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How NOT to Communicate With Your Dog

 

Communicating with dogs may seem easy in principle, but it can sometimes be demanding. Dogs do not see things the way humans do, and sometimes may misunderstand even our best intentions. Therefore, be aware that your enthusiasm may result in a not-so-friendly response by your new best friend.

 

Here are some ways you should NOT express yourself to a dog:

 

 

Don’t pat a dog’s head

Especially when petting a dog that is not your own, always start by scratching under the chin rather than bringing your hand above his head which is seen as an aggressive and threatening move. If you start under the chin you can move round to giving him a good scratch behind the ears too.

 

Don’t stare into a dog’s eyes

Any dog will translate this as a challenge, a way of asserting dominance. If you stare into the eyes of a dog you don’t know, it may actually attack.

Looking into the eyes of your own dog should not in any way provoke an attack. Enticing your dog to look you in the eye is always a good way of getting their attention and practicing focus skills.

 

Look away to calm the tension

If a dog gets upset after you stare into its eyes, the best method to calm it is to look the other way and find something else to focus on. Just like staring into dogs’ eyes is considered threatening and aggressive, looking away sends the opposite message. It is a sign for a dog that there is no threat and that it can relax. This is a good method for calming your dog when it tries to draw your attention or wants to play while you’re busy with something else. However, looking away is not something you should do if you are having dominance issues with your dog. If he is challenging you for ‘top dog’ position, looking away only encourages him to keep up the challenge.

 

Dogs don’t like hugs

Dogs do not recognize hugs as a way of showing affection. For any dog, a hug is a sign of dominance. If you hug a dominant dog, it will probably bark, growl or even bite, just to show you who is in charge. Not at all saying that you should never hug your dog, just be aware of how they may view it and of course, every dog is different.

 

Approach a dog from the side

Never approach a dog face on. Instead approach it from the side, just like dogs approach each other. Walking straight up to dogs may make them uncomfortable and scared. Instead, move toward the dog from the side, and pet it on its back, avoiding its tail.

 

Get on the dog’s level

Don’t stand over or lean over the dog. In their world it means you’re trying to show higher status. Dominant and aggressive dogs might dislike such behavior and react violently. Submissive dogs will probably try to appease you by cowering or rolling over. Instead of standing over dogs, turn sideways and let the dog approach you.

 

No Smiling

When approaching a dog you don’t know, never smile as baring ones teeth is considered an aggressive maneuver and can lead to equally aggressive reaction from the dog.

 

 

As humans, we tend to greet a dog smiling, looking them in the eye and bending over them…all 3 things are big no-no’s. In my opinion, it is our behaviours such as this that have caused the largest percentage of dog bites across the country. Please remember the above are generalizations and every dog is different…but these are great rules of thumb to remember.