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| The Dog Nanny |
When I consult with people concerning the behaviour problems of
their animals we often hear the remark “I know Fluffy peed on my shoes to tell
me something” or “I think Rover was trying to tell me something when he
destroyed the inside of my car”.
These pet owners want us to help them figure out what it is their
pets are trying to communicate. Many times, the answer is that the animal is
not trying to communicate anything at all.
The idea that animals intend to communicate with us by misbehaving
is anthropomorphic (giving human characteristics to animals) and is usually
related to notions of spite or revenge such as Rover destroying the car because
the owner wouldn’t take him for a walk.
Such interpretations are neither accurate nor helpful in resolving
problem behaviours.
Communication is when one individual sends a signal that alters
the behaviour of another individual. When animals try to communicate with
people they usually use the same signals that they would use with other members
of their species.
Destroying things does not appear to be a common dog to dog
signal. Dogs and cats usually communicate directly with others by sounds,
smells, touch or visual displays.
A dog might paw at you to get your attention or a cat might growl
at you to get you to back away. These misbehaviours are intended as
communication. Rarely do animals leave messages after the fact.
An example of this type of indirect communication is the odour or
smell from urine or scratch marks (dogs and cats have scent glands on their
foot pads). But in these cases, it is not the behaviour of urinating or
scratching that is communicative, but the odour that remains. If your cat
urinates on your shoes, she may be urine marking to communicate with you or
even with another cat. But she may also be ill or she may just prefer your
shoes to her litter-box as a place to urinate.
Assuming that all animal misbehaviours are attempts at
communication may obscure the real reasons for the behaviour.
Many times animals misbehave with no obvious intent to communicate
at all.
Digging holes, eating plants, destroying personal items, most
house soiling behaviors, or compulsive behaviour such as tail chasing have
motivations other than communication.
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