He will chase the living daylights out of the pigeons around our house, but is not really into agility.
If Luci were a human, he’d be a chef. He’s quite open minded in terms of food, and LOVES variety and treats. But, how do you fulfill those kind of needs/wants in a dog?
Alice R. says
This subject is very dear to my heart as I tell so many people “you get the dog you get, not the dog you want”. That sounds much more negative than it is. Educate yourself, and try to choose wisely, but at some point you need to love and accept the dog in front of you. The dog is a thinking, feeling creature of self, not a piece of clay to be molded into what we want. Please don’t get a dog if you’re not accepting of that.
My guy is a good example. I very much wanted to do therapy work with him so I worked hard to choose a puppy with that in mind. Checked out the breeder thoroughly, and tried to be careful with his socialization so that he was used to many things, people, and animals that were introduced very carefully. Turns out you can’t control everything so I ended up with a puppy that had not been exposed to much before I got him, and then had two unfortunate occurrences that resulted in fears I was help to help, but not erase. He’s a very soft dog, a one trick learner, and a real doll. Therapy work would be very stressful for him if he succeeded at all, but trick training is his thing. He absolutely LOVES the “ta da”” moment, and the accolades it brings. He came fetching naturally as a 9 week old, and his enthusiasm for that has never waned. Agility? Tunnels, stands, and jumps are fun, anything up high is not so we do backyard agility. Nosework was a big fail as the “ta da” moment took too long, and he just wanted me to give him the right answer so he could do it. He’s a clown that makes me laugh every single day. How could I do any less for him?
Tamara says
Thankfully, I’ve mostly been responsive when my dogs show me they’re not having fun, but understand trying to teach our dogs a skill so they might “learn to love it. From having a Labrador who really didn’t like swimming, but he loved sniffing, to having a heeler mix who I took to a swim class because he loved to wade. But he really did not enjoy it at all (sigh, he could swim beautifully) so I respected that. When he was younger, he was the best off leash dog I ever knew, but at over 16 and deaf now it is no longer an option. He also adored learning tricks, so I learned to be a trick trainer even though it was previously not something I’d ever wanted to do.
I find that feeling out what makes my dogs happy is a communication I need to recognize and for most dogs their facial expression says it all. Relax and have fun with your dog, the rewards are infinite.
Pam Belcher says
It’s so true! We have to balance what WE like with what the DOG likes. But also keep in mind, that when trying something new, we are slow, we don’t understand the big picture, we are easily confused… so some things might not be comfortable for us, but it is something the dog LOVES, and is a natural at. We have to be patient with ourselves in that case. Then, once we’ve learned the sport, and get our 2nd or 3rd or 4th… dog for said sport, we have to be patient w/ THEM. The newest dog might not be physically or mentally built for your sport, despite your now expert training. Yes, I think we can bring a timid dog forward and help them love a new sport, but sometimes, we can only bring them so far, before we see their desire to work for us diminish. There is nothing wrong with taking classes forever, and never competing! Or trying competing once, and then deciding it’s not for you, or not for your dog. With more knowledge about dog behavior and dog emotions, we handlers should be better at empathy… but sometimes our egos get in the way. Or handlers still have old-fashioned views of their dogs – “he’s stubborn”, “he’s only in it for the treat” (as if there is something wrong with that!), “he KNOWS how to do X” (really?), “he gets SO excited!” (Not realizing it’s stress, not fun excitement)
Our dogs are with us for such a short time, and there are now sports (if that is your thing) galore, so find something you BOTH enjoy, together. Keep it fun and light, YOU’RE the one in it for the ribbons, your dog is in it for the steak or pup-a-chino on the way home, and you both are probably happiest when cuddling on the couch together.
Lisa McEvoy says
This is such an interesting topic. I would love to hear your thoughts on when the love for something makes the dislike worth it. I hate getting up early but I have to in order to go to trials so it is worth it for me although I only do it every once in a while. My dog likes to do agility but gets a little stressed when there are mistakes which are more common at trials because things tend to happen faster (most mistakes are mine) so I wonder if trialing is worth it for him. It is not a situation where the stress is overwhelming or has lasting effects but it is certainly still there on occasion. Does that erode his love of it at all or does the love conquer all?
