1 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, Welcome to the Foundation's podcast. I'm your host 2 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:08,719 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. In today's episode is all about canine mental 3 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,320 Speaker 1: issues and some of the quirky things that we think 4 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: are kind of innocent but that can become big problems 5 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: if they aren't addressed correctly. Look, there's like a social 6 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: contagion thing that happens with humans when we start to 7 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 1: get exposed to new issues that some of us have. 8 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: Like a good example is probably like ADHD. Here. Now, 9 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: when I was a kid, ADHD was probably somewhat prevalent 10 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: at the rates that it is today, but no one 11 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 1: really knew about it. In fact, back then, it was 12 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 1: just add Now it seems like most kids have it 13 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: to the point where a lot of the behaviors are 14 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: just explained away by that disorder without an actual diagnosis 15 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: or a treatment plan. A lot of times, the same 16 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 1: kind of thing happens with our dogs too, and we 17 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:51,839 Speaker 1: use a lot of what we think are just their 18 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: individual quirks to gloss over behaviors that are probably not 19 00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: only were avoidable, but also might you know, be fixable. 20 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: That's what this episode is all about. I recently pulled 21 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 1: into the parking lot of the gym and saw that 22 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 1: a buddy of mine was sitting in his truck. Hadn't 23 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 1: seen him for a while, so I walked over and 24 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: started talking to him, and he instantly offered up that 25 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,320 Speaker 1: he had been gone for a little over a month. Now. 26 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 1: Out of respect for his privacy, I'm not going to 27 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: go into too many details, but he ended up having 28 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: a pretty real issue with life in general. Took a 29 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:32,279 Speaker 1: little trip to a hospital and then a much longer 30 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,840 Speaker 1: trip to a treatment center. Now it wasn't for addiction issues, 31 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: but instead mental health issues. It also didn't really surprise me. 32 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 1: He works in a very high stress job. He spent 33 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: a few years in Iraq when he was in the army, 34 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: and he didn't have the kind of role that kept 35 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:47,919 Speaker 1: him out of harm's way. If you get my drift, 36 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: he's been through a lot, and outwardly, if you looked 37 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: at him, you'd think he could handle a lot. He's 38 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: built like a brick shithouse. He's covered in tattoos and 39 00:01:57,480 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: is one of the funniest and most sarcastic people I know. 40 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: Given his outward appearance, it would be safe to assume 41 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: he's kind of a prick, but he's not He's one 42 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: of the nicest people I know, and he was the 43 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: first person to start talking to me in the gym 44 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: when I went in there and didn't know a single 45 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,799 Speaker 1: thing about what I was doing. There's a whole lot 46 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: of don't judge a book by its cover thing here. 47 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 1: But he also has a wild temper, a lot of 48 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: past trauma from a whole lot of life most people 49 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: will never experience, and his job puts him in direct 50 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: contact with people who are having the worst days of 51 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: their lives over and over, so it's not surprising that 52 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: he ended up needing some real help. Most of the 53 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: folks he interacts with probably wouldn't have seen that coming 54 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: with him. We often see what we want to see, 55 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 1: and that doesn't end with people in our lives. Our dogs, 56 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 1: our lovable goofball four legged hunting buddies also have issues 57 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: that stem entirely from the narrow space between their ears, 58 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: and a lot of these issues either seem to be 59 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: kind of progressive or worse set in stone, But are they. 60 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: It's honestly really hard to say. I had a golden 61 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: Retriever a few dogs ago who wanted nothing more than 62 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: to be a human. Now, a lot of folks joke 63 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: about their dogs thinking that they are humans. So I 64 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: don't want to be like that. Except with her, well, 65 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: it was absolutely true. She took it personally if she 66 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: was left home alone. She took it personally if you 67 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: didn't pet her when she wanted a little scretch behind 68 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: the ear, she took it very personally. For some reason, 69 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: I packed up and left without her. That dog had 70 