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Reddit mentions of On Talking Terms With Dogs Calming Signals

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We found 25 Reddit mentions of On Talking Terms With Dogs Calming Signals. Here are the top ones.

On Talking Terms With Dogs Calming Signals
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Found 25 comments on On Talking Terms With Dogs Calming Signals:

u/designgoddess · 41 pointsr/Dogtraining

He should feed her. If he feels safe, he should hand feed her. Also have him talk in a higher pitched voice. Softly. She's 80 pounds of muscle, but to her he's pretty big himself. He might be more intimidating than either of you think. She might have been treated roughly by a man in her previous life. The hike is a great idea. If he feels safe he should sit or lay on the floor to watch TV. He shouldn't stand over her, he should approach from an arc. The link below is a good book. It helps explain how dogs communicate with each other. How they reassure each other. Maybe he can use some of these methods to let her know that he poses no threat. I felt silly, but after I found my fearful boys I'd give them play bows when I got down on the ground with them. Let her approach him? So it's on her terms. If he's still feeling unsure I'd recommend a behaviorist who can help read her and give you a plan for how to work through this. I found with my boys that I was asking too much from them too quickly. They needed things to be slower. Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Terms-Dogs-Calming-Signals/dp/1929242360

u/redchai · 27 pointsr/puppy101

I took a quick look through your previous posts. Many of these instances you're describing sound like resource guarding, or sleep startle reflex (sometimes called sleep aggression, but it's a reflex, not true aggression), or times when your dog is fearful/in pain. Of course, we can't witness these behaviours firsthand, so it's hard to say anything definitive - but I'm concerned that you may be interpreting any instance of snapping as aggression, when that's not accurate. In this post, for example, you describe three very different, but not aggressive behaviours. One is fear-driven, one is excitement-driven, and one is resource guarding.

Even normal, well-socialized, neurologically sound dogs will snap at someone in the right situation. It can be frightening and upsetting, absolutely, but it's important to remember that this is simply another way dogs communicate. I think sometimes people assume that the norm, or a "good" dog, is one that would never, ever snap at you, but I've never met such a dog. Most normal dogs will have a threshold, whether that's pain, or fear, where they will snap. It's normal. As is puppies using their mouths too roughly. My poodle was well into his teens before he finally stopped nipping when overstimulated - it hurt, it was frustrating, but it passed. He also snapped at me when we first started treating his ear infections, and he's snapped at me, and at the vet, when he's been examined while in pain. It happens.

A few times in your post history, I noticed moments where it seems like you misinterpreted her body language. You mention a wagging tail as a sign of friendliness, which is unfortunately a very bad way to judge how approachable a dog is. Dogs wag their tail for many reasons - sometimes as a warning. I highly recommend this brief book on canine body language - it might help you pick up on signs you're missing that could explain why your girl escalates to snapping.

Again, without seeing this behaviour firsthand, it's impossible to say whether there is something unusual going on here, but from your post history, I'm not convinced that the behaviour you're describing is outside the range of normal.

u/JonesinforJonesey · 13 pointsr/dogs

If you want to true and utter control you should get a Chia Pet. You can find them here; https://chia.com/ .

​

  1. Puppies and adult dogs don't like to be alone, they want to be with you. They follow you around.
  2. Puppies and dogs, like people, like to know what's going on in their surroundings. It's an inborn survival trait.
  3. That's also why they try to lead when walking. Puppies and adult dogs see the world through their nose, it's how they get and process information about their surroundings.
  4. Your puppy is not trying to control you, he/she already knows you are in charge. Puppies and adult dogs behave in ways designed to get the things they need from you. They need food, they need love, they need stimulation (walks/play/exercise). Stop trying to 'control' your pet and instead 'teach' them to use the behaviours that you like by rewarding those behaviours with good things, i.e.: treats, play with a favourite toy etc.. Ignore the behaviours you dislike, i.e.: bringing him back to his place without comment, turning away when he jumps up on you etc.. You and your pet will both be happier. Please don't buy into any dog whispering bullshit, you'd be better off buying a book like this; https://www.amazon.ca/Talking-Terms-Dogs-Calming-Signals/dp/1929242360/ref=asc_df_1929242360/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292939055252&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8123898998845343117&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000855&hvtargid=pla-426747736299&psc=1 and learning how to communicate with your pet.

