A Dog’s Territory
There is so much you can learn about dogs simply by observation. They are really wise, fun to watch, and predictable all rolled into one lovable chunk with a Waggin’ tail. One trait that I have learned about dogs is that they are very territorial. This was something observed from taking our dog, Jasmine, on her daily morning walk.
Summertime is a great time to get up (reasonably) early, and go outside for a morning walk with the dog. My wife (doggie mommy) Debbie, and I had very often take the time to enjoy a long walk through our wooded neighborhood with Jasmine. We are fortunate to have such a great neighborhood to walk in, and it even has a lake where ducks and geese have found their fall and winter home.
At home, Jasmine like to lay in front of our open front door and watch the world go by. However, when there are people jogging by, or other dogs on walks with their people out in front of the house, Jasmine barks and growls to let them know this is her yard and her house and they aren’t especially welcome. With this reaction in mind, on our walk, I had been concerned that seeing people our in their yards, or seeing other dogs would generate the same excitement. But was I surprised at what did happen.
Debbie and I discussed Jasmine and her barking at people and dogs going by our house. She proposed the theory that it happened at our house because it was where Jasmine lived. It was her territory. Further, Debbie had said that she would wager going past a neighbor’s yard with a dog in it would have the opposite effect on Jasmine. Not only would she not bark, but if their dog barked, Jasmine would not even respond. In effect, Jasmine would acknowledge that other dogs in their yard or house were telling her the same thing, namely that was their territory, and she was not particularly welcome.
Interestingly enough, that is exactly what happened. Every time we met someone on our walk, she was very polite, and the best dog ever. When we walked past neighbor’s yards with dogs, their dogs would bark, or run out to see Jasmine, but she would not make a sound. That was not her space, and she recognized it. This happens every time, and it is really interesting to watch.
Dogs do have a very definite sense of territory, and in that territory, they are very protective. This is true no only with other humans, but with other dogs. How interesting and insightful it is to see the interaction between dogs as they define and recognize each other’s territory. Even more interesting is how they acknowledge it with each other. When we walk past a neighbor’s yard with a dog growling at Jasmine, she doesn’t let out anything louder than a little wimper. It is like she is mumbling “OK, OK, I get it.”.
This is but one example of the many ways instinct comes into play to define an action or reaction in dogs. Watching and observing these can be a lot of fun, and on a morning walk, it sure beats mentally stressing over the day’s “to-do” list. You might even say that it can help both you and your dog get through the day Waggin’ Delightfully.
