TRAINING
3 Reasons It's a Must to Read Your Dog's Body Language

Dogs communicate with their faces, ears, eyes, eyebrows, tails -- their entire bodies. Over the years, I have learned to “listen” to my dogs, to the extent possible.

By: Ann Allums

In December, I thought it would be fun to get a picture of my dogs with Santa. A local pet-friendly establishment was offering photos, and when it was our turn, I walked my dogs, Sylvie and Sarge, toward the man in the red suit.


The author with Sarge and Sylvie.
Sylvie approached Santa with a loose body, relaxed wagging tail, and open mouth, her ears in a neutral position. Her body language said she was comfortable. On the other hand, Sarge’s body language communicated a different message. He cautiously approached with his head and tail lowered, and with his mouth closed, and as he got closer, the hair on his back raised. Sarge was saying, “I’m not comfortable with this strange bearded person in a furry suit.”

My “jolly routine” (speaking in an upbeat, happy manner) didn’t affect his emotional state, so rather than allow my dog to continue to be stressed and pushing him to accept something he was wary of, I calmly escorted my dogs away.


Sylvie kisses Sarge. They're both comfortable with this.
An important part of responsible pet ownership is understanding your dog’s body language. Dogs communicate with their faces, ears, eyes, eyebrows, tails -- their entire bodies. I have learned to “listen” to my dogs, to the extent possible, in every interaction with other dogs and people, including with myself. Here are several reasons for the importance of understanding dog body-language.


1. Understanding body language can keep everyone safe

We should understand dog body-language to help keep ourselves, our dogs, and other people and dogs safe. Every dog has the equivalent of a dangerous weapon in their mouth -- teeth. How they wield that weapon is affected by their genetics, environment, and training. Regardless, it is vital that we be able to read a dog to prevent and avoid potential conflict.

When Sarge’s hackles went up, I immediately felt a sense of urgency to diffuse the potential conflict. Rather than react in emotion, such as nervously apologizing to Santa or, worse, yelling at Sarge (which would just add more anxiety to the situation), I cheerily called Sarge to me (which we have practiced hundreds of times) and redirected him away from the situation. Not that Sarge has ever bitten, but I never want to push him into a situation where he felt like he didn’t have another other option. What if Santa had made a sudden movement, or moved his hand toward Sarge? With a dog already in an emotional state of caution, anything could tip the scales into further defensive action on the part of the dog.


Sarge visiting people at an assisted living center. He's smiling and relaxed here, unlike with Santa.
There was a time when I misunderstood dog body-language and I missed the precursors of aggressive behavior, which later developed into a serious behavior problem. Had I been aware that my dog was feeling uncomfortable or behaving defensively, I could have addressed the root of the problem with help from a trainer before the behavior escalated. Trainer Sara Reusche writes, “When a dog bites, he’s often told us in every way he could how upset he was, and been ignored. Sometimes a bite is the only way he has of letting us know what’s wrong.”

2. It can reduce stress

It is important to understand your dog’s body language so that he is not exposed to unnecessary amounts of stress. Just as with people, stress in dogs can cause health and behavioral problems.


Sylvie's yawn may indicate she's stressed.
There are many specific ways that dogs display stress: a yawn, a lip lick, sweaty paws, dilated pupils, freezing, food refusal. When I recognize these signs, I try to determine the cause of the stress and possibly deal with it through training or management to help my dogs relax. Through training, I can help my dog change his underlying emotional reaction toward something or someone, and through management, I can minimize my dog’s stressors.

3. It helps with communication

Understanding your dog’s body language is key to your relationship with your dog. Relationships are built on and sustained by communication. Communication goes both ways -- we should strive to “listen” to our dogs just as we want our dogs to listen to us. When my dog shakes off after I hug him, I should be aware that I just did something that made him uncomfortable. When entering a new place, if I notice that my dog suddenly moves slowly and has muscle bulges by his mouth and eye, I may have to adjust my pace or plans for the benefit of my dog.


Sylvie relaxes in the flowers.
Keep in mind that to dogs, vocal communication is secondary to body language, that is, they primarily communicate by body language. In dog training, we have a term called "trainer babble." These are all the words that dogs tune out, because they can only focus on so much at a time. If you are moving and talking at the same time, your dog is responding more to your body movement than to your words, because the movement is more salient, meaning it will overshadow your words.


Sarge, hanging out calmly at the assisted living center.
There are many good resources available for learning about the rich and complex language of dogs. Stanley Coren explains in his wonderful book How To Speak Dog about the multi-faceted forms of canine communication, and includes his version of a "Doggish Phrasebook." An excellent DVD on the subject is called What Is My Dog Saying? by Carol Byrnes.

The more we understand dog body-language, the better we will understand and appreciate these remarkable creatures.

Focus on the Positive

by Leah Roberts, Dog Willing Positive Training Solutions.



If your dog is behaving in a way you don't like, instead of asking, “How do I stop this?” the question should be “What would I like him to do instead?” All behavior has a purpose. First, determine what the dog gets out of the behavior. Then teach him a behavior you can accept to ask for what he wants.

