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By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT
Doga has been around for many years in the United States, and many people claim to have "invented" the human-dog practice. The shift from yoga to Doga was inevitable and if you stop for a moment to think about it, most asanas come from the animal world: upward dog, downward dog, cat, cow, fish, cobra, etc.

Doga has been around for many years in the United States, and many people claim to have "invented" the human-dog practice. The Doga practice we have established at the Dogue Shop was a natural and original approach meant to change your philosophy about dogs. We do not use dogs as accessories, on the contrary, dogs learn to practice yoga with their human. 
 
Yoga is a philosophy, not an exercise routine. According to Patanjali's eight limbs of yoga, the asana practice, or poses, is one part of the enlightenment process. We developed Doga based on philosophy, not the poses. Our Doga practice focuses on doing asanas with your dog as a routine, not as an accessory. The doga approach we teach involves breathing, self-awareness, poses, respect, control of the senses, and concentration. We even guide students through meditation in the presence of dogs.
 

The Eight Limbs of Yoga
Yama :  Universal morality
Niyama :  Personal observances
Asanas :  Body postures
Pranayama :  Breathing exercises, and control of prana
Pratyahara :  Control of the senses
Dharana :  Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness
Dhyana :  Devotion, Meditation on the Divine
Samadhi :  Union with the Divine

A New Vision 
Because the Dogue Shop likes to Think Outside the Box, we did not want to place dogs in strange positions, nor did we want to exclude certain breeds based on their size. Doga is really about developing and deepening the human-dog relationship based on social cognitive theory. The connection deepens the relationship and the relationship deepens the ability to work and solve problems in a secure and relaxed environment. 
 
The topic of social cognitive theory was discussed in Reinforce Resilience. In the article, we discussed how to reinforce resilience through a different approach. Doga is the ultimate training practice in which a person learns to teach, bond, enjoy, and share an activity meant to keep both participants in the present moment. Doga, just like yoga, is a philosophy. Furthermore, doga is a low-impact training practice available to all. It can be practiced inside or out, and will certainly make participants laugh.

We encourage you to try Doga and start doing yoga with your dog, but most of all we encourage people to try and see their human-dog relationships in a new way. Canis Familiaris has been our working partner for hundreds of years, maybe it's time to step back and acknowledge that, although times have changed, we can still work with them in new creative ways. Give your dog a job. Give your dog a Doga job.

Source
http://www.expressionsofspirit.com/yoga/eight-limbs.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2479226/Yoga-dogs-JILLY-JOHNSON-tries-doga--14st-Great-Dane.html
http://www.catherinemann.com/doga-yoga-wa-dog/
http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2009/08/14/doga-yoga-for-dogs/

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT
In the last Blog, I tried to persuade readers to engage in a healthy discussion about what it means to be a dog professional. Today, we will take a look at learning and resilience. Note: to keep this article short, I have included a list of learning theories and people behind them at the end of this article.

In essence, learning theories are regrouped into six main theories: Behaviourism, Cognitivism, Constructivism, Design-based, Humanism, and Miscellaneous. Out of all the learning theories, most professionals rely on one, behaviourism (classical and operant conditioning). Did you know Albert Bandura, a Canadian, linked behaviourism and cognitivism with his social cognitive theory in the sixties?

In essence, social cognitive theory states "...that all animal action is based on fulfilling the psychological needs of feeling, emotion, and desire”. Social cognitive theory is based on the idea that animals (including people) learn by observing others, and this can only occur when personal, behavioural, and environmental factors are conducive to learning. Dogs can and do learn through social cognitive theory.

Another learning theory comes into play, attachment. Indeed, dogs have pre-set behaviours that allow them to attach to whatever is present during the critical period of social development. After this attachment period, dogs will learn to imitate and solve problems not only through association but also through social and emotional connectedness. Dogs who have formed bonds with humans are more likely to follow pointing gestures and visual cues to problem-solve (Virányi et al., 2008). In fact, when all these learning theories are put together, the side effect is increased resilience.

Reinforced Resilience Reduces Reaction.
Resilience is the capacity of a human or animal to recover quickly from difficulties or difficult situations; therefore, animal professionals should reinforce resilience, not behaviour. You might think this sounds strange, yet I assure you this is not an abstract concept. I introduced other learning theories into my practice fifteen years ago, and believe me, they work wonderfully. Actually, many dog research labs now focus on the social and cognitive capacities of our canine companions.

