Dogs always seem so happy when their owners return home: have you ever wondered why
happy behaviour, such as tail wagging is present no matter what the duration of your absence? As
Dr Maria Grazia Calore, veterinary surgeon and expert in pet behaviour explains this is because of the nature of man's best friend.
The dog: social animal par excellence
The dog is a social animal: it needs to live in group and doesn't tolerate loneliness well. Furthermore, it is predisposed to communicate by being able to interpret the emotions and language of man, and adapting its behaviour accordingly.For a balanced dog, separation from the group is mildly stressful, but, at the same time, it is well tolerated if it's accompanied by a reassuring routine. Our pet gets used to seeing us go out and return at certain times. Its confidence is cemented by a sort of "
cognitive map", a timetable built through secondary signals, such as the arrival of the postman, the sound of bells, the noise of people coming back for lunch etc. Even the sound of our car or scooter is able to alert them to our return ensuring a
happy dog is always ready to greet us.
Being reunited with its owner
For a dog, its reunion with one or more members of the pack is a time of joy because, by its very nature, it likes to relate and share space. Even our actions – greetings, hugs and whispered words – help
make our dogs happy. In fact
, our
social reinforcement is just as important as that given by food and can permanently set their behaviour.The onset of this attitude is found in puppies that are pleased to see their mother, who for them is an important point of reference and a source of food and protection. When we, as owners, replace this maternal figure, we reinforce this attitude.Usually, a dog tolerates short periods of solitude very well: it uses these quite moments to relax and sleep. However, if these timeframes are extended beyond the norm or if it experiences any unpleasant situations while we are out, it may suffer ‘separation anxiety'.It is a common belief that dogs do not have a fixed idea of the passage of time and that they can't comprehend if we've been away an hour or a day. In fact, as we have discussed above, they have references from the environment that allow them to know more or less how much time has passed since our exit. The repetitiveness of our actions also helps them to get used to the detachment and ensures they are happy to greet us on our return, giving us absolute joy to see them every day.
Sometimes we, unfortunately, find that our cat has soiled out of the litter box. It is an unwelcome predatory behaviour that we need to understand in order to help our...
Welcoming home a new kitten is always a joy. However, to start off on the right foot, we need to teach them the correct use of the litter tray as soon as possible after...
Dogs and storms: some dog lovers consider the combination a nightmare to manage while cat owners usually have less of an issue. But how can we help our four-legged...
Do cats hate water? In fact, the answer is much more complex than a straight ‘yes' or ‘no'. Dr Maria Grazia Calore, veterinary surgeon and expert in pet behaviour helps...
Kukur Tihar, a celebration in Nepal that pays tribute to dogs and their special relationship with humans. Between mysticism and folklore, the dog becomes protagonist in...
A dog's expressive behaviour may not bemuse us like that of the enigmatic cat, however every day they delight us with their engaging ways. They are fiercely loyal,...
Will you be taking your cat on holiday this year? Summer has just begun and many owners are wondering if, for the welfare of their cat, it would be better to take their...
It is not only important to know the best way to manage the cat litter tray for our cat's health but also to find possible causes of any inappropriate elimination...
