Whirling and Paw-poking: Often OK January 2011
Whirling: Why whirl? Anyone who has seen old style airport radars working (without a covering over the radar) knows that the antenna whirls around many times every minute so that the operators can detect any incoming and outbound vehicles. Whirling for technically similar purposes is part of the “instinct kit” of many working dogs and present weakly in other dogs. Border Collies as they complete a straight out-run, may whirl to locate their sheep or a thrown ball in flight, etc.
An anxious blind or deaf or blind-deaf dog trying to discover a possibly unpleasant intruder is likewise going to whirl around to scan the area, if she is uncertain where a nasty surprise might be coming at her. Sadly, teasing and harassment of dogs that are different is too common.
Bats and dolphins, like many blind dogs, make sound “pulses [barks!]” that they use to locate obstacles and navigate by the echoes. Punishing a blind or deaf dog for barking without promising and making sure that she knows that she is safe is doubly unfair for her.
Experience matters: Unfortunately a blind or deaf dog, who was formerly teased, harassed or bullied by someone sneaking up on her and startling her, can easily become an obsessive compulsive “whirler” spinning about worrying about a harasser whenever she is anxious or even just bored.
Providing safety and security against malicious “teasing” and teaching her/him (especially a new dog) that “startling” always means something good is going to happen is a way to reduce or if done from the beginning, prevent excessive whirling. In some breeds, obsessive whirling after it is provoked can become fatal, for reasons explained in scientific literature by folks such as the Nobel Prize winner Lorenz.
Excessive tail-chasing, paw-chewing or licking and finger/toe nail biting: It’s excessive if the dog or its humans are suffering from the actions. If the dog is healthy and free of fleas, these antics and some others are fairly often indications of a dog who (like the front-paw-pokers) is bored, impatient, perhaps frustrated, or maybe anxious about local noises and events or some combination. All of these, like whirling, can become obsessive and permanent harm is possible.
Most of the reported “cures” were done by providing the dog more exercise and mental challenges. Working-breeds such as Border Collies and some others were reported to be especially vulnerable to teasing and accidental or deliberate abuse that lead to such responses by the dogs.
An anxious blind or deaf or blind-deaf dog trying to discover a possibly unpleasant intruder is likewise going to whirl around to scan the area, if she is uncertain where a nasty surprise might be coming at her. Sadly, teasing and harassment of dogs that are different is too common.
Bats and dolphins, like many blind dogs, make sound “pulses [barks!]” that they use to locate obstacles and navigate by the echoes. Punishing a blind or deaf dog for barking without promising and making sure that she knows that she is safe is doubly unfair for her.
Experience matters: Unfortunately a blind or deaf dog, who was formerly teased, harassed or bullied by someone sneaking up on her and startling her, can easily become an obsessive compulsive “whirler” spinning about worrying about a harasser whenever she is anxious or even just bored.
Providing safety and security against malicious “teasing” and teaching her/him (especially a new dog) that “startling” always means something good is going to happen is a way to reduce or if done from the beginning, prevent excessive whirling. In some breeds, obsessive whirling after it is provoked can become fatal, for reasons explained in scientific literature by folks such as the Nobel Prize winner Lorenz.
Excessive tail-chasing, paw-chewing or licking and finger/toe nail biting: It’s excessive if the dog or its humans are suffering from the actions. If the dog is healthy and free of fleas, these antics and some others are fairly often indications of a dog who (like the front-paw-pokers) is bored, impatient, perhaps frustrated, or maybe anxious about local noises and events or some combination. All of these, like whirling, can become obsessive and permanent harm is possible.
Most of the reported “cures” were done by providing the dog more exercise and mental challenges. Working-breeds such as Border Collies and some others were reported to be especially vulnerable to teasing and accidental or deliberate abuse that lead to such responses by the dogs.