How does one reinforce resilience you might ask. The answer lies in your ability to place all the pieces of the puzzle together. In other words, the human must set the stage for other theories to interconnect. The first puzzle is the social cognitive learning theory model which looks like the image below.
In the social cognitive learning theory model, behavioural factors influence and are influenced by environmental factors; environmental factors influence and are influenced by personal factors (cognition, emotion, and biology); personal factors influence and are influenced by behaviour. All factors must connect and interact with one another in order for learning to take place (above). When both human and dog models connect through a secure attachment, both individuals can experience learning. Once the human-dog pair functions smoothly, resilience can and will increases. Why? Because the human can plan and set forth the environmental, behavioural, and personal factors required to trigger a response and then reinforce recovery. In other words, the human voluntarily works to decrease the dog's recovery time in any given situation by reinforcing the said recovery. As the dog gains insight and receives multiple levels of reinforcement for quick recovery, resilience will increase (below).The process of placing dogs into social situations in order to trigger personal and behavioural responses is termed situational inducement. Inducement should remain at the dog's threshold, for if the situation is too stressful, the dog will cease to learn. Remember, all three aspects of the social cognitive theory must function together in order to create a favourable learning environment. Furthermore, if situational inducement triggers high stress responses, the human-dog attachment will suffer and start to deteriorate. 

The objective of social cognitive and attachment theory is to let your dog know that you are there and that you will provide positive feedback. Your dog should think you are God, not because you have food, but because your relationship says I got your back. A resilient human and dog team is a powerful combination that can be exposed to any situation and bounce back physically, mentally, and emotionally without any long term negative effects.

The socialization period was well identified and thoroughly discussed in Fuller and Scott’s book Genetics and the Social Behaviour of the Dog (1965). From their research, it was discovered that puppies need to experience various stimuli before the age of three months in order to securely withstand life’s events. In other words, what puppies do not experience during this critical period they will fear as adults. This corresponds with Konrad Lorenz’s theory of imprinting; it mentions a species acquires his identity during a critical period, in dogs this social period closes at approximately 16 weeks.

Socialization, or imprinting, and habituation happen according to a certain recipe. Take a little bit of social contact from dogs, people, and other animals, mix in various sounds, smells, objects and experiences, throw in positive training techniques, simmer for a few months, and voilà! A well balanced adult dog! Behaviour problems arise when the instructions were not followed and ingredients were forgotten, or omitted all together.

Socialization Problems
Puppies spend most of the critical period with their breeders. Consequently, the breeder’s role is to provide positive stimuli and social contact to his brood. When puppies are exposed to a variety of people, animals, sounds, smells and positive experiences, dogs become confident, well balanced, and adjusted adults. In the best of worlds, puppies leaving their homes between seven and eight weeks are properly socialized, and sold to canine savvy owners.

Here are a few documented situations which can create behaviour problems down the line. 1. Separation. Dogs are pulled to early from the litter, or were not presented with various stimuli during the critical period. 2. Vaccination. Veterinarians tell their clients not to expose their puppy to other dogs before the vaccination protocol is completed. Unfortunately, this event occurs after the socialization period has ended. Introducing puppies to adult dogs is perfectly safe; considering most of the adult dog population is vaccinated. Obviously, one has to use common sense and refrain from contact if the adult dog exhibits signs of illness.

3. Over-socialisation. Large groups of adult dogs can seriously overwhelm puppies. The purpose of socialization is to learn which behaviours are considered normal and expected as adults; conversely, groups of puppies cannot teach each other manners they themselves know nothing about. The human equivalent would be to place young children together in groups and let them grow up in the hopes they will teach each other how to behave as adults. Adult supervision is not only required, it is mandatory. The same thing goes for dogs; puppies need to be in contact with well adjusted adult dogs in very small groups! Well adjusted adult dogs teach youngsters how to display species-specific behaviours.

Socialization Solutions
As seen above, socializing puppies is like baking a cake; one has to follow certain steps, at certain times, in order to obtain the appropriate finished product. If breeders have not exposed puppies to various situations, owners can offer those opportunities; unfortunately, they have very little time to do so. Owners have approximately four weeks to develop their dog’s social skills. During this short time, owners should present stimuli they will unlikely encounter as adult dogs. Remember, dogs will fear what they don’t know; this means traffic, fast moving objects, people of different shapes, sizes, ethnicities, noises, smells, and living creatures are potentially life threatening situations in the dog’s mind.

