• body language part 3
• part 2 body language
• Dog Body Language part 1
• christmas puppies (think twice!!)
• a few mind-numbers, just for fun

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body language part 3 Written on February 24, 2010, by marlene.

How to Approach a Dog

******Now that you know how dogs use body language to communicate,********
*******use those same body language techniques to interact with dogs.*********

To avoid a bite:
Dogs have a series of behaviors that they show before a bite. If you aren’t aware of these
subtle warning signals that come before a bite, you could be taken by surprise!

Whenever you approach a dog, it’s best to avoid direct eye contact but keep observing the
dog’s body language, just in case the dog gives you a subtle warning that he feels threatened.

Never pet a dog without watching its reaction as you are doing it. Too many times people have
been bitten seemingly “out of nowhere”, meantime the dog was showing warning signal after
warning signal, subtly, but the person wasn’t looking! This will most likely happen as a stranger
is handling a dog. Please watch how they interact, and if a dog seems uncomfortable, let them
know what to do to make the dog more comfortable and trusting (i.e.: slow down!)

If a dog stiffens, averts its eyes, tightens his mouth closed, and his body is tense, he feels uncomfortable.
It’s best to leave that dog alone, or at least stop touching or approaching. The best thing to do is to
wait for the dog interact with you at his own pace. If you choose to keep going forward with a dog
that is showing these warning signals, you are putting the dog in a situation where it may HAVE to
bite you in self defense because you are threatening the dog past its comfort level. Be patient- the
dog doesn’t trust you yet!

When you are approaching a fearful dog, use the body language that a dog who is trying to
avoid conflict would use (turn to the side; no eye contact; no forward movements like petting
over the head, ignore the dog). When you are taking a scared dog out of its comfort zone,
use these same body language techniques (loop them from the side, not from the front or
over the head.) Remember: fearful dogs believe that you are about to hurt them. Many are
scared for their lives. Try to be as non-threatening as possible so the dog will learn to trust
you. This will possibly include keeping silent, because your voice may even pose a threat!

A great way to think of interacting with a new dog is this:
If a stranger hugged you in the street, would you hug them back? Probably not, yet that is
how humans greet strange dogs all the time. If we greeted dogs like we greeted strangers,
we wouldn’t have any problems. We stop a few feet from the person and extend our hand.
If they respond, that’s great. If the person looks you up and down and walks away, you would
not mistake that message. Dogs give this message all the time, yet people insist on handling
them. Innocently, we force dogs into biting.

part 2 body language Written on January 14, 2010, by marlene.

Signs of Submission (avoids conflict):

Head is down, the dog squats/lowers itself to ground, belly up, urination, avoids direct eye contact

Signs of Friendly/Playful dog:

Tail/whole body wagging, play bow (front legs and chest on ground, hind up!), bouncing back and forth,
soliciting other dog to chase, mouth open and relaxed

Signs of a Fearful dog:

Tail between legs, body hunched over, body tense, eyes shifting back and forth, wincing, barking
and backing up, fast sporadic movements to try to escape, mouth tense and closed, tension in the body.
These dogs could easily transition into fight mode if they feel threatened enough to have to defend themselves. Watch out!

Vocalizations:
Play growl (occurs when roughousing) a softer noise, usually does not sound menacing. A play growl will be accompanied by signs of friendliness (playbow; full body wag, relaxed pouncing, etc.)

Serious growl (increases in volume as it continues, accompanied by menacing posture-stiffness
raised hackles, etc)

Dog Fights:

Never use hands or feet to separate dogs. Use 2 metal food bowls to clang together.
Have them accessible BEFORE you get the dogs together, just in case. Also, it’s a good idea
to have a bottle of water to empty onto the dogs that are fighting. This can startle them and give
you a second to separate them.

Dog Body Language part 1 Written on December 27, 2009, by marlene.

When two dogs meet, they typically sniff and circle each other. Usually, one dog will mount
the side of the other as a sign of dominance. If the dog being mounted takes offense to
this, he will growl and/or lunge to “correct” the offending dog. If the offender backs off,
there is no problem. If he doesn’t, a fight will usually break out. When looking for aggression,
look at the dog’s whole body. When a dog is aggressive or suspicious, his entire body typically
stiffens and all of his weight is shifted forward. More obvious signs of aggression such as growling
and showing teeth usually accompany this.

Signs of Aggression (wants to fight):
Almost every dog shows a series of body language cues before they actually go to bite.
Usually these behaviors are very subtle changes in body language, but they are clearly
understood by any other dog. We humans have to be looking for these behaviors in order
to prevent fights and bites to other dogs AND humans.

An intense, hard stare: body is very stiff, mouth closed tight (dogs always close their mouths
before they open them up again to bite), a high tail arched over the back, quickly and stiffly
switching back and forth (except for dogs whose tails are naturally curly at rest), raised hackles
(hair along back of neck stands up to make dog appear larger in the presence of a perceived
threat), posture is leaning forward on toes, low growl, snarling, flashing teeth, etc.

Tail wagging isn’t always “happy”. It means only that the dog is willing to COMMUNICATE:
“let’s play!” or “let’s fight!”
-Usually a low, relaxed, widely wagging tail indicates a relaxed, happy mood. This is especially
true when the dog’s whole body is “wagging” along with the tail.

-A high tail, arched over the back, quickly and stiffly switching back and forth usually means
agitation (except for dogs whose tails are naturally curly at rest)

These behaviors are also shown to humans when the dog feels threatened.
*BE AWARE OF THESE WARNING SIGNALS!*

christmas puppies (think twice!!) Written on November 30, 2009, by marlene.

A word of advice to anyone who is considering giving a dog as a gift this holiday season:

From the point of view of a trainer whose busiest season is from May to July, which happens to be around 6
months after the acquisition of the Christmas puppy (precisely around the time of adolescence and usually
at the out-of-control stage), I say “THINK TWICE!”

Not only is it a bad idea to choose another person’s companion for them (the process is VERY personal),
one also must consider the fact that this wiggly, lanky, geeky little poop machine is going to need some
guidance and training to mesh into the family. If the recipient is unwilling or unaware of the work that
comes with getting a gift like this, there could be some serious levels of frustration in the home. I’ve seen ultimatums between couples, threats to return or even euthanize the dog, acts of violence against the dog,
women crying to me begging for help (most popular), children disconnecting from parents, potential lawsuits being brought on the family because of the dog’s behavior. Not to mention stripped couches, holes in the
drywall, carpets and fabrics soaked and stained with urine, entire houses disrupted! Seriously!

I say all that to say this:

Ask yourself these questions before wrapping up a hairy potential monster and handing it over to some poor sap!-

Will the person I give this animal to definitely, absolutely want this animal? (What if they think it’s UGLY!)

Will this person assume that this animal is perfect and will not need training? (What if the dog is difficult
to housetrain?)

Will this person think of this animal as a replacement for one that has just been lost? (ALWAYS A BAD IDEA!)

Does this person tend to be patient with animals?

Is this person willing to research information or call a professional in for help if things get too overwhelming?

Does this person re-home, return, or dispose of animals that become problematic?

Does this person have time in his or her schedule to care for a living, breathing, emotional being? (The responsibility that comes with most puppies is equivalent to between a third and a half of a human child.)

If there is any doubt as to whether the potential owner is really ready for the responsibility that comes with
caring for a puppy, all the cleaning, all the exercising, all the attention, all the annoying things involved
in the training process, blahblahblah, then please reconsider! You could be thrusting this person into
a years-long period of frustration and agony. Let people do that for themselves!!!!!!!

a few mind-numbers, just for fun Written on November 30, 2009, by marlene.

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