How to read a dog's body language.
by Arden Moore
Quick—take a look at your dog. Can you size him up and identify his mood? What about a dog approaching you on the sidewalk or running leash-free at a dog park? Can you tell if these dogs are friendly—or to be feared?
Ready to put your doggie detective skills to the test? Take this quick quiz::
True or false: A dog wagging his tail is always friendly.
True or false: Dogs usually yawn when they're tired.
True or false: To stop a puppy from jumping on you, you should yell or hit him.
True or false: An unleashed dog walking next to his owner is always friendly and safe for you to pet.
All four answers are false. Some dogs wag their tails slowly as a warning sign to back off. Unlike people, yawning in dogs means they're anxious or worried—not sleepy or tired. Yelling at or hitting a puppy only causes him to become more excited, and possibly, more prone to nipping and jumping. Finally, any dog is capable of biting, so be careful around unleashed dogs walking next to their owners. Always ask permission to pet the dog and allow the dog to sniff your closed fist before petting him.
Joan Orr, a professional dog trainer from Campbellville, Canada, travels throughout North America to conduct seminars on dog-bite prevention. She offers these tips:
 Get into the "be a tree" pose if a strange dog approaches you. Stand still—don't try to run away.
Avoid dogs pulling on leashes or ones sporting stiff tails held high in the air.
Do not disturb any dog that is eating, sleeping or chewing on a bone or toy.
Recognize that dogs don't like hugs and kisses. They prefer that you scratch them on the sides of their neck.
Do not attempt to pet a dog that is yawning, scratching or licking their muzzles—these are all signs of being anxious. These dogs are telling you that they want to be left alone.
Do not approach dogs tied to a post, tree or other immovable object. There's a chance that the leash can break and the freed dog will chase you.
Never stare a dog in the eye—that is a threatening gesture to dogs. Instead, look at him quickly to decide if he is friendly or not.
If a dog chases you while you're on a bike, stop and be still. You can't pedal faster than a dog can run. If you have time, position your bike between you and the dog for added safety. Otherwise, place your feet on the ground and remain motionless until the dog departs.
—Arden Moore |
DOGGIE SAFETY
If you didn't ace this minitest, don't fret. Help is here from Joan Orr and Teresa Lewin, a pair of professional dog trainers from Ontario, Canada, who operate Doggone Safe, a nonprofit group dedicated to dog-bite prevention. They use fun ways to educate kids through bookmarks, which contain two sides of safety info. They market these bookmarks to companion animal groups interested in educating kids about dog safety. The bookmarks contain information on identifying a "safe dog," such as one that's sitting calmly as opposed to a dangerous dog, such as one that's running loose and growling.
This educational program also includes a board game they invented called Doggone Crazy! The game is designed to help you distinguish happy postures from harmful ones in every type of breed from tiny Chihuahuas to looming Great Danes. It offers more than 100 photo cards to teach kids to translate canine body language.
"We like to show the contrast between a dog that welcomes interaction with a child and one that wants to be left alone," Orr says. "Dogs talk to us all the time with their body language. If you pay attention, you can understand a lot about how they are feeling."
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Professional dog trainers, Joan Orr and Teresa Lewin, created this
Doggone Crazy board game to educate kids on dog-bite prevention. |
LEARN A DOG'S LANGUAGE
Dogs can't woof out words. They speak in a foreign language. But there are ways to reduce the amount of communication confusion between you and dogs. "We tell children that dogs do not bluff," Orr says. "They always tell the truth with their body language and behavior." Adds Lewin, "Just like people, dogs display different emotions. Some can be subtle. Keep in mind, a dog can be angry, sad, frightened, happy and relaxed."
In their board game and during presentations at schools and other places, Orr and Lewin identify plenty of ways to decipher dog talk. Among the pointers:
Be weary of the "half-moon" look. Dogs that show the whites of their eyes in a half-moon shape are anxious and pleading to be left alone.
Don't approach a dog displaying an intense stare with his mouth closed, standing forward with his tail stiff and held high. He's saying he does not want to be petted.
Happy dogs tend to be in relaxed body postures and pant with open mouths. Their tails are curved slightly and wag briskly from side to side.
Lewin's son, William, 12, enjoys playing Doggone Crazy! "My friends and I have learned a lot about dogs from playing this game."
Dogs bite more than 4 million people each year. Most of them are under the age of 13, according to The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
Here are some helpful resources to reduce your risk of being part of that scary statistic. HSUS sponsors a program called B.A.R.K. (Be Aware, Responsible and Kind) Dog Bite Prevention. It includes a 25-minute video called Dogs, Cats & Kids plus a 31-page activity book and a 32-page coloring book. For more details, visit the HSUS website (www.hsus.org) or contact its special youth education division at (860) 434-8666.
You can also order the Doggone Crazy! board game or "Be a Tree" bookmark by visiting www.doggonesafe.com. On this site you can also view the "Speak Dog" video that identifies different dog body languages.
—Arden Moore |
Arden Moore is the author of more than a dozen pet books, including Dog Parties: How To Party With Your Pup (BowTie, 2004). She can be reached through her website, ardenmoore.com
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If a strange dog charges toward you, what do you do? Or, how do you get your overly frisky family dog to calm down? Your first instinct might be to flee, but instead, the safest action is to act like a tree. Dog expert Teresa Lewin from Milton, Canada, offers these three steps to reduce your chance of being bitten or injured:
1. Fold your hands in front of your body with your arms straight at your sides with your hands palms up (on top of one another) in front of you at your waist like branches of a tree.
2. Stand still with your feet close together.
3. Count in your head until the dog goes away or help arrives.
"By being still and quiet, you become less interesting to a dog that may become bored and go away" says Lewin, who is grateful that her son, William, 12, and niece Lianne H., 11, heeded her "be a tree" advice. "A dog came flying into our backyard one day and William instantly made himself into a tree pose," Lewin recalls. "The dog stopped in her tracks and went by him as if to convey, 'You're boring, see ya!' Last summer, we were at a public beach when a dog came up to my young niece and was viciously barking and snarling at her. We were 100 yards away—too far to reach her. Lianne froze in position and the dog stopped barking, backed up and left. I was very proud of Lianne."
—Arden Moore
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