Georgann Hughes says
My border collie, a rescue, Swish, was adopted by me to play flyball, but, as it turns out, she was very fearful of almost everything and that sport was just too noisy and hurried for her. She was found as a puppy (@3 months old, if that) beside a country highway next to her puppy brother who’d been hit and killed by a car. Covered in fleas, barely made it through the night.
After a few basic obedience classes at our club, they started Nosework classes. We enrolled and she blossomed. This gave her confidence and created a bond between us, rather than just dependence on me. She is now trialing at the Elite level in UKC. She expects to practice every day, although I give us a break some days.
She still will stress in some venues/situations, still a bit environmentally sensitive. If she’s uncomfortable and I see she’s stressed during a trial search, I simply let the judge know we’re stopping rather than me forcing her to continue and leading to a false alert. Most judges we see now know us and understand, many telling me that they wish more handlers in that situation would be as mindful of their dog. I do choose to run her in trials where we’ve been before and she’s been ok, sometimes going to new spots. She has come a long way from that very scared pup/young dog.
I’ve trained my own dogs since the early 90’s, first in obedience, then agility, a lot of flyball, a little herding and freestyle dancing. Now Nosework/Scentwork is what we do. I have MS, relegated to using a rolling walker for a few years now and this is something I can do pretty easily.
Swish has been a super education for me. My first truly fearful dog who steered me into something she needed instead of my trying to mold her into something that was not suited for her. The bond we have now is very dear to me and I wouldn’t trade her for the world.
margo says
I am wondering if Pip was ashamed, or that was just her processing what had happened and her”appeasing” the sheep mode. I have heard of crazed sheep hurting dogs. I am sure you welcomed her back with love, not anger and I have read enough about your relationship with Pip to know that it would have been far more distressing to her, had it been a situation where you would have gotten hurt because she couldn’t protect you.
Giovanni says
My dog just loves to play with kids and play ball it’s his most happy moment in the day his ultimate workout he glows crazy for the tennis ball and makes playing and agility so much fun the key is finding what motivates your dog to please it’s family and motivate him to the fullest
Jann Becker says
We humans get into the mindset of “we’ve put so much effort into this, we can’t quit now,” but I’m not sure our dogs think that way. Mine, at least, operate so much in the present moment, or at most in the present day. I had had thoughts of training Kira as a therapy dog, but when she was about 2 she became less outgoing; she wasn’t fascinated by every new person she met anymore. We did get her through her CGC and that’s paid off handsomely, but I didn’t push her further.
What gives her joy is barking. Especially late at night. The neighbors have never complained, but getting her inside by rattling the bag of Chex Mix at midnight gets old.
Patricia Anderson says
I don’t have a dog; I have a parrot. I volunteer with dogs at Oregon Humane Society, so I see plenty. Your posts are so thoughtful and uplifting, not at all “this is how you train” or “this is how to think.” They are inspiring and thought-provoking. Thank you!
Cathy Withall says
And of course it works both ways…sometimes the thing they love most is what they cannot do. Our eldest dog, Storm, LOVES agility. She was my first agility dog , and we competed very successfully for nearly three years until an injury led to a lengthy diagnosis process, culminating in a catastrophic cruciate rupture due to degenerative cruciate disease. This ended her agility career, and my dreams with it. A big husky mix, the only other thing she loved more was hunting – not ideal as we live in a rural area! I tried scentwork, mantrailing (obedience didn’t appeal, and the head up heel position would be unsuitable for her anyway as she has potential spinal issues) and various other things, but nothing produced that joyful look on her face like agility. I also found that our general relationship suffered – I think she deemed me to be less fun when we couldn’t play the agility game together. In the end we’ve managed to rehab her (after a second cruciate operation) to the stage where she can do low jumps and tunnels, and her joy and happiness after just a few minutes of this is worth the small risk it brings.
On the other hand our middle dog, also retired from agility, I don’t think misses it at all. Even though she loved training, and would bound out of the van down to the equipment in the field, I think she loved the time spent with me just as much. She likes trick training now (as long as they are tricks she likes!), going away in the caravan, and sniffy walks without the other dogs. Sometimes for dogs, as with humans, simple pleasures are enough.
Stacey says
I have a mini wirehaired dachshund who excels at hunting type sports. She likes Earthdog as an activity but doesn’t like tests because she is very taken aback by the frenetic snarling behavior of terriers in ex pens. So we don’t go,out of our way to participate in den trials, although we’ll participate every now and then.
