I don't have the luxury of watching "feel good" segments or programs that contain dogs. Because I "do dogs" for a living, I see all the little signs, the communication signals a dog is sending, and nothing is ever cute anymore, but rather just filled with warning and distress signals from dogs.
Take this morning's "feel good" segment on The Today Show for example. It piqued my interest because it was about a service dog for a little girl who is connected to an oxygen tank 24 hours a day. The family procured a service dog to carry the oxygen tank for the three-year old girl.
The anchors on the show, the parents, and the little girl were oblivious to the many signs from the dog that he wasn't a happy camper. Based on all the publicity Kyle Dyer, NBC anchor in Denver, received when she was bitten on the face by a dog live on the air, I was hopeful that people had started to pay attention to dog body language.
Sadly, I was wrong. Below is the segment. Watch it once without reading the warning signals I've listed below. Then watch it again, looking at the specific minute and second spots.
Some things to know before you take a look at the video. The red bandana is used to cover a prong collar on Mr. Gibbs, the service dog. A prong collar is a collar fitted with special barbs or prongs, that lie against the dog's neck. When pressure is put on the collar by pulling on the leash, those prongs dig into the dog's flesh around his neck. The pain from the prongs are supposed to be a correction to the dog so he won't do whatever it was again.
1:24 – Mr. Gibbs ignores the girl. Girl pulls hard on the leash. Those prongs are now digging into the dog's neck.
2:39 – Girl is pulling Mr. Gibbs with the prong. Pause the video here and you can really see the pulling.
2:42 – Mr. Gibbs tries to go with the trainer (instead of the girl) and he gets a BIG yank from the girl. Do you wonder why the dog doesn't want to be with the girl?
2:56 – The first sign of stress from the dog: a lip lick and a look-away. These are both classic stress signals from a dog.
3:13 – "He gets beat in the head," the little girl says. Apparently she likes to swing a lot, and Mr. Gibbs cannot get out of her way. The father repeats the little girl's sentiment and laughs a little sheepishly.
3:30 – "What do you say to him," the anchor asks. The girl answers "Down!" and "At ease." Both are dog training cues — not "I love you!" or "Good boy!"
3:32 – Hit pause here. Is this dog looking to interact with the girl? Does he even acknowledge her?
3:34 – Slight "whale eye" from Mr. Gibbs. The whale eye is another sign of stress. This happens when the girl is laying on the dog. The dog has no escape, no say in whether or not he can get out of the situation. This is a recipe for disaster.
4:11 – We're now in the live interview with the anchor, parents, child and Mr. Gibbs. Pause the video at this spot. See the girl tugging on the prong collar? Every tug on the collar brings discomfort to Mr. Gibbs.
4:14 – The girl gives a double-tug on the prong collar, hard.
4:18 Another tug from the girl. The father finally rescues Mr. Gibbs from the daughter's tugs by placing the dog back onto the couch. I wonder why the dog was trying to get down in the first place?
4:54 – Mr. Gibbs looks to the father for help out of the situation.
5:01 – There's a big lip lick and a yawn. Two classic signals that the dog is stressed and would like to leave. He keeps trying to get down off the couch.
5:15 – Another lip lick from Mr. Gibbs. The signals this dog is throwing are increasing.
5:17 – Mr. Gibbs turns his head away from the girl to try to break off contact, but she just gets closer to Mr. Gibbs. He's trying very hard and his patience is admirable.
5:57 – Mr. Gibbs is resigned to his fate.
6:15 – Girl squeals, maybe there's a little bit of a squeeze by her, Mr. Gibbs tries again to get up and leave.
6:20 – Another head turn by Mr. Gibbs — another attempt to break off contact with the girl, but again she follows.
6:35 – Girl grabs Mr. Gibbs' head, pulls it down, and grabs his eyebrows.
6:41 – Girl grabs Mr. Gibbs' prong collar and pulls off the bandana covering the prong collar.
6:45 – Pause it here and just look at the picture. Is the dog happy about his circumstances?
6:53 – The girl is now pulling the bandana back onto Mr. Gibbs, getting it caught in his mouth.
7:01 – Mr. Gibbs is nearing the end of his attempts to get out of the situation and/or get some relief from this girl from the other people in the room. Finally he lies on the girl as a last ditch effort.
It looks very cute, but in reality, Mr. Gibbs lays on her in resignation — not enjoyment.
There are reasons why most service dog agencies won't let a young child have a service dog. Unfortunately, this segment highlights the many reasons why. The child is far too young to have the responsibility of caring for a dog, her parents haven't taught her how to kindly interact with a dog, and everyone is ignoring (or doesn't recognize) the dog's many pleas to be removed from the situation.
This video really made me cringe. I share your inability to watch “cute dog” clips without assessing how the dog is feeling. Your reasons why most service dog agencies won’t place a dog with such a young child are spot on; interesting that the parents were aware that most places would want them to wait a few more years, but didn’t care? The prong collar is just sad; so many service dogs are trained beautifully without coercion, and you would think positive methods would be safer given that the child giving commands is so young and unable to control her movements adequately. Frustrating! š
Thanks Laurie. I re-posted and urged all dog owners to review.