    ​
u/librarychick77 · 11 pointsr/Dogtraining

This is not the sort of situation where getting help from the internet is likely to be useful.

You need to find a certified veterinary behaviorist and have a consultation. If your intent is to work with this dog and keep it then this is your only option.

However, there are a number of things you absolutely should not do until you can speak to such a professional:

  • Remove the shock collar. It's clearly not helping. A tool which helps is one which improves the behavior and ensures it occurs measurably less often on an ongoing basis so you can wean off of the tool eventually - this is not the case as the dog bites as soon as the collar isn't fully operational. Therefore the tool is not improving the situation but rather masking the problem. Since it's not helping (and is likely making things worse) remove the collar and use management instead.

  • Keep this dog away from children entirely. Period. I'd personally only use a solid barrier which locks with a key to prevent accidents and mistakes. Children, even very well behaved ones, aren't known for always following directions and a single mistake could lead to a very serious ending to your story. No room for error, IMO.

  • Keep this dog muzzled when it's out of the kennel. If the dog is safe around any one person then the dog should be desensitized to the muzzle. if that's not the case then desensitize while the dog is confined by a gate or in the kennel until an adult can safely muzzle the dog.

  • Keep this dog leashed unless in a very securely fenced area. If it is out of the kennel or confinement room then the muzzle needs to be on.

  • Minimize the number of people working with the dog. This reduces the triggers for the dog to bite. This is not a dog to introduce to your friends and family, obviously. If you have guests the dog should be kenneled in a room with a locked door, or loose in a room with a key-locked door.

  • If you intend to keep this dog and work with her then the adults in your household need to take a major crash course in dog body language and current behavioral science. Unfortunately, the tools and methods you have used up until this point have directly contributed to your situation - so if there's any hope of rehabilitating this dog you'll need to use very different methods and a vet behaviorist who is well versed in force free training and working with aggressive dogs.

  • You need to be aware that, because of the young age of the dog and the severity of the bites you're describing, there is a pretty low chance this dog will ever be safe unmuzzled around anyone outside your family. I would personally be very unlikely to suggest having this dog around children at all in the future, at the very least. If you're dedicated to rehabilitating the dog then you need to have a rock solid management plan (think crate and rotate, but with your children and any guests to your home), and be willing to basically give up vacations and this dog will not be safe to leave with anyone for at least a year in the best possible scenario - maybe not ever.

    The 'trainer' you used who just jacked up her shock collar and zapped away should have any licensing revoked and be charged with animal cruelty, IMO. They have not helped your situation one single tiny bit, and they likely cause irreversible psychological damage to your dog.

    If you do want to consider your options I'd start by reading up on current methods. Here's some recommended reading to get you started:

    Understanding Aggression by Barbara Sykes

    Scaredy Dog by Ali Brown

    On Talking Terms with Dogs : Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas

    Aggressive Behavior in Dogs: A Comprehensive Technical Manual for Professionals by James O'Heare

    Don't Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training by Karen Pryor

    The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by Patricia McConnell

    Anyone who recommends any sort of correction collar, 'being dominant' or any sort of pain or intimidation based training will not help your dog. Pain and fear is what caused the situation you're dealing with.

    We all make mistakes, but you can't fix this issue using the same tools that created it.
u/[deleted] · 9 pointsr/Dogtraining

So my first recommendation is to find a different trainer/behaviorist. This one seems horribly misguided. You are forcing Oscar to face his fears surrounding other dogs by making him sit when he is showing discomfort. Then you make him directly confront the other dog. You are basically showing him that growling does not work as a signal that he is uncomfortable. His next step will be biting to get away from the situation. We don't want that. We need to change his emotional response to the presence of other dogs. Right now, seeing other dogs is scary because he has no control over the situation. When he tells you he is uncomfortable, you ignore him and make him go towards the dog anyway.

