stress & the effects of stress are fairly well studied & understood in humans. in canines, i don’t know....i think it’s time i learn about the science that may or may not be out there.the tester for mojo’s “therapy dog re-certification” saw her licking her lips. this was interpreted & scored as a stress reaction. omg, don’t they know she is her mother’s dog. i put her treats up on the counter top. mojo was looking right at them & smacking her lips ‘cause she wanted to put the treats in her belly.
part of her testing was a planned sudden bump from behind by a passerby. mojo looked up at the bumper & kept on walking. again, she was scored lower for her “stress reaction” of looking at the person who bumped her. ms mojo was in NO WAY stressed. big fuzzy girl was looking to see if that rude passerby wanted to scratch her head since she was in the vicinity.
kids wear mojo out quickly * being hungry makes her really grumpy * going to the vet is like being on stage for her - the wag only stops wagging during temperature checks & stool sampling * new situations provide her with opportunities to meet new treat feeders, hinder sc ratchers & head petters ~ she greets strangers in a better mood than she greets chris & me *she hides when she sees the dog brush come out, but still gets excited when we find her.
the only times i’ve seen true stress are when she was on a shoooting range for over an hour listening to her dad & grandpa blast away their guns &, similarly, when thunder storms go on & on. her ears go back, her curly-over-her-back-tail drops down, she ducks for cover. all other occasions just make the moj smile.
this weekend, at a wonderful agility seminar i attended, there was a lot of talk about your dog being able to tug & play anywhere in the world. we’re supposed to proof that ability to play by practicing in many different locations. when we throw the toy the dogs are supposed to be ready to run & get it. tug with them in the parking lot of petsmart, inside petsmart, in the bathroom of petsmart. all of this to “relieve stress.”
trying to make ditto play &/or tug when she is on the prowl for the mice, gerbils, birds & guinea pigs at petsmart is going to be the true stressor for her. distracting her from her work is a bit upsetting for her. she's a concentrator.
her job as a jack russell terrier is to work - tirelessly. to not have a job, to not be working in some way, would stress her out, as it has so many other bored out of their gourd jack russells. to dig, hunt, work - that’s what she was born to do & it brings her true joy.
i don’t think a little bit of stress is bad for any species. if they can’t manage stress, they won’t survive. i don’t know any of this for certain. i intend to begin some research & really try to figure this stress in dogs thing out.
does stress in dogs make their attention span less? their ability to perform worse? in people it can be the opposite & yes, i know dogs are not people.
when people leave their dogs at home alone & the dog is not happy, is that stress? i think that’s a mental disorder - separation anxiety.
i truly believe that some dogs are high strung & need to tug to let off steam (not sure those dogs are thinking of tugging as play & fun)
some dogs are so bored because they can’t get out & do the job they were bred to do or anything close to that & they’re not stimulated enough mentally. tugging & play allows them to release some of that frustration.
frustration/built up steam/ anxiety - is that all the same as stress?
i dunno, but i’m gonna find out.