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: severe separation anxiety, which is the number one stressor for 71 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: a lot of domestic dogs. We are their conduit to 72 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: literally everything important to their lives, and when we leave, 73 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: they are well left alone. I often wonder what mistakes 74 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: I made with that golden de foster such a deep 75 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: level of separation anxiety, But when I owned her, I 76 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: always passed it off as just kind of like a 77 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: quirk of hers. With quite a few years in the 78 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: rearview mirror, now I can look back on that dog 79 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: and think of things I did wrong. I probably didn't 80 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: do a terrible job of socializing her, because I, you know, 81 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: actually socialized her quite a bit. She wasn't gunshot, she 82 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: was pretty confident in herself and generally seemed to handle 83 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: life well, I guess as well as a golden retriever does. 84 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 1: But she also would dig into the garbage almost every 85 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 1: time I left, or at least she did this quite often, 86 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: and then she'd carry, you know, a tissue or some 87 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 1: other wrapper to the top of the stairs and tear 88 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: it into tiny little pieces. Now did I think about it. 89 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: She did that with cash money a few times too, 90 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 1: and it was always interesting to see bits of dollar 91 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: bills in her poop to remind me, a person who 92 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: was very broke at the time, that that might have 93 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:45,720 Speaker 1: been the worst way to waste money any huski. She'd 94 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,039 Speaker 1: put herself into time out when I got home because 95 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 1: she knew she wasn't supposed to tear up garbage and 96 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 1: leave it at the top of the stairs, but she 97 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 1: also wanted me to know that she was pissed off 98 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:57,839 Speaker 1: at me. What I can think of that I did, 99 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: or you know, probably did wrong anyway, was just take 100 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: her everywhere with me all the time I was young, 101 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: had no kids, had a bunch of random jobs, and 102 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:10,920 Speaker 1: really just spent a ton of time with her. She 103 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: was conditioned to almost always going everywhere with me, so 104 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: if I went somewhere that she couldn't go, she instantly 105 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 1: got ticked off. Maybe it's that simple, or maybe it's 106 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: something I'm totally missing, like she just wasn't trained very well, 107 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 1: which is also a possibility. I never got a real 108 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: chance to try to break her of that because she 109 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 1: didn't live long enough, but I think about it often. 110 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 1: My labs have never done that trick. But my old 111 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 1: dog would often get explosive diarrhea if I left her 112 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 1: home alone during hunting season, especially if she'd catch sight 113 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: of me packing up. Separation anxiety is a term we 114 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 1: throw around but often don't really try to understand. The 115 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 1: best way I've read it described is that it's essentially 116 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: a panic attack for dogs. Now, if you've never had 117 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: a panic attack, let me tell you about the only 118 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 1: one I've had so far. I was pretty convince that 119 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 1: I was having a heart attack, and that quite a 120 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,239 Speaker 1: bit of the normal processes in my body were suddenly 121 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 1: going haywire, and that the angels and demons were fighting 122 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: over my soul and I wasn't sure who was winning. 123 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,599 Speaker 1: And well, it was generally not a good time. But 124 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: is there anything that can be done about this? If 125 00:06:16,360 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: your dog is currently going full basket case every time 126 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:21,160 Speaker 1: you throw on a jacket and start to head out 127 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 1: the door. Yes there is. Some trainers and dog behavior 128 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 1: experts recommend a desensitization process. Think about it this way. 129 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: What if every time you were around your best friend 130 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: he hooted like an owl, spun in place three times, 131 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: and then whacked you in the nuts with a pool noodle. 