Signs Your Dog May be Giving You that Could be Confused with Vindication
Most dog behaviors that could be labeled as spiteful or vindictive simply have roots in boredom, anxiety, or nervousness. Confused about what those actions and signs look like? Weve got you covered.
If your dog is experiencing feelings of anxiety, boredom, or nervousness, its possible that theyll manifest in vindictive-like behaviors like chewing, digging, incontinence, and other behaviors that theyve been trained to recognize as “bad.” If your dog does these things after youve either spent too much time away from them or havent given them enough attention, your pup is simply responding to the stimuli in front of them. They are not mad at you and getting back at you.
You might notice your pup getting destructive or aggressive, too. For example, they might bark, growl, or be more vocal in situations where they typically wouldnt or knows they arent supposed to.
Additionally, they might start tearing up furniture, the backyard, or items in your home out of boredom or anxiety. Its important to remember your dog isnt doing these things because they are angry or trying to get back at you. Instead, they are letting you know that they require more attention, more time, or a change of schedule to keep them happy and well taken care of.
Your dog could be giving you body language that seems vindictive, but in the long run, its just a dogs reaction to their stimuli.
Here are a few other vindictive-like signs your dog might be giving you:
In a specific case study posted on All Dogs Gym in the Dog Tracks Column, Gail T. Fisher discusses numerous consultations with a dog owner who accused her dog of being spiteful for repeatedly leg-lifting in the house for years. The owner attributed this vindictive behavior to be directed at her for leaving the dog alone.
Dogs, however, simply dont think that way. They are unable to be motivated by spite. What was the likely case, Fisher suggests, is that the dog didnt understand which behavior the owner deemed incorrect. He does this when hes alone and no one is there to chastise him – so how could he know its wrong when hes alone. Its possible that connection was never made.
There was a simple miscommunication. Additionally, the owners pleas and scolds of “be good while Im gone” likely caused the dog a bit of stress, and that stress, in turn, had him revert to stress-relieving behavior – lifting his leg.
As we said before, dogs arent able to process emotions like spite or vindictiveness. Those emotions are too complex for animals that are stimuli-responsive. Dogs react to what we do and the situations put in front of them – theyre unable to plot or plan any vindictive behaviors simply because you left them alone too long.
We often think that dogs can share the same emotions as humans, but in reality, theyre unable to process such complex, human emotions. According to Dr. Marty Becker and trainer Mikkel Becker, dogs arent capable of those sentiments. Often, the guilty expressions that follow their behaviors arent omissions of guilt because of their vindictive-like actions, but more because of how were reacting to their actions (like ripping up a shoe, or having an accident in the house). Instead of an “I did this because I was mad” theyre giving us more of an “I see youre upset because of what I did, and Im sorry” feeling.
Severe Separation Anxiety Symptoms and Possible Medical Causes
While it does appear that Tootsie is suffering from separation anxiety (Tufts Animal Behavior Clinic Director Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, weighed in with the same thought as Dr. Borns-Weil), a medical rule-out is necessary. While it’s probably not simply a housetraining problem — if it were, Tootsie would likely be sneaking off into another room to do her business while her owners were around, and she also wouldn’t be able to properly relieve herself outside at those times that her owners were home — the family will want to make double sure that a physical condition isn’t the culprit here.
“The vet should do a physical exam and collect some basic data by analyzing the blood and urine through a CBC (complete blood count), chemistry profile, and a urinalysis,” Dr. Borns-Weil says. “And if the inappropriate elimination is in the form of defecation, she’ll want to perform a fecal exam, too.”
She does not expect that Tootsie will be diagnosed with a medical problem because she is fully housetrained when her human family is there. But better safe than sorry.
Guest of the Week: Amber with Summit Dog Training
Amber was kind enough to join us to talk about dogs and how their behavior can often be perceived as spiteful.
Tip: Dogs are not acting spiteful – they are responding to enforcers in their environment.
Amber breaks down the difference in thinking and how humans perceive dog behavior. Spite is a human emotion and often we believe a dog is acting out of the same feeling. If we view dogs as virtuous beings (think Lassie) then they also must have negative human emotions like meanness and spite. In this case, we view our dogs as humans (which they are not). The more scientific way to view dog behavior is to recognize that there are positive and negative reinforcers and punishers in their environment that lead them to act the way they do.
Real world example: A dog peeing in the house
Your dog is peeing in the house instead of outside. Instead of believing your dog is acting out of spite, you realize she has had a multitude of reinforcers that have caused her to pee in the house. Look at the environment. When house training your dog may have learned that peeing in front of a person is scary, so she goes behind the couch instead, which feels safe. Plus peeing is a positive reinforcement itself, since it feels good to relieve herself.
Watch the video to see Amber explain this beautifully!
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