Dog behavior is so tricky to really understand and takes lots of practice to fully understand and know what you see. This week’s blog will hopefully give a little insight to owners on how to read their dog. First on the agenda is a common rude behavior that owners often miss. Have you ever walked your dog, stopped to talk to someone else who was walking their dog and the dogs seem fine; then all of a sudden, BARK, BARK, BARK, BARK from one or both dogs? Chances are, while you were talking and not watching your dog, one or both dogs were having a staring contest. It would be as if I got right in your face and kept staring at you. You would begin to feel uncomfortable and probably tell me off. Well, that’s what it is like for dogs, and the one that starts the raucous is usually the one to get blamed. But if you watched closely, I bet it was the other dog that started it because he was staring. The best thing you can do if you catch two dogs staring at each other is break up the stare by first distracting the dog, then once you have his attention, take your dog and walk in the opposite direction. If you pull on Fido’s leash when he’s in a hard stare, the dog feels the tension on the leash and is more likely to react by lunging, barking, and growling. The problem though, is dogs just don’t think staring is rude from other dogs. We, as humans, feel that eye contact is very important. But a lot of times, staring at a dog, or approaching a dog and giving him eye contact can be very threatening. So if pooch gets startled with strangers, make sure the person doesn’t give pooch any eye contact, this might be all that needs to change for pooch to feel comfortable with strangers.
Another behavior that is misunderstood is a wagging tail. Not all wagging tails mean that a dog is happy. If a tail is stiffly wagging, almost like a pole moving back and forth, that doesn’t mean the dog is happy. It means that the dog is highly aroused and agitated, and I would not let my dog or I greet a dog at that point, especially if he was staring at me too. In order for a wagging tail to be considered a happy one, the body and tail of the dog must be relaxed; like that wiggly body we see in the puppies or dogs that are so excited and lick us to death. Remember the stiffer a dog’s body is, the more cautious you should be in approaching that dog. Or if it’s your dog that seems stiff, the more cautious I would be in letting others meet your dog at that point. Just because your dog likes one dog or person, doesn’t mean he likes everyone, so watch his body.
One more thing for body language that I would like to discuss is when the hackles are raised. The hackles are the fur on the dog’s back by the shoulder blades. When the fur is raised, or standing straight up on the dog’s back, it does not automatically mean the dog is aggressive or going to act aggressively. It means the dog is aroused. This can go either way. So just be on the lookout, that’s all. An aroused dog can be aroused for various reasons; they are having a really good time playing and are just amped up. Or, they may see something that they feel threatened by and become aroused. If the hackles are up and the dog’s body language is wiggly, like that cute wiggle-worm of a puppy, it’s all good. But, if the hackles are up, the dog is still and stiff, and doing a hard stare, then I would try to get Fido’s attention, and get him away from whatever it is that’s causing him to be aroused, because the next thing that is coming, is either one or a combo of barking, lunging, growling, snapping.
You can help your furry friend feel much more comfortable in many situations. If you notice your dog feel uncomfortable or threatened in a situation, the best thing you can do is remove your dog in the opposite direction and get him away from whatever is making him feel uncomfortable. Getting his attention, then walking away from the situation is best. Keeping a relaxed leash is very important too. I didn’t say give him the whole leash; just keep it relaxed, no tension. You can keep a short and relaxed leash. Tension on a leash adds tension to your dog, adding more fuel to the fire so to speak.
There is so much more I could go on about dog behavior. However, I felt that these behaviors were the most easy to see and help owners get a better idea of how to help their pooch out in certain situations. Next week, we will talk about socialization. A well socialized puppy/dog has better coping skills than dogs that have not been properly socialized or exposed to many situations. I thought this saying so fit this week, "When a dog wags her tail and barks at the same time, how do you know which end to believe?" – Anonymous Well, hopefully now you know, or at least have a better idea. Hope your Christmas was a blessed one, talk to you next week.
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