132 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 1: I have no idea why that's my example, but let's 133 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: go with it. After a while, that owl hoot would 134 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 1: trigger a stress response in you, which would only become 135 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: more exacerbated with the spinning in place and then the 136 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 1: sight of the pool noodle arcing in the general direction 137 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 1: of your giblets. Now, let's say you are an a 138 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 1: total idiot and eventually you kick the best friend of 139 00:06:57,560 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: the curb, but you are very suspicious of your new 140 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: best friend. Well, a great way for them to condition 141 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: you to trust them would be to very softly hoot 142 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 1: like an owl and then do nothing else. Your heart 143 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: rate would spike, but for once, it wouldn't lead to 144 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: a smack to the old fruit basket that friend. Then 145 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: they occasionally spin in place too. Then you go swimming 146 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: and they pick up a pool noodle and float with it, 147 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 1: never once threatening to wallop you in the undercarriage Over time, 148 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: those behaviors that used to cause you huge amounts of 149 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: stress would slowly turn into the types of behaviors that 150 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: elicit no response other than maybe dredging up some bad 151 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: memories with our dog. Maybe it's us packing the briefcase 152 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: for work or a backpack for the gym. Maybe it's 153 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: filling up your coffee cup in the morning and grabbing 154 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: your keys. Those elections can happen at any time and 155 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: don't have to result in you leaving, which is what 156 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: your dog expects. You can run through those things and 157 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: not always go through with them, since you already have 158 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: the thing they fear the most happening, which is you leaving. 159 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: You got to think about it like breaking it down 160 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 1: into small pieces and conditioning them to not fear them individually. 161 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,600 Speaker 1: This isn't easy, or at least not something that will 162 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 1: happen in a couple days. Modifying dog behavior is a 163 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: long game thing, and fixing a fear that has become 164 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: well established is certainly not something that will happen quickly. 165 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 1: Of course, exposure therapy might not cover at all, and 166 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: you have to put yourself in the dog's pause again. 167 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,079 Speaker 1: If they aren't getting enough exercise or mental stimulation. Then 168 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:36,439 Speaker 1: the odds of them losing their ever loving shit when 169 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: you leave are much higher, So there's different ways to 170 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:41,959 Speaker 1: mitigate this stuff. A tired dog that has used its 171 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:44,320 Speaker 1: body and brain is a dog that will learn to 172 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: relax much quicker, much more easier. Now I can't say 173 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 1: this for sure, but I think an awful lot of 174 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 1: separation anxiety happens not just because of the person or 175 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:08,200 Speaker 1: people they are bonded with leave, but also those same 176 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:10,960 Speaker 1: people are the only people in the world who take 177 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 1: them on walks, or toss the bumper for them, or 178 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,679 Speaker 1: do the things they absolutely live for. Even that might 179 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: not be enough, though, and there are anti anxiety meds 180 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: out there for dogs. But here's a thing, and I 181 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: have to say this. I am not a veterinarian, so 182 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:28,679 Speaker 1: do not take my word for this. This is just 183 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,680 Speaker 1: my opinion, but I think whatever we can remedy without 184 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: using drugs is probably the best route. Sometimes meds are necessary, 185 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:37,959 Speaker 1: and that's up to you and your vet to decide. 186 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 1: But just like we do with ourselves, we often look 187 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,600 Speaker 1: for shortcuts in life. Humans kind of honestly are just 188 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: shortcut seeking machines, and this has led to a whole 189 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: lot of technology that makes our lives easier, but it 190 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: also doesn't work in every facet of a life, because 191 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 1: there are just some things where we should try to 192 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: fix them the natural, healthy way before we try something 193 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:01,560 Speaker 1: more along the lines of get rich quick products. In 194 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: the case of anti anxiety meds, you know, they might 195 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: be perfect for some dogs that just don't respond well 196 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 1: to extra mental stimulation or exercise or any of that 197 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 1: trigger conditioning training, but others would be just fine, and 198 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: that means you're actually treating the root cause of the 199 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: problem versus slapping a band aid in pill form over it. 200 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: It varies. You know, these dogs are individuals. But again 201 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: I have to say this. Don't trust me on this 202 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:31,800 Speaker 1: because I am an idiot who hunts squirrels for a living. 