However she LOVES working rabbit in Field Trials and Hunt Tests. Working her on rabbit has changed her life, given her tons of confidence. A hunting hound has to lead their handler, not follow direction, and that can really empower a dog I think. Does she blow out the competition in every trial? Far from it. But when she gets her groove going it’s such a beautiful thing to see and I can tell she absolutely takes great pride in her work.
The Hunt Tests are interesting in that you can run multiple dachshunds on rabbit simultaneously. I have another dog who is less confident working rabbit but these two girls beautifully complement each other. The less confident dachshund is really good at working a scent line whereas that more confident dog is better at being assertive and thorough in searching likely rabbit cover. Seeing them work together gave me huge appreciation for the less confident dog, who I thought of as not as good working rabbit. They actually just have different natural talents/abilities, which is a huge plus. Working these hounds as a brace on rabbit increases success at finding and flushing wild rabbit. Now only to build the less confident girls confidence a little more…
Anyway- what makes a dog happy? I think it’s doing what they’re good at, and in many cases that’s what they were bred for. A happy dog is more confident, self assured and easier to live with. So I say let the dog lead you to what they want to do. If the love it, do it. It will be good for all of you!
Frances says
Many years ago I realised that the only way I could bear the pain of parting with a much-loved animal when the time came was to be able to feel that every day of their lives had been as happy as possible. I stopped agility with Sophy when she finally managed to make me understand that jumping hurt – looking back I cannot believe I was so obtuse for so long, but there were any number of far more experienced dog trainers telling me that the problem was my failure to sufficiently motivate her. The question of why a dog who loved everything else about agility should refuse jumps and weaves did not seem to occur to any of them…
Since Poppy was diagnosed with liver failure 16 months ago I have focused even more on happiness. Early this year she partially tore her cruciate ligament; steroids for the liver failure plus strictly limited exercise brought on a very nasty case of cystitis; through it all we somehow managed mostly happy days, although finding the balance between her need for slow, very short walks and Sophy’s need for long hikes across country was tricky for a while.
Now that she is able to go further and faster walks are made fun by a treat at least every 1/4 mile with lots of time to sniff along the way, and her days are filled with the joyous anticipation of the next meal – liver failure means lots of small meals spaced through the day, and numerous snacks and chunks of chicken wrapped round tablets to look forward to as well. Plenty of rest and sleep, minimal stress, careful diet, just the right amount of exercise and stimulation all add up to happiness despite her health issues.
Sophy needs independence – as far as possible when we are out she chooses the route we take, who to greet and who to ignore, and I let her trot ahead and veer off to explore away from the path as long as she checks in regularly. She might have excelled as a SAR dog – she will find people and cats when asked with no training, and wants no reward other than the enjoyment of the job, but knowing Sophy it would have quickly become boring because someone else would be making the rules, and that is the bit she likes best! Joy for Sophy comes from persuading someone to play the games she has invented to her rules, and going where she wants to with the minimum of human interference.
Wanda Jacobsen says
Quinn’s favorite thing to do is go with ‘Dad’ for a ride in the pickup. Quinn rides shotgun, puts his paw on Dad’s arm and give him a look that says, “I love riding along with you.” If Dad does not leave the house to go to work, Quinn knows it’s Saturday and Saturday means there are errands to do and Q gets to go along. His excitement cannot be contained when Dad picks up the green rug for the front seat and he’s ready for his ride. (Common sense tells me he knows it’s Saturday if Dad is still in the house well past 7:00 AM, but I prefer to believe Q knows it’s Saturday, because he checked the calendar on the wall. LOL)
Jen says
Walking is NOT my dog’s favorite activity, which has been hard to accept, because it is one of my very favorite things to do. Now that I’ve learned to give him a choice in what activities we do, or whether we go for a walk, it is clear he’d usually rather not. He wants an active job instead, and we’ve switched to learning nose work and tracking and tricks instead. He lights up when he hears the drawer open and the sounds of the clicker and other training items being retrieved. I’ve taken to walking alone. I miss the company of a dog, but his obvious joy at being asked to think and his feedback when I’ve actually listened to him make it clear it is the right thing to do.
Anne Bethea says
Benjamin the Rough Collie loved obedience training and showing. Won every class, was laser focused and looked like a happy sunbeam. He also loved rally obedience, but his partner (me) had trouble following the course. I introduced him to agility and he participated to please me, except for the chute. He put his beautiful collie foot down and refused. End of discussion. I introduced him to fly ball and he looked at me like “I’m a collie. Why would I want to do this with all those silly labs?” I will miss him forever.
