When Zoe does something wrong and I correct her why does she yawn? Always. It's not an every now and again thing. She always yawns. I was reading about dogs yawning on-line. It says that sometimes they yawn when they're depressed. Do you think it depresses her when she gets in trouble? This bitty dog confuses me.
Also, I have to call the vet today. I don't know what the deal is. I'm still giving her, her puppy prozac everyday but it doesn't seem to be working anymore. She's gone back to her old anxiety self. If she's left alone she's freaking out again and flipping out. She's gone back to crying constantly, she's eating anything and everything again, she's even returned to being somewhat aggressive with the other dogs again. She hasn't tried anything with me but she's not her happy playful self that she was a few months ago when she started the medicine. She's gone back to seeming like she's miserable again. The only thing she's not started doing again, besides attacking me, is going to the bathroom in the house. If her anxiety is going to come back while she's on the medicine I'm going to take her off of it. It's just not worth it.
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Saving just one dog won't save the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog. -Richard C. Call
Kitty is that true? I am not asking sarcastically but honestly because Koda does the same thing and I was told by a "trainer" that it was submissive thing.......Koda also has that attitude of "Whatever" when he does that. LOL
Yawning is a calming signal. The dog is saying that you're stressing her out, that she is not a threat to you, and that she wants you to chill. Many behaviors that we interpret as meaning "yeah, whatever..." are actually calming signals.
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"Thought is an invisible and subtle power that mocks all the efforts of tyranny." Alexis de Tocqueville
I guess that whenever I give Zoe a simple "No" in a normal tone I'm stressing her out than. Oh well. She'll have to get over that because Zoe is notorious for doing things she's not allowed, such as eating the furniture. She'll just have to be stressed because she will be given a firm NO whenever she decides to eat my sofa.
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Saving just one dog won't save the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog. -Richard C. Call
Given the stories you've told about Zoe and her insecurities, I bet a regular "no" does stress her out. But, of course, you can't just let her take over the house and do whatever she wants. Most people wouldn't have put in half the work that you have for her. Zoe is lucky to have you as an owner.
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"Thought is an invisible and subtle power that mocks all the efforts of tyranny." Alexis de Tocqueville
Thanks proto. It's hard work and believe me, I've felt like giving up on more than one occassion. I have a question for you. If Zoe yawns because I'm stressing her out, what if I were to yawn at her when she's stressing me out? Would she recognize what I'm doing? For instance, when she starts torturing the other dogs and running around the house at warp speed for her 20 min. a day biting everything she sees, furniture, people, toys, you name it. If she sees it while she's doing her 90 mile an hour run she bites it. Okay, she doesn't really bite it persay but she definitely gives everything a good nip. Which terrifies Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn is afraid that Zoe will one day bite her hard. Gillian could care less. Gillian just looks at her and says "HEY." What if I were to somehow get her to pay attention to me yawning? Okay, probably since it's Zoe she won't care but what about a normal dog? Would they recognize the sign and understand?
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Saving just one dog won't save the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog. -Richard C. Call
I've used yawning successfully, combined with other body language calming signals, to calm down shy and/or fear aggressive dogs. I doubt Zoe would understand it in the context of zooming around like a maniac because she probably wouldn't understand how that behavior is threatening to you. Kaitlyn, however, might have some success with it when Zoe is too aggressive with her. Because Zoe is, well, Zoe, I wouldn't put money on it, but it's worth a shot. Yawning works best with a dog who is tense either because of your presence or because of something you're doing. If Zoe is playing with Kaitlyn when she is too rough, the yawning probably won't work, but if Zoe is striking out at Kaitlyn because she perceives Kaitlyn to be some sort of a threat, then yawning might work.
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"Thought is an invisible and subtle power that mocks all the efforts of tyranny." Alexis de Tocqueville
Tanya does a head shake, too. That means "I DON"T HEAR YOU." Oh. and doggie donuts, turning in circles when I am trying to tell her to be quiet. Her yawn is vocal as well.
Thanks proto. I understand the yawning now. I was a bit confused. Zoe is just very mouthy when she plays and grabs onto everything with her mouth when she's zooming around the house like a freak. She's never played aggressively with the kids. Just me and the other dogs. Since she's been on the medicine she's gotten much better although a bit of it is starting to come back. I don't understand why she's on anxiety medicine but now her anxiety is starting to come back. I'm not quite sure how her body works. I put her and Tucker in their crates for a bit yesterday so they wouldn't bother the older dogs while I went to pilates and I came home and Zoe had been chewing on her leg! She aggravates me to no end and I have no idea what to do with her but yet I love her and I feel so bad for her at the same time because something just isn't right.
Kitty, I know what you mean about the vocal yawn. Tucker and Toby do that. It must be a lab thing. None of mine have ever done the head shake but Toby and Mikey both do the spinning in circles thing when I'm talking to them and their excited about something.
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Saving just one dog won't save the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog. -Richard C. Call
"Thought is an invisible and subtle power that mocks all the efforts of tyranny." Alexis de Tocqueville