Owners can socialize their puppies in different ways. They can bring them to puppy socialisation classes, stand in front of big stores, go to dog parks, visit a family member, or simply expose the dog to various situations and give them treats for positive responses. Everybody wants to pet the new puppy, so why not walk around and ask people to interact, while you control the environment. When you practice these techniques, or any other for that matter, one has to be conscious of their dog’s emotional state of mind. Owners should pull their puppies away if they get tired, overwhelmed, or scared. Socialization is a question of balance; too much, or too little, of a good thing, can be a bad thing.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT

Dictionaries state 1. The ability to communicate, to establish a relationship with others, which brings me to the word communicate. 2. To give knowledge, sharing with someone. 3. To be in a relationship, in contact, or corresponding with someone. Hence, one can conclude from these definitions that we communicate with our dogs; however, what are we telling them?

Let us look at the Alpha Roll as an example. Does turning Fido on his back and holding him there say: I am Alpha, submit to me, or else! On the other hand, does it mean: Periodically I will scare you, with no apparent reason, by tossing you on your back until you become inhibited. If you chose the second option, you are a champion. What we communicate to Fido is a question of perception, and in this case, we must look at it from the dog’s point of view. To accomplish this, we must understand the canine dictionary.

Dominance is an intraspecific concept; meaning to dominate the dog one must be able to talk the same language, which is impossible. I cannot lift my tail, pivot my ears or raise my hackles. Submission amongst dogs is voluntary, or there is a fight. I have never seen a dog, or wolf, take his adversary by the scruff of the neck, flip him on his back until he submitted. I will repeat, the animal will submit VOLUNTARILY, or there is a dominance conflict.

To illustrate this point let us look at this example. An elephant and a buffalo challenge one another in the Savannah; I ask who is dominating whom? The answer is, neither nor, and both at the same time. For, in their respective heads, they are displaying dominance behaviours. In this situation, there is no communication since the definition states: Establishing a relationship with others, being in a relationship.

In our example, the buffalo is trying to dominate the elephant by lowering his head and showing his horns. The elephant is displaying dominance by opening his ears and raising his trunk. They are demonstrating dominance by showing behaviours they usually exhibit to other members of their group. We see communication is not possible. The buffalo is not dominating the elephant, because the latter does not understand the behaviours. With this new understanding, how can we interpret our relationship with dogs as being dominance and submission?

The dog spends his time interpreting our behaviours because he does not understand our language. Here is another example. You must cut your dog’s nails, and he does not want to. You forcefully immobilize him until he stops moving and accepts your manipulations. My question is did you dominate him, of course not! In his head you scared him and not being able to run away, he froze. Remember, a dog faced with a situation, can do one of three things, freeze, flight or fight. Although the majority of canines will prefer flight, the alternative is usually “fight.”

Most dog trainers understand the dog’s physical language, but unfortunately, few know about the emotional language. Calming and avoidance signals are an integral part of the canine vocabulary, and understanding them is necessary for proper communication. This understanding allows us to prevent behaviour problems, which are, more often than not, a result of poor communication. Calming and avoidance signals are fast and somewhat difficult to observe, but once mastered, one can avoid many unfortunate situations. These signals are turning eye, turning head, turning body, tongue flicking, freezing, closing the mouth, ground sniffing, sitting, laying down, panting, yawning, play bow, and whale eyes.

Let us go back to our nail cutting example. The owner is on top of the dog trying to immobilize him, the dog yawns, wags the tip of his tail and invariably turns his head to avoid his owner’s stare. In other words, the dog is trying to tell you he is scared and does not understand what you expect of him. Remember, in his world, no other dog would dare do such a thing. In our example, Fido could make the association between pain and you, and think you are a potential danger.

Establishing a healthy relationship with an animal demands a maximum understanding of his ethogram. We must realize that communication is only possible between species exhibiting the same physical and emotional behaviour; all other relationships function on respect and positive associations. Preventing behaviour problems starts by recognizing we are not superior, or inferior, to our dogs, we are merely different; as Charles Darwin said, “Differences create diversity!”

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT

Pet owners often say My dog knows when I feel good or bad. This statement remained unverified by the scientific community, till now. A recent report published in the scientific journal New Scientist (Guo, 2008), researchers discovered dogs do indeed read the human face as we do, that is, from left to right, to gain emotional insight. The process of reading emotions is described by the researchers as the Left Gaze Bias or LGB.