I agree, as someone who raises dogs for people that need it, I really hate to say this, but I do think perhaps this is way to young for a service dog, she doesn’t seem to know how to properly interact with the dog. I hope that off camera, her parents are correcting her and teaching her she should behave around the dog, but its so hard at this age! *sigh*
I agree, as someone who raises dogs for people that need it, I really hate to say this, but I do think perhaps this is way to young for a service dog, she doesn’t seem to know how to properly interact with the dog. I hope that off camera, her parents are correcting her and teaching her she should behave around the dog, but its so hard at this age! *sigh*
I wonder if the agency that provided this dog will step in to provide some further assistance after seeing this video. One can only hope.
Great post Laurie! Thanks for going into detail on this. I agree that this scenario is very concerning. This young dog should not be expected to tolerate being yanked around on a pong collar by a 3-year old. The dog is showing signs of stress, but the owners do not recognize them.
I was suspicious as soon as I saw the bandana. It’s a literal red flag to me. š You’d be surprised at how many people will go with a self-trained or “one off” trained dog for a service dog — precisely because they were turned down (and usually for good reasons) at a formal service dog placement agency. Very sad for the dog.
Thanks Jill, it’s much appreciated.
It didn’t look like anyone was stepping in for the well-being of the dog. Not the parents OR the trainer. So disheartening.
Here’s the rub: I don’t think this was an agency, but rather a trainer. In the piece, the dad alluded to the fact that a service dog agency wouldn’t place a dog with a child so young. Now we know why…
Thanks, Joan. Yep, very difficult to watch, I think. And even more upsetting is the fact that so many people don’t see these signs, even after the great publicity that Kyle Dyer drew as a result of the bite to her face while she was live on the air in Denver.
There was nothing feel good about this at all for the dog, I am very saddened by this video, but I appreciate you posting it. I have shared this with my clients and staff.
Great blog post! So often these “feel good” clips with dogs don’t actually show a dog feeling good! Mr. Gibbs is very patient, but as you point out, clearly asking several times to be rescued. I hope for everyone’s safety that Mr. Gibbs continues to be exceptionally patient. Thank you for calling attention to this and all of the signs Mr. Gibbs is giving.
How dis-heartening.
The interaction in the studio gave me a sick feeling in my stomach. It is obvious that Mr. Gibbs is not enjoying the company of this child, and often looks helpless. I hope they will take a more active role in teaching their daughter, who is always in such close proximity to an animal with teeth and claws, how to treat him more appropriately.
Thanks for writing this Laurie! Definitely shared. I too, often struggle to watch any dog clips/videos, and certainly can’t participate in any public dog events/walks because I can’t stand to see all the stressed, anxious & nervous dogs plus all of those being corrected (intentionally or unintentionally) for these behaviors.
Thanks for sharing this Laurie. I am not anywhere near professional about dogs and dog training, but even I was able to tell that Mr. Gibbs is not in a good situation. I agree with your suspicion that the “trainer” in the video is not one who trains service dogs. I personally would question the credentials of a trainer who would authorize the use of a prong collar for a dog (especially with such a docile breed). It seems as though the parents got a “not right now” from the professionals and instead of waiting they decided to go their own way. And poor Mr. Gibbs is bearing the consequences!
I do have a daughter with a serious heart defect, and she was on oxygen for a brief time when she was a baby. We have friends in the same boat whose daughter is on oxygen all the time, and I can’t imagine them rigging up a dog to carry the oxygen. And it’s not as though the parents in the news segment are actually going to turn their 3-year old loose in the back yard with no supervision, so I can’t understand the big rush. And don’t even get me started on parents who spoil their special-needs kids rotten…
Would this service dog even hold up in court? How much “independence” does a three-year-old really have or need, under any circumstances? Does the dog do ANYTHING else other than carry around the oxygen? I don’t understand why a dog would be the appropriate solution for this situation, but maybe I’m just being dense. Also, I think that while prong collars can be used properly and be effective tools, I would NEVER EVER allow a three-year-old to use one on a dog! Honestly, I don’t think I’d ever let a three-year-old hold any dog’s leash, regardless of what kind of collar it was attached to.
I cannot even watch. What on EARTH is a “service dog” doing with a prong collar anyway? Truly. Real service dogs, trained properly, would NOT need one. I feel terrible for Mr. Gibbs. I was at a big pet event a couple years ago, and there was a “dog trainer” who had a “service dog” with him, and that dog was also wearing a prong collar. The dog appeared snarky toward other dogs and got corrected again and again throughout the event. It was tough to watch.
Would love to share this on my Facebook wall but I don’t see a share button anywhere–am I missing it?
PLS. take the dog out of her life. Parents are responsible to take care of their kid since they brought their kid on earth. Don’t let the dog tolerant and unhappy.
Aside from the prong collar, which I agree is an antiquated form of equipment and punitive, I see nothing wrong with this relationship. I wrote a whole long answer that got deleted before I could post and I don’t have time to replicate, but let me just say as a professional pet and service dog trainer with a master’s degree in social work, I saw nothing untoward in this relationship aside from the equipment which trainer might be convinced to revise her thinking on for subsequent training. Calming signals are dog’s culture. Expressing them is an everyday natural thing and not BAD. It’s the degree of stress. I would be willing to respond in greater detail as to my thoughts about this if anyone is interested.