The first thing to learn is dog body language. Chances are Oscar is sending out much more subtle signals before a growl to tell you he is uncomfortable with the situation. This book is excellent and easy to understand. The DVD is great too, but not necessary. http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1929242360. This is another good article about less obvious warning signs in dogs https://wildewmn.wordpress.com/2013/06/04/the-threat-of-stillness/

BAT is an excellent way to teach Oscar that he has the choice to avoid other dogs instead of growling or otherwise escalating a reaction. Here's a great illustrated outline on how to do it. http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/2010/04/08/help-for-the-leash-reactive-dog-bat-cartoon/

Finally, Look at That is an exercise that helps desensitize a dog to things that make him nervous. Here is an explanation of that exercise: http://www.akinfdt.net/look_at_that.html

If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I've been where you are before, except my dog was biting people! I'm proud to say that today he is completely trustworthy around all people and an amazing pup.

u/helleraine · 9 pointsr/Dogtraining

There is not short fix for this. Unfortunately. You'll need to understand thresholds and your dog really well to make your life immensely less stressful. Further resources below.

Resources:

u/llieaay · 7 pointsr/Drugs

You can understand a dog just about as well as you can understand another person. Second thread this week where I have recommended On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Ragaas

I guess the main thing though, is that we get love and affection from dogs (and traditionally and even sometimes still dogs do work for us) and dogs get love, food and protection from us.

u/ErrantWhimsy · 7 pointsr/Awwducational

Sneezing is a dog behavior that I believe is in the same family as a calming signal. There are tons of them, including yawning, lip licking, and slow blinking.

Basically, they convey "Hey, things are all good here, we're just playing, no need to get aggressive." It can be when a dog is nervous, or just overly excited and playful.

If you want to learn more, check out On Talking Terms with Dogs.

u/timetobehappy · 6 pointsr/reactivedogs

We have very similar dogs (mine's a chihmutt too, possibly chihminipin). We've had her for 7 months, and she's basically plateauing after the initial training we were able to give her for the reactivity. She also does really well at doggie daycare and adores/trusts all the attendants there. They say she's blossomed and come out of her shell and is more sociable with the other dogs too. She was found on the street, probably dumped with her leash and harness still on. She's also on clomicalm and previously dog prozac. Both of which have worked a little but nothing dramatically different.

Not sure what specific training you got, but here are the big things that made the most impact for us.

  • on walks, lots of counter conditioning along with 'look at me' (basically lots of high value treat dropping when seeing dogs and strangers). Her threshold used to be ~50 yards before going nuts but now she's a good 8-10 feet. It's so hard to see the progress you've made because the impact of their negative behavior can be so stressful. I feel you!
  • managed introductions: so not just letting new people come in the house without meeting them outside first (with high value treat dropping as soon as we meet strangers). She normally barks a little but as soon as doggy meatballs or people food drop she starts eating them. People are always instructed to ignore, ignore and ignore. We walk for a few minutes around the block and then when we get in the house she's much more calm. Still NO petting or staring/attention from friends in the house. Basically, she's treated like a cat, with attention only on her terms. While they're in the house, lots and lots of treats dropping every 30 seconds (nobody hand feeds either, just dropping snacks to the ground). She hates it when people put hands out for sniffing for whatever reason, so people don't do it either. It's really the most helpful for people to completely ignore her until she decides she wants to sniff or ask for attention. After ~20-30 min, she's usually begging for attention (they can't pick her up, but she finally asks for some scratches). This method has been absolutely, positively fantastic. We've had several couples over and a dinner party of 6 people. I'm guessing your dog never got to meet strangers either :(

    ​

    Books/podcasts/websites that I recommend:

  • On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals. I felt like this book opened my eyes to how dogs talk to each other. Now I can look at her, identify her body language and intent AND see what other dogs are thinking/feeling based on their body language. It's a simple, yet super helpful book.
  • Feisty Fido. Not sure why your trainer suggested a stroller, but that seems really strange. This book was excellent for managing our walks a bit better as well.
  • Youtube Channel: Kaelin Munkelwitz Trainer. She films her client visits so you can see what she's doing with the dog in real time.
  • Youtube Channel: Sophia Yin. (rip). She's well known in the training world and is so amazing with the dogs she trains on her channel.