Susan Tyson says
You are so right on deciding if the dog really wants to do what activity you would like to do. It is probably the hardest thing for a service dog puppy raiser to understand- my puppy is no smart and well trained and why can’t he be placed??
As I go around in public with the service dog pup I am raising, I hear all the time from the public- Oh, my dog would love to do therapy work and I am going to get him certified. And I respond with “Have you asked your dog?”
Melanie Hawkes says
I like Alice R’s comments, even though it’s a hard pill to swallow. Upton is only happy while eating or sleeping. That’s at least 14 hours of a day, but the other 10 are spent being anxious and barking at any sights, smells or noises that makes him scared. My house is not a calm or happy place for him most days. We just had a snap 3 day lockdown due to the pandemic, and have to work from home this week. It made me realise how much I missed my days in the office without Upton (and have no idea how I got any work done yesterday). I try my best to countercondition every noise, but it becomes a full time job. Just this morning the dogs across the road barked on 17 occasions in 2 hours, plus my neighbour’s dog 3 times, and my other neighbour went out (we share a driveway and Upton doesn’t like the sound of his car). That’s a trigger for Upton about every 7 minutes! I take his happiness seriously but it’s making me unhappy. We can’t even go for much of a walk any more as a new dog moved in down the road and barks at us while we walk past! Apart from medication or rehoming, what else can I do? I live in my dream home but we’re not living the dream life.
muttzrule says
I am really enjoying this post and everyone’s stories. It reminded me of Meg, the Rhodesian Whippet Princess. She was smart, agile, and the fastest thing on four paws. I had wondered if she might be good at agility, but at an event with demonstrations of all kinds of dog activities, she wasn’t the least bit interested in it.
Things changed drastically when we went by the flyball course. She went nuts as soon as she saw it. Dogs running at top speed! With tennis balls! Two of her favorite things together! It took every bit of human strength to hold her back from sprinting across the lanes, stealing a tennis ball from the nearest Border Collie, and causing total chaos.
She had the moves to be a champion, except for one little detail. She had limited tolerance for large noisy crowds. She could go from happy excitement to sensory overload fairly quickly. Hiding behind her human’s legs meant she was getting overwhelmed and was ready to go home. I kinda feel the same way about noisy crowds myself, so I didn’t push her past the point where she stopped having fun. Her favorite sports were house zoomies, doggie smackdown with her brother Scout, and the Snoopyesque dance she did before breakfast and dinner.
Sue B says
I’m commenting on what Melanie Hawkes had to say about her situation with her dog Upton:
You just sound like you’re in a lot of distress about your situation right now. I’d really encourage you to find a good veterinary behaviorist to work with — that will help you feel empowered to help the dog you love and will help him find more contentment. We rescued a BC about a year ago who turned out to have a LOT of anxiety, especially related to noise. Our vet eventually said she didn’t really know what else to do to help and referred us to an excellent behaviorist.
It changed my way of thinking, so that I don’t feel so responsible when I can’t just “take away” our dog’s fears. I try to control the noise exposures that I can (we spent a lot of nights in the basement around 4th of July last year) and provide a safe spot that she can recover from. Usually the goal is to reduce recovery time, not eliminate the anxiety.
We currently use 2 daily anti-anxiety meds, with another thrown in for fear events that we know are coming (think thunderstorms), and they have made a world of difference. There’s truly nothing wrong with medication! We’d do the same for human children that were struggling, so why should a dog be different? We’ve also worked a lot on fear-free cooperative care, general training, and finding things she enjoys.
I know how much energy all of this can take. I hope you find a good way to move forward!
Trisha says
So good of Sue B to add her excellent perspective. I agree a vet behaviorist could be extremely helpful. At minimum have your own vet call one on the list, medication might be a life saver based on what you describe. All paws crossed for you, please take care of yourself first.
Melanie Hawkes says
Thanks to both of you. I have seen vet behaviourists and he is on medication. One makes him a bit drowsy (even at half the dose) so I don’t like to use it much.