This is so distressing. I can’t even watch it all. My husband and I had to turn it off.
We just had an experience where our 5 year old lab wouldn’t walk up the stairs. Our vet was out of town so we went to the covering vet. He examined her, pressing on her legs and body and when the dog didn’t yelp or react, he said she was fine.
This kept up until the next week, when we took her to a different vet. This vet (a woman) gently examined her and pointed out the very subtle cues from the dog that she was in pain, such as turning her head, licking her lips, ever so slightly stiffening her hind legs. the problem, she said, is that our dog is “very stoic”, which is very smart from a defensive point of view because she can hide when she’s afraid and hurting, but not good from a treating point of view for her owners and vet.Thanks to this vet prescribing mild anti-inflammatories and a fatty acid pill, she is back to her old self.
Anyway, thanks for this. It’s made me more sensitive to both my pups’ reactions to stimuli, both bad and good.
Wow. Hadn’t seen this yet – it is really distressing.
They are also using an electric shock collar on the dog. So prong collar and electric collar on a dog that is supposedly a ‘trained’ SD? Breaks my heart.
Good lord, this dog is an absolute saint.
To the poster above who says “calming signals are not bad”… Well no, in and of themselves they are not. However they are a product of the level of stress as you also mention. This dog is clearly uncomfortable in nearly every clip of this video. Is it fair to have this dog lead a life of misery to benefit this child? I don’t know the right answer to that. But, I suspect there might be other options out there for this family as well as a stoic dog like Mr. Gibbs. Poor dude.
That poor little dog ! I just could not watch the entire video ! Those collars are cruel when used like this, indiscriminately ! Mr. Gibbs is a very unhappy , stressed out dog ! I would be too, if I had been in his shoes !
Sorry, I disagree. I don’t love prong collars but I don’t think this child is causing that dog pain. I don’t think the child is often “in charge” of him at this age and I think he likes the kid. The idea that she didn’t say “good boy” or “I love you” is a silly point — they are trying to train the kid to give commands that the dog can respond to. Having the dog on the set was of course stressful for the dog and not a great decision, but overall I think this is an amazing family coming up with a good solution to a tough problem. Where is the sympathy for the kids and the parents?
Unlike many of you, I am merely a human mom for my dogs, not a professional dog trainer or behaviorist. I am just trying to learn all I can to understand, partner with and honor my wonderful dogs and better the relationship we have. But there are, even to my untrained eye many things wrong with this scenario above. The prong collar was a give-away, and the little girl’s behavior with it is appalling. There are many clues Mr. Gibbs gives to anyone who will listen that he is uncomfortable. He is VERY patient and longsuffering. It’s hard to blame the little girl; she’s THREE, after all, and just doing what she’s obviously been told and responding as most three year olds would with a dog. I have grandchildren that age; without the intentional, purposeful teaching we’ve engaged in they would likely do the same. She may have even be told that she has to be firm with him and not be too loving, lest he not “see her as the leader”. Hah. And you can see the desperation in the eyes and voice of the Dad; he just wants his little girl to be okay. He doesn’t know any different as far as the dog is concerned. I am often amazed–and appalled–at how much the general public is ignorant about animal behavior. Probably me included, and for that I honestly apologize to all animals I have offended or hurt by my uneducated, insensitive actions. Education is the key, as often is the case. But shame on the trainer, who uses these antiquated and inhumane methods of training, and places dogs with families who are ill-equipped to understand the dog’s role or work with it humanely. And double shame on the network; instead of doing their homework, bowing to the public demand of the feel-good/sensational story and airs this in a positive light. Both the trainer and the network are “professionals”, and should rise to a higher standard.
I volunteer for a Golden Retriever rescue, and some time ago they made the difficult and controversial decision not to adopt to families with young children. Their absolute priority is the welfare of the dog, and too many experiences with dog “aggression”, bites and the like lead them to this policy. This is perhaps another sad example of their sound reasoning.
I am a recent convert to your blog, and love what you have to share. Thank you for all you do to educate us (the humans) in order for us to work with and honor our wonderful canine partners in joy and peace.
I am not a dog trainer, user of a service dog, nor am I familiar with the type of collar used. However, I am the proud owner of this particular breed of dog. Goldendoodles are sweet, compassionate dogs who are extremely tolerant of children and child-like behaviors – this particular service dog showed the temperment of most GD’s we know. Eye avoidance when overwhelmed, attempts to leave an irritating situation, licking, yawning, these are all common behaviors. I saw no evidence of traumatic, erratic, ocd or destructive behaviors that would be evidence of mistreatment. I think he’s doing an unbelievable job of helping the child and the family achieve a productive and happy quality of life. Hopefully the family and trainer are training the child as well as the dog for everyone’s benefit.
Thank you so much for writing this, your observations are spot on. It was cringe-inducing to watch this video.
We have a medical alert service dog for my 5 year old daughter-but I’M the dog’s handler, not my child. She is too young to be responsible or conscientious, or frankly even begin to know how to properly handle a dog. My child has never so much as held his leash, yet they are still bonded and the dog consistently and accurately does his service dog duties. If my dog ever exhibited the stress signals that poor Mr. Gibbs was showing, he would be immediately removed from whatever situation was causing it.
