Honestly today I was going to write on a totally different topic, but a friend made me change my plans. Because… she was sort of “scolded” for publishing too many pictures of her dog, a macho style Dogo Argentino, sleeping. I admit I like doing the same and we are not alone, many people suffer from the same addiction. But why do we like so much to steal a picture of ours dogs sleeping? I have always done this, prior to the advent of digital cameras, and now it is even easier, all you need is a cell phone and a cautious approach to the victim.

Our hobby is certainly fueled by the fact that sleeping dogs are super cute but I think there are also some deeper motivations. I am fascinated by the human-animal bond and I believe that a dog who sleeps deeply in our presence expresses quite a degree of trust. Think about prey animals, horses can lie down or fall asleep while standing, relaxing one leg at the time. Newborn foals and calves can immediately stand on their hooves because nature knows a predator might come. Dogs, obviously, are not preys but whether they came from village dogs (Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution by Raymond Coppinger (2002-10-01)
or directly descended from wolves, equally had to face certain dangers through their evolution and, unfortunately, many modern dogs still do. Pet animals, despite being pets, still have a deeper connection to wilderness than the average – there are exceptions – human being. This connection makes most of the them more alert and more aware of their surroundings.

Not all the breeds, and not all the dogs, are the same, some are naturally more alert, I think neoteny plays a role. Some dogs wake up at the slightest noise and some, especially those who had experienced traumas, seem unable to fully relax when  humans are around. Briony, for instance, despite a very smooth transaction from her place of birth to my house, needed several months to properly sleep in my presence. Yes, she was sleeping but mostly curled up and ready to punch on her feet at any forms of danger. The “nutshell” position was her only alternative, this is the most defensive option. It involves tucking the paws under themselves, placing the head into their body and their tail around their face. This is not a very restful sleep as dogs are tensing most of their body so as not to be vulnerable.

I have to admit that dogs tend to resemble their people: I wake up at the slightest noise and have troubles falling asleep in new places. I envy all those people who can fall asleep  everywhere, on the train, flying in an airplane, in the doctors’s waiting room and more they probably rely on someone like me to wake them up in case of fire.

But anyway, it feels really good seeing your “new” dog increasingly relaxing, literally spreading himself on any resting surfaces. His posture becoming less and less stiff, and his body getting longer and longer. Briony now rests on her sides, on her back, with her legs stretched out and tends to occupy quite a wide area! Her evolution is certainly not unique, I think that most of our dogs went this way. A dog sleeping well is a matter of trust, I guess this is why we love it so much!

This article stems from this morning walk. My walks in the countryside are always a good source of inspiration.

Today I realized that, when you are “walking” an English Setter, all your senses have to be well alert in order to locate the dog who, as the breed demands, appears and disappears from your sight. You can hear him when is behind the trees, or coming out from a bush; you can see him when he is running free on a open ground. You can sometimes even smell him when he rolls into “something” and, no, you cannot taste nor touch him but, along the years, you have surely developed a sixth sense which tells you where the dog is, what is he doing and from which direction he is going to return.

While keeping all my antennae alert, I met a man with a golden retriever. She was meekly trotting by him carrying a huge log in her mouth. I am wondering whether I would be happy with such a dog or, if, on the contrary, I will be bored. As Briony was running at a full speed in a rice paddy, we met a runner trying to “Canicross” with a Cane Corso (a huge molosser) and another primitive dog, something bigger than a Shiba and smaller than an Akita. He was impressed with the recall, but most of all, he was astonished by her speed and deep castings. British pointing dogs, with the exception of Gordon Setters – sometimes, are the most extreme of the pointing dogs: they can hardly be understood by the average pet dog owner. They often look puzzled when the setter (or pointer) owner refuses to let their dog free on a tiny patch of ground surrounded by roads, explaining it is too small,  it would not be safe.

They cannot understand how small those places are: an unleashed German Shepherd or a Border Collie would always be alert, ready to obey an order; a Dobermann or a Rottweiler would always keep an eye on their owner, because they feel the need to protect them. With an English Setter, things are different: the best gift you can give to a working English Setter is freedom. Yes, they enjoy snoring on soft surfaces, they like good food but, if you want your Setter to be truly happy… Let him free! His cute face will become a cute happy face and he will start exploring. A free English Setter would not worry much about his owner. They perfectly know we can take care of ourselves when they are busy exploring the world, finding birds and so on… These guys watch Discovery Channel! The countryside has so much to offer! Giving freedom to an English Setter is like taking a pig to an “all you can eat” restaurant, or gifting a woman with somebody else credit card! So much excitement clashes with control!

A free ranging setter may pay more attention to you if you are carrying a shotgun: dogs actively used for rough shooting understand teamwork, and most of them are very happy to pick up and retrieve a fallen bird. This is how most of the Italian hunters “control” their setters. Things get more complicated when you do not carry any weapons: the setter (or the pointer) does not get any benefits from your presence and… This is the part I love the most! Because here relationship, training and MUTUAL trust enter the picture.

Relationship: well… Relationship, you need to have a relationship with your dog! No amount of training can make a dog can back to you if he does not want to. He shall trust you (mutual trust, see below) because he knows you are not going to affect his freedoom, at least not that much. He will return to you, of follow your directions, and then he will be free again.

Training: the importance of training shall never be underestimated. Teaching  a free spirited dog a reliable recall is not easy! But I am the living proof that the plain, basic, human being can do this.

Trust: it is the key. It what allows you to let your dog free, being certain he will come back to you. You really have to trust your Setter: some people panic when they see how far and how fast these dogs can go. But you really love “something”, especially something /somebody that thrives on freedom… let him free!