The first thing you should do when you get a dog

Written By Amanda Gilbert

Body language. It’s one of the most important things that pet parents should be educated on and yet it is often the most overlooked. Instead of focusing on “obedience,” teaching sit, down or stay – every pet parent should be learning about dog body language.

When looking at our dog’s body language, we always want to take in the body as a whole. A dog’s tail wagging means nothing if we are also not looking at the body and the face. A wagging tail could mean the dog is happy – if the tail is high and swishy or even moving in a helicopter AND their body is loose and wiggly AND their face holds no tension. A wagging tail that is low and slow combined with a tense, lowered body posture and a hard closed mouth and tense face tells a completely different story!

Worried looking dog

Some may look at this dog and think they look happy because the mouth is open and curved up however if we take a closer look at the body language, there is a different story. This dog is turning their head away from where they are looking, the tongue is tucked inside the mouth, the whites of the eyes are showing (whale eye), the brows are tense and the ears are pinned back. While we can’t see what’s happening with the body or tail, based on all of the signs around the face and head, this dog is likely nervous or worried about something.

 Here are the top five reasons you should learn about body language before anything else. 

1.     Body language is the foundation that the rest of your training will fall on. 

One of the pillars of dog training is setting up the environment for success. If your dog is not responding to a cue, would you be able to identify why? Could you identify that they are feeling stressed or nervous? Being able to identify the subtle signs of stress can help you to create an environment in which they are not stressed (and therefore better able to learn). 

Here’s an example: 

While training with your dog in a classroom environment, they turn their body away, sit down and start scratching at their collar then stand and starts sniffing the ground instead of engaging in the training. Does this mean they suddenly hate their collar? Maybe. But the more likely answer is that they are stressed. Scratching at the collar and sniffing the ground are very common signs of stress in dogs, and yet, it is quite often missed by the human end of the leash. 

In a scenario like this, recognizing that your dog is stressed can help you to set them up better by moving them to a quieter (less stressful) environment.

2.     Learning your dog’s body language will help you to become a better communicator with your dog.

One of the best ways to keep communication lines open with your dog is to listen to what your dog is saying with their body. Knowing their signs of stress, when they need to move to a less stressful environment and when they are feeling comfortable can mean the difference between a frustrating training session and a successful training session. When your dog knows that you will listen to them, you create a two way communication line. Trying to struggle through a training session when a dog can’t fully participate slows the learning pace and doesn’t make training very fun for anyone.

3.     Learning your dog’s body language helps keep them – and you – safe.

Canine Ladder of Aggression

The Canine Ladder of Aggression from the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine, 2nd ed. 2009.

The World Health Organization reports that dog bites account for tens of millions of injuries worldwide every year. In a recent article summarizing a study of dog bites and humans by Marc Beckoff in Psychology Today, “touching a dog increases, approximately 20 seconds before a bite, as does standing or leaning over a dog.” 

Having an understanding of dog body language can help you to identify the subtle signals a dog will give before they feel the need to snap or bite. There is a ladder of aggression that many dogs will progress through prior to a bite. Some dogs may skip steps on the aggression ladder while others may never reach the top however, we should ALWAYS respect a dogs’ space when they are displaying the more subtle stress signs. 

4.     Respecting your dog’s body language can help you advocate for them.

If you know the subtle stress signals of dog body language, you can advocate for them when they need it. Instead of your dog progressing up the ladder of aggression, you can tell others that your dog doesn’t like to be pet or touched. This can help your dog feel safe if they know they can rely on you to give them space when they need it.

5.     It will help you to identify when they are not feeling physically well.

Paying attention to your dog’s movements, what situations they like and dislike and what they are saying with their body can help you quickly identify when something might be off for them physically. If you pay close attention to the way your dog moves, you can identify if their gait seems off, or if they usually like being pet and suddenly show signs of stress when being touched, you can get them to a vet quicker for early detection of ailments. 

 

All of the above reasons will help you to improve your bond with your dog. If you can set them up to succeed in training, your training sessions will be less frustrating at both ends of the leash. Taking a step back and realizing “My dog is too stressed to concentrate,” will also eliminate the need for aversives and/or corrections. This means training sessions can be set up for success and creates a more fun, bonding experience when working with your dog.

If you are having trouble in identifying what your dog is saying or how to set them up for success, feel free to reach out for a session!

Amanda Gilbert
Previous

Cue versus command
Next

Let’s talk about ethics, baby!