For example, is he barking for attention? Teach him to come and sit in front of you with eye contact to ask for attention. Or does she beg for food at the table? Teach her to lie on a mat with a chewy during dinner and reward her with a tidbit from your plate when you are finished.



When your dog is behaving politely, make sure you reinforce him in a timely manner! It's easy to forget to acknowledge a dog who is sitting or lying down quietly. That will create a frustrated dog who doesn't know how to communicate with you and he will be likely to revert back to the unwanted behavior.

How to bring a rescue shelter dog into a new home
Two important principles to follow in bringing a shelter dog into your home.




As a dog rescuer myself and founder of Green Pets America rescue, and Americas Dog Rescuer magazine I want to assure you that shelter dogs know they have been rescued and saved.
They want only to please you and fit into a new loving home. While humans will carry baggage with them into a new unfamiliar situation, and have a hard time letting go of the past, rescue dogs know instinctively how to live only in the moment. Whatever abuse happened to them in the past is forgiven by them and forgotten.

With that said however you must understand that dogs are animals, and it therefore takes a little bit of work at first on your part to set the rules and become their new pack leader. If you do not lead, then they will… and that is when behavioral issues start.

So right up front be loving…but be the leader. Set boundaries right away. Remember dogs respond to love and not fear. Be loving yet fearless, and you will have a friend for life. Rescue dogs are truly a blessing. Treat them with love.

There are two very important principles to follow in bringing a newly adoptee rescue or shelter dog into your home.

Number one is establishing ground rules the first day and week. Second is training your dog or getting a professional trainer right away. These are the 2 most important principles I recommend as a dog rescuer to new adopters.

1. Important – establish ground rules day one.

Your rescue dog should NOT be left alone in the house un-crated until you get to know him, and he gets to know the rules.

Dogs have to learn what door to go out and how to tell you they need to go outside to the bathroom. This takes a week on average. So please be patient with him and expect house training accidents. Your dog is in a new house and learning a brand new routine, so accidents will happen. Be patient and kind during this process. Yelling will only make matters worse. Be calm but assertive.

Give your new buddy time to become familiar with the sounds and strange smells and of his new house.

Put your dog in a clean crate at night and for a rest break during the day. Crate him when you leave the house also. We have 4 rescues and they all have separate crates. It keeps them out of trouble when we go out to eat or shop. They feel very secure in a crate at night. It is their safe Zen Zone. We also us a baby gate to block off certain area’s from the rest of the house, and the open steps into our lower level. Some times you need a no fur and dander zone J

All of our Green Pets America rescues and most other rescues and shelter dogs are given basic vaccinations, and many have already been spayed or neutered. Ask what shots he has had and what are still needed.

Put them on a heart worm and flea treatment right away. Ask the rescue group what the dog is on now.

Also even though the dog has been vetted it is important that he be examined by a veterinarian within a week after adoption for a health check and any needed vaccinations.

Also if not already done make an appointment at that visit for a spay or neuter surgery if needed.

2. A trained dog is a good dog

Training up front is critically important to the long-term success of a new adoption. It is so critical that at our GPA rescue organization one of our Directors is a dog trainer. We have used her skill on a large number of our dogs; both before and after adoption. To be honest more of the training is for the humans than the dogs.

One of the top reasons we see dogs not work out is a lack of training; and a lack of keeping the dog exercised and walked regularly.

So when you adopt ask the rescue group if they provided training to the dog. Also ask if they will come to your home and introduce the dog to your family and its new surroundings. A proper introduction is a key aspect of a good transition from shelter to a regular home.

Ask the shelter or rescue group if they saw, or are aware of any adverse behavioral issues with the dog. Your awareness of this information ahead of time is critical to your training with your new dog.

As I mentioned all dogs need a pack structure. If you don’t lay down behavioral and welfare rules, and calmly enforce them your dog then becomes the pack leader in your household. We made a mistake in this area with one of our first rescues and we now have an eight pound Chihuahua – Weiner dog ruling the Monahan household. This is not a good thing J.

In addition you must get the entire family involved in caring for your new family member. Do not put all responsibility onto Mom.

As a family decide up front if your dog will be allowed onto the furniture, and in what rooms he can go into, or not be allowed into.

Establish a written schedule of who will walk him and clean up after him. Be consistent, or you will really confuse him.

It is always amazing to me how quickly shelter rescue dogs learn what is acceptable and what is not.

Remember that dogs are very responsive to teaching and want to learn and please you.

If you have rescued a dog from a shelter or rescue group our blessings to you. Every year over 4 million healthy dogs and cats are put down in our shelters, because they were not adopted.

You have not only saved a life by adopting, but you opened a cage for a new dog to come into the animal shelter and hopefully be adopted also.

So congratulation’s again for you have saved two lives today.

Cassidy Flynn: A Tale on Benefits of Adopting Senior Pet

By Cassidy Flynn | Published on 01.09.2013 4:37 p.m.

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I am a young, single, full-time student with a schedule that looks like a life’s worth of activities scribbled on every square inch of a daily planner. One day while rushing from my first job to my second job, I decided that I needed to make my life unnecessarily complicated. I rescued a kitten.