I don’t know how much many of the people watching the video know about service dogs in particular, but it is extremely important that the dog likes and WANTS to do the work asked of him. Our dog is trained using only positive reinforcement to make doing his job a pleasurable and happy experience for him.
They are also using the incorrect gear on this dog. There are service dog vests specifically made for carrying oxygen tanks that have the correct padding and weight distribution to make it easier on the dog. Expect this dog to have back problems within a few years from the improper equipment being used on him.
If these people continue using that prong collar as horribly incorrectly as they are, what they are doing is causing the dog pain and correcting behavior that does not need to be corrected. This dog is going to shut down and refuse to work anymore. In addition, when people continually ignore a dog’s stress signals, the dog resorts to communicating in the one way they know is heard loud and clear- with it’s teeth. This situation is a disaster waiting to happen.
They’re out of their minds if they think they can send this dog to school with this child, unless there is an adult dog handler accompanying her at all times.
The amount of times it seemed like that little girl was hauling on the leash with all her might, for the heck of it, was discouraging. It does seem like the father does frequently try to remind the little girl about what to do (I’m thinking in the beginning of the segment, when they were going up to the swings…”now what do we do with Mr. Gibbs?”). I’m given to understand that chain leashes have a track record of failing without warning, I wonder why that’s what they seem to have gone with, with Mr. Gibbs?
Not everything I say to my dog is a command. For Aleda (sp?) to respect that Mr. Gibbs is a living being rather than just her “walking oxygen tank” can be important for her working relationship with him and the level of care and advocacy that HE will get. I’m not unsympathetic to the family, far from it, but letting a child yank a dog around on a prong is far from a safe and responsible thing for them to be doing. Considering prongs themselves might also come apart, and they don’t appear to use a backup, it is possible for the little girl to yank, the collar to come apart, and Mr. Gibbs to peace out, because clearly nobody is listening to him.
Also, I don’t freaking care if you’re being interviewed live on television. If your kid is screwing around on your dog’s head, you stop that. Immediately. These habits, formed now, will not just go away once she’s older. They’ll be perfectly normal and acceptable in her mind.
With all due respect ddg, as a mother of 4 and grandmother of 5, I feel great empathy for the child and her parents and that is one reason this makes me very nervous. A stressed out dog, unable to escape is a bite waiting to happen and for kids, that’s a bite in the face. Does this child need that? And what will happen to the dog then? A needle?
I have always been under the impression that service dogs are to wear flat buckle collars while working, not prongs or shock collars. Is this wrong? I grew up raising guide dogs and it was always very clear that these dogs work on flat buckle collars only.
Mr Gibbs is clearly uncomfortable a lot of the time. I believe that it is the parents responsibility to teach their little girl to be gentle and kind to the dog. I don’t think the parents have a clue about training, prong collars or shock collars. They don’t know any better which is said for Mr. Gibbs. There’s absolutely no need for these sorts of collars on a dog like him.
Hold on one minute there! I don’t know where you get your information that “many people will go with a self-trained or “one off” trained dog for a service dog — precisely because they were turned down (and usually for good reasons) at a formal service dog placement agency.” I’m particularly concerned about the word “many”.
I am on my 2nd self-trained dog, and my reasons are 99% financial. A lot of the people on my SD boards say they can’t afford to either wait the X number of years for a trained dog, can’t afford the upwards (in some cases) of $20,000 for the price of one. I know I couldn’t afford that. It just so happens I had been obedience training my dogs since I was 18, so I see no need in trying for a program-trained dog when I can do my own. If it looks like the dog wasn’t going to work out, it was rehomed. I managed to save 4 dogs that might have been put down otherwise.
So when you make a statement like that, it might be nice to consider that not all of us on disability are either rolling in money from our Social Security checks or are complete morons unable to train our own dogs.
This is not a symbiotic relationship. Laurie’s video comments should go viral. Good educational opportunity. I was shocked at the swing scene. They could not hook the little girl up to a mobile unit in the swing seat? What a perfect opportunity that would have been to teach the little girl how to care for her dog.
She is just SO young! I can’t believe they would allow a child that young to “own” any kind of dog let alone a SD! I honestly wonder if the poor puppy is ever allowed to just run and play and have any kind of free time when he is not working?!?
It breaks my heart to see such a broken puppy š
This is a potentially dangerous situation.
Just want to jump in to note that “how many” is not the same thing as “many” which may influence how you are reading Laurie’s statement above. She didn’t make a sweeping generalization of all self trained service dogs, but she did note (quite truthfully) that some people who do choose to go that route are doing so because an agency turned them down, as was the case for the family in this video. They contacted several service dog agencies and were told their daughter was too young, so they are training their own with some professional assistance… While I have personally seen a number of lovely self-trained service dogs, this guy really does appear to be miserable. I don’t recall anyone in this post stating that not going through a service dog agency makes one a moron, nor that one must be rich to have a service dog. We are all just concerned about the welfare of the dog and of the little girl he is helping, and the lack of awareness about signs of stress or anxiety in our best friends. Also, congratulations to you on your success with your own service dogs – that really is an awesome thing! š
I agree with you that Mr. Gibbs is a lovely GD – extremely patient and kind in spite of the challenges he is being faced with. If you ever get a chance to see a service dog working happily with his or her handler, I think you will see a big difference in the number of stress behaviors expressed – in fact, you likely would see almost none. There are lots of GD’s out there working as service dogs and loving every minute of it… I am not so sure that Mr. Gibbs is among them.
