Oh look at that dog!...Isn't she cute. Why she's wagging her tail. She wants me to come and pet her. Maybe but more likely, maybe not. It will take more than looking at a dog's tail to see if they are friendly.
Dogs are non-verbal communicators. What can they tell us? A lot if we learn to read their Canine Body Language. We can't assume on first glance that we have read the dog right until we have looked at the whole picture.
It's easy to tell a happy dog: their mouth is opened, ears are up, they play bow, jump and pounce from side to side. Their tail will be wagging a mile a minute. Go ahead and play.
Reading a dog is somewhat like the Matching Game. When put together, what parts: body, face, ears, tail, and expression are telling the story? Don't overlook movement and sound.
Ears pinned back, mouth closed, lips tight or curled to reveal teeth, tail set low or high, speed of tail wagging, hackles, crouching back or standing tall and leaning forward all tell a story of a dog uncomfortable, not happy, aroused and on guard. This adrenalized behavior may lead to Flight or Fight.
Another question to ponder, are they upset themselves or are they trying to calm the situation they are in?
Lip Licking, Yawning, Averting Eyes, Turning Head, Stretching, Sniffing the Ground are signals that send the message of how the dog is feeling. This usually means stress. It is also a way for the dog to avoid conflict. The dog wants to make the situation better.
We can help our dogs and avoid bad situations by understanding what the dog's body language is saying.
By all means, don't confront a dog that is afraid. Thinking your friendliness will overcome their fear may just lead them to bite you.
Take a good look before your reach out to pet a dog. Better Safe than Sorry because at the end of the day we all want to get along.
Out of the DogHouse LLC website www.ohiodogtrainer.net
Contact Dru Therrian 440.286.9070
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