    We struggle with her every day, just like you and I know exactly how you feel. There's no going back with her.

    At least your dog can be crated while you're gone. Ours has separation/isolation anxiety and is overly attached to my husband as well. So even when I'm here, she doesn't care so much because he's not. We've barely left our house because we haven't been able to find evening sitters :( We're almost $500/ month on doggie daycare so we can go do things during the day when I'm off of work. It's been a slow, uphill climb.

    Hang in there, you're an amazing dog parent and he's so lucky to have both of you!
u/JaneGael · 6 pointsr/dogs

Congratulations on your new puppy, she's a cutie. You are gonna have a ball! It's practically impossible to totally screw up a puppy unless you are abusive. They all seem to survive our bumbling and inability to speak their language.

If you are new to dogs you don't yet understand that they have a language that you can learn. Please do yourself and your dog a favor and learn a bit of it with this inexpensive invaluable book. it will help you understand what your dog is trying to tell you.
http://www.amazon.com/On-Talking-Terms-With-Dogs/dp/1929242360

Here is her web site with some quick info:
http://www.canis.no/rugaas/onearticle.php?artid=1

Please please throw the Purina food away. If you google the ingredients you will see that it is worse than McDonalds. It contains animal byproducts which is from dead and dying animals as well as any bit of crap they can't put in human food. It also contains corn which dogs can't readily digest and many are allergic to.

Buy a good food made without wheat or corn and with meat as its top ingredient. Here is a link to food ratings. http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/dry/

You want to choose a 5 star food if you can afford it, or a 4 star. Look at the ingredients and remember that this is the ONLY food she will get, she can't go out and buy anything else. You have to feed her the best you can. Follow the directions on the bag for amounts for the dry food.

To give her the best nutrition mix in some good quality canned food or make up a nice chicken stew, with lots of chicken and vegetables like green beans, broccoli and cauliflower to put on top. She's a baby and good nutrition is important. Besides if you love her it makes you feel good to provide good healthy food and watch her bloom.

The bath for the fleas was good. She needs to see the vet right away and he or she can advise you on what to use for her. Vet care is important. Have her microchipped if you can because rural dogs can get lost.

The crate should be big enough so that she has a place to sleep at one end and a place to go potty. If you have a secure room you could put her in there as well. Be sure to give her toys that are soft and squeak and toys that she can chew on. Gently discourage her chewing on anything but her toys. Sometimes a dab of peanut butter on a toy can make it more interesting. Don't give her rawhide chews (avoid giving Greenies at all) when you aren't home though, as they can choke on them.

There are lots of resources on the net for housebreaking. Dogs don't like to potty in their own home so after a few fits and starts she will get the idea. It will be some time before she can hold it for 8-9 hours though. Keep an eye on her after meals and take her out. Watch her and when she goes be an absolute fool about praising her and talking baby talk and anything else she finds exciting. You want her to associate it with good things. :)

Have fun reading and learning. Keep reinforcement positive. If you fuss at her make it short and forgive her immediately. Dogs don't hold grudges, they scold one another and move on. Humans could learn a lot from them.

u/SchwanzKafka · 6 pointsr/Dogtraining

> grab the hold of his collar and get him away from this, he starts biting

My comments are always unpopular when snarky, but not like I can help myself: This is a lot like complaining about randomly getting electrocuted while licking electrical outlets. If the rest of these 'random' occurrence are nearly as random, the aggression problem is once again mostly in the handler and only mild, conditioned fear aggression in the dog.

> I'm not an inexperienced dog owner

I hate to point this one out too, but unless you've been training working dogs, statistically you're more likely to be a bad pet owner than good. My worst, most horrifying experiences with people all include the phrase "I've had dogs all my life" or some variation thereof. Just because nothing has happened until now does not mean all your previous practices have been good - it just means dogs are incredibly safe.