As a trainer who actually trains dogs for family assistance work (where the child is the one with the disability, but the parent is the dog’s handler) through clicker training, I found myself yelling at the screen! How aweful! I am under no illusion that service work is always easy or not stressful, but we teach the handlers how to spot and deal with stress when it arises. The children are never allowed to have complete control over the dog and nobody is allowed to yank on the dog for any reason.
Simply having some food or a favorite toy on hand during that interview might have made all the difference in the world- oh yeah, and ditch the prong collar. If your dog has to be coerced into doing something, that’s just incredibly sloppy training.
I didn’t see any evidence of a shock collar on the dog. Can you give me the minute and second on the video? I’ll go back and take another look.
The agency for which I raise and train service dogs does so at no cost to the individual receiving the dog. They have staff members working full time to find and apply for grants, solicit donations, and run fundraisers specifically so the recipient *doesn’t* have to pay.
I’m sorry you got the impression that I thought self-trained service dogs belonged to morons. I’m not sure where you got that from my comment: “I was suspicious as soon as I saw the bandana. It’s a literal red flag to me. š You’d be surprised at how many people will go with a self-trained or “one off” trained dog for a service dog — precisely because they were turned down (and usually for good reasons) at a formal service dog placement agency. Very sad for the dog.”
SB, thanks for helping to clarify my point. That’s it exactly! š You said it better than me, and for that I thank you.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Kristen. I was both saddened and angered by the piece when I saw it on tv. The only thing I could think to do was break the piece down second by second because it was clear that no one on the set of the Today Show saw anything amiss. It made me angry because the news segment where Kyle Dyer (NBC Denver) got bitten in the face drew so much attention to dogs and their signaling, yet no one could see the signals this dog was throwing. Which led to my follow-up blog post specifically about the Kyle Dyer bite. Thanks again for your comment.
In fairness to the parents, I do think they’re trying to take care of their child. I don’t think they know the dog is miserable. Most parents — heck, most PEOPLE — watching the segment saw nothing wrong. I’m hoping that if only one person looks at the video and my breakdown of the dog’s signals that they’ll see it and remember it the next time their child is interacting with a dog.
Thanks Roxanne. I’m with you 100% Just so sad. š
Oh Barb, I’m sorry! I’m not technologically literate! But if you friend me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/laurieluck or http://www.facebook.com/smartdogu, you can link from there. My apologies for the roundabout way…
Don’t you hate it when you write something and then it just vanishes! So frustrating. But thanks for taking the time to summarize the longer post and giving your opinion. I, too, raise and train service dogs and have a M.A. in psychology — I think lots of people in our profession have similar backgrounds and have the desire to be helpers. I would encourage you to take a look at Barbara Handelman’s book “Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook” for some really good information about dogs and their body language.
As for stress signals, I just posted another blog post today: http://smartdog.typepad.com/smart_dog/2012/03/dog-body-language-how-to-tell-if-a-dog-is-happy-frustrated-scared-annoyed.html
using another video clip where the dog actually bit someone. The signals you see in the clip where the dog bit are very similar to some of the signals Mr. Gibbs was showing.
We owe it to dogs to watch closely and listen carefully when they are trying to tell us something. It’s only fair. When we don’t listen and they resort to using bigger signals (growls, snaps, bites), THEY are the ones that suffer the consequences. Preventable consequences, if only we’d been smart enough to listen.
Thanks Mrs. Pom (love that handle). Yes, so glad you got a second opinion for your Labrador. They are stoic, those Labradors. I have two of my own (released service dogs) and really enjoy them, but do worry because they tend to hide their pain.
Liz, many thanks for saying very eloquently what I meant (even though I didn’t type it as clearly as you did)!
DDG, thanks for putting in your opinion to the mix. I don’t think sympathy for the dog and for the parents/child are mutually exclusive. I have a great deal of sympathy for the parents — they’re doing the best they can for their daughter. I applaud them for thinking of creative options.
However, the fact remains that the dog isn’t happy. He’s stressed. An unhappy, stressed dog doesn’t make a good service dog. The family could make small changes to help alleviate the stress for the dog, such as: remove the prong collar, have a leash attached to a harness if the child *must* hang onto the dog, teach the child how to behave around a dog (not laying on him, for instance), giving the dog some down-time where he can be alone and just chill, and the list could continue. There are many ways to right this situation, but if left to continue, the dog’s behavior will deteriorate.
I love this from you, Jeanne: “I am just trying to learn all I can to understand, partner with and honor my wonderful dogs and better the relationship we have.” Me, too! I, too, have said silent apologies to dogs with whom I shared my life earlier in my journey to becoming a dog trainer and problem solver. Education is the ultimate problem-solver and if only 1 person sees this blog post and learns just one little stress signal from a dog, then I’m happy!
