Unsocial Dog-Dog Bumping
January 2011
Blind, blind-deaf and deaf dogs are a little more likely than ordinary dogs to engage in the behaviors of “bumping” into other adult dogs, bark-whirling, and paw-poking. All these actions are probably somewhat adaptive important ways for the dogs to live as happily as ordinary dogs with humans, despite being a little different. We offer from personal observations and research an insight to what the dog might be attempting, and maybe where they got the behaviors. For readability, the explanations are simplified – more details and references can be provided if you contact us.
Bumping and whirling {link} are behviors that some blind and some deaf dogs rediscover or “dig up” from their puppyhood instinct “kit” to understand, map and navigate where they live, especially in new surroundings or just for fun. Because the antics are rare among adult dogs and possibly unexpected, they can surprise their people. Whiskers on their muzzles are useful to "sense-feel" objects that are very near their face, and should Not be trimmed off. Whiskers are also used by many dogs to sense (hear) mechanical vibrations (sound).
There are several reasons (confirmed by research) why a blind dog may repeatedly bump into other dogs and things, despite maybe weeks of having a chance to feel safe and secure in a home.
First, an adult “dog-socialized” dog with a healthy nose is unlikely, except for fun, to deliberately bump into another adult dog. Among ordinary adult dogs, deliberate and even accidental bumping is usually taken as a deliberate rudeness that is unacceptable among adult strangers. At dog-parks and in their homes, an ordinary dog will discipline the offender for being rudely bumped, by offering a deep-throat low growl and perhaps a display of teeth. Socially, a sensitive dog who offended by bumping by accident will perhaps appear slightly regretful.
Unsocialized large ordinary dogs such as a Ridgeback however sometimes initiate bumping and or respond to bumping by escalating. In a rescue situation or with a new blind-or deaf dog adopted into a home, it is wise to let them get acquainted slowly (or not at all if one of the dogs will be leaving soon), while people observe and reassure that each is really just figuring out the proper local signals that everyone is welcome (or at least safe from harassment and blood-shedding aggression.)
Blind dogs who lack normal (for a dog) nose sensitivity are most at risk of accidentally bumping into other dogs and household things; especially so if the blind dog is deaf or forbidden to bark loud enough for humans to hear. Many blind dogs learn to use barks or other, perhaps high pitched chirp sounds to navigate by the echoes, as used by bats and dolphins.
If a dog feels safe and secure in a place, almost all dogs quickly figure out even at many feet away the signature smells of the other dogs, people and objects (including some walls and so forth.) Usually a dog quickly learns the distances and soon has a “mental map” of where the things are that don’t move around much, like furniture.
Humans can help a dog who is blind or becoming blind by using consistent faint special smells of spices and perfumes to “label” objects, and perhaps put a touch of “after shave” or light perfume behind the ears of a resident hearing dog. Almost always, a dog who owns a healthy nose easily estimates the distance from her nose to a scented object such as another dog, by the strength of its smell. Smells travel in warm air a little slower than sound.
If there is a repeated problem of a blind dog accidentally bumping into other dogs and objects, its nose-health should be checked by a Vet. According to S. Coren in his book, “How Dogs Think”, a dog’s nose-ability is probably the last of the senses a dog loses in old age and incredibly more effective than a human’s. However, if a dog has genetic blindness (in the same way some dogs have genetic deafness from birth), possibly the dog might lack useful nose-detection of smells.
Secondly: A blind and deaf dog is very likely to deliberately “bump” into objects, other dogs and humans for the purpose of feeling mechanical (sound) vibrations (useful hearing), and reducing the chances of being Startled-alert. (Although a dog or person bumped unexpectedly might experience their own “startle-alert.”) Among people who live with deaf dogs, the actions of deaf (and deaf-blind) dogs to stay close or in direct touch with things and their people is called “velcroing.”
As described at more length in the Adaptive page, no dog that is alive lacks the potential capability of detecting, understanding and acting reasonably in response to vibrations, which are indeed sound waves carried by air, solid things such as floors and walls, or water. BAER tests were limited to just the humans' form of “hearing” as it used by dogs, as Dr Strain about 2004 mentioned in a meeting of Aussie dog owners.
Third: Deliberate bumping of a deaf and/or blind dog against other dogs can result from anxiety, confusion or attempted "velcroing" caused by being unable to see the usual visual signals of dogs who intend to be friendly. That is more likely by blind dogs new in a home with other dogs, and those who recently became blind. An excellent reference about dog-legal signals and “rules” of dogs, who want to get along peacefully, is available from Alexandra Semyonova, from a paper on her web site or in her book “The 100 Silliest things People Say About Dogs.”
Four: Many dogs use "Shoulder-bumping" or shoulder-rubbing to leave a very faint (to humans) trace of their own unique hair-perfume on the corners of furniture, or along hallway wall- which probably helps to orient them about where they are.