During lockdown last weekend the dogs hardly barked (as everyone was home) and it was so nice. Then restrictions were relaxed a little, so my neighbours have all been out again, hence more barking. I’m still isolating at home as I’m more vulnerable due to my disability, and can’t take my mask off independently to eat and drink. Upton has good days and bad days, and we just had several “bad days” in a row. I was frustrated at not being able to enjoy the nice weather and prune my bonsais or other things that I enjoy because Upton needed me to focus on him. He had a much better day yesterday, despite the barking that went on around us. I love being home and doing what I can to help him, but it turns out that I need time without him regularly (I think he enjoys a rest day without me too)! Masks are only compulsory for one more week (indoors only) so not long and I’ll be back at work. He is happy doing all of the tasks I ask of him so it would be a shame to rehome him and deny him the opportunity to do what he enjoys. Thanks for your support and reminder to focus on what makes us both happy.
Caroline P says
Interesting thoughts. Could the happiness factor be even more important for an anxious dog?
My highly anxious rescue has done lvl 3 companion classes 3 times. All class she smiles and her anxiety levels drop for a couple of days after. Last year I put her into a foundations class so I could train a pup. My rescue did enjoy the class, but was more reactive and it didn’t have a lasting impact. I put her back into companion class this month and again I see amazing outcomes.
I kept thinking, ‘surely she’s bored, she knows it all’. But after reading this I wonder now if she’s happy because she knows it well and does it well, and that boosts her confidence. It was a revelation to watch her in class this morning through a new lens. She IS happier when she does what she knows.
I teach companion classes and it’s hard to keep focus on a cold night. I’m going to try breaking up the class with little sessions of doing things the dogs are good at to see if that helps learning. My own little experiment with happiness.
Marie says
Just for the record, as someone sensitive to power dynamics and privilege, I don’t fully think of asking about happiness in dogs as a privilege. In fact, I’d argue, thinking about happiness in other species can teach us hooomans a lot about finding empathetic, sustainable, happy moments for our human selves and specie. In other words, it [thinking about happiness in dogs] is a privilege in some ways, but also, important in terms of basic human[e]hood and survival…there is only one earth. Science is cool but colonizing dead planets is…hmmm…you get the point.
Trisha says
Marie: I love your response. Thank you for it. I was thinking about all the human suffering in the world when I wrote the post. Only one earth, so true, but easier to think about if you’re your baby is starving. But I love your perspective about empathy . . . perhaps the most valuable trait we humans have, but often not given the value it deserves.
Trisha says
Caroline P: Great idea! Keep us posted about the class. I’m reminded of how hard college was because as soon as you got even a tiny bit familiar with new information, you switched to more new and unfamiliar material. It was exhausting; I don’t think people realize how hard that can be.
Chris Basil says
My older dog is so happy when I walk him past a therapy dog and the little pup makes his way up to us, wagging its tail as we pet it. It’s been hard for my furry friend with all of these new people moving in around town recently but he loves meeting them!
The pandemic left the therapy dog unemployed, and he became rather unhappy. We compensated by walking around our neighborhood. The happy pup made friends with everyone we met on his walks! Neighbors started stocking treats for him too- they would wait patiently in their driveways until he came over to say hi or I coaxed him along a little bit more at a time. He exudes joy as soon as someone greets him back while dancing towards them so it’s really great that we get to give this sweet guy some good days during these difficult times!
Some dogs are born with a natural ability to make people feel good, but my other pup just doesn’t have that gift. She’s happy enough to say hi and then move on with her day because she is content being whatever she wants in life.
Jenny Haskins says
A lovely post.
Over the years, and many dogs, I discovered for myself that there is no point at all in trying to ‘motivate’ a dog with treats and rewards, You might them to perform but not happily.
one trouble with Agility is that ne cannot adjust eh height so jumps for your dog’s jumping ability. A friend had a wonderful Cattle Dog, who wandered off the field at trials. We discovered that he had hip problems, so the height of the jumps he had to take, were not comfortable for him. He could do it in training, but in competition there were too many, and too close together.
My sweet Sal, loved agility — at home. But in trials I could not send her out, and my own agility was leaving a lot to be desired. So we did agility at home, and RallyO Competition, as she was too shy/timid to do the long stays, or the ‘stand for examination’ for Obedience.
I currently have a Cocker/Beagle. Quite, quite different to herding dogs and I thought she would love nose work, Not so — boring! I think she would have loved tracking, but my fitness precludes than. She’s very happy doing tricks — with NO pressure (ie only the tricks she enjoys).