Karen, thanks for stopping by. Yes, this dog is exhibiting all the stress signals common to dogs of every breed. I do think he’s doing a heroic job. My problem with it is that no one is *aware* that these are stress signals. Nothing is being done to alleviate this dog’s stress. If left alone, this situation will deteriorate. I just wrote another blog post as a follow up to this one about how dangerous missed stress signals can be: http://smartdog.typepad.com/smart_dog/2012/03/dog-body-language-how-to-tell-if-a-dog-is-happy-frustrated-scared-annoyed.html.
Just because a breed is tolerant of kids doesn’t mean the dog should be subjected to such treatment.
Marijane, thanks so much for your well-written and clear post. I’m happy to hear how well your daughter and her service dog are doing together! Sounds like you all are on the right path and can look forward to a long, healthy partnership. That’s the way it should be – it makes me happy to hear this. Thanks again.
Ok first off most of you should be ashamed of yourselves. I am an animal lover to the max but come on, when I came across this I was in shock. Really, you are reading that far into it?! This little girl NEEDS Mr. Gibbs to function and have a normal 3 yr old life. She is 3 for gods sake, not many 3 yr olds are amazingly gentle with anything! Yes I agree her parents should make sure she isn’t laying on and bashing the dogs head with a swing nor should the prong collar be allowed. But if he pulls and it rips her oxygen out she could be seriously injured. The dog looked nervous to be on tv and in an unfamiliar environment, so of course he wants to jump off the couch and go elsewhere. As for a 3 yr old with a service dog for her disability doesn’t seem far-fetched, but she should not be yanking his collar. Seems to me like they are first time dog owners who just need more education, although Mr. Gibbs is there to help, he still needs love and not just commands. Regardless, lay off the family, the servive trainer should be the one under scrutiny, not a 3 year old. PERIOD.
Jessica, thanks for the post. No, there isn’t any regulation on what kind of collars a service dog wear. Many organizations set their own internal standards and rely on flat-buckle collars. This is a situation RIPE for teaching all kinds of things, but unfortunately it’s largely a missed opportunity.
Thanks for the comment. She doesn’t actually need the dog. She just needs for her oxygen tanks to be carried around. Having the dog carry the tanks is a lot more convenient for the parents. They could do it, the dog isn’t necessary.
A seizure-alert, blood sugar alert, or hearing alert dog IS necessary. There isn’t any way another human being can detect those medical conditions.
If you still think we’re reading too much into it, take a look at my most recent blog post: http://smartdog.typepad.com/smart_dog/2012/03/part-2-dog-body-language-how-to-tell-if-a-dog-is-happy-frustrated-scared-annoyed.html
Sorry, wrong link to the newest post. Correct link here: http://smartdog.typepad.com/smart_dog/2012/03/part-2-dog-body-language-how-to-tell-if-a-dog-is-happy-frustrated-scared-annoyed.html
I agree the dog should not be hooked up to her while on a swing! This is dangerous for both child and dog. It just makes me sad the little girl will never be as agile as she would like until she gets older, hopefully with age and technoology there can be another way for her oxygen to be carried.
I have a self-trained dog, with assistance from a professional. He is 9 and we are a team. I was so incised with this I sent a message to TODAY. I would gladly (at no cost to the family!!) help with the issues they have now. OMG, that poor dog. What happens when the pain is too much and he bites her?? Also, a puppy should not be doing this yet. He should be totally trained to obey the commands before the child interacted with it for specialized additional training (i.e. following her down the slide, and laying where he COULDN’T get kicked in the head when she was swinging!!!). I am looking to replace my dog, who is now having hip issues. I cannot afford to purchase a dog, so if anyone is connected with any agency that might help please let me know!! My dog goes to school with me (I teach kids with special needs) and even my students are being “trained” NOT to hurt my dog, ever!! That kiddo is looking at a serious bite in the future, and the dog will get the blame :(.
The thing that disqualifies you as an “expert” in my opinion is that you don’t think that watching, discussing and learning from others in a mutual situation is productive. You said you don’t have the “Luxury” well I would contend that you can not afford to not watch, discuss and share with others. Trainers, handlers and family members who come in contact with animals of anykind should never stop learning and growing with feedback from others and learning from others successes and failures. Your “Perceptions” may or may not be valid, your ability to communicate in a healthy way is way off the mark. Just because you love animals does not give you the right to treat people or their experiences and views with distain or disregard.
Have you reached out to the family to get more information or share your views? NO! It is easy to sit on line and poke at people and their decisions, what have you done to help make the situation better? Only complain online like a little kid.
Laurie I hope you have contacted the family and let them know of your concerns, or at least the trainer. Because the way this child treats the dog could end up in a biting situation, which would be tragic. I taught my children as babies to be gentle and soft with animals and they did not do the things this child did to the dog. Thank you for your breakdown and explanation.
Does anyone happen to know what service dog agency Mr. Gibbs came from? I’d like to write them a letter. With the dog showing such stress signals, I am very concerned for the girl’s and the dog’s wellbeing. Please feel free to email me privately. Many thanks.
Laurie, A friend of yours shared your blog with me after I’d shared the TV story on my FB without seeing the video (I’d only read the printed story). I watched it as you suggested, without looking at your list. The signs were all clear and it was immediately obvious to me that this dog was stressed. I agree with your comments and the other posts. I am training my own dog in many areas, including to greet/comfort patients at the hospital where I work in another capacity. I frequently explain that she is not a service dog, and despite much progress through positive reinforcement, still keep a close eye on her around small children.