Five: "Recreational bumping" was observed by dogs of the active breeds, such as terriers, Dals and Border Collies. Some folks call recreational bumping the "zoomies." IF you hear a distinct 'CLUNK' such as a dog's skull contacting furniture, you should watch closely to discover if the dog seems disoriented, or confused - a dog that is feeling ill and confused can accidentally clunk her head quite hard against things (if it "Clunks" several times, or if the dog seems dizzy and unsteady on its feet, maybe a veterinarian vist would be good, for safety. But two or more dogs playing, we observed, sometimes bouncing off each other, furniture, and the walls apparently just for fun and going as fast as they could.
I oversimplify by saying that puppies who at birth lack the adult “non-aggression and let’s play” signals, by about an age of four weeks begin to get actively acquainted and start play-games by deliberately bumping into a puppy they want to play with. The great game of “puppy-bumping” can be hilarious for the players and watching humans. As the pups become more sophisticated, their early “full-body-crashes” tend to become cleverer, with “shoulder knocks,” double-front-paw pokes, empty-“handed” scooping out of a hiding pup, and a occasional “tail grasp and tow”. Observations suggested that an adult dog might resort to vaguely recalled puppyish bumping with double or single paw pushing “pokes” or “paw-scratching” at the floor or ground to express an opinion of human activities, such as seemingly being sent to bed too early, or humans without obvious cause getting excited, etc. Many dogs watch their humans 24/7 a lot more carefully than we usually watch them, and many times our actions and noises must seem amazing, and perhaps seem unkind to each other and them.
I think none of these actions by puppies could be mistaken for real aggression or fighting. A juvenile or an adult deaf or blind dog using actions proper for a puppy, however can confuse a stranger dog at the rescue, dog-park or new in its home. Usually the play-puppyish behavior will at first be severely reprimanded by an adult, until they get really acquainted. Adult dogs tend to severely discipline (without bloodshed) any juvenile dog older than about seven weeks that misbehaves socially by acting like a puppy deliberately bumping into adults.
As ordinary puppies grow up, they discover non-aggression friendliness signals of others such as tail wagging and play-bows. Because a new blind or newly blind dog in a home with other dogs can’t see the other’s normal adult-dog signals, reasonably she may try to discover if another dog is friendly, by using the puppyish antic of “puppy bumping.” A resident ordinary hearing and seeing dog will almost always react by scolding the presumably uncouth rude juvenile’s misbehavior (with noise but without blood-shed.) A human helping them to get acquainted slowly almost always works well, so the ordinary dog figures out that the stranger is really a nice new friend, but acts oddly and doesn’t understand the usual dog-visual signals, and if the stranger is deaf doesn’t easily hear the verbal signals of the incumbent ordinary dogs.
A blind dog that hasn’t yet learned to use the echoes of barking or noise for “radar/sonar” to map their environment (or if the place is too complex and chaotic for that to work), has few choices except trying to use the adaptive-hearing biological processes described briefly on a page about adaptive perception (hearing).
Bumping and whirling {link} are behviors that some blind and some deaf dogs rediscover or “dig up” from their puppyhood instinct “kit” to understand, map and navigate where they live, especially in new surroundings or just for fun. Because the antics are rare among adult dogs and possibly unexpected, they can surprise their people. Whiskers on their muzzles are useful to "sense-feel" objects that are very near their face, and should Not be trimmed off. Whiskers are also used by many dogs to sense (hear) mechanical vibrations (sound).
There are several reasons (confirmed by research) why a blind dog may repeatedly bump into other dogs and things, despite maybe weeks of having a chance to feel safe and secure in a home.
First, an adult “dog-socialized” dog with a healthy nose is unlikely, except for fun, to deliberately bump into another adult dog. Among ordinary adult dogs, deliberate and even accidental bumping is usually taken as a deliberate rudeness that is unacceptable among adult strangers. At dog-parks and in their homes, an ordinary dog will discipline the offender for being rudely bumped, by offering a deep-throat low growl and perhaps a display of teeth. Socially, a sensitive dog who offended by bumping by accident will perhaps appear slightly regretful.
Unsocialized large ordinary dogs such as a Ridgeback however sometimes initiate bumping and or respond to bumping by escalating. In a rescue situation or with a new blind-or deaf dog adopted into a home, it is wise to let them get acquainted slowly (or not at all if one of the dogs will be leaving soon), while people observe and reassure that each is really just figuring out the proper local signals that everyone is welcome (or at least safe from harassment and blood-shedding aggression.)
Blind dogs who lack normal (for a dog) nose sensitivity are most at risk of accidentally bumping into other dogs and household things; especially so if the blind dog is deaf or forbidden to bark loud enough for humans to hear. Many blind dogs learn to use barks or other, perhaps high pitched chirp sounds to navigate by the echoes, as used by bats and dolphins.
If a dog feels safe and secure in a place, almost all dogs quickly figure out even at many feet away the signature smells of the other dogs, people and objects (including some walls and so forth.) Usually a dog quickly learns the distances and soon has a “mental map” of where the things are that don’t move around much, like furniture.