203 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 1: It's also true that separation anxiety is one form of anxiety, 204 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:39,200 Speaker 1: and there are other categories that don't come from just 205 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 1: us leaving the house for work. There's age related anxiety, 206 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:46,440 Speaker 1: which is just kind of a cognitive decline that gets 207 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: really stressful and it's really tough to watch. And I 208 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: say that with absolute sincerity now that I have a 209 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: twelve and a half year old dog at home. There's 210 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: fear based anxiety too, which if you have ever been 211 00:10:57,640 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: around a dog that is scared of fire, orcs or 212 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 1: or gunshots, or you know, basically any loud noises, you 213 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 1: know is a real thing, a real problem. In some 214 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: of these cases, there might not be a clear path 215 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: to help them without meds. So again it's also individualized 216 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 1: with their dogs and their problems, which go beyond the 217 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 1: many forms of anxiety. Like did you know that scientists 218 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: at Emory University did a study on dog brains and 219 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: emotional responses and they concluded that dogs not only get anxiety, 220 00:11:29,520 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: but they get obsessive compulsive disorder, and some of them 221 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:36,840 Speaker 1: even get depression. You might not believe that, but at 222 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 1: least when it comes to OCD and canines, I've seen 223 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 1: it a few times and it is bonkers. Some of 224 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,320 Speaker 1: you folks who are familiar with white tail hunting medium 225 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: might know who Lee and Tiffany Lakoski are. They are 226 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:50,280 Speaker 1: a married couple who have built an empire around their 227 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: hunting show, which primarily focuses on whitetails, but they are 228 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: also dog lovers. I spent some time with them a 229 00:11:57,480 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: few years ago at their lake place, and happen to 230 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:01,240 Speaker 1: notice that one one of their male labs was in 231 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: the water, standing on his hind legs and spinning in 232 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: circles while feverishly slapping the water to a froth with 233 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 1: his front paws. I asked them what it was all about, 234 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:13,480 Speaker 1: and Tiff said that when he was a pup, he 235 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: got caught in a rope in the water, and now 236 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 1: she thinks he's always looking for that scary rope that 237 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,760 Speaker 1: might try to drown him. I don't know that's as 238 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:25,160 Speaker 1: good of an explanation as any, but the behavior was 239 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: extremely compulsive. He did it so much that she said 240 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:30,719 Speaker 1: people who were fishing nearby would stop at their dock 241 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,320 Speaker 1: to see if the dog was okay. It was quirky, 242 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:36,560 Speaker 1: but also attestiment to some infinite loop running over and 243 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 1: over in his black lab brain. Now, I'm not smart 244 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 1: enough to figure out how to cure that in a dog, 245 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:43,960 Speaker 1: and I've seen it in one human who I was 246 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 1: close to for a long long time, And I know 247 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:50,160 Speaker 1: how much OCD can dominate someone's life. Because of that 248 00:12:50,559 --> 00:12:53,079 Speaker 1: and the lives of those around them, A lot of 249 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:55,599 Speaker 1: people joke like they are oh germophobes, or they like 250 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: to wash their hands a lot, but when you witness 251 00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:01,720 Speaker 1: real unchecked OCD, it's not much fun. In the case 252 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: I just mentioned in my life, it felt more like 253 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: dealing with an addict who didn't want treatment than someone 254 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:09,559 Speaker 1: who likes to have clean hands or all of their 255 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 1: stuff in a specific order. Now, when it comes to 256 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: depression in dogs, this is kind of a wild one. 257 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:19,560 Speaker 1: I have two labs, so they don't seem like anything 258 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:22,079 Speaker 1: other than you know, adorable muppets who really want a 259 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 1: belly rub, and then about five hundred retrieves, oh and 260 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 1: food of all types. It's hard to imagine them being depressed. 