This video was so difficult to watch.
I, too, saw the prong collar, but told myself “They wouldn’t do that to a service dog.” Granted, I came into the story late, but after a few seconds, couldn’t watch. Why has this little girl not been taught how to interact with her “assistant?” Grrr! I hope that the segment will bring some gentle, positive information for the adults. That’s the only thing that will help Mr. Gibbs.
Sadly, Mr. Gibbs wasn’t placed with the family through an agency because the agencies the family contact wouldn’t place a dog with them – because the child was too young, or because they specialized in something else (like guide dogs or hearing dogs). I’m not sure who the private trainer they hired was, as her name wasn’t mentioned in the story.
Ok. I know that there are trainers out there that train with many different methods but why does a SD need to be on a prong collar, wouldn’t it be obvious if it “needs” that then it’s not trained well enough to be an SD?
I just don’t get why you train a SD with such equipment? And yes, a 2 year old does NOT need to be “in control” of a SD. Have people written in about this? You can see the trainer’s website that has “trained” this dog: http://www.ohmidog.com/tag/ashleigh-kinsleigh/
Before I lost my last SD to a brain tumor, I looked into getting a program-trained dog that I could just tweak when I got it. The waiting list for a dog was 2-5 years and minimum cost would be $5000. I was supposed to raise the money through fund-raisers to help pay for the dog. I’m sorry, but I felt that trying to solicit money from people who didn’t know me for a dog that they would never meet in an economically depressed area was just not the thing. People were just trying to live. I also found out that because of my apartment status (no fencing or patio), they really had no desire in letting me have a dog since they didn’t think I could exercise it enough. I also went through that when trying to adopt a dog through rescues. At that time, I even had my teenage son living with me more than willing to help. Still not good enough. I have another 3 months before my SD can go through hip x-rays to find out if she will pass for a mobility dog. If she doesn’t, I’ll still keep her as a medical alert dog, but the search will be on again for a suitable mobility/balance dog.
There are definitely other people like me who don’t feel comfortable asking strangers for the money to get a dog or going through the scrutiny over and over again in trying to adopt another dog. I can’t even bring myself to put up a chip-in for a new harness and vest (now 6 years old). It’s that social anxiety thing and basically having to tell strangers that I’m poor and don’t have the money for a $300-$400 harness again.
I have also heard of people being turned down for other totally obscure reasons. I wish I could remember the link to the lady that spent nearly $23,000 asking for a puppy to be trained because she was wheelchair bound. She got 3 days into the 2 week bonding/training program and they said it wasn’t going to work and they kept her money! She’s in the process of suing to get the money back. I hope she wins. Not everyone who is turned down for a dog has it done for good reasons.
While I agree that *this* dog has the patience of a saint when dealing with that child (definitely get rid of the prong with her!), as a simple oxygen-carrying dog, he’s doing amazingly well under the circumstances. That child definitely needs to be retrained along with the parents and needs to understand more about the well-being of the dog. My kids were all raised when I was showing and breeding Giant Schnauzers, and none of them ever got bitten because they learned how to interact with them from a very young age (I also had very mellow dogs). Let’s just hope somebody DOES get the word out to this family and the dog’s life improves.
It’s possible that the cameras and being in the studio caused the dog to be more stressed. But I do not think the dog is suited for the situation. If he was the appropriate dog and solution in general, they would NOT need a prong collar. He was definitely trying to get away when they were in the studio. They need to try a different dog, and get a harness instead of a collar. Or find a different solution completely. I wouldn’t want to be around her all day either… The dog seemed happiest when the girl’s mom was petting him on the couch.
Astute and disturbing analysis. The girl and her parents are the ones needing the training. The tank should be rolled along by a contraption rather than the dog!
A prong collar?! Horrid in this case.
A child too young to understand how to handle the dog being in charge of the dog?! Again horrid.
The parents laugh?! Stupid is as stupid does.
Thank you for writing this!
Dear Laurie, Thank you for bringing attention to this issue. I share your concerns regarding the dog’s welfare. As a professional dog trainer and a person with a disability who has used a service dog and also needed supplemental oxygen in the past I have some additional concerns. Oxygen tanks have to be treated with special care. If they are bounced or bumped, valves could accidentally be moved or the tanks could be damaged. Additionally they are combustible and there are all kinds of manufacturer recommendations and special travel containers/holders for them. I cannot help but wonder what one of the manufacturing companies would say about having their portable tanks being carried this way by a dog.
I have always encouraged people with disabilities to ask a qualified rehabilitation specialist regarding the safety of tasks to train the dog before moving forward. When it comes to portable oxygen, there are a lot of options, i.e. longer tubing, a wheeled cart for the tank, a backpack for parents to carry, a smaller sized and lighter travel tank.
Also as a former public school teacher with a Masters in Education (my specialty was Early Childhood), I agree with those who have shared concerns about young children and service animals. With a parent who is careful and committed to managing the child and dog interactions carefully, it may be a good fit in some situations. However, I think the majority of the time, there are other, better ways to accommodate the child’s disability.
