As for many things dog, Lili Chin of Doggie Drawings offers some adorable illustrated cheat sheets and Tails From the Lab created this excellent series on learning to speak dog. Turid Rugaas' book On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals is a good place to start, as is Brenda Aloff's Canine Body Language – A Photographic Guide. ![]() Understanding and accurately reading dog body language is a critical missing component from a lot of training. Dog Body Language. You can't effectively use threshold if you don't understand how your dog is feeling. Dogs in Need of Space has a great set of handouts explaining what appropriate etiquette looks like and why it's so important. It may sound alarmist or harsh, but these scenarios are common set-ups for dog fights, human bite incidents, and lasting set-backs for the dogs who were walking along with their person, minding their own business when they were accosted on the sidewalk or at the park. The same goes for humans who pet without asking or lean over the heads of dogs they don't know. Dogs have a developed etiquette all their own and both humans, and dogs who've had this breach of etiquette reinforced by humans, violate it at potential serious consequence to all involved. Contrary to popular opinion, it is not appropriate or safe dog behavior for off-leash dogs to sprint up to a fellow dog walking along on leash. We must respect what they perceive if we are to identify triggers and give them the skills they need to better navigate situations they find stressful.įinally, the notion of respect extends to the community at-large and the way we treat, handle, and manage the domesticated dog. ![]() However, dismissing what the dog is seeing does nothing to help the dog. It is her lack of social skills that mean she sometimes misreads other dogs or responds too quickly without sufficient avoidance behaviors (though, through training, she has developed a much better skill set). Her reactions typically occur if she perceives the other dog is a threat. Second, even if the dog's response is out of proportion for the stimulus, that doesn't mean that it isn't a valid experience for that dog. Cupcake is a perfect example of this. ![]() Clothier illustrates this crucial point in her article, “He Just Wants to Say Hi!” The dog who is responding appropriately to another dog's rudeness is not a dog who is in the wrong. First, some reactivity is normal dog reaction misclassified as problem behavior. S/he is not wrong.” This point holds true on several fronts. Empathy and RespectĪt a wonderful seminar by Suzanne Clothier, she made a point about reactive dogs that stood out very clearly, “Respect what the reactive dog is seeing. She is, after all, one of the most lovable leash gremlins we've ever had the privilege of knowing… Helping Reactive Dogs 1. While Cupcake can't write this post herself, we know she'd have a very strong opinion on the notion that leash gremlins need love too. Rather than feeling that this single issue means a dog has to spend life in a bubble, we need to identify and take advantage of what these dogs love and do well, while helping to de-escalate their reactivity to, at minimum, a manageable level. ![]() There are undoubtably activities at which they can and do excel. They are good dogs with their own individual personalities, preferences, favorite toys and activities, and most coveted delicious eatables. But just like Cupcake, it does not define them and we need to be careful that we don't let it. Other dogs struggle with reactivity to different things for different reasons. In Cupcake's case, her reactivity is tied to an early lack of socialization and a long and stressful shelter stay during adolescence and young adulthood that included some less than positive interactions with other dogs. Reactivity is just something this wonderful (exceptional, really) dog has struggled with. Cupcake is a crazy smart, loving, wiggly, adorable, loyal, energetic girl who loves fetch, learning, napping, cuddling, and adventures. Cupcake is serving as the reactivity spokesdog, not because it defines who she is, but because it doesn't.
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