261 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:32,400 Speaker 1: But I guess I'm kind of like a human version 262 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 1: of a lab, and I have had no shortage of 263 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 1: issues with depression. I think a lot of us have now. 264 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:42,199 Speaker 1: In dogs, this manifests itself in just less life. They 265 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: take on a little blah vibe, They sleep more, they 266 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: sulk around, they just aren't as playful, and they just 267 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: appear to be kind of sad. For most dogs, the 268 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: catalysts for this would be, you know, a person or 269 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 1: another dog dying or going away, or some other really 270 00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 1: big meaningful change in their lives. Since they don't have 271 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: financial worries or marriages or I don't know, bosses who 272 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:07,200 Speaker 1: yell at them and somehow climb the ladder while we 273 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:11,680 Speaker 1: stagnate away in the same position for years and seed. Anyway, 274 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: curing a dog's depression is probably about as simple as 275 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: you think it is, and it's mostly important to know 276 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: that these mental issues can happen to our four legged besties, 277 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: because that gives us the option to remedy them, either 278 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: after they've occurred, or, if at all possible, to try 279 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: to get ahead of them before they even happen, which 280 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 1: is really the secret sauce. You know, it's all good 281 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 1: dog behavior, and while it's not always possible, you can 282 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: do yourself and your dog a lot of favors by 283 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: building in healthy habits into their lives. The dog that 284 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: just knows it will get to go out and train 285 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: or do some fun retrieves a few times a day 286 00:14:46,960 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 1: is a dog that just generally seems to learn how 287 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 1: to relax more quickly at home. You know, there's a 288 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 1: reason elementary school kids get recess. That wasn't an accidental 289 00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:00,600 Speaker 1: development in the education system. Those kids needed reward for 290 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 1: sitting at their desk for hours learning to spell and 291 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: do simple maths. Dogs are no different. Hell, none of 292 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: us are think about going to work all day long 293 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: doing dumb stuff to make just enough money to not 294 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:14,480 Speaker 1: be homeless, and instead of doing something cool after work, 295 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: like going fishing, you have to go get your taxes done. 296 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:20,120 Speaker 1: That whole day is probably just going to kind of suck. 297 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:22,880 Speaker 1: But the day that you do get to work and 298 00:15:22,920 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: then go fishing afterwards with your buddies, that one's going 299 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 1: to feel different. Look this again, is a way to 300 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: condition our dogs to understand that life is not only 301 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: pretty decent, but also somewhat predictable. Structure is good for dogs, 302 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 1: and if they learn that, you will for sure take 303 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: them out a few times a day to do their 304 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: favorite things. They usually learn that they don't need to 305 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 1: chew up the couch cushions or run through the wall 306 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 1: kool aid Man style to catch the squirrel in the 307 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:51,680 Speaker 1: backyard that is their primary source of entertainment all day long. 308 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 1: There are a hell of a lot of other mental 309 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 1: issues and quirks our dogs may have, you know, from 310 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:58,800 Speaker 1: innocent stuff that might just be kind of cute, to 311 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: moments of aggression or resource guarding. Are not so cute 312 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 1: things that could spin up into something really not good. 313 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: What we tolerate, or I guess choose to not really 314 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: understand is what could bite us in the ass if 315 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: we aren't careful, which is maybe a little too on 316 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: the nose of a statement, so I guess I'll say this. 317 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,240 Speaker 1: My final parting thought here on this stuff is to 318 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: try to always read our dogs, identify the moments when 319 00:16:24,200 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: something is just off with them, and if it is, 320 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: try to dig into the root cause. And whether we 321 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: find it or not, our job is to figure out 322 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: how to either fix it or manage it so that 323 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: our dogs can have the quality of life we want 324 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: for them, and honestly, so we can have a better 325 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 1: life with them. That's it for this week. I'm Tony Peterson. 326 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 1: This has been the Foundation's podcast. As always, Thank you 327 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: so much for your support. Thank you for listening. We 328 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 1: truly appreciate it. Here if you need some more hunting content, 329 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 1: maybe you want to listen to some podcasts on a 330 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 1: road trip out west to hunt some sharpie's or something. 331 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: Maybe you need a new rest for woodcock or grouse, 332 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 1: I don't know, Maybe just want to watch a hunting film, 333 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 1: whatever it is. If you like outdoor content, and I 334 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: know you do because you're listening to this. Head over 335 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 1: to the mediater dot com and you will see that 336 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:16,399 Speaker 1: we drop new content every single day. Thanks again for 337 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:16,919 Speaker 1: your support.