LGB is the process by which people validate emotions by scanning the face from left to right, with an emphasis on the person’s right side. The reason for this bias is the asymmetrical structure of the face. Remember biology 101, the left hemisphere of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice verse. Therefore, our brains are scanning for the side of the face controlled by the emotional side of the brain, hence, the other person’s right side or from my perspective, their left side.


       Photo 1                              Photo 2
   
Look at both images. Photo 1 is the left side of the face copied and flipped. Photo 2 is the right side of the face copied and flipped. Which face appears happier? If you said photo 2, you are experiencing LGB. The subtle emotional differences between the left and right side of one’s face are difficult to observe without this trickery, but our brains have learned to make this discrepancy, allowing for a more accurate emotional assessment.

When presented with pictures of human faces, monkeys, canines, or inanimate objects, our furry companions demonstrate the LGB only towards human faces. Dogs do not exhibit the left to right facial scanning when presented with other dogs, animals, or inanimate objects. In terms of behaviour modification and training, the LGB proves dogs can and do read human emotions; therefore, pet owners can use this information to identify their dog’s emotional state and redirect behaviour by readjusting their own emotions. This process is referred to as emotional projection and is the essence of my practice.

Reference
- Guo, K. Left Gaze Bias. New Scientist, U.K. October 2008

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT

Most dog owners know about the physical language of dogs; a raised tail and ears mean dominance, while a lowered tail and ears mean submission. However, few know about the emotional language dogs’ exhibit. Physical language presented as appeasement and avoidance signals make up the ethogram, aka canine dictionary. This dictionary must be understood in order to develop a secure relationship with the dog, which in turn will reduce the risks of bites.

Appeasement and avoidance signals are intended for those purposes. Appeasement signals serve to minimize conflict, while avoidance signals are intended at avoiding conflict in the first place. Appeasement signals like stretching, yawning, tongue flicking, pawing, and such, are displayed to the opponent (human, dog or other) in order to avoid stop conflicts before they escalate. Avoidance signals are displayed at an opponent when a dog tries to avoid a conflict. He signals his intentions, turning eyes, turning head, curving, sitting, pretend sniffing, hoping to avoid the escalating conflict. 

Aggression in dogs is normal; after all, they are predators. It is the lack of understanding that puts people in jeopardy. Owners punish the puppy for showing his teeth at grandmother; they tell him “No” when he growls. For the dog, these are normal signs of distress and people punish them out, leaving the dog with no other option but to bite. Remember freeze, flight or fight! Given the right circumstances, the dog will bite, no questions asked.

Pausing (freeze) behaviour shows the dog is uncomfortable, stress is building up and he must make a decision “Should I stay, or run away? ” In most cases the dog will run away (flight), however, when the environment prevents him from escaping, biting (fight) becomes an option, actually, the only option left!

Here is an example. A dog is playing on the balcony with his favourite toy. The neighbour walks in the yard. The dog pauses, tongue flicks, stands, circles and lies down again. The Neighbour interprets this as the dog being ok (he laid down again). He walks up the stairs and the dog bites his leg as he passes by. The dog gave all the right signals, unfortunately, the person failed to recognize them, and got bitten. Look at the situation from the dog’s point of view. When the person entered the yard, the dog paused (decision-making), tongue flicked (calming signal), circled (curving = 1st avoidance signal) and laid back down (down = 2nd avoidance signal). After reading this information, one can see the situation was preventable.

Through artificial selection, humans have changed the dogs' fixed action patterns (chain of behaviours working towards a specific goal), breeding down certain traits their wild ancestors still exhibit. Such behavioural faults are killed, dismember and eat. One must understand that these genetic traits are not removed, they are simply dormant. Dogs retain their predatory behaviours and under the right conditions, genetics will always over-ride training.

Physically speaking, the consequences of dog bites are different, the size of the dog being the main factor. However, emotionally speaking, the result is the same. Dogs are euthanized and victims are scarred for life. To avoid dog bites, prevention through education remains the best option.

By Gaby Dufresne-Cyr, CBT

In light of the Sochi dog cull and the media attention it has received, I urge people to inquire and research the stray dog topic in order to look at these events with an educated mind. The dog sleeping in your bed is a poor representation of the dog population around the world.

In 1990, the World Health Organisation published a document in order to establish guidelines for dog population management. In this document, the WHO states "Dog populations may rapidly grow to a point where the health risks of humans becomes serious and the environment begins suffering considerably." (1990).