I have worked with people training their own dog as a service dog and have done this myself. I feel saddened to see a case like this get so much media. The teams I have worked with were committed to reward based techniques and to meeting the dog’s needs. I teach the individuals I work with how to read the dog’s stress signs and to quickly remove the dog from a situation when it is overwhelmed. Giving the dog enrichment activities daily, plenty of time to “be a dog,” daily play periods, quiet rest time, and frequent breaks are priorities. My own service dog was my beloved companion first and foremost. When done properly, owner trained service dogs do not just have a “good” life, they have a great life.
I don’t know how to contact them, unfortunately.
Tonya, I thought the same thing about the prong collar. In fact, I tweeted that very sentiment as the segment was airing. And when the little girl pulled the bandana off, there wasn’t any question anymore — definitely a prong. So sad for Mr. Gibbs.
I would like to think that the cameras were causing the stress, but I saw stress in the segments that were filmed at their house as well. And in the studio, the dog was definitely trying to increase distance between himself and the little girl until the very end, when he was resigned to his fate and tried to simply lay on her.
I think they are ignorant, not stupid. Ignorance is curable — education is the cure. Stupidity is knowing better and still not changing. I’m hopeful that the parents simply don’t know better.
Veronica, thanks very much for adding to the discussion from both the perspective of a fellow dog trainer and someone who’s had experience with living with an oxygen tank. I agree, it’s an unfortunate situation for everyone involved. And with some education, everyone could be a whole lot happier. A little education goes a long way…
Great analysis. I also noticed that toward the end when the dog is sitting up he does a stress-sniff as part of his attempt to move away and disengage from the girl (3:24), and when she’s putting the bandana over his face he’s mouthing at it in annoyance and not playful/puppy mouthing.
Really, the most telling thing is that he doesn’t ONCE look at her face or engage with her — the entire time he’s facing away.
Your post definately highlighted some very important points to watch for. Things I never knew. Thank you very much.
Do you have a place where we can ask questions?
I think it is just plain torture to be attached to a toddler 24hr/day.. Personally, I’d rather shoot myself.. poor dog š Breaks my heart!!
Children under age seven are usually presumed to be incapable of the reasoning ability to understand the moral implications of their conduct. That’s why seven is normally considered the “age of reason” with regard to the law. Thus, this child cannot be expected to manage the kind treatment of her dog, based on his needs and not just hers, without parental supervision, which is clearly lacking here. Most people, without education, do not recognize canine body language signals for what they are. Shame on the “trainer” of this dog for not alerting these parents, and for not giving proper guidance. A prong collar is an instrument of pain, the classical conditioning effect of which is to tell the dog that whenever he’s with that child his neck hurts. That isn’t the message I think a service dog should be getting. One of the first handouts my students get, when training therapy dogs, is a list of dog stress signals, so that they never overface their dogs in the occasional therapeutic situations they encounter. A working service dog is in that type of situation for a living! Even more important to keep such dogs as stress-free as possible.
That poor dog! Bad enough to put a pinch collar on a dog, but to hand the leash to a 3 year old… I hope for the best for this dog and the little girl, but this makes me so sad.
A-MEN! I remember watching this when it first aired and being appalled at a prong collar in the hands of a rather indulged 3 year old.
I think the girl is a brat, obnoxious and the dog should bite her.
i hope he bites her. thatl teach dumb families to at least look stuff like this up before actually doing it.
Wow…a lot of self-righteousness going on in these comments. And surprising how no one mentioned or cared about the little girl and her affliction, only mentioning the dog. Someone called the child “a rather indulged 3 year old?” REALLY??? The girl has tubes stuck up her nose at all times and has lived with oxygen tanks around her neck like a noose, and you are calling her indulged and another is begging to get the dog out of this girls life?? As a dog lover I always go out of my way to watch and study SD’s when I see them, and honestly their body language usually looks just like Mr. Gibbs. I have made several documentaries for a dog sanctuary that is a no-kill alternative and have a dog myself that I adore-I absolutely LOVE dogs, but this thread and post was “off-putting.” If you ever wonder why people don’t take animal lovers seriously and easily dismiss our claims it is because of attitudes and comments portrayed above.
Hi Bruce, thanks for stopping in and taking the time to comment. I am a service dog trainer – I care deeply about the people who are using their service dogs. As for the comments on the blog — I generally leave all comments that are posted unless they contain profanity, are hateful, contain spam. As you can see, there are several comments from people who disagree with me and I’ve kept the discussion open. I don’t edit comments.
You notice that in March of 2012, I said: “In fairness to the parents, I do think they’re trying to take care of their child. I don’t think they know the dog is miserable. Most parents — heck, most PEOPLE — watching the segment saw nothing wrong. I’m hoping that if only one person looks at the video and my breakdown of the dog’s signals that they’ll see it and remember it the next time their child is interacting with a dog.”
If you go back through my post, you’ll see a minute by minute breakdown of the dog’s body language and what exactly that body language means. If you’re seeing other dogs out there (especially working service dogs) with the *same* body language as Mr. Gibbs, then my work is far from done. NO DOG should be put in a position to show that kind of body language. Which is why I keep writing about the topic, giving talks, and promoting the use of clicker training. Thanks again for stopping by, I appreciate your input.