Ever wonder why your pup can sometimes seem uncontrollable and frustrating? Well, here is a whole new way of relating to your dog. Instead of seeing them as just a dog, you have to see them for what their psychology reveals about them – that really, underneath all that fur and slobber is just a little kid.
A study done at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna found that connections between dogs and their owners have striking similarities to parent-child relationships. What they learned about how this relationship influences a dog’s confidence is quite revealing.
“Specifically, they saw that, as in parent-child bonding, dogs use their caregivers as a “secure base” from which to interact with the world around them. In this case, the dogs could earn a food reward by manipulating toys. 
But they showed much less interest in working for a treat when their owners weren’t around. If they were there, it didn’t seem to make much difference if the owner was silent or encouraging. What mattered was their presence. And it couldn’t be just any human–the dogs weren’t very motivated when a stranger was in the room with them. Only when their owners were nearby did they go after the food with gusto.” – Lisa Horn
“One of the things that really surprised us is, that adult dogs behave towards their caregivers like human children do.”
Just like children, dogs display stress when encountering a new situations. They need time to be properly introduced to new people, pets, and objects so that they can develop a healthy sense of trust and develop appropriate boundaries. When a dog is not properly socialized or introduced to these new arenas with care – they simply follow whatever their natural instincts tell them to do. In some instances it may be to become overly excited and uncontrollable. In other instances they may become very shy and defensive in situations perceived as threatening.
Whatever your dog is familiar with usually isn’t a problem. It’s those new situations and recurrent triggers that stem from them that are the real issue. If you are looking for a pet boarding facility that works to make sure your dog feels safe and is comfortable, we invite you to come visit the ranch. Book today – we know you’ll be back!
Sources
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ist/?next=/innovation/are-dogs-now-just-furry-kids-2265635/