The only truly 'random' bite I've ever witnessed was in a dog that turned out to have a sizable tumor. And that fucker bit proper. Fear bites being silent but very extensively signaled in other ways (often signaled to the owner for months/years!) is common and so are bites that connect noticeably but don't inflict real damage. A skin break is not real damage - if you don't have to knock the dog off, you were warned, not bit (caveat lector: The standard for acceptable signaling and being out in public is much more stringent [even whale-eye or taildroop is honestly way over the line, tailtuck and stiffness is straight up dangerzone], but when deciding what the dog is liable to do in a practical sense and how safe working with him or her is, I don't really sweat a minor skinbreak at all).

> The trainer tonight told us, that we should be playing tug o war with him with a toy at times.

Yes, your trainer is on the right track.

Now to start getting constructive:
canine body language

Read this or a few of the other sidebar resources on the issue. Before you can read your dog, you really have no idea what is going on where and which of your actions are super unpleasant to the dog. Once you've watched a bunch of youtube videos, watched your dog and other people's dogs (and become slightly uncomfortable realizing how much shit dogs take), then remember: The dog is always right. If the dog doesn't like something, no matter how pointless, then you can't muscle your way through if you want it to ever improve.

This is an important change in thinking from commonly anthropomorphizing the dog: You can and should empathize (using his body language as a guide), but you should avoid making inferences as to what a human would mean by that action. For example a dog that looks away when you give a cue/command might have learned that you're a bit unpredictable and harsh and just wants to avoid confrontation because he's not sure what you want anyway - even if in human body language that move is a strong 'go fuck yourself'.

After that, go here:
kikopup's channel

Watch that stuff, read up about operant conditioning. And start forgetting any punishment-stuff, including "no" or other negative markers. Its a bit of a slog to explain why, especially since those things work well in suppressing behavior in the short term - but trust me, even though it's a pain in the ass, crossing over to +R (which does include -P/-R but more in a technical than intentional sense) is very well worth it. The biggest hurdle is going to be your own skill and way of thinking - you need to form new habits, such as redirecting behavior and asking for conflicting ones, building complex behaviors in tiny steps and counter-conditioning fears.

Specific management advice:
NILIF for food and the freedom to be more than 6 feet from you. Get an umbilical leash and a harness if you must. No reaching things to investigate until you can call off from them.

Tie outs and -P punishments such as social isolation are awful even if it's not obvious how. Only leave the dog alone when you absolutely have to and work up to the ability to be left alone in small steps (read all the separation anxiety training stuff, any method works). You are better off managing the house and the dog to be indoors than him just "having a yard". A yard without you, especially the same fucking yard over and over, is completely meaningless. If you're transitioning to an inside-dog, you're going to get a fair bit of fixation with the outside (cover up the windows or find some way he can't stare outside) - that is fine however, under NILIF you can do little impulse control exercises to earn some outside-time. Social isolation makes dogs weird as fuck, especially the more active ones - so try to minimize it.

Once you've read up on things, your first priority is probably counter-conditioning physical handling. Please do this after you've understood calming signals - if you're just feeding your dog treats while they're shut down, it won't do as much good.

After that I'd start on teaching calm and impulse control. The latter is almost a given under NILIF, while the former is just a matter of rewarding moments of un-cued calm. This counts as having 'earned' - don't worry too much about whether any task you made your dog do for food/rewards/whatever was really a task. Eating from your hand is a job. Shutting up for 10 seconds is. Looking you in the eye is. Not pissing on the rug is. Being a little less afraid of something is. Being petted is. Everything that is better than it could be is worth rewarding - only start increasing the criteria as you see improvement&learning.