Humans can help a dog who is blind or becoming blind by using consistent faint special smells of spices and perfumes to “label” objects, and perhaps put a touch of “after shave” or light perfume behind the ears of a resident hearing dog. Almost always, a dog who owns a healthy nose easily estimates the distance from her nose to a scented object such as another dog, by the strength of its smell. Smells travel in warm air a little slower than sound.
If there is a repeated problem of a blind dog accidentally bumping into other dogs and objects, its nose-health should be checked by a Vet. According to S. Coren in his book, “How Dogs Think”, a dog’s nose-ability is probably the last of the senses a dog loses in old age and incredibly more effective than a human’s. However, if a dog has genetic blindness (in the same way some dogs have genetic deafness from birth), possibly the dog might lack useful nose-detection of smells.
Secondly: A blind and deaf dog is very likely to deliberately “bump” into objects, other dogs and humans for the purpose of feeling mechanical (sound) vibrations (useful hearing), and reducing the chances of being Startled-alert. (Although a dog or person bumped unexpectedly might experience their own “startle-alert.”) Among people who live with deaf dogs, the actions of deaf (and deaf-blind) dogs to stay close or in direct touch with things and their people is called “velcroing.”
As described at more length in the Adaptive page, no dog that is alive lacks the potential capability of detecting, understanding and acting reasonably in response to vibrations, which are indeed sound waves carried by air, solid things such as floors and walls, or water. BAER tests were limited to just the humans' form of “hearing” as it used by dogs, as Dr Strain about 2004 mentioned in a meeting of Aussie dog owners.
Third: Deliberate bumping of a deaf and/or blind dog against other dogs can result from anxiety, confusion or attempted "velcroing" caused by being unable to see the usual visual signals of dogs who intend to be friendly. That is more likely by blind dogs new in a home with other dogs, and those who recently became blind. An excellent reference about dog-legal signals and “rules” of dogs, who want to get along peacefully, is available from Alexandra Semyonova, from a paper on her web site or in her book “The 100 Silliest things People Say About Dogs.”
Four: Many dogs use "Shoulder-bumping" or shoulder-rubbing to leave a very faint (to humans) trace of their own unique hair-perfume on the corners of furniture, or along hallway wall- which probably helps to orient them about where they are.
Five: "Recreational bumping" was observed by dogs of the active breeds, such as terriers, Dals and Border Collies. Some folks call recreational bumping the "zoomies." IF you hear a distinct 'CLUNK' such as a dog's skull contacting furniture, you should watch closely to discover if the dog seems disoriented, or confused - a dog that is feeling ill and confused can accidentally clunk her head quite hard against things (if it "Clunks" several times, or if the dog seems dizzy and unsteady on its feet, maybe a veterinarian vist would be good, for safety. But two or more dogs playing, we observed, sometimes bouncing off each other, furniture, and the walls apparently just for fun and going as fast as they could.
I oversimplify by saying that puppies who at birth lack the adult “non-aggression and let’s play” signals, by about an age of four weeks begin to get actively acquainted and start play-games by deliberately bumping into a puppy they want to play with. The great game of “puppy-bumping” can be hilarious for the players and watching humans. As the pups become more sophisticated, their early “full-body-crashes” tend to become cleverer, with “shoulder knocks,” double-front-paw pokes, empty-“handed” scooping out of a hiding pup, and a occasional “tail grasp and tow”. Observations suggested that an adult dog might resort to vaguely recalled puppyish bumping with double or single paw pushing “pokes” or “paw-scratching” at the floor or ground to express an opinion of human activities, such as seemingly being sent to bed too early, or humans without obvious cause getting excited, etc. Many dogs watch their humans 24/7 a lot more carefully than we usually watch them, and many times our actions and noises must seem amazing, and perhaps seem unkind to each other and them.
I think none of these actions by puppies could be mistaken for real aggression or fighting. A juvenile or an adult deaf or blind dog using actions proper for a puppy, however can confuse a stranger dog at the rescue, dog-park or new in its home. Usually the play-puppyish behavior will at first be severely reprimanded by an adult, until they get really acquainted. Adult dogs tend to severely discipline (without bloodshed) any juvenile dog older than about seven weeks that misbehaves socially by acting like a puppy deliberately bumping into adults.
As ordinary puppies grow up, they discover non-aggression friendliness signals of others such as tail wagging and play-bows. Because a new blind or newly blind dog in a home with other dogs can’t see the other’s normal adult-dog signals, reasonably she may try to discover if another dog is friendly, by using the puppyish antic of “puppy bumping.” A resident ordinary hearing and seeing dog will almost always react by scolding the presumably uncouth rude juvenile’s misbehavior (with noise but without blood-shed.) A human helping them to get acquainted slowly almost always works well, so the ordinary dog figures out that the stranger is really a nice new friend, but acts oddly and doesn’t understand the usual dog-visual signals, and if the stranger is deaf doesn’t easily hear the verbal signals of the incumbent ordinary dogs.
A blind dog that hasn’t yet learned to use the echoes of barking or noise for “radar/sonar” to map their environment (or if the place is too complex and chaotic for that to work), has few choices except trying to use the adaptive-hearing biological processes described briefly on a page about adaptive perception (hearing).