Pack Life: Importance of Being Needed
In the world of dogs, charity and alms don't belong. Pack life thrives on contribution—every member plays a vital role in nurturing, guarding, and foraging for food. This article explores the essence of pack dynamics, highlighting the significance of roles and responsibilities that create a harmonious symphony of cooperation. Read on to gain insight in a dog's need, to be needed. In a pack, dogs take care of the elderly and younger members without their contribution needing to be decisive for the pack's existence. The previous efforts of the elders hold value in their golden years. Puppies' job is to rejuvenate and learn from the masters. An average-aged dog without a role in the pack life risks becoming low-priority. In such situations, they might embark on longer solo walks, a precursor to a solitary wolf's life, searching for a new territory or a new family. The vagabond's expertise might be needed elsewhere. There are several reasons why a wolf chooses to wander. This is one of them.
The feeling of being needed as a dog
For the reasons mentioned above, it feels secure to be needed as a dog. Not possessing a quality that benefits the pack can create unease. In such cases, one becomes a burden rather than an asset. As a dog psychologist, I sometimes encounter dogs without tasks wandering aimlessly within themselves. Addressing the feeling of being needed can be a crucial part of a training plan. Sometimes it's not about increasing activity or providing breed-specific tasks.It's about letting the dog be one of the cogs in the clockwork, contributing to the overall functionality. Such things are important for dogs.
Unemployed Axe: When pet dogs don't shave
Axe is a kromfohrländer, originally intended as a companion dog. But Axe didn't see that as an acceptable role. He gets plenty of exercise, is well-activated, and life in general is okay, but!... The fact that pack life functioned without his contribution gnawed at Axe like a grass seed stuck in his ear. He became so restless that his front paws moved counter-clockwise while his hind paws moved clockwise. It became difficult for everyone. He wandered aimlessly. Whined and scratched. He became overly excited at the wrong times and subdued when expected to be cheerful. Everything was a mess.
Axe: Without purpose in an active family
Axe's family is active; they often go hiking, the kids have multiple extracurricular activities. Mom is a gardening enthusiast, and a bit too obsessed with stone paths, while dad often smells of oil after tinkering in the garage. Even the cat has the task of catching mice. But Axe is just there, not contributing. Sometimes he tries, but it falls flat. And Axe truly doesn't understand the purpose of the family's activities. They're not dog-related. He doesn't grasp the connection between soccer and paving stones with food, warmth, guarding, hunting, and resting.
Give your dog important everyday chores
Axe himself thought guarding was an important task. So, we drew up some scenes based on that interest. When dad is working on the care, Axe gets to guards the driveway. After all, dad can't possibly keep an eye out with his head stuck in the Mustang. Check! When mom is pacing back and forth with the wheelbarrow, Ax must accompany her, back and forth, between the stone pile and the earth mound. How else is she supposed to manage? Check! And when the youngest is to go to sleep, Axe really needs to be part of the bedtime routine and preferably stay for a quarter of an hour after she falls asleep in case she wakes up.Well, these tasks might not seem fit for a dog, you might think. But indeed they are. If you ensure the dog is engaged in the task and receives genuine appreciation for it, it becomes a role that fulfills an important function for the pack. And that's the point.
Tasks for high energy dogs
Distinguish between work, activation, and tasks important to the packs survival. A high-energy dog needs to work to feel well and function. A working dog needs to track, search, and be challenged. A herding dog needs to herd, and a guard dog needs to guard. A hunting dog needs to hunt, and a pulling dog needs to pull. That's the way it is.
When substitutes do not satisfy the dog
For some dogs, substitutes are like swallowing the wrapper instead of the candy but still trying to convince oneself that they've eaten chocolate. Then there are things we want to do with our dogs that they actually don't care about because they aren't behavioral needs.
Give your dog a task to avoid making things up
An assignments discussed in this article makes the dog feel needed. If you're not needed, you risk losing your membership in the pack association. That's why dogs eagerly make themselves needed if no task is assigned. They look for roles to fulfill. They engage in activities they believe we need help with. Like weeding the garden. So, it might be wise to give them a task before they come up with one themselves.
Written by: Caroline Alupo
Caroline Alupo is Petli's co-founder. She has a master's degree in ethology and is also a trained dog trainer and dog psychologist. She has 19 years of experience as a professional dog trainer. Read more about Caroline here.
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