The last few sentences are kind of my own fearful dog protocol (PS: You have a fearful dog). I call it "Fuck it, have a treat". The reality of taking a dog out and doing stuff is there are a lot of stimuli about and once you have any rapport at all (even if it's food-based), then just the experience of waltzing about and getting treats is self-reinforcing and builds calm, confidence and handler-focus. Eventually you'll probably find the process is neat anyway and want to fine-tine your and the dogs skills. Which is cool, but totally not necessary.

u/captainkrypto · 3 pointsr/Dogtraining

I have a very similar story with my American Bulldog. I got her at 9 months and she was very friendly with other dogs until I took her to another friends house with an aggressive boxer that kept trying to jump on her back and bite her neck. She hasn't really been the same since. She isn't aggressive towards other dogs, but rather fearful of other dogs which leads to nervousness when other dogs approach... which will eventually lead to lashing out at them if they get too close. I took her to a trainer who specialized in aggressive dogs... he didn't really tell me much except for the obvious(and charged me $150!).

So, I took it upon myself and read up a lot on the subject. I have been slowly getting her more comfortable being around other dogs. I would recommend reading Calming Signals first so you will at least know a little more about what your dog and other dogs' body language is saying.

I started by walking her a few times a week with another very calm and very polite dog (I think the right walking partner dog is very important). After a while she became very comfortable around the other dog and even became excited (the happy kind) when she would see him walking up. Eventually, they were able to be off leash in a backyard (I wouldn't recommend your own back yard initially as different territorial issues might arise). I also bring along her favorite treats on all our walks to 1) Reward her for good behavior and 2) to determine her level of nervousness (i.e. she refuses the treat = very nervous, she takes the treat but spits it out = somewhat nervous, takes the treat and eats it = calm).

Good luck.

u/aymeoh13 · 3 pointsr/Dogtraining

This isn't going to solve your problem immediately and maybe not at all but isn't going to hurt and is worth a try since it's pretty low effort. It sounds like since she's a nervous dog even with you there in some situations that she doesn't know how to calm herself down when she is feeling stressed. My dog has really high anxiety and my behaviorist recommended this and I started to see a difference in about 2 weeks (though he strangely didn't have separation anxiety). Anytime you are home, have a treat bag and clicker handy. Every time she sits or lays down, click and treat. Don't cue her, just every time she does it naturally. You're rewarding her for taking herself to a lower energy state from a higher one and she'll start to do it more naturally. You can do this for any calming behavior (this book is really short and goes over calming signals).

u/xPersistentx · 2 pointsr/homestead

It really depends on the dogs disposition. Any book that promotes positive and motivational training is going to be good. People with dominant or excited dogs that they are having trouble with, then, I might suggest reading some Cesar Milan, but most people shouldn't need his style.

I highly suggest this to any dog owner.

u/lzsmith · 2 pointsr/Dogtraining

>Do you have a book or something that you reccommend to spell out some of the signs I might be missing?

I haven't read it, but Turid Ragaas's book on Calming Signals is frequently recommended. http://www.amazon.com/On-Talking-Terms-With-Dogs/dp/1929242360

This chart is cartoonish, but lists out a bunch of them:
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/551911_286631888105096_467954774_n.jpg

Some annotated photos: http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/diagrams.html

If you search youtube for "calming signals" you can find some good hits like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLrgtR9U6Z8 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_7dl4c-IrM

>Argh I really really should have stopped them at the point they were still doing well

It happens. Anyone with a rescue dog has been there at some point. Just let her de-stress for a few days before trying anything new again. Then start getting her lots of positive experiences with other dogs. It sounds like she's fine with most dogs, so this should just be a hiccup to work through.

If you're nervous going forward, having a positive trainer assist isn't a bad idea. Just having someone present who has gone through similar issues successfully in the past can really take a load off.




u/octaffle · 2 pointsr/dogs

Have you taken any psych classes? Intro to Psych is a very good and, IMO, very necessary foundation for being a trainer. It's not animal-specific, but a lot of the info is easily translatable to training animals.

Have you taken an animal behavior class? That's a good foundations class to take if it's offered in a community college or your university, if you attend one.