Cassidy Flynn
A few weeks after my senior, asthmatic and toothless rescue cat passed away, I was heartbroken. Sean was an aged old soul who needed my help, and when I took him in five years previous, I was forever changed as a person.

He came fully trained, gentle and peaceful. I could count on a relaxing evening at the end of an exhausting day, knowing Sean would enjoy quietly sitting on my lap as I enjoyed a glass of wine. When at last his time came, I was assured I had given him a wonderful last few years he never would have had in a damp, dimly lit shelter I have chosen to forget because I wasn’t able to save the other sad faces looking out of their cages.

I was a mess after Sean. Any breakups I had with boyfriends paled in comparison to the heartbreak I had for that skinny cat. As any lonely, brokenhearted person knows, rebound can usually distract us from reasonable action.

So, I decided to adopt a 7-month-old kitten. Listen, it wasn’t like I had a choice after I was told he would be euthanized the following day.

Under all that cute tabby fluff was a responsibility I couldn’t have fathomed. I had fallen in love, not realizing the commitment, time and patience it takes to make such a relationship work.

My life started to change the day I brought Cooper home. The balancing act of student, receptionist and aspiring journalist has competition with this small creature that has turned my daily routine into a fiasco.



My closet is a playroom. As my treasured cashmere sweater hung provocatively on a hanger, it didn’t stand a chance against the razor-sharp claws of this tiny hunter-in-training I call Cooper. I hope that ripped jeans come back into fashion.

My mother’s advice is to stay positive and redirect his attention. Positive? It will only take two years before I can replace those clothes. Redirection? Cooper decided to redirect his attention to turning toilet paper into confetti, for which I admit was impressive. I mean, how many people can say they came home to a snow scene inside their apartment? And what energy he has! After he left what I thought were chocolate paw prints across my newly washed laundry, and finding out it wasn’t chocolate, Cooper was ready to play a new game that involved my couch and his claws.

And sleep? Oh, no. You will regret falling for “cute” when this nocturnal animal makes you regret buying hundreds of fuzzy mouse toys with all the bells and whistles that hum, buzz and squeak throughout the night. You will most likely wake up to pointy teeth crunching on your nose hours before your alarm sounds. Coffee can be a real lifesaver after the bumps in the night leave me awake, wondering what else is being broken.

But even that is prey for a kitten with a curiosity for hot liquids. Already late for work, coffee on the kitchen floor, I reminisce over the days I adopted a senior cat. Then I realized I was asleep — in line at the checkout with a basket full of cat food, cat toys, cat litter and spot remover.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Cooper and I plan on him being in my life for the next 16 to 20 years if I am lucky. But when you imagine bringing home that adorable baby animal you saw in the window, just think of me as I Scotchgard and plastic-wrap what’s left of my couch.

I recommend that if you rescue a pet, give an old cat or dog a chance. Pups and kittens don’t come with warning labels meant to deter the impulse shoppers.

— Cassidy Flynn is an SBCC student and Noozhawk intern. She can be reached at cflynn@

SOCIALIZATION is the process of introducing a puppy to the world in 
a way that will help him be confident and unafraid of people, places 
and things that he will encounter throughout his life.  The most critical 
socialization window occurs before the age of 12 weeks, and that 
window is considered to be closing by 5 months.  Generally the 
younger the puppy is when he is socialized, the more quickly and 
easily he gains confidence.  Waiting too long can result in a need for 
the more difficult process of rehabilitation instead of socialization.  
Most aggression issues are simply a result of inefficient socialization.
 
RULES OF SOCIALIZATION:
 
Each socialization exposure must be fun for your puppy.  If he is 
forced to confront fears he's not ready to handle, the process can 
backfire and create a fearful/aggressive response.  Go at his pace, 
and at a distance he feels safe.  Your puppy should be the one to 
initiate each approach to something new and be allowed to retreat 
when needed to feel safe.
 
Socialization includes generalization.  Though your puppy may be 
fine with the toddlers or dogs in your home, that does not mean he is 
fine with all children and dogs.  Even if he is in a class, he will need to 
meet new and different dogs and people, and in different places, after 
his classmates and their owners become familiar to him.  You need to 
continue to expose him to new things, places, and contexts to best 
generalize his confidence with new things.
 
Pair treats with exposures to make good associations.  If your 
puppy is worried about those children he sees running across the 
street, it can help if the sight of the children makes cheese suddenly 
appear.  Or if he doesn’t like her paws touched, a brief touch followed 
by a lick of peanut butter from a spoon can make paw touches easier 
to handle.  If he will not take food, that is a good indication that you 
need to back up and lower the intensity of the exposure with more 
distance or less pressure.
 
If your puppy seems to be fearful of certain things and doesn’t gain 
confidence quickly, please see a force-free trainer to help you.  
Remember that socialization is a time-sensitive procedure.
_
The Pet Professional Guild has given permission for active Guild 
members to use this educational piece in their businesses © 2012

http://www.petprofessionalguild.com/Resources/Documents/PPG-Client-Puppy-Socialization-Download.pdf