In regards to being able to read the dog's emotional state: Turid Rugaas' little booklet on Calming Signals is pretty helpful and well worth the $8. I learned a lot from Canine Body Language by Brenda Aloff when I first got my dog. Correctly identifying the dog's emotional state is step #1 in successfully working with dogs.

u/Big_Trees · 2 pointsr/pitbulls

Along similar lines I would strongly recommend this book.

u/sockgaze · 1 pointr/Dogtraining

This is a wonderful book that goes through the calming signals of dogs. There's plenty more that happens before a dog bites, much more than growling.

Essentially, a dog will bite because they feel they cannot escape the situation otherwise. Both situations you mentioned involved a tremendous lack of space!

Your trainer is correct that lip-licking can a sign of stress. She doesn't sound very well-versed in applying her knowledge though. BTW, dogs do NOT like hugs. It's pretty common for a child to go in for a hug, and be bitten. Be blunt to strangers--don't let them touch your dog.

u/Jourdin · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Being around dogs make me feel happy and at ease. "Calming Signals" is also relevant in this case :)

Thank you for this contest!

u/mandym347 · 1 pointr/aww

It's true that most people don't know how to read dog body language very well, so a lot of signs of stress and discomfort go ignored or misunderstood. In many cases, this misunderstanding is made worse by the human anthropomorphizing the dog's behavior.

But you're right to be skeptical of random internet strangers; there's a lot of misinformation out there, so it's always good to be critical to some degree. Check out this article by Turid Rugaas called Calming Signals: The Art of Survival. It mentions smiling toward the end. Rugaas has a good book called On Talking Terms with Dogs.

u/RaggedOut · 0 pointsr/pics

This is sweet, but you still need to be careful, the dynamic between them will change as your son gets older, and this may put stress on the dog.

Your sons friends will also be at risk when they come to the house.

Learn to watch your dogs body language. If she is licking her lips a lot, looking to the side and blinking, if there's tension in her face, ect. she is probably being stressed by the situation. Most people do not recognize these signs of building tension, and many dogs have been trained not to display the more obvious signs that they want to be left alone, like a full lip curl, or growl. Thus, they continue to display subtle signs that they need space, to no effect, and eventually snap "without warning."

This is the part where the dog gets put down.

I'm not saying that this is necessarily going to happen, but I can tell you that 99% of dog owners are completely oblivious to their dogs body language, and will never see a bite coming, even if the dog is showing obvious signs.

For the safety of your son, his friends, and the life of your dog, you should check out This awesome book on dog body language.

A tragic situation can be easily avoided, if you know what to watch for.

u/speakerforthedogs · -1 pointsr/Dogtraining

Wouldn't call them skills. It's a matter of the details I observe which are different then most minds. Somewhere on the Asperger spectrum I process things much the way the dogs do. I also prioritize dog communation above humans (like selective hearing, what your mind is focused on is all you hear). So my experience is that any dog any time around me and I'm paying attention to them all and their conversation. I've learned it.

It seems very hard for some people to understand a very simple language. Immersed in Thailand and we learn to pick up on Thai, because we devote a lot of meaning to audible language, and because our brains are "mostly" wired to process language mainly through sound and the context those sounds are in. But the time we devote to paying attention to Dog is clouded with bias and projection from our own oxytocin drug enduced loving state of mind. It discounts the dog as a whole conscious being when we pet a dog without ever knowing how to ask if HE would feel good by it, or if we are imposing. But we always feel good so all the body signals are misinterpreted as "he" must also be loving it. Even if he's trying to say he doesn't but doesn't know why you don't understand him.

Jane Goodall I suppose was entirely ostracized from "scientists" because she spoke of "language" and "emotion" in animals. We know she was right. And with the guidance of her pioneering work and steadfast effort in front of rejection, we know now how right she was.

A good book to get started with dogs. As one resource. *edited link to book not search result.

It takes open minded-ness but it is not sci fi or dog whispering. It is observation and experience.

As far as any certifications in dog training or evolutionary biology/psychology, I do have backgrounds there but that is not what this project is about. This is interpreting and speaking for the dog, not training.